Two Different Worlds Colliding

Tony and Ziva bumped into each other in Naples, Italy sometimes in November 2000.

Chapter 1 Deja Vu

As he walked through the airport after having dropped his father off, he sauntered through the airport terminal, making his way out to the parking lot. When he passed one of the taxi stands, an exasperated sigh followed by a frustrated female voice struggling to make herself understood to one of the attendants brought him to a stop, and his head swivelled to catch sight of a tall, slender woman arguing with the airport personnel. Sounds like she's having a hard time getting the guy to understand her, he thought to himself as he made his way over to where the woman was. She was trying to hail a cab but was not having much success with her Italian.

After a moment of waiting, Tony stepped in when there was a break in the conversation. "Can I help?" Tony said, in Italian, as he smiled at the woman.

"Just a minute!" The woman flashed a quick glance back at Tony and held up a finger, then turned back to the agent and tried again, in her rusty Italian. "Taxi, where? What street exit?"

"I'll be your taxi if you wish," Tony spoke in somewhat careful Italian to the woman. He looked more closely in her face, then said in English, "I couldn't help but overhear that you were having a little problem with trying to get a taxi."

The woman turned back to look at Tony. "Yes, I was. Between my rusty Italian and his even worse English, I'm not getting anywhere with trying to get a taxi."

"Ah, yeah." Tony nodded and smiled at her. "I kinda noticed. Name's Tony." He held out a hand for a handshake.

The woman smiled back at Tony. "Ziva. Pleased to meet you," she said as she shook Tony's hand. She blinked her eyes at Tony, and shook her head at him. "I have this funny feeling that I know you from somewhere before."

Tony chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I'm getting that sense of deja vu as well. I don't even remember seeing you, yet something tells me that we've met before."

Ziva asked, "Where are you from originally? You sound American, from your accent. Are you here on vacation?"

Tony nodded. "Came here from New York City, got family living in this area. What part of the world do you hail from?" Tony asked Ziva.

Ziva chuckled. "I come from Israel. I came here to enjoy my birthday. This trip was a gift from my parents," she said as she smiled at Tony. "What are you doing on this particular day?"

Tony chuckled. "Like I said, got family living here. I just had to drop my dad off here, so he could go off to London or wherever and do whatever business deal he's chasing this time," he said. "Typical of him to cut his vacation plans with me short," he muttered to himself.

Ziva had overheard what Tony had said to himself. "Maybe you wouldn't mind making your vacation worth it by showing Naples around to me?" Ziva took a couple steps towards Tony and smiled. "You do know Naples, don't you?"

Tony chuckled. "Of course I do. My dad and I spend time here often, we come over here to visit our family. Nice to get away from the rat race in the city from time to time."

Ziva smiled at Tony. "I bet. This to me is a welcome change from all the studies I've been doing. I'd like to see the sights. Maybe see Mount Vesuvius, visit the Pompeii ruins. Are they that far out of town?"

Tony laughed and picked up her baggage. "Naw, it's only half an hour out of town. Allow me to be your taxi for a while. Or for the day, or however long you desire." He turned and walked in the direction where his car was parked.

Ziva quickly fell in step with Tony and looked at him as she walked alongside him. "What do you do for a living?"

"Oh, not much. I work for the Baltimore Police Department. Just made Homicide, you know, got my detective badge." Tony smiled at Ziva. "Made my day when I found the key piece that broke a difficult case wide open."

Ziva turned to look at Tony in awe. "Oh, wow, that must have been something big enough for the bosses to send you on a vacation."

Tony laughed as he opened the trunk of his car and started loading Ziva's things in the back. "Ah, it's not that big of a deal. I think what was the big deal was that the case got taken out of our hands and kicked up to the big boys. You know, the government." He finished loading her things and closed the trunk before quickly running around to open the passenger door for Ziva.

"Why, thank you," Ziva said, chuckling at Tony. "This is certainly better than trying to get it through that person's thick head that I was asking a simple question – which taxi do I take to get to my resort."

Tony chuckled as he got behind the wheel and closed the door. Once he had gotten himself situated in the car, he looked over at Ziva. "I hear that. Now, where would you like to go first? You said Pompeii?"

Ziva nodded. "I've read about the ruins in school, and they've always fascinated me, and I've always wanted to see them in person. Get an idea of the scale of things in relation to Mount Vesuvius."

"Sounds good," Tony said, smiling. He put the car in gear and drove off. They drove down along the shore line on the E45 highway to get a grand overview of Mount Vesuvius, before ending up in front of a small family-run restaurant. Tony turned to Ziva and said, "This little place serves some of the best food, been in the family for several generations. Their food's way better than some of the places that all the tourists tend to go to, cooked with recipes hundreds of years old, passed down the family line. My treat."

Ziva raised an eyebrow, and smiled at Tony. "Yeah? Sounds like a nice place. Wonder what kind of food they have," she said.

Tony guided Ziva to a window booth and seated her at the table. "Here we are. Wait til you see some of the food they bring out."

"Would you like something to drink before you order your dinner, sir and madam?" the waitress showed up almost before Tony and Ziva had seated themselves. She handed them the menus.

Tony nodded as he took the menu from the waitress. "I'll have a Dom Perrier, please."

"The same as him," Ziva said as she took her menu and opened it to peruse the offerings.

"Very well," the waitress said before leaving the table to get their drinks.

Tony glanced through the menu, then closed it and placed it in front of him with a smile on his face. "I already know what I want. What do you think of the place so far?"

Ziva looked around and smiled at Tony. "Cozy little place." She looked at the menu, and finally decided on what she wanted to get, then put the menu down and smiled at Tony. "I think I'd like to try the chicken Parmesan. That sounds divine."

Tony chuckled. "Also a very fine choice. I'm having the hearty, delicious, meaty, cheesy lasagna." He smacked his lips loudly and waggled his eyebrows. "You'd be hard-pressed to find any other place that does lasagna this good."

Just then, the waitress returned with their drinks, and set the bottled water in front of them. "Have you decided on what to order yet?" the waitress asked.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I'll have the meaty lasagna. Load it up with plenty of meat," he smiled at the waitress.

The waitress chuckled at Tony as she scribbled his order down in her notepad. "I'll let 'em know what you want," she said, then turned to Ziva. "And you, ma'am?"

Ziva smiled at the waitress and said, "I think I'll have the chicken Parmesan, with a side of your house salad."

"Excellent choices," the waitress nodded and smiled at them. "Your food will be out momentarily." She stepped away from the table, leaving the couple to themselves.

Tony cocked his head at Ziva. "So why did you choose this place for your birthday trip? It's not just about the Pompeii ruins, right?"

Ziva chuckled and shook her head. "No, I've also been fascinated by the architecture of the area. The history behind the area, and the beauty of the land. Learning the language, the customs is also a part of it. You know, more time away from home, exploring the world, broadening my horizons. I'm actually enjoying these trips I've taken so far. I think my best memories would have to be the trip to New York I took when I was young."

Tony blinked at Ziva. "You came to New York City how long ago? What places did you visit?"

Ziva smiled at the memory. "My favorite would have to be this place called Cone Island." She shook her head quickly, a furrowed look on her eyebrows. "I'm not sure if that's the right name, but I remember the big Ferris wheel I rode on. And how that line seemed to take for ever to get to the Ferris wheel."

Tony looked at Ziva, with his mouth hanging open slightly, in surprise. But before he could respond, the waitress came with their food. "Here we go, here's the chicken Parmesan for you," she said, setting the dish in front of Ziva, then turning to Tony and setting his lasagna in front of him. "And there's yours. Let me know if you need anything, and hope you enjoy your meal." The waitress smiled before stepping away from the table.

Tony held up a finger and commanded his mouth to move. "You went to Coney Island, when was that exactly? Do you remember?"

Ziva looked up at the ceiling for a brief moment, trying to recall the day that she had visited Coney Island. "Coney Island, yes, that's the name. Anyway, here I was, twelve years old, and standing in line for what seemed like the whole day waiting to get up on that Ferris wheel so I could see out over the city that never goes to sleep. But I really enjoyed the view."

Tony chuckled. "Never sleeps. The city that never sleeps. I remember that day. The long wait, and my having to go up there to see what the holdup was. I remember I was working protective detail for this one family that was visiting New York City." He looked at Ziva across the table as he took a bite of his lasagna. "You were my protection detail."

Ziva shot him a look across the table with dawning recognition. "Oh, yes! I've not forgotten you since that day. Or the city." A smile formed on her lips as she reeled off the places she had visited. "That pizza joint. Oh, and does that place that served that enormous ice cream bowl still exist?"

Tony chuckled. "Still standing in the same location. Prices have gone up on the Empire State Building experience, though."

Ziva's face turned to that of slight disappointment about the price hike. "Oh, well, at least we got to go enjoy it that day. Best memory of that day."

"What was? The throwing your bodyguards off every chance you got? Or the view of the city from the top of the building?" Tony said, chuckling to Ziva.

Ziva chuckled through the bite of salad she just took, then swallowed it. "They were all up in my business, all the time! But I guess they meant well." She scooped up a bit of the chicken Parmesan onto her fork and brought it up to her mouth, but before she ate it, she said, "But, over time, I've come to understand that it was all about Abba, and what he did -" She shook her head, correcting herself. "Does. For a living."

Tony sat up straighter, suddenly curious. "What's he do for a living, anyway? All I remember was he was some sort of important figure."

Ziva nodded. "He is. That's why there's a protection detail on him and his family." Ziva sighed and shook her head slightly. "I've come to accept it, anyway. No bullies in school, at least." Ziva flashed a smile to Tony.

Tony laughed. "Any of them that even breathes funny takes one look at your bodyguards and their minds get changed immediately."

Ziva chuckled. "That's about the sum of it."

"So, you're here on vacation, on your own? You said it was a gift?" Tony said, looking at Ziva with curiosity on his face.

Ziva smiled and nodded. "I did well in my studies, so I was rewarded for my eighteenth birthday, which is coming up tomorrow."

"Oh, wow!" Tony's lips widened in a smile. "I didn't realize it was already your birthday. It's been a long time. Time just flew, I guess. So, what are your plans for after this trip?" Tony smiled at Ziva.

Ziva put a hand on Tony's arm. "I'm entering the IDF. The Israeli Defense Force. I'll be doing my two years with them, then after that, I'm not sure what." She shrugged and held her hands up briefly before putting them back down on her lap.

Tony sat back, deflating slightly. "Oh, that doesn't sound so bad. This IDF thing, what's that like, the army equivalent for Israel?"

Ziva flopped a hand back and forth. "Sort of. They also have an air force component, and a naval component. It's all under one umbrella of Israeli Defense Forces."

"Ah, and so you and every other able-bodied person get to serve their two years minimum with them, right," Tony said, understanding how the Israeli military system worked.

Ziva nodded. "Correct. Our country is so small, that we have to do this in order to defend our country. I'm sure that time will go by pretty quick." Ziva had wanted to maintain a positive attitude about the whole thing, despite her internal fears of the unknown.

"Well, that makes sense. Especially with what goes on over there, you gotta protect your best interests of your people." Tony smiled at Ziva. "I guess the best way to look at it is about scale. I'm more on the citywide scale, whereas you're more focused on the country level."

Ziva tilted her head to the side and considered that. "Oh, right, because you work for the police force, and I'm going to defend my country." She sighed to herself. "I'm just unsure about the unknowns in the future for me." Her eyes told Tony a lot more that lay underneath.

Tony had seen the look in Ziva's eyes, the fear that lay underneath about the uncertainties that lay before her. He had his own uncertainties about the future as well, but they were more on a different level. "Hey. I'm sure it'll all work out. Who knows, maybe you'll make a name for yourself in the service."

"But what if I have?" Ziva whispered to herself. She shook her head slightly. "Well, I'm hopeful that my Abba will be proud of what I do in service of my country," she said, louder this time, for Tony to hear.

"Well, I'm sure he will be." Tony smiled at Ziva. "You've got a big future ahead of you, and I'm sure you'll make an impression on your father when you do your duty."

Ziva smiled back at Tony enigmatically, lost in her thoughts for a moment. "Maybe I will," she whispered, more to herself than to Tony.

Eventually, a couple of hours after Tony and Ziva had finished eating, they headed back toward the city proper. Ziva said to Tony, "Come with me. I want to show you something. The best view that you could have, in my opinion."

Tony nodded and smiled as he followed Ziva. "Sounds like a plan. I'm sure my room has an okay view, but yours might have an even better view?" he said, with the last word rising in a question mark.

Ziva chuckled. "You'll see." She took Tony's hand and led him toward a side entrance on a very opulent building, up some stairs, and out onto a rooftop. She twirled around, holding her arms out. "This rooftop patio's one of my favorite places of this building. I use that entrance to get in and leave the place. Avoids all the bodyguards out front."

"I love this, wow..." Tony looked out over the horizon, catching sight of the peak of Mount Vesuvius off in the distance, the stars starting to twinkle into existence as the sky started to grow dark. "This is a perfect spot to watch the stars." He paused himself, then turned to look at Ziva, "I remember you telling me about your interest in astronomy years ago. Do you still do it?"

Ziva nodded, "Yes, I still do, I love watching the stars and galaxies move across the night sky. I do believe there's so much out there, and we may not alone." She cast her eyes skyward, looking at the deepening night sky.

"Yeah, every time I look up in the sky, I wonder about things. How we came to be, how the solar system formed." Tony turned to look at Ziva, and let out a short chuckle. "How we formed over these millions of years." He had a sudden flashback of a young Ziva talking to him, the words she was telling him that day about her showing him the sky over the desert one day rang in his ears. "You remember telling me about how you wanted to show me the sky over the desert all those years ago?"

"Yeah, I do remember I told you that, and I was only twelve at the time, I think." Ziva saw something in Tony's eyes for just the briefest of moments, and realized that what her grandmother had been trying to tell her over all these years about destiny and fates, how true her words were.

"The view is really breathtaking. You could see all the lights of the city way off in the distance, the big volcanic mountain. I'll tell you, it's a view to cherish, for sure," Tony said.

Ziva took a deep breath as she turned to face him and walked closer to Tony, a small smile on her face. Her liquid eyes gazed deeply into Tony's. "You know, I can't explain it, but every time I see you, something lights up in my heart. Like a good friend that's always been there," Ziva said quietly, smiling at Tony.

Tony chuckled. "I'm still in awe with how much you've grown over the years. And how mature you are for your age." He shook his head. "You're... different."

Ziva tilted her head at him. "Different, how?"

Tony shrugged and smiled. "You still have that personality that says 'never give up' about you. Even to this day, when you were losing those bodyguards so we could have some fun without them breathing down our necks." He held up his hand. "I've always liked that about you. Don't change it for anybody."

Ziva smiled. "I'm sure the IDF will make me a stronger person." She turned to Tony. "What about you? What have you been up to these years?"

Tony smiled. "Just made Homicide, like I said before. I guess all the training I did and the hard work I put in paid off. Cracked this big case wide open by finding this one guy they were looking for. He'd been on the run and off the grid for so long they thought he was dead. I followed a small lead, and the next thing you know, I'm being called in front of the chief and being asked if I would like to work Homicide." Tony snapped his fingers. "Just like that."

Ziva's eyebrows raised full mast. "Working long hours?" She had this mental image of an overworked detective looking through reams and reams of paperwork trying to find that one little crumb of clue that would crack the case. "Going through all those old case files and such?"

Tony shrugged. "All about talking with the right people, finding out more information. I still have a couple of contacts in low places," he said, wagging his eyebrows conspiratorially.

Ziva let out a chuckle. "So you have spies working for you, then." She folded her arms in front of her chest.

Tony laughed. "Not really. These people are trying to avoid a serious charge, so they'll cop to a lesser crime in exchange for giving out more intel to the police."

Ziva smiled. "Interesting. We do things somewhat differently in Israel. We're more concerned with terrorism than your everyday car robbery or bank robbery. That's why we don't make deals with terrorists," she said, fixing Tony with a serious look.

Tony stood back and looked at Ziva appreciatively. "Yeah, I can see why. Too many people out there that has a problem with the way you see things, I guess."

Ziva nodded. "Car bombings, from time to time. That's why the terrorists use those over hijackings these days. The terrorists seem to have gotten the message to not try hijacking El Al these days." Ziva smiled at Tony.

"Right." Tony nodded. "Doesn't mean I don't get my own share of excitement on the job, though." He chuckled. "Chasing down the bad guys sure can give you an adrenaline rush."

Ziva laughed. "There is that." She changed the subject. "So, besides work, what do you do? Do you have any girlfriends?"

Tony sighed as he looked at Ziva's figure standing next to the railing of the rooftop patio. He walked up next to her and leaned over the railing as he looked out over the horizon as he said, "No. Well, yes, I've dated a few, but they always seemed to more or less crash and burn." He flung his hands in the air a bit. "Don't know what their problems are."

Ziva turned to Tony, a smile on her face. "Maybe I could help you figure that out?" She stepped closer to Tony.

Tony chuckled as he took a very tiny step back, looking at Ziva. "Maybe I've known all along that they just don't click the same way we do. With the others, it was always this, or that, or some other thing they always seem to have a hangup about."

Ziva shot a look at Tony. "If something doesn't work out, don't force it. Let the relationship speak for itself. I know that's easier said than done."

Just before Tony could say something, a shower of shooting stars streaked through the night sky, catching his and Ziva's attention. "Whoa, did you see that?" Tony's finger shot up toward the sky, pointing toward the shooting stars. "That was awesome, seeing the sky light up like that."

Ziva looked up at the sky with Tony. "I saw that! That was so beautiful!" She suddenly had a realization, and looked at Tony, with wonder and awe in her eyes. "I just had a realization. You notice, right when I said 'let the relationship speak for itself and don't force things'? Or something along those lines? What happened?"

Tony nodded, looking at Ziva with a growing sense of wonder. "Those shooting stars appeared. What does that mean? That we are meant to find each other at this right time?"

"Yeah, you're possibly right." Ziva whispered to Tony while looking at the stars falling. She reached out and gently pulled Tony closer to her in a tight hug. "Just hold me please," she whispered to him.

"I got you," Tony slowly put his arm around Ziva and held her close to him, his mind still trying to catch up with what had just happened. "Hey, it'll be okay. Everything'll work out, I'm sure of it," Tony whispered into her ear as he hugged her.

Ziva smiled at Tony as she stepped back from the hug and looked up at Tony's face reaching up to move her hair away from her eyes. "Thank you for being my friend," she whispered into his ear.

Tony smiled at Ziva. "It's what friends are for, right?"

Ziva smiled. "Maybe we could see how far our friendships go. Would you like to see my bedroom?"

Tony's heart started pounding in his chest when he heard those words. "Why, sure, I'd love to see your bedroom," he said, a crooked smile on his face, his brain trying to catch up with what was happening.

Ziva smiled and took Tony's hand and led him from the rooftop patio to her bedroom, and then sat down on the bed. She reached down and started rubbing one of her feet. "Ooh, that feels good, getting out of those shoes."

"Here, let me help you," Tony half-whispered as he knelt down and took Ziva's foot and started rubbing it, causing Ziva to close her eyes and moan gently in pleasure and relief as Tony worked out the knots in her foot. "How's that feel?"

"Oh, that feels wonderful." Ziva sighed as she felt Tony's hands doing their magic on her feet. She felt his hands slowly creep up her calf, massaging them as well.

Tony looked up at her and smiled, and noticed that her eyes were closed, and a small smile was on her lips. "That feel good, up there on your calves?"

Ziva nodded. "After a long day of giving out tours, it feels wonderful."

Tony smiled and started taking his hands off of Ziva's calves and stood up in front of Ziva and eyed her up and down a little.

Ziva opened her eyes and looked up at Tony, noticing that he was furtively looking her up and down, and smiled at him. "Like what you're seeing? That I'm real and not a mirage?"

Tony blinked and shook his head slightly. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest, beating rapidly. He averted his stare slightly. "Um, yeah. Like it's hard to believe that one day you were a young girl and now you're a fine young lady almost before I knew it." He smiled at Ziva.

Ziva laughed. "And yet, you seem to not have aged a day."

Her beauty was undeniable to him. His eyes must have given it away to Ziva. He looked deep in her eyes, and his eyes told her volumes about how he felt about her, and all of a sudden he felt like he didn't need to tell Ziva anything.

Ziva saw the look, and fell into Tony's eyes, her eyes speaking volumes to Tony as she pulled Tony closer to her and planted a kiss, this time full on his lips.

"Mmph!" Tony totally did not expect that move from Ziva. Yet, he didn't resist, but rather, allowed her to kiss her, and returned the kiss, hugging her close to him.

Ziva laughed as she sat back, breaking for air. "I don't know how, it just came out." She held a hand to her lips. She looked down at the floor for a moment, then back up to Tony, a smile still on her lips.

Tony chuckled. "That was a surprise. Not saying that it was bad, not at all. But this, this felt different." He gently pulled Ziva closer to him.

Ziva snuggled into Tony's embrace and smiled up at him. "I just feel... right with you. Comfortable." She took Tony's hands and held them to her chest. "I just want you to sleep with me, just this one night. To feel your touch, smell you. So I won't forget you." Ziva smiled as she pulled him even closer to her.

Tony gulped as he smiled at her, slowly taking a seat beside her. "So you're saying you've never slept with a guy before?" he breathed the question to her, his heart beating fast.

Ziva shook her head. "No, I've never felt the desire with other men. The men out there don't appeal to me, with the way they live their lives. You, you're different from them somehow. More honest." She reached up and gently trailed a finger down Tony's arm, smiling up at him.

Tony put a hand over Ziva's, looking into her eyes. "Different, eh? I'll take that as a compliment."

"Mm." Ziva chuckled as she pulled Tony's shirt off of him, just as the clock struck midnight. She took one of his hands and put it on one of her breasts, massaging it slowly into her breast. "Feel me, touch me," Ziva breathed.

Tony's throat ran dry from excitement as he felt her breast under his hand, and he started to gingerly rub her breasts and abdomen. "Happy birthday," Tony said, smiling at Ziva.

Ziva sighed under Tony's gentle touch and moaned in pleasure. She looked into Tony's face, her eyes wide with excitement. "I've dreamt about us being together - like this - many times." She licked her lips and continued. "I want you to be my first of everything."

"I'll take it slow. Make it special for you," Tony said before he kissed Ziva on her lips, full on, as he embraced her.

"Yes, don't stop." Ziva moaned in pleasure at Tony's touch, and she pulled him into bed with him. "Keep going," she breathed.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked, his voice trembling slightly with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

Ziva nodded to him in the darkness, half of her face lit up with the moonlight streaming through the windows of her bedroom. "I want it. Please make love with me," she whispered to him.

Tony nodded wordlessly, and took her in his embrace. He took his time, slowly savoring the feel of Ziva's skin under his hands, the smell of her womanhood, the tickle of her hair against his face.

"Oh, yes, Tony!" Ziva moaned in pleasure as she felt Tony's manhood enter her.

They spent the rest of the night exploring the depths of their feelings and emotions for each other, before falling into a deep sleep in each other's arms.

As soon as the morning sun had risen to the point where it shone through the window, Ziva stirred awake. She turned over and found the bed empty. "Tony?" she called out as she swung her legs out of bed. There was no response, and she shrugged her shoulders. She walked over to the en suite bathroom, grabbing a shirt and pants on the way. She got herself dressed and walked out to the kitchen, finding Tony in there, preparing breakfast.

Ziva blinked and smiled at Tony. "I can see that," she said, walking up to Tony. "Good morning. What are you cooking for breakfast?"

Tony turned to look at Ziva and smiled. "Happy birthday, Ziva. Cooking up a nice breakfast for you. Pancakes?" He held up a freshly-done pancake on a spatula.

Ziva smiled and chuckled at Tony. "How sweet of you. Thank you," she said as she walked over to the dining table and waited for breakfast to be served.

Shortly thereafter, Tony came with two plates of breakfast and sat them down on the table as he sat across from Ziva. "Ah, breakfast's served."

Ziva smiled. "What a hearty looking breakfast," she said, looking at her plate of pancakes, eggs, and hash browns. She noticed the shape of her pancakes, which looked like two hearts laid on the plate smothered with syrup. She looked at him, but said nothing, letting her eyes do all thee talking.

Tony looked up at her and smiled. "Pancakes came out perfect, wouldn't you say?" He picked up his fork and held it over his plate.

Ziva chuckled. "More than perfect. I didn't expect you to cook such a nice breakfast for me."

Tony smiled. "I'd do anything for my dear little friend," he said, reaching out to hold her hand.

"OH YOU, not so little friend..." Ziva laughed at Tony.

"Okay, my not-so-little friend," Tony chuckled at Ziva as he took a bite of his hash browns.

"Thank you for making this a special time for me," Ziva said, taking a bite of her pancakes.

Tony smiled and nodded. "Sure makes my vacation even more worth it. An unexpected surprise because I never expected in a million years to meet you again, let alone in this city."

"Unexpected for me, too." Ziva reached out and held Tony's hand. "But a good coincidence, I would say, that we met again." She flashed a smile to Tony.

Tony looked at Ziva and smiled. "No regrets about last night?" He took a sip of his coffee.

Ziva smiled and shook her head. "None at all. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Knowing that this might be the last time we see each other, yes, I would."

Tony set his fork down and looked at Ziva across the table. He reached out after a moment and took her hand and said, "Hey, no matter wherever we are in the world, we'll find each other again, eventually. You know what they say, if you let your love go, and they find their way back to you, they're meant for that person."

Ziva nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I just hope we make it through the unknowns out there."

Tony nodded as he rubbed her hand. "I believe it'll all work out for the both of us."

Ziva tilted her head to Tony. "Will we ever know in the future if we'll see each other again?" Her face showed concern, uncertainty, a touch of fear of the unknown.

"Hey, c'mere." Tony scooted his chair closer to Ziva and put his hands on Ziva's lap. "Remember, if you keep your soulmate close to you, in your heart, you will never forget that person. Draw on that person for your strength, your inspiration." He smiled at her, planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

Ziva smiled and hugged Tony close. "I'll keep my soulmate very close to my heart," she whispered in his ear as she hugged him.

"It'll be alright," Tony whispered back to Ziva as he embraced her. "Let's make a deal with ourselves. I don't know when we will ever meet again, but let's say we do." Tony raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders. "If we ever meet again, we'll chalk this one up to destiny and not coincidence."

Ziva smiled up at Tony as she broke from the hug. "That's a deal. Only if it is obvious that destiny is pushing me in your direction."

"There you go. If we do meet again, we will know when we see it coming. This destiny thing works in weird ways for sure," Tony whispered into Ziva's ear, before tilting his head to offer Ziva a gentle kiss on her lips.

Ziva kissed him back full on gently, then broke for air and smiled up at him. "I think this place will be one place where you'd would find me again one day if I should disappear." Ziva said as she rubbed Tony's cheek, "I wont forget you."

"I will remember that." Tony broke from the hug, rubbing Ziva's shoulder. "Hey, while you were looking at the souvenirs right before we went out to that restaurant, I realized that you said something about this trip being your birthday trip, and so I thought, why not get you something." He turned and pulled a bag that had been hidden from view and set it on the table in front of the table. "Here it is."

Ziva's eyes widened in surprise. "You didn't have to," she said, her mouth in a wide O, as she reached out for the bag, and pulled out a scarf. "Oh, it's beautiful. It would certainly go well with the blouse I'm planning to wear for the day." She leaned over and hugged him tightly.

Tony smiled at Ziva as he returned her hug. "Had a bit of a hard time choosing the right one, but I felt that one fit you the best. Now you'll have something to remember me by."

Ziva broke from the hug and looked up at him as she held the scarf to her chest. "I'll always cherish this time that we had together."