A/N: And a successful start to what I hope will be a successful sequel! Thanks for sticking with me guys, life kinda got away from me first week back to school. I'm back now, so read, enjoy, and as always, review! Please, taking the time out to tell me what you thought actually thought is so helpful.
Also, any language mistakes please forgive, I'm still learning!
Conozca a su enemigo. Yes, it's Spanish, but Ziva remembers it as her mantra from her days in the army. Know your enemy. Strange how easy, how thoughtless it had been, to strike back at these nameless, faceless enemies, these supposed threats to her country.
Strange how meaningful know your enemy is when it's not so easy to fight back.
He was back at work. Ziva was proud of him for that (any for many other things), but it would be a lie to say she did not worry. Tony had always thrived on his job, on being able to help those in need, on Gibbs' approval. Especially on Gibbs' approval. Ziva knew he would kill himself by rushing back into work as soon as possible, if only to earn Gibbs' approval.
He did not come out in the field with them, yet. He had yet to complete his psych evaluation, and until he did he would not be allowed back in the field. Even so, he was ever-present in the bullpen, in Abby's lab, in Ducky's morgue. It was almost as if he was forcing himself to be as he was.
Until he couldn't anymore.
It had first started with bathroom trips becoming more and more frequent. Ziva really didn't want to read too much into it, until she came in one day to see Tony hunched at his desk, sweating and shaking, before dashing to the bathroom.
And, well, Ziva never had much of an issue barging into the men's room.
He felt guilty for it at, and she knew it. The panic attacks, when they started, prevented anyone from touching him. She made the mistake of reaching out, that first time she had followed him into the men's room. That was never to happen again. She had narrowly dodged his fist, ducking down beside him to hear him mutter "No! Stay away from Ziva! You can't have Ziva!"
"Tony," she had whispered, "Tony, I am here."
She had gingerly placed a hand on his heaving back.
"Move your head down low," she instructed. "Take deep breaths. Just focus on calming down. Just calm down. I am right here."
And he had recovered, ducking his head with flaming cheeks.
Now he goes into the interrogation room and sits on the floor, sweating and shaking until Ziva comes in and calms him as best she can.
And the attacks have calmed, at least somewhat. Gibbs, McGee and she have become much better at seeing them coming and isolating him, but everyone in the building knew. Ziva could hear the whispers in the halls, heard what they called him. She knew they didn't dare say a word in front of a member of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' team, though, so she had largely tried to ignore it (She knows, ignoring it did not solve the problem, but at the time it was the only way she knew how to deal with the situation).
Gibbs was keeping a close eye on both her and Tony, and Ziva could feel the heat of his eyes on her every day, though there were no head slaps to be seen (Gibbs being gentle on Tony, in his own way.).
And at the end of the day, Tony and Ziva went home together.
Everyone had told her it was a bad idea. Tony was damaged to begin with, and now he was far too flighty to make a halfway decent boyfriend. She even knew it to be true herself, but it had not stopped her. It was her Tony; they had been through so much together. They would get through this together, she knew it. Besides, they were already living together.
Now, do not look at her like that. It had been awhile they had been living together, and as a boyfriend, Tony was consistently sweet and gentle. Ziva is not stupid. She would not stay in a relationship going nowhere.
Oh, why is she kidding herself? For Tony, she would happily waste years simply being his girlfriend.
You might consider Ziva foolish for staying, considering what Tony did not even know about their relationship. Tony, Ziva, and the PTSD, remember? Well, do not pity her, do not judge her, and do not try to help her. She needs none of that. Ziva David is a child of war, a daughter of a frontline soldier.
Violence is nothing new to her.
How is this related, you may ask?
If nothing, it should show you that what Ziva has is nothing she can't handle.
Or it wouldn't be, if only the panic attacks were his only symptoms.
Please, stop reading. Just leave them be.
