Sorry for the wait, I - among other things - had trouble with joining the two parts of this, so it's not perfect.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.
"Good morning," Tony murmured, his voice husky from sleep, into Ziva's neck, placing a small kiss to it, his arm wrapped around her waist and his hand by her side.
"Good morning," she replied in a contrastingly clear voice.
"Are you okay?" he asked as his lifted himself to lean on the elbow the opposite side of her.
"Fine," she stated.
"You don't look fine?" he stated, "what's got you thinking?" he asked.
"What do you think?" she shot back, unreasonable annoyance ringing through her voice.
He frowned in confusion as he tried to decipher her hidden thoughts and emotions hidden behind her eyes. He ran one hand down her face, brushing the loose locks of hair from it, giving him a better look of her face. Her gaze was unwavering.
"You know that you can tell me anything, right?" he asked.
"Yes," she said.
"Then can you please stop making me try to guess and tell me what it is that has you worried or worked up?"
"I am just thinking," she stated.
"About what?" he asked.
"About talking to my father, about what I will say," She said softly, "And Abby invited us out for lunch."
"You don't want to go?" He asked.
"I don't know whether I should," she replied.
He moved over further to hover completely over her, one leg either side of her hips, staring straight into her eyes before he leant in and kissed her gently, immediately feeling her return the kiss accepting his form of reassurance.
"Does your father go to the mall often?" He asked.
"No," she said.
"Does Riley?"
"I do not know." She sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Now you are going to tell me that I have nothing to worry about and that I shouldn't let it stop me doing the things that I want to do," She spoke for him.
"See, you know me so well." He smiled.
"Except they didn't say the mall," She revealed, "There is a small restaurant a few blocks from the mall."
"Oh," He said, thinking for a moment. "Well then I guess your just going to have to accept that I won't let anyone touch you. Aside from me of course," kissing her again before he moved away from her completely.
"Where are you going?" Ziva almost complained.
"To get ready, it's almost ten, Tim and Abby will want us there before hand, I assume," He told her, "Plus I need to shower."
They spotted the other couple sitting at a table inside over looking the scenery of the park across the street; they were consumed in their own conversation, hands intertwined on the table and their head close together, their moment only broken when Tony knocked on the window as he walked past.
Ziva shook her head, but the small smile clear on her face, at his childish behaviour, while Tony simply shared his goofy grin as he walked in.
"What were you talking about?" He asked Tim as he pulled a chair for himself and Ziva to the side of the table, "seemed serious," He stated watching while Abby and Ziva exchanged their greeting and Abby pulled Ziva in for a hug.
"Nothing too serious, and it wasn't about you," He said, "And we are not discussing it," he added.
Tony looked at him for a moment, surprised at his friends abrupt, boarding on aggressive reply to his innocent question.
"Okay, I was just asking," He mumbled before looking back at Ziva, "There was no need to bite my head off."
Ziva looked towards him in confusion at the statement. "I do not see anyone biting your head off," She stated.
"It's a figure of speech," He explained.
"Oh, okay," She said, letting it drop though still looking confused.
"Is there any reason in particular that you invited us out for lunch, or just 'cause?" Tony asked.
"We want to know how Ziva is?" Abby smiled.
"We are going to tell my father about us, and hopefully that will make him leave us alone," Ziva said.
"When?" Tim asked.
"Forget when, why?" Abby exclaimed.
Ziva frowned as she looked between Abby and McGee, "Whenever we can work out what to say," She replied, "And why? There is no other option."
"But what if-"
"There are a lot of 'what ifs', Abby, he is going to find out sooner or later and this is not just going to go away." Ziva cut in.
"But it could," Abby insisted.
"How?" Ziva shot back, "How can it just go away?" She questioned. The two men sitting beside them looked from Ziva, to Abby, to each other.
"Do you want us to leave?" Tim asked.
"I don't know," Abby replied, ignoring Tim's question, "But what would happen when he finds out?"
"Why does this bother you more than it does me?" Ziva questioned.
"It just does. I don't want him to hurt you. What happens when Eli finds out and then tells Riley? What will happen to you and Tony?" She asked back.
"We'll stick together," Tony stated, interrupting the escalating argument, "And you know what, none of that matters right at this moment. We are here with you and Tim, not Eli and Riley. What we - Ziva and I - do within our relationship is our business and you can't really question us on it," He said.
Abby looked at Tony in surprised but not surprised that he stuck with Ziva's side of the argument. "I know, but what if he hurts you or Ziva?" Abby directed her question to Tony instead.
"Then he hurts us. We will report it," He stated.
"I'm going to order," Ziva said turning to Tony, running one of her hands along his thigh, "What do you want?" She asked talking to Tony but asking all of them, gathering their orders before going to the front counter.
"You can't let her do this, Tony," Abby warned.
"It wasn't my decision. I understand your concern, but I'm not here to just LET her get hurt, I'll get us out of there if anything looks like its going to happen. I won't stand idly by while someone tries to harm her. Who do you think I am?" Tony questioned.
"Abby, I think you need to calm down," Tim interjected, "It's Ziva's father and their relationship. If they think that one of the only ways they can get past this is to tell them what's happening then that's what they need to do."
"Okay, fine." Abby crossed her arms over her chest. "But if anything happens to Ziva, I'm blaming you," She warned.
"Deal," He stated as Ziva returned.
From then on, the conversation kept away from the topic of Ziva and her relationships with Tony, her father and Riley. As they left, Abby held Tony's gaze and threw him another warning look, conveying that she meant what she said and more. He didn't take it too personally, he figured that she would have done the same thing despite who he was - Ziva was her best friend, he didn't blame her from not wanting to see her in danger. He didn't either, but telling Ziva's father was a risk they both had to take.
"What is on your mind?" Ziva asked as he only half heartedly joined conversations she tried to continue.
Since they had parted ways with Tim and Abby, they had been walking through the park opposite the restaurant they were at following the paths aimlessly, simply enjoying each other's company.
"Nothing, I'm just thinking over what Abby said," He replied.
"I will be telling Eli what has been going on whether you are with me or not," She stated.
"I know, that's why I'm going to be there with you," He smiled, leading her over to a bench where they sat in silence side by side.
It had only been a few months at the most that they had been dating, but the way they seemed around each other, the ease and comfort they were at with each other made it look like they had been together for years.
"What do you think your father will say?" He asked after a moment.
"I don't know, I guess we just have to be ready for anything," Ziva replied, flatting his hand against her leg and absentmindedly following the light veins and other patterns she could see on his hand with her fingertips. He flipped his hand over and grasped hers tightly.
"Everything will be okay," He stated.
"I know." She smiled towards him. "I am not going to let him stand between me and what I want to do. I am not going to say 'how high' to his 'jump' any more."
"Good," He murmured loud enough for only her ears as he moved closer to her and placed a small kiss at her cheek, close to her lips. Her smiled widened a little.
The silence settled around them again. His thumb rubbing small circles on the back of her hand.
"I know it has not been extremely long since we began seeing each other," She began, not looking towards him choosing their joined hands instead, "But I like you Tony, a lot."
"I know," He replied.
"I do not think you get what I am meaning," She mused to herself, "I mean-"
"I know what you mean," He stated quietly.
"Then can I say it?" She asked, looking up to meet his prying eyes.
"Only if you think your ready to," He replied.
Her soft smile returned as she began to speak.
"Ziva?" A voice called from a little distance away.
The voice spooked them; Tony and Ziva broke their eye contact and let go of each others hands.
"Do you know him?" Tony asked quietly, as the man stormed towards them.
"You are about to meet my fiancé," She sneered in reply.
"Ziva what are you doing here with... Him?" Riley questioned, studying Tony, "I've been looking for you," He said, anger bubbling in his eyes.
"Well, you can stop," Ziva snapped.
Riley took hold of Ziva's arm and pulled her roughly towards him, Tony stood quickly, ready to act if he needed.
"Can you please let go of me," Ziva requested.
"Not until you tell me what is going on. We need to get back to your house, Ziva, the wedding is tomorrow," He said.
"Tomorrow?" Ziva questioned dully.
"Yes, I don't know what your doing with this man here, but your father is waiting for us in the car and we are getting married tomorrow," He insisted.
"I see, me leaving you at that holiday house did not send you the message. Okay. I am not marrying you," Ziva said, raising her voice, "Now, let me go." She pulled herself from Riley's grip, falling backwards slightly, stumbling momentarily until Tony helped steady her.
"And why not?" He questioned.
Ziva didn't reply as she saw her father now walk towards them.
"What is going on here?" Eli demanded, taking the scene in front of him in. He saw his eldest daughter standing close by a man who held his arm around her waist protectively while Riley fumed.
"She is not coming with me," Riley reported.
"Why?" Eli asked.
"Because I refuse to marry him. I can chose my own life and I am not going to be married into some other family - for whatever reason," Ziva replied, moving away from Tony, not wanting to put him in harms way.
"Ziva, I am not giving you a choice. You will be coming with us, and you will be marrying Riley," Eli ordered in a condescending tone of voice.
"No she isn't," Tony said, speaking for the first time.
Eli looked coolly up to the man who spoke. "And why would that be?" He asked.
"Because she's marrying me."
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