Ziva leaned on Tony's chest as they drove to NCIS. She was on his lap in the backseat with Gibbs driving and McGee in the front seat. She'd wanted to go home but Gibbs didn't want to risk it until they knew for sure Hoffman had been captured. McGee called Dorneget and sent him to the apartment to pick up her and Tony's bags and her chair. They'd decided to hunker down at NCIS until they knew one way or another.

Tony held on to her and for some reason she couldn't shake tonight like she normally shook these things off; she needed to feel his arms around her, she needed to be near him. And she saw that he needed to be near her.

Most of the ride McGee spent on the phone either talking to Dorneget or getting an update from Sacks on the scene. So far the FBI hadn't found Hoffman or anyone else; they'd only found the bodies in the chapel and apparently there were other bodies tossed in the basement of the school building but those bodies weren't as pristinely tended as the ones in the chapel.

They arrived at NCIS fairly quickly and could hear the FBI helicopters passing overhead enroute to the school compound. Ziva pushed herself off Tony's lap only to feel his arm pull her closer. She gave him a little nod and smile and he exited the car then pulled her up into his arms.

"Wait," McGee said, "maybe we should take Ziva to the hospital?"

"Oh no, McGee," Ziva shook her head, "I am OK and I...I don't want to be with strangers right now."

McGee nodded and kissed Ziva's cheek. "Let's get upstairs."

"Ducky is on his way," Gibbs announced as he rounded the car. "He'll check you out here," he nodded and watched as they all entered the building. Ziva noticed he took a quick survey of the area before entering himself.

They went up to the bullpen where Vance waited on them and pulled Bishop's chair for Ziva to sit. It took Tony longer than it should have to put her down but she understood. She really just wanted to go home with him and curl into his side. It wasn't something she ever needed before in her entire life but right now she just could not help it.

They debriefed her in the bullpen and she told them Hoffman's motivation and delusions. Tony didn't once let go of her hand, filthy as her hand was. She was covered in dust and dirt from dragging her body along that floor. Her hip and back ached but she didn't want to say for fear they'd overreact and take her to the hospital. She couldn't stomach the thought of being away from Tony or them right now. Ziva told them about the movement in the building she heard and the possible second person, about Hoffman's connection to the Frankenstein project and that gave them a point of start. Vance let them know that he had copies of all the Frankenstein files. He'd made them long ago just in case. It was possible Hoffman's picture was there and a picture went further than a sketch if Fornell didn't get him tonight.

The news had visuals of the search but as far as they could tell FBI wasn't bringing anyone out of that compound unless they were in a body bag. Vance loaded the files onto McGee's computer and it didn't take too long for Ziva to identify Hoffman from the pictures there. Dorneget arrived with their bags and she was told Bishop was in the hospital getting treated for the concussion and gas inhalation.

Eyeing her bag she looked up at Tony, "I'd like to clean up. Can we head down to the locker rooms?"

"Why don't I check you out first?" Ducky said as he approached them from the elevator. He shook his head as he saw the state Ziva was in.

"I would really like to clean up, Ducky, we've been debriefing for awhile now and I feel-" Ziva started.

"All right," Ducky nodded. "Come down when you are ready. I'll get everything set up downstairs." He turned to Gibbs, "Are we still leaving or has this turned into a stand and fight thing?"

They all looked to Gibbs who glanced at Ziva, "I want to wait and see what Fornell finds first but my gut is telling me we should stick to schedule and go."

Ziva looked up at Tony, "I never gave Ralph the bills."

"Oh," Dorneget chimed in, "was that the box marked Ralph on your dining table? I can go back and do that for you guys."

"Thanks, Dorney," Tony patted him on the back. "Come on, Ziva," he grabbed their bags, hurled them over his shoulder and pulled the back of her chair, "Let's change."

They went down to the women's lockers, it was past 9pm now, and Tony was fairly certain most who used the room were gone so he locked the door.

He dropped their bags on the bench and took a seat, pulled Ziva in front, "This people trying to take you from me," he swallowed, "tired of it."

"Me too," Ziva nodded as she wove her fingers between his.

"Baby," he whispered, "Are you ok?"

Ziva looked up at him with those big, dark eyes, "No. Hoffman scared me. I have dealt with a lot of bad men but never one so..."

"Crazy?" Tony finished.

Ziva nodded and he pulled her into an embrace.

"It is one thing to deal with crazy and I thank God all the time that Cobb didn't hurt you. But now we are dealing with crazy and skilled," Tony held her tighter, "this guy...he isn't our ordinary serial killer."

"No," Ziva pulled back, "he isn't. If Fornell doesn't get him tonight. I am scared he will come after you." She hesitated then nodded to herself, "he didn't have time to do anything to me, Tony but I think he might have... fixated." Ziva bit her lip as she looked at him.

"Did he touch you?" Tony grabbed her hands.

"He just touched my leg that is all but the way he spoke to me, the way he envisioned things," Ziva squeezed his hands, "he wanted a woman."

He touched her wedding ring, "You are taken."

Ziva smiled then leaned forward and kissed him, "Yes I am." She then took a deep breath and turned to open her bag then looked back at Tony, "What did you mean - lojack?"

"Remember when I told you McGee put a tracker in your necklace but then you left it," Tony leaned slightly away from her.

"You gave me that necklace?" Ziva smiled. "I never noticed a difference"

"Mad?" Tony asked.

"No," Ziva replied. "Happy you love me so much."

They kissed then Tony started the shower as Ziva got clothes ready. It was an awkward process because the showers at NCIS were much smaller than what they had at home. Tony found a metal folding chair and brought it in, throwing a towel over it for Ziva and would be forced to shower in the next stall.

"What's this?" Tony asked Ziva as he set her down on the chair in the shower stall. "This bruise is looking nasty already and it's pretty big."

"Must have happened when I fell getting off the altar," Ziva said as she looked down at her hip.

"You didn't say you had fallen when we debriefed," Tony slipped his hand to her lower back, feeling for swelling but it seemed fine.

"I did not find it important at that moment," Ziva said. "I was just trying to escape."

Tony gripped the back of her chair; Ziva saw his anger almost like a physical thing rise in him and she leaned into him, kissed him and whispered, "I am all right. I am all right. I love you."

"I need to find this man," Tony growled, "and tear his throat out."

Fear gripped Ziva, fear that Tony would be caught in something that would cost him his life. The fear welled up, caused her body to shake in his arms, caused her breathing to catch as she held onto him. "I am so sorry, Tony, I am so sorry," she cried against his neck.

"Why are you sorry, baby?" Tony calmed, held her.

"I know how you felt now," she said shakily, "when I left. I am afraid that you will-"

"I am an idiot, Ziva," Tony soothed her with his hands, "but I know I love you. I won't risk you for anything."

They kissed deeply, held onto each other and then Tony grabbed a washcloth and wiped Ziva's face. He stayed with her until all of tonight's dirt and grime washed down the drain then lifted her onto the towel covered wheelchair. He removed the folding chair from the shower and tossed the wet towel into the bin before showering himself.

Ziva dried off and dressed, pulled her hair into a half wet ponytail and stared at her legs for a long moment. She'd always wanted to believe she could do anything, overcome anything if she was just stubborn enough. But without her legs under her she was so much slower, so much more vulnerable than she ever felt in her life. Gibbs was right; they should all go away for awhile - figure this out in peace.

"Come on," Tony startled her. He'd packed their bags and thrown away the clothes she'd been wearing tonight. "Let's go see Ducky."

Ziva nodded and soon they were down in autopsy. She smiled when she saw that Ducky had moved in a gurney so she didn't have to lie down on the cold autopsy tables. Tony lifted her up and Ducky examined and X-Rayed her back. He told her everything looked alright, nothing was broken but he wanted to keep an eye on the bruise.

When Tony was satisfied she was OK; they all went up to the bullpen. The scene they came upon rendered them speechless.

The gang were all watching the plasma except for Gibbs who was by the window on the cell. Ziva turned to see what they were looking at and it took her breath.

The school complex was in flames. The news was reporting that eighteen FBI and policemen were confirmed dead with additional fatalities possible. The reporter said that some were killed in an explosion but that initial reports indicate that many were stabbed...butchered. It is unknown if the assailants were caught in the explosion or if they escaped. Further information was unavailable.

Gibbs walked back to them from the window, "Fornell is alive but he was stabbed. They took him to Uni."

"We need to get him," Ziva stated. "Hoffman will want to finish what he started."

Hey Gang! Loving the reviews! More please :)

Note: I almost had Tony and Ziva have sex in the locker room but I couldn't get past the EJ thing in my head. However, it is possible that they had to get close - very close to each other in that room.