#this is me still daydreaming about tiva | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

creative-type · 3 years

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wake from death (and return to life) ix

AO3 first summary: Zoro had always been told Kuina died falling down a flight of stairs. But she didn’t fall, and she wasn’t dead.

It took Kuina almost five minutes of dangling over the rails of the ship to realize there was no wind. She was punch-drunk and giddy, the weight of uncertainty rolled off of her shoulders now that she had a clear path forward. She was a Revolutionary. She was going to be the greatest swordsman in the world.

Kuina allowed herself those five minutes. With everything she’d gone through in the last week and a half she’d more than earned them, and it had been so long since she’d felt any real excitement for her future. But no swordsman worth their blade would let themselves get lost in childish emotionalism. Kuina steadied herself with a few deep breaths, mentally drawing in the flights of fancy that had momentarily escaped from her imagination—daydreams of facing Dracule Mihawk at the behest of the Revolution, of proving once and for all that she could do what so many thought impossible, of reuniting with her father and Zoro proudly bearing the title Greatest.

It was like trying to wrangle a gaggle of unruly children. The more Kuina struggled to contain herself the more her imagination tried to run free, but she managed to settle back into the state of tranquil serenity that was more befitting of her training. The practical side of her, the part that quietly disapproved of this most recent turn of events, knew that now that she’d painted the broad strokes of her future it was high time to figure out what the hell Aria de Gris was doing now. It was then, and only then, that she noticed that the air was unnaturally still.

The sailors around her were not perturbed even as the Valor’s sails hung limp from their moorings. Kuina could feel that they were moving on the clear, mirror-flat sea. Slowly, but that was better than being dead in the water. Kuina wandered to the ship’s bow, noting that the Valor was sailing almost due south. If the Revolution had followed the same heading since leaving Tolouse, and Kuina had been unconscious for two full days, that meant…

“Don’t worry, we should be out of the Calm Belt by the end of the week.”

Kuina flinched, sword half-drawn before realizing it was only Dara using what had to be the most annoying Devil Fruit ability in the history of the world. Dara laughed as she popped out of the deck, hooking her thumbs in her pockets as Kuina shot her a glare.

But most of Kuina’s irritation was at herself for letting herself be caught by surprise, and she returned her attention back to the water. It was impossible to sail through the Calm Belt without some sort of engine, which the Valor lacked, to say nothing of the danger presented by the innumerable nests of sea kings that buffeted the Grand Line from the Four Blues.

Even as Kuina tried to wrap her mind around it, a dark shadow emerged from the depths directly in front of the ship. A high-pitched, eerie wail, almost like a siren’s song, reverberated through the air and deep into Kuina’s chest.

A monstrous head breached the surface so close to the Valor it sent rippling waves across its hull. Sprays of water jettisoned thirty feet into the air, exposing only part of a stripped, misshapen body before submerging once more. Great flukes, as large as a whale, but covered with algae-like strands of hair, slapped against the surface of the sea and sent sprays of salty water against the deck. Someone in the crow’s nest above whooped out a cry of encouragement.

Thoroughly confused, Kuina looked at Dara, whose grin only widened as she pointed to a tiny speck bobbing to the space recently vacated by the leviathan. “Oh look, there’s Cam. Someone should send a boat after her.”

“As if she’d take it!” a Revolutionary Kuina didn’t recognize shouted from across the deck.

“True,” Dara said contemplatively. Beckoning Kuina to follow, she meandered to the starboard side of the deck and loosened a rope ladder into the sea. “It’s probably faster to just let her swim.”

If Kuina hadn’t been so amazed by the fact Camille hadn’t gotten herself eaten, she would have marveled at the speed with which she cut through the unnaturally-still sea. Kuina considered herself a good enough swimmer, but Camille looked like she’d been born for the water. She moved like she was part fish, each stroke strong and graceful, returning to the Valor in moments. When she climbed back onto the decks she seemed sad to be there, looking back longingly at the water.

“So, how’s Fin?” Dara asked.

“Good, good. I adjusted the harness to fit more comfortably.” Camille arched an eyebrow at her friend while adjusting a leather thong around her neck, from which hung the biggest tooth Kuina had ever seen. “And his name isn’t Fin.”

“Well since you haven’t said what his name is, you’ve left me no choice but to improvise,” Dara retorted. She nudged Kuina in the ribs. “Can you believe she went through the effort of taming a sea king and then didn’t name it? ”

“You tamed a sea king?” Kuina said. “ How? ”

Camille rolled her eyes. “I didn’t tame anything. We’ve just...reached an understanding.” She gave Kuina an appraising look. “I’m surprised the doctor let you out of her grasp so soon.”

“She almost didn’t,” Kuina admitted.

Dara wrapped an arm around Kuina’s neck, ignoring the choked yelp of alarm and Kuina’s efforts to squirm free. “Forget about that! Did you hear, Kuina joined up. She’s officially one of the team!”

“I thought that was a given.” Camille said, utterly disinterested as she wrung the excess water from her shirt.

“When did you hear that?” Kuina said at the same time.

“Pfft, Dara knows pretty much everything on this ship,” Camille said. “You get used to it.”

Kuina frowned. She didn’t like the idea of someone with Dara’s ability nosing her way into business that wasn’t her own. If there was anything she’d learned since sailing with the Revolution, it was that there was very little in the way of privacy while at sea. Ships crowded everyone together, crewmates eating, sleeping, and working in close proximity. While the forced closeness had its advantages, Kuina was used to spending great blocks of time alone. It was something to get used to, and to be wary of.

“Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me,” Dara said, tweaking the end of Kuina’s nose. “You saved me from losing five hundred berries, and to Lizard of all people. I am at your service.”

It took Kuina a moment to remember Dara’s ill-thought wager with Elizabeth, and before she could voice her protest Dara had taken her by the arm to make official introductions to the crew, Camille laughing a half-step behind.

There was John the cooper, and James the blacksmith. Among the deckhands Kuina was introduced to rapid-fire were Kojo, Zhao, Lin, Char, Sean, Jen, and Tiva, and by the end of it she had gotten them so thoroughly confused with one another she had no idea which one was which. Others were working belowdecks, or off-shift and resting.

Elizabeth was still regretfully in charge of cooking duties, while Lyudmila was the ship’s quartermaster and second in command. Kuina was surprised to hear that in addition to taming sea kings in her spare time, Camille was the crew’s navigator.

“And what is it you do?” Kuina asked as Dara dragged her back below decks for the grand tour.

“Get newbs like you up to speed. Now here’s Trini’s room—try not to get stuck in here unless you want to spend the afternoon feeding lettuce to snails.”

Kuina blinked in amazement. The communications room was packed full of terrariums housing snail phones of every size and color. At its center was an enormous machine that looked vaguely like what the marines used to send their faxes, with thin cords attached to half a dozen den den mushi. Behind the machine sat Trini wearing an oversized pair of headphones, deep in concentration.

“She’s scanning the airwaves,” Dara said in an exaggerated whisper, carefully closing the door once more. “Not that there’s much to intercept in the Calm Belt, but you never know with the marines these days.”

“The marines can cross the Calm Belt?” Kuina said. “I can barely believe we’re crossing the Calm Belt!”

“It’s all thanks to Fin. Sea king bulls don’t typically fight with one another unless it’s mating season, so even if he’s pulling along a tasty treat we should be all right. I think his song has something to do with it, too.” She made an exaggerated gesture. “As for the marines, I have no freaking clue, but it must be a pretty new development since Boss doesn’t know about it, and the Valor isn’t sea-king proofed either.”

“That’s right, this was a marine ship,” Kuina murmured, looking up at the planks with fresh eyes. It was funny, without the marine’s distinctive painted hulls, she’d never would have been able to tell the difference.

“Oh, yeah. Came with all the amenities, which is how Trini got her state of the art snail room.”

“So if you guys had a sea king snuck up your sleeve this whole time, why didn’t you use it during the battle?” Kuina asked. “A monster that size would have been useful on Tolouse.”

“Ach, must everything be about fighting with you?” Dara said. “You must never have seen a real sea king, but Fin’s practically a baby, not even half-grown. And it’s surprisingly smart—for all my teasing, Cam was right. The thing has a mind of its own and acknowledges no master. I don’t think we could get him to attack a ship if we wanted to.”

“But he’ll pull a ship through the Calm Belt?” Kuina said.

“It’s better than going the long way around, eh?” Dara said with a shrug. “Come on, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

At the barracks, Kuina had her choice of seven open bunks. One, which happened to be closest to the door, had a small crate propped on top of the thin mattress. Inside was stuffed with clothes and basic belongings. When Kuina looked askance at Dara the light in her eyes dimmed.

“That’s Danny’s stuff,” Dara said. “The rest who died already have their things stowed for when we get back to base, but as far as any of us know she doesn’t have any family so we’re not really sure what to do with hers. I’d say for you to take the clothes since you don’t have any, but I don’t think they’d fit.”

Kuina drew her fingers over the box, trying to think if she’d said anything about any family in their short time together, but all she remembered her mentioning was an apprenticeship under a cruel master. Kuina’s throat tightened as the memory of Danny screaming hysterically echoed in her mind unbidden.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Dara rubbed her neck uncomfortably. “It happens. I already told Boss when I bite it to sell all my stuff and use the money to have a party. If you all can’t be happy, at least you’ll be drunk.”

“I don’t drink,” Kuina said.

“Then you and Mila can be mopey together,” Dara said with determined cheerfulness. “It won’t matter to me, I’ll be dead. Now, where do you want to be? I’d be careful about that middle one there, it’s next to Lizard, and she snores terribly. ”

Kuina took the hint, and changed the subject, trying not to wonder how many of the bunks available to her had only emptied after the battle of Tolouse.

After the tour came lunch, and with two solid, if not especially tasty, meals under her belt, Kuina was beginning to feel more like herself again. The itch to train was back, and Kuina wanted nothing more to test the limits she’d recently expanded and chase after the high of battle, but much like her time on Belo Betty’s ship she was first subjected to the humiliation of being the newest and lowest-ranking sailor on a large and understaffed warship.

“You’re kind of shit at this, aren’t you?” Camille observed from her perch at the ship’s bow, watching as Kuina ran her mop over the deck for what felt like the hundredth time.

“You could help,” Kuina said.

“And deprive you of the opportunity to learn? Never.” She gave a long, catlike stretch. “By the way, you missed a spot.”

Kuina muttered an oath as she stabbed the mop into the bucket. “It isn’t as if it’s dirty.”

“Water expands and seals the wood, salt protects against rot.” Camille yawned, as if bored by the conversation, and wandered back to their useless rudder. As she passed Kuina, she said, “If you want to live in a drippy, softwooded ship, be my guest. As for me, I’d prefer not to die the first time a Grand Line squall hits.”

She left Kuina with her head bowed and cheeks burning. But the words had their intended effect and Kuina redoubled her efforts, determined from that point on that no one could in good conscience reprimand her sailcraft ever again.

It was nearing dark when de Gris and Lyudmila emerged from the captain’s quarters to call a meeting with the crew. After a long day of labor, Kuina’s muscles ached and she yearned for the sweet respite of bed. And it wasn’t as if the work had been taxing, especially after Clara Cross emerged from the infirmary like an avenging angel to tell off the entire crew, but especially Kuina, for overexerting herself.

There were some things not even Devil Fruit magic couldn’t sweep under the rug, and apparently the exhaustion of a near-death experience was one of them.

“All right everyone, gather round!” de Gris yelled. “Watchmen too! There aren’t any ships out here, and if the sea kings come after us we’re fucked anyway. I want everyone to hear this. Where’s Trini? She can leave the damn snails for ten minutes.”

The crew scrambled to obey the order. Kojo (or maybe Sean) went to gather those who were still belowdecks. Minutes later everyone was assembled in a loose circle around the main mast, with de Gris at the center. She paused a moment to ensure everyone was paying close attention, and under her stern gaze the idle chatter vanished into deathly silence.

Rays of dying light cast against de Gris’s back and framed her face in deep shadow. “I know you all have been wondering lately why the hell we were called to the East Blue so suddenly, and why we’re leaving just as quickly. I’ve heard you lot asking where our next destination was and wonder why I’ve not said where we’re going once we hit the Grand Line. Well, the answer’s simple. Until today, I didn’t know.”

From the folds of her coat, she pulled out an old and crumpled sheet of paper. Kuina squinted her eyes and was just able to make out the blurry picture of a masked figure. The bounty underneath, however, was clear as the sky above. Master-at-Arms Gemini, Wanted Dead or Alive. Bounty: B48,000,000.

Beside her, Dara snorted. “Oh, I bet the marine who thought up that name thought he was very clever.”

It was difficult to tell much from the photograph, but the one detail that was absolutely clear was Gemini’s strange, double-segmented arms, too long for an ordinary human and vaguely insectile. Kuina, who’d never seen anything like it before in her life, wondered what it would be like to fight someone who essentially had two elbows.

She brushed the thought away and turned to Gemini’s face. Their mask, fittingly enough, was divided vertically into halves, one dark and one light. The side that was dark was completely bereft of ornamentation; Kuina couldn’t even make out an eyehole to see out of. The side that was light, however, was painted with a garish grin. A shock of wiry black hair fell past their shoulders, but beyond that it was impossible to discern any identifying features. Baggy clothing and the poor quality of the photograph obscured anything else, even gender, and after spending this much time under de Gris's command, Kuina knew better than to assume.

“Gemini is a prominent figure in the criminal underground,” de Gris continued. “Arms dealing, drug trade, slavery, the whole lot. Removing them from the equation will make the world a safer place.”

“What’s an arms dealer got to do with the Revolution?” someone to Kuina’s right called. “And what have they got to do with the East Blue?” A murmur of agreement rippled through the crew.

“Enough!” de Gris bellowed, silencing them once more. “Tolouse's government were slavers, that much is now clear. They called it political exile to a labor camp, but the end result is the same—the World Government gave the king kickbacks for human chattel, using the Callihan Trading Company as a middleman. And we now now that the CTC was taking orders from Gemini. If Gemini is willing to go through so much effort to set up a scheme in some East Blue backwater, who knows what other fingers they have stuck into various pies around the world.”

“So we’re going after them,” Camille said, crossing her arms across her chest.

“That's right. So far Gemini has been able to stay one step ahead of us, but with the intel gathered on Tolouse we have the upper hand.” De Gris marched to the mast. In one smooth motion she drew a dagger hidden in her boot, and stabbed the bounty deep into the wood.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to Kyuka Island. In the days ahead I’ll be divvying out assignments. Any questions are to be directed toward Lyudmila or myself—out of an abundance of caution, you’re not to discuss your orders with anyone else on this ship. I’ll keelhaul anyone who tries.” At this her gaze went directly to Kuina, who got the impression these instructions were given strictly for her benefit. "Kyuka is marine territory through and through. I pray none of us fall into Government hands, but if we do, it's safest for the Revolution that each individual knows as little as possible about our plans."

After a pause, and hearing no objections, de Gris lit a cigarette for herself. “I’ll pay anyone who finds any intelligence on Gemini that leads to their capture or death the full value of their bounty. I’ll pay double to anyone who brings me their head. This chase has gone on long enough, I want this bastard dead. ” She flicked a bit of ash off the end of her cigarette and added, almost as an afterthought, “Dismissed.”

A gap in the circle opened to let de Gris through. As she passed, she grabbed Kuina by the shoulder. “Come on, greenhorn. It’s time we sort out your position on this ship.”

For the second time that day Kuina was led to the captain’s quarters. De Gris’s desk had been cleared away, the sea charts rolled back into their proper places and ashtrays emptied. Kuina slid back into a chair that smelled like tobacco. “What is it? Does the Revolution have Articles of Enlistment for me to sign? Is there a manifesto I’m supposed to study?”

“Don’t be stupid.” The sun had almost dipped below the horizon, and de Gris found a box of matches to light a kerosene lamp. The orange flame danced on its wick and flickered with the natural roll of the ship. “I’m told Dara gave you the runaround today.”

Kuina nodded.

“Clara never came screaming at me, so I have to assume you’re not feeling too poorly,” she mused, taking the time to light another cigarette.

“I’m fine,” Kuina said, rolling back her shoulders so de Gris couldn’t see the weariness in them.

“And have you taken that sword out of its sheath even once today?”

“Uh...no?” Kuina said.

“Unacceptable.” De Gris leaned back in her chair and let out a long stream of smoke. “You’re not some swabby or rigging monkey, you’re here because of your blade.” She looked at Kuina as if she were an idiot for not realizing this sooner.

“I’m willing to work just as hard as anyone else on this ship,” Kuina said stiffly.

“And you will. Harder, even, since you’re so far behind. But a ship is like…” She gesticulated, trying to find the right word. “It’s like a person. A crew is its own organism, and every one of us has to fit into their part. You don’t expect a heart to do the same work as a kidney, and no matter how hard you try, you’re not going to be half the sailor as the people who’ve spent their whole lives on the water. It’s ridiculous to think otherwise.”

Kuina nodded. What she said made sense, and in many ways Kuina agreed with her. But there was something about agreeing with Aria de Gris that didn’t sit right with her, so she said, “I have to learn sometime.”

“Obviously. I’m not about to let you be a liability once we hit the Grand Line, but there has to be balance. You’re no good to me if you get yourself killed because you spent too much time studying the different types of sails instead of your swordsmanship.” De Gris was pensive for a moment. “I’ll have Mila set up a schedule for you in the morning. Half the day working chores, the rest training. A few of my men use katana, but you’re better than all of them. Most of what you’ll do will have to be self study.”

“That’s fine. I haven’t had a master in years.”

De Gris looked surprised to hear this, but didn’t comment. “We have regular sparing times as well, to help our less practiced fighters build their skill, and to give the mainliners a chance to get used to each other's styles. Depending on how this all shakes out, you might be pairing with Dara or Camille for the upcoming mission. Do you know how to use a gun?”

“Of course not,” Kuina said, caught off-guard by the question.

“Then you’ll learn.” De Gris cut off Kuina’s protests before they could begin. “Can you kill someone at twenty yards with your sword?”

“No,” Kuina said mulishly.

“Then you need to know how to fire a gun, and probably keep one on you as a backup weapon. I have no use for senseless pride on this ship, girl,” she said as Kuina scrunched her nose in distaste. It’s your job to listen to what I say, and it’s my job to try and put you in a position to not die. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Kuina said, still unhappy at the prospect of sullying her hands with a firearm.

Without warning, de Gris pounded her fist on her desk. The kerosine lamp tottered and threatened to fall, but her eyes never left Kuina’s, the scar on her cheek pulled taunt with her scowl.

“I said. Do. You. Understand ?”

“And I said yes, ” Kuina snapped. “I’ll learn to use you’re stupid gun, and when I figure out how to kill someone at fifty yards with my sword I’ll drop kick it into the ocean where it belongs." She crossed her arms across her chest. "I already told you I’ll do what you say so long as you don’t interfere with my ambition, so there’s no need to treat me like a child.”

They glared at one another for a long while, hackles raised, but this time Kuina refused to let herself be intimidated into backing down. Slowly, still without breaking eye contact, de Gris eased back into her chair and doused her cigarette. “I have put too many people’s belongings into boxes because they wouldn’t listen. For your own sake, I hope you’re not one of them.”

For the second time that day, memory of Danny's last words echoed in her mind. “You’re in luck, because right now I don’t own enough stuff to fit into a box, let alone anyone to send it to.”

“No one at all?” de Gris said, eyebrows raising.

Kuina’s breath hitched as she thought of her father back at Shimotsuki village. Would the Revolutionary Army be able to return her meager belongings home without the marines knowing? Would he be able to stand knowing she’d joined Dragon’s cause despite all his warnings? What about Ipponmatsu? He at least wasn’t under suspicion by the World Government...Or was he, now that she’d attacked Tashigi?

Of everyone she knew, it was probably safest to give her belongings to Zoro , but gods only knew what part of the Grand Line he’d found himself in. She almost laughed at the thought of him using two of her swords for himself.

“No one,” Kuina said. Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging crescent moons into her palms, but she kept her voice calm and her tone even.

After another heartbeat of painful silence, de Gris said, “Well, you’re not the only one." The words were probably meant to be reassuring, but Kuina felt they were anything but. “If you think of anybody, make sure someone knows.”

“I don’t plan on dying,” Kuina said.

De Gris snorted and lit another cigarette. “None of us do. Now get some grub and get to bed. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

Kuina rose to her feet. After a moment’s hesitation, she bowed slightly. “Thank you...Captain.”

De Gris waved her away with a dismissive flick of the wrist. “You don’t have to break your teeth saying it. I don’t give a damn what you call me so long as you follow orders. Just know I take discipline on this ship very seriously. Cross me, and keelhauling is the least you’ll have to worry about.”

Kuina didn’t doubt it for a second. Murmuring her goodbyes, she left de Gris to her cigarettes and her musings, grateful to be able to swallow the clean sea air once more.

#wake from death (and return to life)#creative-type writes #holy crap it's been forever since I updated this #I think I missed several chapters on tumblr #I apologize in advance for being bad at promoting my own work #one piece #kuina #One Piece Fanfiction

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beatrixacs · 7 years

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25 Words - TIVA

Hello there! Me and @dazzlingstarlight decided to try this writing challenge from @promptlywritingideas. We sent each other 25 words so the other could write 25 sentences. Well, in my case these aren’t sentences. I just couldn’t stop myself and developed it further, so most of it is pieces of unrelated conversations.

Enjoy my TIVA take on the wonderful writing challenge and don’t forget to read magnificent Harm/Mac version of dazzlingstarlight!

(1) House

Ziva sighed in content, letting the sunrays to caress her skin as she watched her little daughter and her little son playing in their playground from her place at the porch. It was truly a brilliant idea to buy a house for their growing DiNozzo family.

(2) Movie

“What movie are we going to watch?” Tony asked Ziva nervously, fidgeting in his armchair. As a huge movie fan and self-proclaimed movie expert, he didn't feel excessively comfortable with someone else choosing a movie.

“Stop being so mistrustful.” Ziva shoved him the bowl of popcorn into his lap, feeling slightly annoyed as she had heard the exact same question for umpteenth time this day.

She sat down next to him and pushed the play button. Tony just opened his mouth wide as the opening credits for The Little Prince movie began to play. Then his lips formed into a grateful smile as Ziva squeezed his hand.

(3) Heart

“With this ring I thee wed and I give you my heart under your guardianship. I cannot imagine any other person suitable for this job than you, my love. You may have not always treated it well, but it has belonged to you since the first moment we have met. And there is so little I can do it about it, that is why I am giving it to you to take care of it as I know that I can trust you with my life. I love you with all my heart, body and soul and I will spend the rest of my life by proving you that.”

There have been silent tears at Ziva's eyes at first, then sob escaped from her lips. She has never heard such a beautiful wedding vow. And being the bride, it had been twice emotional. Her soon-to-be husband slightly caressed her face, wiping away the tear in a way only Tony DiNozzo could.

(4) Bug

“Bitten by a love bug, DiNozzo?” Gibbs looked at his agent inquiringly. He was unfocused, seemingly having his head in the clouds, daydreaming all the time instead of properly working. All proofed that he was head over heels in love. And judging by the ‘secret’ look between him and Ziva, he had no doubt who the lucky woman was.

(5) McGee

“Do you keep any record on how many nicknames you have already invented for McGee?” Ziva asked Tony out of sudden curiosity.

“I have no idea.” Was the answer as Tony tried to count on his fingers.

(6) Undercover

“Do you realize that we are undercover and also under the covers?” Tony said while throwing the sheets across his body and Ziva rolled her eyes. He would seriously never stop with assessing their situation of being on an undercover mission and sleeping in the same hotel room AND in the same bed as they had posed as a married couple.

“Shut up and watch the movie, DiNozzo.” She growled, trying to force the fantasy of them using this cover and these covers for entirely different kind of activity.

(7) Autopsy

“Stop laughing! I couldn't sleep because of this nightmare!” Tony exclaimed, regretting that he had ever decided to tell his co-worker about the dream he had had last night.

“Ok, so let me summarize it.” Ziva said between her occasional laughs as she tried to subdue her amusement. “Me and Jimmy had an affair and we decided to kill you by performing autopsy while you were still alive?”

“Yes, and whenever he cut me, you kissed him.” Tony flatly added while Ziva was overpowered by another wave of laughter.

(8) Gremlin

“It’s a 1984 comedy horror classic, Jimmy. I even found a plushie for you.” Tony waved the plush toy in front of the face of pale Jimmy Palmer, setting in it on the DVD cover of Gremlins movie.

“Thanks, Tony.” Jimmy said hesitantly, hoping that Tony would never come up with ‘personalized’ gifts as he called it. Ziva, who had gotten a box of paperclips, silently agreed with him.

(9) Dress

“Can I talk for a second with Ziva in private?” Tony asked Abby, the bridesmaid, anxiously. He needed to see Ziva before she would walk down the aisle and marry CIRay right in front of his eyes. She nodded in agreement and slipped out of the room, letting him to go inside.

The moment he saw the Israeli bride, all words left him. Her wedding dress was the definition of beauty. The rich fluffy skirt, the lacy bodice hugging her curves perfectly, the perfect cleavage showing just enough of her natural treasures, the sequins, pearls and other decent decorations, the long veil waiting for her to place it into her hair – she looked like a Disney princess.

And in that moment he forgot all of his prepared speech about his true feelings for her. He realized that all he wanted for her was to be happy. Even if he wasn’t the man with whom she would spend the rest of her life with.

(10) Smash

Sound of breaking glass as she smashed everything made out of transparent material against the wall. Hebrew curses. More sounds of things being thrown in many directions. Thuds. Anger of losing a loved one, the person she loved the most on this world, prevailing over any other rational thought. All that was left was remorse. Wrath. Sadness. The second stage of grief over the loss of her husband Tony has just begun.

(11) Abby

Abby persistently pushed the elevator button down in her floor, wondering why the hell the elevator just wouldn’t move. She had important results to show to Gibbs and considering his injuries from the previous case, she didn’t want him to trudge to her lab. When the elevator finally arrived to her floor and the door opened, she found herself face to face with Tony and Ziva whose reddened cheeks were telling enough. Abby slowly smiled, no longer annoyed. Her suspicions were confirmed. Those two were making out in the elevator!

(12) Language

“How many languages do you even speak?” Tony wiped his eyebrow that got wet under the drops of sweat on his forehead. He was getting too old for such quick running. He was no Usain Bolt. Yet, he was forced to start dashing when Ziva had uttered apparently pretty vulgar remark towards the man they had been speaking to. It was better to run than to involve in a fight with a bunch of the man’s friends who appeared out of nowhere.

“It doesn’t matter, as long as I speak with the language of love.” Ziva replied, pressing her lips on his, stealing his breath away.

(13) Boss

“Are you saying that I’m supposed to be boss now, boss?” Tony asked incredulously, watching the older man in front of him. Gibbs’ retirement was something he expected to happen one day, but still dreaded it in the same time.

“You’re competent enough for that job, DiNozzo.” Gibbs squeezed his shoulder, expressing confidence in his successor.

(14) Phone

“Tell me, what are you wearing?” Tony whispered sensually into the receiver, his legs propped up against his desk. He was alone in the darkened office, ruining his back over the pile of paperwork.

“I’m not having phone sex with you, Tony.” Ziva refused and ended the call, throwing her phone on the couch in her apartment. She stared at it for a moment, biting her thumb in contemplation.

Half a minute later, the phone in the NCIS bullpen on the desk of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo rang.

(15) Investigation

Tony stared at the file in front of him. He refused to believe that the investigation was over. Well, over... It was seized. Suspended. Listed as unsolved. When you have no witnesses, no cameras, no traces of tires, simply nothing to hold on to, you can hardly investigate a crime. And yet, Tony felt that he hadn’t done enough. His father was killed. Ran over by a car in the middle of an unlit street. Nobody head heard or seen anything. No clues. No hints. No traces. No suspects. Only a victim.

A warm hand squeezed his shoulder and he was immediately grateful to have her here with him. “How could you deal with it?” He asked her as she knew the feeling of losing a father like no one else.

“The official investigation might over, Tony. But the one in your heart and your mind will never stop until you know who did it and bring him to justice.” She said in a knowing tone. “And I promise you we will find the bastard who killed him. I will personally take care of it.”

(16) Magic

Her eyes lowered and her cheeks flushed with dark crimson. The magic of Anthony DiNozzo’s smile was sometimes embarrassingly efficient and she found herself in a state when she couldn’t deny him a single thing. Maybe it had also something to do with the face she was a little bit in love with him.

(17) Explosion

The steady beeping sound of the life monitor seemed like a music to her as opposed to the terrifying sounds of the explosion she’d heard and witnessed a couple of hours ago. Tony lay in the hospital bed in barbiturate-induced coma with scratches all over his body as the shrapnel had cut into his flesh while the building he had been in had blown into pieces. She’d never felt to scared in her life. And it had awakened something in her, as well. It was different than with the members of her family who had been taken away from her too soon. They were hers, they were part of her. Tony had never belonged to her as she had been to coward to tell him how she felt about him. But she vowed, at this very moment, that if he would pull through this, she would change it as soon as she had the chance. Tony DiNozzo was about to find out the extension of her love for him.

(18) Agent

“I’m Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, nice to meet you.” Tony introduced himself to a witness they were supposed to question in their latest case. “And this is my wife, Special Agent Ziva DiNozzo.”

(19) Paris

Ziva stood in front the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and watched its glow as the darkness settled in. She was getting nervous, feverishly wondering whether Orli hadn’t been joking and Tony had really found her secret message in Israel where she’d informed him about couple of things that needed to be said, including where he might find her. She had suggested a place and time for their ‘date’. She couldn’t imagine any better location for their reunion. Paris was the symbol of their friendship, their love. She could never forget what had happened here a couple of years ago. Suddenly, she had a feeling that someone was watching her. When she turned around, her eyes welled up with tears as she saw her daughter she’d missed so much over the last few weeks in the arms of the man she loved more than herself.

(20) Wedding

She walked down the aisle on her wedding day and observed the faces of the people she loved dearly and who came here to celebrate her and Tony’s happiness with them. For a moment, she had doubts about being able to go through this but in the end, it seemed as a piece of cake. When you marry a man who had crossed the world twice for you to find you, defying all orders and rules, you just know that he is the right one. And there’s nothing easier than seal the mutual love in front of those who had witness their hardships and supported them in their hard times.

(21) Father

“There’s something I want to talk to you about, Gibbs.” Ziva started, feeling more nervous than ever in her life. “You are probably the closest thing I’ve had to a father. Especially after my coming to the United States. You somehow filled the void in my heart that was left there after my parents divorced. And considering my own father is now dead and the wedding is just around the corner, I wanted to ask you... Will you give me away?”

Gibbs approached her and kissed her on her cheek. “It’ll be my honour, Ziver.”

(22) Family

“With this ring I thee wed and I fully accept you as part of me. You once told me that family is more than blood. That it’s something I build around myself. My friends. People I trust. And people I unconditionally love. I couldn’t ever imagine how right you were. You are the one I unconditionally love. You are the one I trust with my life, my heart and my soul. You are my dearest friend. You are my family. And I will do everything to preserve it until the end of time and beyond that.”

Ziva’s quivering voice as she recited her vow had almost caused a heart attack to Tony. This was really a wedding of their dreams. And he was marrying the woman he loved the most. He was the luckiest guy on this planet.

(23) Friend

“Well, that’s the problem, Ziva.” Tony countered to her words, “I can’t be friends with you anymore. My heart just can’t accept it. Not when it knows it has a chance.”

Ziva stood in front of him, running out of words. That was not how she’d imagined their conversation, how she would tell him that he needed to be patient as she was in a hard place and she had to be careful while making her decisions. She couldn’t mindlessly enter a relationship with him, but he couldn’t and didn’t want to understand it.

He turned away from her and started to walk away. That was end of their friendship and practically everything between them. He couldn’t continue in being friendly to her when all he was thinking about constantly was to show her how much he loved her.

He was more than surprised, then, when her hand reached for his arm, turned him back to her and her lips crashed on his in a passionate way that made him lose his mind. That certainly wasn’t a kiss between friends.

(24) Daughter

“How are you going to name her?” Abby asked as she held the newborn daughter of her friends in her hands, while McGee stood behind her back, gushing over the baby’s cuteness just as her.

Tony looked at exhausted, yet smiling and incredibly happy Ziva. “Tali.” They both answered in unison.

(25) Gibbs

“Hell, it’s about time.” Gibbs uttered, seeing his two agents breaking the Rule 12 right in front of his eyes. (This is sort of a honour of a character named Tychus from Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty video game. I just can’t get the sentence out of my head, always imagining Gibbs saying it.)

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