Ziva

-

What was I to do? For the first time in a long time, I was in love. In love with a man I never thought I would never love in a million years. What if Tim and Abby were right about their suspicions? From what Tony told me, both are worried sick for our well being. I, too, remember what happens every time we get close. It's always either followed by one of us being shot at, kidnapped, exposed, or even one of us losing this sense of feeling. Though I never really noticed it before, my friends have and that is all that matters. Even Gibbs can agree that something will happen. It wasn't his words, but his eyes said it all.  
After taking the man suspected of having an affair with the lieutenant's wife and killing off the competition, we brought him back to NCIS and began to interrogate. Tim and Abby were still down in the lab doing who knows what, Gibbs was doing the interrogating, which left Tony and I observing him. We stood inches apart; so close I could feel his heart beat beneath my shirt. How could anything go wrong between us? Everything was so…perfect. For once in my life I didn't need to do a background check on my love interest thinking he could be planning my demise. It was actually…nice.
"Are you okay?" Tony asked, secretly taking my hand. I glanced down at his hand before looking up. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine. I expect more from a professional liar."
"Oh Tony…I can't lie to you anymore." I smiled feeling somewhat…happy. Like dragonflies were fluttering in my stomach. Tony smiled and kissed my hand. I blushed lightly before sighing. "What if McGee is right?"
He raised an eyebrow. "McGee? Right? Now that's worth the laugh," Tony chuckled as he turned me towards him. I admit…I did laugh a bit. He always managed to make me laugh even if I didn't want to.
"I'm serious, Tony. Both him and Abby believe that us being together will only cause something terrible to happen."
"And you believe them?"
"History has repeated itself over and over again. I'm not saying that we can't be together but-"
Tony silenced me by a quick kiss. "Everything will be fine Ziva. We have made it this far, haven't we?"
My face burned with embarrassment, but with a smile I kissed him back. "I suppose we have…" Except those words were empty. All my life I have witnessed things like this take place. Two lovers find each other only to be ripped apart by death's gripes. I can't risk losing the love of my life again.
-Later-

Once again, we (well most of us) were all back in the squad room, doing what Gibbs commanded us to do. Tony and Gibbs were confirming the man's alibi, McGee was running through cameras to double confirm his alibi, and I was supposed to be finding out the man's background. Only problem was, I couldn't stop thinking about Tony. Was he okay?
"Are you okay?"
I looked up at McGee and sighed. "I'm fine, McGee."
"You don't look fine…Ziva." He answered smartly. What the hell? Was I really beginning to lose my grip?
Okay, so I wasn't entirely fine, but I wasn't ready to admit it to him. "I'm just trying to focus on the case."
He raised an eyebrow before getting out of his chair to walk over to me. Not another one of his "talks"… "Its about Tony…isn't it?"
I kept my eyes on the screen. "Maybe. Maybe not."
Tim pushed the mouse from me. "Nothing will happen."
He isn't the only one to tell me that today… "I know, Tim."
"No, really. Tony really loves you and he won't make the same mistakes in his past. You're too…"
"Smart for him?"
"Well…yeah but what I was going so say is that you are different. For years you two flirted back and forth with each other but you never took the bait. When one of you were hurt, the other would freak out. Subtlety, but you did. Plus on many occasions you have saved his life. Tony wouldn't just throw that way nor would he ever let something happen to you."
"He saved my ass a few times too." He added seconds after.
There was truth in his words. Tony was like a "mini-Gibbs"…there was no way something could happen between us.
---
It ends up the man was innocent. He was just basically a family friend who was in a committed marriage with three kids and was talking about a "surprise party for his best buddy". So far the only person with a motive was the lieutenant's wife and she had an alibi. Well…that and his boss who was making him go on top secret missions, but we have yet to interrogate him. Gibbs and McGee were out, leaving Tony and I alone…finally.
"I still think it's the wife," Tony said seriously as he entered the bathroom. I followed him into the bathroom and leaned against the counter. "But she has an alibi, Tony. Its no use to count her as a suspect anymore."
Tony lifted up a finger and turned his head towards me with a smile a mile wide. "Ah, but I have been right about these things before, haven't I?"
I couldn't help but laugh. "That you have…" I muttered once he finished washing his hands. With one thing in mine I wrapped my arms around his waist and reached for a kiss. To my expectations, Tony kissed back, pushing the hair out of my face gently before pulling me closer to him. The kiss lasted a long time, only breaking once or twice to catch our breaths. For a split second he pulled away and leaned towards my ear, muttering; "I love you"
Those three words warmed my spirit. That was all I needed for today.
I was confident this could work…