Gibbs POV earlier that day

I watched as Ziva took off running out of the hospital doors into the rain. I called her name several times but it was to no avail she was gone. i sighed and had no choice but to turn around and walk back to Tony's room. The last couple of days had been rough on everybody, Tony gotten shot and had suffered a few other minor injuries, Tim had gone through Hell, and Ziva, I wiped my hand across my face, who knows what she's been through the last few months. i had been lost in thought that I hadn't realized that I had been standing outside Dinozzo room. I grasped the handle and walked inside.

Tony POV present

I stared down at my hands. She didn't come see at all, I didn't think that would hurt that much, but it did. Man it hurt almost as bad as that bullet.

"Well that's that then isn't it boss oh well I'll just see her at work then." I tried to say with a smile but I knew I didn't pull it off because of what Gibbs said next

"Give her time Dinozzo, she's just a little overwhelmed, she's been a prisoner in the terrorist cell for months being tortured and it was probably her Fathers doing, and then she was rescued by people she didn't think she'd see again, people she thinks she doesn't deserve to see again."

I didn't say anything back; he sighed and said he was going to get some coffee. He stood up from the chair and walked to the doorway. He was about to put his foot out the door when he paused and said to me

"Don't give up on her Dinozzo, I don't know how much more that girl can take." And with that he left the room leaving me with my thoughts.

Ziva POV

The taxi ride felt endless and I literally threw my money at the driver and ran out of the cab into my apartment building. As I walked up the stair to my apartment I could feel my emotions starting to crack and quickened my pace. I reached my floor and ran as fast I could to my door. I realized I didn't have my keys, I sighed as I reached up to grab a bobby pin from hair. I quickly picked the lock and shut the door behind me. I dropped my stuff and slowly sat down on the floor, pulling my knees tight up against my chest. I looked around my apartment, I didn't think I would feel a sense of relief but I did, just knowing that one thing in my life hadn't changed. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. I picked myself off the ground and walked into the bathroom. The person who was looking back at me in the mirror couldn't be me, this person

Looked weak, looked defeated. I sighed as I began to strip down. I winced as my I pulled off my shirt, my skin was scarred and ruined, the doctors told me that they would fade, but they would never truly go away. My resolve broke as I stepped into the shower, the tears started to flow as soon as the scalding water hit my body, I was going to carry around reminders of what that sadistic bastard did to me for the rest of my life.

Tony POV

I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep until I opened my eyes and saw McGee reading a magazine.

"Reading cooking magazines again Probie, jeez I have got to get you a subscription to Maxim."

He chuckled as he closed the magazine

"Ah tony some things will never change"

I let out a small smile but it soon faded when I thought about Ziva

"She cares. She really does, I just think she's overwhelmed, she was ready to die. Just give her some time, let old wounds fade and let the new ones begin to heal"

And with those words he got up and left the room.