"Tony, come on. I would like to go," Ziva said as she wheeled out to the porch and smiled as Robert, the caretaker, pulled up in the farm's truck.
They'd been at the farm for a week. Abby had been busy getting acquainted with her new lab set up and the rest of them shifted through information coming in from multiple sources. The men the FBI believed they had cornered that night at the school compound turned out to be an elaborate booby trap and the FBI came face to face with four vicious dogs. Hoffman and whoever else was there had escaped. Since that night and the blackout at the hospital there had been no further sign of Hoffman and they all wondered if he'd been injured.
Gibbs didn't want to return to DC yet and they all started the process of settling in here at the farm. Ducky had been doctoring her everyday - and Ziva knew it was because there was little else for him to do except process autopsy reports.
The first few days everyone had kept to their own spaces for the most part; trying to find a rhythm to life here. Ziva and Tony wound up sleeping - alot - those first few days. They slept, made love, slept some more. They were both physically and emotionally drained and needed the constant closeness.
Today though, Ziva wanted to take Robert Appleton up on the offer to see the stables and corral on the north side of the property.
"I'm not good with horses, Ziva," Tony whined. "Ask Gibbs."
"Ask Gibbs what?" Gibbs said as he and McGee emerged from the offices and stepped out onto the porch with them.
"Ziva wants to go see the horses with Robert and I was just telling her that horses and I don't get along too well," Tony shrugged. "You remember that Arizona trip, don't you boss?"
"Yeah," Gibbs responded. "I'll take her," he said as he smiled down at Ziva.
Ziva grinned up at Gibbs, "I was about to go with just Robert. I'm sure I'll be fine, Gibbs."
"I'd like to go," Gibbs said.
"Actually," McGee interjected. "So would I. I haven't been riding since I was a kid."
"Well then," Tony frowned, "I'm not getting left out."
"I better get, Abby," McGee said. "She'll be mad if we all take a trip out without her. Ducky is in town we can tell him about it later."
Soon they were all at the stables; there were several horses roaming inside the corral and a beautiful stable building by it.
Ziva wheeled over the grass and dirt and got close to the corral.
"Hey," Ton rushed up to her, "careful there, Ninja. One of these beasts could kick or something."
"They are beautiful, Tony," Ziva smiled as a couple of horses walked up to her.
Robert came up behind her and Tony and handed Ziva a small bag with cut apples, "They love these."
Grinning, she took the bag, pulled out an apple slice and feed it to a beautiful brown horse with a white mark on its head.
"He likes you," Robert said. "And I have to say that is saying alot because Flynn here is picky. Would you like to ride him?"
"What?" Tony said in a startled voice. "She can't."
"Sure she can," Robert stated. "Mrs. Blakely did it all the time. She was the woman who lived in the house your staying in. And Flynn here is very gentle. I'll go get him saddled," Robert said as he walked off.
"Abby can ride him," Tony stated as the gang approached them.
"Ride who?" Abby asked.
Tony explained about Flynn and riding and how he thought Ziva should not attempt it. Then an argument started back and forth between everyone except Ziva who said she was going to look inside the stables.
"These animals are gentle, Tony," Abby said. "They'd never do anything to harm Ziva; can't you just see it in their eyes?"
"I dunno, Abby," McGee shook his head. "Horses can be unpredictable and we can't risk her getting hurt again."
"What, McGee said!" Tony raised his index finger. "He is making a lot of sense."
"We could walk the horse," Gibbs suggested.
Ziva wheeled into the stables and saw Robert finishing up the saddling of Flynn. "They still arguing out there?" Robert asked.
"Yes," Ziva nodded. "Since I wasn't part of the conversation I thought I would come see Flynn."
"Do you want me to help you up?" Robert asked as he patted Flynn, "Or are you going to just pet the big, old beasts?
"I'd love some help?" Ziva smiled.
When Robert nodded to Flynn; Flynn bent his front legs in front of Ziva and lowered his body. Ziva was astonished at how intelligent Flynn was.
Robert picked up Ziva and sat her up on the saddle. Ziva managed to get her feet in the stirrups and took hold of the reins. The moment she had the reins firmly in her grasp Flynn seemed to sense it and stood back up.
"Good boy!" Ziva exclaimed and petted his neck.
"He's all yours, Ziva," Robert said as he smiled then handed her a riding crop.
"Oh," Ziva stared at the crop, "I don't like to use those."
"You can't tap him with your foot," Robert nodded at the crop, "just tap him lightly when you want to move."
"Of course," Ziva took the crop, "Thank you, Robert."
She rode out of the stables and slowly walked the horse over to Tony and the gang. It took them all a moment before they realized she was up on Flynn.
"What?" Tony blinked as he looked at Ziva, "No. You should not be up there!"
"Oh, hush, Tony," Ziva winked at her husband. "He is very gentle. I am fine."
Before too long the entire group, including Tony, was up on a mount and they rode the trail behind the property. It wasn't a long trail but it was enough to enjoy the horses; chuckle at Tony's riding abilities and for Ziva to feel a bit more like her old self. The excursion turned into several hours of riding fun and when they finally made it back to the main house Ducky was there cooking up a storm with Ellen.
"I heard about your equestrian adventure," Ducky said as he approached them wearing an apron. "Next time I'd like to tag along. When I was at Eaton I dabbled with polo."
Ducky went on to tell them about his varied mounts as they enjoyed dinner.
Riding became a ritual with Ziva and she was on Flynn if not every day at least three times a week. Tony had finally gotten used to her going off with Robert or one of the others to the stables. That first week turned into two months on the farm.
Each of them established a routine; there was work and riding and Abby found a masseur willing to come to the house and she and Ziva indulged. But Ziva knew that the massage was more therapy than pleasure and she was appreciative.
Then Tony came down with a flu and was convinced it was some new strain of horse flu he called it. Ziva spent every day by his side doing her best to nurse him - he became one big baby but it amused her. She held him tight when he had gotten the chills and rubbed his chest.
Ziva could not love this man more if she tried. There were moments when he was asleep and she would just stare at him and wonder how in the world she'd gotten so lucky as to have his love.
One morning, a few days after Tony had recovered from the flu, he told her he was going to go into town with Gibbs to pick up a few supplies Abby needed and kissed her then left at the crack of dawn.
Ziva slept a couple hours more then sat up, pulled her chair close and gripped the overhead bar. And just like she did every single morning when Tony wasn't looking; she pulled herself up into a standing position and let go of the bar. Normally, she would fall back onto the bed but this morning a tear slipped out of her eye as her legs responded, her back responded and they held her up without any help.
"Oh my god," she whispered as she stood on her shaky legs. Ziva took a small step and then another. She stepped back towards the bed, clasped her hand over her mouth and laughed, cried, and wanted Tony.