Making Rules

Welcome back! Sorry for the delay, work's been insane. In spite of the 9 snow days, Maryland isn't moving back our state testing. Six more school days to get ready! After this weekend, you won't see too much of me here for a bit. Also, the next chapter will probably be rated M (finally, some consensual action!) so you'll have to check the M section for it or set an alert.

This chapter doesn't actually feature Tony that much, as it evolved out of an idea for a one-shot about Ziva and Abby that I never wrote. But he'll turn up in the end.

Ziva's eyes lingered on Tony's fingers, even as she tried to listen to what Abby was saying. He was holding the velvet throw-pillow Abby had eliminated as the means of suffocation and was rubbing it gently, creating stripes of fibers pressed up and down. They had given each other massages last night, a step toward intimacy, and as she watched his hands Ziva couldn't seem to distract herself from remembering the pleasure of his touch.

She jerked her head up as Tony turned toward her, flushing as he met her eyes. Ziva caught a moment of surprise and awe from him and smiled self-consciously as she watched him realize his effect on her. He slowly grinned, then kept turning toward the door.

"Bye, Abbs," he called back over his shoulder.

Ziva glanced around uncertainly. She'd missed the last bit of the conversation.

Abby smirked at her. "So what's up with you and Tony?"

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked stiffly, blushing.

The other woman grinned mischievously. "Oh, come on, Ziva. You couldn't take your eyes off him."

Ziva shrugged. "We should not talk about this at work."

"You're totally thinking about it at work!" Abby protested.

With another shake of her head, she took her leave. "I'll see you later, Abby."

"We'll talk!" Abby shouted after her.

*

Ziva's eyes darted around, evaluating every corner of the waiting room as she entered. No threats identified. It was her Mossad training more than what she'd been through, but she was always on the alert in public places now.

The receptionist nodded to her in recognition. "Doctor Harper will be ready in a moment," the girl said pleasantly.

She smiled her thanks. But just as Ziva went to take a seat, the door to Harper's office opened. She sprang upright, then stopped, frozen.

"See you next week," the previous patient said brightly as she waved to the doctor. Then she turned and saw Ziva. Abby hesitated on the threshold, mouth open in surprise and discomfort. After a long moment, Abby closed her mouth and crossed the room nervously. "Hey, Ziva."

"Abby!" Ziva didn't know what to say.

"I'm just..."

"Tony said you recommended her..."

Abby nodded. "Well, yeah..."

Ziva pursed her lips. She'd been trained early on to read people, and Abby's stance didn't suggest she'd just had a pleasant hour. "Abby, would you like to get a drink later?"

She hesitated.

"If we are not at work, we could talk about...things that are not work appropriate," she hinted, teasing.

Abby smiled faintly. "I always knew you had some girl talk bottled up in there somewhere, David."

Ziva grinned back. "I will be done in an hour. Where should I meet you?"

Abby named a place not far away and headed for the door. As Ziva headed into the doctor's office, she caught Harper's sharp gaze evaluating their exchange.

As soon as they were alone, Ziva snapped into interrogation mode. "Why was Abby here?"

"You know I can't share that," Harper said mildly.

"Is she alright?" Ziva demanded. "She is my friend."

Harper raised her eyebrows. "And would you like it if I told Tony what you and I discuss without consulting you?"

Ziva glared a moment, then relented. "Fine."

The doctor nodded firmly. "Good then. So. How are you this week?"

*

Ziva walked into the bar. It was a Tuesday night, and most people seemed to be home watching TV, so it was easy to find Abby. Not that she didn't stand out most of the time. Ziva walked over to where she was sitting in a small booth, her back to the door. She laid her hand on Abby's shoulder and frowned when Abby stiffened.

"Hello, Abby," she said quickly, and smiled before Abby could turn and see her concern.

"Ziva!" Abby exclaimed, standing to hug her.

She tried not to stiffen herself, then sat down across from Abby, smiling gratefully when she saw the other woman had already bought her a beer. She wrapped her hands around it, tapping at the glass.

Their eyes met uncertainly.

"So you and Tony?" Abby finally asked.

Ziva tried not to smile too foolishly. "Yes. Me and Tony."

Abby laughed at the look on her face and Ziva covered her eyes with a hand. "Super assassin in love! I love it!"

She laughed in turn. "We are taking things slowly, but so far they are going well."

"Good." Abby smiled fondly. "I'm really happy for you guys."

Ziva spoke up before things could get awkward again. "Abby—you may tell me if you do not wish to talk about it, but is everything alright? You seemed tense when I saw you earlier."

Abby's face fell, her emotions transparent as always. She winced. After a moment she spoke. "After what happened to you, I don't feel like I should be complaining..."

Ziva's jaw dropped in surprise and then guilt. "If something is wrong, you can always tell me," she said finally. "We are friends, aren't we?"

With a small smile, Abby nodded. She took a sip of her beer. "You remember when I went to Los Angeles a few months ago?"

"Of course!" As Ziva remembered, she realized why Abby had been hesitant to compare their experiences.

"I begged onto the case, but then...I was in a parking lot and he came up behind me, covered my mouth and injected something into my neck..." She swallowed hard and Ziva instinctively slid her hand across the table to cover Abby's.

"We heard something had happened; Gibbs had us in the car on the way to the airport in seconds," she offered.

Abby nodded. "I woke up drugged, tied to a chair, facing a bed. He was talking to me...I bit his finger...I can still taste the blood." She finished in an agonized whisper and Ziva squeezed her hand harder. "I kept talking back. He offered to spare me another night if I slept with him, but it didn't seem like he was going to try to force me. They found me maybe a minute before he killed me."

Ziva ached for the anxiety in Abby's voice. "I am sorry we were not there in time. Gibbs was screaming at everyone he thought could get us a plane for hours; we were on the runway when we got the call that they had you secured."

Abby smiled, the gesture only a little forced. "I was only really aware of what was going on for about an hour of it. And I'm doing okay now, really. But right after that I'd get pretty nervous in parking lots, especially at night. Which I guess isn't really that unreasonable a fear, considering the crime rates in DC, but I'd seen Dr. Harper years ago, like I told Tony, when I was in a self-improvement phase, and after all of this I needed someone to talk to."

"You can always talk to me," Ziva said firmly.

"Thanks, Ziva," Abby said. Then she grinned. "Remember when we first met? I never thought we'd be friends some day!"

Ziva nodded ruefully. "We have all come a very long way."

Abby cocked her head. "So what were you talking to Harper about? If you want to tell me."

Ziva hesitated, remembering the rule about Gibbs. But this wasn't about claiming a friend, and Tony had been the one to emphasize trusting Abby. "You will keep it to yourself?" she asked after a moment.

"Sure," Abby nodded, eyes curious.

She pursed her lips. "Tony and I are taking things slowly. Because I was raped in Somalia." It was the first time she'd said it so bluntly, without trying to avoid the brutality of the statement.

Abby's eyes softened in horror and sympathy. Now she was the one squeezing Ziva's hand, her eyes bright. For once she was at a loss for words.

Ziva continued. "We have been...exploring." She thought back to the night before and her face suddenly felt like it was on fire.

Abby grinned at Ziva's expression. "Nice."

She nodded, smiling self-consciously. Then her expression sobered. "Last night we were going to give each other massages and it was the first night that he saw me without clothes," she paused to shake her head when Abby raised an intrigued eyebrow, "and it was...difficult for Tony to deal with."

"The self-proclaimed master of sex?" Abby teased, but her eyes were nervous.

"Abby," Ziva took a swallow of beer, "I have many scars." She looked down into her drink. "He looked at my back, and said he had to go to the bathroom. Which I believed, but...I went to join him when I heard the sink running and when I opened the door he was sitting on the floor, crying." She blinked away moisture in her own eyes at the memory.

"Oh, Ziva," Abby whispered.

She looked up. "He said he just hated that he hadn't been there to protect me, and after a few minutes he did come out." She tried to smile. "And I gave him his massage, and he relaxed. Once he realized I was no longer in pain, he didn't worry about massaging me too." She closed her eyes, suddenly back in the emotions of the night before. "It makes him angry, I know, and me too, that they ruined parts of this for us!"

"Hey," Abby said firmly.

Ziva opened her eyes.

"That's awful. It really is. But you have each other, and even if you take things slowly you'll get there eventually. And Ziva, he loves you. He really, really loves you. Seriously, think about it. I don't Tony's let anyone see him cry in a long time, and I know I've never seen this look on your face before, so be glad you've got what you've got!" Abby smiled wistfully. "You two are so in love it makes me jealous sometimes."

Ziva tried not to look startled. "We have not said that yet. That we love each other."

Abby gave her an incredulous look. "What are you waiting for? Haven't you learned anything? Bombs blow up all the time, and people get crazy diseases in the mail, and sometimes you actually want to kill each other--" She stopped herself when she saw Ziva pale. "I've been thinking about your whole rules thing, since you told us last week. And I think Ducky was right--'Don't take anything for granted' is one of Gibbs' rules that works for life, not just work."

Ziva nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you, Abby."

Abby nodded back, then leaned in conspiratorially. "So what do you know about Gibbs and the evil lawyer lady?"

They drank and talked for another hour, staying on more neutral subjects. Finally Ziva downed the end of her beer and set it on the table. "Abby," she said slowly. "Is it alright if I tell Tony what we talked about? About LA?"

Abby hesitated, then shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

Ziva smiled. "I really am glad we talked, Abby."

Her friend smiled. "Me, too."

*

Ziva knocked on Tony's door. She wondered if he would mind if she just picked the lock. But after a moment, he opened the door for her, and the grin on his face was worth the wait. Ziva stepped into his arms, hugging him hard. Tony leaned back to kiss her lightly.

"Were you drinking?" he asked in surprise.

"With Abby." She kept her arms around Tony's neck as he tried to step away.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, stretching his arm past her to push the door to the hallway shut.

Ziva took a deep breath. "I love you," she said firmly.

A smile spread slowly across Tony's face.

"Well?" she finally demanded.

He grinned even wider. "I love you, too." He pressed his lips to hers, sealing the exchange with a lingering kiss.

Finally pulling away, Ziva slipped out of her jacket and boots.

"So do I have Abby to thank for that?" Tony asked teasingly.

Ziva cocked her head. "A bit. She pointed out...one of Gibbs' rules is to take nothing for granted. And she was saying that anything could happen and you should not take time for granted when you love each other."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "You told her first?"

She gave him a look. "It was Abby. She knew."

He laughed, still delighted that she loved him. "Well, we'll have to adopt that one."

Ziva nodded. "I agree. And also..." Her brow furrowed.

"Yeah?" Tony asked.

She looked up at him. "There should be one about asking. Because Abby was upset about something from months ago, and we did not know. I feel like I should have asked her how she was doing."

"Is she alright?" he asked, worried.

Ziva nodded slowly. "I believe so. She will be at least. But we should not be afraid to ask each other things like that."

"Okay." Tony smiled again. "Ziva David, how are you?"

She rested her hands on his chest, her eyes glowing. "Wonderful. And you?"

He sighed happily. "Best day of my life."

Hope you liked it! I've never gone in for stories with gratuitous TIVA professions of love, but they've worked for it.