A/N: OK, I lied, I am gonna do a short chapter on "Worst Nightmare". But it will be short. The episode itself did not have a Tiva scene as such, but they were together a LOT, and there was a scene where they went in an alley together where they didn't show their conversation. Reviews would be good and a chapter for "Short Fuse" will be written soon. I am watching it as we speak—well, as I write. OMG I think Abby has an iPad.

Ziva had been right—things with her and Tony were certainly back to their normal selves. Their usual playful antics were more evident than ever, especially after all Gibbs' drama with the Reynosa cartel had worn off. It seemed as if both of them had come to realise just how much they had been through together, and they were close because of it. It didn't have to be the big things, just everyday cases and seeing each other of a morning, fresh and bright and happy. But not this morning. Ziva, after a night of tossing and turning in her empty bed, had not fallen asleep until the small hours of the morning and was now tired and grouchy.

She leant against a wall fiddling with her earring as she watched McGee showed interns around the bullpen. She never liked interns; they made their jobs more difficult, teaching and explaining everything. She heard Tony's footsteps clearly as he sauntered up behind her.

"What's going on?" he asked casually. "Are we being replaced by a younger model?"

"I am a younger model," she snapped, still looking at the interns.

"If that was intended to hurt me, you have succeeded."

Tony left Ziva's established personal bubble as he didn't think it a good idea to be near her when she was in such a nasty mood.

"Tony, Ziva, take the back alley," Gibbs ordered. "McGee, you're with me."

They did as they were told and ran down the back alley, guns at the ready.

"Are you mad at me?" Tony asked Ziva in a low voice.

"Why would you ask that? If I was mad at you, you wouldn't be asking, you'd know."

Tony said nothing.

"I just...didn't get a lot of sleep last night," she explained.

"Got busy, did ya?" he asked with a cheeky, lopsided grin.

"No! Tony, I am single and have been single for several months now."

That was not quite the response Tony had been expecting. In all honesty, Ziva hadn't really been expecting it either. But she didn't show it.

"Why do you looked so surprised?" she asked him.

"Well, you know, you're you, and...um..."

She spun on her toes and grabbed hold of his jaw. "Stop 'ah-uming' and spit it out."

"OK, but first will you please let go of me?"

She took a step back and nodded. By now the two had discovered that there was nothing crime-scene-like to discover where they were headed.

"You want the truth? I'm surprised because frankly, you're a very attractive woman with a whole boatload of personality and lots of great qualities and a man hasn't scooped you up."

Ziva's beautiful brown eyes lit up. "Did it ever occur to you that I am single by choice?"

Tony's heart sank a little, subconsciously. "No, but—"

"Well, I am not, it's just the men who would 'scoop me up' are the wrong kind of people. Things were different when I was younger but now I am in it for the long run. I have said it before; I came to NCIS to settle down, and now that I am an American citizen, I have every right to do just that."

Tony chuckled.

"What?"

"'When you were younger'," he said. "Ziva, you're still young. You've got plenty of time to settle down and find a family. Don't forget to live life while you still can."

Ziva looked at him. "That is actually really good advice, Tony."

"Don't sound so shocked."

"You're not usually the one to go to when it comes to living life to the full."

"Look, all I'm saying is, you can plan as far ahead as you want, but life is never going to go exactly the way you want it to."

Ziva smiled in agreement. "You know, I have realised something: we are supposed to be finding Mason and instead we are talking about life plans and relationships."

"We always do get a little off topic, don't we?" He looked at her from head to toe.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back in the direction of the car so they could meet up with Gibbs and McGee.

Ziva felt like a new person after a good night sleep and was reading to get cracking on their current case. The interns were still around, which was a bit of a downer, but McGee seemed to finally understand Tony's love of patronising the probies.

She also felt a new magnetic connection to her partner, and he seemed to be feeling it too. Almost all day, they were practically stuck at the hip. Ziva just hoped for her sake that nobody noticed and got the wrong idea about them.

She didn't quite feel the power of their magnetism until they had to part to let McGee through. Then, in one swift, smooth motion, they had stepped right back together. It was like their bodies were in sync. Ziva didn't know what this was or why it was happening now, but she liked it.

A/N: That was a bit rushed but I hope it was OK. Short Fuse chapter is running a little behind because I wrote this one so late. I will write it ASAP.