Author's note:
Yahoo, I'm back from my vacation! Well, I'm kind of not sure if I should be glad or not. I love you, guys, I missed you a lot but to completely turn off and do nothing is freaking amazing. I'd take two or more weeks of this. But work won't wait, just as writing this story...
My dear Celine, always so amazing to hear from you. :) Happy, belated, birthday, of course. So happy you liked the last chapter.
Always-so-supportive Debbie, thank you really much for everything. I hope you will love the rest of the story just as much.
Thank you, First Guest, TIVA really is fabulous together and I had a great holiday.
Oh, Second (Italian) Guest, your review was a wonderful thing on a right time. You don't even know how much I needed such a support. Thank you for all those words, I'm truly flattered, because your review warmed my heart. I agree with you – Ziva is truly missed on the show and I miss her every day.
Great thanks goes to my surrogate sister, Athina, who keeps me sane these days and I need it a lot. Love you, sis. :*
Anyway, enough of my rambling. Go on reading! I really hope you will like it. :) Let's get the wedding started!
Disclaimer:
I do not own NCIS or the characters.
Towel – Part 4
Towel – Chapter 24
Ziva was the first one to stop being so lazy and open her eyes. She had woken up a while ago, but she hadn't wanted to ruin the serene moment and she had been too sleepy to move. She didn't have to guess whose arms were enveloping her. She could never mistake the scent of the man she loved and the sensations inside her when she slept next to him. She'd always had a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep when he was close to her.
Her eyes quickly got accustomed to the morning light and she finally allowed to herself sigh in contentment. Seeing their intertwined hands in front of her mouth, her heart skipped a beat as she raised them and kissed his fingers gently. She loved the feeling that was streaming through her veins. A huge burden had been taken off her shoulders last night and she'd gained a loving relationship thanks to it.
She couldn't help but wonder why she had been so defensive and refusing about being with Tony. Given what she knew now, she had to admit that she had been denying herself the happiness she deserved. Which was exactly what Tony had been trying to show her the whole time. Fear really was a powerful emotion that had made her completely blind. Thankfully, she'd managed to face it and deal with it.
Releasing his hand, she turned over to look at him, studying his face. He was truly adorable when he was sleeping. His satisfied smile framed his face as he breathed steadily, sometimes smacking his lips and pouting. She loved how the wrinkles on his face made him look so masculine, so roguish. Especially those he had around his eyes. One just knew that this man was a smart, funny clown.
What she loved about him the most was hidden from her at the moment, though. His eyes. In them, there was a well of emotions she could study endlessly if he let her in. And she could see there that maybe he was a natural clown, but with an unhappy past behind him, one full of pain and disappointment. But still, he was able to look at the world in an affectionate way, making himself and the people around him stronger and ready to fight.
His determination was another thing she loved about him. His enthusiasm, his unrelenting belief to never give up, his fighting spirit... That was what was making him a very strong, and sometimes unbending, person. She admired his will to give his everything when it came to a case, to his surrogate family, or to a concern about a friend. He was an amazing man and she couldn't be happier to know that he was hers.
She raised her fingers, touching his lips lightly as if she couldn't wait to kiss them, taste them and devour them. "I know you're awake." She said with a huge smile on her face. She had registered the first moment she'd seen his face that Tony hadn't been sleeping as he had pretended to be.
Tony's lips curled into a wicked grin, immediately falling in love with her voice in the morning. It was a bit croaky, but in such a sexy way that he couldn't do anything else but love it. He had pretended that he had been still asleep for one simple reason – he had been afraid that it had been all just a dream, and he didn't want to experience the disappointment of finding out so.
Luckily, the events of yesterday weren't a dream, they were pure reality. His heart leapt in his chest with joy and love. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to get accustomed to the morning light. She was the first thing he saw and it made him smile widely, because to see the affectionate gaze full of love was something he had wanted to see for a very long time
"Morning." He greeted her sleepily, stretching out his body, purposely roaming his hands all over her back and hugging her to him tightly.
He looked into her shining face as she was looking at him with a long-suppressed hunger. Instead of answering his greeting, she leaned in, unable to control herself anymore, and kissed him fiercely. Her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing him as close to her as possible. She couldn't get enough of him, finally giving in to the urges she'd started to feel since the first night she'd fallen asleep next to him on her couch.
He took her up on the offer easily, rubbing her skin and tasting her lips with a relentless enthusiasm. He could certainly do without words if he always got a kiss as a greeting. Her sweet mouth, her smooth lips, her skilful tongue and her teeth she used for gentle bites were everything he could ever dream of. Being with her was seventh heaven. And it felt right.
His body naturally reacted to the fact that she was naked, kissing him as if her life depended on it. He didn't know what the time was and he didn't care, if he wanted to be honest. His whole world included only her at the moment. After few seconds of kissing, he put his hands on her waist and rolled on top of her, deepening the kiss efficiently. She moaned, massaging the nape of his neck.
She'd already fallen in love with the feeling of him pressed against her this way. It was giving her chance to rake his hair, wrap her legs around him and inconspicuously guide him to make her lose her mind. Because damn, she wanted to lose herself in him, give herself in to him and be his. It wasn't hard to admit that. He was pretty much taking care of that with his touches and kisses.
He broke the kiss, the lust clouding his mind, awarding her delicious skin with his feathery kisses all across her jaw line, down her inviting throat until he ended up with his nose in the swell of her breasts. She knew that he wouldn't refrain from flicking his tongue around her nipples, sucking on them, and she let him to do that, moaning and enjoying the pleasure.
As she turned her head to the side, while raking his hair, she caught a glimpse of an alarm clock on the bedside table. Her next sigh was a mixture of pleasure and frustration when she saw the time. Why does it always have to be against them? It was almost 9 AM, the wedding started at noon. So, if she wanted to manage to do all the things she promised and needed to do on time, she had to stop with these morning pleasures and get her ass out of the bed.
"Tony, stop." She half-moaned regretfully, her caresses turning into comforting ones.
He looked up at her, clearly seeing that something was troubling her. "Why?" He asked her innocently, but then he caught sight of the alarm clock, as well. He didn't have to guess twice as to why she had stopped him.
She returned the look, gently caressing his cheek with the back of her fingers, smiling when he leaned into her touch. "You know very well why. We've got a wedding to attend." She reminded him, wondering how she had managed forget about it for a second, herself.
He laid his head on her chest, his right ear right above her heart, nestling down in between her breasts comfortably. "Ugh. I'd rather stay here with you all day long." He whined, though he didn't have anything against weddings. But he would really exchange it for being with the love of his life for the whole day in bed. He was sure that Jimmy would understand.
She chuckled, trying not to think about the fuss that would result from them not showing up at the wedding. As much as she wanted to stay here, it was impossible, and they both were aware of that. "I know. Me too." She confessed with a sorrowful sigh, weaving her fingers through his hair lovingly.
He kept laying there, just breathing and purring in delight under her ministrations. She realized that he wasn't about to move until she pursued him further. Lazy man... "But there is something called 'being responsible'. Come on, Tony, you know we have to get up." She told him, trying to play on his rational side. Although, she knew that this side of his was practically non-existent at the moment, suppressed by a more pleasant need.
He just scrunched his nose and smacked his lips. "I just have to slip on my tuxedo and I can go." He protested, hugging her body more tightly to him, stubbornly refusing to let go of her.
She rolled her eyes in amusement but with a smile on her lips. That was so typical of him. "Sure, but that's you. I have to take a shower, put on my dress, let the hairdresser to do my hair, and I promised to help Breena with a few things." She told him. Even though she was there primarily as Jimmy's guest, her friendship with Breena had been growing, and she couldn't let her down on such an important day.
He lifted his head and gazed up at her with open fascination in his face. "You are a very busy woman, Ziva David." He told her seriously, cracking open a wicked grin.
She glared at him for teasing her, but she was smiling because she couldn't help but feel happy. "I can help you with the shower, if you want." He offered seductively, planting kisses on her chest to give her the idea what he had in mind to do in the bathroom with her.
She couldn't help but smile at it, cursing her sense of responsibility at the moment. If she had been careless, she would have given in to the idea without a second thought. "Although it is immensely tempting, no. I wouldn't be able to leave the room." She turned him down repentantly. Some longer amorous plays had to wait for the time being.
He didn't have a chance to look at her and try to persuade her to behave recklessly because she grabbed his head and kissed him passionately to make it up to him. He yielded to that. After all, if she wanted to apologize all the time with such a kiss, he wouldn't complain. Besides, he knew that she was right. Making love to her could wait. He had a lifetime to do so.
To show her that he wasn't angry with her, he found her ticklish spot and started to tickle her, eliciting the bubbly laugh out of her. She had to break the kiss so she could breathe, laughing heartily. She smacked his hands away, but he wasn't giving up and kept tickling her, until she managed to wrap one of her legs around his torso and flip him over, so he was on his back.
She caught his hands by his wrists, pinning him down on the mattress, almost giving in to the desire she could see in his eyes. "I love you, Tony." She breathed out after she stopped laughing, looking at him with all the love she felt.
He grinned at her, never getting tired of hearing those words. They meant a world to him, just as much as she did. "I love you, too." He returned her the confession, watching her and her smitten look with an endless joy.
She bent down and kissed him lightly, releasing his hands. He immediately reached out for her but before he could embrace her tightly, she straightened and smacked his ass. "Move, DiNozzo! Go back to your room." She ordered to him in a teasing tone, knowing that it was the only way to make him to get up and behave responsibly.
She got off him as he pouted in disappointment, but eventually started to get up with a weary sigh. "Are you going to boss me around like that all the time?" He asked her, trying to sound as innocent as he could while she wrapped herself into the sheets.
She looked at him, watching as he found his boxers and put them on. "Let's just say - you better get used to it." She answered teasingly, letting the sassy side of hers show.
He turned around to face her, smiling cunningly. "Can't wait." He answered, and before she had any chance to react, he took her by her chin and kissed her thoroughly.
With him pushing her back, forcing her to lie down, she didn't have any other choice but to give in, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back. It was always like a spell. The banter, the bickering, the kiss and she turned from a wild cat to a mush in a second. He was her destiny, her fate and since she had embraced the realization, she had come to terms with sharing the control over her heart with him.
He released her lips, watching as she sighed in contentment and opened her eyes slowly. "So, see you at the wedding?" He assured himself, knowing that she should be with Breena and he was supposed to take care of Jimmy, so their paths would cross at the ceremony at earliest.
She only managed to nod, the smitten look on her face revealing how much she fought with the urge to tell him to stay with her. But it had been she who had made him a better and more responsible person, so he didn't dare to disappoint her and decided to behave as a grown-up man should. He smiled at her, took her hand and kissed her fingers. Then, he rolled off her and finally got up from the bed.
She watched as he found and gathered his clothes that had been scattered on the floor, sending her wink here and there. She always giggled when he did that, her cheeks hurting from the constant smiling, but she couldn't help herself. He went over to the door to his room in his boxers and unbuttoned shirt, with his pants, jacket and shoes in his hands, and turned around for the last time to look at her.
He was satisfied with the different feeling he had now, when he compared it to the one he'd had the day before. He had been forced to leave her and answer the door with McGee behind it, with the satisfaction he had told her how he felt about her, but with uncertainty about the future. Now, the future was clear and brighter as it had never been. He had no doubts about their relationship.
She blew him a kiss and he smiled, sending her one last wink and entered his room, leaving her alone. She sighed happily, getting up from the bed wrapped in sheets, and pulling on her bridesmaid's dress out of the wardrobe. She straightened it and laid it on the bed, turning around and heading toward the bathroom, ready to take a relaxing shower before all the wedding craziness began.
"You look so gorgeous, Breena. Like a Princess Bride." Ziva uttered with fascination, watching the bride standing in front of the full length mirror, already dressed in her wedding attire.
She didn't register that she had just made a movie reference, because it wasn't her intention. But it seemed that Tony had started to have some influence on her. It had come out of her mouth quite naturally. Maybe it had been unfair to call him cheesy for usually being full of movie clichés. He probably didn't even know about it sometimes. He just said the first thing that came up to his mind. Just as she had done a few seconds ago.
"Thank you." Breena answered her, her face shining. She felt nervous, but the joy over her big day was stronger. "At first, I wasn't sure about the dress, but it seems so perfect now." She said, straightening the cloth of her dress and looking at her reflection critically.
It was white wedding gown made from satin and covered with transparent, chiffon lace with simple embroidery on it. Floor-length, the dress was elongated in the back, under Breena's backside to create a sweet, short train. That was enriched by a veil with a lace on the edges. The length was accurate, not too short and not too long. The veil was attached to a comb which Breena had secured in her chignon on the back of her head. However, the veil was put aside at the moment because the hairdresser was fixing the chignon, so it would stand the weight.
Then, Breena wore a bodice made from the same chiffon lace with the same embroidery that covered the upper part of her body from her breasts up to her neck with a hole on her back. The bodice had long sleeves and it only added to the supposed innocence of the bride. It could be taken off, which Breena planned to do after the ceremony. Her shoes were then simple white, covered with a lace and 5-centimetre heels.
"By the way, you look amazing, too." She didn't refrain from noticing how the bridesmaid dress suited Ziva. Sure, she was the bride and the star of this day, but she had to admit that her taste in bridesmaid dresses was excellent.
"Ah, thanks." Ziva waved her hand at it, blushing a bit. She wore white, floor-length dress, as well. This had a waistline and even though it seemed they are strapless, it was also covered by transparent, tulle net all over the dress. So, the skirt and the bodice with the two cups for breasts were covered by the net, and then the net continued up to the neckline and on the back.
What was really sweet about the dress was the black flowery embroidery on the cloth, so it would look like lace. It decorated the bodice gently, underlining the waist line, breasts and shoulder blades. The upper part of the skirt was then completely white and the embroidery started at the bottom, reaching up to one third of the skirt. The edge of the skirt was then covered by black lace to complete the embroidery.
Her black stilettos were quite comfortable, and with the light make-up, she looked amazing, indeed. The hairdresser had done the same hairstyle on every bridesmaid – French braid with little white orchids here and there to decorate the hair. Breena's hairstyle, besides the chignon, also included curls made out of her fringe. The white orchids were then part of her bridal bouquet, together with white roses.
Breena turned to her, making the hairdresser to roll her eyes at the restlessness of her client, and winked at her. "Though not so stunning like you looked yesterday." She teaed. She was proud that she had made her to buy the cyan blue dress.
Ziva looked at her with an expression that clearly told her that she was glad that Breena was the first one to focus on this subject. "Ah, about that. Let me tell you something. You have lost your mind, woman. That wasn't a rehearsal dinner but a pretext for a matchmaking party." She started to reprimand her for what she had prepared for them. It was obvious that Breena had thrown the dinner just to push some people together.
Breena shrugged, obediently keeping her head in place so the hairdresser could finish her work. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied innocently, although it was evident that she had a pretty good idea what she had been doing. The sly smile on her was revealing enough.
Ziva crossed her arms across her chest, leaning against the wall, so she could look straight into Breena's face. "Oh, really? So, it was just a coincidence that all the people in there were dressed up as if they attend a ball or something? You could have arranged speed dating right away, Breena. You didn't have to pass it off as a dinner." She continued in her admonishing, trying to ignore the amused smirk of the hairdresser who pretended very hard that she hadn't heard anything.
Breena closed her eyes as one of the beauticians she had hired started to fix her make-up. "Think about me what you want, but if it worked, I'm only happy. Some people just needed to be pushed together, so I helped them. And the others could have fun. There's nothing wrong with that." She defended herself and her idea.
Ziva raised her hands in surrender. "Whatever." She muttered, turning aside and, looking out of the window, observing the wedding guests in the hotel's garden. She hoped to spot Tony, but without much success.
Both the beautician and hairdresser went to take care of the other women in the room, leaving those two there, because the hair spray had to dry up first on Breena's hair and then there would still be time to do the final adjustments on her make-up. Breena stretched out her body, hating to stand in the same place motionlessly, but it was something she had to endure in order to look like a beautiful bride.
She looked over at her friend, sensing that something was off with her. But not in a bad way. She seemed more relaxed. It just looked as if a great burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. The natural smile she probably didn't even know she had plastered on her face gently forced the corners of her mouth upwards. Her eyes roved over the garden below as if she was trying to find someone.
"It worked for you, right?" Breena asked curiously, watching her reactions closely to get another hint as to whether what she was thinking was true.
Without any chance to control it, Ziva turned bright red and looked at Breena, immediately lowering her gaze to hide the lie she was about to say. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." She stammered, refusing to tell her anything. After all, they had agreed with Tony to not tell anyone until the right time came.
She didn't know that Breena knew better, because she could guess people's happiness around her with an amazing accuracy. "Sure, it worked for you! You have it written all over your face. Gosh, I'm so happy!" She pulled Ziva into a huge hug, despite being dressed in her wedding gown.
"Breena, I..." Ziva tried to protest without much success, hoping that no one around them would question why they were hugging. She didn't want to explain anything to anyone, so she wouldn't get lost in her own lies and half-truths.
Breena didn't let her speak up, though, pulling away and totally finishing her off. "Congratulations! Tony must be a happy man." She uttered with a huge smile on her face, feeling so happy that those two had finally gotten their shit together.
Ziva stiffened, staring at the bride unbelievingly. How the hell did she know? It didn't make any sense, Breena wanted her to meet some new, fine man at this wedding. She shouldn't be aware of her and Tony and their complicated relationship. Moreover, she wasn't supposed to know anything about them being a couple. It was fresh, just a few hours, how could she possibly know about it?
Then, another realization hit her. If Breena knew, then the word could get spread all over the place and everyone would know about her and Tony in a few seconds. Which would mean that they wouldn't get those few days to prepare themselves for the confrontation with their boss and their friends. She couldn't let that happen, not after she had agreed with Tony that they would wait.
She grabbed Breena's arm and turned her aside to get away from the other women in the room, so no one would overhear what she wanted to say to her. "Look..." She began, trying to find a way to explain Breena to stay silent about this and not to tell anyone. Especially not to those who belonged to the team.
Breena stopped her, however, putting her hands on her shoulders soothingly. "Don't worry, my lips are sealed. I won't tell a living soul. I know you have to deal with Mr. Gibbs and his Rule 12 and all of this shit first." She assured her about her discreetness. She had heard enough about those two and the team in general, so she had a pretty good idea how it worked.
Ziva just stared at her, still taken aback that the secret was no longer a secret, not knowing what to say. She had thousand of questions in her head as she kept opening and shutting up her mouth in an attempt to voice at least one of them. "How did you know?" She then asked the first one that had come to her mind.
Breena chuckled and rolled her eyes in amusement. "Oh, come on. You two are so obvious. Even a blind person would see that. I knew that you were into each other before I even met you. Jimmy's stories were more than enough." She told her, showing her how people around them perceived their relationship. They were made for each other, attracted to one another, but they had been refusing to see that. Although the people in their surroundings knew that it was bound to happen.
Ziva looked at her in surprise, wondering why Breena had planned for her to meet with some man at the dinner, if she had known about the nature of her feelings towards Tony. "I thought you made me buy the dress so I would get to know someone. Not to get me together with Tony." She pointed out, still in awe how Breena knew that the reason of her smile today was that she was deeply in love with a certain man.
Breena nodded in agreement, already smiling and rubbing her hands in excitement, because she couldn't wait to reveal her secret. "That was the initial plan, yes. But then I overheard your conversation with Abby about how you didn't seek any relationship at that moment, but you didn't want to destroy my enthusiasm. And that you would ask Tony to accompany you at the wedding and protect you without me knowing, so you wouldn't hurt my feelings. That's when I realized that I can help you two to get together." She told her with a sly smile on her face and roguish gleam in her eyes.
Ziva only managed to open her mouth in shock, almost passing out when she heard the rest of the story Breena had decided to tell her. "You already had appropriate dress to make Tony lose his self-control, because, let's be honest, who would resist you while being in your proximity for the whole evening in that attire?" She continued with a teasing wink, nudging Ziva's shoulder and chuckling.
"Then, when I was arranging accommodations in this hotel, I put you and Tony into those connected rooms with the door, so you would have an easier way to each other. Without being spotted by anyone." She rounded it off, revelling in the shocked expression on Ziva's face. She'd heard enough stories to know that to make her speechless was a magnificent performance. She could congratulate herself.
The only thing Ziva could do was to stare as her brain tried to process what she had found out. She couldn't help but wonder whether Breena hadn't 'helped' with other things, like put the small towel into her bathroom, putting her shoes into Tony's bag, directing Tony's actions or being the small voice in her head that eventually had made her give in.
It all felt like conspiracy against her, but she was sure that Tony hadn't been involved and it was really just Breena's doing. He was the victim, just as she was. On the other hand, she couldn't deny that Breena had a point. And although buying the dress or having the connected rooms hadn't been the main reasons for getting together with Tony, it had played a specific part in the whole story.
"I can't believe that you..." She started, obviously still trying to deal with the new-found information. But she was cut off by Abby's arrival.
"Hey!" Abby chimed in happily, emerging behind Breena's back as she put her hands on her shoulders and turned her around to see her "You're such a beautiful bride, Breena." She breathed out, looking the wife-to-be up and down to assess her wedding gown and express her excitement over it.
Breena blushed, even though those rosy cheeks were caused mostly by her expectations about what Ziva would say to her little interference. She hoped she hadn't done anything wrong. But to see Ziva happy and so deeply in love was delightful. And she was really glad that she'd had a certain influence on it. Since she'd gotten know the whole team, she didn't have any problems to understand why Jimmy depended on them and cherished them so much.
"Thank you, Abby. You look stunning, too." She returned the compliment, admiring the dress of the best man (or best woman, of course) of her husband-to-be.
It was unusually to see Abby in white, though not that much since she wore white lab coat all the time. But a dress was something different, after all. It was floor-length, white dress with straps and a slit on the airy skirt on the left side up to her inner thigh. From up there the cloth continued askew with a black strap made from a chiffon net around Abby's waist. The top then was white again with a low-key v-neck.
On the back, the dress made another v-neck, covering only the cross tattoo. Abby's hair underwent an unusual change too, because she had the same French braid as Ziva. With black stilettos, white pearls around her neck and black lace gloves, she looked gorgeous. It was really Abby-like, but not so much at the same time. Just the right mixture to maintain Abby's bubbly personality while meeting with dress code.
"But what are you doing here? Something's wrong?" Breena asked her worriedly, because Abby was supposed to take care of Jimmy since her role required it.
"No, no, nothing. I just want to borrow Ziva for a second." Abby calmed her down, hoping that Jimmy would survive a few minutes without her. Both Tony and McGee was there with him, and when she had been leaving, Ducky had just arrived, so everything should be fine.
"Ziva?" She waved her friend in front of her friend's face, because it seemed that Ziva hadn't registered Abby's presence in the room fully.
Ziva snapped her head at her, staring for a while. "She planned it all!" She exclaimed and pointed her finger at Breena, who had a hard time to keep her face straight.
"What?" Abby asked her confusedly, looking back and forth between Breena and Ziva to find out what was going on. Lately, it seemed like everyone was keeping secrets from her, and she was the last one who figured out things. And she didn't like it, because she hated to be in the dark.
But Ziva composed herself quickly, realizing that she should cope with the situation, especially in front of Abby, who wasn't supposed to know anything for now. "Nevermind. What was it you were asking?" She shook her head and sent Abby a huge smile full of anticipation, back to her old self.
Abby narrowed her eyes, deciding to find out what was behind this, but later. She had other things to handle at the moment. "If I can talk to you for a second?" She asked, feeling a bit nervous. The time pressure was high, but she just needed to talk to Ziva before the wedding started about her and Tony. The morning revelation certainly wasn't adding up to her calmness.
"Sure." Ziva answered a bit bewildered. She watched as Abby smiled and went out of the room, waiting for her o follow.
She shifted her eyes toward Breena, who was on the edge of sniggering, turning toward her. "We two are not done, yet." Ziva notified her with a raised forefinger and stern expression on her face, going after Abby. Breena just shrugged and smiled widely, glad that her plan had worked out perfectly.
Abby stepped out of the room the hotel used for wedding preparations and into the hallway with huge French doors that led into the garden. They were closed at the moment, festooned with the wedding decorations, waiting for the bride to go through. She could hear the buzz behind them as the guests gathered in the garden for the big event. The door opposite the one she'd just walked out of led into another room used for wedding preparations, but it was saved for the groom.
She walked a few steps away from both doors, further along the hallway, so neither the bride's party, nor the groom's, would disturb or overhear her conversation with Ziva. She knew that she needed to handle it carefully and not reveal too much, especially the way she had found out about those two. But her family's happiness could be at stake, and she needed to know how to act.
Ziva followed her, sensing Abby's nervousness, but she remained calm. The shock she had just experienced was too big, so she didn't have any time to feel nervous. When Abby stopped, she passed by her and turned around to face her. She wanted to have a view of the hallway, just in case something happened. Her agent, ninja-like senses were still working properly.
"So, what's up? Something's wrong with Jimmy?" She asked Abby, hoping that Jimmy wasn't having any second thoughts at the moment. She knew how jumpy the man could get. And it would explain why Abby wanted to talk to her in privacy, and not in Breena's presence.
Abby shook her head, clasping her hands together. "No, he's fine. Relatively speaking. I wanted to talk to you." She told her, pointing her clasped forefingers at her, trying to steady her voice.
Ziva furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why Abby was so jittery. That didn't witness about anything good. "Ok, so talk." She invited her.
Abby cleared her throat and smiled nervously, playing with her fingers to mask it. She knew that to approach the subject was hard, especially after their talk yesterday. She expected Ziva to be angry with her for the fact that she was about to give her the impression that she didn't believe her. And especially because she was about to accuse her of taking advantage of Tony.
"Look, Ziva, I know that you swore to me yesterday that you are fine and all. And I believe you. But are you really sure that there is nothing wrong?" She asked her carefully, her eyes pleading her to reveal the truth and not to hide anything.
Ziva's reaction was natural as she shot her an unbelieving look, sighing wearily. She appreciated her care very much, but sometimes she could get on everyone's nerves with it. "Really, Abby? Again?" She asked her annoyed, putting the emphasis on the last word.
"I don't really know what more I'm supposed to do to convince you of the fact that I am fine. I swore on my sister's grave! I am in complete harmony with myself and the whole universe. Why can't you just understand that and stop creating some non-existent problems?" She spit at her crossly, but still keeping her voice low. It wouldn't be appropriate to start yelling at her. She knew that whatever Abby did, it was done with the best intentions. She wasn't a bad person.
Abby didn't want to show it, but the venom in Ziva's voice had made her flinch. She expected her anger, but not so much the virulence. Especially because all she was doing was caring about her friends and family, nothing more. "I do understand! But if you just lie to yourself and don't want to accept the truth, people might get hurt, Ziva." She attacked her, raising her voice and adding the insistence and anger into her voice, as well.
Ziva's jaw dropped at her words. Did she just accuse her of lying to herself about the state of her mind? And hurting her friends intentionally by pretending to feel something she didn't? Did she really think that she was so self-absorbed and indifferent? That she would be capable of doing such a thing? She didn't have any idea what made Abby think like that, but she couldn't believe that it was happening.
"Excuse me?" She asked her unbelievingly, the tone of her voice coarse as a rock and the gleam in her eyes revealing the dangerous assassin inside.
Abby didn't back away, though, as she would usually do if Ziva was looking at her this way. She had started it and she had to finish it, whatever it cost. "You heard me." She snapped, crossing her arms across her chest to show her intransigence.
Ziva narrowed her eyes, now fuming with anger. Abby's insolence that she dared to disguise as her worries was irritating her to no end. She couldn't feel any other way but betrayed, because Abby was supposed to be her friend. Friends didn't usually accuse each other of being insensitive. She couldn't find any other reason as to why Abby behaved like that, but she wasn't about to give up and admit to something that wasn't true.
She was ready to lose her temper and give Abby a piece of her mind, but she stopped herself. She looked around, still aware of the fact that they were in the hallway with people nearby. Shouting and having an argument during a wedding wasn't that unusual, but still, she didn't want to draw any attention. Besides, she wanted to enjoy the wedding, not be upset.
She breathed in and out to maintain her decorum, making a step towards Abby and putting her hands on her shoulders. "Look, I don't want to argue with you right now, so just listen." She started sternly, looking directly into Abby's fearless eyes.
"I AM FINE. There is nothing wrong with me. And if it seems to you that there is, it has nothing to do with this stupid wedding." She told her with gritted teeth, trying to control herself and putting an emphasis on each word in the sentence. Hopefully, it could convince Abby.
"Are you so sure about that?" Abby countered coldly, not even blinking to show Ziva that this matter was really important for her and she wasn't going to apologize for anything. She had every right to question her motives and, deep down, Ziva knew that she couldn't deny her that.
Ziva was surprised with her belligerence, and, for some reason, it made her blood boil in her veins. "YES! OK, I admit it – maybe I was imagining my own wedding and I was thinking about it. But definitely not with Ray, because that wedding would have never happened." She retorted, feeling exhausted with the constant convincing she had to carry out that she and Ray were over and she had left it behind her.
Abby sent her a questioning gaze with a raised eyebrow. It was the first time Ziva had admitted aloud (at least to her) that, even though she had considered the marriage with her ex-boyfriend, she was now firmly convinced that the engagement wouldn't have ended up with a wedding. And that was new information. Something that could change Abby's mind about Ziva's intentions with Tony.
In the meantime, Ziva huffed, trying to calm herself down. She was aware that she had raised her voice too much and she hadn't meant to do it. But Abby was testing her temper a lot. "Ray wasn't the right man for me." She continued, more calmly. "And I wasn't the right woman for him. Not when I'm in lov-..." She immediately bit her tongue the moment she had almost said 'love'.
To give herself away like that wasn't the best option. She just hoped that Abby hadn't noticed it. She lowered her head and hugged herself, falling into silence. The only thing she could do was wait for a reaction and then appropriately deny everything. She shouldn't let her temper to get the better of her. Her self-control had been shaken since yesterday, though, so it was no wonder she had lost it.
She couldn't see that Abby smiled, taking a step towards her. She put her hand on her shoulder, soothingly rubbing it to assure her that what she had said wasn't anything wrong. Contrarily, it was the best thing she could have said. "In love with someone else?" She finished for her friend quietly, purposely leaving out Tony's name, because that could lead to another argument. This was enough for her to know that Ziva was ready for a serious relationship with him. If she loved him, and didn't fear to say it aloud, then she didn't have to worry about anything.
Ziva lifted her head up, her anger suddenly gone, replaced by evident surprise. Looking straight into her eyes, she knew that she couldn't lie about her words and deny them. Abby knew very well what she had been about to say. Moreover, the understanding expression on her face let her know one thing – Abby knew. Abby knew that that 'someone else' was Tony.
She didn't know how she knew about it, and she, rather, didn't want to know how Abby had obtained the information. But it was fairly obvious that she knew it. And then it struck Ziva like a bolt out of the blue why Abby had been so mistrustful towards her. Since Tony was like a brother to her, she was protective of him, just as every sister would be.
She wasn't standing against her friend at the moment, but against a sister of her boyfriend. Which would explain why Abby had been so worried that if she had been lying to herself, then people might have gotten hurt. Especially Tony. Since Abby wasn't sure about how strong the feelings were that Ziva had towards him, it was no wonder she had been questioning her about her mental state.
She kept staring, slightly opening her mouth and trying to find some words. She knew that she had to answer in some way, because the question still hung in the air. She suddenly wasn't sure whether she should admit it or deny it. Would Abby ask who the 'someone else' is? Would she want to hear with whom she has fallen in love with? She bit her lip in contemplation, hoping to find the answer in Abby's eyes.
She was saved from replying, though, because her little conversation with Abby was interrupted all of a sudden. "Abbs?" Tony called out into the hallway, as he opened the door from the groom's room and stepped out.
He smiled widely the moment his eyes laid upon Ziva, momentarily forgetting to breathe when he saw her in the dress. She returned him the smile, unable to hide the light flush of her cheeks. For a long second, the world around them stopped existing as their eyes locked, getting lost in each other quickly. Their faces screamed with the love for one another, and neither of them minded Abby's presence at that moment. They just forgot about her.
The magic moment was broken, however, when Abby turned around to face him. "What?" She asked him, trying not to show her annoyance over the interruption.
Tony forced his eyes to shift toward Abby and stop ogling his girlfriend. "Jimmy's freaking out and he's calling for you." He informed her that the autopsy gremlin had gotten a panic attack and whatever he and McGee had done wasn't enough to calm him down. Even Ducky was unable to help him. And Gibbs hadn't shown up, yet, to give him a head slap or two.
Abby sighed wearily. But, being a responsible person, she decided to return to her role of Best Man. "OK, I'm going." She told him, turning to Ziva and taking her by her hands. "We'll finish this later." She more suggested than ordered to her, and Ziva just nodded, not knowing what to say. Her eyes were still focused on Tony, anyway, because she couldn't get enough of how dashing he looked in his tuxedo.
Abby pulled her into a hug, hoping that the argument hadn't brought any bad blood between them. She hadn't meant to be harsh on her. But it had been needed to get the true feelings out of her. For now, Abby was partially satisfied with the answer she'd gotten. Then, she turned on her heel and went inside the groom's room, ready to take care of Jimmy's worries and leaving those two there alone.
They stared at each other for a while in silence, both trying to fight the urge to fall into the arms of the other. It was too dangerous, because anyone could see them. Tony, however, couldn't control himself for too long. He carefully looked around to ascertain that no one was within sight, hoping that nobody would open the door from the rooms. Then, he crossed the hallway and took her in his arms.
Before she had a chance to say anything, his mouth found hers in a searing kiss, which she devotedly returned. Those few hours without him had been torture, and to feel his lips against hers, to smell his scent, to be embraced by his manly hands, were everything she wished for. Nevertheless, she was aware of the fact that they were in a public place, so as soon as the kiss had started, she pushed him away and broke it.
"Tony!" She reprimanded him, but the flush in her cheeks couldn't hide the fact she had enjoyed the kiss immensely. Not to mention that she couldn't refrain from pressing her body against his.
He smiled at her apologetically, putting his hands on her cheeks and lifting her head up to look into her beautiful face. "Sorry, couldn't help myself." He whispered his apology breathlessly while his eyes travelled frantically between her desirous eyes and her delicious mouth.
She managed to answer with a light moan and a smile, because she felt a similar way. It was so hard to keep any self-control when their eyes met. His eyes were devouring her and she couldn't help but shiver at the burning gaze of his. It made her tingle all over her skin and, judging by his purrs of delight as she rubbed his back, he was going through the same thing.
"You just look so..." He started again, trying to keep himself at bay by saying something, but she didn't give him any chance to finish the sentence. She didn't care whether he'd meant to say 'beautiful', 'stunning' or 'gorgeous'. All she cared about was his lips.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his head down and kissed him with everything she had, swallowing his words effectively. She couldn't get enough of him, even though she tried so much to keep the control. But he was so irresistible in his tuxedo and with the relaxed smile on his face. Moreover, the way his hands roamed over her back as his lips moved against hers made her lose her mind.
But she knew that she couldn't afford this, and neither could he. She could feel that he desperately tried to hold his need for her back, but she was making it impossible for him. It was like a magic spell, as if fate wanted them to be glued together against all odds. To break the kiss, to stop touching each other, seemed to be the greatest crime against the love law. Neither of them wanted to be the first one responsible.
Ziva eventually gripped the lapels of his tuxedo jacket, forcing herself to release his lips and put some distance between them. "Go." She whispered, her eyes begging him to listen to her, otherwise they might end up back in her room.
He nodded in understanding, shaking his head to disperse the lustful haze. The attraction between them had been unbearable already from before, but this was far stronger. Not that he was surprised with it, but he just didn't expect it to be so strong, so intense. It almost brought him to his knees, forgetting about everything. She was like a drug and he became deeply addicted to her.
He gave her one last peck and went back into the groom's room without looking at her. Seeing her standing there might change his mind and they both knew that it would lead them somewhere else. She leaned against the wall for a little while, trying to pull herself together after the explosion of passion. After her breathing steadied enough and she was sure that her knees wouldn't give way, she returned to the bride's room.
From the corner on the other side of the hallway emerged Gibbs with a tentative smile on his face. He still wasn't sure how to face this issue, even though he expected that it might happen one day. After all, he'd given his blessing to DiNozzo. No wonder that the younger agent had made use of it as soon as possible. Still, he knew that the conversation with those two would be hard. But necessary, indeed.
"See? I told you not to worry. They are able to make it work." The soothing voice of Dr. Samantha Ryan penetrated his ears as she put her hands around him.
He smiled widely this time. It wasn't honourable to watch his two agents making out in the hallway, trying to figure out how he really felt about it as their boss and surrogate father. But they had bumped into them by coincidence on their way to Jimmy's room. Gibbs had no doubt that the husband-to-be needed a proper head slap to get over his nervousness.
He turned around, looking at the doctor, kissing her on her cheek. She'd given him a lot of peace this weekend as she kept convincing him to let Tony and Ziva solve their problems on their own. It seemed that it wasn't the worst idea to do. They looked happy and content together. And if his children were happy, then he was the most satisfied father in the world.
The End of Chapter 24
Well, well, well... Few things are clearer, I hope. My greatest hope, though, is that you liked it. I want to capture the team, Jimmy and Breena, and everyone on the wedding well, because I wanted to see the wedding on the show. Sadly, it didn't happen.
At least I have this fic to fulfil my desires over the show and things I'd love to see but didn't. That's why I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for all the support, you are amazing.
As for the next chapter, it is written and passed over my Beta, however, September will be really busy month for me. So, I will try to update until the end of the month. Have a nice September! :)