So here's another part :D

I was going to remain in my room and get some rest, but every time I try to sleep his words ring out in my ears. I sit up on my bed and decide to give up trying. I fling my covers off of my legs and storm over to my door. I hope that his compassion means he has remained in my lounge as I open the door, almost ripping it off of his hinges.

I practically run down the hallway towards my lounge, impatient in my need for an answer. As I turn into the room I notice his eyes were fixed on the TV. With silent thanks I walk over to the TV and turn it off.

"What did you do that for?"

I turn to look him in the eyes, ignoring what he said as my annoyance boils over from under the surface.

"You know what Tony… I can't just forget what you have said to me."

He flinches from my loud tone and his eyes grow wide as I carry on in my rant.

"I have spent years… of my life being used and abused… and I can't just let my partner screw me over…"

My voice is beginning to break as I begin to get emotional, I pause for a moment and swallow down the lump in my throat and then carry on again.

"By brushing off one of the only compliments… I have ever received from someone not lying to me."

I stand, my chest heaving from the repeated deep breaths I am drawing in. I look at him waiting for an answer. After a few moments I realise none is coming and I feel myself breaking, I sniffle and struggle to hold them back.

As I feel a single drop roll down my cheek, he's stood up and holding me in seconds. The final walls of my resolve crumble as I inhale the scent of him. I sob into his chest as his arms envelop me in their warmth. One of his hands strokes my hair comfortingly and he makes gentle shushing noises in my ear until I calm down. Once I gained control of myself again I looked up at him with watery eyes. He looks down to me and brushes my hair out of my face.

"Look Ziva, you ARE beautiful. Not just your body but also you as a person. You have suffered more than anyone of your age should do. The pain you hold is devastating but it is part of who you are now."

He pauses to just look at me. He's been looking into my eyes all the way through the speech. He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Please answer me this Ziva… why did you jump to the conclusion that I was calling you ugly with what I said?"

His hand caresses my cheek and wipes away at some of the wetness left by my tears. When I answer him, I step back and break our eye contact to look at the ground, scared that if I continued to look him in the eye he would see the shame in mine. I breathe in steadying myself before I answer him, not looking at him once.

"Because I am scarred all over, usually I don't care about them but what you said made them affect me again..."

His finger is under my chin, nudging my head up to him lightly. I try to fight it at first not wanting to see his sympathetic eyes but soon I give up and look to him.

"So you own some extra scars, they're just your badges of honor Ziva."

I look to him dumbfounded with his words. Unable to string together a sentence I just let my eyes talk for me. He must've read what I was thinking because he kisses my forehead and then carries on with what he was saying.

"I could never see you as anything less than beautiful Ziva."

"So why did you turn around and say to me that you look at me differently when we're not working?"

He shakes his head with a low groan. "Why can't you just let it go?"

A flash of red clouds my vision and my voice rises again. "Because I don't understand it Tony, and I hate not being able to understand."

My hands had somehow flown upwards during my shouting and they were now both by the side of my head. He closes the gap between us and grabs my hands firmly in his, he pushes them downwards gently.

"I know you don't like it Ziva, but some things can't be told straight away." His eyes pierce in to mine and I can see the desperation for me to accept behind them.

"Why can't you tell me? I thought we were opening up more." I won't accept what he has said straight away but I decide not to push him after he has answered me.

"We are… but I just can't be open about this yet, you need your rest and I can't just throw it on you and expect you to take it well until you're better."

I look to the floor finally accepting that I will have to wait for my answer even though I don't want to.

"Will you tell me some time?" I turn my gaze back up to him and watch his face as he smiles warmly.

"I promise… when you are better I will tell you about it. We still have that other thing to talk about."

His hand strokes gently over my cheek and my eyes close from the contact. His arms wrap around me again for a short while. I stand silent in the embrace listening to the rhythm of his breathing. I breathe in deeply relishing in his hold and not wanting to let go but I knew I had to eventually.

I step back with a yawn and he looks to me with concern. His hand goes to my head again as he makes sure that my temperature hasn't gone too high. Soon he is back into care mode.

"How are you feeling Ziva?"

"Well my headache has calmed down thanks to the aspirin, but I am still exhausted."

He pulls a face while he thinks over his next move and what to do with me.

"Are you hungry at all?"

My hand goes to my stomach as I make sure that I am hungry or not, sometimes you have to think about it. I haven't eaten for hours yet somehow I don't feel any hunger. I shake my head in a reply to him.

"No… I don't have any appetite at all right now…"

"Well let's get you back to bed then." His concerned face breaks into a half smile.

He flaps his hands around as if he is shooing a dog away. I laugh as I turn to walk back down the hall to my bedroom. Tony is following behind me still flapping his arms. I shake my head at his actions but it was too funny to stop, he was just being who he is anyway.

I walk through my door and over to my bed, I climb up to the pillows and shuffle myself into the sheets. He strides over with a smile and makes a show of tucking me in like a child, I can't help but chuckle at what he is doing.

"I'm not a little girl Tony…"

"Trust me Ziva, I know." He finishes his statement with an exaggerated wink.

I hit him with one of the pillows next to me and it makes a thud as it contacts. I roll my eyes upwards and laugh.

"You are terrible."

"And yet… you wouldn't change me" He pokes his tongue out before walking over to the door. "Now get some rest, I'll be here when you wake up."

I throw the pillow over to him but he manages to get the door shut before it hits. I laugh before closing my eyes and willing myself to go back to sleep.

So there may be a little gap between this update and my next one as I haven't figured out where I want to take this story again but I promise it will not be as long as the month long break I had a few chapters ago... Probably about a week and a half at the most :D