Ray felt his pulse jump the second he heard those familiar heels striking the sidewalk. Yes, he'd asked her to come, but after the way she reacted the other day... He didn't think she would actually come.
But there she was.
"Ziva," he said, intending to get straight to the point, but she raised a hand to cut him off.
"You need to tell me the truth."
"What? About what?"
"You know what," she said, glancing at the passerby.
"I did. I told you the truth when we spoke the other day."
"Then why was that woman you murdered still there? Why wasn't it 'handled'?" Contempt dripped from her voice as she spit out the word.
He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. But I told you the truth. I called my director to tell him what happened, and we talked all night in his office with a number of other agents and members of the legal team. He promised me it would be taken care of."
"Obviously it wasn't."
"No, it wasn't." He didn't know if then was the right time to tell her about what happened in the director's office yesterday, but figured it was relevant enough that she'd kill him if he held the information back. "The director actually spoke to me about it again last night."
"And?" He wanted her to sit, but she had her hands on her hips and her jaw clenched.
"He told me that no one handled it-"
"Clearly."
"And that I should get a lawyer."
That rendered her speeechless for a good minute. "What? What about the legal team?"
Ray sighed. "Hard to use a legal team you have no access to."
She stared at him.
"I turned in my badge and gun, Ziva. No legal team, no handling. No more business trips or missed dinners." He knew he should've left that out, being as he was already in such deep doo-doo as far as Ziva was concerned, but he also wanted her to see the upside. If he wasn't CIA anymore, he'd always be around. He wouldn't make any more excuses.
"He fired you?" She finally spoke.
"You could say that. But I didn't have to give in to his pressure. I could've stayed."
"Then why didn't you?" The way she said it, Ray was unsure if she approved of his decision or not.
"I want to spend more time with you. You are my life, Ziva. Work was only a distraction. Now there are no distractions."
Her hands went up again, as if to fend off his words.
Did he screw up again?
"You think this makes it okay? You think quitting your job, or getting fired, or whatever, makes it okay? You think it excuses everything you have done?"
"No, no, of course not." He stood up, too, wanting nothing more than to hold her in his arms again. "Nothing I could ever do will ever excuse my mistakes. But I want to stop making mistakes. That part of my life is over."
"I don't know." Her eyes, her beautiful eyes, were glazed with confusion. "I need to think about this, Ray."
"You don't need to think about it."
"I do." She started to walk away, but he caught up with her easily, almost as if she wanted him to.
"Ziva, wait."
***
She turned around. She just wanted to go home and mull over the conversation. She didn't want to make any rash decisions as far as Ray was concerned. He had hurt her too many times for her to simply forgive him on a whim.
"What, Ray." She didn't even have the energy to add the question mark.
Her eyes widened.
Surely she wasn't seeing what she was seeing.
Ray, down on one knee, a ring box offered in one hand.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, cheeks getting hot.
"Ziva David, will you marry me?"
She got her mouth open and had to use all her willpower to close it again.
He wasn't going to let her go that easily.
"Ray, I..."
"Just say yes," he murmured. His eyes sparkled the way they did those first few weeks, when she was madly in love with him and willing to do anything.
"But the case..."
He shook his head. "I know some good lawyers. I will fix this. I will fix everything I've done. But I can't do it without you at my side, Ziva."
He was so hard to refuse when he used that voice.
"Ray..."
"I love you."
Her heart squeezed. He had never said all three words before. Never.
Oh, screw it.
"Okay."
"Is that okay as in yes, or okay as in no?"
She felt herself squirming. "Yes. Okay as in yes, I will marry you." She continued as he stood up, "But you'd better keep your promises this time. You'd better fix it."
"I will. I promise." He took the ring out of the box and hesitated to put it on her finger.
She knew why.
She let him take her hand and slip the ring on. It was a little extravagant, especially considering he no longer had a job, but it was very beautiful and she could make an effort to get used to its presence.
Ziva was still a little too miffed for a kiss, but she initiated a hug, and that was good enough.
"You need to get a lawyer," she reminded him.
"I will."
"Today."
"Okay. I'll go now."
She nodded. "You should. The sooner you fix this, the sooner we can..." She didn't really know where she was going with that so she dropped the thought.
He seemed to understand what she was getting at. "I'll call you in an hour or so to let you know how it went, okay?"
"Okay."
He kissed her knuckles before she gently pulled away. She could feel his gaze on her long after she left the park.
*****
Tiny bit shorter chapter today, but it was a pretty intense one. Obviously I lied the other day when I said I'd post a chapter Friday... Oops.
Next chapter should hopefully go back to the Tony/Ziva banter, we'll see...
Also, if you haven't already checked it out, I have another story (Magnets), which is my version of the whole season 13 fiasco... If you were deeply unsatisfied with how CBS wrapped that up (or you just need some good ol' Tiva), that's available for your perusing.
Comments, votes, story recommendations... All are appreciated.