Tony walks into the bullpen to find Gibbs working at his desk.
"Where's McGee and Ziva?" he asks walking over to his own desk and sitting down. He's a little puzzled that Gibbs has followed him over and is now standing in front of him.
"Cleaning and stocking the van. Where were you?"
"Getting checked out by Ducky."
"I thought he'd already given you a clean bill of health?"
"He did but Abs was fussing so he gave me another check up and I am in perfect physical shape."

"And psychologically? The word is forced through lips pursed in disapproval that would be more comfortable discussing missing body parts or mutilated corpses instead of matters of the mind. "The death of a colleague you were friendly with and then what happened to you. It was a difficult week."
"Just another day at the office." He grins with a trace of his usual frat-boy insouciance. "I'm fine boss. Thanks to you and the team. 'Preciate you watching my six with Director Vance and calling in that favor."
"I was doing my job DiNozzo. If everything's fine then what's going on with you and Ziva?"
"Me and Ziva? Nothing. Nothing at all. You know rule twelve and..."
The rapidly administered Gibbs slap alerts him to the fact this reply is not acceptable.
"Why are you asking?"
"Saw you talking to McGee about her at the bowling alley."
"How do you know we were talking about her?"
"Your body language and you shut up fast when she walked over. Enough stalling Tony. What is going on?"
"Last week..." God was it really only last week? It seems as if several lifetimes have passed since then. "When Vance sent me home..." He doesn't want to say it out loud. Sure he's discussed it with McGee but somehow the thought of telling Gibbs makes it a big deal. A bigger deal than perhaps it should be.
"Yes?" Gibbs barks impatiently.

"Ziva didn't call. Not to ask how I was or if she could do anything. Everyone else did. You, Abby and Ducky called. McGee came by with pizza. Even the Director's goddam secretary called to check I was okay but someone from my team, my partner, my so-called friend didn't!"
"I see." Gibbs nods thoughtfully.
"I know she was probably just caught up in the case or maybe she wanted to let me rest. Then a few days later she saved my life. Was a little faster taking the shot than I was."
"Then what's the problem?" He thinks he knows the answer but maybe vocalizing it it will help Tony to think it through.
"I feel let down. Disappointed. I've had her six. Why wasn't she there for me? A quick phone call. That's all she had to do and she...she didn't."
"Ask her."
"Boss?"
"Go and ask her DiNozzo. You're no good to me like this and neither is she."
Tony nods. "On it." He walks out of the bullpen as Gibbs watches him go with a concerned look on his face.

Meanwhile downstairs in the evidence garage...

"Have you decided what you're going to say to Tony?" Tim calls through to Ziva where she is checking supplies in the back of the MCRT van as he cleans out the front.
"Yes."
"Care to share?"
"I will tell him it was more important for me to work on the cases to help protect his reputation and his job instead of rushing round there to re-arrange his pillows, smooth his blankets, make chicken soup and wipe his fevered brow."
Neither McGee or DiNozzo will ever discover that she had started driving towards Tony's place intending to do just that.
Tim grins at the thought of her wearing a frilly apron and playing nursemaid to Tony but luckily she can't see his face. "Do you think he'll fall for that?"
"I will make him." She replies so forcefully he finds himself thinking she may succeed in this little deception. "I do not want to hurt him McGee and if he thinks I doubted him...that I even for a second thought he could..."
"I know Ziva. I know." They continue to work.

A few moments later she calls to Tim from the other side of the garage. "We are getting low on gloves and there are no boxes here." She starts walking back to the van.
"I'll go and see if Abby's got some."
There is a ping and they both turn to see Tony stepping from the elevator. There is a tense silence for a moment.
"I'm...ah... going to see about those gloves."
"Take your time McGee."
Tim steps into the elevator leaving Ziva and Tony staring at each other.

"We need to talk Ziva." He leans back against the bumper of the van and waits to see what she'll say. She pushes past him and steps up into the van to continue her stock take as they talk.
"Is this about last week?" Her tone is deliberately casual.
"Yeah." He finds himself wanting to pace but forces himself to stand and watch her as she moves about the van carefully avoiding looking at him.
"I meant to say sorry but have not had the chance. McGee told me what happened and that you were okay. Frankly I thought you needed to rest and it was more important I stayed focused on the cases."
"Ziva!" His tone is angry but also tinged with such a sadness that she stops what she's doing and jumps down from the van.
"What is it Tony?"
"Why are you lying to me?" The sadness has been replaced by a touch of steel.
"Lying?"
"I know you probationary agent David and that was a lie. After all these years and all we have been through together don't you trust me? Why can't you just tell me the reason? We are colleagues, partners, friends. Abby would claim we're family. We came for you. Gibbs, Tim and I. He left you there but we found you. We did not give up."
"I did not ask you to." She is ashamed of the words almost as soon as she snaps them out. "Sorry. You know I do not like to be reminded of that time."

He nods with understanding. "But can you see why this hard for me? It does not make sense that you did not call. Everyone else did. Were you jealous? Was it about me dating her? Did the green eyed monster rear its head?"
"Of course not. Who you choose to date is nothing to do with me. I am happy with my new guy."
"Whom you haven't introduced to us or hardly even told us about."
"I will. One day. When it is time."
"Is it something I have done then? Something I said? Did you not care about what had happened to me? If that is the case then tell me what the hell I've done. Give me a chance to fix it."
"No, Tony. This is not about you. It is about me."
"Then talk to me Ziva. Simply tell me why you didn't call."

"I did not call because I doubted you, I thought there was a chance you had done what she accused you of." She looks at the floor afraid of his reaction.

"WHAT? You thought that I...how could...you ever..."
"When I was with Mossad I trusted my judgment. There if you doubt you are soon dead. Now I am here I investigate. Gibbs and you taught me that. I seek out facts, evidence and put it together to make a case. When I heard the accusation I rushed over there..."
"And slammed her against the wall with a knife at her throat to find out the truth?"
She gives a weak grin appreciating his attempt at calming the situation with humor.
"Actually I sat on her sofa and said I would not leave until she told me what had happened."

"And then...?"

She finds her mind drifting back to that day. The red-eyed woman next to her and the painful memories those words had dragged kicking and screaming from deep within her subconscious.

The desert. The heat. That wind. Hot breath. Hands. Searing pain. Words she tries desperately not to understand. Sand so much sand. In her eyes, in her hair. Wanting to live. Wanting to fight. Wanting to die.

"Ziva. Ziva what is it?" His gentle voice pulls her back into the evidence garage, back into the current moment in the same way McGee's had in the men's room. She looks up at him.
"When she told me what happened it reminded me of Somalia. Of what Saleem did. It...it messed with my head Tony. With my judgment. I am not used to questioning my judgment. That does not happen very often. I thought if you had been drinking and you were so upset that maybe you had gotten carried away...I do not know what I was thinking."

"Oh, Ziva."

He had been under attack from so many directions Vance, Special Agent Lecar and Detective Hamilton as well as being unwell that he had not even for a moment considered what memories the accusations might stir up for her. Although she had never said so a number of remarks she's made since her return from Somalia have lead to a general belief within in the team that she was raped by Saleem. On his one attempt to raise the topic she'd merely said that she was getting help and thanked him for his concern.

"I am so sorry Tony. I should have known you could not do that. I really did not know what to think."
"It's okay Ziva. I understand where you were coming from. The evidence was there and with your history it is perfectly natural you had doubts." He finds himself thinking that with her upbringing it is surprising that she ever trusts anyone at all.
"Thanks. Are we good now?"
"Sure. Although..."
"What is it?"
"You really need to apologize to Tim too."
"Huh?"
"I'm not sure just exactly what it was you said to him but I know you made him promise not to tell me something about this. That was not fair Ziva. The poor probie really wanted to help me figure this out but could not break the promise. It was tearing him in two."
"You are wrong."
"I am?"
"I did not make him promise. Tim volunteered a promise to help make me feel better. He knew that I did not want to hurt you. That I was afraid of what would happen if you found out I had doubted you. You should know he never doubted you. Not for a minute."
"I see."
"Still I should not have put him in a position where he felt he had to choose between us. That was wrong. I will apologize as soon as I can."
"Good."
"Do you think he will accept?"
"Of course he will Ziva. It's what partners do."

They smile at each other and return to work their partnership and their friendship restored.