Disclaimer: As usual.

Well. This is the last chapter.

I'm not completely happy with the way it turned out, but tell me what you think.

Enjoy.

And please review.

There was a bright flash and suddenly a much less calm voice resonated in Tony's mind.

"Tony, wake up or I will shove this remote up your…"

Tony sat bolt upright and looked into the eyes of the woman standing over him, brandishing his television remote threateningly. He turned sideways, looking around, only to be confronted with his own apartment. Everything was as it was before the tragedy. His widescreen TV, DVD collection, last week's empty pizza box… it was all there.

"Tony!" Ziva's voice once again filled his mind and he became aware of her clicking her fingers in his face. "Wake up."

Tony looked back up. "Ziva?" Tony asked, blinking to see if she would disappear, when she didn't, he looked hr up and down, noticing that she was wearing her funeral clothes.

Ziva looked at Tony as if he was insane. "Yes, Tony, I am Ziva," she said slowly. "You know, your partner of three years, just got fired, yes? Ring any chimes?"

Tony corrected her instinctively and continued to look at her with curiosity. "Bells, Ziva, ring any bells."

Ziva frowned and became uncomfortable with his staring. "Are you feeling okay, Tony?"

Tony looked around again, before looking back up at Ziva. "I thought you were dead," he managed to say.

"Dead?" Ziva raised her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

Tony stood up and walked over to his TV, running a finger across the top, everything coming back to him. He turned back to Ziva, who was looking at him in confusion. "So it was all a dream?" he asked softly.

Ziva sighed, obviously not understanding what he meant. "No," she said. "Jenny is dead."

Tony thought for a moment. "But you are alive?"

"Of course I am alive!" Ziva said exasperatedly, before softening her tone. "What isthis about, Tony?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't know," he said slowly, trying to work out what was going on. "How long have you here?"

"About ten minutes," Ziva shrugged. "You were in a pretty deep sleep."

"You can say that again," Tony muttered, thinking back to all that had just happened.

Was it really just a dream?

It was so vivid, so believable. .

His whole life was just there.

Every memory, every thought, every experience.

Every death…

…They were all going to die.

Just like before.

It was inevitable…

Tony snapped back into reality and looked into the eyes of Ziva, who, if possible, looked even more confused than before. Her own words slipped into his mind.

Nothing is inevitable…

Ziva sat down on the couch and broke the silence. "What do you think are the chances of Gibbs working this out?"

Tony's mind was bombarded with a sudden sense of déjà vu.

"Open the door, Tony," Ziva yelled from outside his apartment.

Tony sighed and pulled open his door, stepping back as Ziva stepped straight in. "Can I help you, Ziva?"

Ziva sat down on Tony's couch. "Maybe," she paused for a moment. "What do you think are the chances of Gibbs working this out?"

"Tony!" Ziva almost yelled. "What is up with you today? You are so out of it."

Tony looked up quickly and shook his head again "Sor-"

"Do not apologize. Sign of weakness."

Tony smiled wryly. "Right."

"So?"

"So what?"

Ziva sighed heavily. "Should I request leave to buy some time?" she asked, aware that she was going out on a limb. "Do you think Gibbs will work this out?"

Tony paused for a moment, before his face broke into a wide smile. "How much time can you buy?"

Ziva laughed and leant back against the couch. Tony laughed back and walked over to his cupboards, pulling out a bottle of vodka. Together they lapsed back into their normal playful banter, forgetting the troubles around them. At least for a while.

People die everyday. It's a fact of life. We wake up every day knowing that it may be our last. There was no guarantee that Ziva would be able to stay. Nor was there any guarantee that she or Gibbs would live. But for that one night, nothing else mattered.

At least Tony didn't screw it up this time.

It was a good start.

Nothing is inevitable…

A/N: What you expected? Not what you expected? Review and tell me. Constructive critism always appreciated.