The faint sound of running water came to a stop as Ziva stood in the middle of a large living room eating a piece of pizza. She turned and was surprised that Tony's massage chair was gone, replaced with a simple black leather recliner. She smiled through her chewing, the monstrosity had did nothing but further damage his back and its disappearance had given her something to smile about. She looked at the coffee table and held the piece of pizza between her teeth as she reached down, lifting and opening the DVD case of her ceremony. She moved over to the television and placed it inside the DVD player.
Ziva moved over to his couch, sitting down, she lifted the remote control, turning on the TV. She sat back and as she finished off her slice of pizza her ponytail was tugged on. She spun at the waist seeing Tony only wearing a towel, "I have to say, you're the best looking burglar I've ever seen and might I also say, a very considerate one at that, you brought pizza!" Tony grinned.
Ziva quickly stood up, "I knocked, you were in the shower...obviously." She looked Tony up and down, showing him a teasing smile, "I, uh, also brought some wine, would you like some?"
"Are you trying to take advantage of me, Miss David?" Tony asked, tilted his head slightly. Ziva just looked at him, not saying a word. He broke the silence with a laugh, "You got lucky, I actually had a clean towel."
"How is that lucky?"
"You mean, you wanted to see me naked?"
Ziva sat back down, "Maybe you are right." She smirked.
"Heh. I'll be right back." Tony said, moving to the doorway and disappearing down a hallway, "So, Ziva, tell me, how does it feel to be an American?"
"I really do not know how to answer that." Ziva answered.
Tony walked back into the living room, wearing blue jeans and a gray Ohio State t-shirt, "Do you feel...free?"
"I suppose." Ziva lowered her head, "Yes, but it was difficult saying goodbye to what I knew."
"Ziva, Israel will always be your homeland. This is just another place to call home, just another place to kick off your shoes, then buy new ones and complain you don't have enough closet space for said shoes, then you buy a new house with closets made especially for even more shoes and there you have it...America!"
Ziva squinted at Tony, "Do I have that many shoes?"
"Heh. I dunno, do ya?" Tony reached for a piece of pizza, taking a bite, "Look, I know I was an ass sometimes about your citizenship."
"Sometimes?" Ziva laughed.
"Yeah, yeah, but I wanted to be there..." Tony slowly chewed on his pizza, letting out a small sigh, "For you."
Ziva raised her hand, she started towards his head to comfort him, but pulled her hand back, "Watch this."
"Hmm?" Tony wondered, looking at her as she pressed play on the remote control. His eyes travelled to the television. Ziva was standing, her hand in the air, "Oh man, I missed you in a dress?"
Ziva laughed, "Yes. Yes, you did."
"White, no less. That's totally not fair."
"I guess it was my way of saying, I was born again."
"Ladies and gentlemen...she hates clowns, she's addicted to cargo pants and even though she's Jewish, she loves the bacon. America, here she is, yours and my favorite new red, white and blue ninja, Ziva David!" Tony stood and started to clap with the biggest grin on his face.
"Oh, stop it!" Ziva laughed, pulling him back down to the couch, "Oh, speaking of dresses, what color suit are you wearing to the wedding?" She asked.
Tony was silent.
"Tony?"
Tony was just sitting there, staring at the TV, "I'm so sorry, Ziva." He whispered, shaking his head as he watched Ziva looking down at the two empty chairs. The sadness, the disappointment from her face was killing him.
"Hey." Ziva moved to front of Tony, squatting in front of him, she brought her hands up, cupping his face, "It is okay."
"No, Ziva, it's not, the look on your face, you..."
"Tony, if I was that upset, would I be here? Trying to take advantage of you?" Ziva grinned. He looked up at her and let out a small smile, "There's nothing to be sorry about, okay?" She leaned into him, pressing her lips to his forehead, "Do you have a corkscrew?"
"Yeah, somewhere in the kitchen." Tony started to get up, but Ziva pressed down on his legs.
"I will find it." Ziva rose, picking up the bottle of wine from the coffee table and taking it into the kitchen.
After several minutes of searching, Ziva returned with the bottle of wine, "I can tell you do not drink much wine, your..." She stopped, looking at Tony, "Tony?" A soft snore escaped from his lips as he slept on the couch. She walked over to him, setting the bottle on the coffee table, she surveyed the room, "Blanket, hmm, where would you be? The bedroom?" She made her way to his bedroom.
Ziva walked into his bedroom, seeing a blanket on the end of his bed, she grabbed it and turned to go back to the living room, but stopped, catching a glimpse from the corner of her eye that his closet was slightly open, "I wonder if he has a tuxedo." She wondered. She stepped towards the closet, but quickly stood her ground, but she quickly gave into her curiosity and headed over to the closet. She dropped the blanket next to her and fully opened the closet doors. On the inside of the closet door was a mirror and attached to the mirror were three photos of Ziva, two of her in a bikini and one taken in Paris. On the other side was a photo of Abby, "I guess its better than having them by his bed next to hand lotion and tissues, huh?" She let out a small chuckle, amusing herself.
Tony's clothes were all hung neatly, his suits to the left, his normal clothes to the right. Several pairs of shoes and boots were lined up along the floor of the closet. She ran her hands over his suits, feeling the material on her fingertips. She pulled a dark suit from the back. She lifted it up, looking at it, "What of mine would go with this? Maybe something lighter?" She placed the suit back on the rack, but something had fallen from the shelf above it. She knelt down, picking up a small square silver box, she turned it over, there was a Christmas tag on it, which read: "To: Ziva From: T." She held the box away from her, she shook it, hearing a tiny clanking noise. She very carefully opened the box, revealing a smaller black jewelry box inside. She pried the lid open, revealing a Star of David necklace, "Why didn't he give me this?" She sighed, "Right, I told him not to give me anything." She snapped the box closed and put it back in the silver box. She stood up, placing the box back on the upper shelf. She pulled at the doors, putting his closet back the way she found it before leaving.
Ziva retreated back to the living room, blanket in hand. She layed the blanket across Tony and rubbed his cheek with the back of her fingers. He smacked his lips and smiled, "Paris." He muttered in his sleep.
Ziva smiled and closed her eyes remembering the night they spent together in the hotel room in Paris. They had lied to both McGee and Abby, in truth, there wasn't even a couch, just a small bed, a single and to make matters worse, the heat in the room was broken. So Tony did what he had to do, he held her all night, keeping her warm. She complained, of course, but deep down she loved it, but she would never tell him that. From his reaction the following morning, he seemed to love it, too.
Ziva opened her eyes and slid under the blanket. She cuddled up next to him, using his shoulder as a pillow and soon joined him in the land of dreams.
Abby and McGee hurried through a set of glass door, Ziva was standing by a bench, "What was so important that I had to meet you at the mall...of all places, Ziva?" Abby asked.
"I need a dress, for a wedding, this weekend...and why did you bring, McGee?"
"OH MY GOD! You're getting married?" Abby dove into Ziva, hugging her with all her might, "I call dibs on holding the babies first!"
"What? Babies? No, no, no!" She shook her head frantically, "It is for Tony."
Abby took a large step back, a disturbed look hastily washed over her face.
Ziva laughed, "He is not going to wear it, Abby, I will, I am going with him...and once again, why is McGee here?"
"Oh, thank God! Wait, who's wedding and why am I not invited? Is Gibbs getting married to that she-bitch lawyer?"
"Tony's father is getting married."
"Awww, Daddy DiNozzo! Good for him, maybe this one will actually work...and I couldn't have gone anyway, the Nuns are in the all-county bowling championships against those damned cheese makers at Charlie's Cheeses."
"Hey, they make good cheeses, I go there all the time."
"Yeah, I know, which is why I kinda feel bad that I had someone put a voodoo curse on them, but never mind that, lets go find you a dress." Abby took Ziva's hand in hers and pulled her towards a Victoria's Secret.
"Here?" Ziva questioned.
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. If Abby says you need new panties, you need new panties!"
McGee watched Abby and Ziva disappear into the Victoria's Secret store, he looked away, then back at the store, "Wait, why the hell am I here?"