Chapter 05
“Ah why are you getting up?” John groaned as he nearly fell off the couch. He had fallen asleep with his head in Elsa’s lap and she was one fine pillow.
“Because, you and I need to talk,” she said and poked him to make him sit up. “Up.”
He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Elsa standing in front of him, dressed in white clothes that reminded him of the Lanteans he had encountered on the Aurora. “You look good.”
“And you, should open your eyes.” Elsa poked him again and smiled widely.
“They are!”
She kept poking him. “Open your eyes, I like her.”
“Like who? Stop poking me!”
“Ziva, she’s nice.”
John woke up feeling confused. What had that dream been about? It was Wednesday now, and the case wasn’t particularly interesting, the sailor was a dead body on a boat, and John had taken the day off, just because he could.
Ziva went about her business as usual at work and would look over across the bullpen at John’s desk. Tony could see that she was anxious about something but with Gibbs hovering nearby he couldn’t ask what about.
“Stop staring at me Tony,” she commented as she typed up an email.
“Your partner called in to get the day off, that is odd, don’t you think, Ziva?”
She looked at him and shook her head. “I do not think so. John could be ill. As well as Torren and Teyla. He does have a family to think of where we do not.”
“It’s not even his own kid,” Tony huffed. “I find it all very weird.”
“So what? They been through enough that he considers him blood. What is it to you?” she questioned as she slammed on her stapler in annoyance.
“Ziva, he’s just trying to get a rise out of you.” Gibbs didn’t look up from the file he was
reading. “If you’re bored, DiNozzo, you could go to see Abby and ask for progress on the evidence.”
She narrowed her eyes at Tony from across the way. “Gibbs? May I leave early on Friday? I have plans for the weekend and could use the extra time to get my things together.”
“How early?” Gibbs asked and looked up.
“A few hours. Maybe like 2pm? I’ll work through lunch,” she answered simply.
“Fine by me,” Gibbs shrugged, turning back to his paperwork.
“Where are you going?” Tony asked.
“Out of state,” she said as she started a new email to see how John was doing and to let him know she would be able to leave earlier than planned.
He hadn’t really bothered to get dressed on his day off and had gotten in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt when he wandered into the living room. He sleepily scratched his head as he noticed Carson sitting on the couch, talking to Teyla. “How come I didn’t hear you come in?”
“Because you were sleeping like the dead lad,” Carson grinned. “How have you been?”
“Fine, you?” John sat down on the couch only for Torren to start using him as a jungle jim.
“Good. I had been having an interesting conversation with Teyla. Dr. Mallard also has some intriguing observations about you as well,” he said with that odd smile.
“You know, I would appreciate it if people stopped talking about me behind my back, I’m fine. I haven’t had a nightmare or flashback or whatever for weeks.” John groaned as Torren placed his knee in his crotch. “Okay buddy, I’ve had enough…” he said gently and lifted Torren off his lap.
The doctor shook his head. “You can’t blame us for being concerned about you. However I am pleased to hear that things have indeed been looking up for you. A Miss David?”
“I’m not awake enough for this.” John muttered, got up and headed towards the kitchen.
Carson chuckled and allowed John to get his morning dose of coffee. He turned back to Teyla to quietly get more information that he could before their friend returned.
He flipped open his phone and texted Ziva. Don’t you just hate it when people talk about you behind your back? He poured himself a coffee and made himself a turkey sandwich. He then texted her; Please call me and beg me to come to work today
Sorry John, but I just finished telling Tony that you would have valid reasons for being out. I will ask Gibbs. Standby.
I had a valid reason, I was tired. Now I’m being bugged by a doctor.
John sighed as he walked back into the living room. “Alright, I’m waking up…”
I believe you. Don’t forget I am your partner now…Gibbs said he will call you in an hour. Sorry.
“Sorry,” John said as he checked his phone. Shaking his head, he put the phone back into his pocket and took a sip of his coffee. “That was my partner updating me about the case.”
Teyla looked confused then suspicious. “I thought the investigation was going well which was the reason that you were free to take off to rest today,” she commented.
John shrugged. “Things can change.”
“I see. In any case, please tell me more about this young lady. I hear she is quite fond of you…” Carson said earning a wince from Teyla for having said too much.
“She is?” He asked sheepishly. “She’s my partner and my friend, which is weird considering we’ve only been here for less than two months.” He took a bite off his sandwich.
“It doesn’t take much,” Carson said with an apologizing look.
Teyla smiled and nodded. “Without betraying her confidence, I do know she wants to learn more of you. I also know that she is planning on going away this weekend…the same time that you are planning your vacation?”
“Why is it weird for men having a friendship with a woman? I mean, the team even thought I was dating Teyla…” he shook his head. “I’m taking Ziva to Virginia for the weekend, I know you don’t like horses, and she does.”
The two looked at each other with a smile. “I think this is a good thing,” Carson commented. “I think if you like this girl, you should consider to pursue her. I can see already that her influence has done well by you.”
“No offense, Carson, but I don’t feel like pursuing anyone at this time,” he said with his jaw set. “Maybe in the future, but for now, no, and you’ll be proud of my restraint of not pursuing Ziva as once I show you her picture you’ll think I’m perverted.”
“That she resembles Miss Elsa? I know about that already. I have read about the team when Dr. Mallard called me. Have you considered that maybe Elsa sent her to you for a reason?”
“Carson, despite the fact that I’ve seen many things, I still don’t believe there’s such a thing as ghosts or fate or whatever,” John said and really wished that Gibbs wouldn’t wait an hour to call him. “No offense, Teyla.”
“Then please explain what you believe is the reason for the lack of nightmares since you and she began working as partners and having lunch together?” she asked in turn.
“I’m keeping myself busy, I don’t have time to think myself silly.”
“Excuses,” Carson scolded. “You just don’t want to see what is right in front of you!”
John bit back a nasty remark and glared at Carson. “Why is it so important to you for me to find someone to settle down with?” He then looked at Teyla. “And if you’re sick and tired of staying with me, you know that you could leave any time you want to.” He got up and took his coffee. “You two should shack up.” he said as he walked towards his bedroom to get dressed.
“We just want you to be happy!” Teyla called after him and sighed. “She could make you happy,” she said to herself.
Torren’s eyes grew big and started to cry, or actually, wail like a siren. “I don’t wanna leave!”
“Torren, come here. Please leave John alone,” Teyla said trying to comfort him. “If we must leave, we will.”
“NO!” Torren pounded his little fists against Teyla. “I don’t wanna leave!”
“I know you don’t son but maybe you and your mom should stay in a hotel for a couple days to let Uncle John calm down,” Carson said.
“No!”
John exited his bedroom, fully clothed, jeans and a decent shirt this time and a bag filled with clothes in his hand. “Don’t bother, I’ll be back on Monday.” He looked at Torren and smiled. “Look after your mom for me,” he told the kid and then looked at Teyla and Carson. “Have fun talking about me.” He grabbed his ball cap, his glasses and his keys before he headed out to his car.
John sent Ziva a text message before he started the car. Staying at a hotel.
What? Why?
I’m taking lunch now, meet me at my apartment. She texted right after and sent her address.
He sighed, he was too angry to talk and he wasn’t sure if he should go to her apartment, but found himself driving there anyway.
When Ziva got there, she found him sitting on the steps of the building. “Come inside,” she said, unlocking the doors and leading him in. Once inside, she did not say anything but went to make a light meal for them of salad and tea.
John didn’t dare to look around in the apartment, he kept standing at the door. “This is a very bad idea…”
“Shut up, sit down, and eat,” Ziva said as she put his plate on the island counter.
He sat down and took a stab at the salad. “Thanks…”
She nodded and returned to eating her own lunch but watched him carefully.
Eventually he had drunk the tea, but hadn’t touched his salad. “I know that I need to have someone to look after me,” he said softly, “I forget things, or zone out or whatever. I got angry with Teyla and my doctor today for trying to interfere with my personal life, pushing me into a corner.”
Ziva only nodded before pushing his plate closer to him. “You should eat,” she replied.
“I just has breakfast, I’m not really hungry…”
“Okay then. You can go get your bags from your car then and put them in the guest room,” she ordered.
“No.” he shook his head. “I’ll be staying at a hotel until we leave for the weekend, it’s fine.”
“Absolutely not. You are my partner and teammate. We take care of one another and have each other’s backs. You will stay with me. We do not have to tell anyone,” she said taking the plates to clean.
“As much as I appreciate the thought… I left my house to be alone for a while.” he chuckled.
“You can be alone here. I don’t do much other than read so you won’t know I am around. Besides, I need to return to the office so you /will/ be alone for awhile,” she smiled. “You are welcome here.”
John realized he wouldn’t win a sparring match with Ziva without walking out on her too, and that was the last thing he wanted. “You win,” he said. “Thanks.”
She smiled more brightly then. “You’re welcome. Now get your bags and I’ll show you around before I leave.”
He nodded and went out to the car to get his bag, with a little voice in the back of his head saying that this would be a very bad idea still and he tried to ignore it. He locked the car and took a step back onto the road before jumping right back because of a car blowing its horn coming from the corner of his eye. He hadn’t seen it coming. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and made sure he could cross the road to Ziva’s apartment.
She waited by the door for him and watched. Making a decision then, she knew what else she would show him. “Come on,” she said leading him to the guest room and other things he might need. The restroom, linen closest, movies and her knife collection that she hid around for defense reasons.
Her apartment looked nice, it was just as small (or big, depending on what you were used to) as his old apartment back in Colorado. He blinked at the amount of knives that Ziva had, sure he had suspected that she had a few, laying around somewhere, but this much? If he didn’t know any better, she was as paranoid as he was. “Wow.”
“You see, you are not alone,” she said softly. “We all have our fears.”
He nodded and nearly jumped ten feet in the air when his phone rang. It was Carson. He let it ring for a while and then hung up. “You are an amazing woman, Ziva, you shouldn’t live your life in fear.”
“Perhaps you should take your own advice,” she said, indicating his reaction to the phone. “You are a capable man. There is plenty to defend yourself here. I will get take out for supper on my way back. Okay?”
“Okay,” he nodded.
“See you later then,” Ziva said before grabbing her coat and purse before leaving.
He wasn’t scared, he was stressed, but scared, no. John was pissed off, because even though he could use a good kick in the ass sometimes, this time he felt that Carson and Teyla had gone too far.
He could understand that they wanted to see him happy, but he was doing his best right now, and didn’t really think that diving into another relationship would make him feel better. He had to admit, there were some feelings for Ziva but he didn’t want to act upon them right now.
For now, she was safe as a good friend. Despite that weird dream he had that morning. He liked walking around in her apartment, there were pictures of Ziva and the team, and with someone that probably was her father. Feeling like a pervert, he retreated to the guest room and sat down on the bed to think.
When Ziva returned later that evening, Gibbs having changed his mind about calling John in, she had a large bag with assorted containers of chinese food. “John?” she called out as she began unpacking the bag in the kitchen.
He must have fallen asleep as he didn’t hear Ziva return home from work, and woke up when she called for him. For a second there, he thought that Elsa was calling him, and that was one of the other reasons why he didn’t want to ‘pursue’ Ziva just yet.
Sometimes, he confused Ziva for Elsa in his head, and that was wrong. “Hey…” he said sleepily as he walked into the kitchen. “Sorry, I fell asleep…”
“I know. Gibbs would not tell me why he didn’t call you back, but I suspect he believes that you indeed needed rest. I didn’t know what you preferred so I got a variety. Everything but pork – not kosher,” she said opening containers with vegetables and lo mein noodles.
He chuckled. “I’m a trash can, remember?” he said. “Thanks, again.”
“Enjoy,” she laughed and passed a set of chop sticks over. “Plates or straight out the containers?”
Shrugging he grabbed a vegetable from the container with his chop sticks. “For some reason it tastes better when eating it straight from the container.”
Nodding in agreement she took the chicken lo mein and two bottles of wine before heading to the living room. “Television,” Ziva said as she tried to catch a noodle hanging over the top of the container. “I like watching tv during dinner. Of course I usually eat alone.” She turned the news on and settled on the floor to use the coffee table.
He took the other containers with him towards the living room where Ziva was and nearly tripped over something that had the same color as the floor. He managed to stop the containers from flying as he sat down. “What was that?” he looked from the direction he had come and could hit himself. “I tripped over a floor mat?” he chuckled.
She looked up, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, don’t worry.” He said as he put the containers down on the table. “I always have to get used to new area’s, I just wasn’t paying enough attention. It’s the missing depth vision thing that sucks. I for one am glad that so far, the cases at NCIS didn’t require me running after someone because a) I’m not sure if I can still run and b) I would probably trip and make an ass out of myself.”
“Don’t you have glasses or something to help that?” she asked as she passed him one of the bottles of wine.
“There’s nothing wrong with my lens, if it hadn’t been for the blood cloth or whatever when I got injured I would have been able to see fine, but the retina is shot and there isn’t anything they can do about it. Glasses other than sunglasses for when I’m outside to make the light transition easier, won’t help.” He explained, “Sometimes I can see things easily, the other moment I can’t, it all depends on where things are.”
“I see. It has to be frustrating,” she commented. “So, plans for tonight? Movie? Or do you just want to go rest? It’ll be a long day tomorrow.”
“I’m fine now, movie sounds good.” he smiled. “Unless we’ll be running somewhere outside, tomorrow will be just fine.”
“You never know with Gibbs. We closed the case today so tomorrow will be reports and following up on cold cases,” she said as she studied a piece of chicken. “Any particular movie? Tony left a bunch here the last time I hosted a team dinner.”
“Surprise me, I haven’t watched a lot of movies.” He shrugged.
“Okay,” Ziva said carefully as she thought. She looked at him for a moment and nodded. Getting up, she looked over the shelf and pulled a disc out and put it on. Settling back down next to him on the floor, they ate quietly as the opening credits to Top Gun started.
“Top Gun? Really?” John snorted, “Do we have to watch that?” He was trying to forget the fact that he used to be a pilot and she had put on a pilot movie, didn’t he tell her?
“Do you not want to?” she asked worried that she upset him. She truly thought that he would have enjoyed it. “I will change it right away,” she said getting up to stop the film, unsure of what else to put on now.
“It’s a good movie,” John said, “And if you want to watch it, it’s fine, it’s your home after all.” He continued. “I’m just not sure if I should watch it.”
She shook her head and pulled out a random disc. “No, if it bothers you then we will not watch it. John, we are partners and you should trust that I have your back, on the job and off.”
Ziva sat back down and sighed. “I don’t know what this is as it was a blank case.
Well, if ‘Homeward Bound’ wasn’t a safe movie to watch, then what would be? “Aww, and here I thought Tony liked black and white movies and mafia movies.”
She chuckled. “He is a man of many contradictions,” she said. “I watched this when I was younger but translated to Hebrew. Does not have the same effect.”
“Lots of things get lost in translation,” John nodded, “We used to work with equipment that had manuals in an obscure language,” he started, “One day we thought we had found a manual, but in the end it was their book of pranks.” he chuckled.
“Sounds like a fun time. I bet I would have gotten frustrated myself with these people after finding that out,” she laughed.
“Yeah, it’s a shame we never really got the chance to tell them they didn’t have a sense of humor.” John smiled and quietly drank his wine.
Ziva smiled at him and nodded. “I imagine so, still it sounds like the assignment was one to die for.”
“People did.” John said sadly. “And I shouldn’t be mourning them, we all knew what we signed up for, but for a body count this high?” he shook his head. “It still makes me angry.”
“It should. No matter what people tell you,” she said speaking from experience. “Keeping in that anger will only destroy you…”
“So far it hasn’t,” John said and took another sip of his wine. “From the day I woke up I was told I needed to behave myself because I’m a terrible patient, also, if I got angry there was this massive pain in my head so I kept calm,” he started to rant. “Then I find out that Teyla’s been living in my apartment with Torren, and it’s fine, I mean, they need a home too, and at least they had something somewhat familiar. I also needed her help because I was in a wheelchair and on suicide watch because they thought I was going to hurt myself one way or the other.” He sighed and shook his head. “It’s what I do when I want to deal with things as most people on the base dying or being told that the woman you’ve grown to love got shot execution style right in front of you but your brain doesn’t want you to remember; I retreat and don’t let anyone know what I’m up to, they’re all worried that I will off myself. What they don’t get is that I come back up eventually.” He pointed to his shoulder. “I’ve got this tracker inside of me so they can find me whenever they see fit, it’s standard issue, they just like to use it on me, which is probably why Carson stopped calling after I hung up the first time.” He rubbed his eyes. “I think I’m just really fed up with trying to control myself for the sake of the kid.”
She listened carefully but there were things that she could or couldn’t relate to. “When they brought be back from – Somalia, people believed that I would turn on a murderous rampage because of my training. Gibbs knew that I wouldn’t but I knew our working relationship had changed because of the circumstances around my brother’s death,” she shared softly.
Ziva took a deep breath and shook her head. “There was something he said, that the Mossad assassin in me died in that desert, and he was right. But still, I am expected to be emotionless and nonreactive to death. My life is full of it from a very young age. I just simply wish to live.”
After a few quiet moments and a large swig from the wine bottle, she asked quietly, “Tell me about her.” Ziva had not missed the looks, the way Teyla spoke to her or the careful phrasings. She wished to know more, to understand and help John to mourn and grieve.
“You’re a person, you have every right to feel the way you feel, despite your training,” He told Ziva, “People who don’t understand that, are idiots.” He sighed and prodded the remainder of his Chinese food with his chop sticks. “Elsa was amongst one of the last new batches of personnel to arrive on base, and at first, she made it a sport to be the mean but fair Doctor. To be honest, if Carson – my current doctor too – wasn’t around, I preferred her over the sadist working at the infirmary,” He chuckled. “Before she came to work with us, I would never go to the infirmary if I had sprained my ankle or with other minor injuries, but she had her way of forcing me to come down anyway. My best guess is that she had bribed one of the scientists with something so she could monitor the communication between officers over the radio.”
Ziva smiled. “Sounds like she and I would have gotten along,” she said. “Were you seeing her long?”
“Well, for about six months, I guess,” he nodded, “We were a tight knit group, and we were friends once I managed to pry her out of her marriage to the infirmary. You have to realize, we were so isolated from the rest of the world that we couldn’t ‘date’ or ‘hang out’ the normal way. Once we started to stay the night in each other’s quarters, we were the talk of the town, Teyla and Carson in particular loved seeing me with someone as I had been miserable ever since I had divorced my wife, joined the expedition a year or two later and was the butt of most jokes for six long years as I never really shown any interest in my co-workers… until she came along.” He looked at Ziva and managed to smile. “The first time I saw you, I was shocked. You look so much like her, and even now, I’m at odds with myself because I’ve only known you for about two months… but there’s something between us that makes me so comfortable… and it’s not because you look like her, it’s because you are you… it’s… I don’t know, I can’t explain.” He frowned at his empty wine bottle. “And alcohol apparently, makes me talk.”
She smiled and nodded. “That is not a bad thing. I am happy know why you and Teyla looked at me the way you do now. Yes, it is odd knowing that I look like your late girlfriend, but I understand where you come from more. I won’t tell anyone,” she promised.
Looking down at her hands she shrugged, feeling the need to share more of herself the way he had. “My father sent me on a mission to Somalia. It was originally assigned to my – another Mossad officer that I had been involved with. I had not known it until we returned to Israel with his body that I learned that he was with me only because my father ordered him to pursue me.”
“Tony killed Michael and I did not know what to think, who to believe. Especially what my father said. I followed through to Somalia with the intention of not returning.”
“I’m glad you have this great team that despite what Tony did, brought you back.” John softly admitted, between that and her killing her own brother, he didn’t know how he would have handled that.
“So you see, you and I are not all that much different. There are those of us that you can relate to more than you know. Gibbs will one day share his story with you, or he may not. I know for a fact that it did not make his file,” Ziva went on. “You would have had to be here for that one. I know I was concerned for him because he did not make it to my citizenship ceremony, but I know he would have come if he could.”
By then she had shifted on the floor to face him as she spoke. Holding her bottle of wine in one hand and the other playing with the hem of her shirt nervously, she kept her eyes down.
“Remember how I said that me staying here would be a bad idea?” he asked as he gently took the bottle of wine out of her hands before she spilled it on the floor. “I still think it was…” he gently lifted her chin to make her look at him. “Because right now, I want to kiss you.” he smiled.
Ziva looked up at him and nodded slowly. “I have a secret to tell you,” she said almost in a whisper. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I took you to lunch that day…”
“No pressure then,” he smirked and gently planted a chaste kiss on her lips.
Even as John pulled away, Ziva leaned in for a more appropriate kiss. Instinctively, she reached up to rest her hand along his neck as she pressed her lips to his softly and lingering.
She knew very well that they were treading a dangerous line here but deep inside she felt that they were two broken and scarred individuals that may just be what each other needed.
When John woke up, he was slightly disorientated, he wasn’t in his own room and he surely wasn’t in a hotel. Then he remembered the night before, he and Ziva had made out until they both went nearly too far. For one, they both had had too much too drink, and John was emotionally drained after talking to Ziva, and so was she.
As they had a long day ahead of them, John had kindly said that it would be enough for now, not to rush into things even though it felt extremely good to really talk to Ziva and touch her wherever she had let him.
He got dressed, found his way to the bathroom and cleaned himself up before joining Ziva for a quick breakfast. They decided to drive to work separately as not to arouse any suspicion from the others and John was surprised to find Teyla standing in the bullpen when he arrived.
“Uhm… good morning…” he said slowly.
“Good morning John,” Teyla said evenly. “You sleep well?” she asked of his appearingly relaxed behaviour.
“Yes… I did…” he said suspiciously. “What are you doing here?”
“She’s here at my request, and I’m glad you showed up early because we need to talk.” Gibbs said as he walked in. “And preferably before the rest of the team shows up.”
Did Gibbs already know that he and Ziva had kissed? That he had spent the night in Ziva’s guest room? John blinked. “Look…”
“No, you listen,” Gibbs looked at him. “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty tired by DiNozzo’s behavior towards you.”
John shrugged, “I don’t really pay attention to it, Sir.”
“DiNozzo needs to learn that even though you’re our new probie…”
John glared. “You know I hate that nickname…”
Gibbs smirked. “You’re our new probie, but that doesn’t mean Tony can act the way he does. How about we’re going to spend the morning in the gym? I want you to allow Tony to spar with you, and to even the field, he’ll wear an eye patch.”
“Now you’re just insulting me, but sure, if you think that will work…”
“And after that, I’d like you and Teyla to give us a small demonstration how to work with those sticks I caught you with the other day, and teach the team.”
“As I told agent Gibbs, I would be honored.” Teyla said brightly.
“Yeah…” John scratched his head. “I need coffee…”
Gibbs shoved the cup of coffee in his hand that he had for himself at Sheppard. “There you go,” he said before looking at the elevator where Ziva was walking in with her iPod in her ears. He looked back at John and nodded. “Go do what you need to before everyone gets here.”
“Morning, Ziva,” John greeted as he usually greeted her as he gently tugged Teyla along with him towards the gym.
“Morning,” Ziva replied easily as she dropped her things at her desk. She started to wave hello to Teyla with a confused look on her face as John dragged her away.
Looking at Gibbs, she raised an eyebrow. “Am I missing something here?” she asked, putting her sidearm in her secured drawer.
Gibbs just smirked in return as he sat down at his desk. When Ziva kept looking at him, he shrugged. “We’re going to show John that he’s not worthless today, and teach Tony a lesson.”
“I don’t understand,” she said shaking her head as she sat down to check her messages. She started replying to emails when McGee came in, slowly followed by Tony who appeared like he was either still asleep or hungover.
“Wake up DiNozzo, we’re heading down to the gym.” Gibbs said amused as he grabbed a roll of bandages.
He looked up and whined. “Training today Boss? Can’t we do this tomorrow? I’m really not feeling up to working out today,” Tony said as he dumped his bag.
“I have the feeling he does not care Tony,” McGee said as he signed off his computer to go change in the locker room.
“But, but…”
“What did you do anyway?” McGee said, “You look like you could hurl any moment.”
“I hung out with some friends last night, so what?”
“Really Tony? On a weeknight? You should know better by now.”
“Shut up McKnowitall.”
“Enough!” Gibbs hollered. “Go change! Now, all of you!” He said looking at each of them in turn. “I’ll be in the gym waiting for you.” he added before walking out pissed.
Ziva only looked at Tony before following Gibbs downstairs and then to the women’s locker room. When she was done, she arrived to find John standing inside the boxing ring with Teyla talking and smiled.
John looked over to Ziva and smiled uncomfortably. She had amazing legs underneath the shorts she was wearing.
“You did not go to a hotel, did you?” Teyla smiled warmly.
“She made me stay in her guest room,” John shrugged at Teyla. “Please be gentle with Tony and McGee.”
“I shall with McGee.” Teyla smirked evilly.
Ziva made her way over to the ring side and peered up them. “Why do I have the feeling we are all being set up for a show?” she asked. “Gibbs was just on a rampage upstairs.”
John shrugged. “He wants to DiNozzo to spar with me, he’s obviously annoyed by his behavior.”
“And Agent Gibbs walked in on John and I sparring with our sticks,” Teyla replied, “With the barbecue, he wants us to teach you.”
“It beats paper work for the morning, doesn’t it?” He smiled, knowing that Tony would probably hurt him like hell.
Ziva wasn’t sure. “Not if someone gets hurt. Tony may not have formal training but is capable when he needs to be,” she said. “Not that I haven’t been tempted with killing the man with a paperclip on a number of occasions.”
“Teyla will be fine,” John assured her with a smile and nodded to Gibbs as the man walked in. “Thanks for the coffee, Gibbs.”
“Yep,” he nodded and looked around. “Where’s DiNozzo?”
“Puking his guts out.” McGee’s voice sounded from behind Gibbs. “Apparently he had a party last night and he really doesn’t want to work out.”
He breathed out irritated. Walking out, slamming the door in the process, the group could only assume he was going to drag Tony in if necessary.
“He must be really pissed… I’ve never seen him like that.” McGee said, with a hint of fear in his voice.
Ziva shook her head and waited. Before they knew it, Gibbs shoved Tony through the doors. “Get in the ring,” he ordered.
“Why?” Tony moaned.
“So you can beat the shit out of me.” Sheppard said and pulled Tony into the ring.
“Really?” Tony instantly sounded better.
“Gibbs’ orders.” John nodded and shrugged.
“Hold on,” Gibbs said as he pulled out a black eye patch. “Put that over your left eye first. Then have at it and get it over with.”
Tony looked at Gibbs. “You want me to be a pirate?”
“No. It’s to level the field and that you know how it is from Sheppard’s side,” he said. “Put it on and get whatever your issue with him out…Now!”
Tony looked ridiculous with that eye patch over his head and John tried hard not to laugh. Watching Tony dance around him like a boxer from the movies, wasn’t helping either. He had trained and trained with many marines on Atlantis, but at least none of them were as hilarious as Tony. “You look like a cartoon,” John said as he kept an eye on Tony. “Didn’t they teach you that you can hit harder when you’re standing still?”
“Whatever dude. I just wish you would leave us already,” he grunted before taking his first swing.
He deflected Tony’s swing with his arm. “Why? I’ve got my orders, there’s nothing I can do about it.” John said calmly, surprised that he had seen that swing coming.
Tony made a face and swung again, “You don’t belong here. We didn’t need you before and we don’t need you now…”
That swing didn’t land either because John stepped aside, making Tony stumble forward. “I know, I’m not a trained investigator like yourself,” he shrugged. “I’m not going to deny that I’m missing a certain skill set, but seriously, you hit as if you’re in a bar fight.”
The agent was growing more pissed in his hungover state. Taking more wild and scrappy swings, “You also need to stay away from Ziva. I’m her /partner/…”
“Ah…” John nodded, “Now we’re getting somewhere. For your information,” John was getting dizzy from Tony’s constantly circling him and made the other man trip so that he could at least try to become less dizzy. “She asked if I could be her partner as I don’t have the right experience to go out on my own.”
Ziva let out a breath as she watched and listened. Her hands gripped the rope of the ring tightly in her own anger.
“Gibbs should have said no, I saw your game from day one. He could have paired you with McGee,” he said as he swung out into John’s blind spot.
“What game, Tony?” John said after Tony had hit him, he had suspected that the man could hit at least hard enough to make it a decent bruise, but this was nothing. “Uhm… even Torren hits harder than that.”
Ziva had enough. “This is ridiculous!” she exclaimed. “Gibbs, Sheppard is going to hurt him and you’re going to allow this? And Tony! Get this now, loud and clear. I do not want a relationship with you past the friendship we’ve had over the years. I do not want a romantic one with you, not now, not at all!”
“Relax Ziva,” Gibbs said, “Have some faith in your partner, he’s not going to hurt him, are you Sheppard?”
“Nah, you’ve seen how Teyla wipes the floor with me, how could I hurt Tony?” John shrugged.
“Tony needs this, Ziva.” Gibbs said, amused. “He’s slacking because of his frustrations towards another team member, so, let’s have them to duke it out.”
He had no intention of hurting Tony or pulling a punch himself, he was just fine with dodging Tony’s attacks and felt ridiculously proud of himself as the sparring sessions with Teyla had seemed to help, he was still able to fight if he had to. “You’ve heard the lady, Tony.”
“It’s not about that at all.” Tony said through gritted teeth and decided to aim lower this time, but the patch on his eye made it hard for him to see any kind of depth at all, and being hungover didn’t help much either. “She was my partner, we made a good team, and now she’s your partner.”
“I can never take your place, Tony,” John sighed. “And I don’t want to. Heck, I don’t even want to spar with you but Gibbs told me as it’d do you some good.” He blocked another sloppy punch from Tony. “I’m the human punching bag but your punches barely land, it’s not really fair, take off the patch.”
The punches came quicker and more coordinated this time, but John managed to block every single one of them with little effort. Tony on the other hand, was sweating and getting angrier by the punch. “She’s mine.”
“She doesn’t belong to anyone, she has her own free will, her own choices.” John replied.
“She needs to be protected from guys like…”
“Me? This broken Air Force guy who lives with his best friend and her son? Basically a loser?”
“John!” Teyla warned him.
“You can beat me up later,” he said to Teyla and turned his attention back to Tony, as he had begun to fight mean and it was getting slightly harder to follow his every move. “Or from guys in general?” he asked Tony. “I think that Ziva is more than capable of taking care of herself, Tony, maybe it’s good to step back and realize that she’s not a helpless woman. She’s amazing, funny and she’s very sharp. If she wanted to, she could easily kill me or any other person who would try to harm her.”
John had enough of Tony’s attacks, because even John could lose his patience with the man, and swung his leg around to tackle the man to the floor before putting his knee between his shoulder blades to keep him on the ground. He put his fingers on the artery for a pressure point and temporarily incapacitated the Agent. “She’s her own person, Tony. She can make her own choices. You, on the other hand, are acting like a spoiled brat who lost his favorite toy to the new guy.”
“John!” Ziva gasped.
“Do not worry, Ziva, John is not hurting Tony.” Teyla assured her.
John released the nerve and got off of Tony. “Now, I’d happily go for another sparring round with you, but not now. If you take a swing at me now, I will hit back.” John said calmly to Tony.
DiNozzo was tired, sick, and had little fight left. Looking over at Ziva, he shook his head “I just want to protect you…”
“I am fine Tony,” she said calmly. “I have been for a long time now. I appreciate your concern but please, let us move on.”
He was torn from his feelings, the past, and her wishes. Looking back at Sheppard, he sighed and nodded. “I’m done.”
“Good, because I really don’t want to hurt you.” John said and bowed to him.
“Can I go and vomit again, boss?” Tony asked Gibbs pleadingly.
Gibbs jerked his head toward the door with his permission for Tony to go. Smiling over at Ziva, he pointed to the ring.
“Your turn with Teyla,” he said.
“I don’t know Gibbs,” she hesitated, not wanting to hurt her new friend.
“I would be honored if you’d spar with me,” Teyla smiled warmly as she fetched the Rattan sticks out of her bag. “We could use these, if you are afraid of hurting me.”
“Uhm… Teyla?” John said as he stepped back.
“Do not worry John, I have no intention of hurting Ziva.”
Both women were deadly forces to be reckoned with, but they did not know it of the other. Ziva slowly got into the ring and glanced back at Gibbs who watched from the side with that darn smile on his face like he knew the world’s greatest secret.
McGee on the other hand looked frightened. Whether it be for Teyla, or himself in the lack of knowing what their boss had planned for him, one could only guess.
Watching Ziva and Teyla spar with each other using the Rattan sticks was as if watching a ballet. Both women moved easily, cat-like, and John could tell that Teyla was impressed, heck, even John was impressed by Ziva’s skill.
It would eventually become clear that a draw would need to be called. “Alright,” Gibbs called out and looked at McGee.
“Please Boss, no…”
“Has my team turned into small children all of a sudden?” Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Get in there, she won’t break you.”
He looked back at a tired Ziva who was downing a bottle of water then at Gibbs again “This is going to really suck,” he said mostly to himself and got in the ring. Looking at Teyla, he gulped.
“I will not hurt you, Tim.” Teyla said calmly. “I will teach you how to use these sticks.”
“Oh, thank God.” McGee sighed relieved.
John grinned as Ziva got out of the ring. “What do you think? How was it?”
“I do not wish to know the enemy of where she is from,” she replied breathlessly. “You did not tell me Teyla could fight. I now have a reason to visit her more now.”
John grinned as he handed Ziva a towel. “She was holding back.”
“As was I,” she grinned before dropping her voice. “We should discuss last night at some point.
John nodded, “How about tonight? I’ll cook you dinner,” he said and shrugged, “Unless you want me out of your guest room for another night, I’ll go to a hotel.” He look at Teyla who was being very patient with a slightly uncoordinated McGee. “I told her I’d be back after the weekend.”
Ziva nodded. “Dinner sounds good. I am unsure of what I have so a trip to the market may be in order. You are more than welcome to stay. I am not kicking you out anywhere,” she chuckled.
“Thank you Teyla, I think that if you’d continue, Tim would pass out.” Gibbs said and looked at a heavily breathing McGee. He was a bit disappointed in both McGee and DiNozzo, they weren’t as fit as they appeared to be, sure, they could run, but both men would lose a hand to hand fight. He was going to ask Ducky if he could order the two men to hit the gym more often and ask Vance if he could spare the funds to ask Teyla to be their sparring trainer.
He looked over to John and sighed. He might had to ask him first. “You barely broke a sweat when DiNozzo tried to use you as a punching bag,” Gibbs started. “It’s hardly fair, let’s go, you and me.”
John blinked at Gibbs and shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
“Good, because if you had said ‘no’ I would have ask Teyla to make you take me on.” Gibbs nodded.
“I could take her you know, she just caught me easily this weekend because she had smacked my glasses off my face.” John responded.
“I’m sure,” Gibbs grinned as he readied himself.
Teyla smiled as she bowed out. “Actually Agent Gibbs, he does very well and even beaten me once when he had become infected with a local virus…”
“TEYLA! I don’t want to remember that!” John shot at her, she always found a way to embarrass him one way or the other and the story of how he turned into a bug was of course the best way. “You know I hated it, why do you keep bringing it up?”
“Because despite that I was afraid for you, feared for your life, it was funny.” Teyla mused as she handed John her Rattan sticks.
“Yeah well, it wasn’t.” John sulked. “It’s a horrible feeling to lose yourself.”
Ziva looked at John curiously before turning to Gibbs. “May I go shower and change?” she asked, to which her partner was too inclined for that motion.
“No, I want you to stay and watch his moves,” Gibbs told Ziva. “He’s your partner, you should know how he is in hand to hand combat with someone who’s not puking his guts out right now.”
Sighing she nodded and leaned up against the ring next to Teyla. “Lets see your moves, Sheppard,” she said with a look.
The first thing John noticed, Gibbs wasn’t holding back. The second thing he noticed, Gibbs wasn’t using the sticks as skillful as Teyla, more like a baseball player swinging his bat. Third thing he noticed as he got hit in the sides for the third time, Gibbs seemed to be enjoying himself.
“See, that’s what you get with easy cases,” Gibbs shrugged. “You don’t have to run, you don’t have to shoot or fight… you get lazy.”
“I’m not lazy.” John said, finally able to predict Gibbs’ strikes and deflected them while he managed to hit Gibbs when the man was collecting himself. Gibbs was hitting like a true marine, like a bulldozer and in a way, John was glad that the man had sticks in his hand because they weren’t wearing any kind of protection at all. He didn’t want to know how hard Gibbs could strike with just his fists.
The Fourth thing John noticed about Gibbs’ fighting was that Gibbs was trying to draw John out, make him make the first move and John was wondering why.
“Come on, Colonel, you outrank me, you should be able to get me down easily.”
Fifth thing John noticed, Gibbs was using the same technique verbally as John had previously used on DiNozzo, Gibbs was trying to make him angry.
“Yeah… well… you know what they say… don’t hit the elderly too hard or they break.”
Gibbs grinned and swiped John’s legs, making him hit the deck. “Who’s the old person here?”
John groaned and quickly got up, landing a few hard strikes in Gibbs’ side and on his back before helping him to the ground. He quickly put his foot on Gibbs’ back too keep him down.
Gibbs, however, rolled over and swiped the sticks against John’s legs to make him fall over again. While both men got up, their next attack was interrupted by Ducky’s voice. “Enough already, I don’t want either one of you end up in hospital.”
“Thank you Ducky!” Ziva called out with a smile as John eagerly slid out from the ring.
“Save me,” he whispered as he took the bottle of water from her.
She only smiled and shrugged. “Tony apologized to me while you two were sparring. He will come around eventually.”
“I know,” John took a deep breath and turned to Gibbs. “Now, can we take a shower and get back into our normal clothes? Unless you want me and Teyla in the ring for fighting out our differences.”
“Go.” Gibbs nodded.
The two quickly ran out with McGee on their heals as Teyla chuckled while collecting her sticks. “It will certainly be an interesting training experience here,” she replied.
John stopped by the supermarket on his way back to Ziva’s apartment and decided to make pasta. Granted, the wine they had yesterday was a bit as if he was drinking toilet cleaner so he decided to go for a decent wine to go with the pasta. For some reason, going back to Ziva’s apartment made him extremely happy.
Ziva tried cleaning quickly after she got home as she waited for John. She didn’t know what he planned on making so she was at a loss as to what she could take out for him. Hearing a knock on the door, she cursed in Hebrew as she just started to go to her room to change out of her work clothes.
She tried to look calm as she opened the door and smiled. “You could have just come in,” she said holding the door open for him.
“I could,” John nodded, “But I hate it when people just enter a house, knowing that the door’s open, without knocking.” He replied. “I hope you like pasta.”
“Yes, it sounds great,” she said. “The pots are in the lower cupboard next to the refrigerator. I’ll be right back…was just about to get changed when you got here.”
“Okay,” he said as he started to put the groceries out on the counter so he had easy access to them. He found a cork screw and removed the cork from the bottle of wine so it could breathe while he started to cook the pasta and made the pasta sauce using a bit of the wine from the bottle he had just opened.
ZIva came back out dressed in simple but comfortable yoga pants and top. “I feel so much better,” she exclaimed, stretching her arms as she came back into the kitchen. “It smells delicious.”
He nearly had to pick up his jaw from the floor when she walked in, she looked hot. “Uhh… yeah… I hope it tastes good too…” He found the glasses in her kitchen and poured her a glass of wine. “Taste that.”
Sniffing the wine, she hummed at the fragrance. “I know the wine we had last night wasn’t the best. When I drink by myself there is no need for higher quality all the time,” she said before taking a sip and smiled.
“The wine was fine, I’ve just become some sort of wine snob since I came back.” He chuckled. “It’s stupid though, because it goes against everything I stand for… same with the house in Georgetown… it’s just…”
“Too much,” Ziva said simply as she went to sit on one of the island stool. “Sometimes even this is too much for just myself. What do I need two extra guestrooms for, yes?”
“Oh, I don’t know… make it a walk in closet?” John shrugged. “Oh! Or a secret ninja hide out.”
She threw the wine cork that was on the counter at him. “Now you are beginning to sound like Tony! No, my old apartment was sufficient. One bedroom, decent bath and living space. The Navy secured this place for me when I returned and I wasn’t about to complain considering I owed them, Gibbs and the team, my life.”
“Did I sound like Tony? I should wash my mouth.” John said as he moved to the facet to rinse out his mouth. “There,” he nodded. “Yeah that house was secured by the Air Force… too many bed rooms, Teyla has the bedrooms upstairs with Torren and I have the two downstairs, one of an office.” He shrugged. “I guess we can’t really complain.”
Nodding, she watched him cook. She tried focusing on sipping the wine unsure of how to broach the subject that lingered in the air.
He looked at her as he slowly stirred in the sauce. “I know that look,” John said, “What’s on your mind?”
Ziva took a breath. “You.”
He tempered the heat of the stove and looked at her. “What did I do wrong?”
“Nothing, that I know of at least. We really do need to talk – about you and I and last night…”
“I liked last night…” he said warily.
She looked at him steadily but with equal caution, “As did I, regardless of how unexpected as it was. I know you are still grieving and if you wish to forget it happened I can do that but if you um, if you want to..”
“Ziva…” John sighed and carefully approached her. “I kissed you for being you, not because you look like her, but because you are you… a part of me is freaking out because I haven’t known you that long, but it felt right when I kissed you.” He gently caressed her hair. “However, if you want to continue exploring how it could be as an ‘us’, I think we should take it slow.”
She smiled up at him and nodded. “I can do slow. You said we will be camping on the shore this weekend? I managed to get Gibbs to okay my leaving early tomorrow so I can shop some, maybe buy a new tent set.”
“We’re going to Virginia, no shores, just lots of trees and horses.” John grinned, and then realized he should have taken the day off or ask if he could leave early as well, however, at this point, it might be too suspicious. “Here.” He placed his platinum card on the counter. “Use that when you go shopping.”
Ziva shook her head and slid it back. “No, I have enough money to buy my own things. That is one thing you will need to learn about me,” she pointed out.
“I know that you probably have enough money to buy you things, but I am taking you away for the weekend, I should have bought a tent or whatever, and I forgot.” He slid it back towards her. “I didn’t mean to offend you. At least buy the tent with that, please?”
She pursed her lips as she looked at him then teased. “I will buy you your tent with it then…unless you think sharing one with our own sleeping bags is – too fast – for you?”
“You’re a tease,” He grinned and kissed the top of her head when he turned around to stir in the sauce again. “One tent, two sleeping bags.” he nodded as he grabbed two plates and started to serve the pasta on them.
“Okay…” she said glancing over his form accidentally and flushed. Grinning Ziva canted her head to the side and decided to play with his head a little. “But that would still be odd because I tend to sleep in the nude…”
He nearly dropped the sauce pan as he looked at her, blushing. “So do I, but it’s not a wise thing to do in a forest.”
“That’s good to know if we ever have to go undercover together,” she said refilling their wine glasses. “Somehow I doubt either of us will get much sleep tonight now! Eat here, dining table, or living room?”
“Wherever you want.” John replied as he put Parmesan cheese over their pasta filled plates.
“Living room would be comfortable,” she shrugged and grabbed their glasses and led the way. Settling back down on the floor as they had the night before, Ziva made a more conscious effort to face him so they would be able to talk more as they ate.
He had taken the plates and utensils with him as he followed her in to the living room. “You know…” he said as he sat down and put a plate in front of her. “It was really hard to focus this morning, with you dressed in your gym shorts and top… and then watching you spar with Teyla… You were amazing.”
“Hm? You were pretty good yourself with Gibbs. I do look forward to training with Teyla again…It has been a long while since I was able to let go like that,” Ziva commented as they exchanged their glasses and plates to settle to dinner.
“Teyla’s an excellent teacher. Did you see how McGee sparred with her? He went from completely nervous to be at ease with her as she’s so patient. And Gibbs hits like a truck, I don’t know what he was trying to achieve.”
She shrugged as she ate, unable to answer as it was too delicious and she was indeed hungry. When she was able to speak, Ziva was still at a loss. “With Gibbs, you never know. Coming in this morning to find out you would be sparring with Tony was probably the last thing on your mind. This is good…I may not let you go back to Teyla after the weekend now,” she laughed.
“Uh no, it was the least thing I expected, I was also quite shocked to see Teyla.” He admitted. “I’m glad you like the food,” he smiled and took a sip of his wine. “I’m happy the way it turned out the way it did.”
They talked some more while watching a movie and then went to bed, Ziva in hers and John in the guest room. He hated to admit it, but dealing with the unexpected sparring of the morning had made him end up feeling quite drained. He had talked with Teyla, shortly, but he had grown easily frustrated when she was her usual calm and collected self and hadn’t addressed the reason why he had walked out the day before, she only said that it took her a while to get Torren to settle down for his sleep during the evening.
Tomorrow was another day, he and Ziva would leave for Virginia at the end of it and he was curious what their weekend was going to be like.
