Breaking Down is basically an alternate for Aliyah, Reunion, Good Cop Bad Cop, that story line. There is also minor elements of Safe Harbor .Gibbs has a fatherly relationship with Ziva and there will be minor Tiva.

Please send me reviews, it is my first fanfic, and I would like it to work J

Breaking Down

It was ten on a stormy night and Ziva was standing on Gibbs' street staring at his house, trying to decide whether or not it was worth it. She'd always been told on an undercover mission, if her identity was discovered, you became a liability, if your enemy didn't kill you, our agency probably would. That's how she felt now, except it was her going to him to tell him her identity. She was breaking down and she knew it was affecting her work. She needed help, and Gibbs was the only person she trusted enough to go to. Nevertheless, she remained still in the pouring rain.

Gibbs was in his lounge room watching Ziva out the window, even through the darkness he could see the battle she was facing. He desperately wanted to run to her and pull her into his arms and tell her it would all be okay, but there were two reasons he couldn't do that. The first was he couldn't guarantee that everything would be okay. The second was that she needed to do this for herself. That didn't mean he couldn't give her incentive. With his mind made up he went to the door,

"Ziva. Get inside. It's pouring rain." He yells to her. She looks up at him, with the warm light from his house spilling out into the night. She makes up her mind and walks up to him slowly. He opens his arms but she looks him in the eyes and walks straight past and down to his basement. While she settles herself sitting under his boat, he tips some screws out of two jars and puts some bourbon in them, he hands one to her then sits down opposite her waiting. Two glasses of bourbon later she opens her mouth,

"Gibbs, I need help."

Earlier that week

It was Sunday morning and Ziva was the only person in the squad-room who was properly awake, then again, she wasn't sure if she'd actually slept. She glanced up from her computer and noticed McGee typing furiously and repeatedly glancing at the clock, DiNozzo was half asleep at his desk.

"What are you typing, McGee?" She asked curiously, his eyes flicked to her then back to the screen

"McBet-Loser, over here lost a bet." DiNozzo interjected proudly now thoroughly awake

"What was the bet?" Ziva asked, DiNozzo checked around him before answering

"That Gibbs," He checks again, "would catch McGee if he pretended to make a saucy phone call to his 'girlfriend'."

"So you were pulling fleece over Gibbs' eyes?" Ziva replies as she notices Gibbs approaching DiNozzo from behind. Even she winced at the slap DiNozzo received.

"The word is wool, Ziva. That DiNozzo was for taking advantage of McGee, and being dishonest."

"Yes boss." DiNozzo replied, "I think I'm gonna have to get Ducky to check me for a concussion."

"When we get back DiNozzo. Gear up. Got a body and a ship wreck."

"Why isn't coast guard handling it?" McGee asks as they step into the elevator

"Because it was a Navy ship that was hijacked by the," He glances at Ziva, "Israelis some months ago."

Ziva looked at the ground, she knew the ship. The Damoclese. It had been hijacked ten months ago by two Israelis, a man and a woman. She knew because she had been the woman who hijacked the ship. She wondered what loose end was going to have to be tied up, and by whom.