To all the reviewers for this story - Thank you! Most of you liked it and a few didn't, but we all see things differently and that's a good thing ... keeps us human.

I hadn't planned on "Alone" being more than a one-shot; to release of my frustration with Ziva and another of her betrayals of Tony, but after all the prompts to have more of this story, I submit another chapter for your enjoyment.

I don't know if I can 'fix' the partnership/relationship, that may not be possible in my story's world, but I will give it a shot, so please, be patient. I am a Tiva shipper, or at least I was until the last episode but maybe there's still light at the end of the tunnel.

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Broken

"At lo levad"

"You are not alone."

Those words haunted Tony as he plodded down the hallway to Abby's lab. The devastated expression on Ziva's tear- stained face imprinted in his mind and the words he had said to her ringing in his ears.

"I can't do this anymore. You don't trust me, you don't believe in me, and I can't work with you anymore."

He was furious. No, he was way beyond furious. He was in that dark place where if he didn't find a way to relieve the pressure, he might do something really stupid ... like punch that smug-ass Parsons so hard his kids would wake up dizzy. On top of the case, the Parson Posse showing up, Gibbs getting arrested, Vance under the microscope, and now the revelation that what had been going on between him and Ziva was probably gone, Tony was ready to explode.

Tony could hear the loud music pounding down the hall from the lab. He had never appreciated ear plugs until he had met Abigal Sciuto and her taste in music, but now, they both brought a sense of normalcy into what had been a day in hell for him. He really needed to clear his head, get some perspective on the situation. What if Gibbs doesn't come back? What if Parsons gets what he wants and destroys the team? And that thought struck his as sadly funny. Team ... what team? he thought bitterly. He had just told Ziva that he couldn't work with her any more, that one of them was leaving the team.

Wow.

Shit.

He had really said that ... to the woman that he loved ... well, thought he loved. His heart was pounding in his chest, full of pain, betrayal, and Ziva just wanted to talk about her pain and her weakness. Stopping just beside the doors to Abby's lab, Tony leaned forward, placing his hands firmly on the wall and let it all out in one long bellow.

"Aaaaaaarrrrgghhhhh!"

He knew Abby wouldn't hear him, her music was too loud. His head pounded at the exertion, his temples throbbed and his knees felt weak. When he felt the sting of tears in his eyes, he felt the urge to fight them, to fall back behind his walls to protect his heart. But it was too much and the tears began to fall unhindered down his face and fall onto his shirt. His choked sobs drowned out everything around him so much that he didn't notice when the music stopped.

That's where Abby found him. McGee had sent a frantic text message that Tony was on his way down to see her and he wasn't in the best state of mind. She didn't know what was going on, she only knew that Parsons the Creep, as she called him, was still hanging around and that Ziva and Tony had acted weird toward each all day long. She had finished up her latest round of tests and walked out into the hall to look for Tony.

When she saw him leaning against the wall, she had, at first, thought he was hurt or injured. The way his body seemed so tense yet it was shaking with each breath he took. When she got closer, she heard the choking sobs and knew he was hurt, but not physically. She walked up beside him and when she placed her hand softly on his shoulder, he turned to her and she saw something she thought she would never see in her life ... a completely broken Tony Dinozzo.

'Tony?"

Tony pushed himself away from the wall, quickly wiping his tear-stained cheeks with the back of his hands. "Hey, Abbs...whatcya doing?"

Abby left her hand on her friend's shoulder but gave him her patented you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me look. The pain in his red rimmed eyes caused her frustration to melt and she pulled him into her arms, giving him a soft tender hug. She felt his head fall to her shoulder and his hands wrap around her back. The gentle squeeze of his arms warmed her heart as she tired to think of a way to comfort him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Abby had no idea what 'it' was, but she didn't care, her friend needed her and she would do anything for Tony. She felt him shake his head against her neck and she knew he would try to shield himself as he usually did.

"You can't back away, not this time Tony. I won't let you." He tensed a little in her arms but she wasn't backing down. "Come on buddy, talk to me."

Tony didn't know what to do. It was true, he needed to talk to someone about ... well, about everything ... Gibbs, Parsons, Vance, and ... Ziva. He just didn't think he could do it now. It just felt good to have Abby holding him. His world was upside down and he needed a friend, something solid to ground him. Exhaustion gripped him suddenly and he relaxed more into Abby until she was basically holding him upright.

"Come on, let's talk." And she was half leading, half dragging him across the lab to her little office. She turned him around and plopped him down into her chair.

"Ppphffffffttttttt..." The rude sound filled the room; Abby had forgotten where she left Bert the Farting Hippo. Tony's tear filled eyes locked with hers and then suddenly they both laughed out loud until they couldn't breathe. He pulled the squished Bert out from under him and set him gently on Abby's desk. Their laughter faded slowly and they felt the mood lighten a small bit. Abby hopped up on her desk, her legs brushing up against Tony's.

For a few moments, the room was silent except fo the cooling fans of the computers. Knowing she would have to start the conversation, Abby nudged Tony with her knee. "So, what's going on Tony?"

He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. Abby knew this was how he gathered his thoughts so she waited patiently for him to start. "Parsons wasn't here for Ziva or Vance ... he was after Gibbs."

Tony let a frustrated sigh, he should have decked Parsons in the elevator when he had the chance.

"He showed up with a little posse ... they took Gibbs into custody."

She felt her heart sink at the news. If Parsons had walked into the lab at that particular moment, he would have discovered just how dangerous one very pissed-off forensic goth girl could be. Abby didn't speak, she just nodded her head in acknowledgement. Gibbs was like a father to her and she ached at the thought of what this could mean to her and the team.

"But that's not the only reason you're so upset, is it?"

Tony's head dropped and he pursed his lips. "Nope."

Abby cocked her head so she could better see Tony's face. "Is it about Ziva?" Tony took in a ragged breath and Abby had her answer. She looked down at her knees that poked out from her plaid skirt, her legs suddenly very fascinating. They started swinging back and forth, making the desk shake slightly. Thoughts of what could have happened to damage the closeness of the two partners was not something Abby was sure she wanted to discuss, but the damaged look in Tony's eyes told her she had too.

"So what happened?"

Tony just stared silently at Bert, who sat smiling back at him with his black plastic eyes.

Abby waited a moment, and then pushed her friend a little more. "Come on ... this," and she gestured to him, "This is not Tony, not my Tony."

When she said 'My Tony', he felt the tears forming again. He brought his arm up and dropped his elbow on the desk. Leaning forward, he rested his head in his hand and began to massage his throbbing forehead. Tony took a deep shaky breath, not wanting to do this but knowing he needed to.

So he told her. He told her about Parsons' interrogation of Ziva, about Ziva getting angry, and about ... Adam. He could barely say the man's name without losing it once again. He had his eyes closed as he talked to her, fearing that if he looked at her, he would crumble once more. He told her about saying good-bye to Ziva when she left to bury her father in Israel. When he told her what he had whispered into Ziva's ear as he held her, he heard Abby take a sharp breath and her legs stopped swinging. The more he talked, the harder his hand rubbed his forehead until it actually started to ache. When he finished, he was almost panting, his anger fighting to rise again.

Abby felt her own tears drifting down her cheeks when Tony stopped. She was stunned and her spirit ached ... for Tony and Ziva. This can't be happening .. they were so close ... so close. She had watched as over the past few months, her two friends were headed toward something more than just 'Partners' ... more than 'Friends'. This couldn't be happening, they were supposed to be growing closer to each other, not tearing each other apart. They are Tony and Ziva ... yin and yang ... Bert and Ernie ... different sides of the same coin.

They were ... broken.

Crap.

At lo levad.