Sorry for not updating quicker *blocks flying food*. This past week and a half has been really tough on me. I've had projects and papers due and I've been busy with CCD retreats and work.

Two days ago my friend died in a drunken driving accident. She was only seventeen, two weeks away from her 18th birthday. Everyone else in the car is fine, including the douche bag drunk driver, who will most likely go to jail. RIP A.M.R., this chapter is dedicated to you. Please, keep her in your prayers. Wear your seatbelts and don't drink and drive.

Chapter Twelve

The next week, Team Gibbs, along with Ducky and Palmer, were at Bethesda. They had been waiting for this day all week. The day that Tony was coming home. Technically, it wasn't his home, but he was in D.C. He was scheduled to arrive around 1200 by a C-130, but the entire team had been there by 1030. "Just in case they get there early," Abby had said when Ziva and Gibbs walked in at 1015 to see her and McGee already there.

At 1230, a doctor in a white coat came into the waiting room. "Family of Private Anthony DiNozzo?"

"That is us." Ziva sat up and led the team towards the doctor. "I am listed as his next of kin and power of attorney."

The doctor searched through the papers in his hands. "Miss Ziva David?" he questioned and she nodded in conformation. "I'm Doctor Jason Curtis." He shook hands with the team as they introduced themselves. "As you know, Private DiNozzo woke up a week ago, and he just landed here about an hour ago. He's been stabilized and set up in a regular hospital room."

"Is he okay?" Abby asked.

"His broken ribs are healing well, as is his dislocated shoulder. His burns healed remarkably fast, and according to the CT scan there is no permanent trauma to his brain. He should be able to be discharged within three or four days, as long as he wears a sling and doesn't over exert himself."

The team was satisfied that Tony was okay. However, McGee, Ziva, and Gibbs were all thinking the same thing. "Will he have to go back?"

"Because he was in a coma that means that there was brain trauma, and even though it was not permanent, it was still there. So, no, he will not be deployed again."

Everyone smiled, happy that Tony was home for good and that there was no permanent damage. "However, the doctor in Bagram, Commander Dr. Randall, noted that Private DiNozzo seemed to be upset with the fact that a man in his unit was killed. Apparently they were quite close. If any of you notice anything peculiar, please let me know. We can have him evaluated by a psychologist for symptoms of PTSD."

They left after that, all heading towards Tony's room before Gibbs stopped them. "Ducky, Palmer, you two go first. Then Abby and McGee can go. David and I will go last."

Ziva, who was anxious to see Tony, was mad at first that she couldn't see him right away, but she understood Gibbs' reasoning. However, Abby did not.

"Why can't we all go at once?"

"He just got back from Afghanistan. We need to get him used to the idea of being home."

"But why do Ducky and Palmer get to go first?" she whined.

"Because I said so. Now come on, let's wait for Ducky and Palmer over here." He ushered the rest of the team towards the waiting room while Ducky and Palmer visited Tony.

Fifteen minutes later, the two medical examiners emerged, and Abby practically ran to Tony's room, followed some steps behind by McGee. They entered the room and saw Tony lying in his hospital bed. "Hey Abby, McGee."

Abby fidgeted nervously. "Can I hug you?"

"Just don't hug my left side."

Before he could finish, Abby was running towards him, hugging his right side tightly. "I missed you so much Tony."

"I missed you too Abby. I missed everyone, even McGee over there."

Abby stopped hugging him and turned to McGee. "McGee, say something," she demanded.

He stepped forward and hugged Tony lightly. "I missed you too Tony. We all did."

They sat down in chairs on opposite sides of Tony's bed. "So, what happened while I was gone?"

The three spent the next half hour catching up, talking about unusual NCIS cases or sports, but they never talked about Tony's time in Afghanistan. Abby had tried once to get him to talk, but Tony quickly avoided the question.

"No offense, but where's Ziva. I want to see her and Gibbs."

Abby smiled. "Of course you do. We'll go get them." They said goodbye, with promises of later visits before heading towards the waiting room.

Ziva was surprised when she saw them come out only half an hour after they went in. "You're done already? I thought you would have wanted to see him longer."

Abby laughed. "He said, and I quote, 'Where's Ziva? I want to see her and Gibbs.' Now you can't deny it no matter what."

Ziva thought back to there many conversations where Abby had insisted that Tony loved her and that she loved him back and sighed. "Abby, I have not seen him in three months. I am his best friend. Of course he will want to see me."

"Whatever, go see your man."

Ziva and Gibbs made their way to Tony's room, but Ziva stopped right outside the door. "Are you okay?" Gibbs asked when he nearly walked into her.

"Yes. I just need a moment to prepare."

"I understand." They stayed for a minute longer before Ziva opened the door, leading the way in.

They walked in and saw Tony lying on the bed. His skin was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes, along with faint bruises over his face and upper body. The slight scarring on his forearms from the burns could be seen, and his left arm was in a sling. "Tony," Ziva gasped.

Tony smiled his first real smile in over three months. "Ziva, come here."

She strode to his bedside quickly, where he engulfed her in a tight one armed hug, which she returned happily. She could tell from the slight wince on his face that he was hurting, but neither of them cared. "I missed you so much," he whispered into her hair.

"I missed you as well, ahuvi," Ziva murmured.

Tony pulled back. "You know I hate it when you start talking in Hebrew and I have no idea what you're saying."

"You know that it is Hebrew. That is a start."

Ziva sat down in the chair by his bedside, holding his hand lightly. For the first time, Tony noticed Gibbs standing in the door way. "Gunny."

"Private. You look like hell." He moved from the doorway to stand next to Tony's bed, eyeing his and Ziva's intertwined fingers.

"You should've seen me when I woke up. I looked like crap."

For the next half hour, they talked about current events and NCIS cases, only touching briefly on the war. "I'm going to go get coffee," Gibbs announced, leaving Tony and Ziva alone.

"I'm sorry," Tony said, squeezing Ziva's hand.

She thought for a moment, wondering what Tony had done wrong in the past half hour. "For what?"

"For getting hurt and doing something stupid."

Ziva sighed, understanding immediately what Tony was referring to. "Tony, it is not your fault you were blown up. And you did nothing stupid. You saved a member of your unit because of your actions."

Tony looked down. He knew that he did a good thing by saving Trevor, but inside he was beating himself up that he hadn't saved Greg. "I could have saved him."

"Could have saved who?"

"Greg. Private Bailey. If I had acted quicker, he would still be alive right now. I mean, he had a girlfriend and family back home."

Ziva squeezed his hand tighter, letting him know she was there for him. "It would not have mattered how quickly you acted. Private Bailey had died almost instantly."

"How do you know? You weren't there," he spat.

She understood his anger. "You are right, I was not there. But I know you tried to save him. And even if Private Bailey had lived and you had saved him, it most likely would have been at the cost of your own life. You would not be here today, with me, with the rest of the team."

"Then I would have died fighting for my country!" he exclaimed. "Sometimes I wish it had been me."

"Do not say that," Ziva warned. She could not image what would happen if Tony had died. "You do not mean that and you know it."

"Damn it Ziva, you know what it's like to have bombs being blown up all around you, people dying every day. You know how much it eats away at you, piece by piece. It was hard to keep myself going, but I did. I kept going for you, Zi. I did it for you."

Ziva brought up her free hand to cup his face, stroking his cheek. She didn't know what to say to Tony's admission. Thankfully, he kept talking. "I knew that you would never forgive me if I gave up, or if I never came back. I couldn't just leave you."

"Tony…" Ziva started, but was interrupted.

"But you know what? Trevor and Greg helped me realize something while I was in Afghanistan. I should tell my best friend how I truly feel, because I may never get another chance. Heck, I almost never had this chance. Ziva, I…I care about you. A lot." He hoped she understood the meaning behind his words.

However, luck was not on his side. "I know that. You have told me before."

"No, like I really care about you. God, Zi, I love you."

Tony felt as if a thousand pounds had been lifted from his shoulders when he finally admitted his feelings after almost four years. However, Ziva was baffled. "You what?"

This time, Tony said it with more confidence and conviction, looking directly into her eyes. "I should have told you a long time ago. I love you Ziva."

Ziva was silent, not knowing how to respond. "Say something!" Tony demanded.

"Why?" was the only thing Ziva could think of.

"Why?" Tony asked, to which Ziva nodded. "You're beautiful, talented, a kick ass Mossad ninja, I trust you with my life, I could keep going if you want. It's something I feel in my heart. I've felt it for a while. It hasn't gone away, and it never will."

She was silent again, processing all this new information. Although part of her was a bit skeptical of his admission, Ziva could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. And she was elated. "Oh Tony," she smiled as she brought her free hand to cup his cheek. She leaned up and placed a light kiss against his forehead.

"Was that an 'Oh Tony I love you too,' or an 'Oh Tony you're a pig get away from me'?"

Ziva gave Tony a devilish grin before lowering her lips to his, which he responded to eagerly. This kiss was not like the one they had shared while undercover. That one had been full of lust and tension, while also keeping a cover. This one, however, was gentle and made of love and care. His warm mouth surrounded her soft lips in a slow, compassionate manner, driving both of them crazy. It only lasted a few seconds, but they both felt fireworks exploding through their bodies. When they broke apart, Ziva looked directly into Tony's emerald orbs. "I love you."

They were about to kiss again when they heard the door to Tony's room open, revealing Gibbs. The two jumped apart quickly, while Gibbs eyed them strangely. "Is there something going on I should know about?"

"Nothing at all," Tony answered, a little bit too quickly.

Gibbs smirked. "I'm going to head back with the rest of the team. David, you're on watch for tonight. Take care, DiNozzo." As he headed towards the door, he turned around once more. "Remember what we talked about, Ziver." With that, he left.

Tony shot Ziva a confused look. "What did you and Gibbs talk about?"

"He basically gave us permission to break rule twelve," she beamed.

"Really?" Ziva nodded, and he lit up like a child on his birthday. He pulled Ziva to him and kissed her lightly.

"Did Abby and McGee tell you their big news?" she asked after some time.

Tony shook his head. "They are dating."

His eyes popped out of his head. "McGee got the girl?! Atta boy!"

Later that night, around 2100, Ziva was still with Tony when Dr. Curtis came by for his evening rounds. She hadn't left his side all day except when Abby had come by again to visit around 1800 so Ziva could eat and shower quickly at home. The nurses had tried to enforce visiting hours, but Ziva had flashed her badge, and the gun next to her badge, and they let her be.

"How are you feeling, Private DiNozzo?"

"I'm just peachy, Dr. Curtis."

Dr. Curtis went on, explaining that Tony's follow up brain scans showed no signs of permanent damage, and that his ribs and shoulder would be healed with time. "So, when can he go home?" Ziva asked.

"If his condition stays the same, I would say this Friday." It was currently Wednesday, meaning that Tony only had to stay in the hospital for two more nights. "I will see you tomorrow morning, Private."

When Dr. Curtis left, Tony exhaled. "Thank God. I cannot wait to get out of this place. Do you know how long I've been in a hospital, this one and the one in Bagram? And how long it's been since I've been home, actually in D.C., and not stuck in a hospital bed. Aw jeez, I just realized I don't have a place to live. My apartment's gone 'cause I didn't renew the lease and…"

He was cut off by Ziva's finger placed in front of his lips. "Shh. Do not think about that now. You can stay with me while you look for a new apartment, if you would like."

"I'd love to." He noticed Ziva yawning. "Come here, lie on the bed with me."

"Are you sure? I will not hurt you?"

"As long as you don't lie on my left side." He moved over so there was more room on his right side, and Ziva slipped into the bed next to him. Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulders, while she placed her head on his chest. "I love you," he said into her hair.

"I love you too. Lailah tov." Soon, they both fell asleep, wrapped in each other's embrace.

Tiva goodness (: Sorry for any errors in this chapter.

Thanks for reading and please review (: