A few hours earlier

Ziva was on her way to her office to get her weapons when she saw that her landlady was talking with someone while walking over to her office. Ziva hid in a bush to find out who the person was. When she finally saw the women she realized that she was one of Gibbs agents.
She wondered what she was doing here so she decided to find out what special agent Bishop was doing here.
After a while Ziva could hear other persons voices. Voices she knew. Ziva was about to step out of the bushes to see Gibbs and McGee and to ask Gibbs for help but she couldn't. It was to dangerous. They could die.

She had to clean up her own mess,

screw rule 28. Somebody is out to get her and she had to follow rule number 44 and hide Tali to keep her safe even if it broke her hart to leave her child. It still hurts her everyday. She hates it that she is not able to see her daughter everyday, to see her grow up, to tell her how much she is loved. But she had to clean up her own mess. Well Elis mess you could say.

Ziva waited until they where gone before she entered her office to get her weapons. Luckily Gibbs left them there as if he knew she was still alive and needed them. She took a look at the picture of herself and her brother and sister that survived so much. She had tears in her eyes and a sad smile on her face when she thought back to the time both where still alive.

It was all Elis fault. Talis death and that she couldn't be with her family. If he wouldn't have screwed up a mission when he was just an Mossad officer everything would be fine now. Tali would probably still be alive and she could be with Tony and Tali and the Team. But she had to end what stated all those years ago to be able to be back with her family again. If they still wanted her back.
But she also had to be careful, that Ellie wouldn't find out that she was still alive.

Ziva left her office and closed the door. Without looking back she disappeared in the dark.

Now

Ziva knew she had to act quickly. She had to get the bullet out of her tight. She was bleeding pretty badly and walking was hard for her. She was on her way to her office. The only place she thought she might be safe to rest and stitch herself up.
When she entered the office she forgot to turn the porch light of but she didn't care. She couldn't walk one meter anymore. She sank down next to the bad and hissed. Her leg hurt like hell. Ziva crawled to her desk where she kept a first aid kit.
She knew she had to take the bullet out which would be very painful.

Ziva saw her scarf and took it and threw it over to the bed where she planned to take the bullet out. With the first aid kid tugged under her arm she made her way back to the bad and sat down.

She needed a minute to breathe.
After some deep breaths she took her knife and cut the scarf in two parts. One part she used as a compression and the other half she put in her mouth so nobody could hear her.

With shaking hands Ziva took a small knife out of the first aid kid which she was going to use for the bullet. You can do this Ziva. You did it before. Come on and don't pass out she thought.

Just in the moment when she was taking the bullet out of her tight she heard someone entering the office. Ziva looked up and indistinctly dropped the knife and took her gun into her and aimed it in the direction of the door.

The last thing Ziva saw before passing out was special agent Bishop.

After opening the door Ellie couldn't believe what she saw. It was Ziva.

The women who everybody thought was dead. Ellie immediately put her gun down just like Ziva did. She must know me thought Ellie before realizing that Zivas eyes where closed and her head was hanging to the side.

Ellie entered the office and went over to Ziva to see what was wrong with her. When she scanned her with her eyes she saw that Ziva was bleeding. A lot. She took her phone out of her pocket and called Gibbs while putting pressure on the wound with the other one.

"Gibbs" she could hear her boss voice through the phone.

"Gibbs you have to come to Zivas office..."

"Didn't I tell you something Bishop" interrupted Gibbs his agent angry.

"Yes… but….. listen...it is important Gibbs. It's Ziva."

"What do you want Bishop?" asked Gibbs.

"She.. she's alive. She's here and she is bleeding. I think she was shot. She is passed out."

"I am on my way. Stay with her and do not call an ambulance."

"Got it boss."

Then the line went dead.

Gibbs couldn't believe what Bishop just told him. His Ziver alive? What trouble was she in now?

"Get Ducky Tim. We have to go NOW" said Gibbs while standing up from his desk.

Tim did not ask a question and went to the stairs to get Ducky.

"And tell Duck to take his first aid kid. Go" he shouted after the younger agent.

Gibbs met Tim and Ducky at the car and drove Ziva style to the office of his former agent.

"Tell me what happened Jethro" said Ducky.

"You'll see Duck" answered Gibbs.

When they arrived at the office they made their way over to it and entered the small cabin. When McGee and Ducky looked over to Ellie they couldn't believe their eyes.

"I found her like that Gibbs" said Ellie. "I don't know what happened or where she was coming from. She was already lying here when I arrived. She fell unconscious before I called you."

"Let Ducky do his work" said Gibbs looking at Ziva.

"How is she Duck?"

"I can feel a pulse Jethro but it is weak. We have to take her to a hospital."

"We can't Duck. It's a gut feeling."

"But then Ziva might die Jethro."

"You have to stitch her up Duck."

"But I am not a doctor Gibbs I am a pathologist I work with the dead not the living and I need other instruments to..."

"Ducky just stop the bleeding we will take her back to NCIS and you can stitch her up there. Ziva would have gone to a hospital after taking the bullet out if it would have been safe. But she is here."

"Of cause Jethro. I will do everything I can do for our friend" said Ducky trusting Gibbs.

"I can't believe that she is still alive" said McGee.

"Ziver is always full of surprises Tim."

Ducky did everything he could before Gibbs carried her to their car and they drove back to NCIS.

"We have a patient Mr Palmer. But it is a living one this time." said Ducky when they entered Autopsy.

"What?" asked Jimmy confused but when he saw Ziva in Gibbs arm he was happy to see his friend again.

"Ziva" he said.

"Now Mr Palmer."

"Of cause doctor." he said and got everything ready so that they could help Ziva.

"What happened?" asked Jimmy.

"Don't know" said Gibbs.

"Ziva lost a great amount of blood Jethro we need a transfusion otherwise she will die." said Ducky.

"We have the same blood type" replied McGee. "Take mine"

After what felt like hours to Gibbs they where finally finished and Ziva was stable.

4 hours later

After taking Ziva to Gibbs place and putting her down on the sofa Tim called Abby who immediately drove to Gibbs to see her best friend.

He also called Tony but didn't tell him that Ziva was still alive. He just told him that he had to come back to the US because it was important. Tony booked the next flight for himself and his daughter and informed McGee that they would arrive the following afternoon.

Gibbs did not leave Zivas side and sat down in the armchair next to the sofa. He watched the sleeping former agent and wondered what had happened that she had to leave her daughter and made everyone believe that the died.

Ziva opened her eyes and was alerted. Where was she? She wasn't in her office anymore. She looked around. Slowly she began to realize where she was.

"Gibbs" she said when she saw him sitting in the armchair next to where she was lying on his couch.

"You've got some explaining to do David" said Gibbs when Ziva looked at him.

End of chapter one. I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you think.