A/N: I watched the season 14 premiere of NCIS and I was pleasantly surprised; I was impressed by Wilmer's acting and how seamless the writing was. Alex's character has a ton of potential, but needs to be better established. McGee has had 13 seasons to become who he is now, and he has become very well-rounded. I have never been a huge fan of the Ellie character, but every TV show needs a flatter quirky piece. Also, Gibbs seems more relaxed like he was back in the early seasons.

To the fans that are angry at the writers with the way Tony left: At first I was angry with Gary and his staff because they "killed off" Ziva. They had to give Tony a really good reason to leave; if Tali had no one else, then Tony had to leave to be there for his daughter. However, to me it is very obvious Ziva couldn't realistically be dead and the writers hinted at it through dialogue. This isn't hopeful wishing on my part, it's just the only logical truth. I wouldn't be writing Fanfiction if Ziva was dead and Tony and Ziva weren't a good match.

A couple of yawns came from the backseat of the cab as it pulled up to the B terminal at the Ronald Reagan National Airport. It was about to turn 8, and already busy than ever. Everyone seemed to know their final destination, except Ziva.

"Zee." He nudged his partner awake.

"Wha-", she stirred and looked outside the cab's window.

He gave her a smile, "We're here. Come on."

Tony tipped the driver and grabbed the suitcase out of the trunk. Ziva already had two carry-on bags in her hands. Tony took one of them and strapped in across his body.

"This is going to be a weird weekend…being without Tali…"

"Just be glad I told you to pack light."

He gave her her ticket, to which she examined for a destination, "So we have a four day weekend and you want to go to ….Dallas?"

"Well, considering the time constraint, out of the U.S. is out of the question. As much as I would love to see you in a string bikini, sipping Mai Tais in Tahiti… I doubt we would have the luxury to enjoy it. Besides, Dallas is world famous. Everyone needs to go there at least once."

She shrugged and continued walking, "We didn't have to even leave the house to enjoy time together, you know?"

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?"

Tony and Ziva stopped at a coffee kiosk and sat down on a bench. They had a little less than an hour till the plane would arrive. For some reason, only known to them, they were on the subject of their dream treehouses. Tony laughed at Ziva's idea of grenade launchers on either side of hers. Ziva chuckled and rolled her eyes at Tony's dream of a giant piranha-filled moat.

Suddenly, right in the middle of a sentence, Tony was about to finish, his eyes shifted to an object behind Ziva.

"What is it Tony?" When he didn't answer, she turned her head to notice a familiar woman. A deja-vu moment for the both of them.

"That's …"

"I know." Jeanne Benoit, the infamous woman no one could forget (no matter how much you wanted to) "I remember. Do you want to say something to her?"

Tony shook of the feeling and suddenly a peace came over. "Actually, maybe." He then told her a quick summary about how Jeanne and himself had somewhat made peace of their differences when he saved her husband in Togu, South Sudan.

Ziva smiled and rubbed her hand on his cheek, "Well, I married a wonderful man. Come on." She took him up on his feet. Jeanne saw them and turned to her husband, David. David yelled out Tony's name, except he added the word 'agent' and 'DiNozzo'.

Tony and Ziva shared a look and turned around to stare at the couple before them. It was about four years since Tony had seen Jeanne on that mission to Africa. For some people, certain faces are hard to forget.

"Hello David...Jeanne." Tony spoke with such poshness, keeping awkwardness absent from their reunion.

"Tony, wow. It's been a long time." Jeanne then looked to the woman standing by Tony's side. "You must be…"

Ziva smiled and reached out to shake Jeanne's hand, "Ziva."

"Ziva? Have we met before?"

David added to Jeanne's question, "Were you at the 2017 Doctors Without Borders conference?"

Tony chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh, no. No, I'm not a doctor. But we have met before." Without missing a beat, she laid all her cards on the table, "I used to work with Tony, many years ago."

Jeanne thought back and connected pieces in her mind, She let out an audible sigh of enlightenment, "So, now, you two… You two are…"

Tony chimed in, "Married. Our daughter is six, going on seven right now."

Jeanne's mouth dropped at the word daughter, but mostly, at the word that came before, our. Tony DiNozzo is a father? People really can change... David just smiled in his own way, "Oh cool! Our daughter is about to turn three."

"Really? Oh that's wonderful." Ziva couldn't help being nice.

The four of them chatted for another ten minutes or so before splitting apart to go to their respective gates. Tony mentioned to Ziva that that went better than he thought. Ziva just sipped her coffee,making a checklist in her head about how much has changed since she resigned NCIS, how much the two of them have changed and formed into two people they never thought they could be.

They got off the plane 3 hours later and grabbed a courtesy shuttle to the very classy OMNI hotel right off the 35.

It was an October, a cool fall day. A perfect fusion for tonight.

Ziva stepped into the hotel and looked in marvel at the splendid blues and royal purples. Once again, when she thought her partner couldn't surprise her anymore, he did. He took her hand and led her to their hotel room.

While Ziva crashed onto the bed, Tony smiled at her total obliviousness at how she looked. Her arms were spread out and head tilted with her hair covering her face. Honestly, he wanted to make a comment inferring she looked like a victim they used to take pictures of at a crime scene.

"Comfortable?" He took off his shoes and crossed over to Ziva, looking down on her.

She opened her eyes, "Very."

He laid next to her with his head propped up by his arm. "I think a few hours of sleep wouldn't hurt. We've got reservations for 9."

She had her eyes closed and half-asleep by now, so she patted his chest.

She awakened to the sound of a shower and a buzzing phone in her pocket, she must've not taken it out. She looked over to the clock in red LED, 4:24 PM. Her phone still buzzing, she lifted it out of her pocket and answered it; when she did, the face of her daughter filled up the screen.

"Imma!" The little girl had a big smile on her face with the company of an older man behind her, Senior.

"Hi, Tali! baby, what are you up to?"

Senior looked into the phone and asked where his son was.

"I believe he's in the bathroom."

"Tell him to stop looking at himself and get out here!" He laughs then changes the subject, "How ya doing Ziva? Tony's treating you okay?"

"Yes, as always. Perfect. Like you."

"Don't flatter me, I'll let the two of you talk." Senior looks over to Tali who's making silly faces into the camera for her mother. "Monkey, I'll be in the kitchen when you're done here. Okay?"

Tali nodded and bragged to her mother about the cool things she discovered at the Science museum and how dinosaurs died. Ziva just sat and listened to her fast-paced daughter talk on and on about whatever six year old are into these days.

Tony snuck up behind Ziva and put his hands on Ziva's shoulders, "Tali!"

Ziva jumped at his voice then handed the phone over to Tony. They spoke to each other for about five minutes then hung up on the promise Tali would draw something for her abba while her parents were gone. Tali happily obliged.

They had a pretty enjoyable time in downtown Dallas and even caught an early improv show in Deep Ellum. The sun started to go down so it was time to head back and get ready for a romantic night.

Ziva spun around in a blue cocktail dress and had her hair long and wavy with 3" heels. Her lips were darkened with lip stain and her eyes popped in a nighttime shadow effect. Tony wore a classic black suit and his hair slicked back in such a class act way, he also wore thin framed Oakley glasses. Tony also knew Ziva liked it when he didn't shave for a few days. The look Tony had when he found her in Israel all those years ago. It wasn't pure but definitely refined; like an aged wine.

"You look stunning, sweetheart." He smiled and opened the door for her.

"So do you. Very James Bond. I love it."

He put his arm around her, "Oh, I love it when you speak movie to me."

It was a rooftop bar and grill, the pool was the center of attention. No one swan in it, though; it was too chilly to dare take a dive. However, the skyline of skyscrapers and lit buildings bounced off the water in an almost hypnotizing sensation. The water was neon blue and being elevated that high, it seemed to be like dining in the stars, themselves.

After their meal, they stood by the rails in the open-air, overlooking the city below. Tony was reminiscing about their old lives.

"I promised you I would come back. Time is a funny thing. In America, timing is everything" She paused for a breath on reflection.

"I can say with absolute certainty that I never moved on. I was always waiting...something special...someone special." He places his hand against her cheek. Her skin was colder than his palm. She welcomed his warmth, a chilly night it was. The melodies coming from a live band played through the air.

"You completed a mission."

"How's that?"

"You gave me back my necklace"

"You snuck it in my jacket so that I would have to find you ...again."

Tony took her hand and took her in for a waltz, the band played a Sinatra tune.

"Marry me, Ziva."

"We are married, Tony."

"I know."

She tilted her head, looking ever so sly, "So, do you want to get a divorce then marry me again? I've only been married once, Tony, to you."

"Ziva…let me put it this way, we married in a courthouse, I'd like to do it...properly...I never understood the depth of religion until you."

She put her head in the curve of his neck and whispered, "You were my prayer answered."

"I am never going to let you go."

"One day you will have to."

"Beyond death, my dear."

A loud scream came from the opposite side of roof, coming from inside the restaurant.

Ziva looked to her husband, "For old times sake?"

Tony darted towards the door, it was a man in his late 30's holding a knife to a woman's throat. The woman was crying and begging the man to let her go. There was a man, scared frozen, that had been sitting with the hostage, apparently on a date.

Ziva went around the back, behind the man, waiting. Tony, being a full-time employee at one of the department in the DoD, he felt obligated to make his authority known.

"Sir!, put the knife down and back away!"

The man tightened his grip on the woman and looked towards Tony, "No!" The man started tearing up, a broken man, "This bitch..ruined my life! My career, my house, my own kid!"

"I don't disagree with your feelings, sir. I don't know her. I don't know you. but I promise-"

He said angrily , "What? Promise what? She cheats on me for three years, runs away with all of my money that I earned! I earned it all!"

"What's your name?"

The woman hostage cried and screamed, "Edgar Rollins! His name is Edgar Rollins! Help me, please!"

Tony nodded, "Ok, I will but I need I you, Edgar? Edgar I need you to cooperate with me her. Okay? Can you do that?"

"She...She ruined me!" Edgar cried.

"Jail time for battery or murder is worse."

"Who are you? a cop?!"

"I am a federal agent with the United States Anti-Terrorism Department in Washington D.C. I am not someone you want to mess with right now."

The man froze in place at the sound of federal agent. He wasn't a cop, he was worse than that. Suddenly, before he had the time to respond, he was thrown to the ground by Ziva. In a quick move, Ziva had gotten the knife out of the assailant's hand and flipped him on his stomach.

Ziva tied his hands up with a cloth napkin and had the hotel security look after him until the police arrived to pick him up.

Ziva went over to Tony in pride, "So? Not bad for a retired agent?"

Tony nodded, "Not bad at all. I'm surprised you haven't forgotten"

"Hm, well some things you never forget." She crossed her arms and slouched seductively against the railing.

"To be honest, it was kinda sexy."

"Kinda sexy?"

"Yes."

She walked towards Tony and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. "Have you forgotten any of your training?" Her face was so close to his, he forgot how to breath. This woman could be so devious and so seductive atthe same time; he somehow could still be surprised. "Because I can help you remember."

She reached into his pocket and pulled out the hotel keycard and scampered off. It took Tony a few seconds to realize what the hell was going on, then he ran after her. He met up with her in the elevator, just before the doors shut. There was a burst of laughter and then silence.

They got back to their hotel room and Ziva started to undress, when Tony's cell phone rang. It was his dad calling for the night. Tony needed to answer the call and check on Tali, but then again, he also wanted to take ravage this woman, who kept teasing him while on the phone.

"Tali went to bed about an hour ago. She wanted to climb up on a couple of exhibits, luckily I caught her before she took the T-rex for a ride…" Senior waited on the line for a response, but all he could here was chuckling and mhms. "Uh, son?"

"Yeah? Oh right, uh, Tali's pretty mischievous. Listen, now's not a good time. Call you tomorrow?"

Senior then could translate what his son just said to what he really meant. His son was trying to get his rocks off and he was the only thing in the way of that.

Tony thought he hit the red button to hang up, he didn't. Senior heard noises that a father should never hear ever in his life. "Son? Son? Are you there?..." No response, but a lot of noises not meant for his ear. He hung up and, oddly enough, he felt pride with a touch of nausea.