Author's note:

Throm-Ka my dear readers! :) (A bit of orcish language in here, just a little of my Warcraft obsession) Hope you have all a nice week and that your May is beautiful! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, I hope that you all survived the heartbreaking scenes. And we reached 100 favourites, yay!

I'm in a very good mood, since I defended my dissertation last week that took part of my life, literally, so I'm glad it stopped getting on my nerves and I'm finally through with it. Now, the only thing that remains to get my degree is to pass my finals. Ugh...

Anyway, thanks to all the Guest reviewers for you rcontributions. I love you all so much. ;)

To the other Guest, who expressed the opinion on exploring Abby's and McGee's point of view. I'm not quite sure if you, by any chance, didn't misunderstand what I wanted to say in my previous A/N. I'm not getting Abby and McGee together in this story, if it's what you wanted to say by your review. I want to explore their point of view but it's a TIVA relationship they are thinking about, not theirs. It's up to you if you want to skip this part then, but I can assure you, there is no in-depth exploration of opinions of those two - it's just a little light conversation, nothing else, and it's about Tony and Ziva. As for getting our main pair together - check out the next chapter for sure. ;) You won't be disappointed.

My dear Debbie, you don't have to keep your fingers crossed, I guarantee you the happy ending. :)

My loveable Celine, it's a pleasure for me to reply to my readers, because it's the least I can do for your patience, the fact you stick with me and keep coming back and read, not to mention review. Thank you so much for your every review, you seem to be very nice too. :) And ice-hockey is doing great, so far, thank you. The whole country 'moves like Jagr'... :D Unbelievable what the 43-year old player is still able to show on the rink.

Amaia, thank you for your reviews as well, of course, and for reading this. I know that most of you hate McGee right now, but he will do something nice in this chapter, so I hope you'll forgive him. ;)

Enough for A/N and let's go reading this update. As I said before – a little intermezzo in here, to get our pair back together and to reveal insecurities and worries of other characters in the story.

Disclaimer:

I do not own NCIS or the characters.

Towel – Chapter 19

"Gin and tonic, please." Ziva ordered herself a drink, sitting on the barstool in the hotel's bar and sending a charming smile to the barman she already knew from before.

The barman smiled at her and nodded, starting to fix the drink. She sighed, raking her hair, hoping that nobody had seen her. She had handed over the gift to Breena, but retreated here into the bar instead of joining the others in the lounge with Jimmy. She needed to be with herself and think over her next steps, because she knew that another conversation with Tony awaited her and she needed to know what she wanted. And for that, she needed to sit down alone and meditate.

"Celebration's over?" The barman asked her as he put the drink in front of her, looking around to be sure that none of the other guests needed anything so he could have a little chat with the lady.

"Not yet." Ziva answered, taking a sip from the cocktail and then toying with the straw between her fingers. "I'm just not in the right 'celebrating mood'. I have few things to think over and I need some peace for that." She explained, not even knowing why she felt the urge to do so. It had just been a natural need to tell somebody why she hadn't fulfilled the obligation to celebrate and, rather, hidden herself in the bar.

"Need a helping hand? Sometimes it helps to get an insight from an outsider who doesn't have an idea what's going on." He offered to her understandingly, because he was used to the guests from the hotel often visiting the bar to drown their sorrows in alcohol. The barman, then, worked as some sort of psychologist who heard them out and gave them some advice that seemed to be needful and rational.

Ziva looked at him, studying him for a brief second, as if she were considering it for real. "Thanks for the offer, but this is something I have to deal with on my own." She rejected him gently. Even though she would welcome an outsider's opinion on the whole thing, it would be exhausting to explain the whole story and she didn't have the time, or the mood, to do it.

The barman smiled at her to show her that he wasn't disappointed as he patted her hand comfortingly. "Okay. You know where to find me, just in case you change your mind. But, can I ask just one question?" He asked carefully, hoping he wasn't being too obtrusive.

She lifted her eyes up from behind her glass, sucking the bittersweet liquid into her mouth. "Is this about my friend, Abby?" She guessed his intentions, because only a blind person would fail to notice this guy's interest in the Goth lab expert.

He nodded in affirmation. "I just wondered – the guy with whom she's here with..." He said, uncertainly shifting his weight because of his nervousness.

"Oh, McGee. They used to date, but not anymore. It's ancient history. As far as I know, she's single." She replied, patting his hand in a comforting way to assure him that he had a chance with Abby.

He thanked her with a smile and a wink, stepping away from her and turning around to comply with a wish of another customer. She hung her head, getting lost very quickly in her own world. The glass in front of her was the only thing she perceived, drinking the cocktail slowly while pondering her future. Some of the present man tried to approach her, noticing her goddess-like appearance, but they didn't stand a chance because the barman stopped them before they could even say a word to her.

She didn't know about it, but if she had, she would be really grateful. It was very important for her to sort out her thoughts and prepare herself for the confrontation with Tony. She had been the one who had pointed out the fact that they could always talk later and she wanted to keep her promise. They needed to talk about those important matters that stood in their way and complicated their relationship.

She was aware that they couldn't go back to the state of things as they had been before. And, to be honest, she didn't even want to. After the revelations about their feelings, the admittance of their mutual love, she didn't want to deny it anymore. As strange as it might seem, she was in love with Tony DiNozzo. And she was proud of it, because he was an extraordinary and lovable man. She didn't have any reason to feel ashamed of it.

Not to mention that it was quite liberating to stop holding it back. The strength that had been helping her to suppress it was leaving her, she couldn't fight the feeling anymore. Especially after the events in her room. Everything he had done just made it impossible for her to hide her love for him. On the contrary, she wanted to let it out and make it grow, because she knew that she was falling for him harder and harder.

The problem was whether to act on the feelings fully and start a relationship or to continue to dance around each other with some occasional displays of affection like dinner and making love. She would risk the loss of him in both cases, that was for sure. With the latter, they still would be breaking Rule 12 behind Gibbs' back, it definitely wouldn't be enough for either of them and, officially, they would both be single. And that meant that he could fall in love with someone else at any time.

With the first option, the only outcome was beginning of a serious relationship. With Gibbs' approval, with everybody knowing, with the risk that they would get separated by work due to unacceptability of partners being both in work and love, and with the possibility to lose him because he would be her boyfriend. And since she was cursed, it was quite possible, because happy endings apparently weren't meant for her. He might end up dead, or he might end up betraying her and breaking her heart.

But – she started to hate the word, honestly – the most important question she had to answer before she decided which option she would choose was whether she was even ready for such a big step. A long-term, serious relationship with a man she was crazy about. It seemed unbelievable to ponder this option since, a couple of months ago, when she had broken up with Ray, she had thought that such a chance would never occur again.

Nevertheless, the chance had come up with a man she had known for years. She actually pondered the same question already – whether she was ready for a long-term, serious relationship – a few months back when Ray had proposed to her. She hadn't expected him to do such a thing and, suddenly, she had been made to make an immediate decision about her whole future.

Now, she was forced to do the same thing once more. Back then, it had solved itself – Ray had done what he had done and had been punished for it. She had been freed of making the important, life-changing decision. This time, she knew that there was no way it would end up the same. Tony was honourable man. He would never intentionally kill an innocent person. She was sure of it.

She was aware of his ups and downs, his pros and cons, she probably knew everything about him. His greatest fears and his greatest embarrassments. His greatest loves and his greatest deeds. Of course, there were certainly things she didn't know yet, because you can't know completely everything about a certain person. The important thing was that she valued him as trustworthy person and damn good agent. Especially after everything they had been through together.

She also knew about his reputation as a womanizer. She couldn't blame him for it, because all the women he had allowed to claim his heart had broken it in one way or another. Including her, she had to admit. And as much as she loved Senior, he hadn't been an exemplary model for Tony when it came to long-term relationships. On the contrary, he accepted commitment way too easily, considering how many times he had been married. No wonder, then, that Tony had commitment issues.

Sighing, she mixed the drink with the straw and took a sip. She wondered where his sudden desire for commitment had come from as she went back to their conversation on the terrace. And I can't believe that you would throw it all away. I love you, Ziva. I've changed. I've changed for you. She recalled these words in particular, and they echoed in her head and made her dig deeper.

He hadn't been lying as she went far back into her memories, recalling the whole year. Since he and EJ had broken up (or whatever they had done, she still wasn't sure what to think about their 'relationship'), he had never mentioned any other girl. Sure, when he had noticed some beautiful woman in his surroundings, he had commented on it, but she couldn't remember that he had been actually on a date with any of them.

He had been really nice to her, complimenting her on her looks, openly flirting with her. But they had been doing it all the time, so she hadn't taken it in a serious way. He had also been very supportive when it came to her relationship with Ray, even though she now remembered that she'd always noticed the painful gleam in his eyes every time her ex-boyfriend had been brought up.

His behaviour had changed for a little while when his ex-fiancée had appeared but, since then, he had been spending every free time he'd had with Ziva. The whole 'non-dating' stuff had been pleasant for both. And he had been a true gentleman, always giving her a kiss on her cheek and nowhere else. He had never mentioned their sleeping arrangements on her couch when he had fallen asleep in her apartment. He'd probably known that she hadn't wanted to talk about it. She'd just wanted to enjoy it.

He had really changed. And for her, which was something no one had ever done. He had been on his best behaviour, showing her that he was ready for commitment. That he hadn't minded spending all those weeks with just one woman, because he had been pleased that he could be in her proximity practically twenty-four hours a day. Both in work and privacy.

He had secretly and inconspicuously shown her that they had been able to make it work. And, moreover, that he trusted her with his heart. The heart that had been bruised with disappointment way too many times, just as hers had. The only thing he demanded of her was the same level of trust. To risk everything, because he believed that their love for each other was strong enough to survive for centuries.

She took a long sip from the bittersweet liquid, absently taking the slice of lemon that had been hung up on the glass and biting onto it. She grimaced under the sour taste but finished it as she let her thoughts flowed. The hardest task was now in front of her. Figure out a way to deal with Gibbs, Rule 12, work and partnership with Tony while maintaining the thing that she valued the most – their friendship – all while being in a serious relationship with him.

"Thank you so much, guys!" Jimmy hugged both McGee and Tony simultaneously for their presents that lay on the table, unwrapped. He looked around to see if Ziva was there, too, so he could thank her as well. He didn't see her, though, so he made a mental note to do so, when he bumped into her next time.

"You're welcome, Jimmy." McGee replied, untangling from the embrace and, without waiting or glancing at Tony, retreating to the small bar that was in the lounge with a private barman who was serving them that night.

"Yes, you're welcome. I'm proud of you, my dear Autopsy Gremlin." Tony uttered with unfeigned pride in his voice, clapping Jimmy's shoulder as an appreciation for his courage to get married.

"My turn, now!" Abby interfered, hugging Jimmy tightly and he welcomed her hug with a smile. He felt as if it was all a dream. Just few days ago, he had thought that his wedding would be a failure since Dearing just hadn't let them alone. But everybody he wanted to come had been here, celebrating his happiness with him, and he felt overwhelmed with emotions. He even started to feel confident about singing the Bette Midler song tomorrow after the ceremony.

He released Abby when he felt that somebody tapped him on his shoulder. "And because this the last night you can breathe freely, Palmer, I'm challenging you for the game of pool." Gibbs told him right to his face, signing to him that he had a chance to win, without receiving a head slap or something. It was probably the only chance he would get in his life.

Jimmy's face paled visibly as he clung onto Abby, who was having a hard time keeping him standing. Eventually, he bravely accepted the cue Gibbs was passing him. With Abby's support, he managed to get to the billiard table, watching Gibbs as he started to put the balls on the table while Ducky decided to inform them about the history and rules of pool. The others were talking, drinking or watching the starting game with interest.

Tony chuckled in amusement, going over to the bar and seating himself on one of the bar stools, ordering another Martini. He wasn't going to miss the game in billion years, so he chose a good vantage point to see it, but not to be personally involved in it. Just to see how Jimmy would try to defeat Gibbs in any game was immensely entertaining, but he didn't need to be too close, just in case they would try to pull him into it.

"This is going to be good." He rubbed his hands, taking the glass into his hand and drinking from it as he watched the first shot Jimmy 'attempted' to carry out closely. Jimmy wasn't very successful, though.

The remark was supposed to be aimed at McGee, who deliberately ignored Tony's presence and just watched the game emotionlessly. He didn't have any desire to react to Tony's comments, especially after he had yelled at him for interrupting his conversation with Ziva. He hadn't known what they had been talking about, but his gut was telling him it had to be important if Tony had been so angry.

Tony looked over at him, watching him for few seconds, as if he expected some response, or at least an acknowledgment of his presence. "Hey, McSpoilsport! What's wrong with you?" He nudged his elbow teasingly, watching as Gibbs placed two balls into the pockets, failing to do so with the third one, and allowing Jimmy to take another shot.

McGee just muttered something, sending him an annoyed glance as he downed his scotch and ordered a new one. "Nothing. Just waiting for you to start yelling at me again." He said sarcastically, wanting to show Tony that his intention had never been to interrupt him and Ziva. But he had to choose between a certain head slap from his boss or risking angering Tony. And, as it happened, he'd gotten the head slap for that Tony hadn't come with him right away.

Tony sighed guiltily, realizing how much his outburst had hurt McGee. He had to admit that he had been harsher then he had intended. But the anger had cumulated in him for far too long. "Look, I'm sorry for that. I was just frustrated to no end." He started to explain, turning on his bar stool to face McGee, glancing over now and then to see how the game was going.

"It actually wasn't even aimed at you. I had just been suppressing the anger for a very long time, and your interruption was the icing on the cake. I needed to get it out." He assured Tim that it hadn't been personal and he hadn't meant to do any harm with his shouting. He was frustrated with Ziva's constant denials and insecurities, with the whole world that had been against him and, also, for the unceasing interruptions. But it'd had nothing to do with Tim, personally.

Tim smiled when he saw how Jimmy managed to get a third ball in a row into the pocket, after Dr. Ryan had whispered something into his ear. Whatever it had been, it had helped him to be better in pool. However, he managed to get even the cue ball into the pocket, which meant that it was Gibbs' turn now. Tim watched as Gibbs professionally focused on the table, trying to find the best way to place rest of the balls into their pockets without committing a foul.

"Does it have anything to do with what were you talking about with Ziva?" McGee asked while watching the game, inconspicuously trying to gain some valid information. He knew that something was going on between them, but he wasn't sure how far it went. He had seen them at the table, he had heard all those things Tony had said to her while they had been eating, and he had definitely noticed how he had grabbed her by her buttocks when they had been dancing.

Tony was dying to tell someone what was going on between them, but he also respected Ziva's and his own right to privacy. There still were things they needed to sort out before they could spread the word about their relationship. And how to tell everyone was one of things they hadn't discussed yet. So, he couldn't reveal exactly what they had been talking about.

"Partially, yes." He confirmed. It couldn't hurt just to admit this little bit. And it was the truth, after all.

McGee wasn't giving up, though. He didn't mean to be obtrusive. He just wanted to know whether something really was going on between them so he could adequately prepare himself for it. And he sensed that Tony longed to tell someone about it. "Will you tell me what's going on?" He asked him carefully, not wanting to give him the impression that he was pushing him to do what he had demanded.

Tony pondered his reply, hesitating. "I would love to, but I can't." He answered after a while. He hated to reject the offer to talk about it, but he wouldn't say anything without Ziva's consent.

McGee looked over at him, missing the foul Gibbs made, allowing Jimmy to catch up with the score. He studied Tony for a brief moment, hoping that he wouldn't start yell at him for expressing his concerns over the whole situation. "Tony, you do realize that you're playing with fire, right?" He asked his question with wariness, knowing that the merest error in Tony's efforts to win Ziva's heart can cause serious trouble.

Tony took a sip from his Martini, taking out the olive and sticking it into his mouth, sighing when he remembered how he had offered one to Ziva earlier and she'd so sensually eaten it. "If only it were fire, McGee. If only it were just fire..." He replied thoughtfully, admitting that he knew very well how much he was risking. It wasn't just a little fire he was playing with, but an outright conflagration. But they had gone too far to go back and, honestly, he didn't want to.

Tim turned on his bar stool as well, so he could face Tony, playing with his glass in his hands. "I don't mean to interfere with whatever you are trying to achieve. It's your business. But you should keep in mind that it doesn't just affect the two of you. It affects the rest of us, too." He warned him urgently. It wasn't that he wouldn't be happy for them. Of course he would, because he had their longing for each other in front of him day by day and it was driving him crazy. But he also knew what consequences the potential failure could have. It would negatively affect the whole team.

Tony looked him in the eye, completely getting his worries. He was aware of what could happen if he didn't succeed in his attempts to enter a relationship with Ziva and if he didn't manage to maintain it. It could end up disastrously. She could leave again. The team would fall apart, because they would have to take sides. Everybody would put blame on someone. But he swore that this wouldn't happen.

"I know." He nodded in joyless acknowledgment. "But let me ask you a question. If you had a chance to pursue the happiness you wanted for years, you would pursue it without considering anyone's needs, wouldn't you?" He asked Tim, trying to prove his point. He had sacrificed many things for his job, subordinating everything to it, and all he wanted was to get a chance for some piece of a normal life.

"After I assured myself that it actually has a chance of success, sure, I would." Tim agreed without a second thought. He understood that Tony's behaviour right now wasn't selfish and that he just wanted to gain what had been denied to him for years. But his worries mostly related to the fact that for the potential success, there had to be similar feelings on the other side, as well. Ziva had to feel the same, and he wasn't exactly sure whether that was the case.

Tony gestured with his hands in a way that clearly said 'where's-the-problem-then?' and took a sip from his drink. "Well, I know that it has a chance of success. Otherwise, I wouldn't risk this much. You can trust me on that." He assured Tim calmly.

Tim nodded in agreement, ready to open his mouth and ask Tony once again what exactly was going on between him and Ziva, but Abby interrupted him before he could even start. "Hey, you two! Having fun with the game?" The bubbly Goth put her hands on their shoulders, nodding in the direction of the pool table where Jimmy was trying to find out the best way how to get his remaining balls into the right corners, without hitting the 8 ball.

They both smiled and affirmatively hummed, actually surprised that the score was tight. Gibbs had probably, seriously meant that he would give Jimmy a chance to win at least one game. Abby looked between them, wondering what they had been talking about. But since she wanted to talk with McGee later, she suppressed her curiousness for the time being. She had other stuff to solve at the moment.

"Have you, guys, seen Ziva?" She asked them, wondering where her friend was, because Breena had to unwrap the present from them already. But there was no sign of Ziva in the lounge.

Tony wondered the same, too, so he took the initiative. "Nope. She's not here, yet." He informed her, looking around to see if he hadn't missed her just by chance. He started to be nervous, to be honest. They had reached a mutual agreement that they would talk later, but something in him was warning him that Ziva might change the plans. Once more, without considering his feelings and needs.

Abby looked at her watch, sighing nervously. "That's weird. She should be in here by now. I'll go look for her." She informed them, her eyes meeting with Jimmy's, who suddenly seemed to be lost. He couldn't believe he was winning a pool game against Gibbs.

"Keep an eye on Jimmy for me." She slapped them gently on their shoulders and left the lounge in search for Ziva, hoping she hadn't called it a night and gone to sleep.

"Do you think she'll bring her along?" McGee asked Tony curiously, watching Jimmy, who finally found the right way to put the balls where they belonged and started to carry it out.

"I'm afraid not. Abby's right, she should be in here by now. If she's not, then she has some compelling reason for missing out on the fun." He replied, finishing the Martini, not able to hide the vicious tone in his voice. He could only imagine what the 'compelling reason' could have been. Ziva had always found a way to ruin everything.

Tim could see that the only thing Tony wanted at this moment was to leave this after party and go seek Ziva, as well. He had a feeling that finding her was essential for accomplishing the plan Tony was realizing. "Don't you think that you should leave, then and take care of pursuing your desired happiness?" He offered to Tony, knowing that he would appreciate it. He knew very well this Tony's 'I-need-to-find-her' look.

Tony shot him a surprised glance, because he didn't dare leave the party just like that. He knew that it could be dangerous, because if he was missing along with Ziva, it would be more than suspicious. Although, he had to admit that he wanted to find her, whatever it took. "I can't just leave." He tried to protest weakly, looking around at the other people in the lounge who were cheering Jimmy to put the 8 ball into the corner.

"I'll cover for you. Go." McGee told him, patting his shoulder. If Tony was sure that he could finally get the girl of his dreams, then he was willing to help him in it. After all, he wished only happiness for his friends.

Tony stood up, staring at Tim with astonished face. He hadn't expected such support from McGee, considering his earlier statements about influencing the whole team. "Thanks, Tim. It means a lot." He expressed his gratitude, purposely leaving out any McNickname.

McGee just smiled knowingly and nodded towards the exit, pushing Tony into that direction. Watching him leaving, he took a sip from his scotch, mulling over these two. It felt surreal that it was really happening. That they had apparently stopped dancing around each other and had finally been honest with one another, and mainly, with themselves. He felt very happy for them, because he knew that they deserved it.

Abby gave out a sigh of relief when she stepped inside the hotel's bar and saw Ziva sitting there. She'd found Breena and asked her whether she had known where Ziva could have gone. The answer had been that she'd headed towards the restroom. When Abby hadn't found her there, she had tried the second closest thing – the bar. Luckily, it had been a good way to go.

She immediately went over to her, as energetically as she could in her dress, and made an eye contact with the barman. He smiled at her and blushed a bit, starting to fix the favourite drink for her. "Hey, I was looking for you." Abby started, taking a seat right next to Ziva, nudging her with her elbow because she seemed to be lost in her own world.

Ziva winced and looked at the person who was disturbing her musing, quite astonished when she met with Abby's face. "Abby." She acknowledged, completely surprised. She started cursing herself for hiding in the bar. It was obvious that if she didn't appear in the lounge, a search party would try to find her after a while. She wondered how Tony had had to feel when she hadn't arrived, and it made her feel even worse. She didn't want to cause him any more pain.

"I thought that you would come to us into the lounge. I didn't expect to find you sitting here, drowning your sorrows in alcohol." Abby remarked more worried, than angry. She had noticed the amount of drinks and wine Ziva had consumed so far, and it started to worry her. Not that she thought that Ziva was a habitual drinker, but she had never seen her drink so much. Little did she know that Ziva was drinking to calm her libido down and not to drown some sorrows.

Ziva's reaction was natural as she looked confusedly on the drink in front of her, trying to get her mind out of the haze it had been in before Abby had interrupted her train of thoughts. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't come, but I have few things to think about and I would only spoil the fun. And to be honest, I'm in no mood to be constantly asked why I'm in such a bad mood." She apologized, still trying to process that Abby had practically called her an alcoholic.

"I'm sure Jimmy will understand. As for the drink, this is the only glass I've had. I have no intention of getting myself drunk, Abby. On the contrary, I want to go into my room and go to sleep after I'm finished with this one." She defended herself, actually confused with herself as to why she hadn't gone to her room from the very beginning and had gone straight to the bar. Maybe because she hadn't wanted to be completely alone with her thoughts and actually needed some buzz around her.

Abby opened her mouth but the barman interrupted her as he put her drink in front of her. "She's telling the truth. She's only ordered this one since she got here." He supported Ziva's claim, because it was the truth. He didn't know what this all was about, but he certainly didn't guess that the lady in the cyan blue dress was a habitual drinker. And he was well versed in that.

Abby thanked him with a smile, shrugging and nodding in response to sign that she understood. "Still, I think that you should let us know where you are. I'm just worried about you, Ziva. I can see that something troubles you." She started to talk with her friend, slowly but certainly getting to the conversation she'd wanted to have with her for a long time. But Ziva was a master in evasion.

She had a feeling that the impact that this wedding was having on Ziva was a negative one. She had tried many times over the last few weeks to make her talk about it, but Ziva had been refusing her offers, claiming that she hadn't had any problems with it, so there hadn't been anything to talk about. But Abby suspected that all Ziva had done was building thicker and thicker walls around her, so no one could get through.

"And don't tell me you're fine." She warned Ziva before she could even speak up and say the hackneyed phrase. It would be a lie and they both knew that.

Ziva sighed and raked her hair, because this was exactly the kind of talk she had tried to avoid for weeks. "But I am fine, Abby. There's nothing wrong with me. I just want to be with myself for a while, that is all." She explained impatiently, hating how everybody looked at her as if she had committed a war crime just because she dared to want be alone with her thoughts.

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you. But something has changed. And it has to be something significant because you're not the same Ziva who came with me into this hotel." Abby countered insistently, trying to get the news out of her. Her friend had behaved completely differently since the rehearsal dinner, and, therefore, something had to be influencing her behaviour.

Ziva looked at her with a guilty expression, because Abby had guessed right. Of course she had changed. She'd totally immersed herself into the feelings she had for Tony. Before she had arrived at the hotel, Tony's smile and touches had had a completely different meaning for her. But after what happened that afternoon, it all had turned into displays of undying affection. She suddenly saw the world in a different light.

However, there was no way she could tell this to Abby. Although she was one of her closest female friends, she couldn't reveal what had happened between her and Tony. And not because Abby was a good friend of both and all. Ziva just knew that they still had a lot of things to discuss, and one of those things was whether to tell their friends or not. Thus, she didn't dare to let Abby in on their secret without Tony's approval.

Abby took her silence as a proof of the significant change she had gone through and felt a bit unnerved over it. "All I want is to help you. And I can't do that if you won't let me in. But if you don't want to tell me what's happening, then it's OK, don't do it. Just promise me that you won't do anything stupid." She tried another approach similar to reverse psychology, taking Ziva's hand into hers and pleading with her to be rational.

Ziva had to wonder what Abby thought what was going on with her, because she apparently had the impression that there was some big crisis on Ziva's mind. "Abby, I truly appreciate all the help you're offering me. But this is really something I have to deal with on my own. And I'm not planning on doing anything stupid. On the contrary, I'm trying to finally settle my life." She assured her, feeling quite strange because the worries Abby had over her life were adorable, but she wasn't used to it.

Sighing, Abby took a sip from her drink sadly, reluctantly giving up. Something was still off and it troubled her that Ziva didn't want to confide in her with it, but bottle it up, instead. "I knew that going to this wedding would affect you." She muttered, more to herself, but Ziva's ears had caught it.

"What do you mean?" Ziva reacted right away, furrowing her eyebrows. She wasn't getting the concern Abby had about her attending the wedding.

Abby sighed very deeply this time, scratching her head to find the right way to approach the root of the problem. "Ziva, we all know that this whole thing is hard on you. I tried to convince Breena to exclude you from all the wedding stuff, but she made up her mind." She started carefully, purposefully avoiding Ziva's gaze because she didn't want to see the pain she was going to cause.

"I just have the feeling that this is too much for you to bear. With everything that happened between you and Ray..." She continued quickly. This had been eating her up for quite some time and she wanted to finally get it out. She was interrupted by Ziva, who squeezed her arm to make her stop.

"Wait, wait, wait. You think that this is all about Ray?" She asked incredulously, not believing her own ears. What does Ray have anything to do with this? Her relationship with him had ended a few months back. She didn't have any misgivings about it, and it wasn't influencing her in any way.

Abby shut her mouth, nodding affirmatively and observing Ziva's reactions closely. She seemed to be caught off guard by her statement. She could see that, in a way, Ziva's eyes studied whether she hadn't gone crazy by any chance, and the way she was furrowing her eyebrows, expressing her surprise. She was apparently, utterly shocked.

"What makes you think that?" Ziva fired her question, wanting to get an explanation. She couldn't find any reason as to why Ray would be responsible for her current mood. If Abby thought so, she needed to know why.

Abby looked at her dramatically, grazing her teeth with the tip of her tongue. "Look, I don't know how serious your relationship with Ray was. But there must have been something, if you considered marrying him, Ziva. And I know that you were imagining the wedding." She stated, proving her point that Ziva was far away from fine because of the fact that Ray had betrayed her. It had left some scars on her heart. As much as she wanted to hide it, Ray had meant a lot to her.

After another baffled stare from Ziva, she took a breath and continued. "I noticed the way you were looking at the wedding accessories, the dress and all when we went shopping with Breena. And it's more painful when you realize that you could have been planning your own wedding right now. Actually, this wedding could have been yours." She said unhappily because she didn't like when her closest ones were hurting, especially over something so sensitive like marriage, having a family and relationships in general.

Ziva stared at her with a mixture of pain and shock, as well as confusion, as to why Abby had always guessed so well what was going on in her mind. Because, yes, she had been imagining the wedding. It wasn't to be such a pompous one like Breena and Jimmy had, but still, her thoughts were heading in that direction quite often. It was one of the reasons why she had considered Ray's proposal.

The second reason, to her utter astonishment, was quite simple. She had considered the marriage because she had felt she had been ready for a serious relationship. For the first time in her life, she'd really felt that it had been the right moment to commit. To settle down and start family. With house and white picket fence. OK, it didn't have to be the true 'American Dream', but something like it would be definitely had been welcomed.

She felt so grateful to Abby at the moment, because she had solved her earlier problem without even knowing it. She didn't have to think about whether she was ready to enter a relationship with Tony anymore. She was sure she was ready. Because the feeling from before hadn't disappeared. Her desire to settle down was still present and stronger than ever before. The realization made her smile widely as she remembered her fantasies about the potential wedding.

She had to admit one important thing, though. Ray had never been the person she had been imagining next to her. Not when they had been together, and certainly not after they had broken up. The man she had been used to seeing by her side had been seemingly similar to Tony. Now, the vision that was affected by the changes she had been through over the last few hours, materialized into the man she was in love with.

With Tony as her husband at her side, picturesque house behind them in the distance, she felt her heart tug by a currently unsatisfied desire, caused by her vision. She didn't need any more proof that she was truly ready for a serious relationship. She finally realized why Tony had been so adamant and kept fighting for them, because the realization brought new wave of determination into her veins. She was hell-bent on fighting against the whole world if it was the price she had to pay for being with Tony.

After short moment of silence, Abby continued and revealed her greatest worries, not registering Ziva's silly and amorous smile. "And after what happened, you shut us out. You didn't want to talk about it. I just don't want history to repeat itself. Because the last time you were involved with a man and it turned out bad, you left us." Her tone turned reproachful, because she couldn't hide that she had been immensely hurt by what had happened when Tony had shot Rivkin.

Ziva's smile faded in an instant, feeling terribly for all the pain she had caused her surrogate family by her departure and subsequent disappearance. This hadn't been the first time Abby had reproached her for it, and Ziva now finally understood why Abby had been so upset by her break-up with Ray. She was afraid that the wedding could have become Ziva's trigger to do another stupid thing.

She couldn't tell her that she wasn't thinking about the wedding and the way things had turned out. Because that would be a lie. However, her current situation didn't have anything to do with Ray. Sure, maybe she had been emotionally blocked because she had wanted to protect her heart from another disappointment, but that had been long gone, because Tony had broken her walls in the afternoon and on the terrace.

But, truth to be told, she couldn't blame Abby for not knowing this and having her own suspicions, because it had been Ziva who had eliminated the possibility of telling Abby what was happening between her and Tony. Eventually, she came to a realization that all she needed to do was to calm Abby down, assure her that everything was OK and that she didn't have to worry anymore, and, thus, dispel all her fears.

She took Abby by her hands and looked her straight in the eye. "If I swear on my sister's grave that I'm over Ray, and it has nothing to do with him, will you believe me?" She asked her, her hardened expression showing that she was dead serious. She couldn't reveal, at least not yet, what was behind her behaviour tonight, but she needed to ensure herself that Abby would stop being afraid of her potential departure.

Abby just nodded instead of replying because she was too stunned with the face Ziva was giving her. It was giving her shivers, because, even though it was a cold stare, in the same time it was a warm one. The promise had been truly meant in the most serious way Ziva could ever deliver, since she had mentioned her sister Tali. And, because Abby chose not to study the meaning behind the expression any deeper, she rather pulled Ziva into a big hug to confirm their mutual understanding.

"Then, I swear. And I'm not leaving anywhere." Ziva whispered for assurance, slowly but surely getting used to the crushing force of Abby's hugs.

They both pulled away with satisfied smiles, glad that things had been cleared out. "OK." Abby added with a squeeze of Ziva's hand as she lifted up her drink to clink glasses with her.

After they put their glasses back down, Ziva, who just finished her drink, stood up and took her purse. "Well, if this is settled, I go to my room. I'm really tired. Tell Jimmy that I'm truly sorry, but I need some sleep so we could properly celebrate tomorrow." She told Abby, waving in goodbye at the barman and winking suggestively at her friend to sign her that she should give the man another chance.

"So, see you in the morning. Have fun." She told her and headed to the main hall of the hotel to meet with her fate. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to wait for too long for Tony to come up to the room from the lounge.

"Night, Ziva." Abby answered thoughtfully as she watched her leave. If Ray wasn't behind her change in behaviour, then who was? She wondered whether Tony could have some clue since it seemed that those two were spending a lot of time together lately. Although they had claimed that their 'non-dates' had been innocent, Abby started to doubt it. And she knew just the right person she should confront.

When Abby appeared back in the lounge, a rematch of the pool game just had begun, after general merrymaking that had been caused by Jimmy's unexpected win. To be sure that Gibbs hadn't let Jimmy win, they had started a new game to prove the skills of the groom-to-be. No head slaps had been involved yet, so Jimmy hadn't seen any reason not to try defeating Gibbs once again.

She found McGee, still sitting at the bar, but alone. The person she needed to talk with was nowhere to be seen. As much as she turned her head around, she just couldn't find Tony anywhere. But she didn't lose the hope. Maybe he just needed to use restroom or something. But he couldn't leave unnoticed and slip through her fingers so easily. That was not going to happen.

"Hey! Did you find Ziva?" McGee greeted her with a question, being in a very good mood. He felt happy for his friends, and he was glad that he could have done something for Tony to hopefully push them together.

"Yeah, I did. We talked and she went to sleep because she's tired." Abby answered distractedly because Jimmy started to cast hopeless looks into her direction, begging her to save him. He didn't dare to defeat Gibbs again. She waved at him to signal him that she would be there, but she needed to talk with Tim first. Jimmy smiled and turned his attention back to the game.

McGee nodded in acknowledgment, knowing that it was probably just an excuse Ziva had to use because she had an important meeting. "Where's Tony?" Abby fired at him suddenly, snapping out of her dumbfounded state of mind, getting back to her main goal.

"Went to bed." Tim answered casually with a shrug, watching as Abby bulged her eyes out in shock. Tony really managed to sneak out without her knowing.

"Oh. This is not good." She muttered to herself, feeling uneasy. The reason why she had started to doubt that the relationship between Tony and Ziva had stopped to be innocent was that she had noticed very well that those two were getting quite intimate lately. And she was getting more and more sure by each passing second that the line had been crossed already. That there was something going on between them.

It wasn't that she wouldn't be glad for them. She just wanted it to happen for the right reasons. And she wasn't sure whether they, especially Ziva, considering her recent disappointment, were risking their friendship and partnership for such reasons. She just wanted her family to be whole again. And any wrong step could mean that it might fall apart. She was just, naturally, worried about the consequences this could have in the case of failure.

"What do you mean?" McGee asked her, purposefully playing dumb to find out how much Abby knew and how much she just guessed. He doubted that Ziva would tell her the whole truth, just as Tony had only hinted at what was happening.

She looked at him as if he had gone crazy for not noticing the obvious tension between their friends. "Oh, come on, McGee! You can't be that blind! Did you see them at dinner? If we weren't sitting there, those two would have been doing it right on the table!" She exclaimed, pointing out the fact that Tony and Ziva had been totally caught up in each other, probably not realizing that McGee and Abby had seen every look and most likely every touch they had exchanged.

And she didn't mention the way Tony had grabbed Ziva's ass during their dance that was more than heated and passionate. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey wouldn't stand a chance against them. At first, she had counted it that Tony had just wanted to make Ziva relax because she had been too tense, but Abby was coming to a realization that the most likely explanation was that they had become lovers at some point.

"Sure, I noticed. So what? Whatever is happening between them is their business, Abby." McGee answered calmly, pushing back his own worries about the future of the team, because it was weaker than his joy over Tony and Ziva's happiness.

Abby wasn't listening to him, though. She started her own rant as the thoughts in her mind flew and she tried to sort them out. "Besides, I'm sure that something must have happened between them. And it had to happen now, in the afternoon and in this hotel, because they didn't behave like that towards each other yesterday or before." She went on, recalling all the looks and touches that hadn't been there earlier when they had met down at the bar, before they had left for the dinner.

"Well, it's possible. You said that you heard man's voice in Ziva's room." McGee commented, knowing that it was useless, anyway, to say anything because Abby didn't hear him. She heard only her own thoughts and words.

"The question is – how? I mean, it would explain Tony's disappearance, of course. But he would have to have been in Ziva's room the whole time. Which means that to open the door out of his room when you knocked on it, he would have to come out into the hallway and go into his room. And that couldn't happen because we guarded that hallway like hawks." She wondered how those two had done it.

It was truly the best explanation for Tony's temporary absence, and because Abby had talked to Ziva through the door, she had known that Ziva had been inside. So, how was it possible that Tony opened the door for McGee? They guarded the hallway for like twenty minutes before Tony had been 'found'. Actually, she had been personally guarding it while McGee had been asking the staff for the key to Tony's room. There was no way Tony could switch the rooms without Abby seeing him.

"I might have an answer for that." Tim mumbled, thinking that Abby wasn't listening to him, anyway.

She made a sharp spin, turning to him and pointing her finger at him. "Spill it, McGee." She ordered to him, demanding an answer and finally listening to him carefully. She needed to shed some light on this and get a logical clarification as to how it all had been possible.

In awe, she listened to McGee's description of Tony's room, how it was designed and that the only barrier between him and Ziva was just a door, because their rooms were connected. So, Tony didn't need to step out into the hallway if he wanted to get into Ziva's room. He could just easily open the door inside his room and enter. It was that simple. And Abby had to admit that it was brilliant.

"So, this means that they really are together right now." She stated, biting her bottom lip. She wasn't sure whether she should interfere in it or not. Despite Ziva's solemn promise that she had been over Ray, she had a feeling that her friend wasn't healed enough to enter a serious relationship with Tony.

"Yup, most likely they are. But it's all just speculation. We don't know anything for sure." McGee noted soberly, hoping that Abby would finally drop the matter. Both Ziva and Tony were adults who didn't need babysitting. If they decided to stay silent about the current change that was happening between them, then they had their reasons. And McGee was willing to wait for some official announcement. He firmly believed that Tony knew what he was doing.

Abby watched him, nodding in affirmation, because he was right. They didn't know for sure and she needed to be sure whether their suspicions about those two were right. Then, she could attack one of them and confront them about it to find out whether they were aware of what they were doing, and whether it was for the right reasons. She needed solid proof, and there was only one way to get it.

"Do you still have the key to Tony's room?" She fired a question in Tim's direction, focusing her wide eyes, full of hope, at him.

"Yes, I do. Why?" Tim replied, puzzled as to what the Goth scientist had in her mind.

"Excellent." Abby rubbed her hands together excitedly, knowing that what they were about to do to wasn't a nice thing. But her main job was to keep the family together, and when something that could destroy it appeared, she was responsible for the investigation and subsequent decision of what to do next.

"Meet me tomorrow at 7 AM in front of Tony's room. We will find out whether our hypotheses are right." She told him, more like an order than a request. Not waiting for an answer, she turned to leave and headed to the pool table to support Jimmy.

"But Abby, that's insane!" McGee tried to protest, internally groaning in what a mess he had gotten himself into. He didn't want to go into Tony's room and see whatever he could witness there. It was a great intrusion of their friend's privacy.

"Do I have any other choice?" He asked himself rhetorically when Abby just waved her hand, knowing that he didn't. Once Abby made up her mind, nothing could stop her. Sighing, he finished his scotch and went to join the group at the pool table.

The End of Chapter 19

THE END OF PART 2

Well, I know – nothing new, but this little intermezzo was needed. It was sort of my test whether I'm able to write the team together since I will write Jimmy's wedding and all. Hope you enjoyed, nevertheless. I wanted to dig deeper into what McGee and Abby might think about our pair getting together. But don't worry, you'll love Chapter 20, because your patience will be rewarded. Finally, I know. :D

As you can clearly see, we are at the end of Part 2 of this story and now we enter a new phase in their lives. I can promise you, that you will be happy with them. No drama on the way, just little talks and solving the rest of the problems, but all in peace.

However, when the next update comes, I'm not entirely sure. I'm working on Chapter 20 at the moment and I'm not close to the end of it, I have to admit that. I highly doubt I will update in 14 days since it's May 25th and that's the date of my finals, so my mind will be completely focused on something else. So, I guess I'll probably update on June 1st but I don't promise anything. The update will come on some date in June for sure, but which Monday it will be, I can't guarantee. Thanks for the patience and all. I love you for it and I'm eternally grateful.

Have a nice rest of May!