Rifiuto: Non Miriena

She closed the door softly behind her, and then glanced around. Just because she'd ended up in Tim's bed the night before, didn't mean she would end up in his bed again tonight. As she turned to go back into the living room, the door to the master bedroom opened, and Tim stepped out. He grabbed her wrist, nodding for her to follow. Once the door closed behind them, he let go of her. "We share a son, so we might as well share the same room, right?" He asked, as he removed his shirt. He'd already changed into his pajama pants, but had yet to remove his button-down. But Ziva wasn't paying attention to a word that came out of his mouth. She was too focused on his back.

Scars of every size and shape covered his back, from the slope of his shoulders down to his waist. Some were faded, others were still bright as the day they'd been added, some were surrounded by puckered skin, others were raised and slightly puffy. Something in her head screamed that these were from the night his father had found out about them, that these were the result of that beating, or from the shards of the mirror her own father had shoved him into when they were caught. But either way, however he attained these, all it did was prove how evil the men they had both called 'father' were. It took some time for her eyes to see past the scar tissue on his back, but once they did, the sight her dark gaze rested on took her breath away.

Residing on his back, between and over his shoulder blades and going halfway down towards his lower back, was a tattoo. A beautiful tattoo, in hues of blue, silver and red; as she stepped closer, she saw that it was an intricate Celtic knot in a circle. At first, she missed it, but then she saw the tattoo within the Celtic knot- and it caused her heart to stall briefly in her chest.

A golden Star of David.

Woven into the Celtic knot, was her Jewish Star of David, almost the same size as the knot, each of the six prongs interwoven into the main knot, and then moved down to create the traditional six-pointed star of Ziva's faith. She didn't have to ask the meaning behind the art on his back; it was plain and clear. The interweaving of the two symbols was a representation of their reunion, and the steps they had decided to take, to become the family both so desperately desired- for themselves and their son.

She stepped closer, realizing that the silver rim inside the knot looked new, as did the star itself. Slowly, she lifted her hand, reaching up to trace the design-

"Ziva? You okay?" She soon found herself staring into Tim's eyes. Eventually, she nodded.

"Yes, I... I am okay. I just..." She gestured behind her and blushed. He furrowed his brow for a moment, before realizing.

"Oh. You saw that." She nodded.

"When... when did you get it done?" He sighed, and glanced down at his hands.

"I had the Celtic knot done in college- two years after graduating from MIT, and the summer before I started at John Hopkins. By then, my back had healed enough, that the doctor gave me the okay. Instead of having it closed, I left it open, and didn't have the inside ring added, but back then, I had no idea why. Something just..." He shrugged. "Something just told me to leave it." She couldn't help the smile that came to her face, but then furrowed her brow.

"Tim, the... the appointment you said you had yesterday..." He nodded.

"It was for this. I had a doctor's appointment; he wanted to make sure that the scars on my back hadn't opened up and weren't becoming infected and also make sure my spine was fine- routine checks I have to go through now thanks to that bastard-" He said, a flash of anger at his father moving swiftly through his green eyes. "and once he was satisfied, he gave me the all clear, and I had the Star and the inside ring added." He sighed. "I guess, this is why I left it open, though at the time I didn't know it." He pulled his shirt on and quickly buttoned it, before reaching up and cradling her face in his hand. "I had it done for you, and for Asher." He gently pulled her closer, laying his other hand on her waist. "For us." She smiled softly at him, searching his green eyes.

"It is beautiful." He returned the soft smile, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

She closed her eyes, drinking it in, reaching up to grasp his shirt, when he reluctantly pulled away, resting his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry, Ziva. I... this is just so..."

"New?" She volunteered, and he nodded, moving his other hand to her waist. He held her close, nudging her nose with his.

"We need to take things slow. I mean we... we rushed it last time, and look where it got us."

"It resulted in Asher." She replied. He nodded again brushing him lips gently against hers again. "I understand. I want to take it slow also. For our son." He gave her a soft smile and pressed another light kiss to her lips before pulling away, but she grabbed his wrist. "Tim?" He turned back to her. "Toda. For throwing your life away for us." Tears glistened in her eyes, and he gently brushed them away.

"I haven't thrown anything away. If anything, I've gained... everything. And I have you to thank, Ziva. You gave me our son."

She shook her head, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist. "No, Tim." She sniffled. "You gave him to me. And by giving him to me, you saved me."