A/N: This is my first NCIS fanfiction, so please don't flame me too bad! However, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!
Summary: Ziva's feeling guilty about Kate, and, of course, Tony is there to comfort her. Set after "A Man Walks Into a Bar...'
Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS, this would actually happen. But, alas, I am not Donald P. Bellisario
Not Your Fault
Silence; a very unusual event in the normally busy bullpen. Ziva sat at her desk, meeting eyes with the single remaining agent in the office. It was late, at least midnight, but she couldn't bring herself to leave, apparently Tony couldn't either, There was so much on her mind, to much that needed to be said, but couldn't.
She thought back to Kate's sister, and the psych evaluation. About everything she wanted to say, but never could. It had been obvious the other woman was still grieving over her lost sister. Ziva, somehow, felt as if it where all her fault. She was Ari's sister, after all. But she couldn't say anything. Of course she couldn't. She had never even met the woman.
Looking up to meet Tony's eyes once more, she inhaled deeply, however quite shakily, and stood. "I'm going to hit the hay, as you say." She said, walking towards the elevator. When she passed his desk, instead of simply letting her pass, Tony grabbed her wrist.
"Ziva, what's bugging you?" he asked, searching her face for any clue as to what the Israeli was thinking.
"Probably the same thing bugging you." She replied, trying to slide her slender wrist from his grasp, to no avail. "Tony, please let me go." She finally added with a sigh.
Much to her surprise, Tony stood and pulled her to his chest, holding her in a tight hug.
"It's not your fault. You're not Ari. There's nothing you could have done to change that. Besides, it was years ago. We've gotten over it." He whispered, trying to comfort her.
"You're right, I'm not Ari. But I could have stopped him. I not only failed Mossad, and my father, but I cost you someone you obviously cared about. Not just you. Abby, McGee, Gibbs, all of you where close to her." Ziva replied softly, inhaling another shaky breath, surprisingly not moving from Tony's embrace.
"You didn't fail anyone, Ari did all of that. If you had been there, he would have still shot her, and probably you, too." Tony started rubbing her back, trying to ease away the guilt.
A few moments later, Ziva took a few steps back, looking her partner in the eye. "Tony, please answer this truthfully. If you could go back in time and change that day, so Kate didn't die, would you?"
Tony hesitated a moment, never dropping his gaze. "No. I wouldn't." he said at last.
Shocked, Ziva arched an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because, somehow, out of that mess, I got something I can never live without." Tony said, taking a step towards her.
"And what is that?" Ziva said, breathlessly.
"You." He said, as he closed the gap between them, and then, he kissed her.
A/N: So, how was it? Please R&R, it makes me happy (;
