Author's Note: Thanks everyone, for the great reviews.

Chapter 4
"Habits"

These days temptation ran deep for Ziva. Now all she needed to do was witness someone smoking in the park where they picked up the dead body or the bar when the team got away for a few drinks every so often, or even when she drove to work in the morning and spotted someone standing on the sidewalk; smoking.

She did her best to stifle her urges, but when the cases they investigated consisted of victims she knew met their doom because of Jackson, she formed a number of excuses to leave her desk for five or ten minutes.

She could not smoke inside headquarters. Not even a quick drag in the bathroom, women's or men's, would end successfully.

Smoking was the least of her worries anyway. Jackson was practically out of control.

The elevator doors divided and the dashing Anthony DiNozzo nearly glided out of the metal box and appeared next to his desk. His sunglasses most likely as expensive as his suit.

"It's Christmas time in the city…" He opened his arms wide to add to what he hoped was the best greeting his teammates ever had the pleasure of viewing.

"Good morning to you, too, Tony." McGee says in an even tone.

"You bet your ass it is, McGeek!" His eyes begin to dance even more wild than they already are. "It's such a good morning I can hardly contain myself."

"It isn't Christmas yet, Tony." Ziva says.

"No, but in a matter of weeks it will be." He sighs with such satisfaction. "Yes, and because of this cold, but warm time of year, all of the Anthony's Angels are going to be burning up my phone line; desperate to spend some much needed snuggle time with me."

McGee and Ziva take a moment to look at each other before rolling their eyes.

"I never thought I would meet someone that is so gutterly self-centered."

DiNozzo narrows his eyes. "Utterly." He looks at her raise her eyebrows. "Utterly…not gutterly." He wait's a moment. "…and I'm not self-centered, I just know better." He taps at his chest with both hands. "I mean, just look at me. Aren't I prize?"

"If you were given to me as a prize, I would use all of the strength I had to give you back."

McGee begins to chuckle at Ziva's comment, but soon closes his mouth when he notices Gibbs stepping out of the elevator.

"You just don't know what good taste is." Tony retorts, slightly offended.

"What is good taste, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks as he stands before his senior agent.

McGee and Ziva look intently at the two men and try their best to be patient for Tony's answer.

"…something you wake up with every morning, Boss." Tony dusts the top of one of Gibbs shoulders. "Look at you, Mr. Handsome."

McGee's eyes nearly jump out of his skull and land near his feet, while Ziva puts a wacky look on her face.

"You're not going to ask me out on a date, are you DiNozzo? Because I'm not cheap." Gibbs throws back, then turns to leave his senior agent stunned and finds his desk.

McGee is on the ground, searching to for his eyeballs at this point. Ziva catches a small glance from Gibbs and smirks to herself. Her ever-so-serious boss has a few funny bones inside of him.

Tony's face is completely red, do he decides to sit and keep quiet before he breaks into a sweat at his boss' unusualness.

"So what's on the menu this morning, boss?" McGee says with a carefree attitude.

"I never thought picking up dead bodies was something people put on menus." Gibbs glares at his agent's stupid question. "…even so, there isn't anything we need to investigate today."

"SWEET!" Tony stands up and reaches for his sunglasses that he just took off. "I've got a million and one thing to do before the Holidays get here so if you wouldn't mind-"

"DINOZZO!" Gibbs hollers as he stands. "SIT DOWN. NOW." Shaking his head, he waits for his energetic agent to find his seat again. "…the NCIS banquet is tomorrow night and they are honoring several important people. Director Shepard has personally requested that we are there to make sure that the event runs smoothly."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Tony speaks more to himself than the rest of them. "I guess it's that time of the year where I'll get to knock 'em dead." Three pairs of annoyed eyes stare back at him. "I was kidding…naturally…" He lifts his left eyebrow and the left corner of his mouth. "..really."

"We'll meet here. We'll travel together. We'll leave together." Gibbs informs his team members.

"So I guess we're just there to do our jobs?" Tony's voice is as disappointed as disappointed can be.

"That is the general idea, DiNozzo." Gibbs rounds his desk. "Going for coffee."

DiNozzo waits until Gibbs vanishes inside the elevator, then opens his mouth.

"What a crappy deal. We finally have a chance to attend the NCIS Banquet and we've got to work?" He makes a disgusted face. "What are we-nobodies?"

"I am sure we will be allowed to mingle with the rest of the guests as if we are guests, Tony."

He looks at Ziva as if she has three heads. "Wishful thinking. With Gibbs there he'll clamp a muzzle on all of our mouths."

"I was under the impression that you were the only one that needed one of those." McGee smiles devilishly at Tony.

"Keep it up, Probie." DiNozzo threatens.

McGee catches Ziva grinning at his comment.

Jackson takes a seat at his dining room table; ready to enjoy his meal. Ziva sits across from him at the opposite end, an ashtray in front of her and a cigarette in her hand.

"You aren't eating?"

"I have already eaten." She says easily.

He shrugs, then reaches for his fork and begins to stab at the lettuce leaves that are piled on a part of his plate. While his taste buds dance with the flavors of the dressing, Ziva stares at him as if looks could kill.

Ignoring her intense stare, he takes another bite of his salad. "Milton saw you today, at the corner…" He takes a sip of his red wine. "…it was pretty early in the day."

"It was five o'clock."

"That's early for you." He puts his wine glass down. "Why weren't you at work?"

She wants to take the innocent look on his face and crush it from underneath her boots.

"Ziva?"

"Surprisingly we did not have a case." She grits her teeth slightly. "Surprisingly we did not have a dead body that you left behind somewhere."

He stops chewing, then snorts a little while shaking his head. "You can't seriously be mad about that." He grins now. "I'm responsible for your day off."

"I did not have a day off. I had a day without a case." She corrects him.

"Same difference, sweetheart." He tosses at her like she is as worthless as he is, though he will never admit that to himself. "Anyway, on to bigger and better things…" He wipes his mouth with his napkin. "I took the night off so we could go out for dinner."

"I refuse to go anywhere with you, Jackson."

"I find that hard to believe when you came to me tonight. Last night, even." He leans back in his chair. "I'm not sure why you're trying to fight what you feel for me. Hopefully in time, in a short amount of time, you will realize how childish it all is."

"I came here to insist on you giving me what I want."

"You came here with the same insistence last night and we both know you did not leave here until morning." He smiles knowingly at her. "You just love the way I make you purr, Ziva."

She shifts somewhat uncomfortably in her chair, but inhales from her cigarette in hopes it will relieve some of the strain.

"You know what I want." She speaks clearly. "…and it isn't that."

"You took it all gladly." He drips with smugness. "You want to divorce me? Then find someone who can satisfy your every little need. Then…then we might just see about you getting what you want."

"The only need I have right now is for my sanity!" She crushes the cigarette into the ashtray. "I need to know that every morning I am not going to be faced with the reality of informing someone that their loved ones were found dead in an alley, or the park, or the subway."

"I'm not the one the blame for all of those bad memories you have, Ziva."

"Damn it Jackson, this is not funny!" She stands from her chair. "You grant me the divorce and you get out of my life. For good."

"I won't." He says calmly. "I need you, Ziva."

"You are killing me, Jackson. Inside, you are killing me." Her breath becomes somewhat shaky.

"You married for honor, no?"

"I married you because I understood what you had to do in life. I understood because I too had to do the same thing, but you have lost all control now. You enjoy yourself now."

He puts his fork down. "You make me out to be a monster."

"You are a monster!" She says it so disgustedly.

He laughs. "I know what I am, Ziva, and I also know that I am not stupid." He clears his throat. "You want me to give you a divorce so when the next body falls in your path all you have to do is rat me out?" His eyes begin to glisten and turn pink as if they are inching their way closer to catching on fire. "Giving you a divorce will kill me!"

"After the things you have done, I can not find a single reason to feel sorry for you."

Pushing his chair out from underneath as he stands, he throws his napkin over his nearly full dinner plate. "If you think I'm going to give you what you want so I can get fucked in the end, you're sadly mistaken." He points his finger at her with such rage. "We went in this together and we'll get out of this together if the day ever comes. If it comes." He leaves his place and begins walking over to her, "…because if I ever find out that you've told anyone about who I am, what I do, and how you know me, I'll make sure I get rid of them before I get rid of you." He tucks his chin in slightly as his eyebrows grow heavy over his eyes. "I fucking promise you."

Ziva takes a step back to only tighten the ball that her hand has now made. In seconds she takes a step forward and raises her hand, but he catches it and twists her hand until her arm feels the sharp pain.

"Easy there, Ziva." He uses his other hand to move her shirt collar slightly away from her neck. "Wouldn't want to get another one of those so soon…"

With smoky eyes, she takes a step back and waits for him to release her fist. When he does, she fixes her collar, to hide the black and blue.

"You should wear those colors more often." He teases. "Just like me, they look good on you." He winks, then leans in to give her a rough kiss on her cheek. "I suggest you find something to eat before you head back to your apartment. I don't want my beautiful wife to starve to death."

Stepping away from her, he walks over to the staircase that leads to his study. "…Till tomorrow, Sweetheart."

"I-I…I have somewhere to be tomorrow night." She manages to get out. "A Banquet...for work."

He shrugs. "I can cancel our plans. Have fun."

Turning around she watches as he disappears inside his study. Standing there, she is frozen, but her mind can't help but race. It is a feeling so usual for her these days.