Oh wow!! I feel loved! I must admit that going almost 12 hours without reviews showing in my inbox made me sad! I thought everyone was mad at me for some ridiculous reason...But you were probably all very busy yesterday and I came back this morning to find my inbox full of reviews! :D Now, I'm happy..…!!!!

Song: Hillsong (United) "Mighty To Save" ( this one just inspired the chapter, has nothing to do with it. Told you that would happen! :D. I have a weakness for harmony and instrumental music with a good beat.... and this happens to be one of them :D I'm a choir junkie, and always will be! )

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True to his word, when Ziva had been released from the hospital, Tony took her back to the apartment, setting her on the couch. He had then removed the door from its hinges and put it in his room against the far wall so she wouldn't accidentally hit it in the middle of the night.

Everyone needs compassion. A love that's never ending. Let mercy fall on me

She hadn't been too happy about that and the last four days had yeilded nothing but tension filled silences between the pair. Tony gave her the medication she needed every four hours, made food for them to eat...pretty much everything he had been doing before they had made a deal. He was done. She wanted to be stubborn and act like a child, then she could be treated like one. The silences were horrible. The last words he had said to her were when she had still been in the hospital.

If she wanted it that way, then fine. But he also couldn't help but wonder if they had gone back to what it had been when she had first come back from South Africa....no speaking, untrusting, tense situations....

Yep. They were back there alright. What had happened to all the progress they had made? Her stubbornness and independent behavior is what happened. Ok, maybe he had a bit to do with it too.....He looked over at Ziva sitting on the couch with a book and sighed.

It was killing him not talking to her.

He wished she would yell.

He wanted her to scream.

He wanted their old relationship back.

The one they had had before Rivkin.

Before Jenny even.

That seemed to have been the turning point. Jenny's death. They hadn't had time to mourn before being shipped off across the world. Tony had needed that then. Ziva had understood how hard it had been. He was senior field agent. He followed a direct order from her. He.....

Stop. That's all in the past...two years ago past.

Ah, but your current issues stem from that.

NO. They don't. They come from what I did to her seven months ago.

You saved her from being played. Saved her from getting involved too deep, like Ari.

Ari was her brother.. she was too deep already. Rivkin....was ordered to get close. The distance helped stem that off.. .but she was already in too deep by the time it all went down!

No, not so deep she didn't see her father sent her on a suicide mission just to "clean up" and that he ordered the bastard to get closer to her....

Just like Jenny ordered you to get close to her "enemy" so to speak.

Everyone needs forgiveness. The kindness of a savior. The hope of nations

Tony tossed his glass at the wall. Of course it exploded upon contact and drenched the wall and part of the floor in sticky orange juice. He didn't notice Ziva jump or watch him as he stood to grab a cloth, paper towels and a bag. He wiped the wall first, then proceeded to pick up the glass that littered the floor.

"Fuck," he muttered, inspecting his finger. Damn. He just had to cut his finger on the glass. Obviously this wasn't his day. Or his week. Or month. Or half a year even. Was it ever going to get better? Was cutting his finger a sign that things would only get worse? He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Tony," Ziva said softly, watching him carefully. "Let me."

He hadn't even heard her move. "I've got this, Ziva."

Holding back her sigh of exasperation, she kept her voice low, soft. "Please. You need to wash that off and bandage it."

"I said, I got this!" Tony said again. Talk about a short fuse.

Ziva smacked him. Well, technically, she pulled a Gibbs head slap.

Savior he can move the mountains My God is mighty to save He is mighty to save Forever author of salvation He rose and conquered the grave Jesus conquered the grave

He turned, hate and anger in his eyes. It shocked her. She'd only ever seen the look once or twice before...back in Israel. Was she the cause? Probably not. Just like she hadn't been the source of it back then. But he would take it out on her, because she was only one around. She knew he probably wouldn't mean any of it, but she still hardened her heart against the words she was sure were coming. But they didn't. Instead he stood, facing her, eyes still holding that look.

He saw how her eyes searched his. How she was trying to ask what was bothering him. Why he was being so stubborn. How she was only trying to help him at the moment.

His eyes softened and he raised a hand to cup the side of her face, just watching her.

She stared back, resisted the goose bumps that threatened to run over her skin, leaned into his touch.

So take me as you find me All my fears and failures Fill my life again

"Tony," she said softly, placing a hand on his chest lightly. "Let me help clean it up."

He didn't say anything, just stared at her. There was nothing he could say. Not at the moment.

They seemed to come to the realization of how close, how intimate, they were with each other. Yet neither of them backed off or moved in any way. Her hand rest on his chest. His hand on her jaw line. Eyes searching each others.

Just as she thought Tony was going to kiss her, he stepped back. "I need to clean this up," he muttered, side stepping her and heading to the bathroom. Ziva watched him go, knowing that was the only type of permission to help him she was going to get. Moving slowly, she bent to finish cleaning the mess that laid at her feet.

What was wrong with them? Probably nothing.

He was frustrated.

She was frustrated.

They were stuck together.

I give my life to follow Everything i believe in Now i surrender

But why….why had she expected, no wanted , him to kiss her? Like that would resolve anything between them? Why was she disappointed he hadn't? They couldn't trust each other, could they?

It's not 'each other'. It's you. It's him. You broke that trust he had given you because you asked for it. You went behind his back. He has had your back for years. You are too stubborn.

She ignored the voice, mopped up the floor, and threw the bag in the trash.

Savior he can move the mountains My God is mighty to save He is mighty to save Forever author of salvation He rose and conquered the grave Jesus conquered the grave

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Tony stood at the sink, water running. He stared into the basin, watching his finger tear up, then the water wash the blood away and down the drain.

God, why had he almost done that? And he knew she knew what had almost just happened, which didn't make it any easier. He washed his finger with soap and wrapped it in some tissues he had on the back of the toilet.

He had wanted to kiss her. So bad. But he also knew with recent events that it wasn't going to be a good idea. Not now. Maybe not for a long time.

He jerked the medicine cabinet open, grabbed the band aids and about six other things clanked into the sink. This was certainly not his week.

Savior he can move the mountains My God is mighty to save He is mighty to save Forever author of salvation He rose and conquered the grave Jesus conquered the grave

Hopefully things started looking up. And soon. Because if they didn't, he wasn't going to take the extended four weeks he knew Gibbs had given him to match Ziva's. He wouldn't survive if he did. At least if he did it now, he wouldn't. Maybe, in the next few days, the man upstairs would actually get it through his skull to make life a little easier on Anthony DiNozzo.

Tony snorted. Like that would ever happen. He may have practiced Catholicism over the years and while growing up in his fathers house, but he hadn't stuck to it. No way. His father had disowned him and ever since he had to make his own way in life he'd only leaned back on religion a few times. Now was not one of those times.

Shine your light and let the whole world see Were singing for the glory of the risen king JESUS. Shine your light and let the whole world see Were singing for the glory of the risen king JESUS

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Admit it. You thought it was gonna happen. You wanted it to! :D

And on second look, the song does fit… sorta! Lol.. Oh well.