A/N: Alright, here we go! Welcome to the first chapter of my new one-shot series Glimpses. Updates should be every day depending on my schedule, twice a day if the chapters are very short. Thanks for all the lovely comments left on my fluffy T&Z one-shots, clearly the plot bunnies are good for something, lol :P So, enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think! :)
"Tony, I am fine!" Ziva protested, when Tony put his arm around her back to help her out of the car.
Tony gave her a 'you've got to be kidding me' look and hovered beside her as they walked into the building. The elevator ride was silent and then Ziva dug in her pockets for her keys. He snatched them away with a triumphant grin and her eyes narrowed.
"Tony."
He sighed. "Just let me take care of you, okay?"
She gave up and followed him into her apartment. Tony saw her settled on the couch and returned a few minutes later with a couple soft ice packs and some pills for her to swallow. Reluctantly Ziva accepted the drugs and took the smaller ice pack for her nose.
Tony lifted up her shirt to apply the other one and his eyes widened at the mottled purple and red bruises covering her abdomen. "Oh Ziva." He ghosted his fingers over the marks and then gently applied the cold pack to her skin. Ziva hissed and he winced. "Sorry honey."
She closed her eyes and shrugged. "It was my turn to take several for the team. You were the one beaten up last time."
Tony stared at her seriously. "I can handle it better when it's me than you." Ziva smiled slightly, but otherwise didn't move. After awhile he stroked her cheek. "Why didn't you call me?"
Ziva struggled to force her eyes open. "What?"
He swallowed. "You were in trouble but you went to Mossad, you hid in Gibbs' basement. Why didn't you call me?"
The hurt in his voice was obvious and she sighed. "I did not know what was going on, but I was clearly a target. You are my partner, I could not put you in danger too."
Tony slid his fingers between hers. "I'm more than just your partner."
"That is exactly why I called Gibbs," Ziva elaborated. "I care too much to put you in the crossfire."
He leaned closer and brushed his lips over hers, careful not to bump her nose. She would be hurting for awhile. "Shouldn't I get some say in that?"
Ziva pushed him into position beside her and leaned against his side, putting her hand over his on her stomach. "Next time I will call."
He grinned. "Good. Now let's get you to bed."
She groaned. "That better not be what it sounds like."
Tony chuckled. "Sleeping Ziva. Just you, and me as your living, breathing body pillow. Fully clothed, I promise." Just like always, he thought. They weren't willing to rush things at all. In this case Tony wanted something different than he'd always gotten before.
His proposal took some consideration because Ziva was so comfortable she had no incentive to move, but finally she agreed. He helped her up, and saw the pinched look on her face when she drew a breath. Together they made it to her room and Tony pulled the sweater over her head, dropped a kiss on her shoulder, and slid a tank top down to cover her. He got the clasp on her bra and Ziva took it off without exposing anything. After taking her at her word that she could find pyjama bottoms by herself, Tony lay down in a t-shirt and sweatpants and held the blankets for his girlfriend, then carefully pulled her close and breathed in her hair.
"You did good today Zi, I'm proud of you."
The pain pills were kicking in and Ziva smiled sleepily. "Toda." She wove their fingers together and fell asleep while Tony held her, so thankful for that chance, knowing he could've lost her today. But they were okay, it just might take a few days for that to sink in. He sighed and kissed her temple.
"Sometimes I think I love you Ziva." He just wasn't sure if he'd ever have the courage to say it when she was awake.
Replies:
Sarah (NA 5) - You're welcome. Well, I'm not saying anything would happen or that Eli would try that, but it makes me nervous just the same. Glad you liked the end, I've been saving the baby name 'Evany' for awhile. I figure, especially at that age, the idea of having a baby around might be a little concerning, but I doubt he'll have much to worry about. I added more of Siah and Evany because they were pretty cute and it was nice of Z's thoughts to wrap everything up. Thanks for reviewing! :)
Guest (NA 5) - Hi :) Glad you liked the ending. haha...well, I like fluffy and happily ever after, so I'm bound to be predictable once in awhile. Dayne is very glad to have fans, thank you for giving him a chance. It does let us see a different side of Z because he's so far removed from anything we've ever seen in her life. You're welcome, thanks for reviewing :)
NCISProbie (EH 2) - It's nice to know that people read more than just my big series, thanks :) Aww...well, I'm totally happy to have made your day with the reply since your review made mine. I read every review and I try to reply to as many as I can because I know you guys could just as easily not leave them and I want you to know how much I appreciate the effort :) So thanks again. I'd say you're pretty good at reviews :) lol...the unseen moments are the ones that give me most of my material, so I'm thankful the show leaves room for extra creativity. lol...glad Z's reaction to G just leaving like that seems plausible. I try to stay true to the characters, tho often I do mature/evolve them to fit my purposes. Cote said something in an interview about (either 10x1 or the season in general) that she and Tony share a lot of 'loud looks'. I think that's the perfect description of those intense staring sessions they seem to have. And I always want everything to mean just a little bit more. You're welcome. I'm totally happy to make you feel special because I feel the same way whenever someone reads and reviews my writing. I never expected the kind of support I've found being part of this incredible community. If you don't have an account, you should consider getting one. PMs make it easy to chat with others :) Well, having had some authors I greatly admire reply to my reviews for their stories, I think I have an idea of what that means. haha...I'm mostly alone in my NCIS obsession as well, tho my mom humours me when I need to gush about the T&Z moments or lack thereof. You are most definitely not alone :) Oh I know, weird huh? Also saw Fornell in an old Touched By an Angel ep - they're kind of stuck in my head now as belonging to NCIS only and it throws me off. Again, thank you so much for your review. It means a lot that you take the time :) ~Aliyah
Sarah (EH 2) - Thanks :) I hear there are pictures involved in the ep, so T showing Z pics of him and his mom would be even more poignant. And of course, I am hoping for a super sweet Tiva moment...we'll see how that goes. I agree that Senior dealt with the loss of his wife similarly to what Gibbs did. They were both trying to fill the empty spaces but nothing ever fit right. That is the key different tho, G would've given Kelly everything, whereas Senior preferred, it seems, to deal with his son as little as possible. It makes me sad that little Tony had to deal with that abandonment on top of losing his mom. *sigh* I'll feel better if Z hugs him tho :) I tried to find a princess name, so I'm glad that works. I figured if T was pouring his heart out, it was only fair that Z share something too. I always wondered what happened that put Eli back in his kids' lives, clearly their mom was just trying to protect them. I didn't think we had an actual date of when Z's mother died or how, so I just took a guess at the age. Thanks for reviewing!
ncis-1001 (EH 2) - I would love to see a scene like this on TV. I'd probably drop over in a dead faint if he actually touched her that way and she let him, lol. He's more likely to get kicked into next week. But I'm glad it worked out in FF. Can't way when I'll be updating but I will try to do at least one chapter per episode. Thanks for reviewing! :)
Sarah (I Do) - Thanks :) Well, as much as I think yeah, Wending leaving left him a little insecure, in this case it was more that he and Z are so close that he could sense her being in need of some reassuring. Glad they could work that out. I liked putting Celeste in there, even if it was only a few lines. I should've warned people that my RofS characters may make random appearances in other stories if I can use them. Thanks for reviewing :)
Sarah (WYMM) - Thanks :) Well, the first couple times I don't think T was actually being serious, I think he was testing the waters to see what kind of reaction he got. But yeah, I can imagine that when he started to feel strongly about asking, that being continually turned down would be frustrating. Glad he persevered tho :) Glad you liked the end. haha...a lot of people liked the line about him not being able to kiss her. I could see T&Z doing something totally unconventional like this, should it ever happen. Thanks for reviewing! :)
Joy Booth (WYMM) - I agree. lol...I think fans feel pretty strongly about the fact that a life must exist for the team somewhere outside those orange walls. Many things are assumed and guessed at, I think some of us would have to be right some of the time ;) I hope they hang out without work being involved. Thanks for reviewing! :)