Ziva yawned and stretched her arms over her head. The bullpen was unusually quiet for a Thursday morning, a good thing considering the only sleep she'd gotten all night had been at her desk. She blinked at the clock on her computer monitor. Could it really be eight already? Her cell phone confirmed the time – and that she hadn't missed any calls. Either Ray was still at Langley or…he was probably just sleeping late. She would try him in an hour or two. Or maybe half an hour.

She stood and stretched again. Her neck was sore. And her back. She really should have just gone home to change and sleep for an hour or two, but with the new shower room at NCIS and the fact that they were so close to closing this case and Ray being busy… She sat back down and stared blankly around the room. McGee had opted for a short trip home when found he didn't have any clean clothes in his desk or car, Gibbs had disappeared to do whatever Gibbs did when he disappeared and Tony, who hadn't changed or showered, continued to snore with his head on his own desk. She debated throwing office products at him until he woke, but decided against it; he was bound to be damp and grumpy.

There wasn't much to do at the moment. If Abby were still awake, she would be working and if she weren't she deserved the sleep. Ducky and Palmer had planned to start the autopsy on Terry Sutton this morning, so it was unlikely they were finished. It would be another hour, at least, before Manfredi and Johnson were transferred from lockup back to Interrogation. Before falling asleep around sunrise, she and Tony had been debating whether the two men were responsible for Sutton's death. Tony had also been trying to compare the situation to one of her early cases with the team, though she recalled the details only vaguely. She could always look up the old case file, see if he was just making things up…

"Good morning."

She spun around, bumping her knee against her desk. "Ray." He was still in the suit she'd seen him leave her apartment wearing the previous night, even if slightly rumpled now. "You look tired."

He leaned over the partition to kiss her. "I'm really sorry I didn't make it home last night, but…I don't think they'll need me again, if that's any reassurance. And I thought maybe I could make it up to you?"

"No need." At least she knew why he hadn't called to find out where she was. "I have been here. Well, here and at a crime scene since…not long after you left." She abruptly stopped wondering about how wrinkled the clothes she'd left in the dryer would be and began to worry if they'd even be there anymore.

"Oh. So I can't steal you for a cup of coffee?"

"Only if it is accompanied by breakfast."

"You can get away for that long?"

"I have been working all night. It can count as comp time." She looked around for Gibbs and grabbed her coat off the shelf behind her desk. "Tony." When he barely stirred, she walked over to his desk to flick him on the head. "Tony!"

"Huh?" He didn't bother showing any other signs of life.

"We are going to breakfast."

"We are?" His head shot up, but his expression of pleased surprised turned quickly to a frown. "Oh. Not we we. Yeah, you wouldn't want me to come along because I look swampy."

"Not to mention the smell."

He wrinkled up his nose as he lifted an arm. "So not all wet leaves and mud, I guess. Right, enjoy breakfast. I'll be in the shower."

She took a step back. "Yes. I will bring you a coffee when I get back."

"And a donut."

"Okay."

"Maybe two."

She took Ray's hand and pulled him toward the elevator. "Fine."

"No sprinkles!"

"No sprinkles, Tony."

"Frosting is fine! Ziva? Frosting?"

She didn't answer as the elevator door closed. Ray pulled her into an embrace as they started to descend. "You smell nice."

"I took a shower when we returned from the scene."

"Too bad I missed it." He rested his forehead against hers. "The shower, I mean. Not whatever DiNozzo was covered in."

She giggled, feeling only slightly self-conscious about it. "Perhaps I will need another by the time I get home." There was only a passing urge to confirm that he would be there when she did get home. She pushed it out of her head quickly, brushing her lips against his as she said, "Of course, even if I don't…"

They were still distracted when the elevator doors opened in the lobby. This alone would not have been enough to convince Ziva that they needed to stop, but then a throat was deliberately cleared.

"Gibbs. We were…"

"Oh, I could see that."

She yanked her arms off Ray's shoulders as she took a step back. "I mean we were just about to go to breakfast, but…"

Gibbs stuck his arm, the one not holding his coffee, through the elevator doors as they began to close again. "Okay. Take your time."

"Wha-…really?"

He waved toward the front door and she was reminded that she was still standing in the elevator and should probably close her mouth. "Yeah, Ziver. Go eat something."

"Ah. Thank you. I will see you…soon."

"Not too soon. Mornin', Cruz."

Ray nodded. "Gibbs. Nice to see you."

As they crossed the lobby, he said, barely loud enough to hear since the elevator was closing again, "She likes the place with the Belgian waffles on 9th."

Ray took her hand as they stepped outside. It was going to be a warm, sunny day. "Waffles, huh?"

"If you do not mind. I should warn you that parking is terrible."

"Hey, DC."

He was still giving her a funny grin when he opened the car door for her. "What?"

"Nothing. Just…you NCIS people have the weirdest nicknames."

She knitted her brows, slightly confused as she tried to remember Tony saying something that morning. Perhaps she just needed more sleep. As Ray pulled out of the lot, she rested a hand on his thigh. "Do you still think we will be able to get away this weekend?"