dragonheart | NCIS Fanfiction: Part 7 of the Dragon Series

Title: Dragon’s Deceit
Author: Kytivafan

Genre: Friendship/Romance
Part 7 of Dragon series written with heartundone
Characters: Ziva/Tony

Spoilers: None - Set after 8.24 Pyramid

Word Count: 626

Disclaimer: Last time I looked, they still belonged to CBS, et al and not to me - *sigh*

Summary: While in Israel to attend her father's funeral, Ziva gets a unexpected visitor and learns something disturbing about her father and someone close to her.

Previously in The Dragon Series...
Part 1 by kytivafan: Slaying Dragons
Part 2 by heartundone: Dragon Slayer
Part 3 by kytivafan: Out of the Dragon’s Shadow
Part 4 by heartundone: Dragons and Doubt
Part 5 by kytivafan: Dragon's Dance
Part 6 by heartundone: Dragon's Lair

Ziva opened her eyes to find her sleeping partner’s face so close to hers that they were literally sharing the same breath. She chuckled softly, just a week ago if she had found herself in a similar position she would have bolted- right after inflicting some serious pain on Tony.

They were both fully clothed and lying on top of the bedcovers, their bodies close, but not touching and it was still the most intimate sleep she had ever shared with someone.

So much had changed in just a few days time.

As she pondered the implications, she heard a soft tapping on the bedroom door. After making sure that Tony was still sleeping, she rolled silently off the bed and padded to the door rubbing the sleep from her face.

She opened the door to find Malachi on the other side.

“I’m sorry to wake you Ziva, but you have a visitor” Malachi spoke softly.

“Who?” replied Ziva, stifling a yawn.

She noticed Malachi looking over her left shoulder where she knew that he could see Tony sleeping on the bed.

“He says he is your fiancé” replied Malachi looking at Ziva with a somewhat uncertain look

“Ray is here?” questioned Ziva as she stepped back in surprise.

“So, it’s true. He is your fiancé.” Anger and disappointment evident in his facial expression and in his tone of voice.

Ziva smiled inwardly at Malachi’s apparent loyalty to Tony and answered “He most definitely is not my fiancé. How did he get past security and into the compound?”

“Evidently, he is on the clearance list” scoffed Malachi

That fact more than his presence in Israel surprised Ziva. It meant that her father had personally cleared him. She narrowed her eyes and unconsciously chewed her lip as she thought about the significance of her father and Ray knowing each other.

“I will tell him that you are unavailable” offered Malachi

Ziva thought for a second “No. Tell him I will be down in a few minutes. It appears that Ray and I have much to talk about”

Malachi gave her a dubious look, but nodded his head and left.

Ziva closed the door and rubbed her forehead, she felt a headache coming on.

She walked over to the bed and sat down beside Tony who still had his eyes closed.

She knew he was mimicking sleep; he was giving her an out - an opportunity to not talk about Ray. She was grateful for the gesture, but she wasn’t taking it.

“You heard” she stated softly

“Ray’s here” answered Tony opening his eyes and sitting up.

“And it appears it is not the first time” said Ziva reaching out and lightly touching his knee. She marveled to herself at how easy it was to touch him now.

“What are we going to do?” asked Tony

She did not miss the we in his question. She was not surprised, Tony always had her back

She looked him in the eyes and grasping his hands tightly, asked “Do you trust me Tony?”

He didn’t hesitate and answered with conviction “With everything Ziva”

He didn’t have to say the words, she knew that everything included his heart – he trusted her completely.

Even though they hadn’t talked about it and hadn’t tried to define it even to themselves, they both knew they were now something more – something beyond partners and friends. Maybe later they would try to put a label on it and then again, maybe they wouldn’t, it was enough that it was.

Buoyed by his confidence in her, no – by his confidence in them, she winked at him and gave him a soft kiss on the lips

“In that case, I think it’s time I talked with my fiancé”