A/N: Yeah, yeah..I know that Tony would never slap Ziva. I'm sorry. I really like angst. Yeup, I'm weird. c: Heh. Thanks for the reviews though. :p I wrote this chapter in August o.o Eep..sorry :$

Before he could even think, he stopped her.

Before he could calm down, he slapped her.

Ziva's breath hitched in her throat and tears blurred her vision.

Her face burned from the impact of Tony's hand and something else that she couldn't quite place. For some reason she felt embarrassed; ashamed even. But why?

Tony had never hurt her before. He didn't look or act like someone who would ever do that. He said that he loved her. And she believed him.

She believed him.

The senior field agent had never meant to do it. He had never laid a hand upon a woman before. And, surprisingly, slapping Ziva hurt him too. Not physically, but emotionally.

Then why did he do it?

Tony tried to step towards his wife, but she held up her hands to keep him from coming any further. Her hands were shaking and it broke his heart.

"Ziva..." He croaked, desperate for her forgiveness.

She just took a step back as she tried her hardest not to bawl her eyes out infront of him.

As she shook her head, the Israeli-born woman managed to mumble, "No. Please."

DiNozzo shuddered.
Seeing Ziva so shaken up, so distant because of him was like a stab to the heart.

Before he could fully apologize, Ziva quickly slide past him, her face void of emotion.

And just like that, he caused her to put her walls back up.

It's funny how your anger makes you do regrettable things, but when those actions are done, most of your anger fades.
It's not funny, it's sad.
Anthony DiNozzo Jr. ended up sleeping on the couch that night.

At five minutes to one, Tony woke up after hearing a distressed cry from the bedroom at the end of the hall which he shared with Ziva. Without thinking, he made his way to his wife in a flash.

He found her sitting up in bed, sobbing.

Sobbing?

Yes, sobbing hard enough for her whole body to shake.

And when Tony beside her and pulled her small, yet strong frame into his embrace, he was surprised to see that Ziva didn't resist him (or his comfort; whichever one was just fine).

"Nightmare?"

He felt her nod against his chest and not very long after did he feel tears seeping through his t-shirt. They sat there in silence for a few minutes more (or was it seconds?) as Ziva's heart rate slowed back to normal; Tony's heartbeat and his warm, strong arms calming her. The, carefully penetrating the silence, she whispered something that he barely made out.

"Why?"

He didn't realize that the weight of hitting his wife had eased a little until the word escaped her mouth, causing the heavy burden to crush him once again.

"I.." He really didn't know how to reply. The words woman-beater kept popping up in his head.

He was so stupid.

Woman-beater. Woman-beater.

"I am so sorry, Ziva."

For hurting you and making your nightmares return and who knows what else I did.

He couldn't bring himself to say anymore after those five worthless words.

When he felt her body move away from him, he knew he had fully blown it. He let his arms drop to his sides.

Woman-beater. Woman-beater. Woman-beater. Woman-beater.

As he left the room and closed the door, Tony tried his hardest to believe that the sniffles and sobs he heard belonged to his imagination and not Ziva.

Stupid woman-beater.

A/N: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's stupid, I know. v_v Bear with me, please..?
Oh yeah! I almost forgot! I already wrote chapter 3 a while back too. If you want me to update please tell me. ~~Later