Ziva sat at her desk, trying to occupy her mind, and tear the terrible pictures away from her mind. She had been captured when she returned to Israel, and was tortured until secrets about NCIS were revealed. In the end Tony McGee and Gibbs had come to save her, a reunion that tested loyalty.
She found it hard to believe they found her, and that they wanted to rescue her, after she'd abandoned them and stayed with her father. When she had come face to face with Tony, so many things came to her, happiness, confusion, rage, pain, and so many more emotions.
Why had he saved her? Tony of all people had to be the one to save her, of course she had forgiven him, but had he forgiven her. She accused him, and yelled at him, she left him, so why did he save her? The possibilities ate away at her until she couldn't take it anymore.
Ziva slammed her hands on the desk and stood up from her chair, startling both McGee and DiNozzo. "Why Tony, Why?" She demanded in a half yell, her hair was still matted and clumpy, she'd just returned to NCIS an hour ago, and it was good to see everyone, but the sights felt so new to her.
Tony stared at her wide eye, confused by her sudden actions, he leaned back in his chair half amused, unsure of how to answer the question he barely was aware of. Ziva stared back at him, both eyes glaring him down, angered by that smug look he always wore.
"Answer me Tony!" She yelled again, staring across the bullpen at him. McGee kept glancing back and forth between the two, he also wondered, Why what? What was it that Tony did this time? McGee didn't feel like thinking of the possibilities we just watch the two.
"Uh, can you repeat the question?" Tony said, half joking. Ziva narrowed her eyes and looked at McGee out of the corner of her eye, he was also lost by what she was asking. Did she have to spell it out to them? It was a simple question she demanded to know.
"Why did you save me Tony?" She started softly, "When I was in Israel, I left this group and you still came to save me!" She raised her voice so that several others in the office had looked up in surprise. She didn't mind them, she just kept staring down Tony.
McGee felt tension build up, and knew he had to get out now, he rose from his chair and felt the two switch their gaze to him briefly. He panicked, but felt it best to just go, Ziva wasn't questioning him, she was asking actually interrogating Tony.
"I'm going to go see what Abby's doing." He said without being questioned, and with that he started toward the elevator. Ziva looked back at Tony, who was watching and Envying Probie. When he turned around again, Ziva's harsh eyes were on him again.
Tony didn't say anything, he just stared at her. She had tied back her hair so it didn't look at knotted and dirty. He carefully eyed several of the bruises and cuts on her neck that were starting to heal. He wasn't sure how to respond, saving her was just instinct, not really as planned as she would think.
"You thought I was dead, Tony. So why did you come?" She stepped out from behind her desk and slowly started making her way toward Tony, he met her gaze and did the same, until he was staring directly down at her. She was so different up close, her eyes lost the hope they once had, and her skin had become paler.
"Revenge, I went for Revenge." Tony finally answered Ziva's eyes widened In surprise, she knew he was telling the truth. Why revenge fro her? After she left them? It just didn't make sense to her and she couldn't take it, a lose bit of hair fell into her face and she saw Tony's hand reach for it.
She took hold of his wrist before he could blink and let the hair go, She pressed closer to him, and kicked at his leg, he went tumbling to the ground, and nearly brought Ziva with him, hat is if Ziva hadn't let go of his wrist. She knelt next to him, and looked at his face, he didn't seem as surprised as usually and didn't try to move.
"Why revenge Tony?" She asked quietly, her eyes about to fill with tears. Tony turned his head away, looking toward his desk or at the ground, any where but at her. Didn't she get it at all? Why he was snooping around, why he was so depressed about her staying, why he had gone to save her.
He didn't want to say it, he couldn't say it. This was Ziva his partner, his friend, the one that always had his back. He couldn't tell her, so he thought of an excuse and told her. "I thought he killed you Ziva, my only course was Anger and revenge." He whispered, Ziva narrowed her eyes, was he lying or telling the truth.
"After I left the team? After I abandoned NCIS? After I stayed in Israel, you still came." She questioned more than stated. She turned her head away, and Tony took this opportunity to escape from her grasp and return to his feet. Ziva followed the example, she was growing impatient, and couldn't take this anxiety any more, she wanted answers.
"WHY TONY? TELL ME!" She pressured, going in closer to him, he couldn't take it anymore the questioning, and anger, this was Ziva, and he couldn't take the fact that she was so depressed.
"Because I love you Ziva." He blurted out instantly, Ziva's eyes widened and she wasn't sure if Tony knew what he said or was completely aware. Ziva felt a single tear escape from her eye, "What did you say?" She asked, unsure if she had heard correctly.
Tony wiped the tear from her face, and repeated himself, "I love you Ziva." He whispered in her ear. Ziva looked away, she looked at the floor, at her feet, anywhere but at him. Tony had just spilled to her the secret he'd been hiding from her for nearly 4 years.
She moved away from him, and Tony's heart dropped, he should have none better, he should have known that she wouldn't feel the same. Ziva had her back to him, and he eyed the bruises on her neck more carefully, they her a yellow green color, some were small and some were bigger.
Ziva wasn't sure what she was feeling, happiness, confusion, sadness. After all it was Tony she missed the most when she was captured. No matter who Tony had killed, she couldn't help but feel like it was for protection, not for him, but for her. He was protecting her, even at the cost of his life.
Tony was about to turn away, but something caught his arm, Ziva pulled him closer. Pressing her lips against his with passion. She felt so much happiness when he saw him, even in the condition they were both in, and she felt the same happiness now.
When she pulled back, Tony stared at her wide eyed. She wore a small smile, that seemed more forced than real, but Ziva truly was happy, she had this back and forth with Tony for so long, now feelings were clear, emotions sorted, and she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
"Thank you, Tony." She whispered before returned to her desk, and Tony to his. They returned to work, but occasionally they looked up at each other and smiled from across the bullpen.
