Hello everyone! It's been a long summer so far and I've been experiencing TIVA withdrawals (and Michael Weatherly withdrawals!) This is a little something that popped in my head while I was trying to sleep last night! Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Creating a Happy Ending

It had been a week since they'd turned in their badges. A week since she had seen another living person. Since she'd seen him. She had shut herself in her apartment, content to keep everyone she cared about away from the destruction she seemed to cause wherever she went. She felt responsible for everything that had happened. It was her fault. How could she face them? Especially Tony. She'd done nothing but betray and hurt him during this whole ordeal. The worst part of the whole thing was her selfish wish to have him next to her again even after everything she had put him through. She missed him more than she could ever imagine.

Ziva sighed in frustration and slammed the book she hadn't been reading on the coffee table. She began pacing back and forth, her hands moving as she talked to herself. While she was reprimanding and uncharacteristically talking to herself, she missed the first knock on the door. She even missed the second knock and didn't notice someone was there until she heard the visitor call out.

"Ziva?"

She stopped in her tracks when she heard Tony's voice. Her heart started pounding with excitement and she threw the door open. He smiled down at her, biting his lip when she didn't move.

"I got tired of waiting for you to realize this isn't your fault," Tony said with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she stepped aside to let Tony in.

"I know you," Tony said as he raised his hand, dropping it after a moment of hesitation. The need to grab his hand was overwhelming so she took a step back to distance herself from him. "I know that you've been torturing yourself in here."

"I have not been torturing myself, Tony," she lied, thinking she'd done a good job. But Tony saw right through the lie.

"Don't lie to me, Ziva," he said uncharacteristically harsh. "Not after everything we've been through."

Ziva sighed, a tear trailing down her cheek. She placed her hand on his chest, gripping his shirt so he wouldn't leave.

"You deserve more than I have ever given you," she said sadly. "You should stay away from me. Leave me alone."

"I let you use that line already," Tony said as he wrapped an arm around her waist tightly to keep her in front of him. "I'm not letting you push me away this time."

"You are better off, Tony," she said as more tears trailed down her cheeks and she continued to grip his shirt.

"No," He said forcefully. "I won't let you bury your feelings for me. I can see them in your eyes, Ziva. They've never been able to shut up. Not for me."

He tucked her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek as he wiped away her tears. The gentle gesture was enough to break down the last of her walls. She leaned her forehead against his chest as he threaded his fingers through her dark curls. She didn't cry, not hard anyway, but the few tears that soaked Tony's shirt were enough to convince him he'd gotten through to her. Tentatively, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Leaning back to look up at him she finally smiled.

"I have been torturing myself," She admitted as she pulled from his arms to sink on the couch. "I am the reason Parsons destroyed the only good in my life."

"He would have figured out a different way to investigate, Ziva," Tony said as he sank down next to her, pulling her legs over his lap and resting his hand on her thigh. Sighing, she leaned into him, greedily taking comfort from him. He pressed a kiss to her temple and ran his other hand through her hair. "With or without you. He had an agenda. And we made the decision to turn our badges in together."

"I know," She whispered. "And I know I said I don't wait for happy endings, but I feel like I have more to lose this time."

Tony kept silent. There was a battle waging in her eyes that was honestly worrying him. Maybe he hadn't done as good a job of convincing her as he thought.

"If I never saw everyone else again I would be hurt and devastated, but I think I could move past it eventually," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. "But the thought of loosing you...I wouldn't live through that. You are...everything."

"You're my everything too," Tony whispered back. He gently placed his forehead against hers as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. "God, Zi, I've waited a long time to hear you say that."

"Saying it scares me, Tony," She whispered even though she continued to clutch him tightly.

"I know, babe," He said as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "But I am never leaving you. We both deserve a chance to be happy. We could be happy together."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"It won't," He said confidently.

"How do you know?" She said as she wiped away a stray tear.

"Because I know how much I love you," He said with a smile. "I've gone to the ends of the earth to fight for you and there's no way in hell I'll stop now. There is nothing in this world that will make me walk away from you."

Ziva stared at him, the few tears sliding down her olive cheeks now tears of absolute happiness. Placing her hand against his cheek she drew him towards her, connecting their lips in their first kiss as lovers. His grip on her tightened, but he made no move to push any further. Instead, his touch was gentle, loving, like he was touching a precious object. When they pulled apart for air he took her lips again and again until they finally rested their foreheads together, enjoying holding each other.

"I love you too," Ziva whispered.

Tony smiled, his heart beating quickly realizing how much those four words meant when she was the one saying them. Not many people got to hear them from his ninja. He felt honored that she was saying them to him. Picking her up in his arms he walked to her bedroom and they slide under the sheets to spend the night creating their own happy ending.