Hi, everyone! It is time for another prompt set. This prompt was by fiftyshadeswritergal. It is so much fun comparing our different approaches on the same story!

Prompt: Tony and Ziva are on assignment out of town together. It's simply an information gathering mission. During the weekend, Ziva catches a cold and is sick and unhappy. Tony takes care of her despite her protests that she is fine. They are in a small hotel room together with not many resources around. How does that go?

Enjoy!

...

"I ... ACHOO! ... am ... SNIFFLE! ... fi ... ACHOO! ... fine ... SNIFFLE! SNIFFLE! ... Tony!" Ziva protested.

Tony rubbed his temples as he rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward in his chair as he watched his partner try to sit up on the bed without her head falling to the side.

"I've already said it six times, Ziva, but you are NOT working in this state!"

"Ye ... ACHOO!"

Tony leaned over and tossed her a fresh box of tissues. Two discarded cartons were already jammed into the overflowing trash bin in the small hotel room in the middle of nowhere. Tony was just thankful that there were two beds in the only room left in town. As much as he didn't mind sleeping next to Ziva when necessary on trips out of town, he had no desire to be in her personal space while she was convulsing with sneezes.

"I'll say it for the eighth time then, Sweet Cheeks. NO!"

"ACHOO!"

Ziva glared and she blew her nose for what seemed like the thousandth time that they arrived.

"Tony, we ahwe not ahwowed to go back until we do ouwh wohk!"

"What?"

Ziva rubbed her face sleepily. "I cannot speak wight wiff this cold!"

Tony was sorely tempted to mention that her idea of speaking "wight/right" was compromised in the first place, but a pathetic sniffle changed his mind.

"Go have a hot shower. I'll go get the final statements that we need and we can head home."

"No. I am comin ... SNIFFLE! ... wif you!"

"So what? You can sneeze of my two hundred more times? Sorry, darlin', you're staying here."

"Am not!"

Tony grabbed the keys and ran for the door.

"Bye, Ziva!"

He chuckled heartlessly at Ziva's protest as she staggered to her feet.

"But I am fi... ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!"

...

Tony returned two hours later, all of the statements in his hands. He scanned the room card and waltzed into the room.

"See, Ziva, I was able to finish up all of the interviews without you and now we can head back. So, who was right abou... Ziva!"

He had been setting the files onto a table before turning to see his partner, curled into a miserable little ball in her bed, her face as flushed as a poppy.

"What's the matter?" he asked, rushing over and kneeling next to the bed. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. That was stopped by a punch to his chest.

"OUCH! Ziva!"

"I do not want any of thab!" she protested. "I am hurbing!"

"Hurting?"

"Yes!" She snuffled sadly.

"Just let me check your temperature," Tony replied. This time she let him rest his lips against her forehead.

"You're burning up."

Ziva groaned.

"I should have never left you!" Tony berated himself.

"You shoulb hab taben me wif you! Then I woub be fine!"

"I should have taken you with me?!" Tony rolled his eyes. "Only you, Ziva David, would think that would be the solution!" He grabbed his cell phone. "I'm calling Ducky."

...

"Got the medicine, Ducky. How much does she take?" Tony asked, holding the phone against his shoulder as he opened the bag from the pharmacy and struggled with the child-proof lid.

Ducky gave instructions, basically repeating everything the local pharmacist had told him.

"Ziva, get out here and take this!"

"Where is she?" Ducky asked.

"Having a bath. I made her get in and cool off."

"How did you make her?" Ducky asked, amusement clear in his voice. "There is only one person who is capable of making Ziva listen, as as far as I know he is not there."

Tony smirked. "Well, I threatened to give Abby a video call and have her put Gibbs on to see how Ziva was doing. We both knew he would not be too happy to see her being foolish, so she agreed. ZIVA!"

"Tony! Do not yell into the phone!" Ducky scolded. "Are you trying to deafen me?"

"Sorry, Ducky. Just ... oh, she's snoring again. She must have fallen asleep. Okay, this could get awkward. Uh, I'm going to find a way to wake her up and get her out here to take the meds. I'll call you in an hour or so if her fever doesn't go down."

"Call me anyway. And take good care of our dear Miss David. We miss you both."

"Thanks, Ducky. Now, ZIVA!"

...

"Doctor" DiNozzo finally got his "patient's" fever under control. Her sinuses began to clear, and she even had an appetite for supper.

"You don't need milk products. They will only create more mucus!" he insisted, refusing to let her eat ice cream for supper.

"That is the only thing I want!" she protested.

They argued for five minutes.

In the end, she ate a small bowl of vanilla ice cream for supper, and Tony ate three large sundaes.

"Good choice, Zi."

"Ye ... YAWN!"

Tony grinned, taking away the empty, sticky dishes.

"Let's get you to bed, my sick little ninja."

Ziva hesitated. Tony could sense that she was getting ready to fight but then ...

ACHOO!

"Fine, you win for now" she whispered. "Just pass me the tissues."

Through the night, except for the time when Tony woke her to take the next dosage of medicine, she slept heavily. Unfortunately for Tony, the cold made her snore more than normal, but in his watchful state he did not mind the extra noise as he watched his partner's six.

...

"Morning," Tony said, seeing Ziva's bleary eyes blink in the morning sunlight.

"Morning," she mumbled back, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Feeling better?" Tony asked.

"Yes."

Tony tossed her a bottle of cold medicine. "It's time for your next dose."

Ziva, still sleepy, took the medicine without a word, seemingly contemplating on something else.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Tony offered.

"You left me behind!" she said indignantly.

"When?!"

"Yesterday morning!" she announced, scrambling out of the bed with renewed vigor. Either the cold medicine was working or her temper was flaring at the "injustice" she had suffered.

"I couldn't take you with you so sick!"

"But I wanted to go!"

"Well, you can go today. We're headed home. I finished the work yesterday."

"Then I get to drive - since you left me yesterday!"

"Ziva! No!" Tony protested as Ziva stole the keys from his coat pocket hanging by the door.

"Yes! And I want that penny! Actually, I shared four thoughts, so round up and give me my nickle!" she announced, tucking the keys into her pajama top.

...

"How was the trip?" Gibbs asked, walking up to where Tony had parked the car in the garage.

"Just great, Boss," Tony said. "No trouble with her, at all," he added sarcastically, pointing to Ziva who was surrounded by tissues. She was leaned back in her seat, snoring loudly enough to wake the dead.

"See she's feeling better," Gibbs said. "You got the keys away from her?"

"Yeah. Threatened to call Ducky and make him put her on restrictions at work."

Gibbs chuckled. "Take her to her apartment, Tony."

"But it's only 2:00, Boss."

"I think the two of you have had a full few days. We'll see you tomorrow."

Tony smiled. "Thanks. I want to make swing by her regular pharmacy and pick up some more tissues for her."

Gibbs smiled, walking over to Ziva's side and giving her cheek a small kiss. It was then that Gibbs noticed something in her hand and looked up at Tony curiously.

"Tony, why does she have death grip on a nickle?"

...

I hope that you enjoyed! Make sure to check out fiftyshadeswritergal's version of her prompt. It is lots of fun! Oh, and if you have time, both of us happen to love reviews! (hopeful smiles!)

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!