Tony pov
Tony took the long way home after dropping Ziva at her apartment hoping the drive would help dissipate the anger coursing through him. It didn't. Instead of turning right at the lights towards his apartment he kept going. At first, he was aiming for Gibbs' basement and bourbon but on route a better idea formed. Tony may not be able to destroy Saleem but there was someone else who hurt her who he could. As he pulled into the Navy Yard with one thing on his mind. Revenge.
It took a few calls to drag James Thomas out of holding citing that there was new evidence that he needed to question him about. Dornegat was stationed in processing that evening so it was easy really, that guy really needed to grow a backbone.
"Agent DiNozzo, without the lead agent's permission I really shouldn't.."
"JUST DO IT DORNIE" Tony shouted before slamming the phone down. 10 minutes later Mr Thomas was sat back in interrogation.
"Why the hell am I back here? You can't ask me any more questions without a lawyer."
"You think I care about a dam lawyer after what you did to her! You and everyone like you are scum who are not worthy of existence let alone a lawyer." James recoiled back into his chair as Tony continued getting more irate by the second "Why do you people do this, do you get off on the power? On making others scared? Well HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW!" Tony throws the table out of the way as James scrambles backwards. Tony had him by the neck pinned against a wall. "You feel that. The panic that grips your throat. You're a coward who is too afraid to do the right thing and tell me their names." Tony pulls back his fist when the interrogation door slams open.
"DiNozzo, enough" came Gibbs' gruff voice as he pulled Tony off of the shaking mess that was James and dragged him outside.
"Dorneget I'm gonna kill him for this."
"No. you're not. Go" When Tony doesn't move Gibbs gives him a head slap "Go calm down" Tony knows better than to argue with the boss even in this state and storms off to the gym. Gibbs finds him at the punching bag an hour later beating his anger out on something other than a face. He moves to hold it steady as DiNozzo keeps punching.
"You gonna tell me what's got you so angry?"
"There will always be more of them won't there" Tony says between punches "No matter how many we kill there will always be more."
"Part of the job."
"No. No this isn't part of the job. No one signs up for that no matter what you're trained for that is not just something that happens"
"This is about Zever."
Tony throws one last big punch and then begins to take off his gloves
"Yeah" he admits "it's about her. Boss what happened it's, it's bad and I just felt so helpless and like I failed her that I needed to do something, anything. I couldn't hurt him so I went after the next best thing. I know I messed up and probably screwed up the case."
Gibbs shrugged "It worked"
"Huh?"
"You scared him into giving up the names of his friends I've got agents picking them up now"
"What are we still doing here?! We need to go get them" Tony begins to run towards the exit.
"No, you need to calm down. You go after them you're off the case"
"What? But Gibbs.."
Gibbs responds with the stare he mastered long ago and Tony knows it's pointless arguing.
"Go home, sleep it off that's an order."
Ziva pov
Ziva woke after a fitful night's sleep. The stress of the week having got to her she collapsed into bed quickly after returning from Tony's apartment. On the upside, she had been too tired for her brain to compute what had happened that evening meaning no more flashbacks or nightmares just a searing migraine. In the light of the morning, she was stunned at what she had revealed to Tony and mortified at how she broke down in front of him. She never wanted to be seen like that and never wanted anyone let alone Tony to know that story. She was planning on spending the rest of the day hiding in embarrassment when she checked her phone. It was still on silent from yesterday, breaching rule three she knows but she felt like it was allowed under the circumstances. There was a missed call from Gibbs and a message from Tim.
Hey Ziva, Gibbs asked me to message you. We've had a break in the case. Gibbs says it's up to you if you come in or not. Hope you're okay :)
The thoughts from before were completely forgotten upon reading that. She was changed and out the door in under 5 minutes her mind racing on what could have changed overnight.
"What has happened?" she demands practically running into McGee her heart racing. McGee stares at her clearly taken aback by the unusual frazzled state of his colleague "McGee!" she pushes him to answer.
"We go em Zi." She spun round at the sound of Tony's voice behind her who was making his way over to her from the direction of interrogation. She stared at him not daring to take a breath. He gently grasped her shoulders, "We got them it's over they confessed." Still, she struggled to believe his words to be true. Nothing in Ziva's life was ever this simple it can't be. "Come with me," Tony grasped her hand and dragged a dazed Ziva towards interrogation. Tony took her into the two observation rooms to see the two men. "Meet Liam Mathews and Richard Bird they're still trying to pin the blame on each other for whose idea it was but it won't matter the evidence is overwhelming. It's over Ziva. Now do you want the honours?" Tony held out his set of handcuffs which Ziva took without a word and made her way into interrogation. The look on each man's face as she entered was something she engrained into her brain. The face of failure, of mistakes.
"You are under arrest for the murder of Petit Officer Anna Cole and for assault. She repeats to both men before handing them off to the junior agent at holding. She stood watching as the door clicked shut. Tony was right, It was over she had won. A smile splayed on her lips as she made her way back to her desk.
2 weeks later.
The gun salute sounded as Ziva stood over Anna's grave. Tony had wanted to go with her but this was something she needed to do alone. The rest of the congregation was beginning to disperse but Ziva stayed looking down at her. She took out the graduation photo of Anna that she had kept since the beginning of all of this. "Thank you, for teaching me to let go." She dropped the photo into the grave and turned to leave "I will live for the both of us, I promise sister"
The end.