This is my first NCIS FanFiction. Set during S10, but has no ties to any episode. Lots of Tiva, of course. Tony and Gibbs, father/son moments. Enjoy and Please Review!

Description: Ziva is seriously injured at a crime scene. Tony confronts his feelings while staying by her side. Gibbs reflects on what Tony has told him and does something that will shock the team.

Special Agent Tony DiNozzo and Agent Ziva David were driving to a crime scene. They would be the first ones there because they were near the area when their boss Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs called. Both agents road in silence. Things have been a bit awkward between them ever since the bombing at the Navy Yard.

Tony was having mixed feeling for Ziva. He even built up the courage to talk to Gibbs. Now there are rules against dating a coworker. He explained to his boss about the way he feels. Gibbs, shockingly, told DiNozzo that if she's the one, and he truly loves her, then he'll allow them to break rule 12. Of course, Tony told Gibbs that he's always had feelings for her. They became stronger after they rescued her from Somalia. Ever since then, Tony felt like it was his job to protect her and keep her safe. He rambled on about how he'll ask her out and he even talked about wanting to marry her. He panicked when he couldn't think of the right ring to give her since his father got rid of his mother's. Gibbs slapped him on the back of the head telling him to stop getting carried away.

Back in the car, Tony snapped out of his thoughts when they arrived at the scene. He and Ziva got out of the car and grabbed their gear. They made their way into the house, checking to see if it's clear. Once cleared, they went up stairs. On the second floor lays the dead Marine. Ziva set her bag down and took out the camera to take pictures. Tony wandered down stairs to try and find a murder weapon.

Ziva, concentrating on her work, didn't hear someone sneaking up behind her. She was struck in the head, making her fall. She got up, ignoring the blood running down her face, and attacked the assailant, but she wasn't quick enough. The assailant stabbed her in the side. Forcing it upwards to cause more damage, he then ripped it out, thrown Ziva to the floor. Blood poured from her side. She tried calling for Tony but nothing came out. She reached for her gun, only to find it missing. The assailant came back from another room with 3 alcohol bottles. Dumping the liquid on the body, around Ziva, and down the hall, he lit a match and threw it to the ground, lighting it on fire. He waved goodbye and exited out the window.

Down stairs, Tony was searching through in the kitchen for a murder weapon. While doing this, he also planned on asking Ziva out tonight. He smiled at the thought of him and Ziva together, but was interrupted when the fire alarm went off. His first thought was Ziva. Dropping his things, he ran up stair, only to find it on fire. "Ziva!" He yelled. No answer. "Ziva!" This time he herd coughing coming from the room with the dead Marine. He ran inside, through the smoke, and found Ziva on the ground, covered in blood, coughing. He ran to her side. "Ziva! Oh my god. What happened?" He got no response, just coughing. He scooped her up, shielding her face, and ran down down stairs, making his way outside.

Once outside, he set Ziva down on the grass. He took off her NCIS jacket and saw the massive blood stain on her green blouse. She continued to cough while Tony took off his own jacket to put pressure on her wound. "Stay with me Ziva! Come on, don't leave me!" He stroked her cheek. He was so focused on Ziva that the next few hours where a blur. The ambulance came and took Ziva away with Tony riding along. He remembers the female medic yelling that Ziva stopped breathing and was losing too much blood. There was a tube down her throat with a bag attached, helping her breath. A few minutes later, Tony found himself at the hospital, in a room full of nurses and doctors around Ziva. The sound of a defibrillator made Tony snap back to reality.

"Charging...Clear!" A doctor yelled, zapping Ziva with the defibrillator.

"Nothing." A nurse responded.

"Again...Clear!" This time Ziva sprung to life. Nurses went to work sticking needles in her arms and another tube down her throat.

Tony stood in the back, still in shock. His white button down shirt was covered in Ziva's blood. He felt 2 nurses pushing him out of the room. That's when he lost it. "NO! NO!" He yelled. "I have to be here. I love her!" He shoved one nurse to the side but was stopped before shoving the other. 2 strong arms grabbed his shoulders and yanked him out while the nurse shut the door. He was lead out to the waiting area and turned to be face-to-face with Gibbs. "Boss you have to let me go!" He ordered. DiNozzo men don't cry, but Tony can feel tears running down his cheeks. "I have to be with her. I need to protector her. Boss I need..." Tony was embraced by Gibbs. "I need to tell her I love her!" He cried into Gibbs' shoulder.

Gibbs stood there with his young agent, letting him cry. He knows how much DiNozzo loves Ziva, god he even came to his basement in the middle of the night confessing his love. So Gibbs, being the father figure that he was, allowed his agent to release his emotions.

When DiNozzo calmed down, Gibbs sat him in a chair. "Tony," He said with a calm voice, "I need you to tell me what happened."

Tony raised his head to face his boss. He explained, in as much detail as he could, what had happened.

Gibbs called McGee and told him to go back to the scene with Ducky and backup to see if they can find any evidence. He then took a seat beside Tony, and waited to hear about Ziva.

After 5 hours, a doctor came out and walked toward them. Tony got tense, but Gibbs squeezed his shoulder, letting him know that Ziva's a fighter and he did not give her permission to die. Both men stood up, waiting for the news.

"Well," The doctor said, "Ms. David..."

"David!" Tony corrected.

"Sorry, Ms. David suffered a major stab wound to the abdomen which cause her right lung to be punctured. We managed to stop the bleeding but there was another problem. Due from the amount of smoke she inhaled, Ms. David suffers from Smoke Inhalation. Until her lungs are strong enough to allow her to breath on her own, she'll be hooked up to a ventilator."

Tony stood there, processing everything that the doctor has said. "Will...Will she be able to breath on her own? Is she going to be Ok?" He said with a shaky voice.

"That's up her. We've done everything we could. Now we wait. I'm sorry."

"Can I see her?"

"Once we move her into her room you can." The doctor left. Leaving the gentleman alone.

"Boss..." Tony whispered.

"DiNozzo don't think like that. She'll pull through. Like I said, I didn't give her permission to die."

"I was going to ask her out tonight." Tony said. "Tell her how I feel, everything. Even though it's early, I was still going to ask her if she'll marry me. How stupid it that, I don't even have a ring." He let out a small chuckle.

Gibbs sat there listening to his agent. He always considered Tony as the son he never had, so he was proud that Tony found someone he truly loves. He knows he'll make Ziva happy.

Five minute later, a nurse came out telling them they can see Ziva. When Tony entered her room, he couldn't believe his eyes. She had a tube in her mouth that was connected to a machine, helping he breath. IV's were in her arm, she looked pale and weak. Tony pulled up a chair and sat next to her as close as he could. Pulling back the blanket, it revealed her abdomen wrapped up in gauze with a blood line showing where the stab wound was. Tony covered her back up and grabbed her hand. He raised it up and kissed her knuckles.

Gibbs came around on the other side. He stared down at Ziva, who became like his daughter. He bent down by her ear. "You need to pull through this, for Tony." He whispered. Gibbs kissed her forehead. "DiNozzo." He said, moving away from Ziva. "I want you to stay here. Keep her safe, and call if anything changes."

"Thank you boss." Tony replied. He got up from his chair. "Not just for this, but for everything. Sometimes I wish you were my father." He walked towards Gibbs, giving him a hug.

"Like I said DiNozzo, keep her safe." Gibbs didn't know how to respond to what Tony just said. After their hug, Gibbs left and Tony went back to his chair, holding Ziva's hand.

At the crime scene, McGee was searching the burn down house for evidence while Ducky and Palmer examined the now burned up body. Gibbs arrived, still thinking back to what Tony had said. He walked up to McGee. "Anything?"

"Nothing yet. A neighbor across the street was able to identify the model of the vehicle, but that's it. How's Ziva?"

"She's hanging in there."

"And Tony?"

"He's focusing on her." Gibbs made his was to Ducky. "What do got Duck?"

"Jethro, how's Ziva?"

"She's got a punctured lung and has Smoke Inhalation, but she's still fighting."

"Oh poor girl. How's DiNozzo?"

"He's with her now. So what do we got." Ducky explained his theories and then took the body back to autopsy. McGee also finished processing the scene and headed back. Everyone at NCIS stayed up all night, trying to catch the bastard that hurt one of their own.