Tony and Ziva slowly made their way onto a tarmac, a large airplane was boarding passengers, "You know, there's still time for you to chance your mind." He stated, turning towards her.

"Tony...we have talked about this."

"But..." Tony began.

"Tony..." Ziva stopped him, pressing her hand against his chest, "The past few weeks have been very special to me." She quickly pulled her hand back, "S-sorry...I forgot."

Tony took a hold her hand and kissed it sweetly before placing it back on his chest, "I love that pain, that pain is for you."

Ziva raised her hand to Tony's face and gently caressed his shaven face, "Tony...you are so..."

"What?"

Ziva smiled, "Loved."

Tony slid his left hand into the back of Ziva's hair, his fingertips massaged the nape of her neck as he leaned in, he tilted his head slightly, feeling her hot breath on his lips. He kissed her, feasting on her open lips and she didn't hesitate, kissing him back with the same amount of intensity.

Ziva gasped hard, her eyes were shut, her knees weak. She began to relive the past weeks.

Ziva was kneeling in a olive grove when a voice called out, "Ziva." Her heart melted, hearing Tony's voice. She looked at him, he looked exhausted and dirty. It had been awhile since she had seen him with facial hair. She stood up to meet him.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked.

"Yes." Ziva answered, "Are you?"

Tony explained that Mossad had been doing whatever they could to detour his search for her, but the smile on his face told a completely didn't story. He didn't care how tired or dirty he was, it was all about finding her and making sure she was okay and now that he saw that, he was the happiest man in the world.

Ziva cupped Tony's face, feeling the fuzziness of his beard against her palms and fingers, "We are going to be okay." She smiled, gently rubbing his face.

"I just want you to come home." Tony strained to get out, his voice was showing the signs of exhaustion.

Ziva pulled away, "I do not think that's a good idea."

Tony reached out, grabbing Ziva by the hands and moved them to his mouth, kissing them, "Please?" She uttered, in tears.

"Come." Ziva urged, leaning Tony out of the sun and heat.

The following day...

Tony popped up on the screen in MTAC, "Gibbs...McGee."

"Have you found her?" Gibbs asked.

"No." Tony shook his head, "And Mossad..."

"Not helping, I'm sure." Gibbs said, "It's been a week, Tony."

"Do you want me to give up on Ziva?" Tony asked.

"No."

"Do you want to give up on Ziva?"

"Did I say that?

Tony sighed, "Gibbs, I'm not leaving until I find her, you know that."

Gibbs nodded, "Just bring her home."

The connection ended and Tony closed the lid on his laptop and sat back, running his hands through his hair.

"Thank you." Ziva spoke up, "I know lying to Gibbs is hard for you."

"I just don't understand why you won't come back, I mean..."

"Tony...me going back only puts more people in danger."

Tony shook his head aggressively, "So, you're just gonna sit here and die?!"

"I have been here for over a week and you are the only one who has found me." Ziva walked over to Tony and sat down next to him on the couch, taking his hands in hers, "How did you find me?"

"From the clues you left. Your necklace was hanging near photos of you and Ari, but the thing I noticed the most was that none of photos had Tali in them. That got me thinking about what you've shared with me about her and my mind immediately went to opera..."

"O Mio Babbino Caro." Ziva teared up.

"Yeah." Tony whispered, "So, I started looking into it and to my surprise, this house was owned by a Gianna Schicchi...which just happens to be the name of the opera that aria is from."

Ziva let go of Tony's hands and moved them to his neck and without hesitation kissed him fully on the lips, but pulled away just as quickly, "Sorry." She uttered in tears, bolting from the room.

Tony raised his fingers to his lips feeling the wetness from Ziva's kiss, staring in the direction she had gone. By the time his senses came back, he went to go find her, to console her, to do anything he could, but she was no longer in the house.

Later that night...

Tony was laying in bed, his eyes glued to the ceiling, not being able to sleep. He let out a deep sigh and turned onto his side, burying his head under a pillow.

After a few moments, he rolled back to his back, the pillow still resting on his face. He laid that way for hours before finally falling asleep.

Tony groaned as his eyes opened, sensitive to the morning sunlight. He felt an arm hugging at his waist. Ziva's hair was sprawled across his upper chest and he smiled, remembering the same scent from Paris.

Ziva opened her eyes, rubbing her face against his chest. She let out a small moan, smacking her lips together before falling back asleep.

Tony smiled and laid there for another hour, just listening to her breath, being happy. And when she slipped away, he remained motionless, still being able to smell her.

Tony's hands were pressed to the wall of the shower, he groaned, letting the hot water run over his head and down his back and chest.

"Is your back still bothering you?" Ziva asked, getting into the shower with Tony. He slowly spun around, seeing her in all glory. She placed her hands on his chest, "Turn around, I will rub it for you."

Tony shook his head, looking down at her.

"What?" Ziva asked, "You have seen me naked before."

This was true, but never in a situation like this, but Tony didn't say a word, he just slowly turned around and revelled in Ziva's touch.

"I am sorry about yesterday." Ziva's hands ran up and down the length of Tony's back, "But I must tell you something...I did not leave you any clues, Tony."

Tony spun around, "What?"

"I left the Star of David to say I was still alive and fighting and maybe as a way to move on, but I did not leave any clues...I did not want anyone to find me."

"What are you trying to say?"

"You finding me...Tony, it was from sheer..."

"What...luck? Coincidence?" Tony lowered his head, saddened by her words, but Ziva quickly raised his chin with her fingers.

"No." Ziva shook her head with a smile, "Love...you..."

"I do." Tony swallowed hard, fighting back the tears, "You have no idea."

"So...are you going to kiss me or not?" Ziva grinned.

"Heh." Tony expressed outward happiness for the first time in a long time. He stepped forward, scooping her off her feet and pushed her back against the shower wall. He kissed her sweetly on the lips several times, sucking her lower lip into his mouth, gently sucking on it.

Tony pulled his head back, their eyes met as if they were glaring into each other's soul, but the eye sex days were far behind them. She dug her fingertips into his neck, holding him close, "Make love to me." She moaned into his mouth. She closed her eyes and gasped as he entered her for the first time. She screamed out in pleasure as her wet back slipped up and down the wall. Their body pressed against one another, moving as one.

Tony's hand shot up, reaching into Ziva's hair and pulling it to one side. He kissed and sucked on her neck as he made love to her. A primal rour escaped from her lips as she climaxed on his hardness. His mouth moved to her as he neared orgasm and she was hanging on for dear life. He cried out as he let go, leaving both of their bodies shaking.

A week later...

Tony and Ziva were spooning in bed. He brushed her hair out of way and kissed and nibbled on her neck. She gasped, "Tony..."

"What?" Tony replied, making his way down to her shoulder.

"It has been three weeks."

"Uh huh."

"You need to go back."

"Okay."

"Tony." Ziva raised her voice.

Tony pulled his mouth away, "What?"

"You need to go back."

"What?"

Ziva rolled over to face him, "Nothing has changed." She said, kissing his chest.

"What do you mean, nothing has changed?"

"Is there still not a mark out for my death?"

Tony shook his head, "I thought we had something...special here."

"We do, we do." Ziva pressed her hand to Tony's chest, trying to calm him down, "It is just that, if something happened to you, I..."

"Ziva, I can take care of myself."

"I know, I know...but you also have not been home in what..."

"Almost a month." Tony answered, "But I don't care..."

Ziva pressed her finger to Tony's lips and quickly replaced it with her lips, "You have to go home, so we can have a future." She kissed him again, "Do you understand?"

"I'm not gonna be able to talk you out of this, am I?" Tony asked, but already knew the answer, "I can't lose you again." He rolled onto his back, bringing his hands to his face.

Ziva scooted over and pulled his hands down, "I believe in you." She smiled down at him, "And I believe in us and if I know anything in life, it is that, if I need you, you will come for me. Always."

"I would die for you." Tony stated, pushing himself off the bed and taking Ziva into his arms, kissing her.

"I know, but don't, I really, really enjoy having sex with you."

"Heh." Tony grinned, "You used a contraction."

Ziva laughed.

Ziva made her way into the bathroom, where Tony was lathering up his beard, "Hey." She smiled.

"Hey." Tony saw her smile in the mirror and smiled back, "Finally getting rid of this beast, another week and I could've been a cast member on Duck Dynasty." He joked.

Ziva chuckled, "Here." She said, moving in between him and bathroom vanity, "Let me." She took the razor blade and carefully began to shave him, "There you go, there's the unhairy Tony I know and love."

Tony leaned forward, kissing her, getting shaving cream all over her face.

"Tony!" Ziva laughed.

"I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Ziva asked, continuing to shave his face.

"Yeah, I got it why I was reporting in to Gibbs today."

"What is it?"

Tony just smiled at her, "Well, I have to take my shirt off."

Ziva laughed, "Do I have to take my shirt off, too?"

"Heh. Maybe afterwards."

Ziva smiled back and gave him a peck on the lips, "Okay, show me."

Tony stepped back and pulled up shirt.

Ziva raised her hand to her mouth, lost for words.

"Is it spelled right?"

Ziva raised her eyes, looking into Tony's, "Yes." Her eyes went back down, seeing Hebrew lettering tattooed across the left side of his chest.

"Good." Tony let out a sigh of relief, "It would be weird having a tattoo that said Zebra instead of Ziva." He quipped.

"But why?" Ziva asked with a smile.

"Because even if your gone from my side, you will always be close to my heart."

Ziva pulled her hand away from Tony's chest, "We will be fine, Tony." She stated with a smile, "Now get on the plane."

Tony turned and walked to the set of stairs that led up to the plane. He climbed to the top of stairs and looked back. Ziva waved with a smile and watched as he disappeared into the plane.

AN1 - Sorry about the flashback device, I thought it gave nice mystery to some things, tho.

AN2 - One update to go!

AN3 - As always, sorry if it sucks!