Partners

~Authors Note~
This was originally supposed to be just a sexy oneshot between Ziva and Tony but instead I wrote this first part. Because I didn't plan on this extra stuff it does feel a bit tacked on. The reason I'm writing this is because they are the best "What if" couple on the show and I think Cote de Pablo is absolutely beautiful. The next chapter might start out immediately with the sex, and if for some reason I want to continue making a story for it I will do a third chapter explaining what happened before that. Please rate and review even if you don't like the story!

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Ziva
I’ve made so many bad choices in my life, but I’ve rarely regretted any of them. Regretting ones choices in life is a weakness and are only for people who can’t live with their decisions. I learned that during my Mossad training and at the time I believed in that fact, but now as I steal glances at Tony from across my desk I begin to feel regret. Regret that I could fall for someone who is so obviously not my type. Still, even as he cracks his jokes, plays his pranks and invades my privacy I still smile.

Before I became the liaison between Mossad and NCIS, I rarely smiled unless it was just before putting a bullet in some fool’s chest. Smiling just simply wasn’t my thing unless it served a purpose. Now this...man, this foolish man can make me smile so effortlessly I barely notice when I’m doing it. It’s confusing and annoying and there is not a single thing I can do about it. There is no way I can prevent the smile that spreads across my face when he smiles, the ache in my heart when he’s sad, or the furnace under my skin when he gets close.

I should have better control over myself. The fact that a single person can make me feel so many distracting things is dangerous in our line of work. One bad decision can mean life or death, and for someone with my extensive emotional training to fall so easily is insulting. Yes, insulting is definitely the right word. He catches me looking at him and arches an eyebrow curiously, making me lower my eyes down to the stack of papers on my desk.

“Hey, Ziva. Are you sure you’re ok?”

Concern is clearly evident in his voice. His concern annoys me...somewhat.

“Will you stop asking me that? I’m fine!”

I don’t mean to make my voice sound so sharp but I can’t help it. I can kill a person in so many different ways and he’s worried about me? Ok, sure, there was that whole Michael thing but he was there and he was convenient. He’s a nice guy but I definitely was not in my right mind. I needed release and sex is so much better for that than alcohol. Combine my mental distress with alcohol and increased desire and you get what happened: Senseless sex.

The sex served its purpose and helped me a little bit, although part of me didn’t like resorting to that to help my problems. Tony had been so nosey about it although I don’t see why it was his business in the first place. It was so weird seeing him like that. His concern for me was almost overwhelming, as was his reaction to me sleeping with Michael. It really strained our partnership. It has only been a few days since I left Michael to pursue his own life and I have no problem with that.

Although I feel a lot better, Tony asks about my health every day and sometimes more than once. Tony sighs and taps a pencil against his desk.

“Whoa, hey you don’t need to bite my head off. You’ve just been zoning out a lot and I’m a little worried.”

I’m not certain if I should be pleased or upset that he can’t stop worrying about me. His concerned eyes bore into me and I look down at my desk, not focusing on anything in particular.

“I know. I just don’t want you worrying about me. I’m over it.”

I am over it. I peer over at McGee who seems to be trying to ignore our small conversation. He catches me looking at him and immediately gets back to work. Suddenly, Gibbs walks into the room.

“There’s a dead body at a cemetery.”

He grabs his gun and jacket. I was under the impression that a cemetery is full of dead bodies, but I figure it’s wise not to say that out loud. Too bad Tony doesn’t have the same forethought.

“I bet there are a lot of bodies there, boss.”

Gibbs smacks him on the back of the head.

“Dinozzo, prepare the van.”

We all gather our things and quickly enter the elevator.


One Day Later
I swirl the cold beer in my hand and look around the mostly empty bar. It’s a fairly typical bar but for some reason I’ve always enjoyed the loud music, drunken banter, and the guys constantly hitting on me. Most of the time I just humor them to see what kind of crappy pickup lines are still in use these days.

“’ello there pretty lady, let me buy you a drink.”

Thank God for stereotypes huh? A large burly man who could pass as a gorilla, with just as much hair, sat down in the chair next to me. He smiled at me and and licked his lips, as if hungry.

“No thanks, I already have one.”

Ok, so perhaps my tone is a little cold but I’m not in the mood for this right now. I heard some chuckling and noticed two other guys of similar build to this one watching us. Must be his friends.

“It’s not nice to turn away my generosity. It may be different where you lived, but now yer in America and should take a drink when offered.”

I laugh before I can stop myself and continue to laugh for at least a minute, while the guy next to me becomes increasingly annoyed. When I finally stop I look at him and can’t help but smile at the glares he’s sending my way.

“Go away, you’re annoying me.”

Perhaps I could have said it a bit more nicely but he didn’t get the hint the first time. He stands up and whispers something that sounds like “Bitch” and walks across the room to rejoin his friends. I let the insult slide and check my watch. Tony was supposed to meet me here thirty minutes ago. After what happened between Michael and I, things have been a bit strained between Tony and I.

I invited him here so we could resolve the issues we have. I’ll never admit it aloud, but I do really care about him. He is always there when I need him and I trust no one as much as I trust him. Due to my training I’m hardwired to trust very few people, and to this day it still surprises me that someone like Tony can gain my trust. I smile slightly at that thought. I look at my watch again and sigh. Maybe I should leave and reschedule for tomorrow. The case wasn’t difficult but Tony looked exhausted when it was over. He probably just fell asleep.

“Stood up again.”

I mutter that aloud and stand up. I barely make it two steps before I feel something slap my butt. Wait a minute...did someone just slap my butt? I spin around and instantly catch the hand that slapped me and twisted then pulled hard. The guy that was hitting on me before yelled in pain and fell to his knees. I glare daggers at him and put more pressure on the hand, causing excruciating pain.

“Ahhh! Let go ya bitch!”

I kick him in the face and he falls on to his back, yelling and clutching his bleeding nose. His two friends charge me and I quickly duck under the first swing and grab one of their arms and use the momentum to shove him fast first into the wall. I quickly turn around to deal with the third one and his fist connected with my jaw. My vision blurrs slightly but I am too well trained to let that stop me.

I knock aside his next swing and my first connects hard with his face, also breaking his nose and sending him stumbling back to crash into a chair.

“Well that was fu-”

I see the flash of metal a split second too late as the first guy I took down swung a knife at me. The knife cuts into my right arm and I quickly jump back half a step to avoid more damage. I clutch at my arm for a moment, allowing myself to get used to the sting.

“Ya shoulda just let me buy ya a drink, lady.”

He charges forward and I kick out, connecting hard with his chest. He’s too big to knock back but he does stop for a moment. That’s all I need. I leap forward, grab his wrist, and with a hard tug snap it like a twig. The man screams and drops his knife and in one fluid motion I catch the knife just before it hits the ground, spin, and press it against his throat.

“Getting familiar with the locals I see.”

She turns her head and sees Tony standing a few feet away, an amused expression on his face. I smile and crack the hilt of the knife against the mans head, knocking him out cold.

“He slapped my butt. I didn’t take it well.”

Tony chuckles and walks up to me, looking at the three guys on the floor and then at me. Concern flashes across his eyes for a moment and he raises his right hand to my cheek.

“That has to hurt.”

He says that barely above a whisper and with concern dripping from his voice. My body reacts to his gentle touch and a warm burn lights itself beneath my skin. He’s touched me plenty of times, but nothing quite like this. To this day it still surprises me how much such a simple act can create a very powerful reaction. I brush my injured cheek lightly against his hand against my will before pulling away.

“I’ve had a lot worse. I’ll be fine.”

He smiles again and chuckles.

“I know.”

I take a look around me and decide that perhaps a bar wasn’t the best place for us to talk.

“This hive is getting a little old. Let’s...go back to my place.”

I say that with so much hesitancy. He’s never been alone with me at my own home before. I’m not naive. I know there is a mutual attraction between us, but I just can’t risk it.

“That’s dive, Ziva, and sure I wasn’t in the mood to drink anyway.”

I smile and step on one of the guys when we leave the bar.