Gibbs and Eli strolled back down the corridor to Ziva's room having discussed the finer details of their plan. They turned into the door and found Tony sprawled across Ziva, his arm slung across her fragile body while her own arm lay comfortably around his neck. Both men paused and watched them for a few moments as they slept, Tony suddenly sighed and nuzzled his face closer to her hip and tightened his grip on her.

"He looks exhausted." Eli observed.

"He is," They stood for a few more minutes before Eli said;

"Your flight leaves in 6 hours, there is a shower room down the corridor or I could organise a hotel room if you want to freshen up"

"I'll use the shower room, then I'll wake up DiNozzo" he replied pointedly, staring fiercely at Eli who responded by chuckling and spreading his arms out in an appeasing manner;

"Alright Gibbs I will leave him sleeping do not worry." Gibbs nodded curtly and left to wash up.

A few moments later Tony's eyes flicked open and he frowned, confused by the feel of the course hospital sheet against his cheek. Then he remembered where he was and whose body his face was pushed up against. He lay still for a while, psyching himself up to sit up and look at her, he needed a few moments to prepare for her injuries. He hated seeing her like this, he wanted to hold her tight and take her home, well actually what he probably wanted more was for her to hold him tight, so that he could feel her strength again. Or for her to start mocking him, joking around with him or even to chastise him for his drinking too much; she'd be able to tell just by glancing at him that he'd been self medicating again to ease the guilt and pain. But she was lying in the bed, weak and fragile, he doubted she could even lift her head off the pillow and probably had bigger things to think about than how many whiskeys he'd downed in the past few months. He could feel her arm draped across him and turned his head until he could see her thin fingers hanging down from his neck, he turned slightly and reached his own hand round to touch them, they were cold and clammy. He carefully slid her arm over his head so that it wouldn't fall off when he sat up, as he did so he felt the grooves in her wrists where she had been tied up. The ligatures had buried deep into her flesh leaving deep purple gashes torn out of her skin.

"So you are awake." Tony sat bolt upright and spun in his chair to see Director David sitting by the window.

"Didn't notice you there Director." Tony explained his surprise.

"Mmm-hmmm," Eli mumbled, the two men stared at each other intensely for several, slow moving seconds until he continued, "You care about my daughter?" he asked bluntly. Tony shifted uncomfortably, not sure where this was going but after some consideration he could see no problem with answering truthfully,

"Very much," he replied, entwining his fingers in hers as he did.

"Yes, I thought so. That is why I invited you here with Gibbs, I wanted to make sure that she would have someone to take good care of her when she returns to America."

"She's coming back?" Tony perked up slightly.

"Yes . . . Eventually." Eli paused and glanced at Ziva's sleeping form, "You will come back for her in a . . ."

"Come back for her? She's not coming with us?"

"No, of course not she is in no fit state to travel now."

"Well yeah not right now but I'm going to stay until she come home with me." Tony insisted determinedly, Eli sighed and rested his face on his hand,

"No, you and Gibbs are going back tonight and then when she is ready I will send for you again and you can return to collect her."

"What?! You think I'm going to turn around and leave her again tonight? After seeing her like this? I'm not going anywhere!" he hissed furiously, not wanting to wake her up, Eli was just about to respond when Gibbs appeared silently at the door,

"DiNozzo," Tony spun round to face him,

"Boss, can you believe this, he's trying to send us away right now, without Ziva."

"I know. We need to leave soon." Gibbs replied quietly, Tony's eyes flicked between the two men,

"What? And you're ok with that? You're going to leave her behind again?" Gibbs' face twitched slightly before he continued,

"We have to, for now."

"You agree?" Tony choked, "You want to abandon her like this?" Gibbs sighed,

"I don't want to, we have to."

"Why?"

"Because Director Vance cannot know that she has been rescued. Yet" Eli interrupted them, Tony frowned,

"What? Why not?"

"Because he is still receiving regular email updates detailing the torture being inflicted upon her and her continued refusal to admit any knowledge of his actions." Director David explained as though it were blatantly obvious, Tony stared at him vacantly for a few moments,

"Huh?" he turned to Gibbs questioningly and he began recounting the explanation Eli had given him earlier.

"So we are going to go back and say nothing about what happened here until Eli tells Vance he has rescued Ziva. " Gibbs finished having finally brought Tony up to speed.

"And in a couple of months time I shall request that you return to escort Ziva back to Washington as I fear that there is a mole insight Mossad who fed information about her whereabouts to her captors and want her safely out of the way until I can smoke him out and therefore, hopefully, convincing Vance that he is not suspected at all." Eli added after Gibbs,

"But, if you know it's him why can't you just deal with this now?"

"I know it is him, but I cannot prove it based on what I have. I need more proof, this must be dine properly I want him humiliated. I want him destroyed." Eli explained. Tony sat in reflective silence of a few minutes staring down at Ziva's hand in his.

"Well, I don't care how well you two have thought this out, I can't leave her like this. I'm not going anywhere. You'll just have to think up another plan." he said with quiet determination. holding on to her tightly.