It had been Abby to enter the dining room first, she brought in the food that had been delivered and started to set it up on the table. It took several moments for Ziva to collect herself and she excused herself to the bathroom to wash up. But when she returned to the dining room everyone was seated and they went on to enjoy the meal together. Tony had pulled her chair right next to his. She knew he wanted to keep her close, had become afraid she'd vanish.

They asked what she and Tony were going to do today and Tony had said he had big plans and wondered if everyone would like to meet them for dinner later. They all agreed and left soon after their brunch. Ziva was confused, if grateful, that they didn't continue to badger her about the mission.

Tony's big plans for the day had been sightseeing. He told her they lived in one of the most beautiful cities in the country and the only sights they normally saw were crime scenes. So they went out to the Smithsonian and Tony enjoyed showing her the Air and Space museum and they took a walk by the Lincoln memorial and went to the National Archives where Tony tested her on the Constitution.

The entire day he held her hand or had his arm wrapped around her waist. And the entire day Ziva wondered if she was doing Tony more harm than good. He didn't want her to leave but she knew now she never should have come home with him.

Gibbs had been right; part of her was resigned to die. The odds seemed so completely stacked against her. But nothing could make her abandon this mission...nothing. She would protect those she loved more than anything on this planet. If Tony knew the truth he'd go with her - nothing would stop him. They'd have each other's backs like always and they'd accomplish this one way or another. But she'd never tell him - she wanted him safe and breathing. She'd never tell him the CIA was blackmailing her. Sure, she could walk away from all of this and stay here and every minute Tony held her hand the need to do just that grew exponentially.

But, in the end she had not lied to Gibbs. This was an act of conscience.

Everything she had been given in these last eight years that was good in her life had come from her NCIS family. She would give her life for any of them and that was not a hollow statement to her- she would prove it.

Ziva just wished she wasn't hurting Tony. That she had been strong enough when he found her, two days ago - was that all?, to leave him then. But she was being selfish; she was taking the love he offered because she wanted it so badly - had wanted it for so long.

It was twilight, they had been walking near the Potomac and Ziva stopped and embraced Tony. She couldn't help her tears and he just held her without a word and allowed her to cry in his arms.

When she finally stopped and looked up into his face, she saw his tears and reached up and kissed them. Tony kissed her with all the love and desire he felt with the desperation that coursed through him. When they broke apart he leaned his forehead on hers and whispered, "I have a surprise for you." He took a deep breath, emotion warring with his control. "It is only one of a million surprises I want to give you in our life."

"Tony," she cried, "you do not have to give me anything else. I do not want you to."

"Come on," he wiped her tears away with his thumbs and led her down a path to the concrete benches by the water.

Ziva blinked a few times and as her eyes focused she saw Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer and Breena all sitting there on white cushions and there were two in the middle of them all waiting for her and Tony.

Tony led her to their place on the bench, McGee and Abby sat on one side of Tony and Gibbs and Ducky sat next to her with Palmer and Breena behind them. Abby stood and touched a speaker set up she had not noticed before. A young couple stepped out from behind the trees and stood in front of the water and began singing from La Bohème.

"I wanted to go to the opera with you," Tony whispered. "It is one of the big three, you know."

Ziva sank into Tony's side as he wrapped his arms about her. She could feel Tony's love, she could feel all their love. She would never, ever let anything hurt any of them. Never.

They stayed there listening to the singers for an hour or so. When it was over she somehow found her voice and thank them. She thanked all of them and took each embrace as it was meant - as family.

Tony took her away and brought her home. Home...how easy it was to see this as home.

Ziva had no tears left. She took a drink of water while Tony changed. She felt a tremble through her body; her go bag was in the living room with her IDs and passports. She was sure Tony had gone through them and made note of every name and she knew she'd have to stop and get several new identities before proceeding. But she could go now -slip out the door as he changed and deal with what needed dealing with on the road.

Before Ziva could move Tony emerged from the bedroom. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms about her waist, rested his head on hers.

"I love you," he whispered. "I need every moment I can get with you. Or I won't survive your absence."

"Tony,-"

"I know Gibbs pushed you." Tony turned her in his arms. " I'd push you too if I thought it would make any difference; but I know you too well. I don't want you to take this mission - whatever it is. I want you to stay here with me. But I see that I won't get what I want; I see it in your eyes. So, don't get it into your head that you are going to leave me before my time is up. These days do not belong to you, Ziva. They are mine and you can't steal them away."

"I did not know this would be so hard," Ziva bit her lip and looked up at Tony, "we admitted that we loved each other just days ago. I thought we would have each other and be able to part.

"Because the itch was scratched?" Tony raised one eyebrow at her.

"Pretty much, yeah," Ziva smiled back at him.

"Ziva, I am different with you than anyone else." Tony held her out and nodded, "We know each other really well. You don't have to pretend with me. I love you."

"I love you," Ziva kissed his lips softly.

"That was all we needed," Tony explained. "We had everything else. We were eight years together. We have the bumps and bruises to prove it."

Ziva embraced him tightly and he held her close.

"This love," Tony kissed her temple, "it just had to be let out. It was already deep."

Ziva nodded into his chest and he then pulled back and took her by the hand to the piano.

They both sat at the piano bench after Tony had pulled out sheet music from its storage. "Remember this?"

Ziva looked up as Tony opened the music and placed it on the piano, "Heart and Soul. Yes I remember."

"That was a great summer," Tony reminisced. "We watched the movie Big and you taught me how to play Heart and Soul."

"You were better than I thought you'd be on the piano," Ziva leaned on his shoulder. "That music teacher you banged taught you well."

Tony laughed, "You knew I wasn't an angel."

"A horny little devil?" Ziva winked up at him.

"Oh yeah," Tony nodded. "I bought this piano just before I left for Germany on that security conference."

Ziva thought back and realized that was when she'd been framed for that assassination and Gibbs came back to help her.

"Gibbs coming back changed a few things that I had to figure out and then Jenny asked me to-"

"Let's play," Ziva said as she started playing the lower portion of Heart and Soul.