The ding of the elevator was all it took to let her know he had finally arrived to work. As he ran past her desk to sit down across her at his own she said "Late again, Tony" without even looking up to acknowledge his entrance. He just ignored her and started to type away at his computer. She looked up and stared at him pondering a thought before saying "Late night?" It was silent for a few moments and then "Yeah. Late night, Ziva."

"Oh…" She said with a small smile before returning her attention to the stack of paperwork on her desk. I t was quiet in the bullpen when Tony finally said something.

"Are you hungry?"

"What?"

"Do you want to get something to eat, Ziva?" Tony said getting up and grabbing his coat as he headed towards the elevator.

"Sure" Ziva said as she joined him at the elevator as it dinged signaling them to enter.

The car ride was long and quiet even with the radio on. As Tony took a turn onto a familiar street Ziva broke the silence. "Tony, there are no restaurants in this area. Where are we going?" Tony just ignored her and turned the radio up. Ziva was shocked by Tony's actions and started to speak again when Tony put his hand to her mouth to silence her. Clearly Tony didn't want Ziva to talk to him. She wondered what she had done to make him so angry. After a minute without him removing his hand from covering her mouth Ziva spoke up. But due to the fact that Tony's hand was covering her mouth it all came out in mumbles of gibberish. Tony removed his hand and finally said something "What was that?"

"I said you can remove your hand now, I will not bother you if that is what you want. I just do not understand why you invited me out for something to eat if you do not wish to talk to me." She said as she turned to look out the window and crossed her arms across her chest.

Tony was flabbergasted at what Ziva had just said. He turned his gaze away from the road to stare at her in amazement. Then he reached over and gently grabbed her chin to make her look at him. "You, Ziva, are not bothering me." He said with sincerity in his eye.

"Then why are you ignoring me, and turning the radio up when I try to talk to you? Because that sure seems like I am bother you or you are just angry at me." She retorted as she removed his hand from her chin and returned her gaze out the window. Tony pounded down on the break pedal and turned his whole body towards Ziva as best he could in the drivers seat. "Ziva, I'm not angry with you." Tony said. After a few moments of silence he spoke again, "Look at me." Reluctantly she turned to face him with a face that clearly read what do you want?

"I am not angry with you, Zi, do you understand that?"

"No, I do not. Tony you ask me to get something to eat, and then you do not talk to me, and when I try to talk to you when ignore me. I do not understand, Tony!" Ziva said as she threw her hands up in defeat. Tony opened his mouth to speak but before he could make a sound Ziva interrupted him saying, "Can we just go back to the Navy Yard?"

Tony didn't reply instead turned back in his seat and started to drive. A few minutes later, and complete silence in the car, Tony turned to Ziva. He was so memorized by her beauty. He didn't understand why she didn't see that, how much he cared about her. Tony DiNozzo resident playboy was falling in love and it scared him half to death. Especially when the person on the receiving end of that love was his partner. Newly American citizen, Probationary Special agent, and former Mossad Assassin, Ziva David, the women currently sitting next to him. And she thought he was angry with her. Tony didn't know what to say to her to show her how he felt without making her run away. He didn't want to lose her. Not ever.

Ziva could feel Tony's eyes on her. She wondered why he was starring at her and where they where going. They were defiantly not heading back towards the Navy Yard. She turned to face him and as she did she saw something in front of them.

Tony saw that Ziva was turning to face him, but before he could say anything Ziva shouted "Tony look out." He immediately looked back to the road. What he saw in front of him scarred him a lot more than anything else, even Somalia, had. There was a drop off, and a bridge that wasn't all the way finished. "Shit" Tony said under his breath as he turned the wheel hard to the left and slammed on the breaks trying to keep the car from going over the edge. In his attempts the car spun out and he lost control. The next thing he knew they were falling over the edge to what he assumed was their deaths. Ziva was screaming and to he surprise so was he. All Tony could do was look at Ziva. He was glad that she would be the last thing he saw before the lights were turned out on him. But he didn't want hers' to go out with his. Ziva's eyes locked with Tony's as they were falling. He could see the tears in her eyes, which made him feel even worse. For the split second that they locked eyes the world seemed to stop. Tony mouth I'm sorry. And Ziva looked away and the world speed up again. The tears were running freely down her cheeks when the car suddenly halted with a jerk. Tony immediately looked out the rear window to see what had stopped them from plummeting to there deaths. When he saw that the end of the car was snagged on a part of the unfinished bridge that hung to low. He knew that it wouldn't hold long. He rolled down the back windows and grabbed the now shocked Ziva by the shoulders and unbuckled her as he pushed he gently to the back of the car, hoping that the shift in weight wouldn't set the car plummeting back down to earth.

"Tony?" Ziva questioned as she climbed into the back seat.

"You're going to climb out the window and to safety, Ziva."

"What? Tony, I am not leaving you."

"I will be right behind you." Tony said trying to get her to just listen to him and escape.

"Okay." She agreed as she started to climb out the window, as she did so the car slipped a little. "Tony!" She screamed as she fell more than half way out the window. Tony grabbed her legs and prayed to God that the car wouldn't slip as he moved to the back of the car with her.

"I got you, Ziva. Just hold on." He said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up so she was sitting half in the car half out of the car.

"It is not going to hold for much longer, Tony. You should start to climb out the other window."

"Not until you're out. Not until you're safe. I am not going to let you die on my watch."

"Tony, I am-"

" No, Ziva, listen to me. You're going to start to climb out of here and I will be right behind you." And with that Tony started to help Ziva out of the car. When Ziva had reached the mental bar, that was holing the car in place, she looked back at Tony.

"Are you coming, Tony?"

"I'm right behind you, Zi, just climb up a little more."

Ziva nodded and started to climb a little more so Tony could follow her. As Tony started to shift his body out the window more the car slipped. Tony grabbed the metal bar as hard as he could as the car crashed to the bottom of the drop off.

"Tony!" Ziva screamed.

"I'm okay" He replied as he struggled to pull himself up without knocking Ziva off. Ziva noticed him struggling and grabbed his arms trying to help pull him up. In their efforts to get Tony up he rubbed against a sharp piece of metal. When he was up they started to climb up to the top of the drop off. Ziva was ahead of Tony and didn't notice the blood that was now dripping out of him. Tony winced with every move he made, but he had to make it to the top. He had to make sure Ziva was safe. He had to tell her how he felt.

Ziva had already reached the top and was now standing waiting for Tony to come up. As Tony's head emerged he said, "You should call Gibbs and let him know what happened."

Ziva agreed and took out her cell phone and turned around, knowing Tony was safe, and called Gibbs to inform him of what had happened. Tony stood up and everything got blurry. He felt like the world was spinning. Ziva had just gotten off the phone, as she turned around her face went white with horror. All she saw was Tony falling over onto his stomach as blood pooled around him. "Tony," Ziva shouted as she ran to his side. She flipped him over onto his back, and immediately was horrified by the gash in his side, which looked deep and was gushing blood. She put his head and her lap and started to apply pressure to his wound. "Tony, Tony stay with me, Tony." She Said to him as she noticed his eyes beginning to close. "TONY!" She said as she slapped his face lightly to keep his eyes open. "Talk to me Tony. Focus on me. Okay?" She said as her voice cracked. This was not happening.

"Ziva" Tony croaked.

"Yes, Tony."

"Your beautiful. Do you know that?" He said with a smile before coughing. " You smell like vanilla."

"Tony" Ziva said on the brink of tears.

"I love you, Zi."

"Tony" Ziva sobbed, tears once again running freely down her cheeks.

"It's okay, Zi… Every… thing… is going… to be o… kay." He said as his eyes closed for a second.

"No, everything is not okay. You're bleeding severely." Ziva sobbed. " I cannot lose you Tony. Not again. I love you."

Tony smiled at that as he said "I… love you… so… much, sweet cheeks." Then his eyes closed.

"Tony. Tony, Tony!" Ziva screamed as she woke up with a start. She was covered in a layer of cold sweat. She looked around her. She was in her bedroom, in her bed. It was all just a dream. Tony she thought as she felt the spot next to her. When she felt him laying there, she relaxed.

"You okay, Zi?" Tony said in a husky voice.

"Yeah, it was just a bad dream." She said as she laid down and cuddled into Tony's side and laid her head down in the crook of his neck.

After a few moments of silence, Ziva kissed Tony's neck, and then his jaw line before whispering in his ear. "I love you."