Navy Exchange

Disclaimer: I don't own them blah blah blah.

Rated T

A/N: This is the second last chapter....time to wrap it up I think.

Chapter 11.

Tony was facing down the barrel of his own weapon. Bryce's eyes were filled with madness as he concentrated years of twisted frustrations and murderous rage at the man standing opposite.

Lying forgotten on the floor behind Bryce, the sickening haze that filled Ziva's head and distorted her vision, cleared long enough for her to recognise Tony's face. The man who stood between them held a gun and was preparing to shoot.

Mustering all her strength, Ziva lashed out with her foot striking Bryce in the back of the knee, his leg collapsed beneath him and he lurched sideways. The gun went off!

'Tony!'

Tony saw the flash of movement from Ziva; his hand moved to his belt and removed the knife concealed at his waist. He flung it at Bryce with the technique and precision taught to him by Ziva one night long ago.

The bullet whistled as it passed mere inches from Tony's ear, slamming into the plaster wall behind. Shock and denial spread across Bryce's face as the knife pierced his chest and punctured his heart. He staggered a little toward Tony- one arm outstretched-then crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around his lifeless body.

Tony stood over the dead man dragging in deep breaths; his hands shook as the adrenalin that had built up in his body manifested itself now as shock. Numbly he kicked the gun away and moved across to where Ziva still lay on the floor. He sunk to the ground beside her and with his good arm, dragged her upper body to lie half across his knees. He searched her face and ran his hand down her body looking for signs of injury.

"Ziva!"

"Tony?" she mumbled. "Bryce…..he's the one Tony" she was conscious but still disoriented.

"Shh Ziva. I know. It's ok now." Tony pulled her closer still and lowered his head so that his forehead rested against hers.

"Tony! Ziva!" Gibbs voice called from the outer room.

"In here Boss."

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It was just after midnight when Gibbs and McGee, having finished at the crime scene, hurried through the emergency room doors at Bethesda to be met by an anxious Abby sitting huddled in the waiting room.

As they approached, she jumped to her feet and threw herself into Gibbs arms.

"Gibbs! Oh my God, poor Tony! I can't believe it. Did you see what that monster did to him? He's all broken up Gibbs and his beautiful face is all swollen and, and oh my God. Poor Ziva! She must've been hit really hard Gibbs 'cos she's a warrior our Ziva and why oh why do these things keep happening Gibbs?"

Gibbs gave the young woman a comforting hug and replied "I don't know Abbs. Where's Ducky?"

"I'm here Jethro." The medical examiner chose that moment to walk through the inner door where he had been consulting with the ER doctors as to the treatment of the two NCIS Agents.

"I've spoken to the doctor in charge of their care. Anthony suffered a dislocation of the left shoulder that would have been very painful, indeed. He will need to take medication to help with the swelling and the pain." Ducky advised. "He also has some bruising to his face that may keep the young ladies at bay for at least a week or two and he needed sutures in the large gash at the back of his head. The good news is that there is no evidence of a concussion and no facial fractures which is a small miracle considering the pounding he took."

"Oh Poor Tony!" Abby whimpered and McGee moved to place a comforting arm across her shoulders.

"And Ziva, Duck?"

"Ah yes Ziva. She has a rather large contusion on the side of her head; presumably caused when a hard object struck her from behind. This would have disabled our dear girl long enough for Bryce to inject her with Rohypnol. Just like the poor women he murdered it seems."

"That would tie in with what Tony managed to tell me Duck."

"Ziva will need to stay overnight for observation as she is still suffering the affects of the Rohypnol. She will be quite lethargic and confused for another 4-5 hours at least. I did offer to give young Anthony a lift home but he's refusing to leave. I do wish you'd speak with him, Jethro! He really does need to rest after the day he's had and that shoulder must be terribly painful."

"I'll try Duck. McGee, see that Abby gets home safely."

"Sure Boss. Tell Tony and Ziva that we'll see them both tomorrow?" McGee asked.

Gibbs nodded and approached the desk where he showed his badge and was allowed entry to the restricted area. He followed the nurse along the row of curtained off beds and nodded his thanks when she indicated the last cubicle.

Pulling back the curtain a little he found Tony sitting in the hard chair beside Ziva's bed. The younger Agent was holding the hand of the sleeping woman. Lost in thoughts all his own, he stared blindly at his thumb as it traced small circles on the back of her hand.

Taking the opportunity to study his Senior Field Agent, Gibbs noted the bruising along his jaw and the discolouration and swelling around his left eye. There was a small white bandage covering the back of his head where he had received the stitches and his left arm was supported by a sling.

"He looks like Hell!" Gibbs thought.

Gibbs recalled the moment he and McGee had heard the gunshot and the dread that both had felt at what they might find when they reached its source.

Anger burned inside him as he thought of how the night's events might have ended and not for the first time he cursed the younger agents' stubborn refusal to wait for back up.

Tony looked up and to the right and saw his boss standing silently by the curtain. "Hey Boss"

Gibbs moved further into the cubicle and cast an assessing eye over his Mossad liaison officer.

"Tony." He greeted him "How is she?"

"She's sleeping…..Bryce hit her pretty hard and she'll have one hell of a headache tomorrow." Tony sighed and continued. "I've never seen her like this Boss….vulnerable I mean."

"You disobeyed a direct order to wait for backup, DiNozzo!" said Gibbs suddenly angry. "You could have both been killed! Do I have to remind you that we have procedures in place for a reason?"

"You telling me that you wouldn't have done the same thing, Boss? I'm sorry I disobeyed you but I'd do it again tomorrow if the circumstances warranted." Green eyes met blue and the strength and determination in them was unwavering.

The truth in the younger man's statement couldn't be denied. Gibbs knew that- in his place- he wouldn't have hesitated to go in without backup if it meant saving one of his team, his family. The anger left his face and he relaxed his shoulders "You should go home and get some rest. I'll stay with Ziva."

"No…… Thanks Boss but I need to stay."

Gibbs thought about insisting that the younger agent go home but knew it was an argument he wouldn't win. He reached out a hand to brush a stray lock of hair from Ziva's forehead and assured that she was going to be fine, made his way home.

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A loud gasp followed by panicked breathing brought his head up sharply from where it had been resting on the back of the chair. He blinked quickly and shook his head as he came fully awake and realised that the sounds of distress had come from Ziva lying in the bed.

She had been sleeping peacefully for the last two hours since Gibbs had left and Tony, thanks to the painkillers, had eventually dozed off.

But now the peace was broken and she writhed on the bed, sheets twisting as she moved her legs back and forth as though trying to escape from some unseen foe. Her breaths came in shallow gasps and her head moved from side to side on the pillow.

Realising that she was having a nightmare Tony moved quickly to comfort her. Taking her hand in his he leaned close and whispered "Ziva! Ziva! Shh it's ok, you're safe now."

"Tony?" Ziva opened her eyes and he watched as the fear slowly ebbed from her face and her body relaxed back against the pillows.

"Hey Sweetcheeks…..you were having a bad dream." Tony sat on the edge of her bed and brushed her hair from her face. His hand lingered, he cupped her cheek and turned her face a little to one side to catch the light peering in through the gap in the curtain.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ok I think. Though I can not remember what ….…..I felt a terrible pain in my head and.…………….. Bryce was ………..Why can I not remember?…….Oh my God Tony did he …….……?" The disjointed flashes of memory only served to confuse her and the terror in her eyes at the thought of being assaulted ripped his heart in two.

"No! Ziva no, he didn't touch you like that. Hey you don't have to remember now its ok….."

"I saw you and he was holding the gun and….." Ziva shuddered.

Tony shifted sideways and rested his back against the pillows. He lifted his good arm in invitation and after a brief hesitation, Ziva curled into his side and rested her head against his chest.

"Will you….will you stay with me please Tony?"

He pulled her close, gently kissing the top of her head "Go back to sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

The deep even rhythm of his heartbeat quickly lulled her and he smiled when he saw her face relax in sleep.

Resting back against the pillows he raised his hand and traced a finger along her cheekbone. "I couldn't leave if I tried Ziva" he whispered.