A/N – We are on the third episode. This is really fun to write and really fun to try to read the characters as they go through a case. I hope you are all still enjoying this story. Phoenix gives us Ducky back, which is good, though I think all bases were covered with Ducky. But, I do have some Tony and Ziva scenes that I wanted to add in and a Ziva and Gibbs scene.

Disclaimer – I don't own NCIS or the characters

Chapter 4 – Phoenix

Lunch break

Tony and Ziva sat down at the table outside in the Navy Yard, away from where the others usually went. There was a small Israeli place that they had taken to going to for lunch because Ziva was typically the only one on Gibbs' team that wanted to eat there. Tony looked at her.

"If you keep siding with me, McGee will grow suspicious," Ziva mentioned.

"I know, but you were right," Tony said. "I'm trying to keep it like we always had it, but it's hard."

"I know, Tony," Ziva said.

They started to eat. Several minutes into their lunch Tony looked at Ziva again. She looked back at him.

"I love it when you wear your hair like that," Tony said. "I didn't say anything about it this morning. I know we just overslept a little."

"Yes, that is why I did not fix it better," Ziva said. "I did not know you liked it like this."

"I do," Tony whispered. "But it makes it difficult to concentrate. Perhaps the next time we stay over on a school night then we should set an alarm?"

Ziva chuckled at him. "That is probably a good idea. But, I would think you would call it a work night and not a school night as neither of us are in school."

"Just an expression, Ziva," Tony said rolling his eyes lightly.

He moved his chair closer to Ziva and ran his fingers through her wild curls. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"I've been wanting to do that all morning," he whispered to her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

She smiled and looked at him. "I know," she said as they finished up.

They held each other's hands while walking most of the way back toward the Navy Yard, but when they got close they dropped each other's hand and looked like they were nothing more than coworkers who had decided to have lunch together.

"No one is here," Ziva said as they stepped back into the squad room. "We should catch up on whatever we missed when we left for lunch."

We were standing in front of the big screen, trying hard to keep some distance between us. My arms were crossed, so that I would not automatically reach for his hand and he was standing a little ways away from me. That way no one in the office would suspect more than they ever had and when the team got back they would not suspect, especially since our backs were turned.

Morning after learning there might be a dirty bomb involved

"Tony!" Ziva said, standing above the bed.

Tony jumped and sat up. She smiled at the topless Tony as he looked so confused. He looked at her and saw that she was dressed and dragging a brush through her hair.

"You are going to be late to work. I am going to go so we are both not late. You slept right through the alarm and me getting out of bed," Ziva mentioned. "Perhaps we need to eliminate movies on a school night as well?"

"Are you seriously wearing your hair down today? And curly?" he asked with a groan.

Ziva laughed at his question and placed her brush down on her dresser. She turned around to look at him again.

"Yes, Tony, I am," Ziva said with a smile on her face. "I do not have time to do anything to it. I, unfortunately, also slept through the alarm we had set. Like I said, no more movies on a school night. Get ready and get to work as fast as you can."

Tony leapt out of bed and nearly ran over to Ziva. She looked at him. He was only wearing a pair of pants. She placed both of her hands on his chest and looked into his green eyes.

He bent his head down and kissed her on the lips, running his fingers through her hair and she laced hers in his. They were locked their for some time, until finally she felt him press closer to her. She pulled back out of the kiss and looked to the floor.

"Tony," she whispered. "First, there is not time. Second, not yet."

"I know, Ziva," he whispered back. "That doesn't make me any less attracted by you, though. I'm sorry. I'm really trying not to put the pressure on you here."

"You are not putting pressure on, Tony," Ziva whispered. "I know that your body is just reacting and that tells me that you want me the way that I am. I know that. Get ready and get to work."

Gibbs talks to Ziva after the case

"What was that smile all about, Ziva?" he asked. "I know you said we are whole again. But it seems that you are happier than you should be lately."

"I am just happy, Gibbs," Ziva said evading the question. "Yes, a terrible thing happened to us a couple months ago at NCIS. But, we have everyone. Tony and I were fine and did not kill each other in the elevator. McGee only had a flesh wound. Abby seems to be suffering less nightmares and was perfectly fine. You only had a tiny scratch on your head. Palmer came back to us instead of going on his honeymoon. And finally, Ducky is back from his heart attack."

"How did you and Tony end up in the elevator anyway?" Gibbs asked. "I believe that breaks protocol, and I know that neither of you are that stupid."

"It was my idea, Gibbs," Ziva said. "I knew it would be safer if a bomb did go off, because I have seen it before. I also knew that it would be faster to get us out if we did have time, especially with everyone on the stairs."

"I have seen you and Tony before," Gibbs said. "You never agree on something, especially not whether to break protocol or not. Something like that is not something that Tony would agree to normally. What were the circumstances?"

"I grabbed him and ran, Gibbs," Ziva admitted. "I had to make sure at least one member of the team was alright. It was the least I could do."

"There's more to it than that, Ziva," Gibbs said quietly. "There has always been more to it than that."

Gibbs walked away, leaving Ziva in her own thoughts. Tony walked up behind her, watching Gibbs walk away. He was confused, but waited until Gibbs was gone to look at her.

"Ziva, what was that about?"

"Nothing. Gibbs is just trying to figure out why I am happy and why we took the elevator," Ziva said.

"You didn't tell him that you told me you weren't going anywhere without me, did you?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"No," Ziva admitted. "You never told him that you told me you couldn't live without me, did you?"

"You remember that?" Tony asked.

"How could I forget, Tony?" Ziva asked. "I was just about dead in Somalia and you were on truth serum, but you still said it and you were so far from joking that I knew that it was important, I knew that it was the truth. You did not tell Gibbs?"

"No," Tony said. "I suppose the reasoning is all the same. McGee once questioned me about it but I never answered him."

"I know, I was hiding and listening to hear what you would say," Ziva said. "If I remember correctly your response was clear if you knew you."

"I said, I was under the influence of truth serum McGee," Tony told Ziva. "I said what I meant. But, if you can't figure it out on your own, you need to work on your investigative skills a little more."

"You were so angry. I am so sorry for that," Ziva said.

"No need to be sorry," Tony reminded her. "No need to be sorry at all. It's not your fault."

"But it is, in a way," Ziva said. "I had a hard time trusting you after the whole incident with Rivkin and that was not your fault that I did not trust you, that was Rivkin's fault. I chose to trust my father again and I hurt everyone in the process, but especially you."

"Don't you see it, Ziva? I betrayed your trust most of that year," Tony told her. "I was going behind your back and investigating Rivkin."

"But, you were protecting me, yes?" Ziva asked and Tony nodded. "I know that. I knew that then, too. You always had my best interest at heart, Tony. You were just trying to make sure I was safe."

Tony put a hand on her shoulder and then pulled her into a hug.

"I knew there was too much happiness in the office," Gibbs said. "Ziva, you putting on a good face again?"

"No, Gibbs," Ziva said, pulling out of the hug slowly, knowing that it was best not to jump, though she wanted to hide. "Just clearing up some old issues with Tony. We've agreed that we need to get along better."

"When did you make that agreement, not that I mind that?" Gibbs asked.

"We agreed on that in the elevator," Tony said.

"That the only thing you agreed on, DiNozzo?"

"No, we're going to be honest with each other," Ziva said. "Talk like the friends that we are."

"Good, go home and talk," Gibbs said. "It's getting late and we've had a rough case with a late night in it. Go home. Talk it out. Drink it out. Whatever you have to do to get it out. I like that you're getting along, not a bad thing."

Gibbs picked up his bag and left for good this time and Tony and Ziva followed his example and picked up their own bags heading for the elevator to go to her apartment.

A/N – I hope you all like it. Let me know what you think.