Alright. This is the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who followed and favourited and reviewed, it means so much to me.

Be lovely, please review, and I hope you survive the hiatus.

Follow me on twitter: vatrask

Enjoy

She slapped her hands on the reception desk, her breathing ragged and heavy. She'd run faster up those stairs than she thought she ever had before. And it didn't help that she wasn't breathing the whole way. Ziva will admit that she got a little thrill out of frightening the nurse behind the desk—it might have helped smooth things along that she looked crazed and no-nonsense.

"You called me regarding Anthony DiNozzo, what is it about?"

The poor woman stammered under the Israeli's stern gaze. "I-I, sorry ma'am. Wha-?"

"Tony DiNozzo. He's one of your patients. Tell me why you called. Now."

The panicked nurse had her finger poised to phone security in fear for her life when a hand on Ziva's shoulder calmed the entire situation.

"Ziva?" Jaqueline gave her a surprised smile. "What are you doing here? I thought—"

"Someone at the hospital phoned the office and said that I needed to come down right away. They said they had news about Tony."

The panicked look in Ziva's eyes softened the nurse's entire expression. "Ziva, I thought you knew. Tony isn't here anymore."

The news she'd been dreading for nearly five months stopped her heart and turned her as pale as the white walls that were closing in on her. The beeping in her skull was loud and erratic now. And uncontrollable white noise.

"Oh no." The nurse put a hand out to calm the horrible dread in her friend's eyes. "No. He's been moved to another floor." Pause for dramatic effect—apparently; why couldn't this woman just tell her the news? "Ziva, he's awake."

Jaqueline caught the Special Agent when her knees gave way beneath her and she gripped the edge of the counter for whatever support she could find. Ziva, for her part, was near hyperventilating for the ecstatic beating of her heart. Had she heard right? Her ears must have fooled her just like the rest of her senses had over the last few months, feeling pieces of Tony everywhere she went.

It took her a moment to realize that the beeping had stopped. In a single breath, the numbing background noise of her life shattered into a million pieces and fell away leaving nothing but silence. A glorious moment of clarity—the first in five months.

He was awake. He was alright.

"Grab her a glass of water." She heard Jaqueline call to the traumatized nurse behind the counter.

Ziva held her hand up and croaked out, "No. I just want to see him."

After a moment of hesitation, Nurse Jaqueline broke into a face-splitting grin, brightening the room with the first real sign of hope in months. "I will take you there myself."

Ziva didn't stop running until she caught herself in the door frame of his new room. She stood there for an entire minute just looking at him—the aliveness of him. Staring into shining, tired blue eyes that were finally staring back at her. Oh god, how she'd missed those eyes. He was still pale, and thin and…weak…but he was there. And he was staring at her with that insufferable smirk on his gorgeous, awake, face.

"Hi."

She almost collapsed again with the relief at hearing his dry, quiet voice. "Hi." She barely managed to squeak out the word. Move, Ziva, move! She commanded her feet to fly to him and she was at his bed before she could finish the command. "You slept in."

"I know. I was kinda tired. Thought I'd get some sleep and then some."

She ran a hand through his hair, never letting her eyes leave his for fear they'd close again. "Well, you're awake now, so…" What now?

"So." Now what?

"That is very good." She decided quietly. It was no less true, but it just wasn't enough. Why couldn't she say more?

Tony smirked and let himself enjoy the rare moment of intimacy between them. "Gee, Ziva, you almost sound concerned for me." His eyes flew open when Ziva stood so suddenly, she nearly knocked over his glass of ice chips.

"Concerned? How can you even say that? You have been in a coma for five months. No one knew if you were going to make it or what was going to happen. How can you—"

He grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her down so swiftly, she had to catch herself on his pillow. His lips found hers immediately in a long, slow kiss; his lips chapped, her cheeks wet with unacknowledged tears. He brought his hand to her back, pulling her as close as possible, feeling every part of her with one caress of his lips. When they parted, it was only a breath apart as he brushed their noses and whispered, "I love you too."

Ziva was dizzy from the kiss, lost in a moment of oh god, please let this be real this time, and it took her a moment to let his words sink in. She pulled back even further, though unwilling to let go of his touch completely. "You heard me?" She slapped his chest but immediately brought a hand up to soothe the pain away. "I'm sorry." She kissed his wound. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, I'm injured here." At her panicked eyes he winced. Too soon.

"I know."

The look in her eyes spoke volumes. She knew all too well.

"I also know that you kept me company all these months. Thank you."

She was still hovering over him but they only had eyes for each other. "You really heard me the whole time?"

"I can assure you, Agent David, I always hear you."

"You just do not always listen."

"Well, what'd be the fun in that?"

She clicked her tongue, trying to keep the smile from her eyes. "You are so insufferable."

"Actually, the phrase you used was 'self-centered jackass'."

"And stubborn."

"Of course."

She kissed him again, sweet and slow, giving him all the love she could muster from her position, all the pent up frustration from months of uncertainty, all the intensity of her relief at seeing him alive and well.

"Never do that to me again," She warned, resting her forehead against his.

"I will do my very best."

She rewarded him with a kiss for his honest answer and she whispered as their lips touched, "Good."