T&Z: COLLAPSED ELEVATOR

Everything was dark. She couldn't remember where she was or what happened. As she hazily looked around she noticed piles of debris laying on her. As she turned her head she saw him. No movement, just still and quiet.

Now she remembered. The explosion. The elevator dropping. Reaching out to Tony to hold on to him. The falling ceiling. Hitting the ground still holding him. Then, everything went black.

"Tony!" she gasped as she tried to pick herself up.

A sharp pain shot up from her leg, something had been broken in the fall. She used her arms to prop herself against the wall. She grabbed him and tried her hardest to pull him into her lap.

"Tony please wake up. Tony, if you can hear me please, please open your eyes." tears began to roll down her cheeks. As she stroked his face whispering "please Tony, please wake up," a single tear fell onto his cheek.

His eyelids fluttered. She started smiling, almost yelling his name with happiness.

The first thing he saw was her face. Her smile, her deep brown eyes, staring down at him. It was hard for him to move, it felt like he had been hit by a car.

"Ziva, are you okay? Why would you put yourself in danger to cover me? I can't lose you again" he whispered as he struggled to hold back his tears.

"I'm fine, Tony. Maybe something in my leg but that doesn't matter, I needed to ensure my partner was okay. You saved me in Somalia and I saved you here. I owed you. I would do anything for you" she choked out as her stroked his hair, brushing the debris out.

"Remember how we were talking about weddings" he said weakly with a smile on his face.

"Of course" she replied. She looked at him with a curious face, trying to understand why out of everything that had just happened to him he would want to talk about that.

"Well," he said as he looked up into her eyes, "If I had the choice to run away with anyone and elope, I would want it to be the person I trust the most. Someone who has always had my back, the one who is willing to risk their own life to save me. My partner."

He knew she got what he meant. He watched as her eyes were completely full of tears, unable to control the waterworks. Her smile quivered, she tried her hardest to keep her smile straight.

"Tony, I…" she couldn't finish. All of her feelings built up and exploded. Tony, with all of the strength he had, lifted himself up and pulled Ziva into his arms. She cried as she wrapped his arms around him.

"You know, this might be the moment for "the kiss"", he joked as she pulled her head from his chest, smiling. She leaned into his face, grazing the side of his cheek with her hand.

She couldn't feel the pain her leg, for that moment she forgot everything that just happened, nothing seemed to matter. His lips were soft, she never wanted to let go. As the broke apart slowly he whispered,

"I love you, Ziva". She continued to hold him as she said softly, "I love you too" and kissed him again.