I love you.

Three simple words. No idioms, no double meanings, just three words making one statement.

There was no real way to mix them up. No way for her to misspeak them, like she did with so many other English words.

I love you.

She had said those words before! Maybe not in English, but she had said them nonetheless! So why couldn't she say them to him?

I love you.

Playboy, frat boy, immature, wild card, cocky, full of himself, quoter-of-endless-movies.

Strong, kindhearted, moral, dependable, handsome, loyal, true.

Anthony DiNozzo.

I love you.

It had taken her years to realize she loved him. No, years to admitshe loved him. She had always known she loved him, deep down, but it she continuously refused to acknowledge it.

They'd started out as enemies. He was recovering from the loss of his partner Kate, and was full of anger towards her killer. She was the half-sister of Kate's killer, there to protect Ari. He was convinced she was a spy for Mossad, and even after Ari's death he took time to fully trust her.

The undercover assassin couple mission was the beginning. It wasn't the "physical" aspect of the mission that made her love him, but instead getting to know his wonderful personality that did it. She had tried to suppress her feelings, believing that she would have to return to Israel soon enough, but they would never go away.

Even after Tony killed her lover Michael it refused to leave. Sure, she might have been able to say she hated him the first couple of weeks after Michael's death, but the feeling was always there, and soon came back full force. But the fear of her father's and Mossad's retaliation on her partner meant that she couldn't, wouldn't admit her feelings for him.

Then she made that fateful trip to Somalia. Captured by the terrorist Saleem, she had been tortured in the worst ways imaginable. The physical torture was bad enough, but it was nothing compared to the mental torture of knowing she would never see her NCIS family-and Tony-ever again. And they would never know what had truly befallen her- they would all believe that she'd gone down with the Damocles. She even thought that they didn't care, especially after the business with Michael. Hell, she probably didn't even deserve to be cared for after that. Those thoughts had bounced around until she couldn't bear it anymore, until the pain was too much, and she wished for death to take her into its cold embrace. She was ready.

But that had all changed the day when the hood was pulled off her head and she saw him bound to the chair across from her. He was dirty, beaten and drugged, but still the partner she had known and loved.

Tony.

Tony and McGee, there, unbelievably, in the dirty, dust covered cell with her.

She remembered her feelings from that day. Disbelief when she heard that they had gotten themselves captured for her sake, the shared feeling of pain from the abuse from Saleem, the fear for their lives (she had given up on any chance of living), and the shear hopelessness when McGee was unable to disarm Saleem and when the terrorist had the knife to her throat, ready to kill all of them. She was going to tell Tony then, certain that death was close, but then Saleem was shot by Gibbs, and the main concern became getting all of them out alive.

Unbidden, a memory flitted through her mind.

"Why are you here?"

"Couldn't live without you I guess."

Three simple, honest words!

I love you.

Hadn't she learned by now that life was too short? Hell, she'd fallen in love with the dead man walking, she should have learned it from that.

So why couldn't she say it?

What if he doesn't share my feelings? What if he doesn't love me? What if- You're a coward! A coward, Ziva David!Just say it!

She looked across the bullpen to where Tony was sitting. He was leaning back casually, eyes closed, the ghost of his 100- watt smile on his handsome face. He looked to be asleep, but she knew from experience that he was alert for any sign of Gibbs approaching.

Tell him!

But how could she tell him without sounding like a fool?

Tell him!

"GEAR UP! Got a dead Marine downtown!"

"On your six, boss!" Tony snapped out of his seat and scooped up his backpack, all before Ziva could even reach for hers. He grinned at her as he passed.

"Getting a bit slow ninja?"

She glared at him, but didn't reply. Following him into the elevator, she let out a small, frustrated sigh.

I love you.

Why couldn't she say it?

I decided to run through my chapters again to look for mistakes. I tend to be that way.

Yeah, sure you becha!