AN: The part with Tony and Ziva is emotional and, therefore, very uncharacteristic. But I think it works and I hope you like it.
Ziva had followed Tony into the men’s room a couple of days after he had returned to work. She put her arms around him and hugged him. She stood there for a moment and it took him a little bit to realize that she was crying. He pulled her against him, and she wrapped her arms tighter around him.
“I usually do not get emotional…”Ziva paused, looking up at Tony. “…but when you tried to tell me goodbye….”
“I want finish what I was going to say.”
‘”Why?” Ziva asked, wiping her eyes. “You are ok, yes?’
Tony nodded. “I want you to know how I feel.”
“Tony?” Ziva pleaded. “I do not think I can stand to hear it.”
Tony sighed. “I want you to know. I am sorry about Michael. I didn’t mean for him to die. He could have killed me. He should have that night. He should have had the upper hand. I missed you so much when you decided to go back to Israel, but I understood. You felt I had betrayed you. You couldn’t trust me. When I heard you had died…I couldn’t let it go. I wanted revenge so bad, that I could taste it. Because, as much as you hated me when you decided to stay in Israel. That is how much I wanted, needed justice. Then..then when I saw you...I....”
“I pulled a gun on you, Tony. I knocked you to the ground and pulled a gun on you.” Ziva said, shocked by his words.
Tony shook his head, dismissing it. “You were angry. If I had keen in your place, I would have been angry too.” Tony paused. “You have been an excellent partner to me. You have been a great friend. I have told you things I have never told any other person. You have respected me and our friendship enough to keep those things to yourself to really appreciate that.”
“That man, he tortured you, Tony.” Ziva said, looking up at him and touching his face. “You got captured on purpose, knowing you would get tortured to save me.” Ziva shook her head. “What if you had not survived?”
“As long as you did, that was all that mattered.”
Ziva just looked at him. She was not used to such selflessness. Even her own father had never shown her such caring. She didn’t know what to say. She just stared at him as tears steamed down her face.
Tony pulled her back into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him again, buried her head in his chest and sobbed.
TBC
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