Too well:

Setting: After Rule 51

Disclaimer: NCIS? Yeah still not mine.

Warning: F bomb dropped once or twice.

She wasn't mad, she was hurt. It wasn't that she hated him, no that was definitely not it, it's just she cares, cares way too much.

And she wonders if it's naive of her to think he actually cared back.

So there she was, in his empty apartment, staring at the clock, knowing damn well she should be at the airport with Abby and McGee. He was due to land any moment now, and here she is, alone and avoiding him, in a childish attempt to hurt him. He wasn't there, and now either is she.

She knows she should be feeling something. Ashamed that she stooped to this childish game or happy that she can kick him in the guts- metaphorically speaking. A 'screw you' for not being there. But she feels nothing.

She wants to cry or scream, wants any sign that she is in fact a human capable of emotions, but nothing.

He supposes he should have expected it. Hell he knows he deserves it. But the sight of his two colleagues standing alone without his brand new All-American Girl still kicks him in the guts.

The ride back to his place is full of dread. His stomach churns and he feels nauseous just thinking about what awaits him.

He knows she'll be there. He knows her too well.

He decides to sneak through his back door in an attempt to avoid her for as long as possible. But as soon as he shuts the door he wants to Gibbs-slap himself for being so naive.

Of course she's waiting at the backdoor; perched on his kitchen barstool- she knows him too well.

But she says nothing.

The silence is eerie and he can't help but notice she is not wearing his Star of David necklace; the one he picked out for her, the one that brought her so much joy when he presented it to her on Christmas Eve.

Instead it's sitting on the counter, in the very same box he had wrapped it in. "I don't want it."

Her voice is low and sniffily; he knows she has been crying, and he knows he is the cause of his ninja's tears.

He wishes he could just die.

"I broke a promise." He states the obvious and when he sees her sigh in disappointment at his words he realises it's not what she wants to hear.

She pushes the box towards him and rises from the stool, obviously wanting to leave.

But he will never let her go.

"Stay, Ziva please."

And just like that she's out his door, leaving behind the necklace.

He figures he deserves to die, but he's not going down without a fight.

He knows she won't go home.

But she knows he knows she won't go home, so she does.

He drives to her favourite bar, but halfway there he pulls over and smirks.Ziva knows me too well. And so he turns around and drives to her place.

He finds her in the gutter outside her house, with 2 bottles of tequila, as if she was expecting him. As he sits down she hands him one.

"How'd you know Ziva?"

She can't help but form a small smile at his naivety. "We know each other too well." She takes a swig. "And honestly, it fucken scares me to death."

As she sits slowly drinking away her feelings his mind flashes back to a few years back, to the autopsy room with Ziva, after Jenny died.

*"The two of them alone in Paris."

"It was inevitable" *

He lets out a snort at the irony of those words, but can't help but wonder if he fucked it all up. Permanently.

"Nothing is inevitable, Tony."

And with those words he realises they definitely know each other too well to just give up. After all if his ninja is a mind reader, she already knows he's sorry, already knows he-

"I love you too"

Ziva David- ninja, All-American Girl, mind reader, love of his life.

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