(A/N): Okay, I haven't really kept up with NCIS since Ziva left and as such got a bit confused watching the first two episodes of the new season. Anyway, whenever Tony was brought up she changed the subject quickly and this oneshot popped into my head to explain it. I own nothing remotely related to NCIS and there are SPOILERS for the first two episodes of season 17. You have been warned. As always, enjoy and let me know what you think!

Come Back To Us

"And Tony?"

"…It's complicated."

Ziva sighed ever so slightly. She knew what they would think; she still knew them like the back of her hand. They would think she hadn't told Tony anything and that he'd moved on, possibly with some kind of model-like woman. She would let them think that. Both she and Tony had changed, though everyone around them hadn't seemed to notice. She had changed in that she loved Tony and wouldn't prolong the torture of believing the story of her demise, and Tony had changed in that he loved her in return and so wouldn't take up with the first woman to offer him comfort. Indeed, just as she'd left clues only Gibbs could read, she had done the same for Tony, just in a different way.

…

Paris, 2016.

Ziva checked her watch for the thousandth time, her back to the wall, facing the street around her. Not the most secure of meeting points, but she'd needed somewhere familiar to both of them. Once today was over, no matter the outcome, she had to move on to her next meeting location. She just hoped her day of waiting was not in vain. She didn't know if she could take it if no one came. Checking her watch again, she found that only a few seconds had passed since she'd last checked it.

A shadow passing over her caused her to look up instinctively, hand reaching for the weapon on her hip, only to halt before it could get there. She breathed a sigh of relief. He'd found her. "Tony."

"Ziva." Tony took hold of her hand, pulling her upright and into a warm embrace, one that she returned gladly. Eventually, she pulled back just enough to see his face.

"Where's Tali?"

"Orli's babysitting for me. Said I should come here alone at first." Tony have her a scrutinising look, though didn't release his hold on her. "She knows, doesn't she? That you're alive, I mean."

"Yes." Ziva's face fell slightly at the reminder of why they were meeting in Paris at all. "She helped me get everything set up. This cannot be a long reunion I am afraid."

"I figured something like that. Nothing like what happened could take out the one and only Ziva David, especially not if Tali was with you." Tony offered her a smile that she returned. They probably looked a little strange, talking in hushed tones whilst staying as close in the other's embrace as possible, but then it was Paris, so any passerby most likely thought they were talking sweet nothings to each other.

"There is someone, I do not know who, that wants me dead. I do not know why either." Ziva confessed, resting her forehead on Tony's chest, feeling him lean down and press a light kiss to her hair.

"We'll figure it out Zi."

"No, we won't." Ziva looked back up at him, eyes pleading with him. "You will take Tali and live your life. The person after me doesn't know about you and Tali. I need to keep it that way."

"Ziva…" Tony searched her eyes, for what, Ziva wasn't sure. Eventually his shoulders slumped slightly and he nodded. "Okay, but promise me something."

"What?"

"Come back to us, my little ninja. Back to me and Tali." Tony shook his head to wave off her half formed protest. "I'm not saying in a week or a month or even a year. We know that these things don't have a set time. I just want you to promise that once this is over, you'll come back to us."

"What if you find someone, Tony? My coming back then wouldn't be right."

"I won't. I'm a dad to a wonderful girl with an equally wonderful mother. What more do I need?" Tony then proceeded to smother any more objections by covering her lips with his own for a heady kiss.

When they eventually came up for air, Ziva nodded. "Okay, I promise. But until that time, I cannot be in contact. I will not put Tali, or you, in danger like that."

"How long have we got left together?"

"Two hours, and then I must move on to my next location."

"Gibbs. You're waiting for Gibbs."

"How did you know?"

"The note you left in the Paris photograph. You asked me to tell Gibbs 'Ziva loves Paris'. I'm gonna assume he's got a trail to follow right to you."

"I think he may be able to help end this quickly. Hopefully."

"Well, what do you say that we spend the next couple of hours wandering Paris and ignoring the inevitable?"

"I thought you would never ask."

…

Washington DC, 2017

Tony's hand tightened reflexively round his phone, his eyes watching Tali play on the floor with a doll and a dinosaur (Tony was wary of allowing her near any toy knives or guns, just in case they triggered any memories in the small girl), his mind elsewhere. He'd gotten the call that Gibbs and McGee had gotten out of Paraguay safely and that all was now quiet on that front. It didn't seem to bother anyone at NCIS but Tony had one of his gut instincts. And this one was telling him that was because the woman he loved was cleaning up after them. She'd probably even gone to rescue them. And yet everyone who she was saving thought she was dead.

He'd tried to talk to Gibbs about the clues Ziva had left for the boss, skirting around the clue left for himself and the fact that she was alive. It wasn't a secure connection and he didn't know who was on the other end of the phone near Gibbs, who was as likely as not to put his calls on speaker and not say that he had. Tony had no idea why Gibbs had just blindly assumed Ziva to be truly gone, and he didn't like it. It reminded him too much of Somalia and the fight he'd had to put up to get them there, even thinking back them that she was dead. He knew Ziva was like a daughter to their ex-boss and so it didn't sit well with him that everyone else was more than willing to forget all about Ziva. If it wasn't for Tali, they would never even mention her.

Tony sighed, releasing his grip on his cell phone. At least he had a good idea where she was. He just wanted it all to be over soon.

…

Washington DC, 2018

"Come on Tali, I'll get you an ice cream." Tony led his daughter, now four and a half years old, to the ice cream stand as she yelled in excitement. Grinning, Tony glanced round as he usually did, an old habit yet to die out, only to stop short. Ziva. She was far away but he'd recognise her anywhere. Two years was a long time to be away though he knew that if she was so far away, her mission hadn't finished.

Paying for Tali's ice cream and getting a thank you from the little girl as he handed it to her, he managed to position her so Ziva could get a good look at her daughter and her excited face covered in vanilla ice cream. He couldn't imagine life without Tali anymore and knew it must be killing her to go without seeing their daughter everyday. But he knew she had to make it safe for them first. Glancing up again, he noticed that she'd gone. Soon, he hoped more than knew, she'd complete her promise and come home.

…

Washington DC, a few weeks earlier.

"Bishop? What's up?" Tony pressed the phone between his ear and shoulder as he moved back to the pizza he'd been making, from scratch, for himself and Tali.

"Tony, what can you tell me about Ziva?"

Tony's breath caught in his throat. Surely she couldn't truly be dead, could she? He'd feel it, right? "Uh, why do you want to know?"

"Oh, uh no reason really. Just, wondering about things. I got curious."

Tony breathed a small sigh of relief. Bishop would've just told him if they'd found Ziva's body. The call must be about something else. "She was… fearless, and loyal. You trusted her with your life and knew she did the same. If she asked you to do something then you did it, no questions asked. She almost always had a good reason for asking." Including the request of no contact and looking after their daughter solo for the last three or so years. "She was a wonderful partner."

"So if she asked you to do something, it's best to just do it?"

Tony's brow furrowed as he noted the slip in tense from the blonde agent, adding cheese to the pizza he was still making. It sounded as though Bishop knew she was alive. But that would only be the case if… it was nearly over. "Yeah Bishop, it would be best to do as she asks."

"Okay, thanks Tony. Oh, gotta go, Gibbs is back."

Tony hung up at the dial tone and placed his cell phone on the side. Pretending that Ziva was dead for the last three years was hard and he knew whatever was between them was complicated, but god knew they never did anything the easy way. No, that would be too much to ask of them. Glancing over at a photograph of Ziva and Tony took in the bullpen of NCIS years ago, he fixed the still photograph of his little ninja with a half blank, half pleading look. "Remember the promise, Zi. Come back to us."

…

Washington DC, Present Day

The knock at the door surprised Tony, as kindergarten wasn't due to let out for another two hours and his father was away on 'business'. No one should be knocking on the door at this time. Slowly, he made his way to the door, picking up his weapon on the way down the hallway. He'd heard how weird his old team had been the last few days and knew that they were now aware of Ziva being alive. But they'd not said anything to him so he wasn't sure what the outcome had been, if Ziva was still able to keep her promise or not. Gripping hold of his gun, he peeked through the peephole he'd had put in as soon as he and Tali had moved into the modest townhouse. There had been enough money for it in an account he found within Tali's things when he'd first found out about her. Money was added to the account every now and then, some from Orli, who Tony had kept in touch with, and some from an anonymous source, though he knew it was Ziva.

Breaking out into a grin he undid the locks on the front door and nearly ripped it open as he found the one person on his doorstep he most wanted there. Ziva.

Ziva watched as he opened the door, clearly happy to see her, and the thought of that managed to cheer her, put a small smile on her own face.

"Ziva." Tony really wanted to reach out for her but could tell from her body language that she'd need to make the first move.

"Tony." Ziva couldn't help herself as she practically tumbled into Tony's arms, head pressed into the juncture between his shoulder and neck, a couple tears making their way down her face and into his shirt. "I've come back to you."

"I know." Tony murmured into her wild hair. "It'll all be okay now."

"You can't know that."

"No, but I know we'll figure it out. Welcome home, Zi."

The End.