Ziva sits back on Midnight, who whinnies and paws the ground anxiously.

"Calm down, you will run soon enough." She coaxes. Ziva wears a loose fitting white tunic and breeches, with brown boots, taken out of her older brother's room, Ari. Ari had gotten married and left with his wife, and left behind a fair amount of his clothes, which Ziva took to wearing while riding (they're much more comfortable than a flouncy dress), unbeknownst to her father. She sighs at this thought, and spurs the horse, who takes off at a gallop through the fields. She isn't like the other ladies, who giggle and sip tea all day. She knows, in her heart, she'll never be like that. She prefers solitude over company of women and men.

Especially men.

Ziva feels Midnight slowing down, and hears her labored pants.

"Good girl." Ziva croons, stroking the neck of the horse.

"Well, hello there." A voice says, so close and startling that Ziva has to grip the bridle to keep from falling off the horse, which whinnies almost nervously.

She whips around. "Master Cruz." She greets politely.

"No need for that, Miss David. Just call me Raymond. Or Ray." He smiles, although Ziva can't tell if it's a fake one or a real one. She raises her eyebrow.

"Raymond, then."

"What brings you out the fields, Miss David?" He asks politely, and she realizes he's sitting on a white horse, who's throwing its head back. Midnight backs up an inch.

"Just leading out Midnight. The stable boys told me that her joints get creaky easily, so I need to ride her about as much as possible." Suddenly, she remembers that she's dressed in the men's wear. She blushes.

"I see. Nice wardrobe, I might add." He winks, and Ziva feels more hot, red embarrassment rise to her cheeks.

"Thanks. I prefer it for riding." She says, trying to play it off.

"Ah, I understand, Mrs. David-"

"Ziva." She blurts. She blushes yet again.

It's his turn to raise an eyebrow. "Ziva, then. Nice to see you, Ziva. I hope we can see more of each other." He winks again, then spurs his horse, who turns and gallops away. Midnight relaxes, and whinnies nervously, giving her a stare that clearly read let's get going before they come back!

"Agreed, girl." Ziva says aloud, rolling her eyes. "'I hope we can see more of each, Zee-vah." She mutters. "Who does he think he is?"

"When will you LEARN?!"

"Father!" Tony sys indignantly. "This is why I didn't want to tell you!"

"Anthony, what happened to courting Jeanne?!"

"For Christ's sake, father, the snow blizzard last year was less cold than that woman!" Tony argues.

"But her father, Tony, is a major merchant in town! This was my opportunity to get close to him! To earn some money for this damned family!" Anthony DiNozzo cries, running his hands through his hair.

Tony buries his face in his hands. "Fine. You go court the ice block, then." He mutters.

"Tony…" His father moans. "I need to bring honor back to this family. They…they stripped us of everything we had, Tony. We lost it all. I want it back. We were once a noble family, the proud DiNozzo Family. After the raid that day, years ago, I never was able to fully make it back. People wouldn't hire me, they avoided me at all costs." His father's eyes are wide and desperate. "It was all my fault, Anthony. All my fault."

Tony's harsh look falters, and he feels a lump rise in his throat. He was only a boy then, but he remembers it all. "I'm sorry," He regains his composure, "but I can't fall in love with someone I don't love. I care about this family, too, but we aren't going to restore it this way."

His father sighs. "I understand, son. I'm sorry I got angry with you. It's not your fault."

"It's alright, father, I just…I want to love who I want to love, not who I'm ordered to love."

His father raises an eyebrow. "Is it possible you're already seeing someone?"

Tony blushes a violent red. "What? No! No, I would- no!" Tony cries.

"That sounds like denial."

"I'm not-"

"Denial."

"I'm not even-!"

"Deeeeeeeeeeeeeee-nial!" The older man laughs. His son joins in a little late, not wanting to admit anything he would regret.

Eli studies his daughter, who sits, toying with a globe in the main hall. He wonders, pondering her sour look, the utter dejectedness that sat around her, in a dark, heavy cloud. She hadn't been the same after that ball a few days ago. She has practically done nothing but sit around. Eli knows that his daughter is nothing quite like the average one, and he also knows it must've been something big to get her this sad. She had practically spat in his face after she had met Ray. Eli isn't one to rule with an iron fist over his girls, but this has gone far enough. He stands up, and touches his daughter's shoulder. She jumps.

"Abba." She regards him with a stoic expression.

"Ziva, I do not appreciate the way you treated me yesterday when I introduced you to Ray. I am your father, and you are to treat me with respect, not turn your back on me." He says sternly.

It's Ziva's turn to break composure. Genuine hurt pools in her wide eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, father." She apologizes, and Eli breaks his composure slightly. He sits next to her, and runs a hand through her hair. Even though Ziva wants to, she doesn't shrug him off. She lets him sit there, running his hands through her long, beautiful brown hair. Unconsciously, he starts braiding it, twisting the delicate strands between his calloused fingers. Ziva smiles to herself, and just lets him.

Tony sits alone in his room, thinking about what his father has said. His thumbs brush each other, and he bites his tongue between his teeth.

He has to bring honor to his family. Then his father will see his worth.

Maybe even he could be with Ziva.

He closes his eyes, and slowly drifts into a troubled slumber.

Tony sits, brushing back the speckled mare's mane. She nuzzles the little boy like her own colt.

"Awww, Speckles, I love you too." Tony said, holding the snout of the horse. He looked out. It's getting dark, and father wouldn't be happy if he was out too late.

He began to run back to the house.

He was greeted with a foreign sight -men gathered around his home, all on horseback. They're all holding torches and pitchforks. Tony feels a hard knot of fear rise in his stomach, but his curiosity was stronger, and it pulled him like a hook towards the house.

"You owe us money, DiNozzo." One voice growled. The tallest man, wearing a black coat and a low-brimmed hat.

"All of us, 'ere." Another, more rugged voice.

Suddenly, his pleading father's voice. He was standing against the doorway, his hair disheveled and his eyes wide with fright.

"Boys, I promised you, I'll get you the money! I swear!"

"On what? The Bible you sold to me mum for a few dollars?" One laughed, and the others joined in.

The man in the black coat jumped off his horse, who whinnied and bucked slightly.

"Fine. If we don't get our payment, blood money will do."

The man reached to his belt, and pulled out a long, silver dagger, which flashed in the torchlight.

"Father!" Tony screamed, and he pushed past the horses and men, and stepped in front of his father.

"Tony-what're-don't-" Anthony Senior stuttered.

"Ah, is this your boy?" The man in the black coat sneered. "Probably a lying little shit, like your father. Eh, DiNozzo, I'd bet you'd even give us your boy for your debts."

Suddenly, Anthony Senior straightened. He put a firm hand on his boy's trembling shoulder, barely noticing because of the tremble in his own hand.

"Touch my boy, Morrow, and your miserable hide will be hanging on my door." The man growled. "Get behind me, Tony." He added in a hoarse whisper.

The man in the black coat laughed.

"Boys? Burn the place down."

Tony turned in slow motion as the men threw their torches. Within seconds, the entire front wall was engulfed in licking, orange flame. He felt something hard connect with the back of his head, and he collapsed. The entire world became hot, blurry, and throbbing. Tony coughed in the smoke, barely able to see. He barely registered his father's firm hands picking him up, and clutching him so tightly that Tony's already troubled breathing became even harder.

Finally, when Tony couldn't feel the heat anymore, he felt his father collapse on the grass, cool and wet from dew, soothing to Tony's hot skin. Tony looks up, through barely open eyes, to his home and stable, totally taken by flames. He hears Speckles neighing, panicked, off in the distance. He stands, wanting to get to his beloved mare.

"Speckles? Speckles!" Tony yelled in the darkness.

Suddenly, the mares screams are cut off as the last beams of the stable cave in.

Tony stands there in shock. He feels his father's arms around him, and Tony leans into his hug, clutching his chest, sobbing.

"She's gone. It's all gone, Father." Tony sobbed into his father's hug.

His father held him tighter, and Tony heard him choking back sobs of his own.

The man in black's cruel laugh echoed through the hills, a shrill, sharp noise that would haunt him forever on. It seemed to get louder and louder and louder…

Tony wakes in a cold sweat. He is still sitting in the armchair. He pants, and wipes his wet forehead. He jumps up, the realization pulsing like an angry drug through his veins, renewing his strength. He knows what he needs to do.

The man in black.

He had to get the man in black.

Well? So sorry this hasn't been updated in goddamn forever!

Please, if you are going to read, take that split second to tell me what you thought in that pretty little review box!

Love you all!

-Vi