Tony sat beside Tim in the ambulance, as the EMT's loaded in, along with Ziva, whose eyes, usually solid steel were melting for both the loss of Abby, the always effervescent, cheerful forensic scientist, and the near death of Abby's fiancée, and almost a brother to Ziva.

Ziva and Tony held hands, and sat huddled, they're other arms intertwined.

"This is probably the worst possible time to tell you this, but Ziva, I love you." Tony whispered into her ear. A sharp intake of breath caused Tony to shake nervously,

"Finally, you said it." She whispered back to him.

"I have always loved you Ziva."

"I know Tony, as I have loved you."

They both well knew that this was not the right time to begin passionately kissing, so they hugged, and planted a simple kiss on each other's cheek.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Tim was fully awake, and trying to fight the immense pain taking hold of his body, while Tony and Ziva watched, unable to help him.

Tim's muffled whimpers mimicked an injured puppy, evoking an empathetic reaction in Tony and Ziva, who were now seated opposite him in a hospital room, waiting for him to be taken to surgery.

"I know its hard Tim." Tony sighed, and walked over to the bed, patting him on the arm in a brotherly manner.

Ziva slowly stood up from her seat, and walked to Tony, just to be with him, beside him, together. They held hands, and Ziva leaned over and pecked him once on the lips.

"It's about freakin' time!" Tim whispered, Tony and Ziva facing him again now.

As happy Tim was for the two of them, it ripped at his heart, the love of his life was dead, he would never see her again, never be able to kiss her, or laugh with her, he could never be with her again.

Tim still had not fully contemplated the true implications of Abby's death, and despite the twisted sadness he felt in the pit of his stomach, the tears would not come, he was still deeply in shock.

"We have to take him into surgery now. If you two could just wait in the waiting room, please."

Tony and Ziva obliged, leaving Tim's room, and walking outside, and sat on a bench, right beside the emergency ward.

"Why do people we love keep dying Tony?" Ziva whispered to her love, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Every time we come into work there's a chance that we won't come back." Tony whispered back.
"Kate told me that the day she died." He continued, tears filling his eyes, threatening to spill over.

Though Ziva had never met Kate, she had always felt terrible about her death. She had eventually become Kate's replacement, but she had thought that Gibbs, and even Tony would never care for her, as they did for Kate.

Night fell, and Tony and Ziva were willing to wait as long as it takes to see Tim when he got out of surgery. Ziva fell asleep not long after sunset, Tony moved her, so that her head was resting in his lap, and he calmly patted he hair, unable to sleep himself.

Tony was almost asleep when his phone rang in his pocket, causing Ziva to awake as well. She pulled his phone out of his pocket, and held it to his ear.

"Hello. Yes. Ziva and I will be right in. Thank you so much Doctor."Tony shut the phone, and helped Ziva to get up, and they walked together to Tim's room.

"The surgery went well apparently." Tony whispered to Ziva, trying to brighten her mood.

"That's good." She replied, Tony kissed her hair, and squeezed her arm.

"Love you." He whispered, and a slight smile crept onto her face.

When they arrived at Tim's room, Gibbs was standing over Tim, crying. Tim couldn't be dead, no the operation had gone well, he wasn't dead. Tony knocked before entering the room; he knew how Gibbs felt about people seeing him cry.

"Yeah, enter." He said, his voice cracking between words. He stood opposite Tony, crying openly,

"I need to talk to you. You can tell Ziva."Gibbs instructed, and pulled Tony gently out of the room.

"What's wrong Boss… besides what I already know?"

"I just got off the phone with Ducky, he's finished the autopsy."

"And?"

"Abby was pregnant, it was Tim's."

"Oh God!" Tony whispered, and began to sob uncontrollably. Gibbs wrapped an arm around him, and escorted him outside. They sat on the same bench Tony had been seated at with Ziva less than ten minutes before.

"Does Tim know?" Tony asked, trying to hold back the inevitable tears.

"No. He's asleep."

"Can I tell him, I don't want to put that responsibility on you, Boss?"

"Go for it. But do it tactfully, he's broken already." Gibbs called, as Tony marched back through the doors of the hospital. He jogged through the halls, considering thoroughly how to tell his best friend that his dead fiancée was carrying his baby.

He burst through the door of Tim's room, and over to Ziva, who was seated, crying into her hands.

"Ziva, could you leave for a second?" Tony asked, she nodded and pulled herself out of her seat, while Tony walked over to Tim's bed.

"Ducky finished the Autopsy…"Tony started, Tim's eyes filling up with tears.

"And, what's wrong?" Tim whimpered.

"Abby was, well she was pregnant."

Tim gasped, his eyes spilling over, and lay in the hospital bed crying broken, uncontrollable tears.

"It was mine?" Tim asked, trying his hardest not to seem weak in front of his friend.

"Yes. I'm sorry Tim." Tony moved Tim slightly, and sat beside him on the hospital bed. "I'm gonna help you through this." He said, looking into Tim's eyes, and put an arm around his broken friend.

"When do I get to go home?" Tim cried.

"Soon Tim, you think you'll be fine on your own?"

"No, but I've got no one to be with." Tim raked his fingers through his hair.

"You can come bunk with me for a while if you like." Tony offered with a kind smile.

"No! I'll be fine." He almost yelled. Tony could see that he was only trying to be strong.