"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." He sighed deeply, hung up and re-dialled. Tears filled his eyes as yet more bourbon filled his glass.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." He only just refrained from throwing his cell at the wall opposite. But somewhere in his drunken, hurting brain, he knew if he did that he would have no way of trying to get in touch with her.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." Tears slipped down his cheeks.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." This couldn't be happening. Not to them, not now.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." She'll answer soon and tell him to stop "insecting" her. He laughed as he heard her voice in his head mess up the idiom. He saw her face as he corrected her. More tears found their way down his cheeks as more alcohol found its way down his throat.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." He put the phone on the arm of the couch and ran his hands roughly through his hair and downed another shot. He'd lost count on how many after his fifth.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." He screamed with enough despair to break a thousand hearts.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." He apologises over and over into thin air.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." Why did her apartment feel so empty without her? Another three shots. He contemplates just curling up in her bed, just to be close to her.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." He begs and begs her to answer her 'God-dammed phone.'

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." Acceptance washes over him. He knows it's nearly time to stop.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Hey Ziva." All he could say before he hangs up and re-dials. Progress at last.

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Why Zi? Why did you do this? Why now?"

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"I love you Ziva. I love you and you won't ever hear me say it."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"I hate this! I refuse to talk to your answer machine anymore I want to talk to you! I want to talk to my partner!"

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"I miss you Zi."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Come back."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Please."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Please don't leave me baby."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Forgive me and come back. Please!"

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"I'll stop drinking."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Hey I can try right?"

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Okay, I'll stop. Just know that I love you."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"Goodnight Neshomeleh."

"You have reached Ziva; I am unavailable at the moment. Please leave your message and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can."

"I'll never forget you."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"Tony?"

Less than twenty miles away, it was Ziva's wedding night. He hadn't been able to bring himself to go. He couldn't smile up at the woman he loved as she promised undying loyalty to another man.

Three weeks before she was due to get married, Ziva had handed in her resignation. They were going to start trying for children and she wanted to be a mother first rather than having to put her job in front.

Everyone always suspected that it was more his doing than hers. The tears in her eyes as Gibbs pulled her into a uncharacteristic hug and told her she'd always have a job as long as he was still there, told them all everything they needed to know. When she thought everybody had left on her last day and she collapsed to her knees in the middle of the bull pen and sobbed, Tony had fought every instinct in his body to not take the director's stairs three at a time and embrace her tightly, make her feel safe, loved, needed, special. But he knew their time had passed. He had hit that heartbreaking conclusion when she had quietly taken him aside and told him that not only was she engaged but she was thinking about leaving NCIS.

They had grown distant after that and Ziva somewhat understood it. They were both preparing themselves, and each other, for their imminent separation. No matter the logic, it still broke her heart every time she saw him go to hug her, stroke her, tousle her hair, and stop himself. Everyday between her telling him and her actually leaving was another day of heartache.

Now, more than seven months after telling him, five weeks after telling the team and three weeks after leaving Ziva sat in her hotel room, alone, having nothing to do but check her messages. She was only surprised how little it surprised her that Tony had left fourteen messages and called twenty five times. She listened to each message in turn, no matter how much they hurt. She listened as her partner poured his heart out in fourteen short messages. She heard all the good times and the bad in those few messages. She felt him shake and shudder, she heard him cry. Before she could make it right, his phone had been switched off.

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me." Ziva sighed frustrated, hung up and re-dialled.

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me." She downed yet another glass of ridiculously expensive champagne and tried again.

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"You even mention it in your message Tony. Rule three could not be more important DiNozzo. Pick up your phone."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I know I hurt you Tony. Please talk to me."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"Stop drinking and pick up your damn phone!"

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I am sorry Tony. Please call me back."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I…I. Please Tony."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"Phone me back, okay?"

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I will come around there and kill you myself if you have done something stupid Anthony!"

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"You know I did not mean to hurt you. I could never purposefully hurt you like this."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me." She sighed, uncorked her second bottle and tried once more.

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"Look I will even break rule six for you. I am sorry. Truly truly sorry. I never wanted this."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I am sorry I left you. I should not have."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I did not marry him Tony. I love you, not him."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"Look, if you could pick up I would be very grateful. I am starting to worry."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"You are scaring me Tony. Please pick up."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"Anthony DiNozzo! Pick up your phone!

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me." Ziva sobbed openly as she listened to his cheery voice yet another time.

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"This much drinking is not good for either of us you know?"

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I love you Tony. Answer you phone and tell me please."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I am sat in an empty hotel room, calling you, on my wedding night. You cannot leave me dangling it is cruel."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"This is not fair DiNozzo. Please call me back. Please!"

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"I am pregnant, it is yours."

"Hey you reached Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I'm too busy to pick up so leave your number and a message. Oh yeah and if this is Gibbs, my phone has probably died, rule three right Boss? But yeah message me."

"Okay, I am not pregnant. I thought it may get your attention. Please Tony. Just phone me back. I know you are hurting, as am I. Please call me back. Do not leave us at this please." She sobbed before lying back on her bed in the foetal position, despite her current attire: her wedding dress. She slipped in and out of drunken sleep for more than an hour before her phone rang loudly beside her.

"Tony?" She answered hopefully.

"Get your coat. I'm on my way." Tony smiled.

"You are in no condition..."

"Gibbs is driving. We're coming to get you Zi. Hold on sweetheart."

"I love you, and I am sorry..."

"Shhh, Zi, save it all for later. I love you and I'm on my way to get you and I'm never letting you go again."

"That will not be a problem. I am yours for now and forever."

"We're on our way baby. We won't be long. I love you."

"And I you." The couple hung up on each other for the umpteenth time that evening, finally getting somewhere. Ziva packed her bag, put her jeans on underneath her dress and made her way down to the lobby. Tony put his phone back into his jeans, took a deep breath and smiled for the first time in months. Finally, finally, they were making sense. All because of late night drunken phone calls.