The rain soaked through Tony's clothes, but he didn't mind. He just stood there. He deserved it. That was for letting Ziva go. For being so stupid. He beat himself up inside regularly. Idiot!
The hospital that had just been a grey building every day was now the most ominous building he knew. For hours on end, he stood outside it, waiting for a sign of life, a call, anything, form Ziva.
No one knew he was there and he knew that Gibbs would threaten him with losing his job if he didn't answer his cell phone for the third time in a row.
He had been there, next to her, but he hadn't saved her. The memories came down with the rain, washing over him and sending chills down his back.
"Tony, get out of the way!"
"Over my dead body, Ziva" He yelled, running towards her.
"Tony!" She screamed as her body hit the floor.
Tony placed two or three shots in the murderer as he ran towards the unconscious Ziva.
Now she was in the hospital. It's your goddamn fault, he kept on telling himself, over and over again. He looked up at the hospital and felt that he couldn't bare it any longer. He pushed open the glass front doors.
"Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo, I need to see a patient called Ziva David."
"She's still in the ICU, Mr. DiNozzo. She is sleeping. I suggest you wait until she has woken up."
"Yeah, right, forget it." Tony just said as he went down the corridor towards the ICU.
"Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS, please let me through. Thank you."
She was lying there, peacefully, the bullet wound on her temple covered by her hair. How he had missed the sight of her.
"Tony?" She asked, half asleep.
"Ziva! Thank god you're all right." He rushed over to her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I had to see you. I had to see that you're okay. I'd- I'd never forgive myself if something had happened to you. I'm so sorry. I should have gotten to you sooner."
"I told you not to."
"Yeah, but you should have learned by now that that won't work with me." He smiled for the first time since the shooting.
"I'm so happy you're here."
"You can't imagine how happy I am to see you alive."
"Tony, it's not like I was dead."
"Yes, but you were pretty close."
They smiled at each other, and Tony stayed until she had gone back to sleep.
*****
"Good morning, McProbie." Tony smiled broadly as he walked into the bullpen. It was Ziva's first day back since- well, since a while. He didn't want to think about it.
"Good morning, Tony, and why, may I ask, are you in such a good mood today?"
"No you may not ask, McNosey."
Ziva walked in and sat down at her desk, as if she had been doing this for the past weeks when she was recovering. She looked up at Tony and smiled, before getting back to the paperwork that had piled up on her desk.
"McGee, DiNozzo, we have a date with a dead marine. Grab your gear. Ziva, I'd really like to take you along, but I see you have quite some paperwork."
"That's okay, boss. I'm sure Tony and McGee will tell me every thing. Asides, I'm sure Abby could also use some help."
"It's 'besides' and 'need' some help, Zee- vah." Tony flashed her a smile as he walked behind Gibbs and McGee into the elevator.
Ziva looked at the pile of papers and groaned. This would be a long day.
*****
Ziva smiled in relief as she reached the last piece of paper in the pile. She looked down on it, and found that it was a small note addressed to her.
Wanna watch a movie and hav le dîner at my place tonight? –Tony
Ziva smiled as she folded the note and put it in her pocket.
*****
"Hey, Ziva. Wow, you look gorgeous." Tony smiled as Ziva stepped in.
"Thank you, Tony." Ziva returned the smile. "What is there for dinner?"
"I thought that since you said I couldn't cook I would take you to the restaurant around the corner.
"That sounds like and excellent idea, Tony."
Dinner was very good, and when they got back to Tony's place, they somehow couldn't stop smiling. Tony changed from his formal clothes into jeans and a sweater, and the sat down on the couch to start watching a movie.
He sat with his arms around her, and she didn't pull away. Each glanced at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking.
The movie was over sooner than each of them would have liked, but they didn't mind. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms, both happy and comfortable. Small smiles kept on appearing on their faces as they slept peacefully.
It was around two in the morning when Tony woke up. His arms were still around Ziva and he was closer to her than he had ever been.
"Ziva?"
"Yes, Tony?"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
He felt her shift her body so that she was facing him. Their lips met. His arms wrapped tighter around her, as if he would never let go. Ever.
Screw rule twelve, each thought silently to themselves.
