So, right now, I hate school.. and life.. for keeping this from you guys. I also hate dodgy internet.. and well, everything that has made you wait so long. for those of you who haven't given up on me and are still hanging out for this chapter, I pretty much love you. So yeah, thanks for being amazing and patient and not hunting me down and killing me, I appreciate it.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

For the first time in a very long time, Ziva felt safe. Exhaling heavily, her eyes closed and she relaxed into his arms. Something inside her was screaming to pull away now, that if she let this happen there would be no going back, but the feeling of his hands on her back held her where she was. His warm breath on the top of her head felt like rain, washing away her doubts. As each exhale fell over her hair, it calmed her and she felt her own breaths fall in time with his.

There had been a time when Tony would have given everything to be standing where he was now, but for very different reasons. As they stood in the elevator taking them to her apartment, he could feel the warmth of her through his shirt where her shoulder was against his own and he couldn't help but think of the times he had imagined himself in this exact situation, only in those imaginings neither of them had much in mind other than getting to the privacy of her apartment. Now she didn't seem to be in much hurry to get anywhere.

It didn't escape his notice when she shifted slightly and he felt the pressure against his shoulder increase as she leant into him. He didn't know whether it was intentional or just a coincidence but since he had put his arms around her half an hour ago at the office, Ziva hadn't seemed to be able to break the contact. It was as though she was seeking something that she could only gain from touching him. When they had finally stepped out of the elevator at work she had rested her hand on his shoulder, when he had turned her to face him as they walked to her car her fingers had brushed his forearm, and as he had driven her home her hand had subconsciously gone to his thigh. Now he slipped his arm around her lower back and she did nothing to suggest she was uncomfortable like he expected. Instead she just leaned further into his touch until he was pretty sure he was supporting most of her weight.

The mask was definitely gone now and he was hit with the full extent of the pain in her eyes. Not able to deal with that just yet, he was grateful when the elevator dinged, indicating they had reached her floor, and he led her to her front door.

Her apartment looked the same as it always had, everything in the same place it had been last time he had been in there, and yet something seemed different. There was something eerie about the silence of the room. It reminded Tony of the many open houses he had been to before he found his place, everything was in its place but it lacked the feeling of a home. As if people were afraid to disturb things so they tiptoed around, worried something would break. Only in Ziva's case he didn't think it was because she wanted to keep it neat, but that she hadn't been living there, not really. He doubted she had sat down to a movie in the living room, or pottered around the kitchen in a very long time.

Now he led her to the soft, undisturbed couch and sat next to her. He could see her looking at him with cloudy eyes that he couldn't read, she didn't appear to be about to speak so he took a breath and went for it.

"Ziva, this needs to stop" The undistinguishable look in her eyes cleared up and was replaced by one of confusion.

"You can't keep pretending everything's okay. You know it's not, but more than that, we know it's not and it's hurting everybody to see you like this."

He had decided on a new approach this time. If she wasn't going to let go for herself, he knew she would do it for her family.

"This isn't just about you anymore, how do you think McGee feels when he can see something's wrong but he doesn't know what? Or Abby? Ziva, what about me? It kills me to watch you pretend"

He could see her thinking about what he was saying, she had never thought about it before. She was so busy trying to hold in her pain, she had forgotten about the people she was keeping out. He had more to say but he could see she needed to talk, so he held it back and waited.

"Tony I-" he could see her struggling for words before she turned her eyes on him and he saw an almost pleading look on her face. It shocked him for a moment. Of all the things he had expected to see in his life, a pleading Ziva David was not one of them. "Will you help me?"

The words were quiet but they were all he needed to hear. As her voice broke over the question he pulled her into his arms for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Feeling her cry quietly against his shoulder he breathed out. Things were going to be okay, Ziva was going to be okay.

So yeah, Tony to the rescue :) It's not a long one but let me know what you think. Or if you have any ideas of course :)