Ziva stood alone. It was a beautiful summer day in Israel – the breeze added a soft symphony to the bubble of the lake beside where she stood, but for Ziva, even nature's best could not comfort her lonely and bruised heart.

It had been three years, three years since leaving NCIS and three years since her kiss with Tony. Tony. The name itself made her heart shudder as the memory of feeling his soft lips caressing hers crossed her mind. She loved him and she knew it, everything about him. Even his annoying pranks and occasional irritating comments made the corners of her mouth crease on her tear-stained face that almost resembled a smile. Smile. How could she smile when all that was in her heart was the numbing regret knowing away at her conscience and making her mind fixate upon the one thing she was trying so hard to forget – Tony.

"Ziva".

She looked up, startled – her skin prickling. On instinct, Ziva's hand automatically moved to the side of her hip where three years ago, she would have found her weapon. Her eyes searched the expanse of the olive orchard. There was no-one.

"Ziva" again.

"Get over yourself" she thought. "No-one's here", the phrase she repeated over and over to herself, pushing away the thought, no, the almost certainty that the voice she was hearing sounded almost like...like... Tony.

Suddenly shivering, Ziva shook off the doubt, got up and started walking towards home. The waves in her hair gently swayed down her back as the light from the trees sparkled on its surface, making it glimmer as she quickened her pace. If Ziva didn't have the unease about her, she would have noticed the jagged rock in her path and would not have stabbed her toe against it so hard, that it swelled."Oh-" she sighed, removing her sandal and momentarily stopping to check her injury. As quickly as the wind came, the light above her suddenly became dimmer and she squinted. "Oh" she said again, this time a lump forming in her throat.

There was a man above her. Tony.

Almost in a split second, Ziva recognised him. Her heart, thudding so loud against her chest made her sure he could hear it. He was the same but so different. Tony's eyes were, as always, the mesmerising green that she lately found herself often day-dreaming about, and his frame, tall but now more muscled, was standing in front of her. A few seconds passed.

Silence. No-one spoke, there weren't any words. Not for the moment.

Tony's eyes slowly, and slightly sadly, looked deeply at Ziva's face. She was still so beautiful, so perfect but much more tan. Her olive-skin was clearly embraced by the Sun and her eyes, still the deep, dark clouds of mystery that fascinated him.

They needed this. To look at each other.

Tony was the first to react. Quietly and gently, he closed the large gap between them and left a tiny space, fit for a thin beam of light to separate their bodies from touching. With a strong hand, he gently cupped her face, her beautiful face."I missed you Ziva" he croaked, the bottled emotion suddenly pouring out of his throat and breaking his voice.

She didn't speak but the cloudy formation of her eyes soon added a dampness to her cheeks as the tears started to come. She couldn't believe that he was here, after so long. Why now? Not that she was complaining, but they, well she, had decided on a new start, a new life. Now that was broken for better or for worse. She knew that now they had met again, she could never let him go, at least, not without breaking the remaining shattered fragments of her heart.

She softly swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I missed you too".