AN: Yes, I realize that it has been over a year since I've updated this. Between life, school etc. It's been hard to find time to update but since I have a new laptop for college I should be able to update more frequently. Just be patient with me and I'll try to get other fics updated too.

Tony settled into his seat between Ziva and Gibbs. Most of their flight had been spent in total silence. Ziva looked at him worriedly, "You have gotten up to use the restroom five times since we have been in the air, Tony. Are you sure that everything is alright?"

"Why are you keeping track, Zee-Vah?" he muttered trying not to wake Gibbs, who had dozed off somewhere over Texas.

"I am just concerned is all." she shrugged, "When was the last time you had your prostate checked?"

"Feels like I'm getting a prostate exam right now." he grumbled, suddenly feeling a bit defensive. He mentally scolded himself. He knew that Ziva was only looking out for him in the same way he would for her if the roles were reversed. Truthfully he had been watching her more closely than normal lately. Partly because he felt responsible for what had happened to her, and part of it was something he couldn't quite describe.

Ziva sighed, "Fine. I will leave you alone." She turned away from him and made herself comfortable with the pillow the flight attendant had brought her earlier.

"Hey," he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, "I know you're just looking out for me. All they had to eat at the airport was a roach wagon out front and I didn't want to pay for crappy airline food, so I got a taco that didn't agree with me, if you must know."

"What is a 'roach wagon' and why would you want to eat at one?" she asked, still not meeting his gaze.

"It's one of those little food carts that look sort of like an aluminum motor home that sells Mexican food that gives you diarrhea." he explained, "They're not known for being sanitary so they get cockroaches."

"I have some of your little cookies in my bag."

"Ugh, no thanks. I don't think I'll eat again for a month."

"Okay, let's run down the checklist one last time." Abby was frantically pacing the airport corridor and periodically glancing over to the terminals.

McGee placed a hand on her shoulder, "Abbs, we've run down the list five times and they're not expected to land for another two hours. You can relax a little. I know, look who I'm talking to."

"Just one more, please?" she pleaded. "Banner?"

Holding up Abby's home-made banner reading the words Welcome back Tony, Ziva and Bossman "Yep."

Abby rolled her eyes, "It's a checklist, McGee. If you have it you say check, not 'yep.' Then they would call it a 'yep-list' which is funner to say, but it's still a checklist."

Ducky chuckled, "No sense arguing my boy, she's stressed, sleep deprived and on enough caffeine that I believe I can see veins throbbing on her temple."

She reached up to feel her head and furrowed her brow, "I don't feel anything so I'm still good."

"Abby, they're going to be happy to see us regardless of whether or not you've met the expectations you've set for yourself." McGee assured her, "They're just going to be glad to be back on home soil. Does it really matter if you brought welcome back cards and cookies?"

"It matters to me!" she pouted.

Tony sat awake while Ziva and Gibbs dozed. They would be landing soon so it was fruitless to try to sleep. Even if he could relax enough to fall asleep he would be woken again by a reminder to put up his tray and buckle.

A little old lady walked down the aisle, assisted by her husband. The couple looked to be around 80 years old. "Oh, Humphery, look at that. Why I remember when you and I were young and in love..."

"Hey! I'm still young!" her husband protested.

Tony grinned, looking over at Ziva who was drooling on his shoulder. The headphones fron the in flight movie were still over her ears even though the movie ended an hour ago. "We're not a couple."

"Aw." the old woman cooed, "It's so cute how you still think that."

Humphery laughed, "Give it time."

"Yay! You're home, you're home, you're home!" Abby ran forward and then stopped suddenly in front of her three friends. She found herself faced with a sudden predicament. "Argh, who do I hug first?! Tony and Ziva have been gone longer but Gibbs is Gibbs!"

"Well, you better decide quick, I'm not going to stand here all day!" Gibbs complained, although he was smiling.

"Um, Gibbs!" she gripped him tightly and released him quickly, "Then Ziva!" she embraced Ziva and then finally Tony, "And Tony!"

"Hey, how come I get picked last?" he pouted in mock hurt.

She grabbed Tony again, "You can have two then, is that better?"

"It's not worse..." he smiled, "Great to see you again, Abby."

McGee patted Tony on the shoulder, "Good to see you guys got back in one piece."

"No they didn't!" Abby turned to McGee, "I mean yeah, they don't have missing limbs or anything but look at Ziva's head!"

Ducky walked up to Ziva and checked her stitches, "Abigail you have no reason to fear. Her stitches look fine and it is already beginning to heal." he kissed Ziva on the cheek. "It's wonderful to have you back, my dear."

"Thank you, Ducky." she smiled.

"Probie, take our bags." Tony ordered, handing him his and Ziva's carry-on bags.

"Why am I stuck being your pack mule? Ziva's hurt but you're fine."

"Oh really?" Tony unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off of his injured shoulder, "That look fine to you Probie?"

"Oh dear," Ducky looked at his bandages which had begun to ooze through to the other side. "You should come with me to get your bandages changed. That fluid is actually a good sign that it is beginning to heal but you still need clean dressings."

"Tony, Ziva, go with Ducky." Gibbs ordered, "He'll get you taken care of and take you home."

They nodded and McGee followed them out carrying their luggage.

Ziva sat on one of the autopsy tables watching Ducky clean Tony's shoulder. He winced as Ducky dabbed at the wound with peroxide. She felt his pain but there was little she could do to ease his pain. "Hold still, we're almost done. My, you're a lucky lad. A few inches off and you'd still be on my table but a little alcohol would be the least of your concerns."

"I can handle it," Tony hissed, watching the wound fizz from the disinfectant.

She walked over to him and winced, "I thought you said it was getting better."

"It's actually healing quite well," Ducky assured her, "but yes, it does look rather ghastly."

Tony shrugged his shoulders, testing to see if the bandages would stay in place, "That'll do Duck."

"Alright then. Ziva, hop up on the table. I would like to see how you are doing."

Ziva reluctantly sat down. She'd already explained that the injury was not bad and that it barely bothered her but she knew that Ducky would insist on seeing for himself.

Ducky smiled and began to speak in French, knowing that Tony wouldn't be able to understand but to Ziva it was clearer than English. "Qu'est-ce qui c'est passé? Je sais qu'en Colombie tu as été violée et je suis vraiment désolé pour ça. Visiblement, tu ne veux pas en parler en sa présence, pourtant, je suis certain qu'il ne comprend pas le français."

"Je ne sais pas. Mais ce n'est ni le moment ni l'endroit pour en discuter. C'est compliqué."

" D'accord, mais si tu as besoin de parler, n'importe quand..."

"Oui, bien sur."

"Um. What?" Tony was puzzled. He caught a few words but not enough to understand their conversation.

"Don't you think we would have said it in English if it were meant for your ears, Anthony?" Ducky smiled.

"Yeah." he looked at Ziva, knowing not to press the subject further. "You ready to go home?" he brushed her hair aside to check her wound. It looked better and some of the redness and swelling had dissapated.

"I have been ready to go home for a very long time, Tony."

AN: Translation (Merci mille fois à LyanaDavid pour le fait de corriger mes fautes):

-What happened? I know that you were violated in Columbia and for that I am sorry. Obviously you don't want to tell me in front of him however I am certain that he doesn't understand French.

-I don't know. But now isn't the time or the place. It's complicated.

-Alright. But if you ever need to talk to someone-"

-Yes, of course.