Disclaimer: "Look! It's Princess Bubblegum's Rainicorn!"
Thank you to all who have been reviewing this and my other story, Learning Under Pressure. The response has been awesome.
Review. :)
When she wakes she is in a crisp white bed dressed in an equally crisp blue hospital gown. Her skin has been scrubbed and her hair knotted back into a braid. She feels violated, which is stupid, but she doesn't know what else to think.
"Ziva?"
She knows that voice, but it is not one she wants to hear. She closes her eyes and hopes that when she opens then he will be gone, but knows it cannot happen that way.
"I want to explain this to you, Ziva," the voice continues, calm and calculated as always.
She finally opens her eyes and takes in her boss' appearance.
"How is Tony?" she asks, angry that she has to ask something of him.
"Out of surgery. Should be fine."
She gives a wry smile at his no nonsense attitude. "What do you want, Gibbs?"
He looks at her from across the room for a long moment, and then speaks quietly. "I was right to give the all clear."
She gives him a 'yeah right' look. "So I suppose Tony was shot by a magical fairy then?"
He doesn't seem amused. "Not a magical fairy, no," he says. "But not our suspects, the Williams, either."
She furrows her brow. "That does not make any sense."
"We were unlucky," Gibbs says. "We put you two together in that op because you needed to be the star couple at the ball, and then run off and make a scene so that we would be able to apprehend the Wilsons discreetly. It was a high pressure situation, and need to be diffused accordingly."
"I am aware of all this, Gibbs," Ziva says impatiently. "I was read in, too."
"Unfortunately," Gibbs continues, "what we didn't bargain for was that they would have backup. We underestimated them. Turns out, three of the waiters were working for them. They tapped into our networks and when we radioed to tell Tony the job was done they caught the message."
"And they took the shot," Ziva finishes.
Gibbs nods.
"How did we not catch this?" Ziva asks. "Surely there must have been something we could have-"
"No," Gibbs cuts in. "We couldn't have known."
Ziva sits up suddenly and tears out the IV in her arm.
"What are you doing?" Gibbs says, for the first time looking alarmed. "Ziva, stop."
"I am going to see him. After all, I was not injured. I am fine."
"You had a breakdown."
"I did not!" Ziva almost yells. "I just wanted to see Tony. Those doctors are incompetent fools."
"You attacked four hospital personnel," Gibbs reminds her and moves to stand in front of her.
She folds her arms over her chest. "They attacked me first."
"No, Ziva." A wry smile tugged at his lips. "They tried to subdue you."
"Tomatoe, potato," she says and waves her arm dismissively.
Gibbs doesn't bother correcting her. "You're not going, Ziva. He's not even awake yet."
"Does not matter," she says. "And you cannot stop me."
He levels with her. "I think I can."
It must be a funny sight, she suddenly thinks. Her against him.
He stares her down for a moment more before speaking, "Fine. We'll compromise."
She gives him a skeptical look. "What kind of compromise?"
A/N: Good, bad, eh? Do you want more?
Review with your favourite lines! :)