Ziva snuggled into her pillows trying to focus one reading her novel and not succeeding. She was the only one home.
Rabin had been gone when she came home. He had left a note and a nice dinner for her. He was, she suspected, off with yet another of his old girlfriends and knowing Rabin as she did she knew that such an outing could have taken him anywhere from dinner at the White House to backstage at the New York Met.
Smiling she thought of all the lovely things that Rabin had taken her and her sister too when they were children.
Only with Rabin could you expect to be introduced to both the old lady taking the coats and a famous film star at the same party. Both of whom you could be sure would be old friends.
Tony would love partying with Rabin she thought. Just love it.
The idea brought her mind to what had been bothering her since lunch. Tony who had been so vile all week had changed aspect again after lunch.
He had been furtive and distant all afternoon not nasty as he had been all week but not himself either.
She hated that it bothered her so much. That she noticed so much. But what she really hated was that he could not just behave so that she could introduce him to Rabin.
Because, though she didn't want to dwell on why, she had a few day dreamy scenarios built up about the two men meeting and all three of them having a blast.
Because the thing was at the end of the day they were the two people in the whole world she had the most fun with and felt safest with.
Her cheeks went red at the thought of admitting it to herself but she knew that even when Tony was a complete ass, even when he was dissing her to some woman he was flirting with right in front of her nose, when it came down to the line it was all about her for him.
She didn't know if this knowledge would ever come to anything. But she knew that he always knew where she was in any situation.
That when he didn't he was anxious and on the watch for her. That any threat to her had him bristling.
She knew that she was the same with him.
At the moment she knew most of the reason she was on edge was his behaviour during the day.
It didn't fit in with the events of the case which had been going well (suspect successfully confessing) or with the rest of the teams mood (normal, slightly elated at finishing a case).
She had known for certain since Somalia that Tony and she had an unbreakable something.
It had taken some time to get her head straight after Africa but once she had she knew for sure that there was this Teflon "thing" between the two of them.
This unspoken, only tacitly acknowledged bond that meant whatever happened he cared. Men don't go all the way to Africa for just anyone.
She reached out and turned off the lamp (Rabin would have to tell her about his exploits in the morning).
She smiled as her eyes closed, her book falling into the tangle of the sheets as she turned onto her side and nuzzled into the bed, face still warm from embarrassment at the frank thoughts she had been having.
She dreamt of Africa, of Tony and Rabin meeting and of Abby and she and Morty and McGee and Gibbs and Ducky and a really great dinner party.
In her dream Rabin and Tony stood up from the dinner table and began waltzing together singing "I can't give you anything but love BABY. That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby". Their voices melding rather beautifully.
The deep eastern rumble and the mellow New York rather a lovely combo.
Ziva recognised the song from the Cary Grant film that she and Tony had watched at the cinema a while ago. Tony had sung the song the whole way home. She had scolded him but secretly rather enjoyed it.
As she watched (memorised) the two waltz she felt herself lifted out of her dream
Literally she felt herself come out of the dream but she was not yet awake.
Someone seemed to have lifted her across their shoulder.
She was swinging as someone carried her (none to steadily). She was still wrapped up in her sheets as she headed feet first towards her bedroom door.
The carrier and someone else were singing rather out of tune but with lots of gusto "Dream a while scheme a while. We're sure to find Happiness and I guess. All those things you've always pined for" and there was Rabin's deep rolling laugh.
And as she prized open her eyes and sniffed at the back of the dark suit jacket her face was pressed into it smelled of smoke and beer and that deep mix of aftershave, expensive soap and pheromones that was TONY.
The singing kept on she could feel the rumble of Tony's voice through his body "Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, baby. Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby"
As she swayed towards her drawing room in the most undignified manner (still fighting off sleep and trying to gather her wits) her suspicions were confirmed.
In his clear accented English she heard Rabin break off singing and announce "Through here my boy. The wine is through here. You bring the women and song eh! Ha!"
She was going to kill them!
But at the moment the two men seemed to be giving it the big finish.
Tony paused in the door way to the drawing room.
Her now slightly more awake face still tousled up in her blankets and pushed into his back by one of his hands (not roughly but it that overly attentive manner that goes with the more inebriated gentleman).
As they neared the end of the song Tony placed one rather over familiar hand on her rear to steady her and removed his other hand from the back of her head (which it had been steadying).
As she turned her now free head she was able to see him giving some very shaky one handed Jazz hands.
"Till that lucky day, you know darned well, baby. I can't give you anything but LOVE".
She snorted with laughter.
"BRAVO, My boy" said Rabin applauding.