Ziva David - NCIS

Chapter 22

"Tony?" I look back surprised.

"Yep." He stands next to me.

"We haven't really had time to talk much." He says quietly.

"Well between discipline lessons in the car park, 12 hour plane rides to Israel, brutal training, the worst hangovers and crazy people we probably don't fact time. Im not allowed to talk to you, in fact if my father finds out he will kill me!" I stare out at the sun setting.

"I'll be there for you."

"Why? Why would you want me? A crazy Mossad trained , ex NCIS agent, full Mossad agent?" I retaliate.

"Look in Paris and Berlin, you remember?" I nod. "I knew then that I loved you and I always have from when you first walked into my life." he murmurs. We both look out to the bottom of the canyon.

"People who get too close to me end up dead." I mutter.

"Like who?" He asks.

"My friends from when we were kids, my officers that used to work for me, Ari, My mother, Tali." I trail off.

"None of them were your faults." He reaches out and tries to lay his hand on my shoulder. I immediately flinch and shy away to the right. He shuffles to the right so our elbows are touching.

"What's wrong?" He clasps his hands together.

"Nothing."

"Ziva, I know you too well." We speak quietly so no one can hear.

"That's just it, you know nothing about me. My life has changed since I came back from NCIS. I'm being controlled by my father. Whatever he says, I have to do it." I sigh.

"I fell in love with you Zi. I don't care about your father, we'll just hide it from him." He mutters

"It's not that easy and the consequences are high." I argue quietly.

"What are the consequences? They can't be that bad." I shake my head.

"With you, he'll let you off with a slap on the hand and a quick paragraph about the dos and don't with Mossad officers. For me it will be discipline. Day after day for about a week. Especially as you are from NCIS." I say softly.

"You love me yes or no?" He asks.

"Yes but-"

"There is no buts. We keep it hidden. By the end of this week, we'll take you home and you will be safe from him."

"It's not that easy!" I whisper.

"I'll make it easy." We look into each other's eyes.

"Thank you." I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek. I turn back to the canyon.

"Charlie, tell me something good." I say and then turn around.

"There's a piece of paper in his hand." She looks at me.

"Any writing?" I say as I pull on a pair of gloves.

"Yes." She says quietly.

"Have you read it out yet?" I twist my foot round.

"No, it's personal."

"To who?" I ask trying to get to the point.

"To you."