I know, it's been a long time since I've updated, but I've had some computer problems. I hope you like what you read.

You don't know how it's tortured me. The thought of you, still, white, cold… to never see you blush scarlet again, to never see that flash of intuition in your eyes when you see through my pretenses… it would be unendurable. You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever.

"ZIVA!" Tony kicked off his shoes and pulled off his shirt without even thinking. All he could see was the still form of Ziva clinging to a rock, the water trying to push and sway her.

"Tony NO!" Astrid screamed and clutched at his arm. "If you miss the rocks, then the water's temperature will kill you! I'm running for help, just stay here with Ziva." Without another word, Astrid flew back into the forest.

The second she was gone, Tony dove into the water. He tried to angle himself to avoid the rocks, but it was impossible at the speed he was going. By some lucky break, he managed to plunge into the freezing water, cold but alive.

He fought to make it back to the surface, his arms and legs being pushed down, held as if by a great weight. Finally, finally, he was able to break the surface of the water, gasping for breath and looking for Ziva.

"ZIVA! ZIVA!" He was pulled down again by the current, which rushed him forward, slamming him into a rock. His shoulder suddenly felt as if it were on fire. He couldn't think clearly with his body being smashed by rocks and rushed along by water.

Desperately, he clawed his way to the surface once more, giving one more call before he was pushed back down by the water, choking on it.

"ZIVA!"

"Tony…" Ziva clung to the rock with her life. "Tony…I am here." Her voice was weak and raspy, her vision blurred and jumbled. Her arms felt like they were about to fall off, she knew she couldn't hang on much longer. "Tony…over here." With what little strength she had, she turned her head to try and find Tony. Her vision landed on him just to see him scream her name one more time, and then slip under the water.

He didn't come back up. Tony wasn't coming back up. Why wasn't he coming back up?

The answer was clear, and Ziva already knew it. But she couldn't make the connection. Tony didn't die. Get framed, yes, nearly get blown up, yes. But die? Tony. Ziva was so numb with shock that when the current made furiously tried to push her down into the water, she was caught unexpected, and could not fight.

Tony fought against the water that had bound, blinded and gagged him. He needed to get to Ziva. He had to save her… He forced his eyes open and looked up.

In the distance, something black appeared to be sinking. Ziva. He stopped struggling against the current and let it take him. He shot forward and reached up as he rushed towards Ziva. It was a slim chance, but he had no other. He was too weak to fight against the current anymore. This was his last chance. At first he thought he had missed, but he looked up and saw he his fingers tangled in the thin fabric of her coat. He pulled her towards his chest and began to kick upwards.

He struggled towards the surface, the current batting him around easily, slamming him into rocks and depriving him of breath. He clung to Ziva's body, trying to give his body some extra reason to get to the surface when he was flung into the biggest rock yet. His head flew back as it hit the rock, and black dots popped up in his vision. But he freed one of his hands from Ziva's body and pushed against the rock's surface, forcing himself backwards. When he passed the rock again a few short seconds later, he forced Ziva's body to the top of the rock. He tried to push himself backwards again, but he was too weak, and had no breath was left to support him. He gave himself up to the darkness.

"I SEE HER!" Astrid screamed, forcing herself to the front of the boat. "RIGHT THERE! HURRY!" She counted herself lucky that the most experienced rowers were with her, navigating these dangerous waters. In just seconds they had pulled themselves up to the rock, managing to force the boat to stop by bracing their rows against the rock's back side.

Gently but quickly, Astrid grabbed Ziva's body and lowered it into the boat. Then she looked around for Tony. The heroic idiot had jumped into the water even when she had told him not to. She knew these waters were too rough for anyone to survive, no matter how strong or experienced they were.

"TONY!" She screamed his name, hoping he would hear her above the rushing waves. Maybe he had managed to get himself onto a rock like Ziva? "TONY!"

"To…ny…" She looked down and realized that Ziva was coming to. "Tony…" Ziva's warm brown eyes caught hers and she stared straight into them. "Tony?" She sounded so sacred…

"We're getting him." She wanted to reassure Ziva that everything would be ok, but she never liked telling lies… Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the men throwing nets out overboard, looking for any bodies…

"No. Went…under…water…" Ziva's eyes closed and she began to cough up water, trying to get words out between. "My…fault…"

"ASTRID!" She turned to see Langston pulling up a net that was entangled with the body of one Agent DiNozzo. He was completely blue, with a large crack on his head that was covered with the dark red of blood. His head lolled and he made no movement, even when Langston gently untangled him from the woven strings of the net.

Ziva saw him and began to reach for him, but stopped halfway and leaned out of the boat, vomiting. She turned her head to look at Tony and curled up into a ball, her back to him.

Astrid wanted to be sick, too.

"I think she's coming to…"

Moonlight. Moonlight was swimming over her vision and consuming her...drowning her…

"I thought she was dead when for sure when we pulled her out…"

No, not moonlight, something else. Something also white. Foam? Water.

"Ziva?"

She blinked and noticed the green among the white. She blinked again and her vision fell into place. Astrid's tiny face is looming above her, etched with concern and worry. Her eyes were bloodshot – as though she had been crying.

"Ziva, are you alright?"

"I – I think so." Something was out of place. Something was missing. What?

"What happened?"

"We think you fell into the river. I ran for help and T-Tony jumped in after y-"

Tony. That's what she had forgotten. She turned to Astrid, who was still rambling. "Where is Tony?"

Astrid was silent and Ziva began to shake.

"Tony!" She screeched, her voice was horribly dry and sore. "Where is he? I want to see him!"

Astrid slowly moved from her position in front of Ziva, to let her see Tony. Ziva tried to gasp, but the only thing that came out was a strangled, choked noise.

He was lying on a thick cushion in front of the fireplace, with so many blankets Ziva couldn't see his body. White bandages were wrapped around his head and his shoulder. Everywhere that Ziva looked she saw purple and black skin. He was still unconscious, and looked to be that way for a while.

"He got pretty banged up when he pulled you up to that rock where we found you. He's woken up a few times, but he's been delusional. I think he's imagining he's back in NCIS headquarters. He called Langston "Boss" a few times, and one time he thought I was someone named "McGee". He kept asking when my next book was coming out."

"Why – Why are we not in the hospital?" Ziva looked around the tiny cottage. She realized that she and Tony were actually in her cottage, the place she had been looking for when she… The irony of the situation made Ziva want to laugh hysterically or throw-up. She wasn't sure which yet.

"We don't own a car. The only thing he have is a few wagons and horses. We sent one of those to the nearest town, but it's pretty far away. We tried to use your cell phone, and then Tony's, but they were both broken when you went into the water." Astrid stated apologetically.

"How bad are our injuries?" She asked, struggling to sit-up.

"Surprisingly not bad as bad as we thought. You had a slight case of hypothermia but we think it's passed. You just need a long rest and you'll be as good as new. Tony's wounds are going to take a bit more time to heal. His hypothermia has been controlled too, and he'll probably wake up in a bit. However, his shoulder and head are going to be a bit sore."

"A bit?" Ziva asked in disbelief, staring at Tony.

"Okay, a lot." Astrid reached to fluff Ziva's pillow when Ziva's hand suddenly snapped on Astrid's arm.

"Help me up." She said. Astrid hesitated and Ziva huffed in exasperation. "I'm not going to run away, I just want to see Tony. I'll be perfectly fine with you helping me." She began to stand. Astrid slipped an arm under her shoulders, tucking a blanket around Ziva with the other arm. Together, the two women started towards Tony. Ziva stumbling, Astrid supporting her.

Eventually they arrived at Tony's make-shift bed in the middle of the floor. Astrid helped Ziva crouch down, who let her shaking hand touch Tony's shoulder, feeling his frozen skin even through the fabric of blankets. She turned back to Astrid, who had stepped back to watch her. "Are you certain he will live?"

"Absolutely." She smiled calmly at Ziva and Ziva couldn't help but feel slightly comforted. Then Astrid turned back to Tony and gave a small frown. "He does need some more heat, though, or else he could catch pneumonia." She piled a few more logs into the huge fireplace, but Tony didn't even move.

"I can help you with that." Ziva said. Gently, she pulled back a few of the blankets and got underneath them, her body close to his, sharing his warmth and giving him hers. After a few minutes, she felt him wrap an arm around her and pull her closer, the way one might do with a pillow in sleep. Forcing herself to ignore the odd, fluttering feelings in her chest, Ziva laid her head back on the pillow and gave into sleep.

I hoped you enjoyed that chapter! Now go review please! Reviews make me write faster! Remember, I hold Tony's fate in the palm of my hand *suddenly gets attacked by Tony fans* .