AN: Hello people! Sooo recently I've been binge-watching all the Cinderella interpretation movies...again, and I think I'm addicted because I literally can't stop watching them. I really like the one with Hillary Duff... Oh God, I'm getting off track. Anyway, these movies gave rise to NCIS fanfic inspiration! Yay! I think this story got kinda long, so I'm going to upload it in chapters to make it easier on you guys. No, the chapters are not all finished, but from what I've written so far...well... I'm not in love with it. I honestly don't know if I should post it, but I'm just gonna go ahead and do it. I think my lack of favoritism for this story is partially due to the simplistic language that I decided to use in order to make the story feel like you're living through it. Who knows? Maybe this story doesn't suck and I'm just super critical of my work. Anyway, maybe give it a read and let me know what works and what doesn't?
Now... On with the story.
Chapter 1- Living a Nightmare
Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess named Ziva David. She had everything she could ever ask for. Every day she would wake up from a peaceful slumber and walk through her colorful garden full of her favorite flowers and trees, where she would sit and think until breakfast was ready. The morning sun shone down on her face as sh-
"Zivaaaaaa!" Her step-sister screamed from downstairs.
'Oh my God, what could she possibly want this early in the morning?' Ziva thought as she came back from her perfect dream into her horrible reality.
Ziva David lived in a house that was beautiful on the outside, and would have been on the inside, if the other inhabitants weren't her step-mother Orli and her step-sisters: Gwen and Gertrude. The twins' names both began with a G-that was on purpose- which made them just the slightest bit more irritating.
The house was very modern; the outside was painted white, and the structure resembled that of stacked blocks. There were quite a few balconies, and the landscaping was once beautiful, but lost its allure with the lack of care.
Her father, Eli, was the head of a fortune 500 company in New York City and had somehow fallen in love with the shrew she now called her step-mother. Orli had treated her okay while her father was alive, but Ziva knew that was mostly so her ulterior motives wouldn't be as obvious-Orli just wanted her father's money.
Somehow her father had missed it, which was odd, because a large part of his job was reading people. Nevertheless, he had named his new wife as Ziva's guardian in his will, and now that he is gone, she has no one on her side.
It didn't used to be like this. Everything was fine before Orli came into the picture and persuaded Eli to cheat on Ziva's mother, Rivka. Ziva had a loving mother and two amazing siblings-both of whom Rivka got in the divorce. She was five. She hasn't been able to talk to them since.
After Eli died in a crash with his limousine, Orli reluctantly allowed Ziva to stay in the house-but only if she took on the role of the "house helper" as Orli called it. That term, however, was only there to make Orli feel better about herself, because Ziva was basically a slave.
Orli wouldn't even let her go to school anymore because "she was so needed around the house". Daily, she had to cook every meal, wash the dishes, vacuum the house, wash the clothes, help the girls with their homework, fix anything wrong with the house, make appointments for the girls, drive them places, feed whatever animal they're fascinated with this time, and do everything that the "more important children" didn't want to do.
"Zivaaaaaaaa" Gwen called again, even louder this time.
"I'm coming!" Ziva yelled back as she rushed to put on the appropriate attire.
Orli would kill her if she came out of her room wearing her pajamas.
"What took you so long? I've been waiting here for an entire minute!" Gwen whined as Ziva reached the bottom of the stairs and ran into the kitchen where her step-sister stood.
"Sorry I wasn't awake yet." Ziva replied, hoping Gwen would leave it at that.
"That's no excuse! Come bake these brownies, we're having guests over in a little while." Gwen demanded.
"Wait, before you do that, go wake up Gertrude and then mom wants to see you out in the back yard." She said dismissively, mumbling something about never having good help as she walked back to her room.
Ziva pre-heated the oven, then slowly trudged up the stairs to wake up the somewhat less evil-but only by a slight margin- twin. As she approached Gertrude's room, she winced at the deafening sound of snoring.
The girl snored like a drunken sailor with emphysema.
Ziva made quick work of waking her up, surprised that during the whole ordeal she was only insulted twice, before sprinting downstairs to meet Orli within a reasonable time of her request.
Orli was laying out by the pool-a disgusting sight- when Ziva reached the back yard.
"You called?" Ziva asked/stated as she reached Orli's chair.
"Yes, I have some news. We are going to have some house guests come by in just a few hours, I assume Gwen already has you making brownies?"
At Ziva's nod of confirmation she continued, though why anyone would eat brownies as part of their breakfast was beyond her.
"You will also be making breakfast, I want at least three courses. Oh! and don't forget to clean up after, then mop the floors. We don't want our guests to think we're slobs!" She said, almost as if she actually was including Ziva in the family.
Ziva knew she absolutely was not.
"May I ask who our guests are?" Ziva questioned timidly, not wanting to be screamed at again after the last time.
"Normally I would say no, but because this is a special occasion, and you will find out anyway, our guests are the DiNozzos. The son, Anthony, is trying to meet a woman, and we are displaying the two most beautiful women in all of New York City." She said proudly.
Ziva thought proclaiming Gwen and Gertrude to be the most beautiful women in New York City was a bit... presumptuous, but she wasn't going to say that to the woman who could make her life twice as bad at the snap of a finger.
"I will go make the food now." Ziva said, already turning to walk back into the house, but before she reached the door Orli called out to her again.
"Ziva!" The way she said it always made Ziva grimace.
"Yes?" She called out.
"After you make the food and clean up, make yourself scarce! We don't want to scare the DiNozzos off!" She said with a smirk.
"Yes ma'am." And with that, Ziva went to complete her duties.
Two hours later-just barely within the time-frame she was given-Ziva had made the brownies, finished cooking the three-course breakfast, washed the dishes, and cleaned the floors.
"Ziva how long could it possibly take to do the few things I asked of you?" Demanded Orli as she finally came in from outside.
"Actually, I just finished." Ziva replied, tone void of sarcasm.
"Are you sassing me?" Orli all but screamed at Ziva as she rushed toward her with a deadly gleam in her eye.
"No ma'am" Ziva practically whispered as she looked down at the floor.
"What did you make?" Orli demanded, her voice laced with venom.
"Well, the brownies are still in the oven at a low temperature, so they don't get cold, and I have the three-course meal of quiche, Belgium waffles, and yogurt parfaits over here on the counter." Ziva replied in a monotone voice as to not give the appearance of sarcasm again.
"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE THIS INCOMPETENT?" Screamed Orli.
"Wha-" Ziva began but was interrupted.
"I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOTHING WITH A LOT OF CALORIES!" Ziva was beyond confused; Orli never specified, but she apologized anyway.
"I'm sorry Orli, I can make another meal if you wa-" Again, she was interrupted.
"Don't bother. Our guests will be here in a few minutes. Go to your room you fool!" She ordered.
As Ziva trudged up to her room, she could hear Orli yell out behind her.
"Don't think you won't be punished for this!"
'Oh great, as if my life wasn't punishment enough. Though it looks like one of them will have to prepare the dining room, so at least that's something.' She thought dejectedly, making her way up the stairs before things got more out of hand.
AN: Ok people, I hope that wasn't too bad. Do you see what I mean about simplistic language? Anyway, I don't know when I'll put the next chapter up. Probably pretty soon, I just have to proof-read it and do all that "behind-the-scenes" jazz. You all know the reviewing drill, so I'm not gonna beg this time lol.