A/N: I had no original plans of making this more than a one-shot tag, but...yet, here we are.

Part II: Gibbs

After clearing his head, he goes to check on Ziva. And that's when he finds her shivering in her other partner's arms. Choking on sobs and trying hard to control herself and failing miserably.

It's always been there and real and unstable and unpredictable. But, now, the thing between his DiNozzo and David is open and raw. He doesn't know how far it's gotten. He doesn't need to. He has suspicions, but they really don't matter. It's been clear for months. The embers were coming. He just didn't think they'd fall like this.

He heads back to the ICU. There's no change in Tony's condition. He wasn't expecting one. He just wants to watch him. He wants to telepathically tell DiNozzo he better think twice before doing this to Ziva.

To all of them. But mostly to Ziva.

He's not sure how he allowed himself to get so protective of her. Maybe it was the idea that she felt as though she was alone in the world. He knew what that felt like. And for some reason, he's never wanted her to feel like that.

He's just always liked Ziva. She became one of them so fast. And he just…he learned to read her and then things spiraled, and it made him even more protective of her.

So if she needs DiNozzo and he's pretty sure that she does. He doesn't really care about what type of capacity that is. Then, DiNozzo better stick around for her.

The said Senior Field Agent's nurse approaches him. Her name is Carly. She looks like she's fifteen, but he's heard her speaking with the doctors and he knows she's the one he wants taking care of DiNozzo.

She smiles at him and he can't help but ask how Tony's doing. She's calm when she says no change. But her eyes are hopeful and he holds onto that because if there was ever a time where he felt like they could live without each other, it wasn't now.

He shakes his head. Ziva could do it. She had the strength to live through almost anything. But it wouldn't pretty and it would hurt to watch.

After all she's been through, if this is what she wants, if this is what she needs, then she deserves to have it.

The sun rises the next morning and he's still sitting in the recliner next to Ziva's bed. There's more color in her face today.

And she's carefully regarding him when he opens his eyes.

"Hi, Ziver," It's a knowing greeting that he gives. But at least it causes a ghost of a smile to come across her face.

"Gibbs," she responds.

"How ya' feelin?"

"Better than yesterday, but…not healthy as a cow."

He thinks about correcting her but that's another reason why DiNozzo better stick around.

They sit in silence for a long time. Part of him hopes that she'll fall back asleep because that ghost of smile that he saw has long been replaced by a straight line. Her eyes didn't twinkle then and they certainly don't now. He thinks that she looks deep inside of herself – lost almost – like she's missing half of herself.

He can't allow himself to read too much into that observation. It in itself is a little too much for him already.

"Gibbs," she begins and it causes him to look up at her again. "I . . . I have never liked to keeping things from you."

"Hey," he reaches over taps her wrist and he knows that they both remember the last time that he did that, "you know that I understand about Bodnar."

She nods and it's furious and desperate. "Yes, yes I do, but…but that," she swallows and inhales raggedly, "It is not about that, though."

"Oh."

"I…well…you see," She doesn't realize that she's shaking, but he does. Gibbs reaches over and runs a finger up and down her arm. He doesn't know why she's so afraid. It's just him, but there's that elephant in the room and that's probably why she's so unstable.

"Take a deep breath," he encourages.

She nods and does so. "It's not Bodnar. It's…I don't know what it really is, but," and she gestures to the hysterics that she's gone into. The tears gliding down her cheeks and the way that her lip can't seem to stay still.

"DiNozzo?" he prompts. Because she's not going to be able to say it out loud.

She nods. "Tony and I…I," But then she looks at him for the first time since she embarked on this little heart to heart and her eyes and so wide with fear that he can't help but reach over and kiss her temple.

He knows she needs it. "He'll be okay."

"We do not know that. And I put him in this position." She's crying out now and there's so much pain in her voice that he has to run his hand down her hair.

"Hey, easy there. Just…easy, okay?"

Every bone in his body tells him that he needs to remind her that this…this pain she is currently experiencing is why that rule of his exists. It's why he doesn't want them involved because it'll hurt both of them in ways far more irrevocable than the wound in her abdomen.

But it's them. So he can't because it's different. Everyone knows that.

"I just need him to be okay. To wake up." She says.

He nods. Yeah, don't they all.

He doesn't leave until the nurses change shift and the new day one offers to help her get cleaned up. She looks less than thrilled at the idea of moving, but as he walks out, he watches her agree.

Naturally, he finds his way back to Tony's room, but not before being interrupted by a phone call from McGee. He had worked all night, but came up with little. Gibbs sighs because that seems to go with the current theme.

Carly says goodbye to him and offers her hope for a better DiNozzo by the time she returns in twelve hours. He thanks her, but he can't help but be just a little bit more cynical than the nurse.

He's introduced to Ashley and she informs him that the swelling inside that damn thick skull of DiNozzo's has gone down. Not a lot, but enough that they're willing to bring down his sedation a bit and see what happens.