Chapter revised August 23, 2010

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for·tu·i·tous[/fawr-too-i-tuhs] adj. happening/coming about by chance, especially giving rise to good fortune o·blit·er·a·tion- verb [uh-blit-uh-rey-shuhn]To do away with completely so as to leave no trace

It began in the middle of the winter, December 29,when the day burned itself into two individuals' memory, leaving them close to death. She had never expected to come to love the one who destroyed her world. It seemed as though the top of the world fell on her, but he helped her push it off. So will forbidden love bloom, or will she nearly kill him… again? Tony Dinozzo never realized that she could make his life a living hell. After all, she was just a girl, and he was the school's star athlete. First he befriended the goth science geek, then he had to protect the loser computer geek too and finally his best friend Kate was put in a coma. His life seemed to start to crumble when he accidently crashed into the girl's car when he was driving to escape his father on that fateful icy day…

He nervously clutched his bag, feeling like a five-year-old going to school for the first time. Tony could see the crowd milling around as more than a few teenagers sent curious looks his way. A few looks were sympathetic- but just as many were hostile. Tony winced as he noticed the unusual lack of friendly faces, but he awkwardly dumped his bag on the ground, sitting on the curb as he waited for Kate. He could see Gibbs glaring at someone as the Sarge entered the school grounds. As usual, Gibbs sent students scattering as he swept in, none of them wishing to be singled out by loud yells or shouts.

Tony winced as Kelly skipped up to him, her mid-length hair brushed back behind a headband. Her light eyes- so much like the Sarge's- looked curiously at him as he hunched over the curb, one arm wrapped protectively around his ribs.

Kelly turned her head to one side, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched him. "Need some pain meds?" she asked cheerfully and he glanced up at her, puzzled. "It looks like your ribs are bothering you," she explained, her voice still cheerful.

Tony sighed, shrugging slight as he winced. Kelly narrowed her eyes at him as he muttered something incomprehensible. She watched him turn away, sighing as he did so.

"You know, my older brother is supposed to help me out," she nudged him pointedly with the tip of her shoe. He glanced up at her, and she sighed. "You know? Brother-Sister week?" she shook her head with another sigh, poking him. "You brother," she said, then pointed to herself, "Me sister."

"Yeah, sure Kelly," he muttered, trying to brush her off. She wasn't deterred in the slightly however, and she was just opening her mouth to reply when Tony began conversing again. "Besides, I don't even know when the week-" he cut his voice off for a moment, then finished. "begins," he ended lamely as realized he had cut off. His voice died in his throat as he saw the long brown hair that was being pulled up to hide below a cap. Dark eyes were going without makeup, and they still seemed mildly red, as thought its owner had been crying recently.

Kelly followed his gaze, and her mouth opened in shock as the crowd near them began to die down, loud voices becoming softer. "Oh," she whispered as Ziva brushed by them, her head down as she avoided Tony's gaze.

Tony stood abruptly, glaring at his fists before glancing apologetically at Kelly. "Sorry, but I should go," he muttered leaving Kelly standing alone, shaking her head in annoyance at his stubbornness.

Tony trotted quickly after Ziva, weaving through the crowds that split automatically for her. He inhaled a sharp breath, ignoring the spike of pain that his ribs sent his way as he found himself behind her. She was already at her locker as she began to spin the dial for the combination. Tony glanced at her hesitantly before placing a light hand on her shoulder and muttering a soft, "Hey."

She whirled, her eyes narrowing as she slammed Tony against the locker, his ribs aching in protest. He yelped as she cut off his air with her other arm, and the bruises laying the upper portion of his body found itself aching from sudden pressure pressing against it.

Ziva stared at him, wondering what he wanted from her. For a second, she didn't recognize him; her head was still swimming from the medicines that she had been taking in the mornings to stop her numerous injuries from distracting her. After the initial fog, her head cleared, and she recognized the dark-haired teenager that was staring at her in shock and guilt. Ziva dropped Tony, jumping back as she realized who he was. She shoved him aside gently, noting the wince he made as she brushed his ribs, and opened her locker, placing her bags inside.

"What do you need?" she asked, trying to disguise the slight shaking in her voice, and Tony shifted his weight as she jumped straight towards the topic, her tone direct.

For a second, he just ran a hand through his hair, than he managed to blurt out the first answer that came to mind. "How are you?"

She shot him a look that measured him up, and she bit her lip for a second before she decided to answer. "I am well," she answered. "Can you say the same for yourself?" she shot him another look, this one concerned, noticing the way that he stood awkwardly by her, favoring one side over the other. Her gaze lingered on the layered bruises on his skin as she waited for an answer.

"The same," he blurted, but before he could use his normal thinking process, jumped onto the topic he had been trying to summon the courage for, "I'm sorry."

She slammed her locker shut, her voice cracking slightly as she raised an octave in tone. "For what?" she turned away, hiking her bag over her shoulder, praying that he would not answer her. If her remained silent, then she could hate him and blame someone else for what pain she had caused.

"I'm sorry for…" Tony couldn't force the words out at first, and then he managed to spit them out. "Hitting your car and…" his voice caught in his throat as he noticed the troubled look on her face.

Ziva glanced at him as he twitched at the look she was wearing. She flinched herself as she watched Tony eye her like a troubled puppy. She glanced at him sidelong, before managing to give him a reply of her own. "And?" she prompted, She thought she knew what he was getting at, but she wasn't sure. After all, he seemed troubled about something, but it could be a number of things.

Tony stared at her, wishing that she wasn't about to make him spell it all out. "Look," he muttered, then forced himself to meet her eyes, his own troubled at the thought. "I'm sorry that I accidently… was responsible for," once again his throat choked, then he spat it all out in one rush. "I'm sorry for being responsible for the deaths of your mother and younger sister."

Tony thought he saw a tear spring up in her eye, but he knew it was probably just the light. Her mask slipped for a moment, and Tony winced as her locker slammed shut with a bang.

"It was not your fault, so do not blame yourself," she snapped and he looked taken aback. He was about to protest when she continued, "I am the one that killed them."

Discidium

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