Tony flipped through the months-old issue of Sports Illustrated, pretending it was current and Ohio State was still unbeaten on its way to the BCS Championship. That was one good thing about hospitals – you could always pretend the world was several months younger and some of the bad stuff hadn't happened yet. He reflected that if it were really the date on the magazine, Ziva wouldn't be in the hospital. In fact, she'd be about two weeks away from being shot by a guy hiding under a staircase while Tony teased her about not being able to crack a digital safe.

He shook his head and tried to focus on his magazine, but his eyes were drawn to the door of Ziva's room, still closed, as it had been since he, Eyal and the baby had been kicked out so as not to disturb the sacred ceremony of 'girl talk.' The only nurse who had attempted to enter had been turned away with Adi's shouted assertion, "I'm a doctor!"

"Since when does Ziva have such good relationships with other women? Like, talk for hours on end relationships?" he inquired of Troy Smith, who stared back unblinkingly from the page. "Yeah, well, don't look so smug, Heisman-boy."

"Talking to yourself might not be the best idea. They do have a small psychiatric unit here, Tony."

He looked up and smiled. "I may need it if my Buckeyes don't redeem themselves this season, Jenny." He swung his legs off the end of the bank of poorly cushioned seats to make room for the Director. "Here to visit Ziva?"

"Yes. I have to admit, I'm a little surprised to see you out here. Is she sick of your company?"

"No, she's not. It's just that…" he dropped his automatic defensive tone when he saw that Jenny was smiling. "Sorry. I've been getting a bunch of, uh, surprised reactions from the people I've told about the engagement and I…"

"You don't have to explain, Tony. I see the two of you almost everyday and I still can't believe it. In a good way," she clarified at his frown. "So why are you sitting in the hall reading old magazines?"

"Her friend Adi's in there, probably…" he trailed off. Adi's reaction to the news of his and Ziva's engagement had been unreadable silence, which probably meant something bad. Eyal, on the other hand, had seemed pretty happy, congratulating Tony again before he left with the baby. Still feeling slightly insecure over the newly revealed information about Eyal's past with Ziva, Tony had jokingly commented, "Nothing you haven't done already, huh?"

Eyal had considered him seriously. "Do you want me to assume you're speaking of marriage in general?"

"What are you going to tell me if I want something more specific?"

"It's in the past. And she didn't…" Tony wasn't sure if his memory had added the sudden, fleeting slump in Eyal's shoulders. "Look, I don't have any regrets. Why should I? I have a wife and daughter whom I love very much. And Ziva has you. I'd make threats about breaking her heart, but I know her father." He'd shaken Tony's hand and offered his best wishes again before leaving.

"Tony?" Jenny's voice called him back to the moment.

"Oh, yeah. I mean…what were you saying?"

"I was just asking how long Adi and Ziva have been alone in there."

"Oh, right." He consulted his watch, though the empty soda bottle and coffee cups lined up on the floor told him before he started judging the position of the little hand. "About an hour and a half."

"Hm. Think I should risk an interruption?"

"Why not? Adi can't get mad at you." He dropped the magazine on his seat as he rose and stretched before following Jenny to the closed door, not particularly caring if his assessment of Ziva's best friend would turn out accurate.

Adi, in fact, did not get angry about the interruption, being more alarmed about the time as she checked her watch. Tony was pleased to see that she seemed more amiably disposed to him as she said her goodbyes, giving him kisses on both cheeks and saying she'd drop by to see them both the following day. He sank into one of the chairs at Ziva's bedside, waiting until Adi had left before asking, "So she likes me again then? Or has she just accepted that she's stuck with me if she still wants to hang out with you?"

Ziva's eyebrows contracted. "When did she not like you?"

"Well, when you told her we're engaged, she didn't seem too…"

"She was just surprised. Oh, and we can add her to the list of people who'll kill us if we elope."

"Am I on that list?" Jenny asked, reminding Tony of the reason he was back in Ziva's room.

"Absolutely, Jen," Ziva replied. Her eyes darted to Tony before she turned her attention to Jenny. "Any news on…any news?"

"Long gone and no traces," she answered, just as vaguely. "Yet."

Tony watched them, assuming that they were talking about whatever it was that was causing Gibbs so much misery. Maybe Gibbs was right and he should make an attempt to prod Ziva into giving up more information. A small glimpse of black under the pillow as she sat up momentarily to adjust her position quashed that idea. As much as he wanted some reassurances that Ziva and Jenny weren't going to be off on some international super spy mission the second she was released from the hospital, he had no desire to annoy Ziva into whipping out her Glock. He maintained his silence as the two women exchanged some more brief, ambiguous comments about 'them,' comforting himself with Ziva's assurances that she wouldn't leave him behind with no explanations.

The conversation took a more positive turn after that, though Tony had very little to add on the topic of venues for the wedding and reception. From her expression and occasional grunts to demonstrate her continued attention to a suddenly talkative Jenny, he could see that Ziva wasn't eager to commit to any of the water or monument views that Jenny was suggesting. After ten minutes long minutes, Jenny finally said, "This is probably all premature. You haven't even set a date, yet, have you?"

"No," Ziva stated firmly.

Just to be difficult, Tony added, "But we haven't had much time to talk about it either. Get back to us tomorrow and we'll let you know."

Jenny took him far less seriously than Ziva did. As soon as their boss was gone, she seized a clump of his shirt and pulled him toward her. "Can we please just take this one step at a time?"

"I was just kidding," he said, taking advantage of the forced proximity by placing some wet kisses on her neck. "So when are you getting out of here?"

"Tony, it's going to be a few weeks before we can…"

He didn't try to stop her from shrinking back. "It was a legitimate question."

"Oh. Not for a few days, at least." When he sank back into his seat with some disappointment, she added, "Hey, I'm not any happier about it than you are."

"I know. I just…" He shrugged rather than complete the thought. He decided they were going to work on their communication and honesty in non-life-threatening situations at some point before they got married. It was possible that this just wasn't the right time for him to admit that he missed her for more than physical reasons. Even with the snoring, the sheet-stealing and the threats when his busy hands didn't want to take no for an answer, he wanted her sleeping in his bed. Their bed. "If I sleep alone too much longer, I'll just get used to it and you'll have to retrain me when you get home."

"Will I need to use the handcuffs?"

He fidgeted uneasily. "Don't bring that up too often. McGee told me he might include it in his next novel. Turns out that Tommy and Lisa have fallen desperately in love."

"I am not desperate."

Tony grinned, sensing it was safe to move from his chair to a seat on the bed. "Y'know, 'desperately' wasn't the most interesting word in that sentence."

Ziva smiled back as he leaned over her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He settled himself beside her with a feeling of happy contentment. "How about a movie?"

The End

A/n: Thank you to all who read and reviewed! Not entirely sure what happens next…maybe a(nother) sequel. A fluffy one.