Title: The Other Woman

Author: rekkidbraka

Rating: T

Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.

Category: Romance

Disclaimer: No infringement intended.

Spoilers: None

Summary: Tony and Chad search for Ziva, finding someone else.

Rota, Spain

"Slap the back of my head again just ONE more time and I'll ..." Tony began, just as he felt Chad Dunham's palm graze the back of his head. Startled (again), Tony needed a second to get himself together.

"You'll SHUT UP for five seconds, DiNozzo?"

Chad, like Gibbs back home, was tired of Tony's incessant chatter — about movies, about the differences between Spain and America that he'd noted, about the food, about Ziva. Always about Ziva. Dunham understood that Tony was frantic to find his fianceé but did he have to talk ALL the time? He'd never worked with anyone who seemingly couldn't keep any of his or her thoughts to themselves.

God, please let us find Ziva fast, Chad silently prayed. Before DiNozzo's mouth gets going again and...

"When Gibbs slaps me, he slaps me with love," Tony muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "But you, you slap me with hate. Unbridled hate. Anger, even. The anger of a man who's..."

Damn... Too late, Chad sighed to himself.

"And Ziva never told you where she was going? Not ONE word?" Tony pressed. Chad should know more than he did, Tony thought. After all, Ziva had been working with him, right?

"For the 842nd time," Chad drawled, yawning, "Ziva didn't say a DAMN THING ABOUT WHERE SHE WAS GOIN', YOU HEAR ME?"

"Loud and clear," Tony replied, snarling. "Emphasis on the 'loud' part." He sipped at his coffee while he and Chad sat in the streetside patio area of an outdoor café. "Can't believe she'd just head off like that — not checking in, not mentioning her plans, not..."

"I thought I recognized that voice," a woman said from behind where Tony and Chad sat. Her voice was biting, sarcastic and all too familiar to Tony. Hearing it, he cringed, unable to turn and face the speaker. "The only question is, is it the voice of Tony DiNARDO or Tony DiNOZZO? Or do YOU even know anymore, Tony?"

Chad squinted, turning back to see who was insulting his friend. He found a young woman, not unattractive but at this moment not appealing, glaring back at him. With a little shiver of chill running down his spine, Chad quickly turned away again and gulped down some coffee.

"Hello, Jeanne," Tony finally said softly, before forcing himself to face his ex-girlfriend.

"Let me guess," Jeanne said caustically, a harsh smirk on her face, "you're here to seduce some woman into giving you important information? Or to get HER father killed? What is it this time, hmmm? And who are YOU this time? A film professor? Or just the liar that you always have been?"

"I'll leave you two alone for a minute," Chad drawled, hastily heading towards the inside of the café to get a coffee refill. "It's obvious y'all have some catchin' up to do."

Tony sighed heavily, fumbling with his coffee spoon as Jeanne continued laying into him. He only listened, saying nothing.

"I thought — no, I prayed — that I'd NEVER see you again because I knew if I did, I couldn't STOP myself from telling you how much I HATE you for what you did to me... for what you did to my father," Jeanne hissed. "You and that BITCH you worked for... You..."

"THAT will do! YOU will not insult Tony OR Jenny AGAIN!"

Now another woman's voice cut across Jeanne's, effectively ending her invective. Jeanne whirled around, ready to rage at whomever was daring to speak to her this way.

Tony recognized this voice, too, and his heart pounded, hearing it. He leapt out of his seat and turned to see Ziva, looking tan, rested and ready to do battle, staring down Jeanne. Too stunned to move or speak, Tony could only try catching his breath.

"Oh, I see how it is now," Jeanne mocked, her eyes darting from Tony to Ziva and back to Tony. "Partners in the truest sense of the word? Well, Tony, at least she's convenient for you. No having to find a hospital parking space, right? You're just a few desks away."

Now Ziva had absolutely heard enough. She stepped towards Jeanne, who quickly moved away. Tony, still in shock, stood gaping. By now, Chad had returned and was enjoying the little scene from the doorway of the café.

"IF you do not wish to end up on one of your own operating tables, Doctor, I suggest you continue on your way," Ziva said primly. But Chad and the shellshocked Tony both knew the little smile playing at her lips betrayed the damage she was capable of doing. "I think we would both wish to avoid a... scene... here in the plaza?"

"You go to hell," Jeanne hissed, her voice dripping with hatred for Ziva. Turning to Tony, she added, "You're dead to me." Then Jeanne cast a cold glance at Chad and at last turned, making her exit. Ziva folded her arms, narrowing her brown eyes as she watched Jeanne leave.

"DAMN, girl, you were gonna kick her ASS!" Chad whooped, laughing as he joined Ziva on the café patio.

"No," Ziva said tiredly. "I was not." Turning her attention to Tony, Ziva waved her hand in front of his face. He just stared blankly back at her. "Hello?" Ziva said, peering into his eyes for signs of life. "Tony? The Earth is calling Tony?"

"I got this, Ziva," Chad drawled. With a quick flick of his wrist, he popped Tony on the back of the head and, like a record that had skipped and restarted again, Tony immediately began chattering away.

"SWEET CHEEKS!" Tony cried.

"Hey, man," Chad teased, raising an eyebrow at his friend, "we ain't THAT close."