Tony draped a blanket over Ziva's shoulder, who was shivering. They had laid the little girl on the couch next to her, and had put a blanket around her, too.
"Thanks, Tony." Ziva said quietly.
"Anything for my partner." Tony winked. "Now, tell me just what in the hell you are doing on my doorstep at almost four in the morning with a kid."
"You haven't changed anything, I see." Ziva said, looking around the apartment, suddenly more interested in his cleaning habits.
"I'm serious, Zi." He said, using his old nickname for her.
"I made a mistake, Tony. A horrible mistake." Ziva said blankly.
"What did you do?" Tony asked.
"You see these cuts and bruises, Tony? They were no accident." She said, deadly quiet. "You see the ones on Sarah? Same."
Tony stared at her, utterly confused. Then, suddenly, it dawned on him. His look of confusion was replaced by a blazing, fiery look that made Ziva shrink just the tiniest bit.
"That asshole." He muttered. He ran to his table and picked up his gun, and cocked it. "I'm gonna kill him."
"No, Tony!" Ziva grabbed his arm.
"I'm gonna kill that bastard." Tony said.
"Please, Tony." Ziva begged him. "Don't."
Only the look in her eyes at that moment could make him stop.
He lowered the gun, and put it on the table.
"Ziva, how long?"
"Tony-"
"How long?"
Ziva sighed. "After the honeymoon, I got pregnant with Sarah. Then, it was little things. Playfully kicking me in the shins, pushing my shoulder. I didn't get it, but I played along. It got worse every day, until Ray was hurting me and Sar over the tiniest things, like dropping something or coming home five minutes past a certain time. And he wouldn't listen to me when I told him I didn't want sex."
"Ziva, that's abuse and marital rape." Tony said quietly. He would have never believed it. His ninja this broken over a man.
"I decided I couldn't take it, Tony, and you're the only one I trust with myself and her right now. I drove for six hours straight."
Tony looked over at the sleeping kid on the couch. "She's the spitting image of her mother."
Ziva smiled. "Thank you." Ziva looked over at the young, sleeping girl. "She still loves her daddy. She cried when I told her we had to leave."
Suddenly, the girl stirred. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Mommy, where are we?" She asked quietly.
"Sarah, honey, go back to sleep." Ziva said, sitting by her daughter. However, the child sat up, refusing to go down.
"Mommy, please. Don't lie to me." Sarah said quietly. Tony was taken aback by the seriousness in the four-year-old's voice.
Ziva sighed. "We are at Mommy's friend's house, baby."
"Where's daddy?" She asked, shrinking back at the sight of Tony.
"Daddy isn't here, tateleh." She said, assuring the small child, holding her.
"Who's that?" She asked, pointing at Tony.
"That is Tony, tateleh. He is Mommy's best friend." She said, catching Tony's eye, who nodded.
"Will he hurt me like Daddy does?" Sarah asked, shrinking into her mother's frame.
"It's all right, baby, I promise, Tony is nice. He will not hurt you." Ziva said, tears in her eyes. She hugged her baby, who hugged her back. Ziva picked her up.
"Tony, can I put her down in your room?"
"Sure, Zi." Tony said, running to his room. He quickly made the messy bed, throwing off his work shirts and pants, and, to Ziva's slight disgust and amusement, pizza box.
Ziva laid down the small child, who's eyes were half-open.
"Sleep, ahvu." Ziva whispered, kissing the little girl's forehead. Sarah yawned.
"Good night, Ima." She said, using the Hebrew her mother spoke. Ziva smiled, and pulled the covers over her. The girl was already asleep.
Ziva gestured to the door. Tony nodded.
The two sat at Tony's table. Tony had made coffee and given Ziva a cup, who was grateful for the steaming drink.
Ziva sipped the coffee, and stared outside the window, to the first rays of the rising sun.
"Tony, I'm so lost." She said quietly. "Ray's gonna call, looking for me. And then…I'll be back with him. He won't let me divorce."
"Then make him. You have suffered abuse, Ziva. It would not be human to make you go back with him."
She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I can't do this anymore, Tony. I can't. It isn't that easy."
"Ziva, don't make yourself do this. Don't make your daughter do this."
Tears poured down her face. "It's because of me. Because of me, my daughter will grow up with the conscience of an abusive father."
Tony suddenly put his arm around Ziva, who flinched. Tony looked down with concern.
"Sorry. Force of habit." She said truthfully.
The combined, boiling mix that Tony could feel of anger and hatred for Ray suddenly turned into a sinking, sick feeling in his stomach. She was afraid for a person to even touch her.
"Ziva…." He trailed off, hugging her. She put her head on his chest, her tears dripping onto his gray t-shirt. Tony rocked her back and forth as the sun rose over the horizon, and light was shone onto a sleepy city. Tony picked up her head, and kissed each one of her scars. The one on her cheek and the one right above her left eyebrow. Suddenly, he closed his eyes, and lightly, his lips touched hers. To his relief, she didn't move, or flinch. She just let him rest there, her having a tender moment much more important than the stinging cut. They broke, and Ziva held his head there, their noses touching and their breathing in sync. Both of them still kept their eyes closed. Tony thought quietly, Don't you dare listen to him, Ziva. You are so beautiful to me, scars and all…..
"There. Aren't kisses supposed make it better?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Ziva laughed. Then, she realized-
She hadn't laughed in five years.
Well, was it worth the three day wait?
LOL. Anyways, whether you absolutely love it or wanna throw up on it, hurl it in a hole and burn it, review, please.
But if you, you know, wanna knife it or something, be nice, please.
Just say "excuse me, but that sucked balls. Thank you."
Yeah, I'm just gonna shut up now so you can review.
Okay.
Bye.
-Vi