A Nightmare in Paris

Tony and Ziva fell asleep with their backs turned toward each other. There was about two feet of space separating them, with not very much room before they reached the edge of the bed on their respective sides of the bed. They were carefully not invading each other's personal space, having gained a new respect for one another through their contact earlier that day.

Both agents fell asleep easily and drifted into a dreamless sleep at first. However, neither one rested easily for long. Tony was awoken over and over by his memories of the kiss and what his body had wanted him to do. He was nearly ready to call it quits on sleeping for the night. Ziva was uncomfortable at the edge of the bed. She woke a few times from that, a few times with her memories of how she had reacted to the kiss, and then she fell into an uneasy sleep filled with bad dreams.

It was late and Tony was half-awake and ready to give up on sleeping. He needed a cold shower or something at this point. He shook his head lightly and closed his eyes, trying hard to sleep. But, sleep didn't come, because Ziva started muttering in her sleep.

Tony's eyes flew open. He was suddenly wide awake and alert, knowing what this could be. He listened hard to the muttering. He realized it was in Hebrew and she was having a nightmare. He listened as hard as he could, hoping that it would go away, so he didn't need to wake her up.

She continued muttering in Hebrew. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her peaceful face turned toward him, as she shifted onto her back. Suddenly her face contorted as though in an expression of pain and it broke his heart to see. She groaned as though something unpleasant were happening to her and she continued to mutter. Then, he caught one word that scared him. "Saleem," she hissed clearly, not yet waking up.

"Ziva," Tony whispered, turning fully over to face her. He reached out and touched her arm gently. "Ziva. It's okay. I'm here. It's Tony. I'm in Paris with you. It's okay."

She was fighting waking up, but she was semi-conscious, he could tell the difference in her expression and breathing. Her eyes shot open and looked at him. She sat bolt upright in the bed. She was nearly hyperventilating and sweating and shaking in fear. Tony sat up next to her and moved a little closer to her. He put one hand on her shoulder very gently and very slowly, knowing that one wrong move would mean he could die or scare her more than she already was.

"Ziva. It's okay. You're in Paris with me. It's Tony. We're here to pick up a witness, which we'll do tomorrow. It's just me, Tony. You're safe. Saleem is dead and gone. He can't hurt you anymore, Ziva. You're safe," he whispered gently to her, really unsure of what he could say or do to help her.

Ziva leaned into the warmth of Tony's comforting touch. She turned to see him and moved the rest of the way to meet him. She was so thankful he was there for her and she could trust him. She broke down in tears in front of Tony for the first time. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and sobbed there, allowing her tears to flow freely, since she felt so safe. He wrapped his arms around her and he could feel the wetness of her tears as he held her tight to his body while she cried it out.

"It was just a nightmare," she said to him once she had regained control of herself without forcing it. "I am okay now."

At least she didn't say she was fine, Tony thought. He knew she wasn't fine and she knew that he knew that. He laid back with her still in his arms. She snuggled into his side, allowing herself to rest her head on his chest like a pillow.

She placed one hand over his heart and snuggled a little deeper into him. His arms wrapped instinctively around her, protecting her. She didn't fail to notice that they fit perfectly in each other's arms, like they were made for each other. His arms were wrapped around her and protecting her from everything bad. She was nearly sprawled on him and he smiled. She felt safe where she was and she smiled into his chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

She shook her head for a moment and then nodded. "But not tonight," she whispered into his chest and then lifted her head to look him in his eyes. "Thank you, Tony," she whispered, staring into his deep, green eyes and leaned in to press another kiss to his lips.

He responded and they were caught in a passionate kiss together. His arms tightened around her, but he managed to control them from roaming all over her body. Her hand slid up to his shoulder, but she stopped it there, controlling it from going anywhere else.

Their tongues were caught in a gentle battle, but not for dominance. They were equals in this war. Tony clung tighter and Ziva's hand made its way to his hair and pulled his face deeper into her, deepening the kiss a little more. He clung to her sides, fighting his urge to explore her and know her body.

Suddenly, she pulled back. There was fear and love mingling on her face. She shook her head and took a breath. "I can't, Tony," she whispered quietly.

"Wasn't going to suggest it," he whispered back to her, knowing what she was referring to.

Her expression softened and she placed her head back down in the crook of his neck, where she felt so comfortable. He could feel her warm breath on his neck and it drove him a little wild. But they both knew that they weren't ready for more. He was too happy to even suggest anything or make a remark. That was the second time in twenty-four hours that she had kissed him. How lucky could he get? She was losing her self-control by the moment, though and he knew that he had to keep his.

A/N – I like this chapter. Nothing like good comfort and some kissing and trust between the two. Let me know what you think!