Grab your tissues, even I was sobbing while writing this.

I'd like to give a quick thanks to (Kate) who gave me a few quotes. Thanks so much, but from here, I have all the quotes and chapters all set and ready to be typed. There will be 23 chapters all together plus a short epilogue.

Short Note: The Book Thief, great book, go read it. I love how Death is the narrator, it's just so amazing, go, now, get the book!

"Even death has a heart." –The Book Thief, Markus Zusak.

It was a simple suspect pickup.

Two men. They were trying to catch them in the act, trading suppliers. Easy. Ziva could handle this situation with her eyes closed.

But today, today was different. She climbed out of the Dodge Charger, Tony on her side, hands just barely touching their guns as they moved towards the abandoned warehouse.

She stopped, inhaling deeply. Slightly numb from the medication, but she could move. A slight breezed wrapped around her. She called her husband's name. He turned around, his eyes absently worried.

She moved slowly towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him strongly. "I love you." she stifled a smile.

He shook his head, but she placed a finger firmly over his lips. "Let's go." Her voice was calm despite her pounding heart.

Her hand was wrapped around his. He hesitated, not moving as he felt her hand slip from his and watched her move towards the rotting building.

The wind blew her name into his ear; he snapped out of his trance pulled out his phone, sending a quick 911 text to Gibbs before jogging after her.

They found the two men not far in the warehouse, and one look at the firearms holstered at their side and Tony and Ziva took refuge behind a wooden crate. Tony's foot shuffled as he backed up.

They heard it.

One man immediately took out his gun. He began shouting and fired a shot or two in the air, he was serious. Ziva took him out, with a shot from behind the crate, straight through his back.

He didn't even see the bullet coming.

It took two shots for Tony to get the second guy, who had also taken his gun out at the same time; he had unlocked the safety and had been wailing it around unsteadily.

Tony moved towards the two bodies lying lifelessly on the floor, he kicked the guns away and checked their pulses, neither had one.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Ziva was wrong, today was not the day.

He turned around slowly, hoping to meet her relaxed face, but instead saw a gun, pointed towards him.

The man, a third, hired by one of the men for security, was on the metal stairs, gun aimed for Tony's head. He heard her shout, a mix of worry, and protectiveness. "Tony!" her voice echoed throughout the warehouse.

He was absently overwhelmed.

A shot rang out.

He fell with a loud thump.

Everything became slow. Time had seemed to stop. He hardly processed a thing that happened.

He felt her weight on him; that he knew for sure. Something warm was surrounding him, fast.

Blood.

His head was throbbing, and probably bleeding, but the blood was on his chest. Something was near his hand, he grabbed it.

A gun.

He opened his eyes.

Ziva was sprawled out on his chest, he couldn't tell whether she was breathing or not.

He saw the man, the man that had shot her, on the stairs. Tony lifted he body up despite the pain.

And shot.

He didn't know when the man went down, he didn't even know if he had killed him or just wounded him. But he was definitely not his first priority, far from it.

"Ziva, Ziva!" he whispered, although he did not know why.

He cradled her in his arms; her green jacket was soaked with blood, blood that matched the one smeared on Tony's shirt. He didn't know exactly where the bleeding was coming from, but she was losing it, fast.

Her eyes were fluttering, there was a weak pulse. "No, no, no, Ziva, no." he was ordering, no begging, for her to wake up. He had to hold her head to keep her steady.

Tony lightly patted her cheek. "Ziva, Ziva! Not yet, no, not yet!" his throat was tight and he could hardly spit the words out.

Her chocolate browns opened slightly, just enough to see him. She smiled.

He held her hand tightly as he pulled her into his embrace more. The blood had made its way down her side and was starting to form a puddle underneath the ill-fated couple. "Did you get him?" she whispered, her voice was angelic.

He didn't answer right away, but shook his head; he was not losing her, not now, not ever. "Did you?" it took all her strength to talk.

"Yea, yea, I got him." he said rapidly, his voice low and blue.

She nodded, a content smile on her face. Her eyes started to close, Tony patted her again. "No, no Ziva you can't." Tears blurred his vision as he tried to focus on her beauty.

Her skin was flushed from the blood loss and her eyes were growing empty, but they still held a small twinkle in them. Her hair cascaded from its roots, surrounded her head and resting on her shoulders. Tony had managed to push the stray pieces of hair off her face before she spoke. "Tired…" she muttered as she drifted off, receiving another small pat that opened her eyes. "Hmm?" she hummed questioningly.

"Ziva." he choked her name out through a sob, a few tears flying down his cheeks. It took most, if not all, of her strength to lift a hand to his cheek. Once it was there, Tony put his palm over hers. She brushed her thumb over his cheek lovingly.

"I love you." she assured him slowly.

He was still holding onto her hand, tightly, while he placed it against his chest. And still, his hand stayed there.

"I love you too."

She smiled a genuine smile, but it was small. She shook her head, a smile still stained on her face. "It is time." she did not want to admit it herself. He shook he head, trying to stay strong for her, but he was failing. "Thank you." she squeaked as a tear peacefully left her eye.

He brought her face close to his, feeling her warmth against his cheek. She pulled him down by his tie, and kissed his cheek softly.

It was warm and gentle, loving and blissful.

"I'm glad we stopped pretending."

Were her last words; she blinked, a stifled smile that never left her face, and closed her eyes slowly for the last time.

And with that, she slipped away.

Tony sobbed, pulling her body in closer. "Me too." He whispered into her ear, wanting to congratulate her on using a contraction. "Crazy ninja chick."

Death was no stranger to Ziva. He had always been close to her, carrying her loved ones away and lingering in her weapons.

She had accepted his presence more times than she wanted to think about and he had always turned her down despite her many begging's and pleadings.

But this time, death embraced her, carrying her away peacefully in his caring arms, he allowed her to cheat a painful death, and instead die in her comfort zone.

Death was a friend of Ziva's and having taken her sister and her mother so quickly and ruthlessly, he decided he owed her a favor.

Ziva embrace her old friend, one she had always known had been there, but had never fully seen. She took his hand, slightly unwillingly, but it was her time; it was strong and almost comforting hold. And he carried her up to forever.

Gibbs had come into the warehouse, McGee close on his six, expecting the worse.

And that's exactly what he got.

Tony sat on the floor, against a wooden crate, the still warm body of Ziva, his wife, his partner, his soul mate, cradled in his still loving and hopeful embrace.

Gibbs stopped in his tracks, the lack of light surrounding the crate made Tony and Ziva only a shadow amongst everything else.

He breathed, overtaken by emotion, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked awkwardly around the open space not knowing what to do with himself.

Tim was in shock. His mouth was shut tightly and his eyes were wet with forming tears. His throat just barely managed to let him breathe.

A while passed before anyone said anything. Gibbs had stopped moving and just stood facing Tony, who had not yet acknowledged his presences.

Tim swallowed hard, and spoke slowly and unsurely. "Should I call Ducky?" his eyes looked down at the floor while he spoke, he was in another world despite his full knowledge of what was going on.

"No." he said simply. There was a pause; Tim did not know what to do. "Go home. Take Abby."

Abby.

Tim couldn't bear to do it. But he followed his orders and slowly made his way out of the warehouse.

Getting in the front seat of the Dodge Charger, he slammed the horn angrily, once, twice, three times before vigorously rubbing his hand across his face.

Tony's arms were still strong around her. Her hand was still in his hand, but it was limp now. And she was losing warmth.

I couldn't live without you, I guess.

He found himself asking the same questions once again.

Could he?

Would he?

Her words lingered around him. "Let go, please."

She would want him to, she needed him to. But this was not even happening right? Ziva was not dead. The world had stopped. Time was nothing. Without Ziva, life did not go on. He waited for a tsunami to lift all life away, or for a meteor to wipe out every living creature.

But nothing happened.

Life continued.

A child was born, a couple got married, a soldier came home.

And Ziva had died.

And he was simply overwhelmed.

I'm sorry, I don't know about you, but I have tears. And my writing never makes me cry, only when I act it out in my head.

So, a few more chapters after this.

Review, please? My Monday would be made.

2 days!