Cinderella. - Cinderzeeva
A/N: By the way, this is based off the brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, not the frilly dilly Disney one - so no talking mice...

It might be a tad OOC but, c'mon its Cinderella fgs xD

Disclaimer: I literally own nothing this time, only the way in which I have interpreted the story and tv show.

A young woman at the age of 10 lived with her father and her mother in a far off kingdom called 'Washington' she lived a happy life, her parents loved her, they cherished their beautiful daughter, and gave her the beautiful name of 'Ziva'. But one day, three months after young Ziva's 10th birthday, her mother grew gravely ill and sadly passed away, throwing the father, the watchmaker into a depression, until he met a beautiful, wealthy attorney of the land, Margaret Allison Hart, who came with two children, twins, Erica Jane and Jeanne.

Erica Jane and Jeanne were never very nice to Ziva, and forced her to do all the cleaning and their washing, unfortunately, instead of stopping them, their mother encouraged them, giving her more chores, moving her room, taking all her beautiful clothes. Now, Ziva's father never seemed to object as he was in love, he believed anything his wife told him, everything that didn't involve his daughter being horrible to hers, he knew his daughter had her mother's heart, and would never be mean to any of them.

When young Ziva was twelve, they got a message to the house, informing them that the watch-maker, Ziva's father had been killed on a delivery. Whereas Ziva was devastated about this, the attorney didn't seem to care, and brushed it off, having her late husband buried without a tombstone in the local cemetery. Ziva knew her life from here would go nowhere but down. Within days of her father's death, Ziva had already been kicked to a straw mattress in the basement, all her clothing burnt apart from the set if dirty brown rags she was condemned to wear for eternity.

Her main daily job was to clean the fire, and that is where she felt both solitude and pain, each day cinders would land on any exposed piece of skin and burned her. After a few months of this happening, her sisters decided to rename her, combining 'Ziva' with 'Cinder' to get the outcome 'Cinderzeeva'. They always tended to drag out her name at he end for effect.

After another 4 years of this, she was starting to get used to the names, the beatings and the chores, she got used to the sleeping arrangements long ago, even though it was infested with mice, who she saw as her only friends. She often spoke to them, in fear her loneliness would make her go mad if she didn't. And she always expected a reply from the rodents, even though she knew she would never get one. After a few months, she could tell them all by nicknames she had given them, and always buried those that died in the flower garden, with a simple rock marking their resting place - something her father never had.

King Jethro Gibbs and his wife Queen Jennifer Gibbs ruled over the kingdom with their only son, Anthony and their only daughter, Abigail. The Ex-King, Duke Donald Mallard (King Jethro's Uncle) also lived at the palace with them. And one day, on their sons 16th birthday, they decided he needed a wife to carry the next heir. Now Prince Anthony was no too fond of this idea, he preferred spending his days doing archery with his best friends (And servants) Timothy McGee and Jimmy Palmer. His sister agreed with him when he said he didn't need a girl at the age of 16, as he could become a soldier and live before he gets tied down. But, his mother and father would not accept his reasoning's, he was to marry before his 17th birthday to a girl he would have got to know over the period of a year.

Finally his parents agreed to let him choose who he was to spend the rest of his life with, but there was one condition, a 3 night event, where they would invite all the fair, unmarried maidens his age, and princesses would also be invited. So the days of the event were chosen and invitations were sent out. The watchmaker's house got four invitations to the grand event, one for each daughter and one for the mistress of the house to accompany them. But unfortunately, the attorney and her children got the invitation's first, and burned poor Ziva's.

"Step-mother" Ziva said timidly.

"What is it you filthy child!" her stepmother responded.

"May I go to the grand event?" Ziva asked, face to the floor.

"Yes" Her step-mother said, brightening Ziva's face "If" there it was, the condition. "If you get all your chores done by 7pm, including the dress embroidery."

Ziva smiled and shot away, doing her chores at lightning speed. Once finished all her kitchen chores and darning the dresses with half an hour to spare, she was about to approach her stepmother, just as a voice shouted through the house "CINDERZEEVA"

Ziva sighed and walked into her step-sisters room. "Yes stepsister?" She sighed again.

"This dress is badly stitched, and my floor is dirty, also you need to rewash the pots"

"But stepsis-"

"ARE YOU QUESTIONING ME CINDERZEEVA?"

"No stepsister" she sighed, lifting the dress and walking out of the room, hearing the girls giggle behind her.

It was 5 minutes to 7 when Ziva had finished darning the dress, and just at that time her stepfamily walked in.

"I am done now" Ziva said timidly.

"Are you now?" her stepmother said, walking around the kitchen, casually knocking down some pans. "Because it looks messy to me"

"Stepmother, I did what you said, and you said I could go." Ziva said sternly.

"And what would YOU wear" Erica Jane said, scrunching up her nose.

Ziva looked down at her rags, she hadn't even thought about a dress and sighed.

"Enough nonsense" Her stepmother snapped. "We will be back at midnight, there better be a clean home and a roaring fire when we return."

After her step family left, Ziva broke into tears in front of the dying fire. She didn't realize until she had stopped crying that the fire grew great. She looked in amazement as a small ember colored human floated within the flames. "Who are you?" Ziva stammered.

"My name is Hollis, I am the queen of the fire"

"Are you the one who burns me?" she asked the beautiful blond.

"Young Ziva, we do not need to speak of that, we need to get you to the event"

"Impossible, My stepmother took the only carriage, and I have no dress."

"Ziva, look at yourself"

Ziva looked down at herself, her old rag now replaced with a beautiful ivory dress, longer at the left than the right, the most beautiful heels graced her feet, their sparkle could be mistaken for glass. Her scars were covered up by long white gloves. She ran to the mirror where she saw her reflection, a silver tiara laid upon her
curls, which had silver carnations woven through it. She looked completely different.

"I look..." She began.

"Like a princess and this is your destiny until midnight on each eve"

"So this appearance won't last forever?" Ziva sighed, fingering the fabric of the beautiful dress through her gloves.

"It will disappear when the clock strikes midnight, but re appear at this time the next eve and the eve after that, the same rules apply"

"I have no way of getting there" Ziva sighed.

"Just walk out of the door" the woman in the fire smiled. Ziva was sceptical but did what Hollis said, as she had already learnt not to underestimate her. Ziva exited her house and gasped as she saw the walkway to the castle ahead of her, she whipped around fast, expecting to see her home, but, like magic, it was gone. Ziva smiled as she walked up the long carpet to the door.

"Hello Ma'am" She was greeted.

"Hello" Ziva smiled and handed him her invitation (That Hollis had repaired) before entering the grand event, she took a sharp inhale at the amount of people here, dancing and chatting away. In the centre there was a circle of people, staring at a dancing couple, Ziva edged further to see, soon she was at the rim of the circle, staring as the prince danced gracefully with a beautiful woman. she felt like the room was empty as he made eye-contact with her, taking another sharp breath.

Prince Anthony was annoyed, this had to be the 50th person he had danced with, and he didn't like any of them. He could see on the rim of the circle all his awaiting suitors, all wanting one dance. He inspected all of them, in their pink, blue and green ball gowns, they all looked the same. Then he made eye contact with her, she was beautiful, her ebony curls weaves with beautiful flowers, a simple tiara rested on top. Her dress was unusual and breathtaking; it slightly clung to her body with one side longer than the other, the longer side with a kind of netting over it, trailing on the floor. The floor, which strangely led his eyes to her feet, they wore silver heels upon them, sparkling in the light.

He quickly snapped his face back to his dancing partner as the song ended. He bowed and she curtsied before he went to pick another suitor for a dance. He knew he was going to pick the beautiful brunette, but racing over to her without pondering would seem strange.

He finally walked up to Ziva, Her cheeks automatically flushed red as he held out his hand and bowed. She took his hand and curtsied elegantly before they took the floor. He placed one hand in hers and his other around her waist, she held his hand in hers as her other one rested in-between his shoulder and chest. The soft music started as they began to whiz around the dance floor.

"You're different" he said, attempting to make conversation. She gist smiled.

"How so?"

"You're not in an outrageous dress that makes you look like part of the rainbow." he shot a $1000 smile at her.

"Do you like different?" she blushed.

"I do" he paused as the part of the dance now required him to lift her. He placed both his hands on her waist as she did on his shoulders and he lifter her twice, briefly before going back to their dancing stance. "What is your name?"

"I will make you a deal, Prince." She stated menacingly.

His prince looked shocked at her confidence and feistiness; she was the only girl not sucking up to him. "Oh? And what's that deal?"

"On the last day of the event, at 11:30, you shall meet me in the courtyard, and I will tell you who I am"

"And why should I agree?"

Ziva felt so confided around the prince, and yet she couldn't figure our why. "If you want to know who I am, you will come"

The dance ended as they broke apart and bowed at each other. "on one condition" He said as he lead her back.

"Oh?"

"Dance with me tomorrow"

"I will"

He smiled at her and chose another dancer, but he couldn't keep his mind off of the beautiful woman he had previously danced with. She was stunning and feisty, his thought were scattered as he smiled, and pretending to listen to how much this 'Eric Jane' girl loved him and how he was to marry her.

Finally at 11:45pm he had finished dancing and walked up to his parents who were sitting on their thrones.

"Hello Anthony" His mother greeted. "Have you found anybody of interest?"

"I have, yes"

"And what is her name?" Jethro, his father asked.

"I don't know" He admitted

"I'm confused" Jenny said.

"She's feisty, she was the only one who didn't declare love for me or say how much she loved me, and she didn't look like a rainbow, she was wearing an ivory dress" Tony laughed.

"If you don't know who she is, how can you choose her?" Jethro asked.

"As I said, she's feisty" Tony laughed. "we made a deal, to meet in the courtyard at 11:30pm on the last day of the event."

Jenny and Jethro smiled "She sounds interesting" Jenny said slowly.

"I am dancing with her again tomorrow" Anthony said.

"We agreed one dance per suitor" Jethro said, raising his eyebrow.

"I want to dance with her again" Tony said. "She is more interesting than ye rainbow faeries" He said, referring to the people out there.

"Don't be rude." Jenny snapped.

"I thought the same at my suitor event, Jen" Jethro smiled.

"Then why did you choose me?" She laughed. "I was just as rainbow-y as them"

"You were different" He laughed.

Ziva was getting a drink when she realized the time, it was five minutes until midnight. Gasping she fled to the door and ran out, not going unnoticed by Prince Anthony who looked worried at the door as she fled.

Ziva ran into the forest as her dress disintegrated back into rags, her girls loosing some volume and the flowers disappearing. She sighed and sat of the forest floor, wondering how to get home.

She squeezed her eyes shut, if she wasn't home in two minutes he would be beaten by her stepmother. Suddenly she felt warmth touch the aide of her body. She opened her eyes to find herself back in her home, and Hollis in the fire.

"Did you have a good time?" Ziva nodded. "Good come back here tomorrow at the same time"

Ziva nodded as Hollis disappeared, the fire sill roaring, as her stepmother requested. Ziva picked up all the pans and made the house spotless. It was half a hour after midnight when her step-family arrived back. Ziva made no comment on heir lateness and just sat on her straw mattress as the mice scuttled around. "I had an amazing night" she whispered to the mouse curled in some straw beside her, it stuck it's head out at her as if it could understand what she said. "He wants to dance with me tomorrow, when It said on the invite, specifically one dance per maiden"

She sighed and closed her eyes, for once, she felt comfortable in her skin.

The next day, the same thing happened, her step mother spat at her, beat and burned her, but Ziva didn't care today, she barley flinched in anticipation, plus, the 'burn' wasn't a burn, it was normal temperature, Ziva had to remember to thank Hollis for that. At 7pm her step-family left again for the ball and she approached the fireplace. She watched as it grew big and the small figure appeared.

"Hello Hollis, thank-you for not burning me earlier"

"You didn't deserve to be burnt" Hollis sighed.

"Thank-you"

"Do you like your dress today?"

"What?" Ziva looked down at herself. "How do I not notice you do that."

"Magic" Hollis smiled.

Ziva walked out the door again, the same way she did before and into the event hall. She made her way slowly to the rim of the circle and laughed quietly as she watched Prince Anthony dance with a rather, Large woman. She saw the Princes pain change to comfort when his eyes made contact with, well, her.

Tony was in pain as he tried to lead this heavy woman across the dance floor. He prayed his mysterious woman would show up soon. He eagerly looked around the rim of the awaiting people, trying to hide the pain in his face.

Then he saw her, was she laughing at his pain? No, she's not that confident. Is she?

Once the dance ended, Tony sighed in relief as he walked over to his mystery woman and stuck his arm out. "Dance?" He asked.

"Of corse" she smiled and took his hand, walking to the centre of the circle. He nodded at his mother and father - she was the one.

Ziva was nervous, why did he nod to his parents?

"So are you ready to tell me your name yet?" Tony smiled.

"We had a deal" She said back. Smiling.

"You look beautiful tonight" he said, she really did, today her curls were in a soft bun, a dark maroon dress with a gold band that slightly trailed on the floor, she was wearing the Sam ominous shoes as she was yesterday. Once again she was wearing the tiara.

Ziva blushed. "Thank-you, you don't look too shabby yourself" she laughed.

"You expected me to be, shabby?" he joked.

"Just a little" she laughed.

"I'm hurt" Tony feigned.

"So who is that dancing with your sister?" Ziva asked as she saw the princess dancing who somebody.

"Abby's doing what?" Tony said turning Ziva and himself round sharply to observe this. "Timmy" he sighed.

Ziva laughed slightly.

"Laughing at me again, whatever your name is?" He said, raising his eyebrow.

"No, I would never" She joked as the Dance ended. They bowed at each other and he led her back. "Remember, the courtyard at 11:30" she said.

"I know" he smiled.

The next day progressed the same, although this time, Hollis didn't give Ziva a dress, she gave her a long black hooded cape that would not disintegrate, she also wore the same heels, they distinguished her confidence and they would not disintegrate either. Ziva gracefully accepted it and made her way to the event, this time going straight to the courtyard, although it was only 7pm, she would wait.

At exactly 11:30 the doors to the courtyard opened, Ziva looked up to see Prince Anthony there.

"Didn't think you would be here, we didn't dance."

Ziva smiled as he sat beside her. "I haven't got the appropriate attire to dance tonight" she sighed.

"So, who are you?" he asked.

"Not somebody worthy of you" She said, rolling up her sleeves, revealing the scars. "I'm not who I seem"

Tony gasped as he looked at her arms. "I don't care who you are, the two days - now three that I have known you, you're the only girl - scratch that, woman I have been able to stand, you don't expect anything from me"

"you really want to know who I am?" She asked, looking him in the eyes.

"I do" he said, keeping contact.

"I'm the daughter of a dead man and woman, treated badly by those her father bought into his home" Ziva sighed "Do not waste your time on somebody like me"

Ziva wiped her eyes. "I must go."

Ziva shot up and ran off, one of her silver shoes being unintentionally left behind.

Tony punched the seat as he stood up, his eye catching something glistening in the moonlight; it was a shoe, her shoe. That night Tony presented his parents the heel, and they said, tomorrow he could search the whole kingdom to find her, but only one day. He should go by looks, he would notice her stunning beauty anywhere - But she said she wasn't who she seemed to be, she could be anybody.

In the morning he set off, going house-to-house fitting the heel onto many different women's feet, ever foot it fitted onto, the woman was invited to the castle the next night, he would know if they danced, if it was her.

He approached the watchmakers house on horse, him and McGee jumped off as Jimmy held the horses back, keeping them at a safe but retrievable distance. He knocked three times as the door opened.

"Prince" The attorney curtsied. "me and my daughters have been expecting you"

"Very well, can we get this done with" he said, walking into the house, seeing two girls sat down with one shoe off. 'I remember them, they're not her' he sighed, but walked over and tried the shoe on the blonde sisters foot. It didn't fit, her heel was too big. Eric Jane frowned and began to push harder into the shoe, making it fit but the skin going red and swelling.

"It's my shoe, it fits" She squealed.

"I am sorry, but it is not" The prince sighed "You only could fit it on with force"

Eric Jane frowned as he moved onto her sister. Jeanne was a brunette, he slipped the Heel onto her foot, although her toes were scrunched up an she yelped in pain. "You knew it wasn't me" she sighed "I saw it in your eyes"

"Sorry" he said and stood up, just as he was about to leave, a voice echoed through the house.

"Must you be so naïve prince, this is the house of the watch maker, did you not read your list? the watch maker had a daughter"

Everyone looked around. "What is this monstrosity? Cinderzeeva did not attend the event, the shoe cannot be hers" Erica Jane scoffed.

"Where is she?" The prince asked.

"Shopping, at the bakery" the stepmother lied.

"She's in the basement, locked in" the voice said.

"Who is that!" the attorney said, miserable.

"Tim, go to the basement, retrieve the girl"

McGee nodded and ran to the basement door, kicking it down.

Ziva heard the door being kicked, she approached it slowly as it shot open. "Are you Cinderzeeva?" The man asked.

"Just Ziva" She nodded. "You were dancing with the princess" she observed.

"That I was, and if you knew that, you must have been at the event"

"I was" she said, appearing out of the shadows.

"The prince requires you to try the Heel." McGee stated.

Ziva sighed and exited the basement, following McGee.

The prince gasped as she entered the room. "It is you" he said.

"You cannot know that" She said, sitting down and presenting her foot.

"Yes I can" he said, slipping the heel onto her foot, it fit perfectly.

"Told you" He smiled.

"And I told you not to waste your time on somebody like me"

"Beautiful, independent, feisty" He paused. "You're worth my time"

Ziva wiped her eyes again as her hand was taken by Prince Anthony and she was taken from the house. She was helped onto the back of his horse, as soon as they were ready, all three horses rode off towards the palace.

The end.

A/N: so it's not as I expected, and I didn't want to write the marriage or anything, I might end up writing it though. This has probably been done before but not in this way - if that makes sense.

So I enjoyed writing this, it was fun, More NCIS and NCIS LA Oneshots coming soon :)

Please review :)

-LJ.