AN: Really hoping my brain cooperates and we're able to bang this out today, but I'm not 100% for sure. Today is my mother's birthday and I slept in and then I invited my little bro over to hang out until Mom gets home from work so if he does come over, my ability to write depends on his ability to entertain himself.

MN: Is she killing anyone else here with the lack of fluff? Cause she's killing me!

Tony was watching Ziva from behind his desk. She was sitting at hers, pretending to write her report for the FBI. Now that Ori was no longer in her care, they officially had no further part in the case, but that didn't sever her emotional involvement.

During the week that she cared for the boy, he'd won a place in Ziva's heart. Hell, he'd won a place in all their hearts. Even the usually harsh Gibbs had been seen coloring pictures of puppies with Ori. At one point on Wednesday the kid had somehow managed to organize the biggest game of hide and go seek that Tony had ever seen. All while speaking barely a few words of English.

His stomach rumbled and he glanced down at his watch 1811 hours. Definitely time for dinner. He stood and pushed back from his desk, grabbing his bag then walked to Ziva as casually as he could. "Hey, you hungry?"

She jumped slightly when he spoke, showing exactly how lost in her own mind she had been. Once she processed what he'd said, she shook her head. "I need to finish this." She brought her hands to the keyboard and made a point of typing out a few words.

"Ziva, it'll still be there Monday morning. I doubt Fielding expects you to stay all weekend to write it. Come on, we can go for steak. My treat." Before she could protest further he grabbed her bag and guided her from her seat by the arm.

"Fine, Tony. We can go to dinner. But then I am coming back here to finish my report."

"Ori, you have to choose. Just a few things. We will get new toys when we get to our new house. Only take what's important." Ziva watched as the boy's face fell and it made her heart ache. Trying to explain to a four year old that he had to leave most of what had made their house a home behind was proving more difficult than she'd imagined.

Immediately he dove back toward the pile he'd amassed on his bedroom floor. As expected, the first thing he singled out was his bear. It had been the only toy he had left that his parents had given him. Having been forgotten at Ziva's when he'd returned to his mother, it was the only thing that hadn't been listed as evidence.

The stuffed animal was placed lovingly on his bed before he dug back into the pile. When he stood again he was holding a baseball glove. That had been a present from Gibbs who had taken it as a personal insult that Ori had never played catch.

Next followed a small labcoat, all that was left from the preschool science kit Abby had given him, and a handheld electronic game that had been a parting gift from McGee. Then two versions of the same book, one in Hebrew, the other in English. Those had been gifted from Ducky and Palmer.

Ziva expected him to sift back through the pile, choosing one of the numerous 'typical boy' toys Tony had bought for him. Instead, he returned to the toy box. She'd assumed it was empty, its contents drained into the pile on the carpet. But the boy leaned inside the open lid and grasped something from the bottom.

It wasn't until he laid it on his bed that she could tell what it was, a photo. As she stepped closer she realized what it was and had to fight to keep her voice even. "Where did you get that, Ori?"

The little boy paused, his arms full of toys he was returning to the toy box. "From Tony. When you were about to take me back to my Ima. He told me, 'So you can keep her with you forever'. And he gave me that."

She wiped a tear from her cheek and took a deep breath. "Pick another from Tony. I'll keep this safe for you with my things."

Before she could see the quizzical look on the boy's face she had left the room, the picture of herself in Paris in her hand.

The conversation at dinner had been strained. They were both taking care not to mention Ori and it had been far from effortless. Ziva had still been insistent on wanting to return to the office when they'd left the restaurant, but she'd fallen asleep in the car quickly so he'd taken the exit for her apartment instead.

Now as he parked outside her building, Tony took a moment to look at her. He knew she hadn't slept much the previous week. She'd told him Ori was having nightmares at all hours. Somehow he hadn't noticed the bags under her eyes until that evening though.

With a sigh he reached over to lay a hand gently on her arm. "Ziva." For the second time that evening she jumped at the sound of his voice as she came awake.

She recognized where they were and scowled at him. "Tony, you were supposed to take me back to work."

"You're exhausted. Get some sleep tonight and I'll come pick you up and take you in tomorrow."

She stared him down for a moment then seemed to realize he wasn't going to relent and opened the door to the car.

He followed suit, exiting the car and grabbing her bag from the back seat.

"Tony, I am perfectly capable of walking into my apartment alone."

He ignored her comment and started toward the door.

"Boss, we've got something."

McGee's voice had him running up the stairs at a pace that made his knees protest. Once he was in the living room he looked expectantly at the young agent. "Talk to me."

His living room had been transformed. There were laptops and monitors scattered on every available surface and Abby turned one of the monitors toward him now. "A year ago, Thompson was offered a promotion at work. He turned it down."

"Why?"

"The file doesn't say. But what's interesting is why the position was available."

McGee tapped a few keys on his laptop and an image of a dark haired woman appeared on the screen. "Yasmin Romach, 32. Immigrated from Israel ten years ago with her husband, Eldad. Thirteen months ago, she went missing. I pulled up the police reports. The husband was suspected, but they had no evidence. He claimed she was having an affair and must have run off with her lover. An email account turned up in the investigation to corroborate the affair, but locals couldn't identify the man."

"Get to the point, McGee."

Abby was practically bouncing in her seat. "Locals couldn't, but we could. Yasmin was seeing none other than her coworker, Jonas Thompson."

As Tony exited the bathroom he looked around. Ziva wasn't in the living room anymore. He crossed the room to her bedroom doorway. She was sitting on her bed, looking down at the stuffed bear in her hands. He recognized the toy as being the one thing Fielding had managed to snag out of Ori's room for him.

He moved through the doorway and sat gently beside her on the bed. "I can call Fielding in the morning, arrange for it to get back to him."

She shook her head. "I will do it."

"Ziva, is that a good idea? I don't think you should see him again. It's not going to help."

She turned to look at him and the sadness in her eyes caused his chest to ache. "Yes it is. I need to see that he is okay without me. It will help me let go."

Tony reached over and covered his hand with hers. "Okay. But let me go with you." He could tell she was about to protest but he pushed on, finishing his thought. "I need to see that you are okay."

She stared at him for a moment then nodded. Wordlessly they stood and walked through her apartment to the door. He turned to face her. "Pick you up around 0830?"

"Yes." He started to turn but her voice stopped him. "Thank you, Tony."

"You're welcome, Ziva. But next time, instead of thanking me, just let me be there for you. Cause I always will be."

Her soft smile made his heart skip a beat, as it always did. "I know. You always are."

But that wasn't what surprised him. When they were alone together and she was emotionally drained, she'd always admit she knew he was there. What surprised him was when she moved to hug him. After an initial moment of shock, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him.

Minutes later he felt her grip on him relax and he moved to press a gentle kiss to her temple, sneaking a deep whiff of her strawberry shampoo. As he began to withdraw from her, her arms stiffened. He looked at her and what he saw in her eyes caught him completely off guard.

In an instant his lips were on hers. The kiss was both tender and deep; emotional and needy. Bliss. It was pure bliss and Tony wished he could stay in that moment forever.

The need for air was what drove them apart. He pressed his forehead to hers, unwilling to move any further away from her than that. They stayed like that until they had both recovered their breath. She moved back just far enough to look him in the eye.

He had half expected her to panic, but that wasn't what he saw in her eyes. Her voice was low when she spoke and the single word sent pleasant chills up his spine. "Stay?"

He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by the shrill ring of her cell phone.

AN: I know this is once again a cruel place to leave things but I must get in the shower if I'm to be ready for birthday festivities by the time Mom gets home. There will not be an update tomorrow as Saturdays at the farm supply store mean 9 hour shifts with no breaks (just a lunch) and being busy as all get up. Should be off Sunday so maybe get one up then.

MN: Finally I get to throw a little fluff into the mix! About freaking time. *does a 'happy muse' dance*