A/N: Okay, this update is only one song, because it's so freaking long. I wrote this in the span of about...two hours, listening to the song on repeat. My friend Dennis helped me edit this over facebook at one in the morning, so there's that. I don't own NCIS, but I do own the writing and Riley. I'm not exactly happy with the end clip, but it works. :) Enjoy.
His hands clung tightly to the bars of the horizontal ladder, his feet swinging in the air below him. "I can't move!"
"Just jump!" Ziva told him, holding her hands up.
"I'm slipping!" She put herself directly below him, wiggling her fingers. His hand slipped off the bar, and he flailed wildly, trying to replace it. "I'm going down!"
"No, you're not," Ziva replied, "Jump."
The boy's toothy smile appeared, and his hands released the bar. His small frame landed in Ziva's arms, shaking with laughter. "I made it halfway, Mom!"
"Good job, Riley." Tony's voice sounded from behind the two, "Maybe next time you'll get all the way across.""Maybe? Come on, Dad. I'm gonna be a ninja. I'm making it all the way across." He hopped down from Ziva's arms, running toward the end of the monkey bars, "I'm going again!"
***
Rain hit the glass of the window hectically, lightning flashing behind it. She pulled a book from the shelf, reading the title. Nodding, she took the book to her chair and sat. She flipped it open to the first page, and the light above her flickered out.
Ziva cursed quietly, getting up to flip the switch. Nothing. A look into the hall proved exactly what she was afraid of: the light that once dimly lit the hallway was out, and so was the kitchen light.
"Tony!" She called, "The power's out!"
She sat back in her chair, attempting to read in the dark. The first few words…the? No… they? Then? Ziva closed her eyes in defeat as thunder rumbled outside.
Then, a creak. Floorboards. Getting closer…
A light shone before her, a greenish tinted LED light…Opening her eyes, she saw Tony, holding his phone out in front of him, above the book. She smiled softly to him. The word was 'They'.
**
The window, opened, let a cool breeze wander throughout Tony's bedroom, the fresh scent of spring's morning coming in with it. Sunlight lit the once-dark room, shining on his bed.
Ziva rolled over, reaching an arm out to his side. Empty sheets greeted her fingers as she groaned, pulling her pillow over her head to avoid the sunlight. "Tony?" Came her muffled voice, "Get back here."
The sound of the door opening, then Tony's feet on the floor greeted her ears, "Good morning."
Ziva grumbled at him, reaching a lazy hand out. "What kind?"
"Green, with honey," Tony replied, putting the mug of tea in her hand.
She sat up, sipping enthusiastically. "Thank you."
**
"Go! Go! Go!" A red foam finger darted out above the crowd of yellow and red tee-shirts, Tony's voice lost in the crowd. "Ten more yards!"
Tackle. A small crowd of Michigan fans screamed wildly below him.
"No!" Tony grumbled, "Not overtime!"
Ziva laughed quietly beside him as he continued yelling at Ohio Sate's football team, watching the scoreboard add an "OT" to the end of the timer.
A tug on her sweater, and her eyes darted down to Riley, hiding his fingers in his sweatshirt. "Mom, I'm cold. Can we go?" His cheeks were pink from the cool wind, his hat pushed haphazardly above his ears.
She fixed the hat, centering the Spongebob logo, and turned to Tony. "Riley's getting cold." Tony nodded, not looking at her. "Can we go now?"
His eyes focused on her, "We're in overtime, Ziva! It's the game of the season! We can't leave now."
"You're staying home with him when he catches a cold then."
Tony sighed, pulling off his OSU sweatshirt and handed it to Riley. "Thanks, Daddy."
**
Tony flipped off his computer leaving the bullpen dark except for Ziva's desk lamp. He retired his head to his hands, groaning.
"Something wrong?" Ziva asked, looking up from her paperwork.
"Massive headache," came his response as he dug his head deeper into his hands.
"Need something for it?" She asked, reaching into her desk drawer.
"Got something?"
She pulled out a box and tossed it to him. "That."
He caught it groggily, reading the label. "Midol? No way." Tony threw it back at her, resuming his position.
"It relieves headaches, Tony." Ziva reasoned, "Don't be a.. wuss." She tossed it back.
Tony cringed, "I can't believe I'm doing this…"
**
Ziva leaned, exhausted, against the door frame of Riley's room. She pulled some stray hair behind her ear, watching the scene that played out in front of her.
Tony leaned over the crib, poking Riley's belly. A small grin, one Ziva didn't see, played on the lips of the baby. Tony picked him up and held him out in front of him. "Now," he began in a warning tone, "don't puke on me. Or else."
Ziva stifled a laugh, placing a hand over her mouth.
Pulling Riley close to him, Tony held out a finger for him to grab onto. "You are cute, aren't you?"
Riley giggled.
"Isn't he, Baby?" Tony said over his shoulder.
Ziva jumped, surprised, then, speaking loud enough for him to hear, "Beautiful."
**
"Hurry up, Dad." Riley's voice boomed through the living room, "I'm gonna be late.""Let me get my hat," Tony replied, searching the closet for his Westwater High hat.
"Come on, Badly," Riley said, "We don't have time for a hat. It's my first varsity football game!"
"You do not use it for 'team spirit' like you say, anyway." Ziva said.
Tony pulled out the fading hat and put it on. "What're you waiting for? Riley's gonna be late for his first big game."
Ziva chuckled, throwing him a grocery bag. Leaving the door ajar, she and Riley made their way to the car.
From the car, Ziva and Riley watched as he pulled out a box from the bag.
"Rogaine? Come on, guys!"
**
It was Friday night, and Ziva was curled up with a book on the couch. Silence enveloped her as the sun set slowly outside her window, the occasional flipping of the pages the only thing to break the calm.
That was, until Tony burst through the door, holding a black NCIS jacket at arm's length.
She physically jumped at the noise of the door swinging open, the knife at her side quickly reacquainted with her right hand.
"I'm dead." Tony said as he slammed her door behind him.
"If you do that one more time, yes, you are." She stood up, "Great, I lost my spot in my book."
"Gibbs is gonna kill me, Ziva."
"What did you do now, Tony?" Ziva sighed.
"McClumsy slipped on ice at the crime scene and pulled the sleeve of my issue jacket off. I'm gonna kill him!" Tony said, holding out the sleeve, half removed from the body, to Ziva.
"Sew it,"
"I can't sew!"
Ziva walked to her linen closet, pulling out a bag from the top shelf. Pulling out a needle and thread, she glared at him. "You are lucky I can sew, Tony." She sat and patched the jacket up until it was as like-new as she could make it, and handed it to him. "I hope you took notes. Next time, you are on your own."
**
"I'm not gonna leave you out in the cold, Ziva." Tony said, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
"But that is who you are," she replied, pulling his hand away from her face. "You've left every other girl of yours." She dipped her head and whispered, "I like you, Tony, but it is not worth it. I was taught to not let my emotions get in the way of anything. Especially work. I can't risk it."
"There's no risk," Tony said, grabbing the hand that removed his from her face, intertwining their fingers. He held his hand up, level to their faces, and continued, "There's no risk, Ziva, because I know I love you, and you don't have to race me up a rock wall to try and get me to admit it." Confusion in her face, then, shaking it off, "I would never leave you, Ziva."
"Promise me?"
"No. I can't promise you." He squeezed her hand, still raised in the air. "I can't promise you, because I love you more than a promise is worth."
The corners of her lips upturned, tears filled her eyes. He counted as she squeezed back.
One. Two. Three.
**
Another DiNozzo paper plane flew across the bullpen, onto Ziva's desk. Crushing the meticulously folded plane, she balled it up and threw it back at him. "Stop it."
Over the next half hour, the cycle continued: a paper plane to Ziva, then a paper ball to Tony, as she filled out paperwork and he made more turned on her monitor and reached for her mouse as Tony looked up, saying, "I wouldn't touch that."
"And why not?" He didn't reply, except for a smile, and Ziva's face dropped in surprise. "You did not."
"Hey," Tony replied in defense, "at least I warned you."
"I cannot believe you." Ziva said, unplugging the mouse and throwing it in her garbage can. "I cannot believe I like a child."
"And I can't believe I love a Mossad assassin."
"I am glad that you take me the way I am."
"Same here."
1 THE WAY I AM- INGRID MICHAELSON