Chapter 24—
Tali was tired after dinner- but was insistently refusing to go to bed. Tony suggested the three of them watch a movie, and though the David sisters' movie collection was sparse, they both agreed. Tony and Tali sat at each end of the sofa, waiting for Ziva to join them.
When Ziva asked Tali to select a movie, the younger girl insisted in return that Ziva pick. Tali looked to Tony with raised brows as Ziva abided and began to rummage through a cardboard box full of VHS tapes. One had a label with the title written across it in black marker: The Sound of Music.
"Watch," Tali instructed, smiling knowingly at her sister. "It's her favourite."
"Do you mind, Tony?" she asked, looking extremely hesitant. "We can watch something else if you –"
She was cut off by his gesture to go ahead. He tried to keep a straight face but he couldn't keep away the grin. Ziva David was a paradox wrapped in a tragedy wrapped in an appreciation for musicals, apparently. She looked a little embarrassed, but he just continued smiling. It was increasingly difficult to stop himself falling even further for her when she seemed insistent of capturing his heart.
They had barely made it through the overture when Tony and Ziva noticed Tali staring at them curiously.
"You okay, kiddo?" Tony asked.
She nodded but frowned pointedly in their direction. "For two people who claim they're in love, you're sitting really far apart." She was winding them up, really, but she was also keeping an eye on Tony, making sure he would keep his word to both of them. He was not a stranger anymore.
Both Tony and Ziva turned their heads to examine the space between them. Tony was resting against the sofa's arm, and Ziva had her legs curled up beside her, next to Tali.
Tony smiled, his eyes lighting up. Before she could protest, he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him rather clumsily. She let out a laugh and playfully hit his chest, and as she did, Tali's smile transformed from smug to genuine. She had never seen Ziva look at someone quite like the way she looked at Tony – all big eyes full of utter admiration.
...
By the time Julie Andrews had started singing about her favourite things, they noticed Tali had fallen asleep. Her right arm was hanging limply off the sofa and her face was resting on the arm.
Ziva laughed softly. "I knew she was tired," she said.
"She took everything pretty well, huh?"
"Better than I thought she would."
"You underestimate her sometimes, you know."
"She is my sister," Ziva replied slowly, and for a moment Tony feared that he had upset her. But then she added, "I can't help but underestimate her."
...
After a while, Tony moved his gaze from the screen to Ziva. Her expression was calm, but in spite of that he decided he would much rather watch her. The colours coming from the screen were the colours of the Austrian countryside, and they lit up her face in different hues of green and blue and gold. Her lips moved with the dialogue, she knew it so well. He liked seeing her like this, lost in the moment. Carefree, for a fraction of a second. Oblivious to the world. Or so it would seem.
"You're staring," she said, breaking the silence after forever.
"Sorry," he said apologetically, not looking away.
"You're still staring," she reminded him with a smile. She turned to face him. "Do I have food on my face or something?"
"No, I just really like looking at you. You're really beautiful."
She scoffed.
"You are." It sounded more like a promise than anything else.
"Tony," she said, having gotten into the habit of avoiding it when people told her she was beautiful.
He moved in closer to her, his nose touching her cheek. "It's like you have no idea, but you are, Ziva." He pressed his lips softly to her skin and her eyes fluttered shut as she exhaled.
"Tony, Tali's right there," she whispered chastely when she came back to reality. She moved over and gently shook her sister on the shoulder and instructed her to go to bed. Tali, still half-asleep, complied without any protest, and kissed Ziva on the cheek on the way out.
"Can I kiss you now?" Tony asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Ziva felt her heart racing a little.
"If you must," she said with a smile and mock exasperation. So he stood and came towards her, meeting her lips gently and holding her underneath the chin.
"I should go," he whispered.
"Wait," she said. "Stay." She gripped his shirt. "After last night I just . . . want to be around you." She touched his cheek. "I did not know that a person, anyone, could make me feel like that."
He ignored the urge to make an egotistical joke, and instead asked, "What way?"
"I don't know. Like maybe my existence is more than just an existence? I've never been more than an object of human desire."
"Yeah," he replied after a silence. "I understand."
"You do?"
He gulped. Of course he did. He'd never been more than a source of human desire before meeting her. "Sure." If he was going to say any more, it was interrupted by the ringing of Ziva's landline, which was almost never ringing. Ziva looked stunned. It was past midnight.
"Hello?" she answered, holding the phone close to her ear in both hands.
"Shalom, Ziva," a strongly accented female voice greeted from the other end of the phone.
"Aunt Nettie?" Ziva asked. Rivka's sister. Tony frowned. She'd never mentioned any relatives. Any living ones, at least.
"Of course, dear," the woman said. "Do you mind if we talk in Hebrew? It is easier on my brain so early in the morning."
"I would rather not, Nettie. I have company."
"This time of day?"
"Night, actually. What are you doing up so early?" There was a six hour time difference between Baltimore and Israel, where Aunt Nettie was calling from.
"Feeding the horses, of course!" she exclaimed. Nettie and her husband
"Of course." Ziva's voice was flat. Nettie sounded too cheery for her uncle to be anything other than just peachy, and there were no other members of that side of the family that were in close contact with them. Not that Nettie was in close contact, either. She hadn't called since Rivka died, to give condolences and speak of solicitors. "Why have you called?"
"Well, Ziva," she began, clearing her throat. "Your uncle and I have come into some money. We have a new, very rich client for whom we have been breeding and he pays us extra to keep his horses in our stable when he is away on business."
"Congratulations," Ziva offered, not knowing what else to say.
"Well, they are in order, because we have decided that you and Tali should come and join us!"
Ziva's eyes widened. "What? No, Nettie, no, that is. . . we cannot . . ."
"Ziva, Ziva, relax. When your mother passed we had not much money but now we can support the two of you and you do not have to live on bread crumbs anymore. There will be no pressure on you. It is all arranged."
Oh, it was tempting. She and Tali could live happily with their aunt and uncle, who were very loving. She would not have to work as much, and she could speak Hebrew all day and night. Oh, how she adored that language. No more stress, but also, no more Tony.
"Aunt Nettie, I . . ." Ziva willed herself to find words. "Nettie, Tali is settled here. I think she is beginning to make friends. And I am happy here, too. We are okay."
"You could ride Elijah! He misses you!"
Elijah was Ziva's horse, and he was chestnut brown. She hadn't seen him in six years, since they moved away. And that sweetened the deal, but still, she declined. "Tell Elijah I miss him, too. Thank you for the offer."
"Okay, Ziva. I understand. This 'company' that you have is making you want to stay. That is okay. Maybe even better. But be careful not to sacrifice your sister's happiness. She is important. She lost her mother, too."
"Yes, Aunt Nettie."
"No . . . what is the phrase? Hard feelings? Well, the offer still stands. If you change your mind – do you have my number?"
Ziva scribbled down a phone number and placed it next to the phone. Tony looked rather alarmed by it all.
"Who's Elijah?" he asked.
Ziva laughed. "My horse."
"You have a horse?"
"My mother's sister and her husband breed ponies and horses in Israel. They live in a huge house next to a vineyard. It's beautiful."
"And they wanted you to go and live with them?"
"Yes."
"But you said no?"
"I did."
"But it would have been so much easier on you."
"You are worth the stress, I should think," she answered, kissing him. He looked at his watch, their lips still half-touching.
"Now I really have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
And he was gone. Ziva only just caught the end of the movie before falling asleep herself.
A/N: I was hit with sudden inspiration for a plot twist this afternoon. Prepare yourselves! That is all I will say on the matter.