Hey guys! I loved writing this one. Super loved. Hope you do too. Thanks for the continued support! Leaving this one with a cliffhanger, which I try to do for every chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it! Reviews, PM's, follows and favorites make my day! Y'all are awesome!

Chapter 10

The next day went by very quickly for the team. They were reviewing footage from the last few months in an attempt to learn the habits, signals, most frequented establishments, and hopefully find some incriminating evidence, of the Godwin's. They spent a great deal of time talking to their counterparts, the local agents, acquiring their intel on the entire operation. They believed that the wine tasting may provide the opportunity to gain some kind of information to lead them to the missing women. Ultimately, the goal was to arrest the Godwin's and end their entire operation but the most important thing presently was finding the missing women safely and returning them home.

The Lutz's had gotten in close with the Godwin brothers, but it had taken months for them to gain the brothers' trust. Tony and Ziva were presented to the Godwin's as American diamond smugglers who also had connections in human trafficking in America. They were to connect the Godwins with the people that could deliver the women through the right channels until they reached their proper location.

They all hoped that the wine tasting would go well, that they would be shown trustworthy. Then Andy Godwin, who was the unsaid leader, would invite them for a private meeting at his home where he would proposition a deal.

Ziva was no stranger to human trafficking, it was rampant in her part of the world. She had seen, and almost been a victim of this, many times as a child. She knew that some poor families would actually sell their children into this slavery to put food on the table. The thought disgusted her completely, and made her feel deeply saddened. She always silently hoped that the world would progress, that people would change. She had to remind herself that she was a part of that change. That she was making a difference, or at least making a heartfelt attempt. It was this line of thought that was running through her mind as she and Tony entered their hotel room after a grueling day of information overload.

As always, Tony could sense the weight of her thoughts. He decided to let it go for a while and give her a moment alone.

"I'm gonna hop in the shower." He told her, kissing her cheek.

Ziva nodded her head and gave a half smile. She felt both relief and anxiety knowing that she would have some time alone with her thoughts.

Tony was no longer terrified about Ziva being captured now that he knew how essential he, as Mr. Calvin, could be to the Godwin's business in America. That is, if they decided to let him in. Andy very well could've just wanted to make a new acquaintance. He was anxious now more than anything.

As he stood in the shower, letting water run over his face, he thought of Ziva's weak smile and all the sudden it hit him. He'd been thinking about how he would react if something were to happen to Ziva. And in this moment he realized, he actually couldn't live without her. Not just mentally or emotionally, but he honestly felt that he literally could not go on if she were not by his side. He had never felt this way before, his very life dependent on the life of another. They had not even been intimate yet and he already knew. He was never going to let her go. As long as he was there, she would be safe. He wanted to be with her right now, and always. He sped up his shower so he could be close to her and bring her back from her disturbing thoughts.

He was just stepping out and putting his towel around him when the bathroom door opened. Somehow knew that Ziva must've had a similar epiphany.

"Tony." Ziva said, throwing her body around his, hands around his neck, face nuzzled into his chest.

She didn't care that he was wet, or that her clothes were getting more sopped by the second. She only cared about feeling his arms wrap tightly around her waist as he lifted her off the ground. She began kissing his neck, then moved to fiercely kiss his lips. The kiss was filled with desire, heat, passion, most of all love.

Tony walked them to the bed and laid them down. He broke their kiss and just stared for a moment before speaking.

"You alright, Z?" He said stroking her face and searching her eyes.

"I'm okay, Tony. I just didn't want to be away from you anymore. This mission just feels so, so-" she was cut off by a finger on her lips.

"I know, Z. It does, but we are going to be great, I won't let anyone take you from me. They can't actually, because I've decided that I refuse to live without you. I've realized that I depend on you to keep going. Without you, I'm just an old man with lame movie references." Tony smirked, seeing that his speech had caused a real, dazzling, Ziva smile to appear, the first one he had seen all day.

Ziva's smile faded and she turned serious when she spoke, "Tony, it is I who depend on you. Even though I know how serious a situation we are walking into, I'm not scared because I know you will be there. I have also come to the realization that I never want to be without you." She touched his hand that was resting on her neck.

"So the feeling is mutual I see. I guess we are stuck with each other, then?" Tony said bringing her hand to his lips.

"Definitely stuck" Ziva said with a smile.

"Ziva David, I'm going to marry you." Tony said looking her straight in the eye.

She knew he meant it and her heart skipped a beat. Ziva shot up in the bed and gave a look of mock dissatisfaction.

"Shouldn't you ask my opinion first?" She said, cocking her head to the side.

"Don't worry," Tony said sitting up with her and pulling her in for another long kiss. He moved to take her earlobe gently into his teeth and whispered, "I will."

A few moments later, the commotion coming from the street below pulled them out of their bubble and back into reality. Ziva was the first to reach the window and peer out. Before Tony could reach her, he heard what he thought was glass breaking, though he didn't notice if it shattered. Because she did. Shattered to the floor, blood already pooling beneath her. Ziva had been shot.