After Gibbs left the interrogation room Ziva sat there for several minutes. She knew that what she needed to do now was to talk to Tony. She stood and exited the room, grabbing her things from the bullpen on her way out.
As she climbed into her car she typed a text to her partner. We need to talk. Meet me at my apartment. Once it was sent she leaned back into her seat. She hoped he would be willing to listen.
She slowly made her way up the stairs of her apartment complex to find Tony waiting outside her door. He gave her a small smile. "Hey."
"Hey." They both stood there for a moment before she dug her keys and out and unlocked the door. Ziva noticed how Tony removed his shoes before making his way into her living room. She made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses.
She found him sitting on the couch. He watched as she sat next to him, opened the wine and poured each of them a glass.
"This must be serious."
She handed him a glass. "I want to tell you about Somalia."
"Ziva,"
She reached out and touched his arm. "Tony, please. I need to tell you what happened."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "I told Gibbs. Now I need to tell you." He nodded and took a drink of his wine, watching as she gathered her thoughts.
"You know by now, that Malachi is the one who killed Cryer. After we made land, he called my Father, who told us to proceed with the mission. Aviv was dead and Malachi was wounded, so I went on my own." She paused to take a sip. "Malachi tried to stop me, telling me it was…suicide."
"It was." Tony whispered.
Ziva nodded. "I know. But…we had orders. I did not think I would ever see NCIS again and…I had to follow my orders. So, I went." She swallowed, preparing herself to repeat the words she had told Gibbs. "I killed a currier and his gun man after they took me to Salem's camp. I…fought my way through his defenses. I got within…a fingernail of Salem, before I was…over powered." She whispered the last part, still ashamed that the men had gotten the best of her. "I had nothing but death in my heart…"
Tony reached forward and wrapped his hands around hers. "It's not your fault Ziva."
She shook her head. "You do not understand."
"Ziva,"
"I am Mossad, I was a member of Kidon. And yet…" She shook her head, tears beginning to fill them.
"What?"
"I wasn't strong enough." She whispered her voice cracking. Tony pulled her towards him as the tears fell. He felt her hands clutch his shirt. "I wasn't strong enough to finish it."
Tony held his partner for several minutes before speaking. "You were strong enough Ziva. You lasted longer than any person I know would have. You survived. You were strong and you survived." They sat there for awhile, her silent tears seeping into his shirt.
Eventually he picked her up and carried her to bed. While part of him said he should leave, a larger part said he should stay. So they laid there, their hands locked together, staring at one another. Soon she fell asleep and only after he listened to her heavy breathing, did Tony follow suit.
