Disclaimer: All characters and storylines mentioned below belong to David P. Bellisario and Shane Brennan, along with CBS and Bellisarius. No profit will be made. This is for entertainment purposes only.
"No."
It was simple really. They were his family. And he refused to live without them. He'd already lost the love of his life. He couldn't lose his partner too. Ziva would never be Kate. But Ziva was one of them. If he had ever learned anything from Gibbs, it was to never leave a man behind. Too much time had been wasted already, and they were quickly running out.
"We lost her. Four years ago."
It was the truth. More truth than he had ever told anyone before. The last member of their team. His partner. She had been taken from them the same way this deutchbag was about to be. But that's not who Saleem was referring to. He knew that. But the truth serum made him answer honestly. Kate was the other member of their team. Kate was his partner. Those labels belonged to her. Even if for no other reason than because she had them first.
"I can't live without you."
He really hadn't wanted to let that slip. He was beyond relieved she didn't pursue the subject any further. However, it was obvious she was reading something into his words that wasn't really there. It was simple really. He refused to lose another team member. He refused to accept the empty desk across from his. Kate's desk. It would always be Kate's desk. He had learned to go on without always seeing her. But he did still catch glimpses of her. He could occasionally see her in the brown eyes across from his. He could sometimes hear her voice echoing those snide comments. He had never really learned to live without her. And he absolutely refused to ever do so.
He sat back in his seat and observed them all, as had become his habit since she disappeared. Things would never be the same. Too much had happened to ever hope for that. As much as he wished for it, he knew that it would never be as it was before Jenny. Before Jeanne. Before Ari. Kate was gone. And in her place…Ziva. No, nothing would be the same. None of them could go back. But he would do everything in his power to make sure none of the rest of them were taken away. Even if one of them tried to take themselves away. He refused to let it happen.
As much as he knew it would hurt the others to lose another teammate, it would kill him. He had lost too many already. He refused to lose any more.