Disclaimer: I heart mlia.

Sorry for the hiatus. I was away at the beach and unable to update. I sincerely apologize. Feel free to send lunatic dogs to mauls me. I'd deserve it.

On a lighter note, I want to thank everyone so far for their awesome support- you've been great! I would love to see the reviews continue, and as always, if you have any issues, or think there are problems let me know. I'm a keen writer, so I'm always us for criticism that will help me improve my writing. I only want to get better :).

This chapter I don't think is great, but I'd love to hear your input. The story will be picking up soon and I have some pretty cool stuff planned (I think). It will probably end up being about ten chapters (unless you want more, lol). Let me know all your views.

And, before I sign off and let you go on to the story, I would like to say two things:-

One- I am super dooper excited for Jetlag. Woot. CAPSLOCK DOES NOT FULLY EXPRESS MY FANGIRLY JOY. :)

Two- Happy Australia Day to all my fellow Aussies (and anyone else :D). Hope you all had a fantastic day!

Enjoy, and please leave a review if you want more. It keeps me going :).

They were awoken four hours later by the sound of grumbling and a gunshot.

Ziva's eyes mirrored the panic in his own as she whispered, "They found us."

Tony got to his knees and put a finger to his lips. Quiet. Ziva nodded, and too got to her knees. There was the snapping of a twig, and then footsteps, heavy on the woods floor.

"I'm going to kill them. I swear to god I'm going to-" said a deep male voice, his tone both angry and scratchy.

"Kill them, I know," a second voice finished tiredly. "I knew the last four hundred times you told me."

There was no reply from the first man, but the footsteps got louder, more insistent. Tony predicted they had about a minute before the men broke through the trees and saw them sitting there, vulnerable. He hoisted the pack on one shoulder and looked around for any place to hide. Of course they had to choose somewhere with no cover. He cursed his foolishness and turned back to Ziva.

"Come on," he mouthed, creeping off to the side of the small clearing.

She gave him a quizzical look, but didn't say anything and followed.

"That son of a bitch!" the first voice rang out again, much louder this time. "He killed my brother, that son of a-"

"Will you shut up?" the second cut in. "I don't need this crap. Let's just finish this."

There was a grumble from the first, but no further comment. The second seemed to be in charge.

45 seconds left.

Tony grabbed Ziva's arm and tugged her through some nearby trees. He looked around. They needed a good hiding spot. Ziva pulled her arm out of his and he turned to her, startled. She pointed to a large, dense bush about fifty metres away.

"Think we can make it?" she whispered.

30 seconds.

His response was to grab her hand in his and make a dash. Trying to keep silent, ignoring the pain as his arm jolted with every step and Ziva's injured leg made running slow going. They were almost there when he heard the voices again.

"You hear that?" The first guy.

A sigh from the second. "Yes, it's the sound of you talking incessantly and me fighting the urge to shove my gun down your throat."

Tony made his steps lighter and Ziva followed suit.

15 seconds.

We're not going to make it, Tony thought. They're going to kill us. We're not going to make it.

And just as he thought that, they reached the bush.

5 seconds.

He pulled Ziva's arm and lost his footing, falling backward. The plant swallowed him up and a second later Ziva followed, crashing to the ground next to him, both now covered completely by the bush. Tony fought the urge to cry out as his arm jarred and Ziva did the same as she fell on her leg.

The men broke into the clearing.

"I know I heard something that time!"

There was a gunshot. "Is that what you heard?" the second said, his tone all venom. "That was the sound of the last effing warning. The next one goes into your head and not the sky!"

There were a few moments of tense silence, then a mumbled, "Yes, sir."

"Good, let's move on. I want to find these dimwits and eliminate them, preferably before next millennium."

The voices began to move further away.

Tony made a hasty inspection of his arm to ensure it hadn't gone out of place again, and it seemed to be fine. Silently, still wary of the men, he turned his attention to Ziva. She was lying on her side, facing away from him.

"Ziva?" he breathed, keeping his voice as low as possible.

He got no answer. The voices of the men had almost completely disappeared. There was now just the occasional mumble or crunch of a branch.

Tony pulled himself up and grabbed Ziva's shoulder. She flopped onto her back and gave a groan, slowly opening her eyes. "What?"

Tony let go of a breath he hadn't even realised he'd been holding. "I thought-" He paused. "Never mind. You good?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. "I think my leg is a bit sore..." she said, very slowly.

He looked at Ziva's face, covered with a sheen of sweat and put his hand up to her forehead. His suspicions were confirmed. Fever. Bad fever.

"Tony, take your hand away. It is too hot," Ziva was muttering, trying to force him away.

He wasn't listening. Numbly, he pulled away and turned his attention to her leg. There was no doubt it was worse. They needed to get help soon, or the infection would spread to the rest of her body, she'd become septic, and die.

"Okay, Ziva," he said. He produced two more pills. "Take these."

Reluctantly, after a bit of goading, she swallowed the tablets. "What now?" she asked. The good news was that she seemed to be fairly alert, despite the pain and illness she must be feeling.

Tony didn't answer, instead pulling his shirt over his head with some difficulty, trying to keep his arm still.

Ziva raised her eyebrows and eyed him from her position on the ground. "Is this really the time, Tony?" she asked playfully. Her tone was forced, but he appreciated the distraction.

"No time like the present," he said, smiling and leaning toward her. They were nose to nose, and with each passing moment, their smiles were fading into a more sombre look.

"We are going to get out of this," Ziva finally said softly, her breath flush against his skin.

"Is that a question or a statement?" he fired back.

She didn't answer, but pulled her eyes from his and just like that the moment was lost. He pulled back and turned his attention to her leg, doing his best to clean it up, and re-bandaged it using torn off strips of his shirt.

"Let's just focus on the present, okay?" he said, shrugging on what was left of his shirt and looking back up at Ziva.

She nodded. "Yeah, okay."

He began to stand, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her level. "Tony, I just wanted to say... thank you."

He gave her a strange look, but nodded. He was going to reply, but the words died in his throat when he realised their proximity. His eyes flickered to her lips and he found himself mesmerised. He could just lean in...

The lips were moving then, but he didn't catch what they were saying. "What?" he finally said, coming to his senses.

She lowered her eyes and gave him a look. "I said, we should get moving. The town cannot be too far now."

Tony shook his head slightly and moved to pull her up. "Uh, sure. Let's go."

At that moment there was another gunshot in the distance and the cold reality of their situation began to truly sink in. They were injured, alone and without means of contacting aid.

Oh, and they were being hunted.

A/N: So what did you think? Want more? Advice, criticism, good, bad, terrible? What were your favourite lines?

How did you spend your Aus Day? Did anyone go to BDO? How's the weather?

Let me know in a pretty little review. :) :)

Until next time! (And I promise it won't be as long!) ;)