Ziva/Gibbs

Close Call

No one could understand how fast their day had gone from calm and joyful, to the dark shoot out they were now in.

No one saw the boy pull out the gun until it was too late.

"Don't be stupid, put the gun down!" Tony yelled at the kid from his place behind the counter. Next to him, Ziva was trying her best to patch the torn skin, muscles, and sinew caused by the bullet from the boy's gun.

"NO! You lied to me! You said my dad was dead!" He cried out, his vision blurring with tears. The boy's name was Nathan McComb, age twelve. His father had been found murdered two days earlier, his body burnt beyond recognition. The team had relied on dentals to revel the dead sailor's identity. Which brought them to today. After discovering the deceased's identity, they had moved to his next of kin to confirm that the body sitting in Ducky's morgue was in fact, Yosef McComb.

Nathan's mother, Daniela McComb had confirmed her husband's identity, breaking down into sobs when she realized that her husband would never be coming home. She had ordered Nathan to his room, but little did she and the agents know; he had listened from around the corner, out of sight.

Yosef McComb had been having an affair with several other women from various ports around the world. But the icing on the cake was the fact that he had married every single woman under a different name and had a dozen children from all his wives. Daniela included. Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva had stayed silent, letting the shocked woman gather her thoughts. And as the phone began ringing, she didn't move but after three more rings, it went silent.

They were unaware of the twelve year old talking to a man on the other side of the phone, his face twisting anger and darkness surrounding his heart. His mind went blank, rage flowing through every synapse and vein with every pump of his heart. He let the phone drop and headed to his parents' room. Sliding under the bed, he found what he was looking for. Flipping the top open, he lifted it up and tested the weight in his hands.

The metal was cold in his hands. Cold, smooth, and deadly. His father had given the silver .45 to his mother the first time he deployed nearly a decade ago. He stood and descended the stairs, only one thing in mind. Before the NCIS agents could do anything, he raised his hand and pulled the trigger. His first bullet lodging itself in the old man's shoulder. Then man who had told his mother that his father had been killed.

Everything after that had happened so quickly. Tony had managed to bring Gibbs to cover as the boy fired again, this time barely missing Ziva's hip.

"NATHAN! STOP!" His mother cried, pleading with her son.

"They lied, Mom! They said dad was dead! They LIED!" Another shot was fired, taking out the window behind the kitchen table.

"Put down the gun, kid! Nothing good is going to come out of this!" Tony shouted, chancing a peek from around the bottom of the counter. The kid fired again, lodging the third bullet into the floor. Tony turned to look to Ziva, only to find that she was no longer there. He looked around the corner again, this time watching as Ziva snuck up behind the boy, effectively dislodging the gun from his hands hand pinning him to the ground, not faltering as he began to sob and scream. Tony stood and knelt next to Ziva, handcuffing Nathan's arms behind his back, picking him up by his upper arm and hauling him out of the house and into the back seat of the charger.

Inside the house, Ziva checked on Mrs. McComb before kneeling next to Gibbs again. She ripped the hem of her jacket, bunching it up and placing it over the already blood soaked towel, apologizing gently when he hissed and grunted in pain. Ziva reached into her pocket and with one hand, called for an ambulance. They made it to the house in three minutes.

Ziva watched as the paramedics got Gibbs situated on a stretcher, following behind as they took him from the house and outside to the ambulance. She met Tony's gaze from where he was talking to a local LEO. He gave her a slight nod and she returned it with a small, grateful smile.

She hopped into the back of the ambulance after Gibbs was loaded on and sat at the head of the stretcher, placing her hands on either side of his face, mumbling a few things in Hebrew before she began another prayer.

0

"Ziva!" Ziva looked up at the shout of her name. She stood and wrapped her arms around the Goth, hugging her just as tightly as Abby was hugging her, mindful of the black haired woman's belly. After a moment, the women separated and Tim gave Ziva a gentle hug.

"How is he? Have the doctors said anything?" Abby asked, her soulful green eyes watery and sad. Ziva settled her hand on her hip and brushed the other through her wild locks.

"The doctor said that Gibbs had been lucky. An inch to the right and the bullet would have nicked an artery. An inch more and it would have transected an artery. The doctors are moving him to his own room now. It should only be a matter of time before they let us back to see him." Ziva said as she sat down again.

"Where's Tony?" Tim asked, not seeing the man in question.

"He is with the local LEO's. They're trying to get Nathan settled somewhere he won't be a danger to himself or others." She said.

They ended up waiting another fifteen minutes before a doctor appeared, asking for the family of 'Leroy Jethro Gibbs'.

"We are his family." Ziva spoke up. The weary doctor looked like questioning the woman and people who looked nothing like his patient, but decided against it.

"Mr. Gibbs is in the clear. He's to be taking it easy for at least a week. No heavy lifting or do anything strenuous." He said and handed the chart in his hand to the orderly behind the desk.

"Can we see him now?" Abby asked, her right thumb rubbing the back of her left hand. Tim took her hand in his, stopping her nervous tick.

"Yes, right this way. Room 214. We didn't put him out while we removed the bullet, so he should be awake, but if he's sleeping, he should be up soon." The doctor stopped in front of room 214 and turned one of the flags to green.

"Call if you need anything." And with that, he was gone. Ziva opened the door and was the first to see Gibbs.

"Hey Ziver." His voice was a bit raspy, but other than that, he looked completely fine. She smiled and stepped aside, letting Abby and Tim in.

"Gibbs! Don't ever scare me like that again!" Abby chastised, hugging Gibbs as tightly as she could, mindful of her full belly.

"Easy Abbs. I'm fine." Gibbs said, but hugged her back tightly nonetheless.

"You better be, Mister. Someone has to teach your grandson to make boats, and if you die on me, then we're going to be out of luck." She said and Ziva and Gibbs looked at her in shock. Abby seemed confused for a moment before it dawned on her.

"Oops."

"You are having a boy? How wonderful!" Ziva said, hugging her best friend as Gibbs shook Tim's hand. Gibbs looked to Abby and began signing. They stopped after a while and Abby kissed his cheek before cuddling into Tim's side.

They all talked for a while before Tim and Abby left, the latter yawning and eyes drooping. Once they were alone, Ziva stood from her chair and sat on the bed next to Gibbs.

"I must be honest with you. You scared me greatly today. When you got shot, I was afraid that it had hit a lung or your heart." Ziva confessed, touching the gauze over his wound.

"Yeah, well at least it landed me here and not you or Tony." He said teasing the sleeve of Ziva shirt with his fingers.

"I prayed for you, in the ambulance, like I prayed for my mother and Tali. I have already lost one father, Gibbs. I cannot lose another." Ziva confessed, tears pooling in her eyes. Gibbs scooted over and pulled her down on the bed next to him.

"I'm not going anywhere, Ziver. I promise."

I didn't like how this chapter turned out, seeing as I finished it in one sitting. If you guys want me to continue, let me know.

If you have anything you would like to see, let me know by either a PM or review.

Until next time,

-SilentDaughter