DISCLAIMER: I own none of NCIS

A/N: So this is my first fanfic ever so please review and let me know what you think, should i continue with it?

Time is the only constant of the universe. Life begins and invariably ends but as we as a society advance life lasts longer and is in a word or three: No longer constant. Tony was only just beginning to appreciate the irony in this. Time flies by when you're having fun but in reality it is just continuing at its constant speed; it is our perceptions of time and irrelevant manipulations and attempts at controlling time which make the specific length of time seem to be altered. For Tony time had slowed to almost a standstill, a film at only 25% its actual speed. For 2 years Tony had been forced to measure time by those around him rather than himself for fear of remembering what he was missing: Ziva.

Ziva like Tony had trouble adapting to time apart and, like for Tony, time seemed to reflect that of a poor book: a slow start, an imperceptible climax that one has to search and search for to find and an undefined ending. The ending which has yet to be written.

Ziva was puzzled; her day had started in the usual way: she woke up and went for a run. That much had never changed, even while trying to better herself and become who she once wanted to be – before Mossad moulded her into a perfect soldier - for Ziva was a creature of habit. But that was the end of the similarities. Once returning from her run she discovered a package on her doorstep with no postal markings or address and weighing very little.

Almost as soon as she noted these discrepancies, Ziva shifted from a state of calm to alert as she carefully opened the package. Immediately three objects caught her eye: A note; a plane ticket to London and her Star of David necklace.

Despite 2 long years of absence, Ziva began worrying about Tony's welfare and how he might be in trouble. Thankfully her newly discovered rationality, from her time discovering herself, kicked in and Ziva decided to read the note before jumping to conclusions. At first glance Ziva had trouble reading the words for they blurred together as she recognized the uniquely cursive script. So almost as suddenly as she decided to read it she put it down, momentarily glancing at it before continuing with her day.

It wasn't until a few hours later that Ziva remembered the package and it's contents as it caught the corner of her eye while cleaning. She knew she couldn't put it off any longer: She had to read it. If she didn't she knew she'd regret it.

Zi,

It has been some time since we last spoke, I guess that's my fault as well as yours. Every day I think of you and every day I wish it could be different, but I respected your wishes and allowed you to try to move on and become who you wanted to be. I hope you have succeeded. The plane ticket is an ultimatum: I need to see you, I hope you come but I guess if you don't I'll be forced to move on however hard it may be.

I once said " I can't live without you" I still can't.

-Tony

Ziva wanted to go, that much she knew, but something held her back and, like the thoughts that plagued her and Tony for years preventing their own happy ending, Ziva's thoughts were full of fear. What if he was lying? Would he like what she had become? But the one that troubled her was: What does he mean he couldn't and can't live without her?

Glancing at the tickets Ziva noticed the departure time and almost like a sudden craving for Tony had struck she walked out the door and drove towards the airport.

Tony was lost. Well that was an understatement. Tony was stuck. He couldn't move forward. He was stuck in the past. In one last attempt to move forward he may have given up his chance for hope. But then what did he have to lose?