"3 Weeks, 4 Days, and 6 Hours"
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
It had been 3 weeks, 4 days, and 6 hours since he had found her in that wretched desert. He will never forget that moment. The moment when his heart started beating again for the first time in 4 months. She had offered her own life to spare his that day, and he had told her he couldn't live without her. When everyone else had gotten on with their lives, he had stopped his to come find her, or at the very least the bastard responsible, if she really was dead. He thought it was enough to make her understand what she meant to him. He thought his actions would make her finally admit what he had suspected all along, that she couldn't live without him either. He was wrong.
Ziva was sitting at the bar in some smoke filled hole-in-the-wall in downtown DC. Tony had been there for the last hour, his blood boiling, watching her flirting shamelessly with the Jackass sitting next to her. Her hand resting lightly on his arm, giggling at his cheesy jokes, and dancing way too close. When she whispered something in Jackassʼ ear, and they both got up to leave, Tony felt his heart stop beating again. This was NOT happening! Not after everything he went through to get her back! He walked quickly over to the bar, and blocked their path to the door.
"Where do you think you're going with my wife, pal?"
"What?! Hey wait man, I didn't know she was married!" Jackass replied, as he recoiled in fear at the sight of Ziva's extremely angry "husband."
"Well, now you do, so, SCRAM!" Tony barked, draping a possessive arm around Ziva's shoulders.
As the man practically ran from the building, Ziva turned to face Tony with an icy glare that could level most men. "What do you think you are doing, Tony?!"
Tony, not being most men, looked directly into her fiery brown eyes and responded, "Saving you from making a big mistake that we will both regret later."
"I do not know what you are talking about. What concern is it of yours who I do or do not take home with me?" She replied obstinately.
Tony inwardly cringed at her words. Did she really believe that? "Ziva, this is not the place to have this discussion. Let's go somewhere and talk."
"I do not have anything to say to you, Tony."
Ziva turned to walk away from him, but Tony grabbed her elbow to stop her. He knew it was a dangerous thing to do, especially considering all the ways she could kill him, but he figured he would take that chance.
"Ziva, please. I have to know what's going on with you. With us."
"There is nothing going on with us Tony."
"Ziva, please!" He practically begged.
Ziva sighed wearily in resignation. "Fine Tony. As I can see you are not going to let this go, if it is what you wish, we will talk."
They left the bar together and Tony led Ziva to his car as he assured her he would drop her back off when they were done talking.
It was the longest, quietest, car ride of his life. When they finally pulled up in front of his apartment, Ziva threw him a questioning glance.
"Tony, what are we doing here?"
"I thought this would be the best place for us to get everything out in the open."
"There is nothing to get out in the open, Tony." Ziva replied quietly, as she tried one final time to put off this conversation.
"You know that's not true, Ziva," Tony said simply, turning to get out of the car.
As they made their way up the path to his door, Tony was wondering how he was going to finally tell Ziva the truth about how he felt. When he opened the door to his apartment, he motioned for Ziva to go in ahead of him, then followed her inside.
Once in the apartment Tony headed to the kitchen, while Ziva lingered in the doorway.
"You want a drink? Beer, soda, water......."
"Tony, what did you want to talk about?" Ziva asked impatiently.
Tony just sauntered over to her with a lazy grin on his face, and put one hand on either side of her against the wall.
"You know, I still remember what you were wearing the first day you came to NCIS. You just walked right in and acted like you belonged. Something changed that day Ziva, and I knew everyday after that would be a challenge. I just didnʼt realize at the time how MUCH of a challenge.
"What does this have to do with anything Tony?" Ziva questioned, refusing to meet his eyes.
Tony just smiled.
"My life changed that day. I was never the same. You were always next to me, from then on, and I came to depend on you. For four years you were my partner, my best friend, then Michael came along and everything changed again. You became distant, and moody, and I started to worry."
Ziva whipped her head up to meet Tony's gaze. "Worry? About what? About me?"
Tony looked down at his feet, not sure how to get through this part of the conversation.
"I thought your......affection......for Michael was clouding your judgment, and I didnʼt want you to get hurt. You didnʼt know what he was like when you werenʼt around and I suspected he was getting his orders from your father, but you wouldnʼt believe me. I didnʼt know what to do. So I went to your house to talk to you about it, and found Michael instead. You know what happened after that, but I swear Ziva I did not kill him because I was jealous, even though I was, insanely jealous. He was going to kill me if I didnʼt. I had no choice."
Ziva looked down and sighed, feeling ashamed. "I know that now Tony, but it does not change the things that I have done, that I cannot take back."
Tony reached down and gently lifted her chin with his finger until she was looking into his eyes again.
"So if you believe me, why are you doing this to yourself Ziva? To us?
"Doing what Tony?"
"Running away again," Tony replied taking a step closer to her. "Going out every night and finding the first pair of willing arms to hold you, when Iʼm standing right here," Tony said, placing his hands on Zivaʼs shoulders.
Ziva looked down at the floor. "I am not running away. I am getting on with my life, and allowing you to get on with yours!"
Shaking her, Tony practically yelled, "Getting on with your life?! Ziva, I flew halfway around the world for you!"
Ziva backed out of his arms and started walking away from him.
"I do not know why you would do such a thing for me. After everything I said to you, everything I thought. You were my partner and I almost killed you! Then I tried to make Gibbs choose between us, and ended up abandoning the only family I have ever known! Why would you risk your life to come and save me after everything I did?"
"Ziva, sweetheart, please look at me," Tony asked gently, before slowly striding over to her from across the room and turning her around slowly to face him.
Wrapping her in his arms he whispered in her ear, "I already told you in Africa. I risked not only my life, but McGeeʼs life as well, because I canʼt live without you. I went halfway around the world and got myself captured on purpose because...........Iʼm in love with you."
Ziva stood frozen in his arms, not believing what he had just said.
After a few seconds of hopeful silence, Ziva shook her head softly and backed out of his embrace, responding dismally, "I.......I......do not deserve your love Tony.
"Ziva...............what you deserve is so much better than me, but what can I say? Iʼm a selfish man, and there is no way I am letting you go again, Tony replied smirking."
Before she could begin to argue with him again he dragged her back to him and pressed his lips to hers. After a few seconds Tony pulled away from her lips, and started placing sweet kisses on her eyes, her nose, her chin, and anywhere else he could reach, all the while whispering how precious she was to him, and how long he had been waiting for her. Finally letting go of her doubt, and giving in to her own desires, Ziva pushed Tony back against the wall, and pulled his mouth back to hers.
As Ziva reached her hands up to run her fingers through his hair, Tony couldnʼt help but let a little sigh of relief, and elation escape, as he realized just how close he had come to never knowing what this felt like.
"Tony.......I am.........so sorry........for..........everything, Ziva said between Tony's heated kisses.
"Would you just shut up and kiss me Ziva David?!, Tony replied, smirking wickedly."
Ziva just smiled up at him and whispered,"I love you Tony. I love you so much. I have always loved you."
Tony gazed down into her brown eyes and smiled contentedly.
"I love you too, Ziva. I love you too."