So finally chapter 4 is done. This was a bit of a though nut to crack for me and a lot of things happened IRL which didn't help with expediting this chapter.

So even though I said this chapter would be date night it turns out that this chapter would come first. I normally don't plan ahead and I write based on what I feel writing. Sorry to those who wanted date night, but it has been delayed to next chapter.

I want to thank all who took their time to write reviews. I really love reading them and I appreciate all of them so much!

So here is the next chapter. Again my Hebrew is as good as I can google it so sorry if I made any mistakes.

Tony and Ziva were in a blissful world of their own exchanging kisses and meaningful looks with between themselves. Ziva was running her hand through his chest hair, loving the feeling his chest muscles beneath her fingertips.

Actually she loved everything of being with Tony in this moment. They were still lying on his bed, she on top of him, their lips barely ever parting. Ziva was nowhere near mentally ready to take it a step further but she felt so safe and loved by Tony in how far they were taking it right now. That she did not worry about everything that was to come. She knew Tony would let her take her time and that was what she needed.

For Tony it was a sweet torture, he knew he had to take things slow and steady but he stop his hands multiple times from wandering to more intimate areas of Ziva's body. Instead he chose to tangle his fingers in her long curly hair, while not the exact same he did always love her hair.

It took him effort quite a few times when they still worked together to not walk across the bullpen, tangle his fingers into her hair and kiss the living daylights out of her. Right there in the middle of the office. Now they were here and his hands were free to enjoy her long curls.

His fingers easily combed through her long curly hair, and while someone would expect Ziva's hair to be a tangled mess, Tony's hands quite easily brushed through him this would be more than enough for the rest of his life, as long as he got to sleep next to Ziva every night.

Both groaned when Tony's phone started ringing. He reached for his phone and looked at the screen.

"It's Gibbs." He told Ziva and answered the phone.

"Hi Boss."

"Tony, is everything ok with you and Ziver?" Tony had never heard Gibbs ask something so carefully.

He looked down at Ziva who had settled her head once again on his chest, her eyes looking up at him. "Yes, everything is fine. Everything is perfect." He used his free hand to caress her cheek.

Ziva smiled at him, knowing that they were talking about her.

"Is there a case?" Tony asked with trepidation, now wanting to leave Ziva's side at the moment.

"No, I was just checking on you two. Give your phone to Ziva I want to talk to her for a bit."

Tony handed her the phone. "Hi Gibbs." Ziva said quietly, not sure how Gibbs was going to react to her being back.

Tony noticed her discomfort and started moving his fingers along her upper arm to sooth her.

"Ziver, glad to have you back kiddo." Gibbs said with a smile.

Ziva breathed a sigh of relief, the man she considered a father to her didn't sound mad at all. "Thank you Gibbs," her voice sounding small "I am so sorry." Tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Tony wrapped his arms around her hugging her close to 's comforting embrace broke the dam that was holding back Ziva's tears.

"Ani mitnatzelet. Ani minatzelet abba." In her emotinal state Ziva defaulted back to her Hebrew and between his limited knowledge of Hebrew and Ziva's sobs Tony could barely understand any of it. But he did understand two important things. Ziva was apologising over and over to Gibbs and she called him "abba", father.

Tony had known that the bond between Gibbs and Ziva was deeper than one would expect from a boss and his subordinate. But even Tony hadn't known that it was this deep.

That in the moments that Ziva finally opened up her emotions for the first time in years, and when she really spoke from her heart. No longer hiding behind the mask she had created as part of her Mossad persona, she referred to Gibbs as aba. Revealing to Tony how close the two actually were.

"Ziver, seeing you are no longer on my team I cannot hold you to rule 6. But still don't apologise."

"But Gibbs…" Her breath hitching between sobs

"No, and it not because it is a sign of weakness. Sometimes it is not, that rule is wrong here. Don't apologise because you have nothing to apologise for." Gibbs' tone soft and fatherly.

Gibbs' words instantly started to calm her down.

"We all know you needed some time to yourself and now you are ready for the next chapter in your life." His tone of voice kind.

"Thanks Gibbs, I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything Ziva, act. Be happy and don't forget about us."

Ziva's eyes were tearing up again. "Of course Gibbs, you guys are my family. I would never forget about any of you."

"I know you won't. Now stop crying before I add a new rule against it" his voice almost uncharacteristically laughing. It was rare side Gibbs showed, mostly when interacting with Ziva alone.

"Okay." her voice sounding small almost that of a child talking with her father. "Thank you, abba."

"Good, now go enjoy your time together. Dinozzo has off until next week, make sure he takes it."

Ziva laughed at that. "Of course, I will make sure of it."

"What did Gibbs have to say?" Tony asked after Ziva had hung up the phone.

Ziva put her head down on Tony's chest "He told me," a playful smirk adorning her face "that you needed to stay here so I can use you as my pillow."

"Ohh really?" Tony asked playfully, his hand sneaking down to Ziva's sides.

"Cross my chest." Ziva said feigning innocence.

It took Tony a moment to figure out what Ziva had actually meant. "It is cross my heart, Ziva."

Ziva was about to retort when Tony hands found their mark and he started tickling Ziva.

Tony was surprised that he even got this far seeing Ziva normally would have stopped him before he even would have had the chance of doing something like tickling. But here he was, Ziva laughing loudly as she playfully fought off Tony's assault.

Tony knew she could have stopped him at any moment and overpowered him with ease. But he was elated that Ziva was letting him get close in a way he never saw her do with anyone.

Her laugh was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard and he swore then and there that he would make her laugh every day of his life. And while he had heard her laugh countless times about his silly jokes and while watching movies, this laugh was different. It was carefree, it was maybe from a different Ziva. A Ziva who no longer had to be a cold and calculating Israeli spy, or a Ziva which was a tough but caring NCIS agent. Maybe this was the Ziva which had always been tucked away in a corner, a Ziva which now finally had her time to shine and bring happiness to them both.

Getting lost in his thoughts Tony's hands stopped tickling Ziva, which the former spy took to her advantage and turned the tables right around on Tony. Ziva relentlessly moved her fingers on his side. Tony tried to fight off her hands and playfully grabbed her by the wrist holding them away from himself when he suddenly felt Ziva pull her hands away from him with all her might.

Ziva was genuinely having fun for the first in a long time. Tony's tickling had come unexpected but she couldn't help but liking it deep inside, that was probably why she only fought off his attack half-heartedly and she had also jumped at the opportunity to get back at Tony. It had only been when Tony grabbed her wrists when she was instantly transported from their loving afternoon in Tony's bed to Somalia.

It had been some time when she last found her her mind stuck back in that small and sandy room. But she instantly went from DC to Somalia and instead of Tony holding her it was Saleem, he was hovering above her holding her wrists above her head.

Ziva fought with all her might and got free from Saleem's hands. Surprisingly her hands were free, not tied as they normally were, and she took the opportunity to punch Saleem away. He staggered and she tried running. She ran towards the door that led out of her prison.

"Ziva?" she heard behind her, the voice soft, she knew the voice.

"Ziva, sweet cheeks, calm down." Ziva saw Saleem's mouth move but she knew the voice was not his. She knew that she knew the voice.

She saw Saleem move towards her "Stay away!" She grabbed the door handle and it came off. She flung the door handle at Saleem but she saw Saleem easily dodge it and heard something break somewhere in the background.

"Stay away Saleem!" She screamed again.

"Saleem? Ziva, calm down. You are not in Somalia." She heard the voice say.

She voice became even more soft and comforting. She knew she knew that voice. But she could only see Saleem. "Ziva, it is me Tony."

Ziva's eyes turned big and it clicked. "Tony?" she asked carefully, still not trusting the face in front of her.

"Ziva, ahuvati? It is me Tony. Remember, you are not in Somalia but in my apartment."

The haze in her vision disappeared and her prison in Somalia faded into Tony's bedroom. Saleem also faded and infront of her she saw Tony with a worried look on his face.

"Tony?" she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper. That is all she could say before bursting into tears. Ziva felt herself fall before being wrapped in Tony's strong arms.

Tony's heart broke when he heard her whisper his arms instinctively going around her in an effort to protect her. Worst thing was that he knew that he could not protect her. He could help ease the pain and help her work through everything but there was no protection against what already had been done. He just held her while she sobbed into his shoulder telling her that he loved her and everything was going to be ok.

Ziva was still confused by the ordeal and what exactly happened. She always was left confused when she had a flash-back, but this was one of the heaviest and most vivid she had ever had. She started to put her vision in order of what happened. Saleem holding her down, hitting him, throwing the door handle that came off the door.

Ziva looked up and over Tony's shoulder, and that is when she put everything together. She saw broken shards laying on the floor and she made the connection to the door handle she threw at "Saleem". Then she realised that it had not been a handle but a vase that was on Tony's dresser. She actually did punch somebody, she knew that much, and looked up at Tony who had a bit of blood running from his nose.

Her eyes grew wide and she started to pull away from Tony. "Tony, I am so sorry." she cried.

"It is okay Ziva, you didn't mean to. You were having a flashback."

"But I hurt you, I… I punched you."

"Shh… it is ok. You did not mean it." Tony strengthened his embrace around her when he felt her try to pull away. "Nobody will hurt you and I will keep you safe."

Ziva leaned into his embrace and let her be enveloped by Tony's comforting words and strong arms, tears flowing down her cheeks silently. After a while Ziva broke the silence. "But how can you be with me when I hurt you, and I might hurt you even more in the future? I'll just go and."

"No Ziva," he cut her off mid sentence "the only way you can really hurt me is by leaving." He released her from his arms and moved his hands up to her hair.

"Ziva, I love you and you will get through this. Together we will get through it." He stated adamantly. He kissed her again with everything he had, his fingers intertwining with her hair.

When he broke their kiss he rested his forehead against hers and looked deeply into Ziva's eyes. Ziva felt like he was looking directly into her soul and she into his.

"Together?" he asked.

"Together." she simply confirmed, knowing the deeper meaning he meant with that single worded question.

Ziva moved to kiss Tony again when they were interrupted by a gurgling sound. To which Tony burst out laughing and Ziva turned bright red.

"I think someone is hungry." He stated with a laugh "When did you last eat?".

Ziva had to think about that, that was how long ago it was that she last ate. "Our breakfast in Israel and a small snack on the plane."

Tony looked at her questioningly, she probably hadn't had a proper meal in 24 hours. "Okay, get dressed. I am taking you out for dinner."

I hope you enjoyed, and THIS time next chapter will be date night seeing I wrote myself into a corner.

Please leave a review if you feel like it, it really keeps me motivated.

And for those wondering "ahuvati" is Hebrew for "my love".