Weeks later…
Awash in sensation, Ziva's whole world was reduced to Jethro, to the feel of him against her, above her, inside of her. She cried out as her release claimed her, her body going taught for long moments, then slowly becoming boneless. Her heart was pounding as Jethro collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. He started to roll off immediately, not wanting her to feel trapped. But Ziva held on to him tightly, staying him with a whisper.
"Don't move. Please."
He relaxed gingerly back down onto her. It was the first time they'd made love since her return. It had been incredible, but part of him was still worried he'd make a wrong move and trigger a traumatic moment for her. He glanced up at her face and froze when he saw tears running slowly down her cheeks. The only thing that kept him from full panic mode was the ghost of a smile on her lips. Her eyes were closed, but she was clearly at ease.
"Ziver?" he whispered.
She opened her eyes and smiled reassuringly at the concern in her lover's eyes.
"I am fine, Jethro – better than fine. Amazing, actually," she assured him, with wonder clear in her voice. She ran her fingertips lightly over his face, as though memorizing every detail anew. After a moment she continued, her voice husky with emotion. "It is just that part of me believed that you could never love me like this again…but you do," she said slowly, her eyes filled with awe.
The tension that had taken hold of him began to thaw. "Wouldn't have believed I could love you more…," he said, gazing into her face. "But I do."
Her joyful smile lit up the room and she pulled him down for a kiss steeped in love and gratitude. "I love you, too," she whispered against his lips.
Their kiss deepened. After they pulled oh-so-slowly apart, she looked steadily into those mesmerizing blue eyes.
"Thank you for being so patient with me," she murmured. "And for waiting for me to find my way back to you…to us."
"Waited half my life for you," he said. "Wasn't gonna stop now." She buried her face against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
This time when he went to roll over, she did not protest. He took her with him, hugging her closely against his chest as though even a little space between them would be too much. She relaxed against him, allowing a sense of peace to roll through her, a peace she'd thought she would never feel again.
As she began to drift off to sleep, words she hadn't considered in years floated across her mind. The phrase had been her mantra during the early days of her Mossad training, giving her strength when she felt as though she had none left. Some might think the words should have come back to her in the desert of Somalia, but she had been so certain she would die there that there had been no room for this kind of thinking.
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
At many points in the months since her rescue, she would no longer have agreed with that belief, fearing herself broken beyond repair. But tonight she could feel it, the truth those words held for her. She was home and she was healing. And she and Jethro were back, stronger than ever.
A/N: The quote toward the end is from Nietzsche. THANKS to all of you who reviewed and added me to your alerts and favorites - that was beyond awesome! And, once again, a special thanks to CSIGurlie07 for her continued encouragement and input; I am a better writer for it.
