So sorry for not updating this for ages, I had hoped to have this finished before now. Hope you all still like it.

Chapter 3

Shaking his head from the doom that had descended upon it, Tony took a calming breath and looked again at the scene before him. Ziva seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Her hair covering half her face, a little scruffy, just the way he liked it. The small smile playing upon his lips wanted to break out into a grin but the situation didn't call for it.

Not wanting to wake her from what looked like a restful slumber, Tony just watched her for a few moments. Imagining what it would have been like if he hadn't of fallen in love with someone else, if the team hadn't been strewn across the world, if he hadn't killed the only other person he knew Ziva seemed to have trusted.

It hurt him to think that she didn't trust him but then, could he really blame her, he had seemed rather jealous of the fact that she was seeing Michael. He was surprised that she could even be near him at the moment. So why was she here now? To finish what Michael had started? To tell him that she would rather leave than work with him? He didn't know and at the moment, he didn't care.

All he did care about was that she was right in front of his apartment and she was safe, even if she could never look at him again. He would always be there for her, even if she hated him. With that in mind he ever so gently picked her up as not to wake her, quietly opened the door and carried her inside. All the while, trying not to get caught up in her womanly scent; which would make any man go weak at the knees.

Upon entering his apartment he saw the disarray he'd left it in, taking note to fix it he walking through to his room and placed her down on to his bed. He wasn't going to be using it any time soon anyway. Not if the previous nights were anything to go by. Plagued by nightmares wasn't his favourite way of spending the night.

Settling down for the night on his sofa he sighed and turned to TV on, hoping to catch a late re-run of a film he enjoyed. It took him a few moment to realise that he was being watched and when he did he switched the TV back off and knew that their conversation now would affect their working relationship and even friendship…if they still had one that was.

They both took a good look at each other and knew that neither of them had been sleeping much recently. Though that subject they knew wouldn't be touched tonight.

Ziva was the one who started the conversation, her voice calmer than it had been previously when in a room with him.

"Why did you bring me in here, Tony?" She asked trying to hide her embarrassment at falling asleep and not noticing she'd been moved.

He couldn't help himself, smiling his mega watt smile and spread his arms wide for effect. "Rescuing the damsel in distress of course."

Anger filled her for an unknown reason and she spoke without thinking. "For once in your entire life will you stop joking, Tony; and take this seriously!" she yelled, he never took anything seriously, and she wondered why she had even bothered to come here. Darkness filled his eyes only to be replaced with a pain she didn't know the cause of. Had it been caused by her?

"Oh believe me Ziva, I am taking this very seriously." His voice was calm, collected even, but held a venom she had only heard once before; after the war game that had gone to hell. He turned away as if he'd been burned by her words and started to walk away from her.

Dismayed, she wondered why what she had said had affected him like it had. Giving in to the urge to follow she tried to speak but he turned and cut her off before she could start.

"You know," he drawled, paused as if for effect, and then continued, "Just because I joke all the time, doesn't mean that I can't do anything else."

"But you are always making inappropriate jokes, even at crime scenes." She could almost see the frustration rise within him as he started to yell back.

"Maybe it was to lighten the mood in the midst of everything that we have seen! Did you ever think that or did you only judge me on what I let you see!" He immediately quietened; knowing he'd said too much and wondered when the direction of the conversation had changed and how.

And this she'd already known all this; known that most of what Tony showed to the team was a façade. Except now she thought about it, his care for her. And it muddled up her feelings more, they shouldn't be fighting, they were meant to be partners.

They were both stuck for what to say next, neither used to apologising first, neither used to having such and tense and awkward silence between them. And they both wondered how the simple conversation had gone so wrong so fast.

As the silence stretched for a moment and then longer all that could be heard were the dull shuffling of people in the next apartment, both of the Agents' breaths and the sound of the evening traffic coming from the slightly open window. Tony was the first to break the silence but she barely heard the question through the mumbled words he spoke.

"Why did you come here?"

And she honestly didn't know how to answer that question. She had been trying to answer it all night. Her mouth seemed to take control of her thoughts when she replied, practically emotionless.

"I am sorry, I will leave." He flinched as if he'd been struck and even she was surprised at the words. Why did she keep hurting him? He'd had only wanted to protect her, why couldn't she let him?

'Damn it, I didn't mean it like that' Tony screamed in his head. 'I didn't mean I wanted you to leave. Stay!'

She started to walk away from him but a hand on her arm caused her to jump a little and her reactions caused her to grab his arm and push him up against the closest wall. She saw a little flare of panic in his eyes and wanted to smile but knew it was wrong to. The wince in his expression stopped her; she was hurting him and didn't know why nor had she wanted to. The finality in the way he spoke his next words twisted her heart in a way she didn't think it could be twisted anymore.

"Go on, finish it." They both knew he wasn't one to give up like that but she had been just as surprised by this as she had been when he'd admitted that he'd needed her and couldn't live without her.

She let him go and simply walked out of his apartment. She caught a few words before she left.

"Ziva wait, I didn't…" But the rest was cut off by the door she'd closed behind her.

***

"Damn it!" Tony yelled.

Tony punched the door a moment after it had closed, why had he been such an idiot, always having something stupid to say. He knew why but it didn't make it all better, not in the slightest. He slid down the door, his back to it and buried his head in his hands.

Should he go after her? Would she want him to? If she hadn't wanted him to then, why would she now?

Getting a feeling deep in his gut he got up, grabbed his keys, and tried to catch up with her…

TBC

I know this wasn't much of a confrontation yet or very long but I hope you all like it all the same. I am slowly getting back to writing these stories and am half way through chapters for 'Best Forgotten' and 'My Precious'. And woop, only 2 exams left now so will have lots of time to write them. Thanks for reading and please review.