A/N: Hey guys! So you totally blew me away with the amazing response to the last chapter—we broke 500 reviews! Thank you so, so much!

Some of you thought it that was the last chapter. Nope, it isn't. You probably didn't notice, but we still have several loose ends to tie up, so we have a bit of a ways to go. The action will be put on hold for a few chapters, but trust me, it'll be coming back soon, so just sit tight while we work out some stuff, ok?

He always hated hospitals. It reminded him of the time he had gotten his dad to the hospital after he fell down the stairs, woozy from too many drinks. It reminded him of when Gibbs went into a coma and then quit. It reminded him of Jeanne. And worst of all, it reminded him of when he had killed Rivkin and he stood behind the doors, watching Ziva.

But today, he was sure he had never been happier to be in a hospital. He leaned against the wall of the long hallway. Right to his left was the door to Ziva's room where she was being examined, poked, and prodded. He knew she hated it, but it was alright. She was alive. Gibbs had convinced McGee, Levin, and newly-arrived Abby, Ducky, and Palmer to go for coffee and Caf-Pows, leaving him there alone. His heart was bubbling with a majestic joy.

The blueish-green door opened and Tony stood in stance reminiscent of a Marine Corps attention. Dr. Silva stepped out and closed the door behind her.

"How is she?" he asked immediately.

"Dehydrated. She has bruised wrists and ankles, and her left wrist is fractured. She'll have to wear a brace for about four weeks, but she'll be fine," she replied with a smile.

Tony let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Doctor. Can I see her?"

"Of course. She'll need to take it easy for the next few weeks. She has a vitamin k deficiency—it indicates that she hasn't been outside in quite some time. Do you know anything about that?"

"Unforunately. That won't be happening again, however. I'm making sure of that," he said in a low voice.

"Good," Dr. Silva replied. She put a hand on his shoulder. "She's lucky to have you,"

Tony smiled softly. "I don't know about that," She smiled and walked away, off to her next patient. Tony moved to the door and put a hand on the door handle tentatively, suddenly unsure of what to say or do.

"Come in," she called through the door. Tony shook his head at her skills which had obviously not deteriorated over the past five months. He opened the door and closed it behind him, standing still near the threshold as he took in the scene before him. Ziva sat in her hospital bed, an IV and multiple other tubes hooked up to her. Despite her fragile appearance, there was a certainty in her eyes that was unmistakable. She was real. "What?"

Tony shook his head as he hesitated to speak. "You look…"

"Weak," she finished, almost sounding resigned to her situation.

"Just not quite you," he corrected her slowly.

She smiled a little. "I have not been 'me' for months,"

"So I noticed," he replied. It hung in the air as he stood their awakwardly. There was so much he needed to say, so much he wanted to hear. He didn't know where to begin. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she said stoicly. Tony cocked his head. "A bit tired, perhaps," she sunk back into her pillows which had her propped up. "Relieved,"

"Me too," he mumbled.

"And you? How have you been?"

Tony shook his head slowly, unsure of what to say or where to starts. He opened his mouth to speak when the door burst open, Abby leading the party that flooded in.

"Ziva!" she cried, moving to Ziva to hug her tightly.

"Abby, I cannot breathe," Ziva said, though a smile was visible in her voice.

"Sorry," she replied, stepping back with a grin.

"Hello, McGee," Ziva said.

"Hey Ziva," he said as he gave her a side-hug.

"Palmer," Ziva greeted the autopsy assistant who smiled in return.

"My dear, welcome back!" Ducky said as he wrapped her in a kind hug.

"Ziva," Gibbs spoke up from the back of the room. The entire group hushed into a silence as the pair exchanged a look that was beyond words.

"Gibbs," she said. She gave him a small smile, and he surprised her by returning it.

"Ziva, I am so glad you're okay, and alive! We totally thought you were dead for like, months. It was so depressing! Except Tony. I don't think he ever really believed it," Abby spun off. A look of surprise registered on Ziva's face for only a moment. "And guess what?" Abby continued. "I bowled better than Sister Rosita on Tuesday. It was amazing. And they replaced the Caf-Pow machine with a new one. The old one was really loud and really old and kinda clunky. The new one is so much better. And we got a new team member, Levin. He's nice, but kinda, I dunno, boring…" Abby spoke quickly in her usual animated manner. Ziva tried to listen at first, but after that comment about Tony, she was… distracted. Ziva's eyes moved to Tony. He was staring right back at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She kept his stare, finding herself unable to tear her eyes away from him.

And for some reason, she felt like she would never be able to ever again.

It was quiet. It wasn't too quiet. It wasn't uncomfortable. It wasn't creepy. It was sweet. The silence meant, for the first time, that there was someone to share in it with.

The sun was beginning to set as Tony and Ziva walked slowly through the open-air garden the hospital provided. Birds whispered quietly in the trees and a butterfly crossed their path as they walked along in silence. McGee had convinced the group to go grab some pizza, but Tony stayed behind with Ziva for her meal.

Ziva had suggested a walk after dinner, thankful to get into the fresh air. Tony could hardly stop looking at her, watching her. Finally sighed and stopped, pulling her robe closer to her. "What is it, Tony?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have been staring at me for hours,"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know… I guess a part of me always hoped you were alive, and even when I found out it was true… It hasn't felt real 'till now. I'm scared that if I blink…"

"I know," she agreed softly, looking down and away.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," he said quietly, eyes serious.

"Neither did I,"

Tony let the silence take them for a moment before they began walking once more. "What have you been doing all this time?"

Ziva shrugged. "I was at my father's house,"

"What'd you do while you were there?"

"I read. I played the piano," she chuckled softly. "Do you remember that song we learned together that one summer?"

Tony smiled but didn't look over at her. "Yeah, I do,"

"I found it again. I do not know why, but it's always been a favorite," she mused as they walked along. Tony debated on whether or not to tell her about all that had happened during those months. "What did you do?"

Crap.