Author's Note: Sorry that it took awhile for me to update the story. As I've said before, I'm not one to abandon a story and I'm not going to start now. Honestly I had lost motivation to continue this because I had lost my best friend. Kind of just loss touch for a lot of things. Which brings me to Daniel Maldonado. At first I just wanted to just use him briefly to help move along the story but now I'm thinking of using him entirely. If any of the characters seem…well, out of character, do forgive me. With the ideas I have been toying around and thinking of, it actually does lead to a point but you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for those who did leave a review though, it's very much appreciated ^_^ So without further ado….I give you Chapter 2
"Don't move! Federal agents! Drop the knife now!" Tim yells while Ziva sets her sights at the man.
"I would not think of trying anything. It would be best if you do what the he says." Ziva states as she glances at her partner laying on the floor. Tense as the situation has become, they all notice that Tony had rolled over on to his stomach, grinning and slowly standing up. Placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder while putting up another to his friends.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Put the weapons down, I just got the place cleaned up for tonight and really not in the mood for cleaning up blood off the floor. By the way, you owe me a new door probie, though that was pretty cool entrance." He looks over at the door way at Abby who was peaking from behind the door frame.
"So I'm guessing that they are your friends that you've been telling me all about? I wonder how they show up to holiday gatherings." Dropping the knife slowly then stands up, smiling at the two people in front of him. "I'm Daniel Maldonado. I live one apartment over from Tony." Daniel keeps his hands up, still smiling even with guns aimed at him.
An Hour Ago
With everything set in order weather or not McGee is on board for their get together, Tony heads back to the apartment with thoughts of what the evening would bring. He notices that his door was opened slightly as he approaches the apartment, knowing full well that he had locked it before he left. He reaches for his gun then mentally slaps himself as he realizes that he left it holstered in his room. Setting down the case of beer, he then unbuckles his belt and unsheathes the hidden knife. Clearing out his thoughts then pushes the door wide open while staying safely behind the wall, waiting for movement on the other side. A few minutes pass and Tony moves into the apartment, closing the door quietly and scans the room for signs of any disturbance. Feeling uneasy still about the silence, he moves through the living room then into the kitchen. From there he checks the other rooms as he starts to question himself about the door, unaware of the person silently following in his footsteps. Tony conceals the knife and adjusts his belt and starts to make his way back to the beer that he left outside the door but stops when he hears a creak on the floorboard, his eyes widening when he realizes that they have been behind him the entire time. Tony takes a breath then goes to the door, reaching for the doorknob only to clench his right fist and turns his body quickly as he delivers a back fist to the person behind him. Feeling his hand connect with the blow, Tony grins at the sound coming from the intruder. That grin quickly faded when the man followed with a back kick, landing hard on Tony's midsection. Falling to his knee and tries to catch his breath, Tony looks surprised at the person as he cups his cheek. Brown eyes glaring back at him, dark brown hair covering half of his face while the other is tucked behind his ear. Black long sleeved shirt with a grey shirt underneath and dark blue jeans torn at the knees. Tony recognizes the man by his height and smiles as he makes his way to his feet.
"You do know that I can arrest you for breaking and entering just as well as for assaulting a federal agent. Even with all that being said, for someone who just turned looks like he should be back in high school, that was one hell of a kick!"
The younger man rubs his jaw and grins at Tony. "You got lucky that I wasn't paying attention to where I was stepping, otherwise you would be on the ground and out cold. I have to give you credit though, I didn't see that coming. Guess you can teach an old dog a new trick." He starts to laugh.
"Old dog, huh? Well let me just grab the beer and I'll show you that you should respect your elders" Tony retorted back as he goes out to get the case he left outside.
The two men get settled in the living room and start to laugh at the event that had just transpired.
"So Daniel, when did you get back into town? I thought that you were going out of state to visit your family?" Tony reaches for the bottle and takes a drink.
"I got back last night actually but due to strange events, I wasn't able to head over here." Daniel glared at Tony.
"Haven't a clue to what you're talking about? Been really busy with work and the such." Tony smiles and shrugs his shoulders.
"Is that right? So you know nothing about a plastic snowman hanging in my closet with a squirt gun glued the top hat?
"Top hat? I thought I taped it to the chest? Getting it to stay in one place at the perfect straight aim was a challenge- err what are you talking about?"
"You'll get yours Tony, just you wait. Scared the hell out of me when I opened the door to hang up my clothes."
"Bring it on my young apprentice, you have much to learn from the master! I'm untouchable."
Daniel shakes his head while scheming a way to get back at his friend. He watches as Tony reaches for another drink then scans the room and remembers the photo of the woman in his bedroom. He smiles as everything starts to come to mind that Tony once confided to him awhile ago.
"So how are things going between you and Ziva, hmm?"
Tony chokes a bit on his drink, coughing hard. "Where'd that come from?"
"I was just wondering is all. Considering from what you've told me and what I've seen from the pictures, she's quite beautiful. If I were you, I'd make a move before someone else does." Daniel watches Tony's reaction as he leans back.
"Easier said than done. I know that there's an attraction there but I'm not sure if she feels the same way I feel."
He must be tossing them back faster than I thought if he's telling me this. Sorry Tony but you know what they say about payback and all…
"So take a chance! Isn't that what you told me when I was going to pick up that girl when we were at Chinese restaurant?"
"Daniel that was different. You were looking for a score and I don't want Ziva that way. With her, I want it to be for the long run."
Daniel gets up and takes out his ipod, nodding to himself at the choice of song. Turning up the volume and docks it to Tony's stereo as he goes back to Tony, taking his drink and chugging it. Places it empty bottle on the table and grins while he works out the details of his plan.
"At the rate you're moving, I have a better shot with Ziva than you do." Stretches out his arms as he pops his joints.
"She's way out of your league, you would not be able to handle a woman. Lets face it, you're so busy with these 'girls' that you wouldn't know what to do with her." Tony stands up, slightly buzzed but knowing full well what Daniel was setting him up for.
Damn, maybe I shouldn't have drank. I'm playing right into his game. Oh well, at least I'll have some fun before the others get here. Oh shit, they're coming over already!
Before Tony had a chance to tell his friend that they were expecting guests. The kind that were his friends and coworkers, more in likely one of them armed. Daniel rushes at Tony with a smirk across his face. Tony braces himself and takes the impact, slamming his elbow into his friend's back as Daniel loosens his grip around his waist and hit's the ground. Tony steps over him just to be tripped by Daniel's leg and falls to the floor. He then grunts as he lands on the floor and turns on his back looking up at his friend who was enjoying the rough housing.
"Daniel I'm not kidding, you need to stop. Any other time would be great but people are going to be-" Tony felt the air being knocked out of him, seeing Daniel's knee on his chest. The younger man realizes that he might have taken things a little too far and removes his knee from Tony's chest.
"I'm sorry, guess I should know when to stop, huh? Daniel states as he apologies. "You do kind of deserve it for your assassin snow man."
Both of them tense up as they hear the door being forced opened, Daniel reaches around and takes his knife out from its sheath hidden behind his back. Tony looks up and recognizes his partners then back to his friend. Daniel grips his knife as he looks at both of them with guns aimed at his body. Everyone then looks at the ground as they hear Tony laughing.
Present
Ziva and McGee keep their guns aimed at Daniel, not sure what to make of the situation. Tony looks at his teammates and notices that Abby is looking at Daniel with a raised eyebrow. Tim picks up the knife and looks at it, interested by the curve of the blade and shape of the handle. After a few tense minutes, both agents hostler their weapons and look at Daniel.
"What? It's not illegal to carry a knife you know." Daniel grins while watching them and hears Tony laugh.
"Jury is still out on that but you did assault me, so I do say we should arrest him."
"Hey you started it with that damn snow man!"
"No one told you to break in my apartment and sneak up on me!"
"Enough! It is bad enough I have to hear both you and McGee argue at work. The last thing I want is to hear more bickering on a night off!" Ziva exclaims then shakes her head. "I swear you are such a child Tony, you should know better."
Daniel laughs softly when Tony just stands there, rubbing the back of his head. "Wow! I never thought I'd see the day when a beautiful woman would actually get big mouth here to shut up."
Tim smiles and tries to keep back his laughter but fails causing everyone to look over at his and Abby's direction.
"What? He does make a valid point." Earning a glare from Abby, Tim goes to Daniel and gives him back his knife.
"Daniel Maldonado? The same Daniel that plays Call of Duty?" Tim asks curiously.
"McGeek, does he really look like the type that would spend his nights playing video games?" Tony asks confidently.
"Actually I do spend my nights playing video games when a certain person isn't rigging my room of booby traps."
"He plays pranks on you as well?" Ziva turns to Daniel wondering how is it that the younger man and Tony met.
"The stories I could tell ya babe." Daniel looks at McGee before Ziva could respond back. "That depends. Are you McProbinator26?"
The room suddenly became quiet at the name Timothy uses for his game play. Out of his most embarrassing moments, he knew this topped them all and felt his cheeks turning red. Wishing in that one moment that the one person he plays online with didn't have the same personality as he did online.
The silence is broken by Tony's laughter. Of all the nick names he gave his partner, not once did that one ever come to mind and he will never let him live it down. Both Abby and Ziva try not to laugh and further Tim's embarrassment but fail in their attempt as a small yet light laughter escapes their mouths.
Clearing his voice and ignores his friends, Tim responds to Daniel. "Yes, that is my screen name."
Both men look over at Tony, who is now sitting on the couch holding on to his sides. "I think….I'm…going to…die laughing!"
"I don't know about that. I mean considering what you plan on doing to Ziva, she just might kill you first." Daniel grins, enjoying the death glare that she gives to Tony as she makes her way to him.
"It would be for the best for you three to be away from here. I would not want my friends to see what happens to DiNozzo."
"But you don't know Daniel! Come on Zee-vah, would I ever do anything to you?" Poor choice of words Tony thought to himself. "Did I ever tell you that you look very beautiful tonight?"
Ziva tries to ignore his compliment and keep her thoughts in check as she approaches Tony. "Flattery will get you nowhere."
"Well while she decides on the many ways to kill him, I say we should get some drinks and avoid witnessing such cruel brutality." Daniels says as he takes both Abby and Tim to the kitchen for drinks.
"Daniel! I hope you know that you're an asshole!" Tony screams out. "Ouch! That hurt! What was that for?"
"It's been well noted and even documented but thanks for the compliment!" Daniel smiles as hear hears Tony trying to talk his way out of his situation with Ziva.
"I'm guessing that everyone but Ziva knows you, huh? I mean well except for me obviously because I don't know you yet. From what I can tell, you are a bit hard to read but I will figure you out. Just wait and see." Abby nods her head in thanks towards Daniel, accepting the beer from him as does McGee.
"Best of luck to you on that Abby. Just glad that I have the pleasure of meeting you in person. McProbinator here has mentioned you a few times while going a few rounds online."
Abby giggles again at the name. "Is that so? Just what has he told you?"
"Are you ever going to drop it? I mean what if we made fun of yours?" Tim asks.
"Kind of hard for you to make fun of my screen name." Daniel smiles.
"So obviously you two met online, how in the world did you meet Tony? Oh! I bet he arrested you at one point in time." Abby smiles and imagines how that situation played out.
"I ran into him. Literally, I ran into him. Three years ago, I was kind of in a bad spot."
"You stole something?" Mcgee questions.
"Not something. Someone." Daniel smiles. "Extremely long story short, I got jumped by the movie theater because I was flirting with someone's girlfriend. Hell, I didn't even know she was with someone. She started talking to me-"
"That's kind of like what Tony would say." The goth states while taking another drink.
"Anyways, they take off running when big mouth there tells him that he's a cop. Next thing I knew, we're at his apartment and he's making fun of me because my lip was swollen. He paid for that too. Put super glue on his toothbrush and we've been getting back at each other since."
"Odd way to start off a friendship. Speaking of which, it has gotten a little too quiet, don't you think Timmy?" Abby looks over to the living room to see a smiling Ziva and Tony rubbing his arm.
Tim grabs a few more beers while Abby joins the others in the living room. Daniel takes the bottle of vodka and soon joins everyone else. Tony takes a bottle only for it to be snatched by Ziva, who smiles appreciatively. The evening is filled with laughter and smiles as everyone recalls stories of Tony's previous pranks on the team and their retaliation. Several beers and a bottle of vodka later, everyone was feeling giddy and pleasant. Abby sit up on the recliner and sees Tony laying his head on Ziva's lap, both sleeping soundly.
They are so blind. Everyone can see how much they care for each other but themselves. Maybe they need a push in the right direction… She attempts to stand up and fails as the room spins, causing her to plop back down on the couch, giggling at herself. Her sights then turn to McGee who was laying on a smaller sofa, clutching a pillow in his arms. Watching him as he sleeps, Abby could of swore he mumbled something and leans forward a bit to listen closely.
"You can keep the muffin….if I can have a kiss…Abby." McGee turns on his side and falls back to sleep.
Her eyes widen at the mention of her name. He dreams about me?
"Tim has told me a bit about you. From what I gathered, the guy still really cares about you. More than he lets on, I'm guessing."
Abby looks over at Daniel laying on the floor, watching him play with a ring attached to his necklace.
"So it's not all about games with you, huh?" Abby moves off the couch then makes her way to him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Abby reaches over to grab the ring only for her hand to be smacked away. She glares at him and punches his arm.
"Jeez woman, that hurt!"
"That's what you get for hitting my hand! Besides, I just wanted to see the ring on your necklace."
"I'll let you see it if you tell me what's with you and the muffin man there. Wait…what's the story on Tony and Ziva?"
Gladly wanting to change topics, Abby grins and starts to whisper. "Those two have been dancing around each other for years! They clearly care about each other but neither one acts on their feelings."
"They're partners. Of course they're going to care about each other. I mean what person wouldn't?
"Ugh, you don't get it because you're not there constantly. Yeah sure Tony cares about Ziva but I'm talking potential relationship here! You can see it in their eyes when you are in the room. Makes for nine kinds of awkwardness."
"I may not be there but the way he talks about her can get awkward at times." Daniel states, not realizing that he said it aloud.
" Oh my God! See, you know it too!"
"You cannot let Tony know that you found that out from me. I'll never live it down and his pranks will more in likely be in revenge or worse than what he gives Ziva and Tim."
They both turn their heads to look at the sleeping pair. Tony seeming more at ease with Ziva and herself actually sleeping. Granted both have gone through a lot for one another, it always seems like they are holding themselves back. Abby then smiles evilly and grabs Daniel by his hand, leading him to Tony's bedroom.
"I don't think I'm quite all gone enough to sleep with some guy's potential girlfriend…"
"What? Get your head out of the gutter!" Abby head slaps Daniel and he winces from the impact. "Listen to me, what if they did get together? Wouldn't that make things a little more interesting and not having to watch them secretly eye one another?"
"I wouldn't know. Haven't seen how they acted near each other. They do seem relaxed though." Daniel smirks as he gets what Abby was planning. "Are you telling me that you want to set them up as if they acted on their feelings?"
Abby hugs Daniel and nods her head. "What a great idea! I'm glad that you thought of it and not me. Should it fail, it can be traced to you since I'll deny everything and they won't believe you when you say that I was involved."
"Now wait-"
"Which I know that you will try to talk you're way out of. Tim told me a little about you. Kicking_wolf."
"Guess I have no choice but to go along with it. Damn it, why can't I ever say no when a lady has an idea that can go bad?" He rubs his head again when he felt her slap the back of his head.
"That's for thinking negatively. Come on now, we can do this!"
Shrugging his shoulders, Daniel listens closely at 'his plan' as Abby explains it to him. After all, what could really go wrong with this? Seems like she had plenty of similar plans but never someone to help her.
I hate to admit it but this does sound interesting. A lot better than what I was going to do. Thinks to himself as he agrees with her.
"Before I set this in motion and prepare for what will hopefully be a success, I have a condition to make or this is a no go."
Abby glares at Daniel only to sigh. "Fine. What's your condition?"
Perfect. Now I won't have to listen to Tim about Abby every few days. "You're going to wake up with Tim."
"What do you mean wake up with him?" Puzzled as she tries to figure Daniel's meaning.
"Just think on it. Rather think what we're setting them up for."
"No deal, this is for them-"
"Take it or leave it. Besides, it's more than just for them. It's also for you and Tim. You can't stand there and tell me that you do not wonder how things would have worked out if you both tried harder." Daniel grins as he crosses his arms.
Blushing, Abby thinks about the condition. She has found herself wondering that same thought from time to time, now more surprised that Tim had been thinking the exact same thing. She bites her lip recalling what Tim had said in his sleep. Curiosity as well as her feelings getting the better of her, she agrees with the terms.
Saturday morning 0900
Ugh my head. Not sure what to blame more. The beer or the bottle of vodka that Daniel brought out. So much for having a few drinks. I should of known better than that but oh well, it was a fun night…I think.
Tony rubs his head in hopes to alleviate just a bit of the pain from his head while trying to remember bits and pieces of what happened last night. Smiling to himself when he fell asleep on Ziva's lap. For the moment, he thought she would either push him off or at least smack his head but she did neither. Instead, she ran her hand through his hair and looked at him with a smile. A genuine smile. Tony shook his head lightly thinking to himself that is was more in likely the alcohol. The only thing that Tony was curious about is how in the world did he make it back to his bed. Better yet, who was in bed with him.
There is no possible way that so little alcohol could cause me to be drunken in a short amount of time. I am glad that I do not get hang overs. I am sure that the others would disagree with the way they drank. This bed sure is comfortable I must admit. How'd I end up in bed?
Ziva begins to stir but feels an arm around her waist and warm breath on her neck, causing her to shiver. She feels a blush creeping up when she looks towards the closet and recognizes the dress shirt hanging on the door knob. Ziva's eyes widen then turns over to be met by the puzzled look on Tony's face as they lock eyes.
"Good morning there sweet cheeks." Tony smiles in hopes that she doesn't react too badly.
"Good morning. Tony, do you remember anything from last night?"
"Only thing I remember is you torturing me trying to get me to tell you what I had planned for you. Which is ridiculous considering who told you that." Sitting up and looks back at Ziva, noticing that she is wearing his shirt.
She realizes this as well and jumps off of the bed. "You sure you do not remember anything else? I can not recall anything before that."
"Believe me, if something happened between us I'm pretty sure I would remember that." Tony says softly.
"What did you just say?"
"I said let's go check on Abby and McGee. Maybe they remember something." That being said, they go to living room and are surprised by what they saw. Abby was laying her head on McGee's chest while his hand rests on her hip. Ziva goes to the sofa and sees both of them are still sleeping then looks on the recliner and sees Daniel sleeping soundly.
"Look at him. Sleeping soundly without a care while we all hook up with each other." Tony looks behind him, expecting a head slap from Gibbs.
"Hook up?"
"You've been here how long and don't know the meaning for hook up? You know, get together. Sleep together. Well more in the figurative sense."
"Okay I get the point. But still the question remains, what happened last night?"
A/N: So this is what I have to show from the time that I was on hiatus. Took me awhile because I kept changing so many different scenarios. What do you think so far? Reviews are great and appreciated. If you have an idea of what you would like to happen or an opinion, feel free to send a message. Thanks for taking the time to read!
