A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for all the lovely reviews I got for Ch 73. As always, I think you guys are fabulous! Just a request for my 'Guest' reviewers - I truly love hearing from you but I feel bad when I don't know who you are. Could you please just leave me a name somewhere in your review? I like to know who people are. Thanks! Here we go again...the drama begins!

Halfway-through Monday they got their next case - Navy recruits were being sold a new designer drug that was highly addictive and made them prone to violent outbursts. Two had already died of an overdose and Vance wanted the dealer caught yesterday.

It was a lot of legwork - interviewing friends and acquaintances, trying to track who they might've come into contact with. Finally the team got a lead and went tearing through a quiet neighbourhood to converge upon an innocent looking house where their main suspect lived.

Their calls of "Federal Agents, open up!" were met with sounds of breaking glass and even though Gibbs shot around back, they were too late to catch the guy. Back at the base McGee and Ziva continued interviewing recruits who has taken the drug. One question too many and a young blonde man took a swing at Ziva.

She ducked and came up ready to fight, but Tony was suddenly at her side, taking the guy to the ground and growling about the charges for assaulting a federal agent. Ziva stood back with a frown, frustrated by his actions, but there was no time to dwell on it and she went back to her job.

Ziva missed Ops that day because of the all hands on deck case and they didn't get to leave until after Chaya had already fallen asleep for the night. Once she was settled in her crib, Tony and Ziva returned to their room and before he could even ask, she shook her head. "No tonight Tony, I am tired."

They weren't even having sex yet and she was already giving him the lines? Great. He shoved his fingers through his hair. "Fine." Climbing under the covers, he kissed her cheek and rolled over. "Good night."

Ziva curled around her pillow feeling very small and missing the warmth of her husband's touch even if it was almost too hot to cuddle. The air conditioner rumbled to life and she shivered, pulling the covers up over her shoulders. She couldn't have it both ways. Either Ziva wanted Tony or she didn't, but trying to be somewhere in the middle was serving to do nothing but frustrate both of them.

NCIS

The couple woke up the next morning in unpleasant moods and got ready for work barely speaking to one another. With a hurried goodbye and quick kisses, Chaya was dropped off at LEO's and the partners entered the squadroom and waited for orders. They were late, which didn't help matters any, and Gibbs merely glared in their direction before handing over a piece of paper.

"Pick him up, McGee caught a break."

"Of course McGoody Two Shoes acts like he's been here all night," Tony grumbled, checking his weapon and the address.

"I was," Tim said pointedly, scrubbing his bloodshot eyes. "You're not the only one who's tired Tony." Eyeing the dark look he was getting, the computer geek frowned. "Geez, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

Tony opened his mouth to reply but Ziva snatched the paper out of his hand and headed for the stairs. "I am driving." McGee tossed her the keys and left to catch a few z's in the lab, hoping that whatever had gotten into his teammates would sort itself out by the time they got back.

Silence marked the drive between headquarters and their new target's house in a perfect little subdivision somewhere near the warehouse district. A shot was fired as they drove up and both Tony and Ziva took cover behind the car. Looks and hand signals took the place of words and Tony covered her while Ziva dashed to the front door.

It was already open and she cleared the entrance before going fully in. Tony checked for danger before following her and arrived in the kitchen just in time to see Marcus Colbern, the dealer, point a gun at his wife's head. "Ziva!" he yelled, raising his own weapon and wondering what tactic was least likely to get them both killed.

Ziva rolled her eyes at him, stared daggers through Marcus and swiftly spun, catching him off guard and kicking the gun out of his hand, then falling to the floor to sweep his feet out from under him. She barely broke a sweat and stood over the man, aiming her gun just below the belt.

Marcus winced and groped for his weapon but Tony dragged it out of reach with one foot. "I wouldn't if I were you, she'll do it. If you want to keep your family jewels intact, I suggest you roll over and put your hands behind your head." He jerked his head at Ziva. "Agent David, read him his rights."

The tone in his voice brought a flush to Ziva's cheeks and the feeling that she'd just been reprimanded for doing her job. He snatched the keys out of her reach when they got back to the car and things between them cooled to practically icy. By the time they made it upstairs after booking the suspect, Ziva was fuming and Tony's temper flared. He grabbed her arm, jerking her around to face him.

"What the heck were you doing?" he demanded, anger hiding the fear in his eyes. "We go in together, you should've waited for me!"

"And let him escape again?" Ziva hissed, ripping her arm from his grip. She got in his face. "Stop trying to protect me from everything!"

Tony stepped even closer and reached for her left hand, holding up her rings. "This says it's my job to protect you Ziva, remember?"

Equally frustrated, Ziva yanked the badge from her belt. She slammed it down on her desk. "And they gave me this because I can take care of myself!" she declared vehemently.

Through the heated exchange it suddenly dawned on the couple that they had an audience. McGee sat there with his mouth hanging open, unable to tear his gaze away, and even Gibbs had stopped to stare. He lifted his coffee cup only to find it empty and trashed it. Brushing past them, he issued a quiet order.

"Settle this."

The curious gazes from around the room drew Ziva's ire and she flashed them all the most pointed look she could muster that didn't come with a death threat. "This show has ended." Ziva grabbed Tony's hand and dragged him towards the restrooms. Seconds later she scared the last lady out and locked them in the women's bathroom. Turning around, she crossed her arms and glared forcefully at her husband.

He leaned back against the wall and mirrored her stance, not in the mood to compromise. Suddenly Ziva was in front of him and she put her hands on his face as her lips landed on his. Tony's response was immediate and he kissed her back, rolling with the emotions of the moment. Their touch soon grew desperate as hands sought places to land and their tongues tangled in a fight neither wanted to lose.

Finally Ziva broke their connection and stumbled backwards, panting. Tony's eyes swept over her from head to toe and he managed a half-grin. "You call that a fair fight?"

Ziva's hand was shaky as she tried to smooth the hair his fingers had been buried in mere moments ago. "What is wrong with us Tony?"

He held up one hand and started ticking off the reasons. "Six years of unresolved sexual tension. Your independent streak. And my need to keep you safe from all harm since the Big Man saw fit to give you back to me."

She took a step forward and her hand came up to caress his cheek. "I do not like fighting with you."

Tony chuckled. "I might fight with you a lot more if that's the way we start settling arguments." Ziva's look reminded him to be serious and he nodded. "So, what should we do?" He settled his hands at her waist. "Because I do not want to spend another night like last night, feeling alone when I'm laying right beside you."

Ziva's arms came around his neck, fingers trailing through the hair above his collar. "I know when I am your partner you cannot forget that I am your wife. But I need you to trust my instincts. Have my back but do not smother me. Know that I will not put myself in unnecessary danger and that if something goes wrong I can handle myself, but I will always rely on your backup."

Tony blew out a hard breath. "You don't ask much, do you?"

She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Please let me do my job Tony. I will be careful."

He closed his eyes, leaning his head forward to rest on hers. "I love you Zi and with you and Chaya I'm happier than I've ever been. I don't know how to keep my heart out of my throat when I see a gun trained in your direction or watch some drugged up sailor take a swing at your head, even if I know you're more dangerous than most of the suspects we go after." His lips lingered on her forehead, then landed featherlight on both of her eyelids. "But I'll try to remember that you're my crazy ninja chick with unbelievable skills and you don't need me to intervene." Tony chuckled. "Please note the word 'try', I really can't promise that my desire to protect you won't win sometimes."

Ziva nestled her head into his neck and breathed in the scent she loved so much. "That I can live with." She pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "We are okay?"

He tugged the end of her ponytail, which now needed to be re-done. "Yeah." One more kiss sealed the deal. "We're okay."

She pulled the elastic out of her hair and bent at the waist so her hair hung down around her head. Using both hands she scooped the brown waves up in both hands and tied them neatly back up in a ponytail that swished when she walked thanks to her hair being so much shorter now.

Offering her hand, Ziva led him out of the room. "Good. Gibbs will want us working."

Tony flashed a grin and squeezed her fingers and they went to their separate desks. By the end of the day the case was closed and Gibbs, for once, let them all go at the same time. To make up for the lack of contact the day before, Tony and Ziva held hands and cuddled as much as possible between picking up their daughter and going to bed a few hours later. It was strange, in a way, to have so much time for each other now. With Chaya sleeping longer they had the evenings available to just be together or time if they wanted to experiment with more intimate touching.

Tonight Ziva pulled her shirt over her head and undid her pants, stepping out of them and into Tony's arms before he even thought to ask. After two weeks of laying in her underwear beside him, letting him put his hands on her body and eventually gaining the courage to touch him back a little, she found that being close to naked no longer made her so uncomfortable as it had at first.

They fell into bed as soon as Tony undressed and the tension from earlier became tangible as mouths melded and hands wandered slowly over smooth skin and scarred skin now fully committed to memory. Tony went bolder than usual, letting his hand slide down her back and over the silky underwear she had on. Ziva's mouth paused on his as she considered this change, but it didn't bother her enough to stop his exploration and he decided to see how far he could get.

Renewing his attack on her lips, Tony ran his fingers up her back and teased the clasp on her bra. She stilled, and he waited to see what would happen. Finally he felt Ziva give in and she reached back to unhook it herself. Her lips grazed his earlobe. "Please do not rush this," she whispered.

Moving the two ends aside, he caressed the marred skin under her shoulder blades, in no hurry at all. He kissed her shoulder all over before sliding the first strap down, and held her tenderly against him, focusing on her body language as he reached for the other side.

Ziva's head fell to his shoulder and she fought with herself again before slipping her arms out and letting him discard her bra. "Do not look," she requested softly, hoping she would not leak milk all over him.

Tony was having too much trouble keeping himself under control to acknowledge her words. He wasn't prepared for the sudden feel of her naked chest against his and it was sending his thoughts dangerous places. Struggling just to breathe normally, Tony drew his thumb over the side of her breast and felt Ziva shudder. That did it.

He pushed away gently, tucking the sheet around her. Tony kissed her forehead. "I love you Zi, but I need to go have a shower before I do something I can't take back."

Ziva didn't meet his eyes until she was redressed in nursing bra and pyjamas. "No one has ever cared so much," she whispered. "No one ever cared if I was ready. I have no way to thank you for being so gentle and patient."

"Always will be," he forced out before shutting himself in the bathroom. He was the one who wanted to try new things, but he'd never expected that just touching his wife would assault his senses so fully or, in a way, be more sensual than actually making love to her. This healing process would be worth it in the end, but the journey there would be more difficult than he'd ever expected.

NCIS

Wednesday morning Matt dropped by the lab before the day officially started and looked pleadingly at Abby. "Can I borrow my girlfriend for a minute?"

Abby rolled her eyes and nodded at Tami. "Fine. But the puppy is mine."

"Deal." He flashed a grin and grabbed Tami's hand, pulling her into the stairwell. From behind his back came a bouquet of beautiful orange roses with red tipped petals. He kissed her softly.

"One month Tam. Sorry you agreed to go out with me?"

Tami breathed in the flowers and set them on the ground, flinging her arms around him. "No way." He set her down and Tami put her hand on his chest. "Thank you."

Matt tugged her ponytail. "I'm going to get you flowers more often if they make you so happy."

Tami made a face. "It's you who makes me smile Matt, the roses are just a bonus."

He couldn't resist kissing her again. "Free for dinner tonight?"

She checked her watch. "I don't know...I might have plans." His face fell but Tami didn't stop. "You know, plants to water, dog to walk, dishwasher to load. Lots to do."

Matt leaned against the wall. "Last time I checked you didn't have plants, pet or dishwasher."

Tami's eyes twinkled. "Well, look at that. I guess I am free after all."

He rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing I l-" he coughed, "uh, really like you. So, I'll pick you up after work?"

Her cheeks coloured and Matt knew she was stuck on what he almost said. She looked down for a minute before smiling again. "Sure. Come keep us company if you're done early." Unlike Agent Gibbs, Carter usually sent his agents home in time for a late supper. "If you're good, Abby may even let you play with Sammy."

He touched her cheek. "In that case, I'll be on my best behaviour. See you later."

"Bye," Tami said quietly, sighing once he left. Okay, so her boyfriend of only one month had almost said 'I love you'. No big deal, right? He probably just meant it in fun, but realized it might make things awkward. No way he actually felt that for her, he couldn't, not yet. Tami was pacing, a trait picked up from her father. What was love anyways? "And why do guys have to be so complicated?" she muttered to herself.

At that moment her phone rang and Tami didn't even check. "Trevor. Aren't you at work?"

"Not for another two hours sis, we don't get up at the crack of dawn to work on computers." He paused for a second. "What's wrong?"

She frowned. "How did you know?"

Trevor chuckled. "Because I was trying to finish a really great dream and all of a sudden I'm extremely antsy and nervous. There's nothing in my life to cause that, so I call my twin because it must be her. Now spill," he demanded. "Or I'll call Tristan."

"You won't. You just say that to get me to talk," Tami countered.

"Not that I ever have to try very hard," her brother pointed out. "Now I demand to know why you are pacing."

Tami froze. "How did you-"

He cut her off. "We've been twins for almost twenty-six years. If you're upset, you're pacing, just like Dad. Give me a little credit Tami Rae."

She made a face. "We're at middle names already, really?" Sighing, she plopped onto the steps. "How long should you know someone before you say 'I love you'?"

Trevor laughed. "Well, I love you but we shared a womb, so I think that's different." Then he stopped. "Wait, are you talking about the guy you're dating? Did he say it? You've only been together a month!"

"And friends for two before that." She sighed. "He didn't actually say it, he just almost said it. But Matt probably meant it in fun, like - you know I love you, but..." Tami trailed off. "It's not that big a deal, I don't know why I freaked out. Sorry I woke you Trevor, I'll-"

"Hey," he interrupted. "If it's a big deal for you, I want to know about it. But don't let him rush you into anything Tami, if he cares that much he'll wait until you're ready to hear a commitment before he says anything."

"This is a failing experiment. I should have just stuck with my chemistry and lab work, I can't do a relationship."

"We've been together two and a half decades and I haven't split yet," Trevor teased.

She choked on a laugh. "You don't have a choice dork, we share the same DNA."

"I think I know you better than anyone Tami. Matt's a lucky guy. Don't doom things before they even get started."

Tami sighed and took off her glasses, chewing on one arm. "Thanks Trevor." She thought for a minute. "Can you come visit soon? I miss you." What she really needed was a hug, but all her siblings were too far away.

He groaned. "Oh Tami, I wish I could. We just started this huge project, I'm tied up for the month." Trevor searched his phone calendar. "Maybe the end of August though. I get some vacation time so I'm trying to split it between you and Tristan and Tori. She's been begging me to come and take her to the amusement park."

"She's finally tall enough to go on all the rides."

"Yeah, Tori takes after you shorty," he baited her.

"Star the shrimp jokes again and I'll reprogram your phone to play 'Barbie Girl' every time I call," she threatened.

Trevor knew better than to push. "Yeah, that was such a hit last time." In the middle of a high school English class his phone had gone off with a Spice Girls song. The teasing lasted weeks and his friends never forgot. Lesson learned about ticking off one's twin sister.

She giggled. "I remember. Thanks Trevor, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Be a nervous wreck with no social life," he answered immediately.

Sarcasm dripped from her words. "Sure, take a minute and think about it why don't you?"

"Love you too sis. We'll talk later."

"Always do. I love you Trevor, thanks."

"Anytime. Now get back to work."

"Bye."

Wandering back into the lab, Tami knelt beside Sammy and lifted the five month old puppy into her arms. He licked her cheek and she smiled. "I need more guys like you in my life buddy, cute and furry and uncomplicated."

Abby glanced over. "I can't argue with that. But it's the ones who hold you while you sleep and bring your favourite drinks and do stuff just to make you smile and love you even when you aren't that loveable that you have to hold on to."

Tami nodded slowly. "I'll keep that in mind." Why did she get the feeling that Matt might just be that kind of guy?