A/N: I rather liked the last one, especially the end bit (not to blow my own trumpet or anything). I was asked to do a fic to 'You belong with me' I have it written and will post it separately momentarily. I would just like to point out that the song playing in my ear whilst this was written was 'Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy' by Tata Young (SHE'S AMAZING). This follows 'Better than revenge'.

We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.

Tony sat in the chair rubbing his head. The beginnings of a migraine forming there. Today had been a very trying day, he had seen something he never wished to witness again – a strong woman feeling so worthless that she was coerced into killing herself. No one should ever feel that useless. It was not fair on them or on those who loved them, even if it was not entirely obvious at the time, or their love had been temporarily forced out by someone who truly did not deserve the love. He looked down at the hospital bed that sat in front of him. On the bed lay a woman. Her skin was a pale tan, her hair a chocolaty brown and her currently closed eyes a luxurious coffee. He leant forwards and brushed an offending piece of hair from her face.

Inside her dream world Ziva was thinking of him, at least if she was even slightly lucid she would have been. Recently, she had been spending her nights thinking of him, her day too. She had spent her life on him.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
And say, "Hello, "
Little did I know...

Before Ziva had strolled lazily into his pitiful life he had been a loner, when Wendy had left him, he swore that he would never fall in love again … that worked …

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you, "Please don't go"
And I said...

Instantly he had fallen for her. If it were not for his fear of love and rejection and Gibbs rules he would have asked her out right there and then, even if it had been her angle to seduce him.

Her father would never have permitted a relationship between them. Tony would probably have met the same fate as many of the victims they encountered.

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,
It's a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes.'"

Ziva's head snapped up. She had not woken up slowly like you would have expected, but instead rather suddenly as if she had merely been sleeping, not unconscious. Immediately she had scanned the room, searching for a threat. All she saw was Tony curled up in a chair, that was way too small for him, fast asleep, his snores resonating around the room.

"Tony?" she questioned, wondering if she was imagining him, if she was imagining all of it, she expected to be dead.

He stirred and looked at her, a big soppy grin spreading across his face "Hey Ziva"

"What's going on?" she asked.

Looking uncomfortable he redirected his gaze "Well you … um you sort of" he did not know how to say it.

She said it for him "I tried to kill myself" the way Ziva said it made it sound so ordinary and easy to manage.

"Yes" Tony whispered "Why?" he searched her eyes for an answer "Why did you do it, Ziva?"

Now it was her turn to feel awkward "I made you unhappy. She made you happy … I did not"

Realizations exploded in his mind "You thought we did not care"

Her eyes snapped back to him, accusingly "None of you did!"

He got to his feet and without thinking placed a hand on her cheek "Of course …" he choked.

Then she noticed the tears streaming down his face, rivers of sadness pouring over him, she covered his hand with her own, wincing when she saw the bandages.

"Of course we care! How could we not? Ziva … we all love you" he hesitated momentary before continuing "I … I love you"

Her eyes welled up, joining him in his sorrowful state. Their fingers, still resting on her cheek, intertwined with each other, locking together in a silent promise never to leave the other feeling as melancholy as she had. They had always harbored unspoken agreements, it was these silent contracts that had prevented them from ever being more that friends.

Then he began to grin and when she saw his expression she did too. When the other was final happy, they were too.

"Are we really doing this?"

He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed in tenderly "Yes"

Romeo, save me, they try to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult but it's real.
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess.

Her father had insisted that after her recent instability she be taken back to Israel. Not being in any state to protest, she went with them, promising that she would return soon. Being surrounded by highly perceptive Mossad agents meant that her new relationship was not a secret for very long. And, as predicted Eli David was against it. He said having attachments made her weak; falling in love made her weak; letting someone become so important, that without them you feel like nothing; attempting to commit suicide made her weak. To him she was just weak. She could see the resemblance between her father and Tony's ex-girlfriend's attitude to her. At least her father recognized that he had shortcomings as well.

All she knew was that she would not break her promise and that she was in love with Tony DiNozzo, if that made her a failure then, so be it.

"Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think."

Hidden under all her tough exterior, even if it had been cracked by recent events, was a twisting mass of worries and insecurity. She was terrified that he would not be around when she got back, that he would have realized his mistake and run away.

Nervously she stepped through the door, her eyes sweeping the people that were waiting for their loved ones, desperately searching for her's. Just as the panic was beginning to swell inside of her she spotted him. He was leaning against a wall at the back of the eager crowd, he had not noticed her yet as he was engrossed in his phone.

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said...
"Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone.
I love you, and that's all I really know.
I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress
It's a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes.'"

As she drew closer, still a little fearful he looked up. The vibrant smile that lit up his face at the sight of her calmed her instantaneously.

"Hey!" he smiled, unable to contain himself "I've missed you"

"I missed you too" she grinned back.

His eyes were locked with her's "I have something for you … turn around"

Thoroughly confused she slowly turned to face the other way. Seeing nothing of any outstanding interest she turned back to face him "There's noth -" she stopped as she saw him.

"Ziva" he sighed, very quietly. His knee was beginning to ache and suddenly they were the center of attention.

"What … no … no. Tony? What are you doing?" she stuttered. Ziva knew perfectly well what he was doing, yet she could not believe it.

"Just listen" he gulped "Ziva David, I have known you for a long time … maybe 10 years. Until recently we never addressed the tension between us and …" he paused to breathe "And now that we have, I could not imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone but you. You will never have to be alone, to feel alone again. I love you … I talked to Gibbs and he … he said 'about time'" Tony laughed at the memory "Please Ziva, say 'yes'. I love you. Will you marry me?"

Ziva's head was spinning. She had been proposed to before, by Ray, but not by someone she really loved. Her heart screamed 'Yes! YES! Of course! YES!' while her rational brain held back.

Tony's face fell 10 stories and smashed on the sidewalk, broken into unrecognizable pieces. So this is what McGee felt like after Abby left him, and she when McGee got engaged "It's okay … I understand" he struggled to his feet as Ziva took a couple of steps backwards, scanning the gathered crowd who were watching her disapprovingly.

"Oh Tony" she whispered, managing to get herself together enough to speak "I do not think you do. I … I love you too. My mind has been screwed up recently, as you know" she tapped her skull "But I have enough sense to say this -" she took a deep breathe, composing herself "- yes. Yes, I will marry you. I could never marry anyone else" she was then almost knocked over as Tony barreled into her and swept her up in a tight embrace that could rival Abby's. The audience erupted into cheers as Tony slide the simplistic engagement ring onto her finger and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

"Don't ever scare me again!" he joked.

Looking at her left hand, then up at Tony she nodded "I promise"

'Cause we were both young when I first saw you

Finally they had both found what they had been looking for. It had been right in front of them both for all these years.

A/N: I hope you guys liked this and did not get bored with my mostly (past) midnight ramblings! Until we meet again.

Jorja