Far Away

The Fall

Author's note now so that I don't ruin the amazingness at the end of this update. Dang.

Make sure you vote and/or comment if you're enjoying the story.

*****

Tony woke up to some impressive cursing. He couldn't be sure of the languages used, but he got the gist from the random American words thrown in.

He started to laugh but then was stopped by the tight feeling over his face. He drew a hand up to touch his skin and alarm spiked through him when he found the sticky coating over his nose, mouth, and chin.

Dang.

He turned his head slowly toward the furious cursing.

Ziva had some guy cowering up against the alley wall as she verbally attacked him.

For a second he wondered if Ziva was his knight in shining armor.

Probably.

It had to be a good ten minutes before she gave the man a final shove, sending him toppling, and strode back Tony's way.

"I am sorry about that," she said, though she looked anything but apologetic.

He shrugged. "Who is that guy?"

"Not important. How is your face?"

"Fine, I think."

Her fingers darted close to his face, and he watched her stony exterior crack for a moment, her face contracting in a wince as she felt around his nose. "It is not broken."

"Well, that's good. I heard that the doc on board sucks at his job."

She didn't seem to find that amusing. Instead, she rocked back on her heels and sat there, just watching him. "Why are you here?"

He frowned. "I told you. The ship came into port here."

"No, here."

He looked around at the dismal alleyway, his eyes drawn to the man watching them from a safe distance. "I would assume because you dragged me out here-"

"In the club, Tony!" she snapped. "Why?"

Oh. "I thought you were in Israel, so I went in to have a drink. And then I saw you, and then your friend-"

"He is not my friend."

"Okay, and then that guy over there knocked me out."

"I was protecting Ziva," the man called over. The similarities between his and Ziva's accents made Tony's gut roil.

That was the guy she had been talking to when he was in Lisbon. Probably the guy her father had shadowing her. And maybe more than that?

There was no doubt there was tension between the two of them, and a lot of it.

Tony could only think of one reason for tension, and the possibility made him sick.

Of course Ziva would get involved with someone else. They weren't exclusive, weren't even really anything other than friends and partners.

And this guy was her new partner.

A new Tony.

Without any warning, he leaned over and threw up.

Sure, his stomach ached, but his heart hurt more.

How could he have been so stupid to think that Ziva was his? That she would only think of him, only talk to him?

There was only one explanation, and it was simple. He had lapped up every bit of attention she gave him, every similarity in their predicament, and he had mistaken it for love. He fell for her beauty, for her understanding, all the things that were there before but seemingly amplified in the wake of Jenny's death.

He was so stupid to fall.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice softer now.

He shrugged. Did it matter? Did she not see how badly she was hurting him?

She sighed and tied her hair back. He would have found that movement hot once upon a time, but now it just sent slivers of ice through his heart.

Yet somehow his eyes were still drawn to her as she rubbed her face. "Come back to my hotel room so you can clean up."

He didn't want to see the room she was no doubt sharing with that other guy.

"I'm fine, but thanks."

"You are not fine." She stood up and pulled on his arm until he gave in.

She gave no acknowledgement to the other guy as they left the alley behind the club and walked down the street at a snail's pace.

If she wasn't going to mention him, maybe he should.

"So who is that guy?" he asked.

She sighed. "He is no one."

"Don't lie to me, Ziva."

They stopped right there and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Excuse me?"

He raised an eyebrow, just daring her to continue.

"After everything, you still question me? After you waltz in and mess up everything I have spent months putting into place? After I have to kick the pieces farther just to drag your sorry butt out of there? After I have to make a scene dragging my partner out of there? After LA?"

He could have handled the first couple of accusations, but throwing LA in his face again was a low blow.

He was so angry he couldn't find the words to express it.

"I jeopardized everything I have been working towards to make sure you were okay. I put you ahead of my job. What more do you want, Tony? Do you want me to hand you my freedom and my privacy? Do you want to hold all my secrets in your hands? Is that what you want? Or is that still not enough for you?"

It may have been the light, but it almost looked like tears were building in her eyes.

"Do you want me to hand you the world? Or would you like me to wrangle the moon? What if I captured all the stars in the sky and gave them to you? Would that be enough?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Or would you still ask me to chase the sun? Would you ask me to give up my life and everything I am, everything I have worked for, so you can feel like you really have it all?"