Ziva sat and waited patiently for what Tony had insisted was the best Chinese this side of Washington. It was her turn to get dinner for the team. Tony. Huh what did he know?

Ziva tried not to feel the swell of impatience rise up into anger. She had told herself at the beginning she would give him whatever time he needed to sort through his stupid head that he wanted to be with her.

She just hadn't counted on it being quite this long. Stupid annoying infuriating man!

If only he didn't look at her in the dark the way he did when he thought she wasn't watching or tense up whenever another man smiled at her. They seemed to be stuck in a limbo of being together but not together, of seeing each other constantly but covering it all in a veil of lies.

Ziva huffed again. Patience. Patience. She had been trained to wait.

But should she?

"Oh I'm terribly sorry" A tall man stumbled back and spilt the drink she had been nursing in her hand as she waited. Ziva waived away his apology but he was quite insistent.

"I will get you another one. We might be here a while. Best Chinese this side of Washington."

Ziva smiled fakely "Yes. So I have heard"

The man sat next to her and apologized again "Sorry I'm rambling again. I can't seem to help myself. It seems I have fallen head over heels in love and it has turned me into a complete idiot. Never thought I would have seen the day but there you go. Smiling at nothing, talking to strangers. Please let me know if a van should pull up and men in white coats come in. I will sneak out the back."

Ziva couldn't help a more genuine laugh as he whispered this conspiratorially to her and she noticed how very handsome he was. Thick slightly wavy short dark hair, bright blue eyes, full lips and an athletic build. Her eyes drifted down and she couldn't help noticing he was wearing shoes that she thought even Tony might admire.

Ziva turned and smiled softly "I am glad you are in love. It is a rare thing"

The stranger smiled with a peculiar spark in his eyes "Yes you are right it is a rare thing."

"What is her name?" Ziva discovered she genuinely wanted to know the name of the one that had captured this mans heart.

The man smiled and leaned forward "Timothy"

"Ahhhh" Ziva smiled and realized why the man was so well dressed. Still at least he definitely wasn't hitting on her. As the saying went all the best men were married or gay.

"So do you mysterious beauty have someone special?"

Ziva paused just a little too long to answer and the man seemed to understand.

"Ah I see. Well do not give up. Just when you think all is lost he will come to you with a precious secret and suddenly he will find he must tell you all his secrets. Just as you will tell him yours. And the truth will set you free into each others arms."

Ziva looked at this stranger and tried to figure out what about that sentence was disturbing her so. Instead she found herself asking him a question.

"Are you and your Timothy alike? Do you have the same background and qualities?"

The stranger laughed "On no no no no. We are like day to night, light to dark, my yin to his yang if you will. Complete polar opposites. I suppose that is why it works so well."

Ziva found herself cheered considerably by this. She hadn't spoken to anyone about Tony but sometimes she found herself wondering if the differences between them were too much. Maybe not. Maybe the differences between them would be what bound them together?

Ziva was lost in thought when the man gave her a gentle nudge "I think your order is ready"

"Oh thank you." Ziva stood and found herself smiling "I hope you stay ahead of the men in the little white coats for a long time to come. Being in love is a wonderful thing"

He smiled back at her "Do not loose hope then. I'm sure he is just figuring out how to say I love you. It can be a daunting thing, especially to those who have already lost."

Ziva frowned slightly at that and when she turned back after collecting the teams order she looked for the man to ask him what he had meant but he was gone.

How strange. She hadn't even got the mans name.

******************************************************************

Dante shook his head at himself. Mighty vampire indeed. It seemed he couldn't stop meddling in mortal affairs. Still it might buy Tony a bit more time and it would seem a shame for them to loose each other before they really had a chance to be together. He had felt Ziva's doubt as he sat next to her and he hoped he had given her enough reason to continue her strange dance with Tony.

What he had said had been right. He found he wanted others to be as happy as he was. The nights were long and cold enough without someone to share them with.

Dante smiled and hoped that Timothy would be able to return to him soon. He had just discovered the Home Shopping Network and he desperately wanted Timothy to explain the fascination the world seemed to have with health grills, 70's music CD compilations and Ped Eggs.

Would Timothy want a diamonte tie pin perhaps? A new quilt for his bed? Perhaps a vegetable steamer?

Dante hurried back to his home his mind fascinated. He should make sure he rang in the first twenty minutes.

*******************************************************************

"So Ziva I was right when I said it was the best Chinese wasn't I?"

Tony grinned at her from his desk where he leaned back with his feet on the desk and a strand of noodles dangling in front of his face.

"Yes" Ziva shrugged and found her mind wandering to the handsome stranger. Was Tony just waiting for the right time?

"Hey what are you thinking about? You seem pretty distracted for a woman with an untouched box of Kung Pow Chicken in front of her?" Tony probed curiously still stuffing noodles messily into his mouth.

Ziva smiled softly "Nothing much. There was a man I met while I was waiting for the order and he said something interesting that's all."

Tony's feet hit the floor and he leaned forward over his desk his eyes alight with suspicion.

"I'm sorry? A man? What man? Was he hitting on you? Was he good looking? Did you tell him to hit the road? Stab him with a paperclip?"

Ziva tried to hide her smile.

"Oh yes he was very good looking actually tall, well dressed, fit. Extraordinarily handsome actually."

Tony frowned "Tall? How tall? Taller than me?"

Ziva tried to look thoughtful "Oh yes taller than you but not too tall if you know what I mean. Just perfect."

Tony frowned further and angrily stuffed more noodles into his mouth. Ziva suddenly decided that yes she was hungry and she opened the Kung Pow chicken and eagerly started to sample her dinner. She glanced over at Tony who she caught peeking at her.

Ziva grinned and waived her fingers at him. Maybe she should wait a bit longer. Besides teasing him was fun.