Thanks for your patience; sorry updates have gotten a bit behind. Life is busy, friends.

But school is now over. I'll have the others up soon.

jae

Undercovers

Christmas lights, red, green, and white, flash brightly outside the window from the dingy, concrete building next door. It's the first thing he notices, glowing behind his eyelids as he's pulled from sleep suddenly. He's not sure what time it is, but he knows it's still early; much too early for his body to wake.

He feels a shift beside him; the bed dipping, and the protest of the motel's stiff mattress groaning under added weight. An arm curls softly over his side. The touch is familiar; the presence even more so.

His eyes open, and in the glow of the radiating lights from outside the barred window, her face is thrown into sharp relief, and a killer smile greets him that instantly warms his chest.

He thinks he'd be the luckiest man alive to wake to this sight for the rest of his days.

"What are you doing here?"

His voice comes out rough, hushed and scratchy with sleep. He reaches for her body under the sheets, and she allows him to pull her to his chest, her arm reaching to run up his back, over his bare shoulders. He hums at the feel of her nails scratching slowly across his sensitized skin, and his hands trail down her waist. He makes a low noise in surprise when his hand meets no obstruction, running down her bare thigh.

"Gibbs sent me to relieve you." She slips her bare leg between his, however, giving him an indication that she doesn't plan on him leaving quite so soon. "We might need to move location tomorrow." She informs him lowly, "McGee says his records indicate that he has plans to travel early in the morning."

Tony heaves a sigh, pulling the blankets around them tighter.

"Don't criminals have other things to do during the holidays?"

Ziva chuckles softly, leaning closer to bury her face in his neck as her laughter dies, and in turn begins kissing at the sensitive skin under his jaw. He closes his eyes at the feeling, running his hands slowly up and down her body.

"It does not appear so." Ziva murmurs between each touch of her lips, smiling into his skin. "But we will just have to make the best of it." Her leg tightens around his then, and in one, fluid movement, she rolls to settle on top of him. His hands come to rest on top of her bare thighs, and her curls tickle his face as she leans over him, all molten eyes and intimate smile, and lord help him, he wouldn't be able to tear his gaze away even if their suspect appeared outside the barred motel window.

She draws her nose across his cheek, pressing a kiss once more to the underside of his jaw.

"Sit rep, Agent David?" He mumbles, circling his thumb lightly against her warm skin.

She ducks her head to his collarbone.

"You are relieved for the next eight hours." She nips at his neck, smoothing the sting with her tongue. "I have watch until McGee arrives at zero-nine hundred."

"Hmmm." He hums, pretending to consider his next query. "So I have time to stick around for a little longer, is what you're saying."

Ziva pulls her face from his skin, giving him a sly smile.

"If you would like. It would be beneficial, I think, to have back-up."

Tony grins up at her, raising his hand to tunnel through her hair, cupping the back of her neck.

"it doesn't hurt." He murmurs, drawing her down to brush his lips against hers. "I'm sure they'll approve the overtime. We are working through the holidays, after all."

She smiles into the kiss he presses against her lips, his hands reaching for the hem of her shirt. A soft beep comes from the standard digital clock on the bedside, and both briefly turn to see the glowing numbers indicate the arrival of midnight.

Ziva returns her gaze to his, capturing his lips with hers.

"Merry Christmas, Tony."

"Merry Christmas, Ziva."