DISCLAIMER: These characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No copyright infringement is intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was written for Theme #2 Missed Opportunity, and then people started hopping in elevator's and having conversations, so I suppose this could go for the Turbolift Challenge too. On another note, I've been rewatching the end of Season 4 and I really just got sick of seeing Ziva moon over Tony. So I decided she should stop mooning and just do something about it already!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
A Taste of Fate
By Jaina
She hears the low murmur of voices before she sees them. The moment she does, Abby stumbles to a halt. She hadn't meant to walk in on this.
Ziva has one hand resting on one of Tony's expensive dress shirts, her fingers worrying at the fabric. Tony's running a hand down her cheek, and playing with her hair. Even from her distance Abby can see that familiar way that he moves. Tony DiNozzo flirts as easily as he breathes.
His hand drops to cup Ziva's face and he tilts her chin up. He meets her eyes as he slowly lowers his lips until they meet hers. The kiss isn't sweet or loving, but sure and full of passion. A challenge that Ziva doesn't hesitate to return. Her hand drops to his belt and she jerks him closer to her.
Tony groans as he breaks off the kiss. "You're going to be the death of me, David."
Ziva laughs that low throaty laugh of hers that always makes Abby shiver. "Oh, I will be. But you will enjoy every minute of it."
Tony laughs too and their voices get lower, until Abby can't make out what they whisper between kisses and caresses.
She turns away, and starts back down the hall. Interrogation rooms are probably a careless place to have a quick moment with your lover. She should know. She'd walked in on Palmer and Lee just the other day when she was going to see Ducky in autopsy.
Her fingers reach up to play with the leather collar around her neck in a careless gesture, as she heads back down the hall in the opposite direction. She's surprised most of all - surprised to find them together - and more surprised still to find that she's sad.
She has to admit that she likes to flirt almost as much as Tony and she's always been an equal opportunity flirt. McGee, Tony, Gibbs - all of her coworkers who know better than to take her too seriously know that. Still she finds herself thinking about Ziva.
The rare times when Ziva would make an effort to get to know her. Helping her to put back together the puzzle of a box shattered by an explosion. How protective she'd been when Mikhal had been stalking her. She hadn't realized how much she'd treasured those small moments with Ziva.
Abby pushes the button to call the elevator to take her back down to her lab. Finding Gibbs, which was her errand in the first place, can wait until later. Gibbs usually has a knack for showing up when he needs to anyway.
She hears familiar footsteps come up beside her as the elevator doors open and she steps inside. When the doors close she looks over to see Ziva watching her. Her face is carefully blank. Abby gives her a half-hearted smile and turns her attention back to staring at the dull surface of the walls around them.
"Abby," Ziva starts. When she doesn't respond, Ziva takes a step away from the wall and comes to stand directly in front of her, forcing Abby to look at her.
"Abby," she repeats, in a stronger voice this time. "I know you saw Tony and I."
Abby looks up sharply. She hadn't realized that she'd been seen. Ziva had given no start of surprise or other indication, but she probably shouldn't have been surprised to realize that Ziva had seen her. She should have expected it with Ziva's training.
"So?"
"So, I would appreciate it if you say nothing. What you saw was careless and it will not happen again."
Abby frowns. "Why are you so worried about people finding out? It's not that big of a deal that you're partners."
"Ah, but DiNozzo-" Abby notices the distancing of the use of his surname "-has a very steady girlfriend now and she is not me."
Ziva sees the dismay on Abby's face and holds up a hand. For the first time she looks troubled. Grimacing she looks at Abby. "You will not believe me, but he's undercover. He's not cheating on her because he's not really dating her."
It's a lot of information to take in all at one time, Abby decides. "Oh." She drops her gaze to the floor, inspecting first her own boots and then Ziva's. "I won't say anything."
Ziva looks relieved. "Thank you."
She sounds so grateful that Abby almost feels sorry for her and them.
Ziva steps back, giving her more space and signaling that the delicate part of their conversation is over. They watch the numbers slide down in silence. The number is one above her level and sliding downward. Finally it dings.
Abby starts to step past Ziva to exit.
"Abigail," Ziva calls to her just before she steps off. "If things ever end badly between Tony and I..."
She smirks and Abby has a chance to see the glint of something in her eyes, before Ziva pulls her towards her and kisses her deeply and thoroughly enough to leave her disoriented and breathing heavily when she pulls away and steps back into the elevator.
The satisfied look on Ziva's face is the last thing that Abby sees as the doors slide shut between them.
The End