Gibbs carefully stepped over Tony's limp form and made his way upstairs. He grabbed a fresh pillow and Tony's favorite blanket from the closet before returning to the basement. He slipped the pillow under Tony's head and covered him with the blanket. He called the office and left a message for Leon letting him know that both him and Tony would be out the next day. This had become painfully routine in the past fifteen years. There were certain dates where Gibbs could count on Tony falling apart. The same holidays that were hard for him. Far too many times they had ended up on the floor together crying for the wives and daughters they had lost. Then there was Becca's birthday, his and Becca's anniversary, the anniversary of the day they died. Dates involving Tony's daughter were hard too and yesterday had been the anniversary of learning they were carrying a girl. Cruelly today was the anniversary of the day they had learned of Becca's cancer had returned. The disease that would only six weeks later take not only his wife but also his newborn daughter. Tony's fatherhood had only lasted six hours, six hours where his daughter was buried under tubes and wires. He had never even heard her cry and the tumors had already taken over her eyes. Gibbs could not imagine never getting to know Kelly to even really get to hold her. Tony was a good guy and based on the stories he had heard over the years. Becca was a hell of a woman. They did not deserve for their lives to end up that way. Tony did not deserve to be widowed at only twenty six and Becca did not deserve to die at only twenty-four. They deserved to be happily married and a house full of beautiful children but fate was just unbearably cruel sometimes. From his perch on the basement steps Gibbs watched Tony sleep. His heart broke every time Tony would cry out in his sleep. After a while Gibbs went to bed and slept until he heard Tony stumble up the stairs. He got to the kitchen in time to see Tony fumbling around trying to make coffee.

"Killer headache" Tony groaned.

"Hangover" Gibbs corrected.

"Did I ask you to cut it off?" Tony asked.

"Yeah" Gibbs replied.

"I did something bad." Tony admitted.

"Tony she was in remission, the doctors were sure she would stay healthy." Gibbs assured.

"No it's not that." Tony groaned.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked, plunking his hangover cure down in front of Tony.

"I liked her. A lot. I want her to love me." Tony mumbled.

"Who?" Gibbs asked.

"Ziva" Tony replied.

AJ was discharged the next morning. Ziva called his school and told them that he would be out the rest of the week. She then called Shirley and let her know that she was staying home with Adam but would be able to work all weekend. Which she knew meant pulling doubles both Saturday and Sunday. She was dreading the weekend but at least AJ was doing well. At least it was only minor injuries. She did not know what she would have done if AJ had been killed or ended up with severe injuries. At least he could get around with a broken arm. Their apartment wasn't exactly handicapped accessible. Once AJ was settled in she went to the living room and picked up her tattered copy of "Little Women". It was so worn and beaten that when she first picked it up at the Goodwill she was sure that it was a first edition but quickly found it had been printed in nineteen ninety three. It was worn and looked old because it had been a classroom book. Half of the pages had been gratified by obscenities and/or genitals. Still it was her favorite book. She opened up to just before Beth died. She knew that it was cliched but that part always got to her. When she heard a knock on the door. Sighing she slammed the book closed and stormed to the door. Assuming that it was just her sleazy, old neighbor Mr. Riley offering himself to her. Instead she was surprised to find Shirley standing on the other side of the door.

"Shirley?" Ziva asked.

"I was just coming over to check on AJ." Shirley replied.

"He's fine but the doctors want him to take it easy and stay home the next few days." Ziva explained.

"I am so glad to hear that. Jethro is a good man. He just is the world's second worst driver." Shirley explained.

"He did seem like a good guy." Ziva replied.

"He is and he's been through a lot." Shirley replied.

"So who is the first worst driver?" Ziva asked.

"The woman who busted all of my parking barriers the first week she had the job." Shirley laughed.

"Are you ever going to let me forget that?" Ziva asked.

"I can rag on you or I can charge you." Shirley replied.

"Nevermind" Ziva replied.

"Sorry Ziva, I thought you could use a laugh." Shirley apologized.

"It's OK" Ziva replied.

"Are you sure everything is alright? You don't seem like yourself." Shirley observed.

"Last night AJ asked me if I would ever find love again." Ziva replied.

"What did you tell him?" Shirley asked.

"That I don't know. I know that AJ needs a dad but after what Adam did to me. I just don't know. I want love too but I can't let AJ get hurt again." Ziva explained.

"If it helps things are different now than they were when everything happened with a Adam." Shirley offered.

"How?" Ziva questioned.

"Well now you have people who can look out for you. You aren't just a scared young mom in a new country whose husband just up and decided to quit the family." Shirley assured.

"I just don't want AJ to get hurt and it is so hard to find a man who wants to commit to a child who isn't even his." Ziva explained.

"I know that won't be easy but Ziva there are plenty of men out there who would be more than happy to be a father to AJ." Shirley assured.

"I know but what are the odds that some man who is perfectly fine with dating an emotionally damaged single mom and being willing to step up as a father to my seven year old will just come bursting into my life? Does that even really happen?" Ziva questioned.

"You would be surprised, Ziva." Shirley replied smiling.

A/N: Tony and Gibbs pop in to check on AJ in the next chapter and Tony and Ziva open up about their old hurts. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.