Disclaimer: Don't Own Em….

A/N: Post Somalia, Gibbs/Ziver father daughter relationship, establish Tiva if you squint.

Summary: Because she doesn't want to talk about it, she knows she has to.

Listen

Because she doesn't want to talk about it, she knows she has to. She just doesn't know where to start. Tony was willing to listen, sure, he was her friend. More than a friend. Maybe that is why she could not talk to him. Not because he would not be willing, but he would not be able to handle it. So here she was, sipping bourbon from a jar that once held the rusty nails, meticulously cleaning her weapon, and curious to how Leroy Jethro Gibbs managed to get another one of his boats out of this enclosed basement.

She heard the door upstairs open, and instinctively she put her gun together as quickly as she could. It always bothered her that he left his door unlocked. Seconds. She scolded herself, slower than her usual.

"You gonna shoot me, Ziver? Or can I work on my boat." She released the breath she had been holding.

"Sorry…I" Ziva started, but she didn't know how to finish. Gibbs already knew the answer, or he didn't care for one.

Rule #6: Don't apologize; it's a sign of weakness.

But she felt weak, so weak.

He walked past her, emptied another jar (this time full of bolts), and filled it up with the rest of the booze. He than pulled up a stool, patting it, encouraging her to sit. But she wouldn't…so he did. So she started pacing, wondering what to say to this man she called a father.

"I do not mean to intrude, Gibbs…I do not know who else to turn to." She stopped for a minute, looking him into the eye. "I do not have anyone else I can talk to about this." Silence. Typical Jethro. She continued to pace.

"You are probably wondering why I did what I did today?" Gibbs followed her eyes. "I did not intend to break protocol and go after that…man." She spat. "But what he did to those girls, what he put them through. I couldn't let that happen again. I let my personal beliefs come before my duty, and I understand if you want my badge. I…I let you down."

/Flashback/

"What are you doing?" Tony demanded as Ziva loaded her secondary weapon and slipped it behind her shirt.

"I am going in there."

"Agent David, as senior agent I demand you stand down until we get back up." Tony commanded. Gibbs was in route, if only he was there now. "You don't know what type of weapons he has in there."

"He may still have her, Tony. He may still be torturing and raping and killing these defenseless women."

"They are Marines, they can take-"

"Not when they are stripped of all they need to protect themselves. Not when they are beat day after day, drugged, assaulted." She stopped as her voice escalated. "So either you are with me, or you are not!" Tony shook his head. She was too personally involve, there was no use in fighting with the most stubborn ninja, assassin in the world. Before he could agree, she took of in the building.

She kicked down the door, clearing all the rooms at the first floor. Then she ran upstairs. Ziva found him there, asleep on the bed. Peaceful, innocent, lying. She walked up to him, close enough to hear his heart beat. She gently placed the cold barrel against his forehead.

And for a second, just a second, she was not Agent David. She was Mossed Assassin, Officer Ziva David. She did this for a living. Killing came second nature to her.

They man had awoken, he was crying, begging for a life he didn't deserve.

"Ziva…" She didn't hear him.

"AGENT DAVID!" It was Gibbs, she quickly snapped out of her trance. "We found the girls, they are down stairs." Ziva jammed the gun closer into his temple, until she backed up. Her hand dropped to her side, as Gibbs moved in to arrest him.

Ziva immediately ran downstairs. She didn't know if Gibbs was lying when he said they were safe, or saving her from making a huge mistake, but when she saw two scared, naked, beaten women begin escorted, wrapped in drapes, to safety. She took a deep breath. Tears of relief strewn down their faces. They were safe. But they were far from okay.

/END/

"If you had not walked in on that moment, I do now know what I would of done." She was still cradling her own gun. "He deserves to die." She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. She couldn't be this weak. She was Ziva David after all. Ex-mossed assassin, current NCIS agent. She had seen so much throughout her life, been through more than anyone should ever have to go through. But she couldn't handle this. She stopped pacing, for a minute, facing Gibbs.

"I mean, he degraded them. He beat them within inches of their life. He drugged them, so they couldn't fight back. He starved them, he dehydrated them." She paused, grasping to composure. "He…raped me." She didn't even notice the slip, but Gibbs sure did. He stood up and walked towards his agent, who just backed up. "Over….and over. But I wouldn't talk. Why didn't he just kill me? Why did you risk your lives for me? I do not deserve this." Her hand shook, with the gun in hand.

"And why won't you say ANYTHING?" This time, her voice escalated. A tear slipped from her eye. "You just sit there, silently. Not stopping me as I get to involved. Not discipline me for risking your lives, for McGee...for…Tony." She lingered on his name. "And you just keep your mouth shut? Why?" This time she was advancing on him. He backed up to the table. "Say SOMETHING!" This time she yelled. She held the gun up, aiming it at the wall behind Gibbs. She quickly unloaded the weapon and through it…hard…against the wall. It shattered.

"SAY SOMETHING!" Ziva screamed again. "PLEASE! TELL ME HOW WRONG I WAS, HOW BAD I SCREWED UP! HOW I DO NOT DESERVE YOU, OR…TONY" She slammed a closed fist into his chest. "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME TO DIE!" She punched him again, and again. Gibbs wrapped his arms around her as she struggled to pull away. "Why didn't you…why?" She was sobbing, her anger was dying down.

Ziva grabbed onto his shirt as they collapsed onto the floor. Gibbs just hugged her, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Shhhhhh, Ziver…" Gibbs cooed. His heart broke for his agent, his daughter. He cupped her face in his hands. "I never want you hear you say that you are not worth it. You are worth more than anything.

"Rule Number#5: You DO NOT waste good."

She pulled away from him; a sad smile graced her features. "Oh and Ziver…

"NEVER give up your badge unless you mean it. Because next time, I wont think twice." He was serious, but he helped her to her feet. She took a deep breath and kissed him on the cheek.

"I owe you, Gibbs. You have to stop saving me." She chuckled, wiping away tears, although that was impossible for him.

"And about Tony…" Ziva held her breath. Was she that see-through? No, she had said too much. Gibbs leaned in, pushing the hair away from her ear. He whispered something.

Rule 52: Some rules are meant to be broken.

THE END