Dean opened his eyes to see Ziva crouching down beside him. She lowered herself carefully onto the narrow platform where Dean was laying. She shined her light to show him her face. "It is me, Ziva."

Dean let out the breath he had been holding and left the knife he had been gripping lying at his side.

"You're alone?" Dean asked.

"Yes, we were looking for you." Ziva replied. "We decided to break up. And I seemed to have lost Tim. He was supposed to be with me."

Dean nodded and chuckled at the incorrect use of words.

"What did I say wrong this time?" Ziva asked. She hated American sayings. She was forever getting them wrong.

"You split up, you didn't break up. That's something you'd do with a boyfriend." Dean clarified.

"If you Americans did not have sayings for absolutely everything, it would not be so hard to learn your language." Ziva said. "You should not be talking so much. You are injured, yes?"

Dean nodded. "I think I wounded the alpha. But he and the pack, they are long gone by now. He got me good in my side." Dean moved aside his tattered shirt and showed Ziva the long claw marks that were oozing blood. It was then she also got a good look at the bruises and cuts on his chest and face. She knew his back must also be injured because he was having a very hard time finding a position he would be comfortable in.

"You are in pain, yes?"

"Nothing I can't handle." Dean said.

"How did and your brother get separated?" Ziva asked. She knew that they had divided into three teams: Sam and Dean in the lead, followed by Ziva and Tim, with Tony, Gibbs and Fornell bringing up the rear.

It had worked fine until all hell broke loose. Noises started in the tunnels and Dean headed off to find the source. He thought Sam and the others were right behind them. But he soon realized that he was very much alone. And he was running into the eye of the storm. He was not exactly sure of the details. He had fought hard, but he had woken up alone and in the dark. He had listened closely to the sounds around him. When he heard footsteps he grabbed his knife and prepared to fight for his life, with all he had left in him.

Dean told her what happened. He then paused before he asked her. He tried to move again. He groaned, pressing his hand to his side. "I've never seen DiNozzo in action. How is he as a partner?"

Ziva looked at Dean for a moment. She had laid her flashlight down where he could see her face and she could see his. She considered Dean's question. But first she moved his hands aside. His wounds were still oozing.

"You are losing too much blood." Ziva stated. She finally saw how much had stained his shirt and how much had pooled under him on the concrete.

Dean shook his head. "I'm okay, Agent David."

Ziva shook her head. She stood. "You cannot stay here. We have to get you upstairs."

Dean followed her lead and tried to stand. He swayed on his feet. But he managed to stay upright. Ziva took his left arm and put it across her shoulder. She took her right arm and put it around his waist.

"Do you know the way out?" Dean asked as they started walking.

"I am going to head towards the sound of voices." Ziva stated. "You may call me Ziva."

"Thank you, Ziva." Dean said. He was hurting badly. It was hard for him to walk. It took so much energy to even move. And he felt like he was running on zero as it was. He just hoped they found somebody else soon.

Ziva had nothing to stop the bleeding of Dean's wounds. She had no other way to get him out but to make him walk out with her. And while the elder Winchester was leaning on her, pretty heavily, he was still having trouble. He had stumbled several times.

The hunter tried to use the wall to help support himself. He knew the female agent could not take much of his weight. She was a very strong woman. But, he was still almost half a foot taller, and he outweighed her, he guessed, by about 70 pounds.

They had had to stop. Dean was hurting too much and they were no closer to finding their way out. They had been walking for a while and had heard no one.

Ziva aimed her flashlight where they could both see one another. She sat down beside him. And leaned against the wall just as Dean had, they sat quietly for a few moments. "Since we are now hopelessly lost. You have a little time to answer my question."

Ziva just looked at him for a second. She had almost forgotten he had even asked her a question. "Oh yes, I remember now. How is Tony as a partner? I have actually given that a little thought. He is probably the most annoying trivial buff, ever. But he is also incredible at what he does. He's one of the best investigators I have ever met."

Dean smiled. He knew Tony was good. That was not even a question. He just wanted to know how good.

"How and when did you meet Tony?" Ziva asked.

"Back in Baltimore, when he was a detective. He carded us in a bar. But he let us go." Dean said. "A few months later, we met up with him again, this time using different IDs. He chased us into a dark alley, where something even darker was waiting." The elder Winchester smiled at the memory. "We ended up kidnapping him and taking him to our motel room. He had passed out and we had to keep him from getting mugged or worse once they found out he was a cop."

Ziva smiled. "You kidnapped him?"

Dean nodded. "Sam and I were arguing about what to do with him when he woke up. And he was none too happy to see us. He threatened to arrest us on the spot for kidnapping, plus a few other charges."

Ziva checked out Dean's wounds again. He seemed to be getting weaker. He was zoning out, at times. The bleeding had slowed. But he was getting cold. He was shaking. It was cold, in the tunnels, true. But Ziva was very afraid that the elder Winchester was going to go into shock if she didn't do something, and quick.

The agent stood. She helped Dean to his feet, and they started to walk again. She thought she had heard voices. She had to get the injured hunter to someone who could help him. And they had to get out of the sewer. Dean desperately needed to be in the hospital. It didn't last long. He made it only a few feet and could not go any further. He sat down again.

"I can't, Ziva." Dean said, holding his side. His breathing was coming out in harsh gasps. "I can't…you go! I'll be here."

Ziva didn't want to leave him alone. She hesitated.

"I have my knife." Dean told her. "I'll be okay."

Ziva headed off in search of Sam and the other agents.

TBC