Chapter 3

Tony paced nervously around the surgical waiting room, telling himself that everything was fine. They were just repairing her broken leg. He had waited with her until they got to the surgical suite at that point the nurse practically forced him out to the waiting room. However, he knew Ziva well enough to know she was nervous; the way her eyes watched everyone suspiciously and the way she pushed her lips together. He smiled at the thought that he could finally read her after what, almost 4 years. Ok, he conceded to himself sometimes he could read her. He could still hear her voice echo thru his head. "Tony…"Ziva voice trailed off. " I love you" her voice whispered though the car. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to push the fear of that moment out of his head. He knew that he loved her probably from the day she walked into the bullpen. It had taken almost a year for her to begin to let down her guard to just start letting him in when the assignment with Jeanne came to be. That's when he hurt her; he knew it because it hurt him every time he lied, every time he refused to answer the phone.

She was there when he was hurt and devastated after but he knew it was different she was closed off from him now. He had thought about all of it while he had been an agent afloat, the three years they had spent together, how he knew he had screwed it up. When they all returned he felt as though something had changed she seemed more open somehow, more open to him. They began spending more time together like before however the wall seemed thicker harder he wasn't sure if this time he would be able to get past it this time. He smiled, she had told him she loved him, now she thought she was dying, but she had said the words, he smiled almost laughing. A slap to back of the head busted his thought process.

"What was that for?" He winced without turning around.

"Breaking rule 12" Gibbs spoke without hesitation "she will get hers when she's up and about"

Tony was going to argue with him about not actually breaking rule 12 but decided against it because at this point it was only a matter of time. Tony faced Gibbs, McGee, and a fresh cup of coffee.

"More sugar than coffee" McGee offered

"Good job Probie" Tony teased bring a slight grin to his face.

"How's Ziva?" Gibbs pulled the conversation back into the waiting room.

"She's in surgery now for the broken leg" Tony started "she has 2 broken ribs, a concussion, and punctured lung, and they say she is going fine" finishing with slight amusement.

"She is" Gibbs replied.

"You said on the phone they were hired?" Tony asked

"Yeah, cheap hires" Gibbs lamented. "Lucky for us, we don't believe that these guys knew she was Mossad.

"She was able to take 6 of them of them out single- handedly" McGee gushed

Tony laughed "our own crazy little ninja chick"

"So if we run with the idea that they did not know she was Mossad" Tony began to speculate "then the guy that hired them does not know she is Mossad or is he stupid?"

"No the bigger question is how paid for is this?" Gibbs said darkly getting both man's attention. "Is paid till completed or this a one shot deal"

"So wait taking out those guys didn't end this" McGee looked stunned

Tony turned and punched the wall "No probie, this is just beginning"

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The fog began to clear from head. Ziva felt like she was being watched the little hair on her neck began to rise, she tried to sense out who was watching her. The beeping sound became louder and faster. The fog was beginning to clear slowly and then it hit her: the pain. It hit her whole body fast and hard knocking the breath out of her with a gasp. Her whole body shudders for a moment tightening in fear.

"Ziva"

She heard him through the darkness in her mind. She felt like she was pushing through concrete trying to break the surface of her consciousness. She felt the panic as she push through the beeps were getting louder still. Suddenly, as if her brain was just switched on she knew where she was and that she was surrounded by them, her family. She felt her body release the tension and without opening her eyes she spoke "do you guys have nothing better to do than watch me sleep". She opened her eyes to see the three of them. Tony was holding her hand sitting on her right while McGee was to her left, and Gibbs was standing at the foot of her bed drinking coffee and smirking.

"What is with these faces, I thought we covered the fact I was not on death's house before I entered the ambulance"

"Door, Ziva death's door" Tony teased as they all laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"No Abby?" she said almost sadly. It had taken awhile but the Goth forensic scientist was now Ziva closes friend. Correction Ziva thought her only girl friend since Jenny had died.

"Because you weren't dying" Gibbs began "I made her work on the evidence we brought in she will be here in a few hours, I pretty much had to tie her down not to be here" bringing a smile to Ziva's face. Ziva shifted uncomfortable in the bed for the first time noticing the heaviness of the cast on her leg that was being held uncomfortable up at an angle. They notice a quick grimace on her face before it was swept away.

"I going to call Abby and let her know that you're awake now" McGee smiled touching Ziva's shoulder. She smiled back at the young agent. Gibbs followed McGee out to the hallway.

Again Ziva shifted uncomfortably in the bed.

"Ziva… are you ok?" Tony asked softly

"I am fine" she said tersely as continued to fight pain to pull herself up.

"Then what are you trying to do?" he asked somewhat amused at watching her.

"I am trying sit up"

"Really" he laughed. She glared at him. He reached over, pulled out the bed remote and began to lift the front of the bed "tell me when to stop" he grinned. When she was sitting up he helped her adjust her pillows until she was comfortable. His face was very close to her and she had to catch her breath as she looked up into his eyes. Their eyes locked together and held. Tony wanted to kiss her right there, his hand moved to the side of her face and gentle push a rouge lock of hair behind her ear continuing to trace his finger down her jaw to her chin. She lifted he chin slowly to him.

"Play kissy face on your own time, DiNozzo" Gibbs barked at him. The moment was broken and they both pulled apart quickly. Gibbs crossed the room and sat in the chair next to Ziva. She leaned back into the pillow carefully masking her frustration. "Ok, run me through what happened"

She sighed and began running through her morning. "I felt them before I saw them" She rolled her eyes "they were not very good...They detonated the car as I took a few steps back I was pushed back from the force of the explosive I think the bumper or something hit my leg I felt it break. Damn" She looked at Tony "I loved my little Mini"

Tony laughed all the conversations about him loving his Mustang and her scoffing.

Gibbs was rolling his eyes. "How were they not professional?"Forcing the two of them back on topic.

"They waited" She said simply "They waited finally two of them exited the van..."Ziva closed to eyes to replay the scene. "I heard two of the exit the vehicle I heard them switch their safety's off, I pulled my sig and wait for them to get closer than I pulled myself up caught them by surprise and laid them both down. I pulled myself to back of the car as the others came running out of the van. They fired, I fired, I called Tony…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered what she had said to Tony and her eyes flew open. "Oh crap did I really say that!" She thought. "I am an Idiot". She cursed out loud in Hebrew. She quickly went back to describing the action.

"So they were hired, yes?" She asked when she finished, making the determination from her own account, looking critically at Gibbs he nodded. "Until it is finished, yes?" she asked pursing her lips waiting for the answer, yes she knew the differences, she knew this could get a lot worse. She could feel the anger rising in her chest, now she wanted to fight.

"We don't know that yet" Tony broke in trying to put her mind at ease.

"Tony's right we don't know that yet" Gibbs trying to get her to calm down her down. He knew that her getting all pissed off looking for another assassin to fight was not going to help anyone now. "Tony is going to stay here with you and there is MPs right outside your door. Just focus on getting some rest. Everything else for you can wait." Gibbs ordered her.

"I do not need a babysitter, I perfectly capable…" She tried to plead not wanting to appear weak in front of either of them but Gibbs cut her off with a Gibbs stare. "Could I at least get my gun back?" she finished meekly in the wake of the stare.

Gibbs stood up and smirked. He leaned over and lightly kissed the top of her head. "Not tonight David, get some sleep" with that he walked out leaving Tony and her alone.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

"Tony about what I said on the phone today…" Her voice trailed off. She was wondering how she could clean up this mess. Her feelings about him did not mean that he returned the feelings. Not knowing where to go with this she change tactics. "He was just being overly protective you do not need to stay with me…" She regretted the word as soon as they left her mouth. She did not want to be alone. She held her breath waiting to see something in his eyes to tell her what he was thinking. Then there it was the sparkle the smile. He moved closer to her till there was less than an inch between their faces.

"No take backs Zee Vah" He whispered. He saw her eyes grin than he kissed her softly on the mouth.