Author's Note: So, everyone's been asking, 'Who kicked Ziva?'. Well.. guess what everyone? You're about to find out! In next weeks epi-- juuuust kidding. I swear. Maybe. Anyway. Onward!

Chapter 9:

Ziva held the icepack to her jaw as McGee drove her back to NCIS. Here she went again. Back to the safety of the naval yard, just like Gibbs wanted. This was getting ridiculous for her. She hated to be treated like a child, when she was fully capable of taking care of herself. Then again, even she didn't fully trust her abilities lately. So far, she'd had a gun held to her head, and Gibbs came to her rescue. Her apartment blew up, and Gibbs was once again there. When she was attacked at Tony's apartment, Sylvia had come to help her, though that time she could have argued she'd had it covered. But now? She'd been kicked in the jaw, and hadn't even seen who had done it.

Was she really becoming so useless? It was as if she was simply an interfence in NCIS' work now, because they all seemed to find the need to look after her. Why? What made them care so much about her? She wasn't truly even an agent. She was just some officer binding ties between Mossad and NCIS.

"Ziva..?"

Ziva glanced over at McGee when she heard him call her name.

"It could have happened to anyone you know.." McGee told her. "That person had no idea who would be going where, it was just chance that it was you.." he explained. "There really wasn't anything you could have done about it.."

Ziva stared at him for a moment but she said nothing. She simply turned her face and glanced out the car window once again. "Can I ask you something Tim?"

"Uh.. of course.." he told her.

She sighed, and finally closed her eyes. "Why do all of you care so much about me..?" she finally asked. "It does not make sense.." she admitted.

"I don't understand, Ziva.." McGee admitted sheepishly. Why would she say such a thing?

"I am not NCIS, McGee.." she said. "I'm not a real part of the team.." she explained next. "I do not understand why everyone cares so much about someone who is not a team member.."

McGee pulled the car over to the side of the yard and stopped the car. "Why would you say something like that Ziva?" he asked. He had raised his voice slightly, and he could see the shock in her eyes. "You're as much a member of this team as anyone!" he told her. "You're not an agent, but you're with us day in and day out, you've saved us all," he said quietly. "You made us a team again.. ever since.."

Ziva stared at him, her face softened at his words. No one had ever been like that to her. No one had ever tried to explain so heartily why she belonged. And until now, she never felt like she belonged somewheres before. "Ever since.. what?" she dared to ask.

"Kate.." McGee admitted.

"Tim.." Ziva said quietly, placing her hand on the side of his face.

McGee looked up at her, seeing the small smile.

"Thank you.."

McGee smiled back now. "Now lets get back to NCIS.. get you cleaned up.." he told her, about to put the car in drive when McGee's door flung open and McGee was pulled out of it.

Ziva was shocked at first, before she quickly unbuckled herself and opened her door.

"I would not make any sudden movements if I were you, Ziva.."

Ziva stared at Amzi, holding the gun to McGee's head.

McGee didn't squirm, didn't move, just stared at Ziva. "Get the hell out of here Ziva.."

Ziva shook her head.

"Oh she would never do that," Amzi stated. "She is too loyal," he explained. "Just like Tali.."

Ziva's face flickered with an emotion McGee had never seen before. What was it? He'd seen her annoyed, maybe slightly upset, sometimes she would laugh and smile, not often, but sometimes. But the look he'd seen cross her face, was one that he'd never seen before, and hoped he'd never have to see again. It looked like.. pain. Sadness. And perhaps.. something else he couldn't make out. "Go Ziva.. GO!"

Ziva shook her head. "I cannot.."

"That's right Ziva.. at least your loyalty has gotten you through life, but where did it get Tali?" he asked her. "Your poor sister.. 16, and burried 6 feet under.."

"Shut up!" she yelled, moving to take a step forward, but stopping when she remembered McGee.

Amzi smiled. "So close to getting under your skin.."

Ziva bit back any comment. She couldn't let something happen to McGee, she would never forgive herself. "What do I have to do to get you to let him go?" she asked.

"Ziva! Dammit!" McGee yelled.

"You already know the answer, Ziva.." Amzi told her. "I want your loyalty.. instead of these.. atrocious NCIS agents.." he told her. "You have always been mine," he explained. "Now you need to prove to me that you are.."

Ziva was silent.

"Be my wife Ziva.."

"Ziva!"

"Come on Ziva.. time's running out.."

"Ziva, don't even think about it!"

"Ziva.."

"Ziva.."

Ziva shot up, nearly knocking McGee out in the process. "Stop it!" she yelled, covering her ears and closing her eyes.

McGee jumped back in the drivers seat and then quickly put his arms on Ziva's shoulders. "Ziva.. Ziva, calm down.." he told her. "Everything's all right.."

Ziva dared to open her eyes and glance over at McGee. He was fine. He was.. fine?

"It was just a dream, Ziva.." he told her.

Ziva stared at him. A dream? That was impossible. She didn't dream. "A dream?" she asked him.

McGee smiled at her. "Yeah.. don't worry, everything's fine."

Ziva said nothing, and stared out the window for a moment before realizing they'd made it to NCIS. She glanced at McGee as they both got out of the car. If that was a dream, then was any of it real? She didn't know.

"You know Ziva.." McGee started. "I meant what I said.."

Ziva stared at him. "About what?"

"About you bringing us back together again.." McGee explained.

So that part had been real.. Ziva decided. And the part with Amzi had been just a dream? It was confusing. It had been so long since she'd had a dream that she didn't know how to figure out what was real or fake. She followed him silently into the building and on the elevator.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Ziva didn't answer him, simply stood quietly on the elevator until they made it to the squad room. She sat down at her desk quietly, then layed her head on the desk and closed her eyes. Maybe she could dream again..

McGee watched her silently as she just laid her head on the desk and went to sleep. He looked up and saw Jen watching her too. He went up the stairs and over to her.

"What happened?" Jen asked.

McGee looked down at Ziva rather than at Jen. "Someone nearly knocked her out at the crime scene," he explained. "Looked like she had a bad dream on the way back too.."

"A bad dream?" Jen asked, staring at him curiously.

McGee just watched Ziva. "Yeah.. you know, like a nightmare?" he said.

Jen glanced down at Ziva again. With the way the younger woman was moving around in her sleep, maybe she really was dreaming again. She wasn't quite sure if that was a good or bad thing at the moment. "She'll be alright, McGee.." Jen told him.

"I hope so.." McGee said, going back downstairs. He looked over at Ziva, and the first thing he noticed now that he could see her face, was the pained look. What could she possibly dream about to make her have that look?

Ziva stood still, only her eyes moving around. God.. not back to Tel Aviv. Back when she was 16 and entering Mossad. Back to when Tali was still alive.. Why all of this? Why again?

She remembered this moment. It was one of the worst in her life. The Mossad agent was yelling in her face, and although she did not move, did not flinch, he still continued. It was because she was female. Everyone around her knew so.

Finally, when she'd moved her face even a fraction of an inch, she felt the smack to the face, and was instantly on the ground.

"What's this?!" he yelled. "You can't even take one hit?"

Ziva said nothing, standing back up. She stared into the man's eyes, and watched as he yelled at her continuously. She sucked in her breath as he leaned his head over her shoulder and whispered in his ear after he had dismissed everyone except for herself.

"I expect to see you later.."

Ziva watched him walk away. She knew what he meant by expecting to see her. Fortunately, so did someone else who'd been keeping an eye on what was going on. Tali had gone and told their father. Uri David had not been happy that someone had tried to take his daughter without his permission.

She'd never seen that training officer again after that day.

Ziva jerked awake when she heard a crashing noise and stood up immediately. She glanced around and notice Tony laying on a knocked over trash bin. She smiled slightly, then glanced at the clock. Two hours? Why had Gibbs let her sleep for so long? She glanced over at Gibbs.

Gibbs said nothing, simply smiled up at Ziva before going back to his work. McGee had explained what happened in the car on the way back. His chat with Ziva. And Ziva's freakout after a nightmare she'd woken up from. Only he understood why Ziva would go back to sleep when she got back to NCIS. He and Jen that is. She wanted to dream again. And when he'd come in, she'd mumbled something about Tali, her younger sister.

He was happy for Ziva. She was dreaming again, and at least in her dreams, she could still visit her sister.

()()()()()()()()()()

Sorry I made you guys wait again. I've just been so blah, and I've been working, and I had this terrible tooth pain. Then I wound up getting sick, found out I needed to get my tooth pulled. It's been a rough week, haha. But never fear. I was thinking about ideas for the story the whole time, oddly.

Who else is happy for Ziva and her dreams? Other then the fact they've all been bad.. other than that. Hurray?!

-Rei