Trouble is her only friend and he's back again.
Makes her body older than it really is.
Saleem takes the hood off and Tony isn't sure who is under it. Everyone seemed to believe that Ziva was dead, but before he would see her lifeless body, he would refuse to believe it. She wouldn't give up without a fight. But once the hood is off and he recognizes the familiar face his whole body shivers.
Ziva's eyes looking at him. There is so many cuts, bruises and so much pain. She isn't herself, this is not Ziva that he knew. The Ziva he knew would fight, this Ziva has lost all her will and hope.
She says it's high time she went away,
No one's got much to say in this town.
"So... how was your summer?" Tony asks and tries to crack a smile. This feeling that he is feeling inside is indescribable. She is alive – Ziva is alive. And if the plan works, she'll be back home soon. She'll be sitting in her place, looking at him and trying to work. They'll piss each other off again, and they'll forgive each other for all the mistakes.
But all that has happened. Had he forgotten? Yes, he had forgotten it all for because of this moment. She was sitting in front of him and she was still living and breathing, that was enough reason to forgot her rage towards him for just a little while.
Trouble is the only way is down.
Down, down.
"Out of everyone in the world who could have found me, it had to be you?" Ziva asks. She doesn't understand why is her partner sitting in front of her – and covered in cuts and bruises. She thought, he would have had enough of this all. After all they went through in just so little time, it should be enough reason to give up.
"Foolish man, he should have left me to die," she thinks. This wasn't part of her plan – no one was supposed to save her. But of course it was him who would find him, of course it was, she can read it from his green eyes.
As strong as you were, tender you go.
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.
"Tony! Why are you here?" She asks and makes him shrug. It's because of this truth serum, he has to say the truth, but even without it, there would have been only one answer, "Couldn't live without you, I guess." He would have said that same answer anyway. His eyes promises a happy ending, her eyes promised doubt.
They could either live or die.
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.
I'll carry you home.
"So you will die with me. You should have left me alone," She declares and he looks suspicious. If he wouldn't be tied up right now, he would still have done anything he possibly could to take her back home. What would the team be without her? What would he be without her?
If she had wings she would fly away,
And another day God will give her some.
"I did not ask for anyone to put themselves in harm's way for me. I do not deserve it," Ziva says and he tells her to get over herself. A little smile flashes in her lips, but it's not a happy smile, it's a painful, honest smile of something she had realized while she was here. She had time to think about her life, about all the mistakes and about all the trust she gained and lost – and all the people who betrayed her. Was Tony one of them? Or did he had a reason to come here and risk his life?
Trouble is the only way is down.
Down, down.
They look at each other and the answer is so clear and the hope rises from the ashes. He's there to take her home. He is here to tell her that everything is going to be alright and that there is a plan. Ziva might not believe it with all her heart, but she knows it still. Tony wouldn't walk out here just like that.
As strong as you were, tender you go.
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.
I'll carry you home.
"Ziva, can you fight?" He asks her and he can feel, and probably for the first time in his life, when her walls come tumbling down, but just for a while, just for the one tear. She might not have any strength left and all her will might have disappeared, but she still knows, that even if she wouldn't fight, he would fight for her.
He would break the way back home.
And they were all born pretty in New York City tonight,
And someone's little girl was taken from the world tonight,
Under the Stars and Stripes.
"You have thirty seconds to live, Saleem." Tony looks at the man who damaged the team by taking one of it's members away and making her suffer, because she refused to speak – because she would rather be tortured than betray a trust.
And there comes the bullet of a sniper. And another one.
And the way out should be clear.
As strong as you were, tender you go.
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.
McGee and Tony carry Ziva out and run into Gibbs. The relieve of a succeeded plan, the relieve of rescuing someone and the feeling of coming back home. "Just another day at the office" doesn't cover it. Jokes aren't enough, when you just saved someone's life.
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.
The whole floor is clapping their hands. Abby runs to hug Ziva and her green eyes are screaming "thank God, you are okay" as she wraps her arms around her friend. Ziva hugs her back and looks at Tony. If their eyes could speak, they would tell a story about relief, pain, suffering and risking one life to save someone else's.
It's more than enough, it's more than friendship or partnership or even love. It's loyalty, caring, trust and more than words could ever say.
It's a silent promise of always coming back home.
...I'll carry you home.
This is a short story kinda thingy. I just wanted to but "Carry you home" by James Blunt and this scene from "Truth or Consequences" in one story. i think i cried while i wrote this, because firstly, this episode is amazing and secondly, this song just makes me cry. and when you combine these two - it's just endless river of tears.
and this is definately my best writing, sorry for that. but i'm working on three other fics at the time.
i don't own the song or ncis, just to clear that out again.
hope you even tried to enjoy.
- L