A mystery in the rain

There is always another monster

AN- this chapter is a bit dark as Ziva explains why she has returned after all of this time. I'm sorry if this offends anyone I just felt as the author that it's the story line that best fit her situation. So just a warning before reading. As I said it's not that bad just a bit darker. But there's always a happy ending though, right?;)

Tony and Ziva approached the flat in complete silence, it wasn't uncomfortable but more curious. Tony had no idea what was about to happen and Ziva, she was calm and collected, protective barriers going up, Tony however could see straight through them.

Tony watched Ziva walk up the flights of stairs up to his level of flats, she was trying so hard to just put one foot in front of the other and not stumble. He noticed that she was exhausted, the flights of stairs tired the once indestructible woman out. Perhaps it was the coldness? Tony tried to convince himself that it was in fact the cold and the rain that made her more tired than usual however something in his gut told him otherwise.

They stepped into the flat. Ziva looked around to see nothing had changed from the last time she were there. Nothing apart from the picture of those two that once sat in a cream, French style frame on top of the dresser under the window had now gone. Perhaps he had thrown it out, After all she did him so terribly wrong. Tony disappeared for a few minutes into his bedroom, probably to get changed Ziva thought.

She just stood there looking into the living room from the kitchen. She heard the bedroom door open and looked towards the sound that distracted her from her thoughts. Tony approached her carrying a pile of his clothes and what looked like a navy blue bath towel.

'These will probably be a bit too big but they will keep you warm. You can have a shower& this is a clean towel' he said handing her the pile.

'I do not want your sympathy Tony'

'Fine then this isn't sympathy it's called caring Ziva, just take the clothes and get yourself sorted. I will be waiting here for you.'

She looked at him for a brief moment trying to keep the stubbornness laced across her face, it didn't last long, the weakness over took her emotions. She gently took the items of clothing and the towel then headed towards the bathroom.
Tony heard the shower switch on. 'She still remembers how to switch it on' he thought.
See the thing is with pain, it makes your thoughts deeper than ever before, you notice the little things so much more clearly. You miss the simple things, the things that most of the time you don't even notice. That's the funny thing about pain. It changes a person.
He sat on the sofa in silence, they only thing keeping him company were his thoughts.

Out the corner of his eye he saw a figure standing there, hovering unsure of what to do. he looked to the doorway to see Ziva standing there with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and wearing his grey tracksuit bottoms and a navy blue jumper. She looked at him for a moment, looking for allowance to come into the room and join him.
She sat gently down on the cream sofa next to Tony. He studied her for a minute.

'What's going on Ziva?'
She just looked at him, eyes full of emotion but unable to speak.

'Huh, come on. What's happened, talk to me' he tried to persuade her to open up, with a calm and collected tone.

'What happened. Why did you leave without any explanation huh?'

Ziva swallowed her emotions, looked down at her lap and said one simple word. A word so simple yet so horrific. One that Tony hoped he'd never hear of again.

'Ray'
It was silent for a few long minutes. Ziva then looked up at Tony with pain in her eyes. 'It's Ray'

These are the words that made Tony's jaw clench, the words he wished he'd never have to be a witness to. Yet tony knew this wasn't about him anymore, so he just looked into her eyes with encouragement to open up to him.
'What happened Ziva, you can talk to me, I'm here'