This was written for dizzy – in – the –izzy, a wonderful author here on . She asked me to write it, so I wrote it and I hope it lived up to all of your expectations. Enjoy, it is my gift to you!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own NCIS. If I did, well let's just say TIVA would be in high supply.

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Something was off. It was there the moment he stepped off the elevator and it only continued to get stronger as the minutes ticked by. "Where is Ziva?" Tony questioned, throwing down his pencil in obvious frustration.

Gibbs threw him a glare out of the corner of his eye before taking a sip of his coffee turning his attention back to his computer screen. "Not here," he replied simply already knowing of the outburst that was sure to come.

Tony paused briefly, staring at Gibbs hoping for any further information, when nothing more was offered Tony finally announced, "Then where exactly is she?" His voice held heavy emotions, he'd come to realize when Ziva was late there was something to be worried about, but he didn't like to think of Ziva in any sort of trouble.

Gibbs gave him a look before standing up, coffee and file in tow as he walked out of the bullpen. "Find out." Were his parting words before he headed up the flight of steps leading to the Directors office.

Not needing to be told twice Tony gathered all of his stuff together and ran towards the elevator.

--

The drive to Ziva's apartment did not take half as long as it usually would, ten minutes and five missed phone calls later he was flying out of his mustang and up the steps to her apartment. His heart was pounding and it seemed to ease up slightly when he noticed her Mini Cooper parked safely within her usual spot.

As he rounded the corner leading to her apartment he saw the door was closed, and there was no obvious signs of a break in or a struggle. He gave a soft sigh of relief before making his way to the door, knocking gently. When he got no response he pulled out his lock pick kit from his pocket, a Christmas gift from Ziva a couple years ago and began working on the lock.

When he heard the telltale click of the lock giving way he smiled, silently thanking Ziva for her ninja skills as he pushed his way into the darkened apartment. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness taking in the apartment and making sure nothing was out of the ordinary.

He took a small step forward when he heard a groan from over in the living room. His spine tensed at the unexpected sound, but he began to make his towards the noise without hesitation.

As he got closer he could make out the lump on the couch, completely covered in a tan blanket except for the bushel of brown hair that lay matted near the armrest. "Ziva?" He called out softly, not wanting to startle her with his presence.

He finished the short trek to her couch, taking in the box of tissues and cold medicine that sat on the coffee table and the used tissues that lay in the waste basket near her head. He squatted down in front of her, leaning his back against the table behind him as he softly tugged on the blanket around her head.

She buried her face in the cushions below her as cool air hit caressed her heated skin. She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders trying to bring in the warmth that she had lost moments ago.

Tony couldn't help but to smile down at her, he couldn't deny that she was beautiful. Even when she was sick, with her nose red and tissue clutched tightly in her fist he couldn't deny the radiance that exuded from her presence.

His fingers itched to brush back the hair that fell in her face. He had always wanted to run his finger through her brown tresses, to feel the silkiness that shined from it.

He couldn't stop himself from staring at her; though her lips were chapped he found that they still looked as soft as ever, plump and red and he willed himself to look away, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes fluttered rapidly beneath her lids.

She painted a picture he never thought he would see. Ziva looking vulnerable and innocent, it was in that moment that he knew he would protect her from everything that tried to cause her harm. She may be a ninja Mossad assassin, but he was her partner and he would always have her back.

He shifted his position slightly, letting himself fall forward so he rested on his knees as he scooted closer to the couch. Before he could contemplate any further his fingers were running through her hair, brushing back the wayward strands that covered her olive skin from his view and reveling in its softness.

He wasn't sure what had come over him, but seeing her this way seemed to bring out a side of him he didn't know he had. He didn't feel the need to make a joke, or make a movie reference; in this moment he was real, he was Tony.

"Wake up, ninja." He whispered in her ear, his warm breath fanning across her skin and causing her hair to flutter slightly. She groaned softly, on the cusps of consciousness but fighting its pull.

He placed a gentle kiss to her cheek, feeling the heat of her flesh against his lips as he let the worry that had enveloped him earlier that morning fade away.

Ziva was finally pulled from her sleep, her brown eyes fluttering open as she took in her surroundings with a subdued mind. She noticed Tony hovering over her but she couldn't bring herself to make any of her usual threats. Her nose felt clogged, her throat scratchy and her thoughts were a jumbled mess that she couldn't sort out. She said the first thing that came to the forefront of her mind, "You were not here when I fell asleep, yes?"

Tony chuckled softly, shaking his head as he admired the heavy tone her voice took on because of her stuffed nose. "No, I wasn't." Was his reply as he still smiled down at her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to sort out what that obviously meant but no matter how hard she tried she drew a blank. "Okay," She responded blearily accepting his answer for now, though she had vague feelings that she may need to find a paperclip later. She willed away the splitting headache that was messing with her head. She snuggled deeper into her sofa sneezing as she laid her head down, wondering at the tingling that was coming from her heated cheeks.

Tony stood up then, prying her crumpled tissue out of her hand and replacing it with a fresh one before he started to leave. "I'm going to make you some soup," He announced proudly. "And call Gibbs."

Tony made his way toward the kitchen, only to be stopped by the sound of his name falling from Ziva's lips. "Thank you." She whispered a small smile on her face.

Ziva rested her head allowing a small smile to pull at her chapped lips. She felt better knowing that Tony was here with her.

Tony returned her smile, knowing that somehow this would be the start of something new. A small sneeze from Ziva interrupted Tony's musings and he wondered how he could be thankful for a small cold.

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I really hoped this lived up to all of your expectations, and it played out how you wanted it to, dizzy – in – the – izzy. :] I had fun writing it for you, and I really hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know what you thought, it's been a little bit since I've written fluff so I had to brush off the cobwebs and give it the old college try.