This is a "Thank you" drabble/oneshot but I thought I might share it with you guys on here as well. It's not what I usually write but I gladly accepted the challenge & I hope you like the outcome!
„Hardest 180 of my life" Tony's words were still echoing through her mind as she sat on the plane back to D.C.
It had been several months since they had said their goodbyes and they hadn't spoken a word since then and if she was being honest it still hurt.
She knew it would be hard to let him go, but she never expected to be left behind with such an emotional mess.
Throughout the past months she had definitely done some thinking, but time nevertheless went by painfully slow and there wasn't a day where she didn't question her decision, even though her mind told her that it was the right thing to do.
The reason why she was sitting on the plane now was rather disconcerting and all she was wishing was that the circumstances would be different ones.
Gibbs had called her only a few hours ago and broke the news to her.
"Ziver. I thought that maybe you would like to know that Tony has been injured. He's in surgery right now."
His words were still vividly echoing through her mind and once Gibbs had finished his sentence she felt the pain rush through her body.
"Tony." She had managed to whisper and while Gibbs began to explain the situation she frantically started packing some clothes and made her way towards her car to head to the airport.
He has been stabbed, right in the abdomen. The first time the knife had hit his spleen, the second time he had luck and no other organs had been injured, but the situation was nevertheless serious since the suspect had knocked him over before trying to escape.
She still couldn't believe that it had happened and thought if she would've been with him she could've had his back.
Maybe if she would've been with him things would've been different. Maybe.
The night however was slowly fading into the early morning hours as she arrived in D.C.
When she got off the plane she took a moment to inhale the chilly morning air before heading towards the exit to hire a cab.
Sitting in the car she realized that too much time had passed since she was on American soil for the last time.
It felt, after all, as if she was finally coming home again.
The minutes passed by and once the driver came to a stop in front of the hospital she slowly made her way towards the building in question.
Standing in front of it she took one last breath, thinking it was no or never.
She didn't know what would be waiting for her but the urge to see him again was greater and that was when she finally started walking again.
The receptionist had told her where she would find him and when she went upstairs she could already see Gibbs standing in front of the room.
He didn't say much when he saw her approaching him, and also didn't say much when he finally pulled her into an embrace. The only words leaving his mouth were "Good to see you Ziver."
When he said it tears were brimming in her eyes and she pulled back to ask him about Tony.
"How is he?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, the fear ever so evident.
"The doctors said he's stable and right now he's asleep. They said it might take him some time to wake up because of the trauma his body went through. You can go see him if you want to." She wasn't used to so many words coming from the senior field agent but she was nevertheless grateful for his explanation.
After one more reassuring nod coming from Gibbs she slowly opened the door that would lead her to Tony and the next thing she noticed was Tony lying in the bright hospital bed sleeping almost peacefully.
Seeing him like this almost made her forget what happened to him for a brief moment.
She slowly made her way to the side of the bed where a chair was standing and as she sat down she gently cradled one of his hands in hers.
"Tony." Was the first thing she whispered, the feelings suddenly overwhelming her.
"Oh Tony, I'm so sorry. I should have been with you. You always had my back and when you needed me most I did not have yours. I'm so, so sorry." Her voice was hoarse by now as her eyes filled with tears anew.
"Since you went back to D.C. there wasn't a single day I didn't think about you. About us. I miss what we had and I wish we would have had a chance. I know the reason why I'm here now is…bad, but…I do not want to go back to Israel Tony. I want to be with you, I want to have your back. I am so sorry I wasn't there to protect you." Silent tears were streaming down her face and her voice cracked at the words she had just spoken.
"
Does that mean you're back for good?" Tony's voice broke the silence and startled Ziva.
"Tony." She gasped. Only seconds ago he had seemed fast asleep and now he was talking to her, it was almost too much to comprehend.
"I'm waiting for your answer sweet cheeks." He shot her a small smirk as more and more tears made their way down her cheeks.
"Yes Tony, I am back and I will stay." It was a simple reply and yet he couldn't have been any happier about it.
All those months she was unsure of what to do, unsure where life would lead her. But sitting at Tony's hospital bed had made things clear for her.
She couldn't afford losing him and she couldn't stand the thought of staying away from him one more minute. This was where she belonged.
"Well, then I'm glad that my mindlessness got me in here." He now joked, something she had missed so dearly throughout the past months.
"I missed you too, Ziva." He quietly added and with that being said Ziva couldn't resist the urge anymore to kiss him.
She didn't know where they stood in their relationship but as she bent down to his level she was greeted with nothing but love and warmth.
When their lips finally met the kiss was ever so gentle but at the same time filled with all the emotions they were unable to voice at the moment and neither of them wanted this moment to end.
After another moment they parted though and a smile was playing on their lips and her smile soon turned into a radiant grin at the prospect of finally being with him.
"I really missed that smile of yours Zi." He was still smiling at her and in this moment he felt content for the first time in months.
It felt like a burden had been lifted off his shoulders and he knew that he could finally think about his future again.
A future he would definitely spend with her.