NCIS: Best Shots

Chapter Thirty: Promises in the Dark

Tony DiNozzo looked up from his paperwork and caught Ziva looking at him before she quickly glanced away. A small smile tugged at the senior field agent's lips. It vanished when he reminded himself that Ziva was his partner and he'd just started seeing Jeanne less than a month ago. But Ziva had always been there for him, and . . .

What in the name all that's holy was he thinking? She was his partner, for crying out loud, and there was Rule Twelve to think about!

Never again, isn't that what you said

You've been through this before

An' you swore this time you'd think with your head

No one would ever have you again

And if takin' was gonna get done

You'd decide where and when

Hadn't he said that he'd never again be hurt by his commitment issues? He'd been through this choice before, and he swore to himself that this time he would think with his head. When he felt, he could be hurt. As such, no one would ever have him again. If takin' was gonna get done, he'd decide where and when.

But Ziva looked up and over at him again, something flickering in her eyes that he couldn't identify.

Just when you think you got it down

Your heart securely tied and bound

They whisper, Promises in the dark

Just when DiNozzo thought he had it down, his heart securely tied and bound, they whispered promises in the dark.

First, Kate had died. Then Paula Cassidy, one of his love interests who had been temporarily assigned to Team Gibbs, had been reassigned after being kidnapped by a copycat killer. She had then sacrificed herself to save them. Now, just recently, he'd been put on an undercover assignment to get close to Jeanne Bentoit. Sadly, it was working.

Armed and ready, you fought love battles in the night

But too many opponents made you weary of the fight

Blinded by passion you foolishly let someone in

All the warnings went off in your head

Still you had to give in

That night, he drove to Jeanne's apartment, all the while plagued by thoughts of his gorgeous Israeli partner. Too many opponents had made him weary of the fight, even though he was armed and ready—so to speak.

Tony was startled out of his thoughts as he looked in the rearview mirror and spotted a very familiar car tailing him. What's Ziva doing here?

The undercover agent pulled over to the side and slipped out. Sure enough, Ziva followed.

Blinded by passion, he foolishly let her in. All the warnings went off in his head, but Tony still had to give in.

Just when you think you got it down

Resistance nowhere to be found

They whisper, Promises in the dark

As before, just when he thought he had it down, resistance nowhere to be found, Jeanne, Jenny, all the women in his life, whispered promises in the dark.

But promises, you know what they're for

It sounds so convincing, But you heard it before

'Cause talk is cheap, and you gotta be sure

And so you put up your guard

And you try to be hard

But your heart says try again

DiNozzo knew what promises were for. It sounded so convincing, but he'd heard the words Jeanne was saying now after he'd left Ziva for the doctor's apartment before. Talk was cheap, and he had to be sure. Sop he put up his guard and he tried to be hard, but his heart said to try again.

You desperately search for a way to conquer the fear

No line of attack has been planned to fight back the tears

Where brave and restless dreams are both won and lost

On the edge is where it seems it's well worth the cost

Just when you think you got it down

Your heart in pieces on the ground

They whisper, Promises in the dark

The senior field agent was desperately searching for a way to conquer his fear of long-term commitments, as well as losing someone else he loved. No line of attack had been planned to fight back the occasional tears, although DiNozzo men didn't cry.

Where brave and restless dreams were both won and lost, on the edge was where it seemed was well worth the cost.

"Tony," someone whispered, "promise me . . ."

Right when he thought he had it down, his heart in pieces on the ground, they whispered promises in the dark. . . .