Chapter 1

As I gained consciousness, I slowly opened my eyes to see a blur, and started to bring my hands up to rub the sleep from our eyes, only to be met with a sharp pain in my right arm, and my left arm held tightly by what felt like a small, warm hand. As I blinked a few more times, the blur finally cleared and I looked up to see none other than Ziva David staring into my eyes with eyes filled with worry. I looked around me to see an IV drip, and many other medical instruments. I was in a hospital.

I cleared my throat before speaking, "Zi? What happened?"

"You don't remember, Tony?" Ziva asked

"No, I only remember, the elevator! The explosion! You wouldn't leave without me. We took the elevator, and the bomb went it off. As usual, you tackled me to the ground, but this time I managed to flip us over and I came out on top this time-

"And I came out unscathed, which is more than I can say for you." Ziva's voice became angry as she suddenly dropped my hand and stood up from her chair. I couldn't help but miss the warmth of her hand, the way it fit inside mine "You have always had this hero complex! This need to be the hero! This need to protect others with no thought for yourself! You can be so selfish! Do you realize that you do not just hurt yourself? You hurt me, Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Palmer, Ducky, all of us!" Ziva picked up my medical record from the accident. She pointed at an MRI and X-ray of my spine. "Do you see this? 1 centimeter! 1 centimeter deeper and that piece of the metal ceiling would have cut your spinal cord in half! 1 centimeter determined whether or not you would still be here Tony!"

"Zi-"

"I am not finished Tony! You know, I would have thought that after all we have been through, I would at least hope that you would realize how much you mean to me, how much everyone cares about you."

"Zi, you don't exactly share your feelings a lot, at least not about me."

"I did not think that I had too. I think that I make it very clear how much I care about you everyday when we go to work. Everyday that I have your six."

"That's work Ziva. That's a requirement for our job. Do you realize that we have not had movie night in over three months?"

"I know that I have let our friendship fall by the wayside since Ray happened, and I would be lying if I told you that I did not miss our time together. I am sorry that I let you go. I am sorry that I let you, the one thing in my life that has always been there for me through everything, fall by the wayside. Letting our friendship go was the biggest mistake that I have ever made, and I am sorry. I am breaking Rule #6, but I do not care anymore. I am so sorry, Tony." At this point, there were tears in Ziva's eyes, although they did not fall."

"Zi-"

"And I guess that this accident has shown me what I have, and what I could have lost. I care too much about you Tony to leave words unspoken. I do not want to wait for another accident and then it be too late. I do not want to live with any regrets! I have to tell you something, I-"

"Agent DiNozzo! Good to see you're awake and from the yelling the nurses heard, you are clearly recovering well. You got out of there in relatively good condition. Big gaping cut in your back, lots of cuts and bruises, oh and a broken arm, by the way you are going to have quite the scar on your face. You could be a pirate! That piece of metal cut straight across your eye. Lucky it missed your actual eye, but hey, you've got a cool scar running across it. Well we should have you discharged relatively soon. We'll let you get some rest. Get some sleep!"

Chapter 2

I can't believe that doctor! Is he completely oblivious? I cannot have scars on my face! I can't! Then I realized that Ziva had slipped out of the room after the doctor had come in. I can't help hoping that she has to tell me how she really feels about me, how I hope she feels about me. I love her, I always have, I always will. I just am to big of a coward to tell her so. As I looked over to the nightstand I saw 3 letters neatly tucked under a glass of water. I opened the first one to find Gibbs' crisp unkempt scrawl.

Tony,

I hope you'll forgive me for not being there to see you wake up. Unfortunately duty calls as always. We left Zivar there with you to take care of you. We're off to get Deering. Everyone is safe and healthy. Ducky is recovering from his heart attack and things will be back to normal soon.

Get well son, that's an order!

Gibbs

Leave it to Gibbs to be abrupt as usual. But I have to give him a little more credit; it is longer than one sentence, which is a new high for him. I opened the next letter.

Tony!

Dear lord if I had more time I would write more! I am so worried about you! Unfortunately Mcgee, Gibbs, Palmer and me had to travel to New York to find Deering. We are working with the NYPD so don't worry, I'm not in the field, just your friendly neighborhood forensic scientist. Anyway, I am so worried about you and I can't wait to see you again! Alive and well! Hugs! I love you big brother! Please let Ziva take care of you! She cares about you, as do all of us! Okay, now picture me giving you a bigggggg huggg! Do you feel it? Me 2! Yay!

Much love,

Abby

I wish I could really hug Abby right now. I could really use one of her bone crushing hugs. Then again, my arm might not take it, but still I would appreciate one, especially after my conversation with Ziva. I opened the next letter.

HI Tony,

Sorry but I'm going to have to pull a Gibbs here and make it quick, our flight leaves in a second. I hope you feel better soon! I hate to say it but I miss you Tony! I'll call you as soon as I can.

Sorry,

Tim

I had to laugh out loud. McGee was blowing me off! I can't believe it! I don't really care I just think it's funny. I guess the boss has finally rubbed off on him.

Chapter 3

I suppose it would be wise or me to look for Ziva. As I got out of my bed I felt immediate pain in my back and flinched. I heard a nurse's voice from outside.

"There's a wheelchair by your bed and the girl is out the third door on the right."

"Thanks!" I called

I hefted myself into the wheelchair and wheeled myself out into the hall and past one, two, doors. I hesitated for a second before pressing the handicap button on the third door to the balcony as I saw Ziva leaning against the railing. What was I going to say to her? Deciding that I had waited too long, I opened the door and wheeled myself over beside Ziva. She was the first to speak.

"I have always wondered what it would be like to be raised in a normal American home. Those children on that playground, so carefree, unknowing of the evils of this world, the troubles. Sometimes I feel selfish for my jealousy."

"I suppose that's something we have in common. Though I have to say that your childhood was much more extreme than mine was."

"We both have a strong sense of abandonment, Tony. We feel a need for emotional attention but are afraid to admit our true feelings risk betrayal."

"Well that's a way to wrap it all up with a nice bow, but you're right. Out of curiosity, is there a point to your disheartening spiel?"

"I have not truly trusted a person, let alone a man very easily since Somalia. I finally trusted someone, I trusted Ray, and he took my heart and crushed it under his tiny little foot."

"You don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, Tony! It is just, I am confused and I do not know what I feel! This whole accident has made me rethink everything!"

"It doesn't have to be that hard! You know what you feel Ziva; you just don't want to admit it! For once in your life just speak your mind, say what you feel! Don't overanalyze everything! Just tell me, please!"

"I can't Tony!"

"You just used a contraction, God I can't believe it, and why? Why can't you just tell me? What is so difficult?"

"God you are so infuriating! I guess that is one more reason that it is so hard to say it!"

"Say what?"

"I can't!"

"That excuse won't work anymore, Ziva! What? What do you need to say?"

"You are the only person that could read me like a book, who could see when I was lying. I guess that is why it is so hard for me to believe that you never picked up on it!"

"On what?"

"That I love you!"

"What?"

"I love you." This time Ziva said it in a much lower voice as she turned away from me.

"I love you too. I thought that I made that clear when I flew across the world to find you." Ziva whipped back around to face me.

"How can you? How can you love someone so broken, someone that has hurt you so many times?"

"You've always given me what I have deserved. Excuse the cheesy line, but two broken people tend to fit together perfectly." At this point I had risen from my wheelchair and stood.

"For once, you actually seem to make sense." Ziva stepped towards me until there was a foot between us.

"I'm sorry. I figured a strong independent woman like you would prefer to make the first move." I stepped closer and placed my hands on her hips, pulling her closer to me.

"Well, is it not in the custom of DiNozzo men to what do you call it, 'charm snakes?'" Ziva said as she wrapped her arms around my neck, tugging on the hairs at my nape.

"Then I guess we both aren't fitting the stereotype are we."

Ziva laughed. "We of all people, have never fit any stereotype, Tony."

"Well, then I suppose we will have to be against the grain together." I pressed my forehead to hers, and brushed her cheek softly.

"I thought that we were romantically dysfunctional?"

"Always the specifics with you, I agree to be romantically dysfunctional with you."

"We-"

I pressed a finger to her lips. "Shhhhhh. Don't talk, don't think, just be in the moment for once in your life, let yourself be taken care of."

With that I pressed my lips to hers, softly, tentatively. She kissed me back, and I had never felt so safe, so perfect. As we pulled apart, I sat back in the wheelchair and she sat in my lap with her arms wrapped around my neck.

"I love you." I whispered softly.

"I love you too. But I swear if you try to reach second base too soon, I will kill you with your own IV needle."

"I believe you!" I wheeled us back through the hospital doors and into what seemed like a bright future.