Chapter 21

They were alone in the hospital room. It would be just a matter of time before one of the two would say something. Though they both kept it in, did not say a word. Trying not to be the one to speak first. Like that ten minutes passed.

"Want something to eat?"

Ziva shook her head, and again silence. Tony stood up ready to leave the room, probably to grab something to eat for himself, Ziva thought. But she knew if she did not ask him now she did not know when she would get the courage again to ask. So she took a big breath and asked "Why won't you believe me?"

Tony stopped dead in his tracks, turning around and facing her. "just Because"

"Just because has never been a good reason for anything has it" Ziva bit back.

"What do you want me to tell you? That it's all okay. Tell you I believe you"

"I do not want you to tell me anything. I want you to say what is on your heart, why you not believe me"

"Ziva please stop"

"Stop with what? You are the one who is running away from the subject. Why. Do. You. Not. Believe. Me?"

"I don't want to fight with you."

"You don't have to fight with me, just answer me"

"You really want to know why I do not believe you?"

"You think Tony" Ziva more snapped than said, she was done with him dancing round the subject. She wanted to know the truth, she wanted to know why he could not believe it had been Emma. Had he honestly lost all hope of them ever seeing their little girl back. Had it not been him who a little longer than a month ago had told her not to lose hope. To keep faith?!

"I think you saw what you wanted to see. The girl was not Emma Zi"

"Yes she was. She was our daughter. Or do you think I would not recognize our own daughter"

"Stop lying, you are only torturing yourself by saying it was her"

"I never ever lied to you before. What makes you think I am now."

He looks at her and in that look it seemed as if all of his walls broke down. He could not lie to her. Could not even avoid it anymore so he admitted to himself and to her and whispered "I am scared"

How could this be? She did not understand"Of what?"

"It cannot be Emma. You had to have been mistaken. Because if it was her. Then we failed her. I failed her. If it really is her why did we not find her years ago. They would not make a fault now, it does not make sense"

"Tony we have not failed her, you have not failed her How could you think that?"

"Look at what she did to you, if it was Emma. Maybe if we had fought harder for her she would not have turned out like this. We could have protected her. Protected her from this faith."

"So that is why you don't believe me, you think our little girl has become a murderer"

With tears in his eyes he nodded. He knew showing his soft side his hurt side was not a sign of weakness. Maybe some people thought it was but it definitely wasn't to his fiancé, the mother of their daughter. The next went unspoken by both of them. Tony walked to her sat on the side of her bed and wrapped his arms around her. Ziva knew he was crying; therefore holding him tightly against her, even though she felt the pain shot though her stitches, at that moment she did not care. Her fiancé needed her and she was there, holding him to the earth. Softly whispering in his ear

"It was not your fault Tony. She has to have been forced into this there is no other way. And back then. If we had fought for her we would be the reason she would be dead. But she is not. I know it. I saw her. Our baby girl is alive we will find her"

Short I know. But I felt like this needed to stand alone