A/N: I might do a longer version of this story if it's enjoyed. Warning: character death. I don't own NCIS. There.

She's in the van with her hand stiffly on the gun, knowing she should be in there with them.

There's something not right about this but she knows that if she speaks, the entire operation is blown. She wants to badly to go in and be with them.

And yet, they need three, not four. Three males to pose as the dead. God, why were they there? Four perps, three agents. It didn't look good.

But she waited, carefully breathing and watching. Barely breathing.

Waiting for the thing that aroused fear in her - yet she did not know what it was; a strange sense of foreboding that she could only describe as a 'Gibbs's gut feeling.'

Then it happened.

Her hands turned white on the steering wheel as she heard it. Five shots rung out, exploding around the building.

It didn't matter now. She was going in.

For only a few seconds, she hesitated, waiting for Gibbs to bring the guys out in handcuffs; rather, she watched as the exited the building and sprinted down the street, guns in hand. She brought hers to her eye and aimed so carefully.

They were getting too far away - she'd have to shoot now. Three rounds.

One per, except for the last man, who turned. He set his sights on her and shot.

That's when her world faded.

-

"Welcome to the world." The voice that greeted her was not what she'd expected, but it was welcome nevertheless.

She tried to speak but could barely keep her eyes open, let alone her voice strong and clear. "Water."

The water came to her lips without her moving a muscle and she looked down. Her chest was bandaged heavily. "What happened?" she barely managed.

"Poor thing. You were shot, girl. Six inches and you'd be dead," the nurse's voice dropped slightly. "I… you shot after those people."

"Yes," she coughed, the memory coming back to her. Suddenly, the image of the running perps and the gunshots came back. "Oh God. Oh God. Where's…"

"I'm sorry," came the reply, "But they're… dead."

"All of them?" she was shocked to say the least.

"All but one. Special Agent DiNozzo got the least; your Special Agent Gibbs took a bullet for him. DiNozzo's in critical condition, like you."

She had had it.

Her stiff limbs wouldn't move.

She allowed herself to sink back into the darkness.

-

"All but one. Special Agent DiNozzo got the least; your Special Agent Gibbs took a bullet for him. DiNozzo's in critical condition, like you."

She had to see him.

They had to get out.

McGee. Gibbs.

The only two left standing - barely standing at all. Confined to hospital beds.

She hated this.

She knew something was going to happen and did nothing.

Now… "They're… dead."

"Tony!" she yelled as loud as she could, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Tony!"

The nurse came running down the hall to see her; crying out the one name… the name of the person she'd probably never see again.

"He's dying," she could barely hear the voice outside, "He's not doing good. She's… she's all that's left of an entire team. Unless we save him, and her life depends on his…"

-

He was alive. God, he was alive and she was happier than ever. They'd given her a wheelchair and she'd gone to visit him. He'd looked so much healthier now. He wasn't…

"He's made a spectacular recovery. She can see him now."

His hand was encompassed in hers, and their eyes locked. No words were needed. They were all that was left.

And for Gibbs's sake, for McGee's sake, they'd stay alive.

-

3 years later, she stood the same as before; an exotic beauty with a playful smile. There would always be the ghost of the past on their minds. Gibbs. McGee.

But as they stared down at their softly sleeping first born, and her very pregnant self, smiles brought them new hope.

"Timothy Jethro DiNozzo," Ziva whispered quietly, "I hope you'll be as good as they were."

"Shh, Ziva," Tony whispered, his voice spiked with pain. "They'll… be fine. Abby, too."

She smiled and gave her husband a tiny kiss.

-

At the birth of Theodora Abby Shai DiNozzo, they'd vowed to put most of the past behind them. For their children's sake. But could they really?

After all, forever in their hearts and minds would be the child of memory, memory they wanted to forget.

For Timothy Jethro DiNozzo was everything they'd wanted him to be.