The hum of the engine filled the heavy silence as the team drove through the night toward the nearest small Navy base. The desert stretched out endlessly on either side of them, but the danger felt closer than ever. The back of the vehicle was cramped, but Ari barely noticed as he sat beside Ziva, his eyes fixed on her pale, bruised face.

She was unconscious now, her body limp and unresponsive, save for the occasional twitch or pained murmur. Every breath she took sounded shallow, labored, and with each one, Ari's heart clenched tighter. He had her, but the reality of her condition weighed on him more than the mission itself ever had.

For the first time in years, tears slipped down Ari's face. They fell silently, cutting a stark contrast against his stoic expression as he stared at his sister, now unrecognizable from the fierce woman he had known. His mind raced, flashing back to their childhood and the proud, resilient Ziva he had always admired. To see her now so broken, so vulnerable shattered something deep inside him.

He reached out and gently brushed a strand of her matted hair from her face. The tears didn't stop, but Ari made no move to wipe them away. There was no space for his emotions right now. Ziva was alive, but barely, and that was all that mattered.

For him it was almost like loosing Tali all over again. The two sisters always looked so much alike. When Tali died he and Ziva where with her and she looked just as broken and vulnerable as Ziva did right now. But Ziva was alive and that was all he had to hold on to. She is alive. That was what mattered.

Kate who sat on the other side of Ari realized that he was done with the world at the moment so she just stroked his arm a little bit. He then looked at her with tears still falling down his face washing parts of the dirt and dust away.

"Hey we've got hee. She is alive. She will make it" said Kate gibing him a soft smile. Ari closed his eyes for a second before he nodded. He wanted to look at her and smile back but he could not bring his face to do so.

As Ziva twitched again his attention was back at her. He softly stroke her cheek as he whispered towards hee "You are safe now. I am here Ziva. I am so sorry that I did not rescue you earlier".

The twitching stopped again but Aris eyes did not leave her.

"Almost there," Gibbs said from the front, breaking the quiet but not looking back. His voice was steady, but there was a heavy edge to it. They all felt it the urgency, the weight of the situation pressing down on them.

Tony, seated next to Gibbs, stole a glance back at Ziva and Ari. The horror in his eyes was evident, his usual flippant attitude replaced by grim silence. "She's gonna make it," he said softly, almost as if he needed to convince himself.

Ari didn't respond. He couldn't find the words, and the tears on his face continued to fall, unchecked. Instead, he held Ziva's cold, fragile hand tighter, as if that would keep her tethered to him, keep her from slipping away.

McGee, tracking the GPS, spoke next. "We're about ten minutes out from the base. I've already sent word ahead medics will be standing by."

Gibbs gave a curt nod, speeding up the vehicle, the urgency pressing down on all of them.

When they reached the small Navy base, the team was greeted by medics who had already prepared a helicopter for transport to the larger base, where better-equipped medical facilities awaited. As soon as they stopped, the medics rushed toward the vehicle, opening the door to assess Ziva's condition.

"Unconscious, but breathing," one of the medics reported, his hands already moving swiftly to check her vitals.

Ari carefully lifted Ziva from the back of the vehicle, cradling her in his arms as if she were made of glass. She stirred slightly, letting out a weak, pained moan, but her eyes remained closed. The medics immediately moved to help transfer her to a stretcher, but Ari resisted for a moment, his grip tightening instinctively.

"I've got her," he said, his voice rough with emotion.

One of the medics placed a hand on Ari's shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look. "She's in good hands now. We'll take care of her."

Ari hesitated but eventually nodded, laying her down on the stretcher as gently as he could. His heart twisted as he let go, but he stayed close, walking beside her as the medics wheeled her toward the waiting helicopter.

Just as his hand left hers she did not feel his presence anymore. The medics continued wheeling her away as she woke up again. Looking around she panicked. Ari was not there anymore. Was everything just a dream? Was she still in that camp?

"Ari" she whispered her voice almost failing her. As no one reacted she called for her brother again.

"It's alright we got you" a strange voice said to her startling her. She started to look around more and saw the two military medics? Above her. She then panicked and tried to stand up.

As one of the men tried to push her down she tried to free herself.

"Let me go" she said. "Don't touch me" she continued.

"Mam you have to calm down please. Stay calm you are safe now. We have to check your injuries"

Ziva starred at the medic insure what to think about them. "Ari" she called out louder her voice hurting from using it. Just when she tried to free herself again Ari appeared beside her.

"Shhhh it's alright" he said. "Let them do their job."

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee followed, watching with silent concern as the medics worked quickly, strapping Ziva in and hooking her up to IVs and monitors. Once she was secure, they all climbed into the helicopter, the blades already spinning, ready to take off.

Ari sat beside Ziva, holding her hand again as the helicopter lifted off the ground. The noise was deafening, but all Ari could focus on was the rise and fall of her chest, each breath seeming like a battle in itself.

The flight felt endless, the tension in the air thick with worry. The medics worked quietly, checking Ziva's vitals, but Ari never took his eyes off her. She looked so fragile now, her face a mess of bruises and cuts, her body broken from the ordeal she had endured. But she was alive. That was all that mattered.

After what felt like an eternity, the helicopter began its descent toward the larger Navy base. The moment they touched down, more medics were waiting to transfer Ziva into the base's medical center. Ari followed them every step of the way, his presence a constant shadow at Ziva's side.

The hospital room was brightly lit, a stark contrast to the dark, dirty cell where Ziva had been held for so long. Doctors and nurses moved swiftly around her, checking her injuries, administering fluids, and preparing her for the surgery that she would need.

Ari stayed by her side, never letting go of her hand, even as the medical staff worked around him. They didn't push him away. Perhaps they could sense that, for now, he needed to be there as much as she needed the care.

"She'll need surgery," one of the doctors informed him. "We've stabilized her for now, but there are some fractured and broken bones and other injuries that we need to address. We'll take her to surgery as soon as possible we'll do everything we can."

Ari nodded, his throat too tight to speak. He looked down at Ziva, her face now clean but still swollen and bruised, and brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

"I'm not leaving you, Ziva," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the hospital. "Not now. Not ever."

But as the doctors prepared to move Ziva to the operating room, one of them gently touched Ari's arm. "We need space to work. You'll have to wait outside."

Ari hesitated, his gaze lingering on Ziva's face, but he knew they were right. He wasn't helping her by staying in the way.

"I'll be right here when you wake up," he whispered to Ziva before reluctantly releasing her hand and stepping back.

Just after he left the room he heard a scream that shattered his heart. He almost broke together when someone caught him. Kate. It was Kate who stood right beside him.

"I can't" another scream interrupted him followed by something being thrown on the floor breaking. A nurse came out of the room and Ari could see Ziva trying to fight the doctors off. As if she did not want them to help her. He could hear the doctor saying something to the leaving nurse about medics to calm her down.

Kate then walked into the room leaving Ari outside. She could see the terror and fear in Zivas eyes and realized that there was not a problem with them helping her but probably because they where male.

"Hey" said Kate. "Is there a female doctor around?" She asked.

"Yes. Why?" Asked the doctor who would have a black eye the following days because Ziva hit him. "Can someone please get her to check Zivas injuries?" She asked.

The second nurse realized what Kate was referring to and nodded and went away to get the female doctor.

"Why would you want to change her doctor? She is my patient" said the doctor with the soon black eye. "She'll get medics and then I can do my job"

Kate got angry because of the doctors "Excuse me but Ziva was being held as a prison in a terrorist camp for several months. Why do you think she is fighting the doctor off who tries to take her clothes off?"

Just as the female doctor appeared the other one realized what Kate was referring to and left the room without saying a word. As soon as he left Ziva was calmer whispering a soft "tank you" toward Kate which she almost couldn't hear.

As they wheeled her away to surgery, Ari stood in the hallway, his heart heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. Gibbs appeared beside him, his expression unreadable but his presence reassuring. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. Gibbs simply nodded, a silent acknowledgment of Ari's pain.

Hours passed before the doctors emerged from the operating room. Ziva had made it through surgery, but she wasn't out of the woods yet. Her body had been pushed to its limits, and the road to recovery would be long and difficult.

"We're transferring her to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for further treatment and recovery," the doctor explained. "She'll need more surgeries, and Ramstein has the facilities to handle that."

Ari nodded, his mind already on the next step. He wasn't leaving her side, not now, not until she was safe and whole again. He looked at Gibbs, who gave him a nod of approval. The next phase of their journey had begun.

The flight to Ramstein was quiet, the team exhausted but focused. Ziva remained unconscious, her body still, save for the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest. The doctors had done what they could for now, but the worst wasn't over.

As the plane touched down in Germany, Ari felt a surge of relief, tempered by the knowledge that Ziva's fight was far from over. She would undergo more surgeries, more treatments, but she was strong. She had survived Somalia. She would survive this too.

And Ari would be there for her. No matter what.