Disclaimer: Not mine...arg

Author's note: Great job on the reviews!!!! I loved each and every one of them!!!! Okay so here's the next chapter (see that's how these things work you give me what I want and I give you what you want LOL I sound like a kidnapper...I wish Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs would come and arrest me!) anyway you know the deal read and review!!!

Chapter 3

Daughters

"I know a girl

She puts the colors inside of my world

but she's just like a maze

where all the walls are continually changed"

"Go home DiNozzo"

Those three words echoed in Tony's mind the entire walk down from the roof, through the squad room amidst the surprised, confused, and the ones that brought him the most pain, the pitying, hurting expressions on the faces of McGee and Abby. Abby who with tears running down her pale cheeks had run upstairs after Gibbs and yelled like her heart was being shattered into pieces, "Get down DiNozzo!" her voice had broken as she added with a sob, "please"

"Go home DiNozzo"

Tony had obeyed, standing rigid in Abby's embrace, as she the woman who could barely control her loud sobbing was trying to comfort him by hugging him as tightly as she could.

"Go home DiNozzo"

Tony let himself into his apartment, taking a page out of the boss' book when he left it unlocked, but for entirely different reasons, right now he'd welcome anyone who wanted to end his life, hell he'd give them his gun, load it even, if it meant that he'd stop hurting. Tony leaned heavily against the wall fighting hard not to let the hot tears in his burning eyes fall.

"Go home DiNozzo"

Home? The boss had said it softly, no feeling in his voice. Home? To an empty apartment void of anything that lighten his mood, make him feel whole again. Home? No where was home, not anymore, not without-

Tony frowned seeing his bedroom door swing open, he blinked once, then twice, at the cargo pants and white cami clad figure that seemed to be gliding towards him.

"I am home Tony"

Those four words, four little words, broke Tony's hold on the barrier that kept his emotions at bay, he crossed the apartment at a run his speed only second to the tears that were racing in a flood down his cheeks. He pulled her into his arms burying his in her curls, those soft, dark, painfully fragrant curls. He held her tightly shaking his head too overwhelmed by both his pent up sadness and his immense joy at finally having her in his arms again, a low sob escaped her then and his tears disappeared, Tony stared down at her, all of her, his eyes widening at the state she was in. A myriad of bruises and cuts that crisscrossed over her paled, once unmarred skin each in different stages of healing, from the pale yellow of almost gone to the dark black and purple of fresh wounds. He ran his finger lightly over her puffy bottom lip then traced the light scar cutting her left eyebrow in two right above the edge of her blackened eye. Ziva winced slightly then leaned her face into his palm.

"Ooh, you see that skin?

It's the same she's been standing in

Since the day he walked away

now she's left

cleaning up the mess he's made"

Tony slid to the floor gently pulling her down with him, he held her tightly curling his arms around her narrower, painfully skinnier than remembered frame as sob after heartbreaking sob racked her body, it seemed just natural for him to rest his face next to her ear his lips soft as he murmured sweet reassurances of her safety with his into her ear. She buried her face in the crook of his neck pulling herself completely onto his lap and letting him comfort her like she'd let no one before.

Tony spoke only when her cries had subsided entirely, he brushed her damp curls gently out of her tear streaked face staring into her warm dark, and frighteningly lost eyes, "Ziva, I'm sorry, I'm sorry about Michel, I'm sorry that you had reason not to trust me, I'm so so sorry." Tony said his voice wrought with pure anguish and sincerity. Tony tore his eyes away from hers unable to look anywhere near them, near her, he was unable and unwilling to see the pain that he was sure was blooming in her dark irises. Ziva shook her head, grabbing hold of Tony's chin, she turned his head angrily back to face her so that now it was she who was initiating so personal of a contact, "No," she began her voice shaking with unrestrained rage, "No, this, none of it is your fault." Ziva felt tears pooling once again in her eyes as she repeated her voice building in its conviction, "Not your fault."

Tony frowned, Ziva had echoed Gibbs' very words perfectly, he brushed the now fully formed tears in her eyes gently away with his thumbs, a million thoughts running through his head, he forced himself to focus on just the one though, the one that had become the most prevalent in his mind, the one that had kept him up every night and controlled his mind every waking second since he'd returned to DC without her, the one that he was surest about,

"Ziva I lo-" Ziva's hand flew up,she placed it over his lips so that no sound could escape, "No," she said shaking her head,her curls bouncing wildly, "No, do not say it, he will, hurt you too."

"He?" Tony mumbled his breath warm on her palm, Tony felt a wave of confusion crash over him, just as it receded a wave of understanding took its place washing all hints of prior confusion away.

"And I've done all I can

To stand on her steps with my heart in my hand

Now I'm starting to think (see)

Maybe it's got nothing to do with me"

"Your father" Tony stated then as Ziva pulled her hand away, he glanced down again at the motley bruises crossing her skin, the cuts and scrapes, the numerous scratches, the cast on her wrist, the very way she held herself as if it hurt her to move. "Did he do this to you?" Tony asked as he reached up tentatively to trace the long scratch running down her jaw.

Ziva shook her head, "Not directly." she sighed sadly reaching to trace Tony's frowning lips, "But he will hurt you if-" Ziva gasped then, she could see over Tony's shoulder to the wide open front door, and what she saw set her blood boiling as she flew up and out of Tony's hold and bounded towards the door.

"Father," his name dripped like acid from her lips.

Eli David's hand flew up, before she could react, connecting with a sharp slap with her already bruised cheek, the blow sent her weakened body reeling, Ziva fell back and into Tony's arms, he steadied her quickly then pushed her behind him protecting her from any further blows, not that he meant to give this man, this truly uncaring man the chance to touch her again. Tony's gun was in his hands in an instant the safety already off. The Israeli Director seemed unfazed at the fact that Tony's gun was pointed directly at his face, instead he smirked, "You would stand between me and what is mine?" he asked sneering at the agent in front of him.

"I would shoot you for even thinking that Ziva is yours" Tony replied his voice as steady as the weapon in his hands.

Eli's eyes widened a mixture of shock and rage crossing his face, "Step aside Agent DiNozzo, you are protecting a traitor to both of our countries." Eli spat the words as he glared vehemently at his daughter. It took all of Tony's will not to put a bullet between the man's cold taunting eyes. "Go on Agent DiNozzo shoot me," Eli said his voice as cold as his eyes.

"Tony no!" Ziva yelled her voice ragged from behind him. She slipped her arm around him lowering his hand. Eli watched with a smirk as Ziva slid the gun out of Tony's hands his smirk disappeared when Ziva slid the gun into the empty holster at her waist, "Let me deal with this."

Ziva said she squeezed Tony's hand reassuringly her eyes meeting his for a fraction of a second. Tony frowned but nodded, Ziva could and would hold her own against her father, that is if he didn't try anything particularly underhanded, but then he was the Director of Mossad, "I'll be right here," Tony said his words carrying a double meaning the first a reassurance that he was still her partner first and foremost to Ziva and the other a direct, unveiled promise to her father.

Ziva met her father's eyes reading the anger, the hatred, and with a slight gasp of realization the pain in her father's gaze, she shoved any pity she could have for him aside then walked past him quickly her keen ears hearing the light steps and rustle of his clothing that indicated that he was indeed following her into the hallway. Ziva heard the low, angry sigh he made then whirled to face him, "I am no traitor." she asserted her tone unwavering. Eli frowned choosing not to acknowledge her words, instead he turned and walked down the hallway and out of the front door.

Ziva followed him at a run, "Papa please, talk to me!!"

So fathers be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers be good to your daughters, too"

So what'd you think? Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think guys I love to hear (read) your thoughts!!! Anyway here's a random convo I had with my bf:

Me: I'm naming my first kid Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Him: What about my last name?

Me: You're working on the assumption that I'm marrying you

Him: (rather confused) Aren't you?

Me: No didn't you hear the kid's last name? I'm marrying Gibbs

Him: You know he's not real right?

Me: BLASPHEMY!!! GET OUT (throws shoe) OUT! (throws cellphone) OUT! (throws stuffed hippo [guess his name])

Him: silence (he beat a hasty retreat when I picked up my boot knife)

anyway enough of my randomness there are 1956 in this chapter the sum of that number is 21 so i'll need 21 reviews before I update.

SAyra