Ziva sat in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. The doctors were running a laundry list of tests on Tony. She sat off to herself not wanting to talk to anyone in the waiting room. There was too much on her mind. Tony had asked her to marry him. This was a big step for both of them. It was a step that she wasn't sure either of them were ready to make. She had no idea what this would mean for their careers. They were both NCIS agents now and neither of them had told Gibbs or Vance about their relationship which was protocol. She would miss working with Tony if they were split up.

Gibbs walked over with two cups of coffee. "I figured you could use this." said Gibbs having a seat next to Ziva. He offered her the cup of coffee.

"Thank you Gibbs." said Ziva. "Tony and I were going to tell you about us." explained Ziva staring out of the window. "We just didn't know how…" "Neither one of us wanted to be moved to another team." said Ziva.

"I knew the two of you were dating each other. I was waiting for one of you to come and tell me. I always expected it would be you." "I suppose this situation forced the issue into the light though." said Gibbs.

"You knew?" asked Ziva incredulously. Ziva and Tony had gone to great lengths to keep their relationship quiet, but then Gibbs had an uncanny ability to be able to see through all of them.

"Well, when Tony started to come to work smelling like you…I considered it could be a coincidence. He might have switched his body wash to the brand you use." said Gibbs. "But I thought it was more likely that he was showering at your apartment before work."

Ziva laughed alittle and shook her head. "We kept waiting for the right time." "But there was never going to be a right time." "But then you went missing and then…McGee and Abby showed up at Tony's apartment." Ziva looked at the grey haired man sitting next to her. Gibbs had become like her father. The father that Eli David should have been to her. She said "Tony asked me to marry him when he woke up."

"And what did you tell him?" asked Gibbs. He wasn't too surprised that Tony wanted to marry her. Tony had grown a lot over the years and he might have acted foolish but he also knew a good thing when he saw one.

"I didn't tell him anything. The doctors came into the room and asked me to leave." "I told him that I would come back after all of his tests were done." said Ziva. "I want to tell him yes." "But, I don't know if we have been dating long enough." "And my family…" "I always imagined that my family would be there." "But I am as good as dead to them now."

"It may not be what you dreamed of but you have family here." said Gibbs.

"Thank you for saying that Gibbs." said Ziva.

A nurse walked over and said "Ms. David, you asked to be notified when Mr. DiNozzo was brought back to his room." "He is there and resting comfortably now."

"Thank you." said Ziva. She looked over at Gibbs. "I should go and talk to him." Ziva got up and left the waiting room and walked down the hall to Tony's room. She stood outside for a moment feeling butterflies in her stomach. She was a trained assassin she couldn't believe that something as simple as a marriage proposal had her so on edge. Ziva took a breath and walked into the hospital room.

Tony was propped up in the bed staring at the wall. The news that doctors had told him was weighing on his mind. He had no idea what this meant for him. He didn't know how he was going to be able to tell Ziva the truth. He looked over at the door hearing it open. He smiled seeing Ziva walk into the room. "I thought they would never bring me back here." said Tony laughing a little. He couldn't read the expression on her face and that worried him. He didn't know what he would do if Ziva turned him down.

Ziva walked over to the bed and said "I am just glad to see you awake." She smiled and had a seat next to his bed.

"It doesn't seem like it has been three days." "I feel like it was yesterday." "I had the strangest..dream while I was…in the coma." said Tony. Tony looked at Ziva. "Did you think about my proposal?"

Ziva looked into his eyes. "It has been three very long days." "Three very long and very scary days." "I still couldn't believe that you threw yourself in front of me like that." "If you would have died. I would have never forgiven myself." "Yes, I thought about your proposal Tony." "Yes, I want to marry you." "I love you…"

"I love you and when…I thought…I thought…I would do anything to save you." "Because living without you…wouldn't be much of a life." Tony smiled his trademark goofy grin. "I love you too Ziva." "I don't want to wait long to get married." "I want to get married soon." "I was thinking maybe we could get married right here in the hospital chapel?"

"Here?" "Why do you want to get married so soon Tony?" asked Ziva concerned. "Did the doctors tell you something bad?" asked Ziva wondering if Tony might not make a full recovery.

"I just don't want to wait any longer." "We love one another." "You are the only woman that I want to be with." "Why should we wait to get married?" said Tony. "We should get married now. We can get married in the hospital chapel and once I make a full recovery then we can have an actual wedding." "But this is important to me Ziva." "I want to make you my wife."

Ziva listened to his passionate plea and realized just how strongly he felt about getting married. Ziva couldn't bring herself to tell him to wait. She wanted to marry him and what did it matter if it was now. Everyone that was important to them could be there. Ziva offered him a smile. "I will marry you as soon as the doctors say you can get out of the bed and go to the chapel."

Tony smild and said "You just made me the happiest man in the world Ziva." "There is a lot to consider." "Do you want to move into my apartment or should I move into yours?"

"Well, I don't know maybe we should start our marriage on neutral territory and buy a house together." said Ziva. "A place that isn't yours or mines…but ours." said Ziva.

"Hmmm a Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda classic." said Tony with a smile to her 'Yours, Mines, and Ours' statement. Tony thought about it and said "I think that is a good idea." "Maybe we can start looking for a place while I am still in the hospital." "The doctors think that I might be here for awhile."

"Sure we can do that." said Ziva. "How long is awhile?" asked Ziva. "What did the doctors say Tony?" asked Ziva concerned.

"I might be here for a couple of weeks and then…I might need some rehab." said Tony beating around the bush.

Ziva felt a knot forming in her stomach. "Tony…tell me what is wrong please." The not knowing was causing her more anxiety. She was processing the millions of horrible possibilities in her mind. Each possibility was more devastating than the previous one. Ziva said "Just tell me."

Tony looked at the fear in her eyes. He felt how tightly she was clutching his hand. He didn't want to have to tell her this. "I can't feel my legs." said Tony. "Two of the bullets went straight through me." "One lodged near my spine. They removed it when they first brought me in after the surgery." "There is some swelling…and as it goes down…the feeling might come back."

Ziva did something that she rarely did. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks. "You weren't going to tell me?" asked Ziva in a raised voice. "You don't think I have a right to know that…that you are paralyzed." said Ziva nearly choking on the words.

"I didn't want to worry you until I knew if there was something to worry about." "The swelling could go down in a matter of hours." "The doctors will know more in a few days." "I just…I didn't want to scare you." "I want to protect you." said Tony.

"You can't protect me from reality Tony!" said Ziva. "And that reality is that you may never walk again."

Abby and McGee walked into the room as the last statement left Ziva's lips.

Tony looked to the door and saw the look of shock and horror on Abby and McGee's faces.