This is something I kind of just got in my head and decided to write. I hope you like it and even though it is a one-shot, I would love to hear your thoughts and anything else you have to say!
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Tony woke to silence. It wasn't abnormal for his apartment to be silent in themorning, but as Tony slowly came out of his groggy state, he noticed that this silence wasn't normal and it wasn't completely silent.
Tony turned his head to the side trying to find where the shallow breaths were coming from. He winced when his fingers came across a puddle of liquid. He knew before he even brought his fingers up to his nose what the liquid was. But that didn't stop the bile from rising when the irony smell of blood hit his nose.
A small whimper suddenly came from somewhere in the dark and like a child who saw a shadow at night, he squeezed his eyes shut wishing this would just be a nightmare. Another whimper came, but this time, it was followed with movement.
He reached his hand into his pocket, silently praying that whoever had taken him captive, wouldn't of took his phone.
"Thank God," Tony mumbled and flipped open his phone. An eerie luminous light filled the darkness, and for the first time since he was awoken, he realized exactly where he was. He was in a coffin, probably six feet under seeing as there was no cell reception.
'Quit it you retard!' Tony yelled at himself for getting side tracked again. 'Look for the source of the noise.' He reached out again and felt the soft skin of another human.
He moved his phone and the light hit the brown curls of his partner. "Ziva?"
No response.
"Ziva, come on wake up." He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to cajole her out of unconsciousness. "Come on Zi, you've got to wake up."
Tony held his breath when Ziva's eyes started to flutter open. Well at least he thought they were fluttering; it was too dark to tell.
"Ziva-"
"What?" Even with her voice weak, Tony jumped at the noise. "What do you want?"
"I think you hit your head. If you have a concussion, you can't sleep." Tony gently pressed the side of her head where the source of blood was coming from, but he instantly felt a pang of guilt when she just whimpered further.
"Please stop," Ziva pressed out through gritted teeth and then sighed when, finally, Tony obliged. "Where are we?"
"Underground. Well at least I think we are underground. I know for sure we are in a coffin, but I don't know where."
"Do you think he found us?" Ziva turned to look at Tony and for some reason, in that moment, the seriousness of the situation hit him. The man to whom she was referring to was the man they had been perusing for months. His name was Kyle Ericson. He was notorious for kidnapping kids and putting them in coffins. In the past three months, he had taken twelve children under the age of eighteen; three of which lived. With that break in the case, Kyle Ericson was brought in long enough to make an indirect threat to Gibbs and his team, and then somehow his lawyer got him out.
Gibbs had order the team to go home, but not alone, while he went straight to work.
"Yeah, maybe sweet cheeks."
"Do you think he got Abby and McGee too?" Ziva questioned, trying to make things seem nonchalant, but Tony could see right through her walls.
"Nah, I think it's just you and me he found. But no worries. Gibbs is probably hot on our trail."
"Tony, you don't have to act strong. I know you better that that," Ziva whispered and instead of responding, Tony maneuvered his body so he could be closer to her. But the small space the two were contained in, limited his movements.
"Well how about we make a compromise?" Tony reached down between them and gripped her wrist loosely. "I'll stop, if you stop."
/
The knocking at the door seemed to draw Timothy McGee and Abigail Scioto out of a fitful sleep.
"What could anyone possibly want at 3 in the morning on a Saturday?" Abby groaned.
McGee gave her a smile as he made his way to the door, Sig in hand and Abby on his heels.
"Abby stand back while I answer the door." Abby glared at him but did as she was told. She watched as McGee opened the door.
"Oh hey boss!"
Tim moved to the side to allow the older man access to his apartment. "Why are you here?"
"Tim! Don't be rude, if Gibbs wants to be here he can be here!" Abby scorned McGee like a child before turning back to Gibbs. "Not to be rude, but why exactly are you here?"
"Tony and Ziva are missing."
Abby and McGee shared a disbelieving look. "What do you mean they are missing?" McGee let his glance turn by Abby, trying to gage her reactions as he spoke.
"I mean they are gone," Gibbs growled furiously, "and without a trace."
As the two agents stood lost in their own thoughts, Abby spoke softly. "They could just be at Ziva's place."
"I checked."
"The bars, I mean did you even try and call?"
"Yes I did," Abby and Gibbs stood glaring at each other, leaving McGee standing there.
"Uh guys, shouldn't we be looking for them?"
Gibbs shrugged. "Yes. Though we have no idea where to start until the phone call comes."
"You think Ericson has them buried somewhere, don't you?" McGee hissed. "You think Kyle Ericson has them buried God knows where and yet you, the famous Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is just gonna sit around and wait for a call?"
"Tim stop," Abby stepped in between the two. Each moment of silence that followed McGee's statement seemed to make both McGee and Gibbs take a step closer to each other. Finally Abby could take it anymore.
"McGee is right Gibbs. We can't give up. We have to stay one step ahead of him."
Gibbs nodded, "I wasn't giving up Abs."
"I know Gibbs. Maybe they just went out somewhere. I mean its Tony and Ziva, they could be anywhere." McGee came up to give Abby a gentle hug, causing her to take her gaze off the floor. She looked up to find an almost hopeless look in Gibbs eyes. A look that scared her, because Gibbs was Gibbs, she reasoned in her head. He never gave up, so that hint of hopelessness in his eyes, brought the reality of the situation to the surface. The one thing no one was willing to admit though, was that there was really no hope.
/
"Favorite brand of hairspray?"
"Tony, why do you want to know?" Even with the hint of annoyance in her voice, Ziva couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"Because," she felt him twirl a piece of her hair around his finger, "you hair is soft. It doesn't feel like you use any."
"Well, Sherlock, you are correct."
"Ha. Ha. Did you grow a sense of humor when I wasn't looking?" She felt him pull her hair and she quickly shifted her head a little off his shoulder and brought it to his chest, trying to ease the pain best she could. She didn't exactly remember when she finally gave in, for the pain was too much, but she moved so that every time she shifted, she wouldn't be hitting her head against the hard floor. Of course Tony didn't argue. He was the one who came up with the idea, and even if it was much to Ziva's dismay, she had to admit, it did make her feel better.
She looked up the best she could and even in the darkness she could see the smirk. "No, I'm sure my sense of knowledge from the world of movies comes from you."
"Well of course it does! Movies are awesome! I'm awesome! What's a better combination?"
Ziva's laughing filled the box and the care freeness of the moment seemed to bring laughter to Tony. "You know, it is nice to spend time with you, Zi."
"We are in a box Tony. We are running out of air and if no one finds us soon we will both be dead."
"Well if you look at the serious side of it then yeah, this situation sucks. But if you look at it in the wonderful Anthony DiNozzo perspective, then everything is just dandy!"
"Tony," Ziva said softly. "We agreed to stop with the hog crap."
"Bull crap, and yes we did, but my way is easier," Tony replied in a hushed tone.
"What is your worst fear?"
"My worst fear? I don't know, drowning."
"No, like a fear you have never admitted before. You know like some people have commitment issues or are scared of zombies. What's your fear?"
"I don't know, I mean I never really thought about it. I guess my worst fear is losing my family."
Ziva nodded her head letting Tony know that she understood. "You will always have us and your father."
"Yeah I know, it's not that I'm worried about you all leaving me. We learn in our line of work that death is unfair and comes when we least expect it. What if one day Gibbs goes to get a suspect and gets shot? Or McGee what about him? Or Abby, she could get poisoned. Or you Ziva, you're my partner. Who else would I call sweet cheeks? Who else would I worry over? Who would I spend my Friday nights with? Who would I have to lean back on when everything seems to go wrong?"
Ziva smiled as his words brought to the surface exactly how much he cared for her. She gingerly reached for the hand that was not resting on the small of her back so she could lace her fingers with his. "I cannot promise you that I will never leave, but know I would never leave willingly. Yes, there is gonna be a time when…I have a family and a husband to care for and you…you will have the same. We won't always be able to have our 'movie nights' but I will always be there for you. You will always have me to lean back on when you need it. I will always be your partner." She pushed her head up just enough so she could place a kiss to his jaw.
His jaw was still on fire from her kiss and his heart was still aching from her words. He too leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. "What's your worse fear?"
At first, Ziva thought about getting out of this conversation, but she knew she owed him an answer. "I always wonder if any man will actually want me. I mean, what Ray and I had was good until he came to Washington. But he never knew of all the bad things that I had done. I guess I wonder more if anyone can deal with all the bad things and still want to be around me." Her breathing was becoming more shallow and Tony worried the blood loss was finally catching up to her.
"Ziva, that's not true. You have Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, you even got stuck with me. I would never leave you because of your past. But save your energy. We can talk about this when we get out."
"Not even you have seen or heard the terrible things I have done. My first time with a guy was the time I killed him in revenge for my sister's death. There have been so many men that I have seduced and then killed. What guy would want that?" Against his advice, she kept on talking.
"Again you don't know that." The only reason Tony argued on further, was because in reality ,she didn't know how much he cared. He stood by her side for six years and saw what she did. He saw the way she changed and he would be damned if anything gets in the way of her knowing that.
When she didn't respond and her breathing became even, he figured she went to sleep. Leaving him to his thoughts.
He wasn't sure if letting her sleep was smart, but he knew not letting her sleep would be a bad idea. At least this way she wouldn't be fighting the pain that she wouldn't admit she had. He could see it, however, that every time she moved, she got this pained look in her eyes. The very thought of it caused him to tighten his arms around her waist. Somehow her closeness let him know he still had a chance to get them out of this. Her breathing reminded him he hadn't lost her yet, and her steady heart beat was a painful reminder that her heart still didn't belong to him.
These thoughts caused a shiver to course down his spine and, finally, he decided he to push his luck and try calling someone because he couldn't lose this battle.
/
Gibbs kneeled down in the parking lot of one of the many bars they went to. He had already been in to talk to the occupants and found out that, indeed, his agents had been there. After walking a little, he found their car. Everything appeared to be normal except for two eerie facts. The keys were in the ignition, and on the passages side, there was a huge blood spot.
As Gibbs stood back up, his phone started to vibrate. Thinking it was Abby or McGee he avoided the caller ID.
"Yeah what've you got?"
In response, he heard a vicious laugh. "It seems I have a lot of what you want. Your agents?"
Gibbs face turned to stone when he heard the voice. "Listen Ericson. I want my agents back and I will get them back one way or another. But neither of those ways involve a body bag. Well at least not for them."
"Your confidence is quiet humorous seeing as I am the one who knows where your agents are and exactly how much longer they have left. But good luck."
The line went dead and before Gibbs had a chance to look back up, a pair of footsteps could be heard. As on impulse he pulled his gun and spun around only to see a distraught McGee.
"Boss I got a call from Tony. He was breaking up so I couldn't hear everything he was saying. All I got was underground, Ziva, hurt, and lots of blood. He didn't sound too good either."
"Well really? He has been only stuck underground by our serial killer," Gibbs growled.
"Tony and Ziva have been gone for seven hours. That means, if they are like the others, then they have five more hours. That is if we are lucky. Let's get back to headquarters and see what we can get off of Tony's call and Ericson."
They both nodded but Abby was the only one who spoke up, "Gibbs we are gonna beat him at his own game. I know we will."
Gibbs smiled slightly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I sure hope so Abs."
/
"We aren't getting out, Zi," a voice she finally made out to be Tony's said. "Well I might be getting out, but you sure won't be. I'll finally get a new partner and won't have to deal with the emotionless Daddy David warrior anymore."
Ziva thrashed her head from side to side trying to find Tony. She wasn't sure what she did to upset him so much, but whatever it was, she was sure she could apologize for his face came into sight and that was when she noticed where they were. There was no longer the home -made wooded coffin beneath her. Instead, she sat in a chair with sand beneath her feet and her captor stood before her.
"Tony?"
Tony took a step out from behind Saleem and smirked. "Don't sound so pitiful. Did you really think we came here to save you? You betrayed us all, Ziva."
Ziva's eyes filled with tears as she heard Tony tell Saleem that he was done. Now Saleem was free to kill her. She let the tears fall as she watched the man she had once cared so much for walk away, taking her only chance of escaping along with him.
"Ziva?" Ziva groaned as the intruder placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her tried to open her eyes, but the pain from her head caused her to squeeze them shut again. This apparently caused Tony to worry, because one second he was caressing her cheek while trying to stay awake and the next, his muscles tensed up and his touch was not harsh, but was nowhere near as loving as it had been before.
"Ziva are you okay?" His voice gave her the courage to take in one more shaky breath before opening her eyes. Big mistake. Not only did seeing his eyes make the memories of her dream become even more vivid, but now any chance of lying to him was shot out the window because she could see it in his emerald green eyes.
When his hand came into contact with her skin she jerked away. She didn't see the Tony she had come to love, but instead she saw the Tony that ordered her death. The Tony that left her.
She sensed that Tony was trying to scoot closer to her, but even though this coffin had a little more room than most, he just couldn't get close enough. "Zi, please tell me what's wrong."
Images of her dream flashed before her closed eyes, forcing her to open them back up.
"Did I do anything to hurt you?"
She wanted to answer him, she really did. It pained her to hear the hurt in his voice. (He had always been there for you, her voice nagged, so why start pushing him away now?)Deciding she would rather face her demons then run from them again, she turned back into the comfort of his arms.
He didn't ask any questions. Instead, he wrapped one arm around her and brought the other one up to examine her head. "You tore your cut further. When I saw you thrashing around from your dream you hit your head and then started whimpering. Does it hurt?"
"Yes," she whispered. She knew how much her trust meant to him, and after her previous actions, she really didn't want to hurt him again.
The small light from his dying cell phone let her see his worried expression, and even though she could only feel the blood, she knew it was bad. Even if Tony's face hadn't of given it all away.
After a few minutes of silence, the phone started beeping letting them know that it was running out of life, before finally shutting off.
Ziva's hand sought out his. She knew they only had an hour left to live, and from what she could read of Tony's body language, he knew it too.
/
"Dammit!" Gibbs yelled at the computer screen before looking up at McGee.
"Boss, we have thirty minutes left. We can find them," McGee said, but he didn't believe it. Maybe hope was lost.
"Ah no, no you can't." Both agents, along with Abby, who had only just returned from the lab, turned and looked at the man standing before them.
"And why can't we, Ericson?" Gibbs growled.
"Well you see, really, they have been close this whole time. If only you had of gone home." Gibbs looked at him questioningly before finally putting the pieces in place.
"You bastard! You planned this the whole time. The other victims, they were just to get our interest. Then you wait until September 11 to take my agents. You knew there would be no way I would look at my own house!" Gibbs growled and thrust his fist forward hitting Kyle Ericson square in the face. "McGee call someone to get him and the get backup. Get them to go to my place!"
/
"Tony?" Ziva hissed out, trying not to let her voice falter because Tony didn't need to know exactly how bad the pain was.
"Yeah sweet cheeks?"
Ziva smiled. "I like when you call me that. It makes me smile. I'm sorry I never told-"
"Ziva stop. Yes there are a lot more things I would've liked to said that I never got a chance to, but not now. We are going to get out of here!" Tony said desperately.
"Tony, I was thinking. I'm taking up to much air. I have my knife at my ankle. It would save you more air." Ziva could sense right away how much Tony 'liked' her plan. She knew he wouldn't go for it, but she knew he also knew that she was right. With the amount of blood she had already lost, even the shortest sentences were hard for her to say.
"That is not going to happen!" Tony growled and pulled his hand from around her waist.
"You get this through your head. We are both getting out of here. I came for you when you were thousands of miles away. I'm not letting you die now."
Ziva sighed but nodded. "You came for revenge. Not to save me." Tony didn't respond to that and he didn't put his arms around her either. " I hate being in here, and yes, I know we are running out of air, but that's not why. I hate the dark. I was always in the dark. My cell was always dark. They made sure I could never tell when the days changed. My dream was that you were there. That you gave the orders to kill me."
"Ziva," Tony sighed and even if her suggestion still angered him, he found himself needing to hold her now more than ever before. He needed her wrapped in his arms so he could just for once believe that he could save her from everything. That his actions weren't what got her three months of pure hell. But in the end, he couldn't and they did. So what's the point in trying to convince himself otherwise?
"No," Ziva said sternly. "Don't blame yourself. When I was there, the only fear I had was that you would forever hate me. One time Saleem finally got some information about me and he drilled it in my head that you would never want me again. That's why I have that nightmare."
"Do you have them a lot?" He brought his finger up to dance lightly on her cheek.
"The nightmares?" Tony nodded. "Not as much as I used to."
"Well I am sorry. You know, people always say you don't know how to live until you almost die. Well I'm afraid I never learned that. I, we, have almost died so many times. I almost lost you too many times to count and yet each time, I brush it off as if it were nothing. When in reality, I'm so far in over my head when it comes to you. I can't stand the thought of you being with anyone else. I have lied to myself for so long and I guess what I'm trying to say is...well, I love you Ziva."
Even though those words brought a smile to Ziva's face, they also brought tears. "Tony, you don't deserve this. You can do so much better."
"Don't ever say that again." Even though her words were painful to hear, Tony still pushed on. "Do you love me too?"
Ziva smiled and strained her neck so she could place a kiss on his lips. "Yes. Very much so, but why is it that I feel like this conversation is a goodbye?"
"I just wanted you to know." She felt a kiss being put on her fore head. It was almost as if he was silently telling her yes. This was a goodbye.
"I'm glad it was you." Ziva looked up into the dark. Tony's phone had died a while ago, and she could see a tear making its way down his cheek. His tears brought down her barrier as she allowed her own tears to escape.
They would never get a chance. They would never get to see what their future holds. Would they have gotten married and had kids? No, it wasn't fair.
"I'm glad when Salem pulled that bag off, that you were the one sitting there. Even though you blame yourself, you are the one that kept me fighting. I wondered for a while when I was held captive, why I didn't just give in. Why I didn't accept death as part of my plan, and then I realized it was all because of you. Thank you so much."
She felt Tony nod as she closed her eyes, finally excepting death. Tony and she might not of gotten their chance at a life together, but in a way they had. They got six years with each other and if she had a choice to either keep those six years the same, or change them so she could spend more intimate moments with Tony, then she would choose the first. She loved the man who was holding her and at least she would die knowing he loved her too.
Just as the pair took one of their last breaths, they heard the noise of a shovel hitting their casket and suddenly there shone a bright ray of light.
"Found them!" Hands were all on them suddenly and Tony found himself fighting to get to Ziva "She has lost a lot of blood! Help her first!" The ME looked sympathetically at him but did nothing.
"She needs your help more than I do!" He growled and pushed the girl away. He quickly made his way to where the men were pulling Ziva's body out from the ground. She looked pale and her hair and neck were lined with blood.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" Tony rolled his eyes at the oblivious EMT and couldn't help but laugh when Ziva did the same.
"Well I only have a gash on the side of my head and was in a box for the better part of twelve hours, but yeah I'm all candy." Ziva growled and the EMT blushed.
"It's 'dandy' sweet cheeks." Tony came to sit next to her as the man started examining her head. When he saw her flinch, he instinctively reached out and took her hand in his. "You know I meant what I said. I love you Ziva."
Ziva's eyes light up at Tony's words and a smile played at her all to pale lips. "I love you too."
Tony kissed her temple. "Oh and I'm never letting you forget the admittance of liking the name 'sweet cheeks'."
"Fine my little hairy butt!" Ziva smirked and she too placed a kiss on his lips, not caring who was watching. It looked like they were going to get their chance after all.
END
I hope you liked it and please leave a review! It would mean so much!