The car sped quietly down the long, winding road, leaving the bustle of Washington, D.C. behind as they headed toward the safe house hidden in the woods. Ziva sat in the passenger seat, her eyes focused on the road ahead, scanning for any signs of danger. Tony was at the wheel, his usual laid-back demeanor barely masking the underlying tension that came with the situation. In the backseat, Tali and Rivka were seated, the weight of the days events still hanging heavy in the air.
Tony, ever the master of breaking uncomfortable silences, decided now was a good time to lighten the mood. "You know," he started, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, "this reminds me of that movie Safe House with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. The whole thing with the secret safe houses, high-speed chases, people trying to kill them—pretty much our life right now, minus the popcorn."
Ziva's jaw tightened, and she shot him an annoyed look. "Tony, not now." This was typically Tony. Always had a move in his mind for every situation. But Ziva was not in the mood for his movie talk right now.
But Tony wasn't one to give up easily. "I'm just saying… Denzel plays this ex-CIA operative and—"
"Tony," Ziva cut him off sharply. "I said shut up."
Tali, sitting behind them, stifled a nervous chuckle, while Rivka remained quiet, her gaze fixed outside the window. Tony, catching the tension in Ziva's voice, cleared his throat and decided to drop the movie trivia for once.
"Alright then no safe house trivia for you. Then let's be silent like in a quiet place" he added and earned a very angry glance from Ziva.
The car wound its way further into the dense woods, the city disappearing behind them as the thick trees loomed overhead. It was quiet, isolated—perfect for keeping Rivka and Tali off the radar.
"You still grumpy that I would not let you drive?" He asked Ziva after a while as he hated the silence in the car.
"If her driving skills have not approved over the years it is better that way" said Tali from the back.
"What do you mean with that?" Asked Tony confused as Tali only knew Ziva when she was a kid. "I still remember Ziva stealing our fathers car when we where kids"
"Wait what?" Asked Tony shocked. "You stole a car Ziva?"
"You still remember?" Asked Ziva.
"Of cause I do. Whenever I did not want to do anything Ari teased me with if I don't help him or something like that he will let you drive me around" she said laughing.
"Can any of you please go back in the time to tell me what happened?" Asked Tony still being interested in the story.
"It's not that spectacular Tony" said Ziva.
"You stole Elis car Zi I really want to know why and how he reacted to that" said Tony.
But it was Rivka who started to tell Tony the story. "I was with my sister Nettie and my daughters where with their father but he had something better to do than look after them. So Tali and Ziva where outside playing between the olive trees. At least that's what they told me. Tali fell from a tree and had broken her arm. The bone stood out a little bit" she continued.
"And I still have a little scar because of that" said Tali.
"So eight year old Ziva decided it was the best idea to steal her fathers key to drive Tali to the hospital because Eli did not want to be disturbed. She was almost at the hospital when she almost had an accident with a college professor what was his name again?"
"Schmeil Pinkhas" said Ziva smiling.
"Wait that is how you met Schmiel?" Asked Tony.
"Yes that was his name and no. We already knew Schmiel as he was a friend of my aunt" continued Rivka. "He then took over the wheel to drive them to the hospital and called me at Netties. Afterwards Ziva wanted me to show her how to drive and I gave her a view lessons so that she would be quiet about it. But her driving skills where so bad that I did not dare to continue teaching her."
"Well they still are quite bad" said Tony laughing.
Ziva playfully hit Tonys shoulder and he said "Hey don't harm the driver"
"My diving is not bad" said Ziva.
"Ohhh no it's not" said Tony sarcastically. "It's just like a near death experience most of the time" he continued earing a death stare from Ziva.
"At least I am not the one who already had three totally wrecked cars" she muttered almost a whisper.
"Hey those where not my fault" said Tony slightly hurt. "Well at least not two times".
"Can you explain that further?" Asked Tali always being the nosey one.
"One time my car got stolen and wrecked and the other time an idiot of CIS Agent blew up my car" said Tony.
When they finally arrived, the safe house was a small, rustic cabin nestled deep within the forest. It wasn't exactly luxurious, but it was secure, and that was all that mattered.
Tony parked the car, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned to Ziva. "I'll check the place out first. You stay with them."
Ziva nodded, giving him a silent look of appreciation. Tony climbed out of the car and headed toward the cabin, his sharp eyes scanning the perimeter as he approached. He moved swiftly, checking the windows, the locks, and the surrounding area before entering the cabin. Inside, the air was musty, the furnishings old and basic, but nothing seemed out of place.
"Clear!" Tony called out, stepping back outside to wave them in.
Ziva and the others followed, with Tali hesitating slightly as she stepped out of the car and took in the sight of the safe house. Her nose wrinkled in distaste. "We're staying here?"
Ziva didn't miss her sister's expression and shot her a sideways glance. "It's a safe house, not a hotel, Tali."
Tali shrugged, still looking somewhat repulsed by the cabin's worn appearance. "I can see that."
Rivka, ever the observant one, walked inside and scanned the small living room, her eyes lingering on Ziva as she began discreetly placing weapons in strategic places—behind the old couch, near the entrance, under the stairs.
"Always prepared," Rivka remarked dryly, her gaze following Ziva's movements. "Just like your father."
Ziva didn't respond, but her jaw clenched ever so slightly at the mention of Eli. She quickly finished stashing her weapons and moved to join the others.
Upstairs, the safe house had two small bedrooms, both basic but functional. Ziva motioned toward the rooms as they stood in the narrow hallway.
"Tali, you and Rivka can take these rooms," Ziva said, gesturing to the doors. "They're small, but they'll do for the night."
Tali peeked into one of the bedrooms and then turned to Ziva, raising an eyebrow. "Where are you and Tony going to sleep?"
Before Ziva could respond, Tony, who had just made his way up the stairs, pointed to the worn-out pull-out couch in the living room. "That'll be my bed for the night," he said, flashing his signature grin.
Tali, ever the tease, smirked and folded her arms. "So… you and Tony are sharing the couch, then?"
Tony's eyebrows shot up, and he opened his mouth to respond, but Ziva cut him off, her tone firm. "No. We'll take turns."
Tali wasn't about to let it go that easily. "Uh-huh. Have you two ever shared a bed before?" she asked, her tone dripping with playful curiosity.
Ziva shot her sister a sharp look, her patience thinning. "Tali," she said warningly.
Tony, meanwhile, looked like he was trying to suppress a grin. "Hey, Ziva, she's just asking a question…"
Ziva turned to him, her expression daring him to push it further. "Don't."
Rivka, who had been quietly observing the interaction while bringing her bag upstairs, raised an eyebrow but said nothing, though Ziva could tell her mother was listening closely to every word. The tension between Tony and Ziva didn't escape her notice.
Tali, sensing she'd hit a nerve, chuckled softly and stepped back into her room, clearly entertained. "I'll leave you two to sort that out."
Ziva shook her head, exasperated, as she turned back toward the stairs, muttering something under her breath in Hebrew. Tony, ever the joker, leaned closer and said, "I think that went well."
Ziva shot him a glare. "Don't push your luck, DiNozzo."
"Who, me? Never," Tony quipped, though his grin remained as he started to walk towards the car again to get the groceries.
Ziva followed after a moment, her mind racing with everything that had happened. But for now, she pushed it all aside. They were safe, at least for as long as they stayed at the safe house.
For now, all she had to do was survive a night in close quarters with Tony and her family without losing her patience.Which, at this point, felt like a mission in itself.
After bringing everything inside Tali and Rivka where still upstairs to prepare their beds and rooms so Ziva sat up the secure laptop and called McGee to check in with the rest of the team.