So, this is gonna be the last chapter for this story. I like how it rounded out, and I'm working on a third part, (actually I have a huge series planned for this little "world" I've created) the first chapter will be up by next Saturday. Anyway, enough of my rambling, go enjoy chapter 16!

Sixteen

When Tony's eyes opened the next morning, his head was on Ziva's chest and her arms were wrapped around him firmly. He laid still, enjoying the warmth of the Israeli. He felt Ziva stir and he turned his head to look up at her.

Ziva smiled when her eyes met his. "Good morning." She said, running her hands over his back gently.

Tony smiled. "Good morning." He said.

"Did you sleep all night?" Ziva asked.

Tony thought for a moment. "I guess I did." He said, smiling a bit.

Ziva kissed his forehead. "That's good." She told him.

Tony nodded. "I probably shouldn't get used to it though. I'm sure they'll be back." He said.

Ziva sighed. "Probably." She agreed.

Tony pushed himself up to rest on his elbows and leaned down to kiss Ziva gently.

He pulled away a moment later, smiling. Ziva smiled back at him.

"What are you thinking?" She asked.

Tony shrugged. "I'm kinda proud of myself… for testifying and telling my story." He said, looking away from her.

Ziva brought her hand up to caress Tony's cheek gently, pulling him back to look at her. She smiled.

"You should be proud of yourself Tony. You have no idea how proud I am." She told him.

Tony shrugged. "I guess."

Ziva kissed his forehead softly. "Can I tell you something?" She asked.

Tony nodded as he laid down on his side facing her. "Of course."

Ziva turned over to face him. She hesitated for a moment.

Tony reached out, running his hand along her arm gently. "Talk to me Zi." He requested.

"I'm not quite sure how to say it… I'm… almost jealous, of you." She said quietly, her eyes leaving Tony's.

Now it was Tony's turn to bring her eyes back to his. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Ziva shrugged, biting her lip. "I know it wouldn't have been possible, and I am not saying that I do not want him dead… before you found me, my biggest wish was that he would feel the way that I felt one day. I wanted him to know what it was like to be raped. I wanted him to feel as used and dirty as I did. I wanted him to be scared when he heard footsteps outside the door.." She trailed off as tears slid down her cheeks.

Tony slid closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. Ziva let her weight rest against him as she tried to breathe slowly.

Tony ran his hand though her hair gently, whispering nothing in particular to her as he did it.

"I cannot even count how many different men… it was awful." She told Tony.

Tony kissed her forehead softly. "You're safe now sweetheart." He said softly. "Everyone in that camp is dead."

Ziva nodded. "I am a terrible person." She mumbled, reaching up to play with the Star of David that hung around her neck.

Tony looked down at her. "What?" He asked, thoroughly confused. "No, you aren't."

Ziva sniffled. "I have done a lot of things in my life, but I have never wanted someone to feel so much pain. I wanted him to suffer, and I wanted him to die… I prayed for it… That… it was not right." She told Tony.

Tony sat up and pulled Ziva into his lap. He pulled the blankets over them and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"We all make mistakes Zi. Some are bigger than others, and what he did to you, what he allowed his men to do to you… he deserved everything he got." Tony said softly.

Ziva shrugged. "He took something from me…" She said. "And he put it back, but the way he put it back… it twisted and contorted everything… he took the peace I felt when I would do simple things, like say Shema, just out of habit… I haven't been able to since. I would try my best to relax myself on Shabbat… He took away the good parts of my faith, everything that offered me a sliver of comfort, and when he put them back… I do not even know how to describe it. But I was not me anymore." She explained.

Tony kissed her forehead softly. "I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner." He told her honestly.

Ziva shook her head. "No." She told him. "You rescued me at the right time. I have always held some belief in 'everything happens for a reason'. We just don't get to know the reason sometimes."

Tony nodded. "There better be a damn good reason to put you through everything you've been through." He said seriously.

Ziva laughed lightly, resting her head on his shoulder. "I am still alive. And so are you. That's what matters." She said.

Tony tightened his grip on her. "You were ready to not be…" He said.

Ziva nodded. "You are right. After everything that had happened with NCIS, and us… my father sent me into a death trap… I had nothing to hold onto anymore." She told him. "Until you showed up."

"I was so happy you were alive." Tony whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

"I was happy that you didn't hate me." Ziva said.

Tony shook his head. "I could never hate you. I love you too much. I always have." He told her.

Ziva smiled a bit, looking up at him. "So have I." She said.

XXXXX

Tony looked through the peephole in the apartment door at quarter to five to see Abby and Gibbs standing outside the door.

He pulled the door open and greeted his friends warmly, stepping aside to allow them into the apartment. They took their shoes off and placed them by the door carefully.

Abby stood up straight, looking at Tony. "Hug?" She asked.

Tony smiled brightly and held his arms open to the forensic scientist. Abby wrapped her arms around him and was taken a bit by surprise when Tony squeezed her tightly. She smiled and squeezed him back lightly. She didn't want to hit a spot that might still be sore.

They released each other after a moment and Abby stepped back. "I'm gonna go see if Ziva needs anything." She told the two agents.

Tony nodded. "Good idea, I wasn't much help." He said, laughing lightly.

Abby rolled her eyes playfully and retreated into the kitchen.

Tony looked over at Gibbs, who was standing by the door, watching him closely.

"You wanna sit down or something, boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs nodded. "Sure." He said, stepping away from the door.

Tony led him toward the couch, and he sat down. Gibbs sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of Tony.

Tony sat silently, waiting for Gibbs to speak.

"How are you?" Gibbs asked seriously.

Tony shrugged. "I'm fine." He told him.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

Tony sighed. "I will be fine. I feel better than I have in a long time." He told Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded. "We haven't really had a chance to talk since the hospital-"

Tony interrupted him. "Sorry about that, by the way." He said.

Tony flinched, getting ready for the smack on the back of the head he was about to receive. He was pleasantly surprised when his boss' hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for Tony." Gibbs told him seriously. "And I want to make sure you know that nothing's changed. I don't think of you any differently than I did before."

Tony nodded. "Thanks boss." He said quietly.

"You're still a damn fine agent, I've never doubted that." Gibbs said. "I'm just glad you're okay kid." He told Tony, pulling him into a brief hug.

Abby and Ziva watched the two men interact from the kitchen doorway quietly. Ziva had to take a deep breath to stop herself from tearing up. She realized that Tony was right. These people were her family, and she loved them.

A knock on the door startled them. Ziva walked over to the door and pulled it open, and Ducky, Jimmy, and Breena stepped into the apartment.

Ducky kissed Ziva's cheek as Gibbs stood up from the coffee table to sit in the chair against the wall.

"I would've brought something, but I didn't know what to bring!" Ducky told Ziva as he took his shoes off.

Ziva smiled. "Nonsense, Ducky! You do not have to bring anything but yourself." Ziva told him.

Ducky moved to greet Tony, Gibbs, and Abby on the couch while Ziva hugged Jimmy and Breena.

"Chicken is okay for you, yes?" Ziva asked Breena.

Breena nodded, smiling brightly. "Of course." She told Ziva.

Ziva smiled. "Alright, good." She said. "Make yourselves at home, the bathroom is down the hall, it is the last door." She announced.

"Where's McGee?" Jimmy asked.

"Not a clue, he's usually the early one." Tony stated, laughing a bit.

The team laughed with him.

Tony stood up. "What do you guys want to drink?" He asked.

"I have a few bottles of wine, or beer, water…" Ziva listed.

"I'll take a beer." Gibbs told him.

"Me too." Abby and Jimmy said simultaneously.

"I wouldn't say no to a glass of wine, Anthony." Ducky called from his spot on the couch.

"Me too, please." Breena chimed in.

"Alright, three beer, two wine, red or white?" He asked.

"Red, please." Ducky said.

Tony turned to Breena. "And you?" He asked.

"I'll have white, if you don't mind." Breena said.

Tony nodded. "Comin right up." He announced before he walked into the kitchen.

He heard Ziva's familiar footsteps following him into the quiet space. She walked up and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he uncorked the wine.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Tony nodded, turning around in her arms. "I'm fine Zi, I promise." He told her. He leaned down to kiss her softly, his hand coming up to cup her cheek.

Ziva nodded as they pulled away. "Alright."

Tony turned back to his task, and Ziva stayed behind him, as close as possible for as long as possible. As he reached up to get the wine glasses out of the cupboard, he heard Abby opening the door to let McGee in.

"McLate!" Tony called from the kitchen.

McGee's head popped into the doorway. "Not late, just not early." He told Tony.

Tony shook his head. "Whatever you have to tell yourself." He said lightheartedly. "What do you want to drink?" He asked.

"Beer, please." He said.

Ziva released her hold on Tony's waist to grab four bottles of beer out of the fridge and open them. She handed one to McGee on her way out of the kitchen, and delivered the remaining three to Abby, Jimmy, and Gibbs.

"Tony's got the wine." She told Ducky and Breena, who both nodded, waiting patiently.

A moment later, Tony stepped into the living room carefully holding three glasses of wine. He handed one to Breena, and one to Ducky, before he sat down on the floor beside Ziva, handing her the last glass.

Ziva smiled. "Thank you."

Tony wrapped his arm around Ziva's waist and allowed himself to get drawn into the animated conversation that Abby and McGee were having about some sort of computer thing. He felt Ziva relax against him, and she looked up at him before resting her head on his shoulder comfortably.

XXXXX

Ziva grabbed a stack of plates out of the cupboard and set them down beside the food she had laid out on the kitchen counter, since her place wasn't really big enough for a dining table.

"Food's ready." She called as she opened the drawer with the cutlery in it.

She heard seven pairs of feet hurrying toward the kitchen, and she made sure to stand back as they descended on the stack of plates before diving into the food.

"This looks amazing Ziva." Jimmy told her.

"And it smells even better." McGee said as he grabbed some chicken out of the crockpot.

Ziva smiled. "Thank you, it is a family recipe." She told them.

Tony smiled up at her as he managed to squeeze past Gibbs at the back of the line. He stood beside her, and she wrapped her arm around his waist as they watched their friends, waiting patiently for them to finish before they served themselves.

"Cutlery is in the drawer on the end." She said, pointing toward the open drawer.

The team piled food on their plates and grabbed their forks and knives and filed out of the kitchen. Tony handed Ziva a plate and she began to pile her own dinner onto her plate. She kissed Tony's cheek before she grabbed cutlery and followed the rest of the team into the living room to eat.

Tony stepped into the living room with his plate a minute later and found everyone sitting around the coffee table, either on the couch or on the floor, eating and engaged in loud conversations amongst themselves. He was happy to be around them. This felt almost normal, and he wanted nothing more than normal.

XXXXX

A few hours later, everyone was gathering their coats to go home, while Tony and Ziva stood by the door watching.

"Are you sure you don't want some help with the dishes?" Breena asked as she pulled her coat on.

Ziva smiled. "I am sure, I actually kind of enjoy washing dishes. It's relaxing." She told the blonde in front of her.

Breena nodded. "Alright." She said. "Well, thanks for having us."

Ziva smiled. "Thank you for coming. We will all have to do this again at some point." She said.

"I'm up for that." McGee added from behind Ducky.

Jimmy, Breena, and Ducky were the first to leave. Ziva moved between the small crowd of people to hug them and thank them for coming, before sending them on their way.

Abby pulled Tony and Ziva both into tight hugs before she dragged McGee out the door with her.

Gibbs hugged Ziva quickly. "Call if you need anything." He told her.

Ziva nodded. "I will, don't worry. I will see you later." She said before she turned to gather the wine glasses that were on the coffee table.

Gibbs pulled Tony into their second hug in less than five hours, shocking the younger man slightly.

"Same goes for you, you know? I'll do whatever I can to help you. We all will." Gibbs told him.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I know. Thank you."

Gibbs smiled, a rare occasion that Tony was slightly disappointed he didn't catch on video, strictly for proof that it actually happened.

"You're not alone in this Tony." Gibbs reminded him.

Tony smiled brightly. "I know."

Don't forget that part three will be coming soon! Thanks for reading :)