A/N: This is my first fanfic and I hope you enjoy it! Just as a heads up this story is super duper AU. Kelly(28), Kate(27), Abby(25), and Ziva(23) are all Gibbs and Jenny's daughters (Ziva is adopted though). It is going to be a Tiva fanfic though there is no Tiva in chapter one (Sorry!).
Disclaimer: I own nothing except NCIS seasons 1-8 on DVD (:
Chapter One
Ex-Mossad agent Ziva David Gibbs limped into the steel elevator. The surface reflecting her image. She had changed a lot since she was eighteen, though I guess the Israeli army and climbing the ranks of Mossad can to do that to a woman. Her hair was still the seductive dark brown that framed her face in curls. Her olive skin still radiant and wrinkle free, though she had seen things, done things that made her much wiser beyond her mere twenty three years of age. No one would have guessed that the girl in the elevator had spent a month of restless recovery in a hospital.
*Flashback*
Ziva awoke in her hotel room to the smell of smoke. Flames surrounded her and there was only one way out, the second story window. She quickly got out of bed and crawled on the floor, trying to stay under the deep cloud of smoke that was engulfing the room. She made it over to the window, though not without great trouble. Things collapsed on top of her, parts of the ceiling caving in. She felt the hot sting of fire upon her olive colored legs and began to try to douse it with the little success. She preceded to the window the flame going out, though the pain still searing through her charred veins. She crawled out onto the window ledge and looked for something to climb on. Nothing was there except the silk window sill. She would just have to jump. Jump she did, and landed on a bush her bottom being pricked by thorns. She thought to herself, no wonder you never hear of ex-Mossad agents..they are all dead.
*End of Flashback*
She was brought back to reality with the oh so cheery ding of the elevator. The metal doors opened and revealed a place that held so many memories. She remembered the day they played hide and seek in the building, and no one could find her. She hid in autopsy in one of the sterilized body bags. She was not found until Ducky pulled the bag out when he was doing inventory and found her in there. Little had she known that there had been agents running around the whole building to find her. Why didn't they think to look down in autopsy in one of the body bags she did not know, and they called themselves investigators? She laughed a little at the memory and walked up the stairs to the director's office. She simply walked by the secretary without giving her a second glance. It was after all what she had done when she was younger. She gave one simply knock and walked in disregarding the secretary's questions on who she was.
"Ima." Ziva said solemnly to the woman she had not spoken to in about three years. She stood in front of her desk with rigid posture.
"Ziva, I'm glad you finally chose to come pay me a visit. The red head said with a warmth Ziva had missed for so long. She peered out over her glasses and noticed the white edge of gauze peeking out from her cargo pants.
"I thought only Kelly knew. What happened to doctor patient confidentiality "
"Well, when you were transferred from Israel to her hospital for recovery she called me. I didn't tell your father do not worry. What did happen in Israel? I am aware you chose to join Mossad after your term in the Israeli army but I was not informed of anything else."
Ziva looked her mother in the eye and began to debate whether she should tell her everything that happened. Tell her even the things that pained Ziva herself to remember.
"I met him." Ziva said with obvious distaste. He had moved her up the ranks of Mossad at an alarming rate, but she only thought it was because of her skill. She had later found out it was only so he could get close to her. Only to get so close to his biological daughter to make her a pawn in his little game. Ziva shook her head,
"I was never anything but a pawn in his twisted game."
Jenny looked at her daughter. The sadness in the voice mismatched her façade of calmness. Jenny studied Ziva and came to a conclusion. Israel had changed her baby girl, changed her a lot. As if reading Jenny's mind she continued,
"Once I found out, he sent me on a suicide mission. Never had a desert felt so cold, and life so dully lit than Somalia."
She shook her head, even the memory of Somalia brought back the twisted grin on Saleem's face and the pain he inflicted on her present again.
"I escaped though, and he found me. He tried to burn me alive by setting the hotel in flames."
She smiled a bit and smirked,
"But I escaped. Not without a few burns, but I escaped."
Ziva laughed a little at herself until Jenny asked,
"Is that what the bandage on your leg is covering?"
Ziva shook her head yes and tugged down her cargo pants a little.
"I resigned by position in Mossad, though I do have my knives, badge, and sig. I don't think they care much about that though."
Jenny eyed her cautiously and smiled,
"Welcome back home Ziver."
Her mother stepped away from her desk and hugged Ziva, though it only sent her back to memories of Somalia. The smallest physical contact sent her back into the nightmare that she was enveloped in for almost two months. She was back in her concrete room bound to the chair. She felt pain surge everywhere throughout her body and could not move, until she fell on the ground yelling things in the midst of nightmares.. Jenny began to speak to her, but she could not hear her. All she could hear was Saleem's wicked chuckles and laughs from her pain. Jenny tried to shake her from the nightmare but she was unsuccessful. Truly unsuccessful was an understatement. Jenny ended up with a bloody nose form one of Ziva's punches. Ziva was locked in her mind in the cold room. She was on the ground until Ziva woke herself from the dream, eyes glassy with tears. The nightmares were only becoming more vivid, and she was only becoming weaker. Jenny looked at her daughter and Ziva noticed the blood dripping from her nose. Ziva shot up, and ignored her orders to sit back to down. Ziva walked over to Jenny's desk pulled out some tissues and gave them to her. Jenny eyed her for a few moments,
"Ziva, were going to see Ducky. Now."
"I'm fine Ima."
"Ziva? Fine? You blacked out from me hugging you. I do not know everything that happened in Israel, and the burden you took up there is still on your shoulders. Now, it seems as though you are not stable enough to tell me, so I would just like to get you checked out for the sake of your health."
Ziva looked at her mother, and knowing this fight was helpless she simply nodded. Her mother likely took her hand which made Ziva jump a bit, but was focused on staying in reality. She walked hand in hand with her mother down the stairs only to be met with Gibbs and Kate walking up the stairs. Ziva looked the other way not looking her sister, nor her father in the eye hoping to get by without being seen. She didn't want them to see her in a state of weakness when they hugged her. She took her hand from her mothers and quickly sprinted down the stairs and into the elevator, the no running down the stairs rule didn't apply anymore…did it? Ziva smirked at the memory but waited for the elevator to come up. She stepped in, and closed the doors hoping they would shut before her father's hand caused them to open once again. Her hopes did not come true. Her father walked in and looked her in the eye, though she could not meet his gaze.
"No running down the stairs Ziver."
Ziva flinched as he laid his hand on her shoulder. She clung hard to the railing fighting hard to stay within the presence of reality. Her father noticed and gave her a pointed look as if prompting her to speak. She only took a deep breath in and spoke shyly for one of the first times in her life,
"Ask Kelly."
Gibbs looked at his daughter and thought, pushing her will only make her shut you out. They rode the rest of the way down to autopsy in silence, the only sound being the ding of the elevator. As her father and her strode into the room, Ziva only a pace behind him, Ducky's friendly old voice rang out,
"Jethro, you are early, I haven't even begun the autopsy yet."
Ducky turned around to see Ziva looking around autopsy. Her eyes darted around as if she was unsure of herself, as her posture and facial expression exhumed confidence. Her eyes are the pathway to her soul.
"Ziva, dear what a pleasure it is to see you again."
Ziva gave a polite nod to Ducky and her father spoke,
"Jenny said she blacked out. Check her out Duck."
Ziva impishly stepped forwards and nodded to her dad that she would rather speak to Ducky alone. Ducky went into the supply closet and took out a stethoscope, blood pressure measure, and a needle to draw blood. He smiled at Ziva and said,
"Though I mostly deal with the dead, I'm also always prepared for the living."
Ziva was still standing when Ducky motioned for her to sit on one of the autopsy tables,
"Don't worry my dear they have been thoroughly sterilized."
Ziva sat on one it's coldness reminding her of her small cell. Ducky noticed this and looked his old friend in the eye,
"Ziva is there anything you would like to tell me before we begin? What is burdening you? I may not be a trained investigator but your eyes tell your emotion."
Ziva sighed and looked Ducky in the eye and shook her head with a mumble,
"I'll never be taken alive again."
The words struck Ducky and he stood up with a smile.
"How about we talk this over tea, and then do the examination?"
Ziva gave a nod remembering the magnificent tea that Ducky brewed, and also the scotch that was in the right desk drawer that was always free for anyone to use. There were always two rules though, one: never leave the bottle empty or near empty (if you do buy another), and clean up after you drink. Ziva sat patiently until the tea was brought out. Ziva took a sip disregarding his caution "it is hot". She took a sip not even feeling the burn,
"You made my favorite."
Ducky simply gave her a smile before she set her tea down to speak.
"I was sent on a suicide mission to make a terrorist cell disappear, single handedly. Needless to say I was not successful."
The last few words were almost inaudible.
"For nearly two months, I was beaten burned, whipped, even branded, and tortured for information. Never had death seemed so appealing. They gave me little food, and I was deathly weak. Though as they I was weak enough to be unbound, they were sorely mistaken."
She gave a sly smile.
"They had a knife teasing my throat and I was able to confiscate it and proceed to kill him. I escaped through a window, and simply ran. I boarded moving vehicle and rode it into town."
Ziva simply shook her head,
"They are still out there though. They still haunt me."
Ziva was now on the verge of tears. She nearly yelled,
"He marked me forever as his!"
Ziva said now sobbing. It took a lot to make Ziva David Gibbs cry, and reminiscing of her 'adventure' in a terrorist camp was certainly something that could send her over the edge. Ducky hugged her and she sobbed into his shoulder. He made soothing circles on her back. At that time Jethro came in and saw Ziva sobbing on Ducky's shoulder. He gently picked her up into her arms and sung to her his favorite tune that always soothed her tears,
"Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover
And if that dog named Rover won't bark
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart
And if that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."
Ziva's tears resided, and her breathing returned to normal. After Gibbs had sung the it twice, Ziva was asleep in his arms. Gibbs looked at Ducky and smiled a little. Ziva looked no older than twelve while asleep, she looked as if she was at complete peace. Though, looks can be deceiving.
Please Review! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, and things you want to happen. I'm always open to suggestions, especially because I'm not completely sure where I am going with this!
