Chapter 1

Ziva awoke with a start. The sweat poured off her and the sheets stuck to her exposed flesh. She sensed a presence next to her in the bed and rolled over as not to disturb him. His middle length sandy blond hair fell across his peaceful face. Ziva crossed her bedroom into her on suit bathroom. She wet her face in the sink then drew her head up, making her dark hair sweep over so it was lying down her back. She gazed absently into the mirror. Her dark eyes were distant, even to her. She hated this feeling. She was worried, something that she usually never had to deal with. The recurring nightmare scared her. She always had a helpless feeling and one of emptiness. The current string of one night stands didn't help either. Ok, the sex was great but it didn't exactly make her feel wanted. Sure, she loved the chase of getting guys at different bars, but it was never quite as great the next morning when the pleasure of the tequila had vanished. She heard movement in the next room and prepared to kick him out. "Ziva?" a deep voice said groggily.
"I'm here" she said, walking confidently out of the bathroom.
"Last night was great" he said, kissing her deeply
"Um…Billy"
"What is it Hon?"
"Get out of my house, I have to go to work" she said bluntly.
"Ah, um…ok" he said quietly, kind of shocked. He gathered up his clothes, but paused in confusion.
"What is it?" she said impatiently.
"I can't find my boxers" he said quietly. She scanned the room, and stopped when she got to the bookcase adjacent to her bed.
"Up there" she said, pointing to the very top.
"T-thanks" he stuttered, grabbing them and heading out the door. Ziva quickly ran to the kitchen and turned the coffee machine on. Then she ran quickly ran back to the bedroom, grabbing clean underwear, a t-shirt and cargo-pants and pulling them quickly on. She greeted she didn't have time for her morning run, or a shower, but if she was late one more time this week, Gibbs would kill her. Strapping on her sidearm and backup, she grabbed a travel mug and poured the freshly made coffee into it before grabbing a jacket, slipping her knife in and making sure it was fully concealed at her waist before running out the door.

She ran from the elevator quickly to her desk, unaware of Gibbs' presence behind her. She collapsed into her chair and collected herself. "Officer David" a gruff voice came from behind her.
"Agent Gibbs" she said, screwing up her face.
"Why are you late?"
"Am I?" she said, knowing the answer.
"Yes, third time this week."
"Sorry boss. I had a problem to deal with this morning and I just…"
"Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness."
"Ok Gibbs" she said, sitting down as he did the same at his own desk.
"And Ziva, don't let one night stands be a problem" he said, leaving her worried, and him with a smile on his face. Ziva was shattered from her lack of sleep. So and hour later, her head was down on the desk. She had drifted into unconsciousness, but minus the snoring for once. The dream was back, and haunting her head.

"Ziva!" a scared voice yelled. "Ziva, where are you?!" it yelled in Hebrew.
"Shhh, Tali. It's ok" she whispered in her sister's ear.
"No, it's really not. Ziva I don't know what to do"
"Tali, it'll be ok, just go wait in the car. I have to go inside for a minute" Ziva said, kissing her sister on the forehead.
"Ok Z, but just don't be to long"
"I won't. Go to the car" Ziva told her in her native tongue. Ziva felt heat sear her neck. She was forced forwards into the building, flying through the window, glass shattering all over her body. There was a ringing in both her ear, bombs going off will do that to you. She spun a round to see flames emanating for the remains of her car. There was yelling and crying people all over the place. Ziva's mind went to one place. Tali. Was she in the car? She didn't have to ask. She knew. Her baby sister was gone. She ran over to the car, screaming her name. she saw the innocent face of basically a little girl lying to her left. "Tali!" she shrieked, running over to her sister. Her eyes were closed and Ziva tried to pull her out form under the rubble, but screamed and weeped when she pulled, and found her baby sister severed in half. She was already dead, thanks god she hadn't suffered. Ziva pulled the star of David necklace from round Tali's neck and put it on her own. "I love you" she whispered, kissing her sister in the forehead.

"Tali!" she said as she awoke with a start.
"What?" Tony asked from across the bullpen.
"Nothing" she lied.
"Gear up, we've got a case." Gibbs said, hanging up the phone.
"Um, Gibbs. Do you mind if I catch you up? I am not prepared" she said, feeling the sweat run down her back.
"Ok, just this once. Knowing the way you drive, you'll beat us there. Probie, gas the truck. DiNozzo, you're with me"
"Got it boss" he said, grabbing his rucksack, while Ziva headed off in the other direction, out of site.
"Um, boss. Can I stay with Ziva? Just to make sure she is ok, she didn't look to good."
"If you must DiNozzo, I could do to not drive with you today." He said, running to the elevator while Tony headed to where Ziva left.

Chapter 2

Ziva looked around before quietly sneaking into the shower room. She knew that the showers were for bio-hazards only, but for once she didn't care. She needed to wash the dream from her thoughts, literally. She grabbed up a towel and moved towards one of the middle stalls. She checked she wasn't followed again before quickly stripping. She knew she had no reason to be self conscious, but she would have much preferred if they had curtains. She bundled her clothes into a corner and stepped into a cubicle. She turned on the water and waited a while for it to go hot, although she could have used a cold one. She stepped under the running shower and tried to let her troubles flow away with the water. She closed her eyes, letting the water run all over her body. Tali's voice echoed in her head. It screamed her name over and over again in a fear stricken voice. Ziva just wanted to scream and run. The explosion rang in her head. The water felt like the blood that had run down her face. Her thoughts were broken when she heard slow footsteps approaching. She could tell they were male, so her first thought was to grab a towel, or gun. Her time ran out. She saw the shiny black shoe under the stall gap. A man's body appeared in the corner of her eye. It was Tony. "Ziva, I…" he stuttered. This was the first time Ziva had ever seen Tony nervous. He knew he should put a hand over his eyes, but he never got around to it. He was too shocked by what he thought he would never see again after that weekend undercover. Ziva was pressed up against the back of the cubicle. A wall of water separated the two of them, but Tony could still see pretty well. Water dripped from every point of Ziva's body that he could see. Her dark hair was longer when wet, and a few strands fell onto her face.
"Tony!" she yelled, but he took no notice. "DiNozzo"
"Yeah…" he said, a dazed look on his face.
"Either leave or join me, but stop staring." She said, walking into the stream of water. Tony weighed his options. He started to undo his tie and he stepped towards her. "Not a chance" she said, laying a hand on his chest. "Leave now Tony"
"But you said…" he pouted.
"I was pulling your arm"
"That's leg Ziva, and that's mean"
"Yeah" she said, taking a handful of water and throwing it on him. "Bye Tony" she said, waving. He waved sarcastically back.

Ziva entered the bullpen to find Tony, head down at his desk. Her hair was still wet, but only slightly dripping. "Tony, get up. We're going" she said, slipping her gun onto her waistband and grabbing the keys to the sedan as he stood up and followed her to the elevator.
"I'm driving" he told her.
"No you're not Tony" she said as the doors slid shut.

Ziva sped round the corner to the crime scene. "Ziva!" Tony yelled, clutching the dashboard for dear life.
"What!" she said, speeding to a stop beside the NCIS truck.
"Never mind" he said, practically rolling out of the car. They both pulled their hats onto their heads and ducked under the yellow tape.
"Hey boss" Tony said, jogging down the hill, Ziva on his six.
"DiNozzo. ‘bout time, shoot" he said, throwing the camera to Tony. They looked past Gibbs to see the wreck of what once could be called a car. Tony could see the remains of a tall man lying next to Ducky and Palmer. "Ziva, interview the passenger"
"Passenger?" she said, turning round to face Gibbs.
"Yeah. Guy was also in the car. Passenger seat. He is in the back of the ambulance. Interview him" he said, going back to bagging and tagging. Ziva turned back and walked up the hill, heading over to an ambulance which sat stationary 20 feet from the crime scene tape. She rounded the corner to see a paramedic working on a head injury that was sustained by a man with sandy blond hair.
"Shit!" Ziva swore, pressing up against the back of the autopsy van before the man saw her. She slid out of site and back under the tape before anyone noticed. Gibbs was talking with Ducky and McGee was away in his own little world. Tony on the other hand was half way up the hill, snapping some of the car that had torn away. "Tony" she whispered, trying to get his attention. He didn't look round. "Tony" she said a little louder, grasping his focus this time.
"What?" he said, moving closer to her.
"Swap?" she begged.
"Excuse me?" he said, confused.
"Please interview the witness and let me take photos. Please?"
"What's in it for me?" he said, ducking under the tape and moving extremely close to her, staring longingly into the dark eyes.
"Anything you want" she said seductively, moving forward so her body was pressed up against his, lips only inches from his.
"Anything" he said, thinking
"As long as you talk to him" she said, taking a step back and winking before grabbing the camera from his hand and sliding from his view. Tony made his way to the ambulance and saw the man; he was about 6'1" with sandy blond hair. He was quite muscular but thin as well. Tony took out his PDA and moved towards the man.

10 minutes later Tony was back with the rest of the group at the scene of the crash. His PDA was still in hand as he slowly ran down the hill. "The Vic's name is Kenneth Sandler. The passenger is Billy Lyon. He's the Vic's best friend; they were in boot camp together. Lyon got a medical discharge last year. He is in town for the weekend, visiting Sandler. Said he hooked up with a girl last night, but she kicked him out in the morning. He got Sandler to pick him up, that's why they were driving this way" he said, looking hopefully at Gibbs for a reward.
"Good job DiNozzo" Gibbs said, walking behind Tony and back up to the van. Ducky and Palmer followed with the body on a gurney. McGee also did, carrying all the gear under his arms. Tony grabbed Ziva's arm as she passed. The guilty look that had possessed her face only a second ago had disappeared. She feared it would reappear when she saw the look on Tony's face. She knew she was busted. "Ziva, I think I will take you up on the deal now" he said, a sly grin on his face. She wasn't caught out after all.
"You saw me in the shower this morning, there's you payment" she said, winking seductively at him, giving him a small kiss on the lips and following Gibbs to the truck.

Chapter 3

Ziva sat at her desk deep in thought. She had dealt with personal cases before, when she as framed by the Iranians and not so long ago with Lt. Roy Sanders, but this was a whole new experience for her. Her one night stand was the key witness to a death that was probably her fault. It had to happen this week of all weeks. The nightmare made it almost impossible to focus in the first place. Ziva had no idea what had triggered them and all she wanted was a peaceful nights sleep without reliving her past. To top it all of, thoughts of Tony also plagued her. She had wanted more than anything to pull him into that shower with her this morning and have her way with him. She had felt that way for a while and thought he might have returned her feelings, but recently she had begun to doubt them. She glanced up to look at him and he must have felt her penetrating gaze as he looked up too and shot her the cheeky, famous DiNozzo grin. She returned the smile before sweeping her hair back with her left hand and letting it fall around her shoulders as she tried to get her mind in order. "Tell me we have something." Gibbs burst into the bullpen.
"We have something," Tony started, leaping up from his desk and practically running in front of Gibbs. "Our Vic is Kenneth Sandler, he is stationed at Norfolk, works inventory so basically he is jut a clerk." He paused.
"Is that it?" Gibbs growled.
"No" McGee piped in. "I checked his bank and phone records. Nothing abnormal, looks like a model sailor Boss"
"What the hell use is that to me McGee? I need something important!" he pushed himself up from his chair and barked in the junior agents face. Ziva jumped in, making Gibbs turn to face her.
"It appears he does not have a girlfriend. He likes going out with his friends, especially Sandy Lyon, who called it in… Gibbs?" she began, getting up her nerve, "Can I speak to you in private?" she asked quietly from her desk.
"Conference room" he told her gruffly, grabbing his coffee cup and moving to the elevator, Ziva following nervously. The doors slid shut, almost shutting the Israeli out. She stepped into the lit metal box and in between the second and third floors on the way down, Gibbs flicked the switch. The lights disappeared, leaving them only with an eerie dark glow. "What?" he shortly grunted.
"The woman Lyon spent the night with…"
"You have a lead on her?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes and no." she bit her lip, "It was me." She told him, head bowed.
"You?" he asked, covering his shock.
"Yes, and I am sorry I didn't tell you before but I was afraid you would pull me off the case."
"And what makes you think I wont do that now Officer David?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"Nothing. And I can understand if you do. But respectively, I can still do my job and I am not gonna let one big mistake ruin that." She answered, not backing down to the older man.
"I should pull you from the case, but you have one shot. Don't blow it."
"Wont happen again."
"I know." He told her, flicking the switch and returning to the third floor and into the squad room. Ziva followed and sat down at her desk again.
"What was that about?" Tony whispered to Ziva over the bullpen.
"Nothing Tony, it doesn't matter." She said, turning to her computer monitor.
"DiNozzo, David. You pull in your old friend Ziva." Gibbs ordered them and the grabbed their gear, jogging to the elevator.
"Old friend?" Tony asked confused.
"Billy Lyon."
"Why would he be…?" he asked, the confused look still plastered on his face,
"I slept with him." Ziva interrupted bluntly, pressing the button for the ground floor.
"You didn't?"
"Did you think I was a virgin?"
"I hope not." He told her with a smirk, and she returned the smile.

Tony and Ziva pulled up in Lyon's driveway and simultaneously exited the sedan. "So tell me," Tony started. "Was he good in bed?" he asked, trying to hide his jealously.
"Why Tony? Hoping to get into his boxers?"
"The term is into his pants, and no."
"Why just into the pants? The way I have been having sex you need closer contact than just…"
"Stop!"
"Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable Tony?" she said jokingly, stepping up onto the porch.
"No, it takes a little more than a few sexual innuendoes and an exotic accent to make me uncomfortable." He told her, ringing the bell.
"Only a little more? How disappointing." she said, cocking her head to the side as the door was yanked open.
"Ziva?" he asked shocked
"It is Officer David and I am agent DiNozzo, NCIS. We would like to ask you a few more questions, we spoke before." He said, moving in front of Ziva and blocking Billy's view of her.
"Of course I remember. Come in" he gestured into the house. "Kenny was my best friend. I can't believe he is dead." He said as they sat in the living room. He took a drink of coffee as Tony asked him more questions about his friend from the opposite chair as Ziva paced the room, which was obviously making Lyon nervous.
"And, I think," Billy continued, "That is anyone is to blame, it is you,." He turned to Ziva.
"Me?" she asked, spinning around.
"If you hadn't kicked me out he would've not had to come and get me and would still be alive."
"You don't know that." Tony stuck up for her.
"I do, this is all your fault [i]Officer David[/i]. I hope you rot in hell!" he spat at her. I take it you can show yourself out." He hissed, slamming the door to what they guessed was the bedroom, leaving them to get out.
"Well he was certainly pissed off." Ziva stated when they were back outside.
"Ya think Ziva?" he said sarcastically and she shot back a playful glare. I have only ever seen Gibbs more pissed than he was when someone spills his coffee."
"Wow that can't be pretty" Ziva screwed up her face.
"It isn't. And I hope you never have to experience that." Tony said softly, pulling his sunglasses back on and stepping back into the sedan, Ziva following suit.