When they arrived back at NCIS, Sammie screamed with joy.

"MOM!" she yelled, bear hugging Ziva, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"What did you call me?" Ziva managed to say through the pain of her shoulder.

"Mother told me the truth when I was eight. I wanted to know why I looked like you and not like her or Dad, so she told me. I know you're my mother." Sammie still had not let go of Ziva, but now Ziva didn't mind. She was glad that Sammie knew the truth. They had their first of many tender mother daughter moments. But it didn't last very long as both mother and daughter were suffering from intense pain; Sammie from her ankle, and Ziva from her shoulder.

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The next day, close to quitting time, something was still bothering Ziva. So she decided to get down to the bottom of it. She wrote something down on a piece of paper, crumpled it up, and when Gibbs and McGee weren't looking, tossed it over to Tony. It read,

Meet me in the elevator in five minutes.

Tony wrote something on same piece of paper and tossed it back to Ziva.

Sure, what's our excuse?

You'll see.

Five minutes later, Ziva got up saying she needed to get her pain killers from the car, and since Tony had driven her again, he needed to go with her because ha had the car keys. When they go in the elevator, Tony hit the stop button and waited for what Ziva wanted to ask him.

"Tony, " Ziva finally said. "Why didn't you shoot Eifah?"

"I couldn't get the gun away from him." He knew this isn't what she meant, but he was afraid to answer truthfully.

"That's not what I meant. I meant when Eifah dared you to shoot him while he the knife to my throat, why didn't you?"

"I couldn't."

"Why?"

"I... I don't know." Why couldn't he say it? It was so simple, such a short sentence...

"What do you mean you don't know?" said Ziva, confused and annoyed.

"The shot wasn't easy. I could've..." he trailed off.

"You could've what? Hit me"

"Yes, I could've hit you."

"So? In case you didn't notice, I got shot anyway," Ziva said, pointing at her injured shoulder.

"I..." He couldn't say it. It just wouldn't come out. He knew this is what Kate meant in the letter, but he couldn't do it.

"Forget it," said Ziva, moving to start the elevator up again.

Then he knew how to say it. He took her hand before she hit the stop button, and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. And it worked.

"I think I can accept that answer," Ziva said with a smile.

Out side of the elevator, Sammie was waiting for them to come back up. She knew something was fishy, because Ziva had put her painkillers in her desk. When Ziva and Tony came out of the elevator, Sammie could tell by the look on Ziva's face that Tony had finally kissed her. Sammie hobbled over to McGee's desk and held out her hand.

"Hand over the 50 McGee. I told you he'd finally kiss her in the elevator."

THE END!! I will have author notes up soon. I have a sequel in mind. Should I do it? LET ME KNOW!! PLEASE REVIEW!!