Wassup, everyone!

Okay. I am now armed with my Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ben and Jerry Ice Cream.

I can now conquer my story. Yay :)

A note, however:

I was doing a little basic math, and, by my results, the same people are reviewing. Please, if you can take the time to review, please do so…

It doesn't take that long, does it? :P

Another note:

Did any of you guys figure out that Torin Ferere-Stuives is actually an anagram for Trevor Sifuentes?

-Vi

"Leave me ALONE!" Maddy screamed. But it was no use. The dark shadow of her tormentor simply advanced on her. With every step of the figure, more of her world faded to black. Until black was all that she could see, and hopelessness was all she could feel….

"Shh, tateleh." Ziva was crooning.

Maddy opened her wet eyes to Ziva, who was over her, looking at her with concern.

"Zi-Ziva?" she asked, crying. She recognized Ziva's voice, but all she could see was the terrifying black silhouette.

"Shh, Maddy. It's me." She whispered softly. She could not stop her body from shaking.

"Ziva, he w-was there. H-he was g-going to hurt me ag-gain." She sobbed.

"I am here now, Maddy. I always will be." She took the sobbing, shivering young girl in her arms, until she finally fell asleep, cheeks still wet with tears.

"Dead Marine!" Gibbs shouted in the bullpen. "Grab your gear!"

They arrived at the scene a few minutes later. It was in the middle of the forest, in a small clearing. A young woman, her clothing ripped, lay there, with a knife in her chest. "This is Petty Officer Dina Chandler, according to credentials." McGee said, flashing the man's credentials. Tony looked thoughtfully at the footsteps leading away from the Officer. "The killer can't have gotten far, boss. These prints are fresh. You can see how the leaves are still crunchy."

Suddenly, a police officer emerged, leading a cuffed man. "Found this guy lurking around on the trail." He said, gruffly pushing forward the man. My whole world came to a screeching halt.

Those soulless black eyes. That brisk black hair. That muscular build.

More than ten years may have passed, but, with horror, I recognized him.

"Hello, Ziva." He said, smiling a crooked grin.

Suddenly, the ground was hurtling up to meet me.

"Hello, Ziva." His crooked grin made me want to throw up.

I never wanted to see that face again as long as I lived.

I thrashed out at him, but he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Ziva. Ziva."

That voice wasn't Xavier's.

"Ziva."

"Ziva." I opened my eyes. But all could see was that twisted smile. I started shaking.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU SICK BASTARD!" I screamed.

"Ziva, it's me!" Tony's voice cried.

But all I could see was Xavier's evil grin. "T-Tony?" I sobbed.

What was he doing in the midst of this hell-sent nightmare?

"It's just me Ziva, I promise." He said softly.

Then his soft expression appeared, but I could not stop my body from shaking like I had jumped into a freezing lake.

"That was him, wasn't it?" he asked softly.

I nodded slowly, and I could not help letting more tears stream down my face.

"What happened?" I asked, not wanting to know just how much I had lost it.

"You went white as a sheet, then collapsed. You've been out for about two minutes."

I sighed.

"Gibbs is putting you off this case until further notice." Tony said quietly.

It was inevitable, considering how I reacted to the mere sight of him. "I know."

He wrapped his arms around me, his warm embrace slowly bringing me back to reality.

It was then I realized that I was still lying in the forest. I was covered in leaves and dirt. I brushed myself off. Apparently, they had escorted away Xavier, to my gratitude. I probably would have fainted again if I saw him.

I checked my watch: 2:00. In ten minutes, I'd pick up Maddy from school. I laid back on my couch. I thought I was going to crazy with boredom. A whole week. No work. To say it was boring would be the understatement of the century.

Suddenly, my phone lit up. I flipped it open. "David."

"Ziva."

My spirits lifted. "Gibbs?"

"We need you and Maddy."

I furrowed my brow. "Maddy?"

"Yes. Be here in half an hour."

"But, Gibbs-"

The line went dead. I grabbed my keys.

Maddy jumped in my front seat. "Hey, Ziva."

"We're going to NCIS."

Maddy grinned. "Awesome!"

I checked my watch: 2:20. "We're going to have to-how do you say- panel it?"

"Floor it."

"Right." I stomped on the gas pedal.

I emerged from the elevator, Maddy close behind me. Gibbs greeted me. "Hey, Ziva." He said. "Are you putting me back on this case?" I asked determinedly. "I'll need to think about it. You're involved, emotionally, very close to this case." He sighed. He put his hands on Maddy's shoulders. "Right now, though, we need Maddy." Maddy looked up at him with confusion. "Why?" "Follow me."

We followed him to Interrogation Room 4. "Let me give you a little background. Inside there is the prime suspect's daughter. So far, she has been scared out of her wits to tell us anything. We need you to get through to her." Maddy gave a glance towards the metal door. She gave Gibbs and are-you-serious look.

"Look, Gibbs. You wanna get through to this girl, you don't put her in a tiny room with a metal table like the criminals you do put in there. If anything, you'll just make increase her fear and make her stay silent. If you can let me, I'd like to take her outside, to the park right around the corner." Maddy reproached him. Gibbs sighed. "Fine. Only because I trust you." He looked her square in the eye. She nodded.

Maddy opened the door. A young girl sat at the table. She was shaking. Her eyes darted around. "Am I in t-trouble?" she whispered softly. "No." Maddy said gently. "Come on." She whispered in the same gentle tone. She held out her hand to lead the girl out. The girl took her hand with her own, trembling one. "I'm B-Bailey." The girl said as they walked into the elevator. "Maddy. Let's go to the park."

The two sat on the bench in front of the fountain. I watched them from behind, near a small thicket of trees.

Maddy turned to Bailey.

"So…nice day, huh?" Maddy asked casually.

"Yeah."

"Bailey, your father is Xavier, am I correct?"

Bailey's eyes darted around. "Is he here? I must go-"

"It's okay. He is not here."

She turned. "Yes. Xavier Stavi is my father."

"Please, can you tell me more?" Maddy asked softly.

"No one cares what I have to say. It's always 'Bailey the 'fraidy'. No one has cared for the past nine years. What's changed?" She said angrily. She stood up to leave.

Maddy gently grabbed Bailey's. "I care. Very much."

Bailey took a deep breath. "My father is …hurtful." She said quietly.

Maddy gripped her hand. "What do you mean?"

"He hurts me. A lot."

"He is…abusive?" Maddy said quietly.

Bailey's eyes shined with unshed tears. "Yes. He started abusing me when I was three. First it was severe beatings, for things as tiny as dropping something, or raising my voice. He would whip me with his belt, or throw glass at me."

Maddy scooted closer.

"Then, when I was eight, he took to…other sorts of abuse." Bailey said, with a faraway gaze.

I felt sick to my stomach. His own daughter? Xavier was a cruel son of a bitch, but how could he do that to his own flesh and blood?

Bailey started to cry. "Hey, it's okay." Maddy said softly, taking her in her arms.

Bailey looked up at her. "When I was ten, I even got pregnant. But, since he beat me so severely, the fetus died, and I had to have a surgery. But my father lied, and said that I had been raped by a boy at my school. He refused to say anything else. I was so scared and young, so I just went along with it." She was sobbing now.

Maddy cast me a quick glance. I nodded. "Bailey, if you can testify this in court, your father will be sent to jail. Probably for life. You can find a new home." Maddy said.

Bailey nodded. "I will on one condition."

"What is that?"

"That you come with me, Maddy."

She hugged the girl tightly. "I promise."