I've already done a Vignette about the "Lost at Sea" promos, but seeing what is out there now, I was like, totally wrong in some of my guessing. So here is my second take based on the newest promos. The dialog in the beginning is all from the spoiler video, for I claim no intent of infringement. Everthing else I am sure will not happen. I do not own CBS or its affiliates, NCIS, its characters or any of its characters.
Vignette Seven: "Game on!"
They got the call early: a Navy helicopter crew had been rescued at sea, the only missing crew member was the pilot.
The team immediately went to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Worcester County, just north of Ocean City. Tony, Tim and Ziva were combing the beach, looking for evidence.
She overheard Tony and Tim talking about their plans for Friday night. Apparently they had decided to go bar-hopping together, expecting to pick up women.
While she was disgusted with Tony, she was glad he was doing something outside of work with McGee, even if it was something as base as looking for hook-ups.
Suddenly she heard "Top Gun," "Maverick," and "Iceman," and how "Goose" got killed, equating the current situation with the crash that occurred in the movie.
"Let me guess, gross movie trivia works in bars?" Ziva asked, looking disgusted.
"Well, something must." Tony replied. "Tim and I have a pretty serious date on Friday night, and I have to say we are a force of nature."
"I see. And women are just waiting for this masculine force." Ziva made the statement as if this was a known fact.
"Pretty much, yeah." Tony replied, still writing.
"Ok." Ziva said, as if she totally accepted what Tony had said.
She then noticed Agent Amanda Borin and Gibbs coming down one of the drifts to join them.
"So this Friday night, I want you to pick up the first woman you see." Ziva set the challenge.
"That is juvenile and I am more mature than that now." Tony replied, briefly looking at her.
"Well, if either of you manages to get a date, I will do your case reports for the entire month." Ziva threw down the gauntlet.
Tim looked surprised. "Why? What do you get out of it?"
Tony ripped off his sunglasses. "Game on."
Friday
Tony, Ziva and Tim were working hard on the case. The missing pilot had been found on the beach that first day.
The news that a second aircraft had been involved added intensity to an already stressful situation.
Borin paced a bit, waiting for Gibbs. She had just returned from the evidence garage, where Abby informed her she had a lot of evidence, but nothing from a helicopter.
She heard someone behind her and turned, but it was McGee, returning from the men's room. His head was down, trying to get a stain out of his tie. As it was, he almost ran smack into her.
"Agent Borin! You're here!" Tim gulped. He thought about it for a few seconds, and then he felt as if someone took over his brain.
Hoping to get the jump on Tony, he came to a quick decision. "Uh, Agent Borin, I was wondering if you'd, I have these concert tickets."
The bullpen got quiet. "Are you asking me out, McGee?"
McGee stuttered. "Well, yeah, you see I got these tickets."
Abigail looked at him. "Yeah, know, got that part."
"When's the concert, McGee?" Gibbs caught the last part of the conversation.
Tony saw his chance and looked at Ziva. "Hey, you know technically maybe I should be asking you out since you did say the first woman I saw Friday…
Ziva laughed softly and slightly sarcastically. "Cute, but you had your chance." Tony just looked at her, giving that "I'm smiling but I'm pretending I'm not" look.
What he realized in that second was not what Ziva said, but what she didn't say or do.
He would have expected "In your dreams" or "I'd rather date 'sweat-boy" or giving him a disgusted look or rolling her eyes.
What she did, as far as he was concerned, was say she would have said "yes" and gone out with him, but somehow, at some time, he missed his opportunity.
"Ziva David just admitted she would go out with me." Tony was surprised at how pleased he was by this thought. He had often thought of going out with Ziva, he just figured she would say no. Although since the elevator...
"Oh God, serious gross thought. Borin is almost Gibbs' twin. That means McGee in essence just asked out Gibbs." He shook his head, trying to get that thought out of his brain.
Surprisingly, Borin agreed to go to the concert with McGee, much to the surprise of McGee, Tony and Ziva. After Borin left the bullpen with Gibbs, Tim pumped his fist.
"Yes! I win Tony!" McGee was still in shock but elated.
Tony stood up. "Sorry to burst your bubble, McLoverboy; but the bet was for Friday night, while we are at the bar. Not just Friday."
McGee's mood totally deflated. Ziva chuckled. "And just exactly is this special place you are going where you expect all of these women to fall at your feet?"
Tony turned to her and smiled. "The bar on 6th, where all the 'Hot Pilots' hang out."
Ziva really started to laugh. "And you expect to find someone willing to date you when there are…hot pilots…all around?" She laughed so hard she started snorting.
Tony looked affronted. "Hey, I'm hot."
This caused a new wave of muffled laughter from Ziva. She stood up and walked up to Tony and placed her hand on his cheek.
Tony was taken aback by this move. Ziva had certainly done this before, but it had a different effect on him this time, something he was afraid to define.
"I guess you will find out, yes?" She walked away, headed toward the ladies room, still chuckling.
Tony watched her leave, noticing a bit of sway in her hips.
"She's right you know. We don't stand a prayer against those young pilots, Tony." McGee looked defeated.
"Speak for yourself, McGee. Besides, do you think all Navy and Marine pilots look like Tom Cruise or Val Kilmer? This is the real world, McGee. Don't you even think of bailing on me."
Tim nodded. "Oh, I'm still going."
"Alright, then." Tony headed back to his desk.
Despite his assurances, Tony was actually dreading nightfall and heading to the bar. What if he was "shot down" like what happened with Judy, although under the circumstances that turned out to be a very good thing.
Finally, Tony and McGee couldn't put it off any longer. They decided to walk to the bar. If nothing else, they were going to have a good time, and if that meant taking a cab home, so be it.
Friday Night- "The Cockpit"
"What an appropriate name for a bar of pilots. You can interpret it either way you want." Tony and McGee looked at the neon sign.
"Game on?" Tony looked at Tim.
"Game on!" McGee answered the challenge.
They walked inside and were bombarded with a cacophony of noise: music, glassware clinking and sometimes breaking, loud laughter and conversations.
The number of bodies squeezed into the room must have exceeded the legal limit, but it made navigating to the bar a more "fun" experience; having to rub up against so many bodies.
"I don't even know where to start, there's too many of them." Tim sounded lost.
Tony threw his arm around his shoulder. "I suggest we start at the bar and get a drink. Have to have some alcohol in you first, McGee."
Tony weaved his way through to the bar, not really looking at the people he was passing through, so intent on his destination.
As expected the bar was crowded and there was only one seat, next to a brunette who had his back to him.
Tony stood by the chair, McGee glued to his side. He caught the bartender's attention. "Dos Cervezas, por favor. Gracias" Tony requested.
He turned toward the brunette, who was chatting up a very good looking young man. "Probably a pilot. Figures the first woman I see is already hooked up."
"Excuse me, miss? Is this seat taken?" Slowly, seductively, the woman turned and looked down at Tony's feet.
Her eyes travelled up, reaching his crouch and lingering her gaze there.
By the time she looked up into his face and into his eyes, Tony was stunned into silence.
"Ziva?"
She smiled, clearly enjoying herself. She turned back toward the bar.
"Ok." Tony thought.
"Can I buy you a drink?" Ziva held up the beer she was already drinking. "No thank you." She turned back and continued her conversation with her companion.
Tony tapped her shoulder. Ziva looked at his finger, then up at him. "Yes?"
"You don't want that guy. He's not your type." Tony said, whispering in her ear.
"Not my type? And how would you know that?" Ziva's eyebrow was arched and she was slightly amused.
"Because you need a real man. He's, look at him, he's a boy!"
Ziva took a long pull on her beer then slowly ran her tongue across her lips, catching the lingering drops.
Tony was started to sweat. "Oh my God! What was she doing to him?"
"I happen to like…young men." She answered his question.
"I think you need to dump junior here and let me show you what you should like."
"Really?" Ziva chuckled. "And you think you are the man to do that?"
Tony looked deeply into Ziva's eyes. "I know I am."
"Excuse me." Ziva got up and headed toward the ladies room. Tony looked around for McGee, hoping he hadn't been gawking and witnessed this strange exchange.
To his surprise, Tim was dancing with a very pretty girl. "Way to go, McGee." Tony murmured, congratulating his friend for getting over his nerves and diving in.
Tony headed toward the ladies room. When he was satisfied that Ziva was the only one in there, he opened the door.
Ziva was bent over the sink, applying lipstick. Tony walked toward her, his hands in his pockets and sat on the counter. "What do I need to do to get you to dump that guy?'
Ziva finished her lips, dabbing them lightly with tissue. "Since I am not "with" him, there is no need to "dump" him, yes?"
She turned toward him, so that they almost only inches apart.
"So what do I need to do?"
"Tony DiNozzo? Not knowing how to get a woman? This is a shocking revelation!" She started to leave and turned your head.
"You need to figure it out, just don't start the whole bar singing 'You've lost the loving feeling' or I may have to hurt you."
Tony broke into a wide grin. "You saw the movie."
Ziva turned back toward him, smiling. "A long time ago, although I had to re-watch it to remember the details of the bar scene."
Tony again walked toward her. "I have to give you points, Ziva; you almost re-enacted the entire scene."
"Well, there were some things that would be out of my control, but I did my best."
"How did you know I would follow you to the bathroom?" After seeing the look on Ziva's face, he agreed. "You're right, dumb question."
He inched a little closer. "You do know that they ended up together, don't you? Or did you conveniently forget that part?"
Ziva inched a little closer herself. "No, I remembered, although I do not remember a bet being part of that bar scene."
Tony got so close he could feel Ziva's breath on his. "There wasn't, and that's why McGee's going to win this bet."
Ziva looked into his eyes. "And why is that, Tony?"
"Because I will never ask you out on a bet. I will ask you out because I want to go out with you, and I want you to go out with me."
"And yet, you have never asked me out." Ziva turned to leave again. Tony grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"I never asked you out because I was afraid."
Ziva turned back, truly surprised. "Afraid? Afraid of what?"
Tony grinned. "At first, when we were getting to know each other? I was afraid you would…what did you just say? Hurt me?"
Ziva chuckled. "And now?"
Tony pulled her almost into an embrace and whispered into the side of her face. "I'm afraid you'll say no."
Ziva pulled back and looked at Tony. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed his cheek. Tony slowly turned so her kissed moved to his lips.
"I do not kiss men who are not on a date with me." Ziva admonished him.
Tony put his arms around her. "Can we fix that situation? Can I get a second chance?" Tony didn't bother to ask what chance he had missed, it didn't matter now.
"Maybe, if I like what you consider to be a date. But tonight is not a date; we are just hanging out together."
Tony's grin couldn't get any wider. "What about your young stud?"
"Him? I told him I was waiting for someone and we were just chatting."
Tony's eyes opened wide, and then he had to look at her in admiration. "Classic move."
They left the bathroom. Tony turned toward Ziva. "Ziva David, would you care to dance?"
Ziva smiled. "I'd love to dance, Tony." With that, Tony took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. It was a slower song, so fewer bodies were out there.
One of those was Tim, who saw Tony and raised his thumb, indicating he had gotten his date. Tony gave him a big smile and swung Ziva into his arms. "Tim may have won the bet but I won the prize."