The explosion rocked the entire NCIS building. Trapped in the elevator, Tony and Ziva were assumed to be the only ones that might have survived. How wrong that assumption was...
Debris collapsed around them. Tony's wrist was broken, but that was the least of his worries. Ziva, his crazy Israeli Ninja, was trapped under a slab of concrete, and she was fading fast.
"Ziva, you stay with me! Stay away from the light!" Tony's voice was panicked as he took Ziva in his arms and held her.
Before she faded, she told Tony, "I love you."
"I love you too, Ziva. Hey! Stay with me." They shared a kiss that turned out to be the last kiss of Ziva's life.
Tony tried CPR, but it was too late. Ziva was gone, and Tony was screaming for help as loud as he could. She couldn't be dead. She survived so much, and now...
The elevator doors opened and paramedics went right for Tony, not even worrying about Ziva. Tony was yelling at them to take care of Ziva first.
"Agent DiNozzo, we can't do anything for her. She's gone."
Tony threw a punch at the medic that said that, breaking the poor guy's nose. He couldn't bring himself to believe it; not even after Gibbs head-slapped him and said it.
Instead, Tony carried Ziva out of the elevator and put her on the gurney, crying. He didn't care who saw him at this point. He lost the woman he loved, and he wanted revenge on the person that killed her. Harper Dearing would pay with his life.
"Vendetta! VENDETTA!" Tony kept saying this as he was dragged to the hospital and knocked out by anesthesia.
'She can't be dead. No way, not as tough as she is. She can survive anything. Come on, Ziva. Wake up and say April Fool.' - Tony's last conscious thought.
Gibbs knew how Tony felt, but he also knew that Tony had to do this himself. No back up could be given from NCIS or any other Federal Agency. Tony's vendetta would have to be carried out solo.