Author Note: Hello! With the recent events of everything happening in Gaza with Israel and Hamas, I decided to try and write a story about it considering that Ziva is over there by herself. I tried to make it realistic as possible, but still keep it fictitious. Obviously, the whole situation with Ziva isn't real, but the shelling incident is.

Hope you enjoy:)

Thank you, Lucy for the help!

"Copy that. We're going in," Tony mouthed into the microphone as the helicopter landed in a sand field.

He jumped out, Timothy McGee following him every step. They treaded through the sand filled air, the thumping of the helicopter rotor making its way into the distance. Their military boots pounding into the hard sand as they made their way towards a small village.

McGee held a location device in his hands, "Alright, Tony. It says she's in a building about two miles ahead."

"Sweet," Tony muttered, looking up towards the sky as a loud crash signaled in the distance followed by a large boom. "What the hell?" Tony shouted, smoke rising in the air in the distance along with fire.

"Um..Tony?" McGee panicked, holding up the device "Her signal went out…"

"Fuck!" Tony started running to the village and in the direction of the chaos, McGee following closely behind. His heart was racing, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, fear rushing over him when he began to hear screams and sirens. Approaching the village, people were running everywhere, to the left, to the right and Tony had to dodge most of them so, he wouldn't collide.

One woman was shrieking in Arabic, Tony listening closely to see if he could recognize any of the words. Failing, he kept running towards the smoke and fire, gun cocked tightly in his hand.

"This place is hell," He sighed under his breath.

Three days earlier…

The whiskey burned, traveling slowly down his esophagus and emptying into his stomach with the other remains of strong alcohol from earlier that night.

"Dinozzo, is there a reason you're worried about this now?" Gibbs questioned, sanding down wood.

"How the hell can I not be worried?!" Tony spat back.

"This fight between these groups has been going on for years. It's nothing new," He shrugged.

"She wasn't even born then! And hell, she was always away on missions when things became chaotic. Now, now she's over there by herself and there's no one there to fucking protect her!" Tony downed the rest of his liquor from the glass in his hand.

"Thought you had moved on, Dinozzo. What did you tell Lisa tonight?" the older man questioned.

"Nothing?" Tony shrugged, reaching for the Whiskey and Gibbs took it away "We were sitting in the restaurant, all that shit came on the news and I freaked. Told her I had to go and I left,"

"What is Lisa going to think when she finds out you're worried about a woman who hasn't contacted you in months?" Gibbs commented, seeing the anger rise in Tony's body.

"You know, Boss? Right now I couldn't give a single fuck about Lisa cause she's not the one in the middle of a God damn warzone!" His hands went up in the air, the glass shattering on the cement ground.

"Damn it, Tony. What do you want to do about it?" Gibbs shouted.

"I'm going there. I'm getting her back, once and for all and oh yeah, I'm taking McGee with me!" Tony stormed up the wooden stairs of the elder man's basement.

Back to present time…

McGee and Tony rushed to the scene. Streets filled with ash, wood and cries. Smoke being inhaled by everyone's lungs, adults frantically running to the building ahead. Fire took over one side of the building, sirens in the distance and shouting heard all around.

Tony took in the scene before him, blood on the ground as children laid. He looked at the sign on the building recognizing the word "School" and cursed. McGee rushed to help the children hurt outside of the school, parents flooding all over looking for their child. Tony ran through what would have been the glass doors of the school, looking around at the damage. Women were racing past him, injured children in their hands who were bleeding out. He ran towards the corner of the room, a child stuck under rubble and crying. He bent down towards the little girl, putting pressure on the cut just above her eye. Looking up desperately for some help, he spotted her in the distance. She was running towards the exit door that he had just come through, with two little toddlers in her arms. One of the toddlers arm was bleeding heavily and she was yelling Arabic instructions to two women who took the toddlers from her arms. He watched as she ran back into the room she had come from, before bringing two more hurt children out. She was covered in dirt, her brown hair tattered and looking more tired than he ever had seen her. The child beneath him moaned and he snapped out of it, clearing the rubble of the little girl and helping her crawl into his arms. He rushed the little girl outside, a woman taking her from him. Tony quickly jogged back in, helping a little boy who limped across the room.

"Hi buddy," he whispered, picking the little boy up and helping him outside.

"Thank you…American?" One woman questioned Tony as she took the boy from him.

Tony nodded and once again ran back into the building. Women were shouting and he tried to focus in on what they were saying, but no look. Damn, he should've learned Arabic. The women rushed past him and out the door, leaving him to look for the person he had come for.

Blood was dispersed through the entire room. He looked away, quickly. Glass was shattered and school supplies scattered and torn across the floor along with drawings that he could tell were made by some of the children. He could hear one woman cry out about her child who had ultimately died just seconds ago.

He slowly made his way into the room, being careful of the rubble around him and any children still inside. The walls had been made of stone and cement and were now collapsing as the aftereffects of the shelling took over.

He saw her, in the back of the room leaning down. She looked like she was hovering over in pain. Her eyes were closed as she lifted her head up and she began to run, holding onto her stomach. Just as her legs moved, she opened her brown eyes and froze.

"Tony…what are you-"

"Is that what you're always going to ask me every time I walk into a room?" He smirked, looking her over and realizing she was bleeding profusely at the stomach. "You're hurt, Zi" he walked over to her and she backed away.

"No, I must find more children. I am fine, Tony. You need to get out of here, this building is about to collapse," Ziva started pushing his body towards the door.

"To hell with leaving! I'm not leaving you here, Ziva. What the hell are you doing in a school in the middle of Gaza anyways?" He questioned, stepping closer to her noticing the way she suddenly became dizzy and the tears that trickled down her cheek from the pain of her injury.

"I am helping the UN as a refugee. Tony, I thought I told you I wanted to rid of my sins from my life as Mossad. Now if you would please just leave-" She stopped, her eyes growing wide, staring at him. "I am not just seeing you, right? You are real?"

"Zi?" Tony held his palm out, caressing her cheek. She collapsed, he threw his arms out and caught her. "Shit," He adjusted her body in his arms so, that he was carrying her bridal style. Using all his strength, he ran with her body outside of the building, finding McGee tending to a child's wound.

"There ya go! That band aid will help your cut," McGee smiled towards the little boy and his mother who came over thanking him for helping out her son. McGee looked around and grimaced at all the parents crying for their children and the losses that they were now facing with this hell.

"McGee!" Tony chirped.

"What the hell happened?" McGee shot up from where he was crouched on the ground, studying Ziva's bleeding stomach.

"She got hit by debris from one of the shells. We gotta get her out of here and back to the helicopter," He worriedly looked down at her.

"Let's go," McGee wrapped gauze around her waist to stop some of the bleeding before following Tony as they ran towards where their helicopter had landed.

"Watch out!" McGee called, running through crowds of people making sure that Tony didn't trip with Ziva in his arms.

They made it back to the area of the helicopter, the wind blowing some specks of dirt of Ziva's face and replacing it with sand. McGee climbed up into the helicopter first, grabbing Ziva and holding her while Tony climbed up. Soon as Tony was inside the helicopter, he took Ziva's body back into his arms when the nurse on board shuffled over. "Tend to her now, we'll get her to Bethesda when we reach D.C"

14 hours later…

Tony rushed into the hospital beside the gurney where Ziva laid. She was moaning in pain as the doctors explained to her they would have to examine her. Her hand could feel pressure, almost a squeezing as if someone was holding it. Her eyes refused to open and register where she was at the moment. The last thing she remembered was the URWA school that she was helping out at being shelled and seeing Tony walk in. She swore she was seeing things, the shock of the bombing getting to her head and adjusting the reality of the situation. Why would Tony be there? They had not talked in almost a year since he had left her in Israel when she practically dumped him and they were not even dating. He would not come for her again, would he?

The piercing of the IV in her hand woke her out of her thoughts. She could feel hands feeling around her stomach and a shooting pain rip through her. She cried out, what the hell was happening?

"She's going to need surgery" a deep voice sounded from beside her and more hands touched her stomach.

"AH" she wrenched forward, more hands stopping her and pushing her back down on the gurney.

"Mam, we need you to try and relax. We have to get you into surgery as soon as possible. The debris ripped open your stomach lining," a calm voice stated.

Ziva began to panic. She opened her eyes finally, tears straining down while the pain shot through her body. Doctors were surrounding her, hands frantically moving over her body while they repaired cuts on her legs and arms. Someone was pushing on her stomach, giving pressure to the blood that still carried out. Ziva started to cry harder, fear taking over. Where the hell was she? Was she still alone in Gaza? But, these doctors looked American. Was she in an American refugee hospital? Oh god, she was alone. She was alone in Gaza and no one was there to make sure she was okay because her family, her real family was back in D.C.

Outside of the ICU room, Tony paced. He was shaking, running his hand over hair over and over again.

"She'll be alright…" McGee sighed, looking at his friend.

"Ziva's a fighter, Dinozzo. You know that better than anyone else," Gibbs replied.

"I know, it's just… she hates hospitals. She's afraid of them. She never would let anyone know, but I figured it out after our car accident when we got back from Berlin. Called her out on it and she swore she would have me buried if I told anyone," he chuckled, "she's seen too many of her loved ones in hospitals and been in them way too many times hereself"

"I keep finding out more things that surprise me about Ziva," McGee smiled, "I still can't believe the hardass ninja wanted to be a ballerina"

Tony laughed, covering his face with his hands "She also wants people to believe she hated dressing up and going out, wait til you see how many pairs of heels she owns"

"That's the thing with women, Dinozzo" Gibbs smirked, "They constantly change their mind"

"Ziva, they have to take you to surgery…" a voice echoed.

Adam. Adam Eschel. Why the hell had he followed her to the hospital from the school? More importantly, how did he know she was in Gaza? She winced, wondering why the hell she did not he was with her the whole time. What did Tony do when he saw him? Tony…..Tony. Tony! Tony was there! He was there, she knows he was. Where did he go? Is he hurt too? Is he in another hospital room? Her body jerked up, she tried to move her legs to get off the gurney and go search for Tony.

"Mam, you can't move! We are taking you to surgery now,"

"But- Tony- Tony!" Ziva shrieked.

"He's not here," Adam scowled at her, trying to take her hand.

"Sir, you can't come with," A nurse pulled him back as the gurney started to move, leaving Adam behind.

Ziva felt the pain from her stomach through her body once more and screamed. She was wailing as they wheeled her gurney out of the ICU hospital room. Tears were cascading down her olive skin, still covered in dirt and they wheeled her out to the hallway. Screaming once more, she let out all her voice had in her "TONY!"

The piercing scream entered the hallway, knocking Tony, McGee and Gibbs out of their conversation, a gurney moving down the hallway away from them..

"Ziva!" Tony whispered, tears forming as his name echoed through the entire hospital. He went to run towards the crowd of doctors and nurses following the gurney when Gibbs hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Get off me," Tony threw his shoulders forward, chasing the gurney down the hall. "Ziva! Zi, I'm right here! I promise" he caught up to them, pushing his way through the doctors and nurses.

"Tony!" Ziva screeched, trying to get off the mattress and to him, a nurse holding her down.

"Sir, you need to go! She needs surgery!" A doctor pushed Tony back.

"Ziva, calm down!" A nurse exclaimed, holding the brunette ninja down with force.

"TONY" Ziva screamed again, tears soaking through her hospital gown.

"Alright, we're going to have to sedate her" A nurse to the let chimed in and Tony watched as they held her down.

Tears came down his face and he wiped them off while he watched Ziva slowly close her eyes and calm down. Tony stood there for a few minutes, making sure this wasn't a dream. She was home in the United States now and out of that warzone, she was safe.

"I'm getting Adam Eschel out of here," Gibbs stated scaring Tony as he stood in the now empty hallway.

"He was here?!" Tony growled, his fist curling beside his leg.

"Yeah, I'm going to take him to interrogation. Don't know why he came back to the U.S and nurses said Ziva didn't seem to like his presence. I don't like him," the elder man sneered.

"Welcome to the club," Tony muttered.

6 hours later…

Ziva could feel her head throbbing as she laid there. She tried to listen to her surroundings, but heard nothing than a constant beep to her right. Hospital. She was in the hospital. Trying to move her body, she groaned feeling an ache through every part of her. Well, that is not good, she sighed. Opening her brown eyes, she squinted from the bright, florescent lights.

"Hey sleepy head," a voice came from the left of her and she turned her head. A smile crept across her face at seeing his goofy grin and she felt her dryness of her throat stop her from responding.

"Here," he smiled and placed a straw at her lips. She sucked gently, letting the cool water run down her throat.

"Tony, where are we?" The pain killers made her feel dizzy and yet, she felt kind of weird.

"Bethesda," he smiled.

"Home…" Ziva responded.

"Home," Tony took her hand, brought it up to his lips and kissed it. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," she giggled.

"What?" he smiled, confused at what she was laughing at.

"I feel like I'm floating," she began to laugh again, moving her head side to side, "Woah."

"That's the drugs talking, sweet cheeks" Tony shook his head, stifling a laugh.

"Tony!" Tony turned around at hearing a woman's voice behind him.

"Lisa? What are you doing here?" He asked annoyed.

"Hi to you too?" She crossed her arms and stared at him, "Abby called me to tell me you were at the hospital and I was worried sick because you haven't returned my call in days since you walked out of the restaurant,"

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. Listen, Lisa… I don't think this is going to work out" He sighed, knowing Ziva was glaring at the woman from the side of him.

"Really? You're breaking up with me in the middle of a hospital room with some woman next to you?" Lisa stomped her feet.

"Hi!" Ziva waved, giggling.

"Who is she?" Lisa questioned.

Tony rolled his eyes and smiled at Ziva, before glaring back at Lisa, "Look, I think it just be better if you leave and we never speak of this again,"

"Wow, Anthony Dinozzo. You're a real charmer! You don't even have the balls to tell me who this woman is-"

"Oh, he has balls! I have seen them!" Ziva wiggled her eyebrows, giggling some more.

Tony laughed, "Okay, Zi. That's enough input from you." He turned back to Lisa, "I'm sorry, Lisa, really. You're a beautiful, nice woman and you deserve someone better. I can't be with you because I'm in love with her…I always have been" He smiled back at Ziva.

"Who is in love with me?!" She perked up, smiling, but winced at the pain.

"Well then…I shall leave you two alone," Lisa bit her lip before storming out of the hospital room.

"She seemed niceeeeee," Ziva laughed again, almost falling off the hospital bed.

"Woah, my ninja" Tony caught her, placing her back on the bed and on her pillow. "Get some sleep…"

"Drugs are making me goofy, yes?" She smiled.

"Loopy, and…well, yeah goofy works too" Tony chuckled as she settled back down and closed her eyes.

"Tony?" She called out a few minutes later as Tony was about to exit the room.

"Yeah?" He asked, walking back over to her bed.

"Where are you going?" she had one eye opened, looking at him.

"I was going to get something to drink. You're safe here, I promise." He shrugged, wondering what was wrong.

"Oh…are you going to leave me here, alone tonight?" Her eyes stared at him deeply.

He smiled, bending down before placing his lips on hers. He moved slowly, not wanting to hurt her, but wanting to reassure her. Pulling his lips away, he whispered in her ear "Never again, baby." And kissed her forehead before leaving the room.