"How is my little lamb?" asked Rabin softly from the doorway of Ziva's room. He cast a large shadow standing in the lit hall way and looking into the darkened bedroom

"Not sure. Ducky and Shamso said she is just dog tried and that all this sleep will do her good. But I don't know. She's been out since the second last rest brake on the trip here and she hasn't spoken since she showed us where you were" Tony said watching as Officer Rabin came and sat opposite him on Ziva's other side.

"My little Ziva is a fighter young man and when the fight is over the brave deserve their rest. She seems to have had a lot to cope with in the last month or so. It was you I believe who killed Rivkin. I have read the reports but perhaps you could explain to me what happened" Rabin's tone was kind but firm. It sounded to Tony (who was still unsure of how this man fitted into Ziva's life) to be the tone of a patient but strong father dealing with a troublesome suitor. Oh God thought Tony, why now I really just want to sit here and watch over Ziva think about what I going to say to her but he marshalled his resources and answered.

"Yes, I killed Rivkin" said Tony with a fierce bravery that he did not feel. He paused for a minute to collect his thoughts

"Before you say anything else young man I must tell you that even if no one else is, I am very glad that you killed him" Rabin's large brown eyes met Tony's and there was respect apparent there. The large mans face was made more imposing by the chiaroscuro created by the hotels security lights coming through the uncurtained window into the dark hotel room. He reached out and gently stroked Ziva's beaten face "You love my little lamb as I do I think, Yes?"

Tony looked at Ziva as he whispered "yeah" looking at her, she was so hurt looking. She had been so brave and resourceful had not let herself rest until she knew that both she and Rabin were going home it made him choke with the thought of it. She had been so brave that he hadn't seen how battered she was till they got her back to the hotel and had cleaned her up. Ducky said that nothing was broken but that there was not an inch of her that was not bruised and battered and that she would take time to recover from the shock of her capture and to clear her system after having been so heavily doped. This is all my fault, all my fault! was the thought that kept repeating in his head. He could taste the loss that he would have suffered had things gone differently and it brought tears to his eyes that he had to fight back. "Yeah, I do" he whispered wet eyed, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, as he looked up from Ziva's battered little body at Rabin.

"I am very glad my friend" said Rabin placing a large paw over the hand that Tony had clasped tightly over Ziva's. "My little lamb needs a man like you to love her. I would have killed Rivkin too. He had lost his way and was using my little lambs strength to prop himself up. He was draining her happiness and vitality. He was not her equal in any way. I have known him since he was a young recruit and I knew him well. He started fine enough but he did not have the stamina for the job he was doing and the job broke him. Once he implicated my Ziva in his mess he deserved to die. I told him when they started seeing each other last summer that should he do her any harm I would crush him. You simply did the job before I could." Tony looked at the other man shocked. Rabin acknowledged this but stopped any interruption by Tony with a look and a tilt of his head.

"I know that Eli David was hard on you but, and when I tell you this you must understand that I say this of a man I love, a man who was the first to welcome me to Israel, Eli is not perfect. Eli is a very clever man his head rules his heart and as Director of Mossad he sees his first responsibility to be Israel and he sees the Mossad as the ultimate protector of Israel. In order to do his duty to Israel he is willing to make any sacrifice. This is difficult to understand for you but he has had a very hard life filled with loss and it has made him a hard man. I do not apologise for him. I do not think he has behaved in this matter as he should. Ziva should not have been sent on this mission. But I do tell you that in sending Ziva he sent the most important person in the world to him. Since her mothers death she is his only relation and he truly loves her but Israel comes first for him." The great hand gripped the top of Tony's exerting pressure to underline the honesty of what was being said.

Tony interrupted angrily but still in a whisper (he did not loose sight of where he was and did not want to disturb Ziva) "How can he love her. He sent Michael to her. Let him use her"

The older man look at Tony kindly "You think as I do with your heart. I admire this but I tell you as another who thinks with his heart that Eli David is a good man who loves his daughter. He did not know of what state Michael was in. None of us did. He knew that Ziva and Michael were involved and he, unlike I, he approved he thought he was being kind to Ziva and providing Rivkin with cover when he suggested Rivkin went to her in DC" sudden venom came into his voice "Had I known Rivkin was dragging my Ziva into this mess Rivkin would, how should I put this, have met with an unfortunate accident and all this unpleasantness could have been avoided and my little lamb would be safe with you in America. As it is we must make the best of this situation"

Tony stood up and went to the window looking out as he spoke "I did not mean to kill him. I just wanted to find out from Ziva what was going on. He attacked me. I would never deliberately hurt Ziva, never!" his voice rose unintentionally as he came to the end of his statement.

He turned to Rabin and said humbly "Will she forgive me"

The two men's eyes met the steady brown ones holding the tired green ones.

Rabin walked across to Tony and threw an arm around him soundly patting his back with a giant paw "Special Agent DiNozzo I have known that beautiful girl since she was three years old and I have never known her do anything unworthy. She has already forgiven you. She may not fully know it yet because you hurt her heart and her pride when you dealt with Rivkin. She would have preferred to deal with the matter in her own way. But her main fault is kindness and I think it is far better for all that you dispatched him before he could do any more harm. I know the situation was forced on you and so does she."

Rabin looked knowingly at Tony "I hear she did not rest until you arrived at the camp. I would have said once that I was the man she trusted most in the world but she did not simply collapse into my arms. When I found her at that camp she stayed alert. I am told by your excellent friend McGee that she allowed herself to relax once she was in your arms. I would say that she trusts you completely and you can not do that with someone you have not forgiven. She is stubborn but I have no doubt she will admit to her forgiveness in time for she is completely honest"

"I hope you are right" said Tony looking at Ziva she looked so defenceless in sleep. But he was beginning to feel a little better. Thank God someone else who loved Ziva understood and approved of what he had done. She just needed to wake up now so he could make sure Rabin was right in his reading of Ziva's forgivness. The thought that Rabin might be wrong made his chest ache.

"I know I am right" Said Rabin shaking out his long silver hair and going back to sit by Ziva's side "Now come and sit. We will stay with her till she wakes and if she is difficult we will both deal with her. I like you. I think you may well suit my little lamb. But for know I wish to hear all about your very beautiful friend with the predilection for black is she married?"…………