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'If dying is like this, it's kind of pleasant.' Ziva thought. Her back slowly sliding down the railing until she was sitting on the ground, her eyes closed.

She heard Abby's, Gibbs, Tim's and Tony's voices calling out her name. Somewhere in her mind she noticed Abby was crying. But she only felt a severe tiredness. Not a bad one. No, it was like the exhaustion she often had after a hard work out or swimming. A exhaustion that promised a peaceful sleep. She opened her eyes and saw the tears on Abby's face.

"Abby, you need to promise me something." She whispered as if she was already asleep: "Promise me to grow old… don't die until you are at least 90 years old…."

"Ziva…", Abby sobbed.

"Promise…."

"I promise." Abby said, more tears running down her face.

But Ziva only closed her eyes with a smile on her face. She was going to sleep now.

Abby heard a click from the door of the cells and they opened a crack. But she sat on the water covered floor, crying for her friend. Her sister.

NCISNCIS

Tony kicked the car hard and a headlight broke. He screamed and his hands clenched to fists. He started to beat up the car bonnet. Tim went over and tried to calm him down but he was not able to say a word. The pain of loosing a partner, a friend was just too much to bear. He wondered what it was like for Tony, who had just lost his love?

Gibbs only stared onto the screen. He couldn't believe what was happening. Joffrey looked at him, he didn't seem to be happy either.

"Well, Shannon and Kelly are mad. This was not the way it was supposed to go. But…", he pushed a button and Gibbs saw the exit-door opening. "Abby is free to go."

Gibbs saw Abby getting up, that was the moment he noticed a small red point at the edge of the camera view.

"Abby stay where you are, don't move!" he called.

NCISNCIS

Abby heard him but didn't even think of obeying. The man said, she was free to go. She slowly went to the door of the cell. Nothing happened. She rounded the cell towards the exit door but didn't intent to leave. She started to run but her ankle didn't want to obey. Pain flooded her leg and she fell. That was just her luck. She heard a shot. She didn't realise where it came from but now she hurried to get up. Another shot. It hit her arm. She cried out in pain and tried to get the few yards to her destination. The next shot missed and when she reached the door to Ziva's cell it stopped. The spring-guns were only pointed towards the exit.

NCISNCIS

"You said she was free to go!" Gibbs shouted at the man on the screen.

Joffrey shrugged: "I lied."

Gibbs took the walkie-talkie and made a connection to the commander of the reinforcement. "Go in! Watch for traps and get this bastard out!" he ordered. At that moment he remembered Joffrey threat to electrify the water, but nothing happened. The stream with Joffrey disappeared and so did the one with Abby and Ziva.

"McGee, we need to find the control centre. Can you do that?" Gibbs said. He used the same technique he had used when Kate was shot. Think about killing Ari. Now it was thinking about getting Joffrey and save Abby. Nothing else mattered.

McGee turned to him. It took some time until he answered: "On it, Boss." He took the Laptop out of Gibbs' hands and started some programs Gibbs didn't know or even understood.

"Tony, you're with me. We are going in."

Tony didn't say anything but was at his side within seconds.

"Take this to stay in contact." Tim said handing them radio earpieces „I can trace the signal and tell you were to go." He started hacking into the buildings security database as Tony and Gibbs left.

NCISNCIS

Tony and Gibbs entered the main-hall together with two men from the reinforcement. The floor was covered with dirty food-prints and a pair of Wheels.

"I'm in the system now Boss." Tim informed them. "There are two cameras over two doors. One to your right and one ahead."

"Can you shut them down?" Gibbs asked.

"Negative, I can only watch. Use the door to your left."

NCISNCIS

Tim saw the troops moving within the building. He had found the room with Abby and Ziva. It was close to the main hall but with all the spring-guns there was no point in sending anyone there at this time. The camera in the room was disabled.

"Agent McGee…." A voice over the earpiece „We found the suspect in the basement. And here are a lot of computers."

McGee checked the position They had entered the building from a backdoor.

He told Gibbs and Tony to return into the main-hall and then instructed the reinforcement member to use the computer. After two minutes he was able to control the hospital from his laptop.

"Gibbs, use the other door… there will be a short corridor and Abby and Ziva are in room behind it. I disabled the spring-guns, it's safe to go in."

NCISNCIS

Abby heard the sound of running feet that speed though water. In the next moment the door opened. She looked up at Gibbs and Tony.

NCISNCIS

Abby sat on the floor in Ziva's cell. Ziva in her arms.

"She is still breathing." She said.

Gibbs and Tony rushed to her side. Tony took Ziva out of her arms.

"Tim, call an ambulance." He shouted.

Gibbs helped Abby up and checked for her arm. She was bleeding.

NCISNCIS

Gibbs only remembered the events after getting his girls out of there only vaguely. Two ambulances arrived, taking Ziva and Abby out of his sight. Tony and Tim went with them. He saw Joffrey who was arrested but grinning like a maniac. Gibbs didn't want to interrogate him just yet. He needed to make sure Ziva and Abby were okay so he just ordered to bring Joffrey to the NCIS. But there were so many other things he had to take of. Vance wanted answers and Ducky had questions.

NCISNCIS

Abby was still in surgery when he got to the Naval Medical Center. It turned out, that her ankle was broken and they had to get out the bullet from her arm.

Ziva on the other hand was put into a room. And when he arrived there he could only stand and watch in horror. Ziva was tossing and turning in her sleep, she was screaming. Tony sat next to the bed helplessly.

"Tony, what happened?"

"She stared this in the ambulance. It was no poison, it was a strong sleep aid mixed with a hallucinatory drug. They don't know what it is, yet. The doctors are afraid to sedate her, because it might have side-effects with the drug…. They cleaned the bites and cuts… Gibbs she is having a terrible nightmare. The doctor told me not to wake her, she might freak out even more…." Tony's voice broke of. Gibbs saw the fear in his eyes.

"Get a coffee Tony.", he said.

"I cannot leave her alone."

"She won't be alone, she is with me."

NCISNCIS

Ziva was running. It was dark, there was no surrounding. Just darkness. She could hear the footsteps and the voices behind her. "Stop, you monster!" They shouted.

It was strange, she had started dreaming in English a while ago but to hear her brother using this language to call for her wasn't right. While running she took a look behind. Ari, was there, with the gun-shot wound in his head casing after her. And so was the crew of the Damocles and so many other people she had killed. And there was a woman, she had only seen a picture of her. But she knew it was Kate: "If you had done your job, I would still be alive! Monster!"

Ziva's steps became smaller, the others started to catch up fast. Looking down Ziva realised that she was just a child. Maybe ten years old but at that moment she saw a door. The door to Gibbs house. She would be safe there. The door was never locked but it kept evil people outside anyway. She tried to open it. It was impossible. It actually was locked. 'No…' she thought. Ari and Kate were close now trying to grab her but she ducked and escaped them. She went to the back of the house. There was the garden, flooded with sunlight. Gibbs was there. A young Gibbs. He watched two girls play. One must be his daughter Kelly the other one was Abby. A red haired woman came out of the house offering the girls and her husband lemonade.

"Gibbs!" Ziva called out.

He, Shannon and the girls look at her but at that moment she felt two people grabbing her arms.

"No… Gibbs… help me! HELP! GIBBS! PLEASE! DADDY!"

But the young Gibbs and the others in the backyard just looked at her as she was pulled away.

Next thing she knew was that she was trapped in a cage made of barbwire.

Eli stood there.

"'I am your father Ziva…. You better behave…."

Ziva pulled her legs up to her chest and laid her arm around them, she was crying.

Kate, Ari and the other nameless dead were walking around the cage. Their voices echoed in the darkness: "Monster, monster monster monster."

NCISNCIS

Gibbs couldn't stand it. He heard Ziva calling out for him. She was calling for her Daddy and he knew she didn't mean Eli. He sat onto the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"It's okay Ziver, I'm here."

NCISNCIS

Ziva looked up. Eli, Ari, Kate and the others were gone. Gibbs was there stretching out his hands towards her. The cage was gone to. She ran to him and he lifted her up. She was still a child. But now she was sitting with him on his couch. She cried and it seemed like years. She grew up and when she looked at him she was back to normal. "I'm a monster. Other monsters are hunting me…" She whispered.

NCISNCIS

Gibbs voice was soft: "You are no monster, Ziver. Remember, that part of you died in Somalia. But yes, there are monsters out there. Joffrey was one and Eli was one to and even your brother. But they all failed to turn you into a monster. You could've killed Abby with a single shot but you helped her, kept her alive. And you choose to drink the poison, to save her life and to prevent me from making a decision I could never make. Hell, you even manage to love Tony."

As he looked down to the woman in his arms he noticed that she was awake. Her look was unsteady. Eyes searching the room but she was calm now.

"Tony… where?" she whispered.

"He'll be back the next time you'll wake up."

"Abby?"

"She's okay. Now you need to rest. Sleep Ziver." Gibbs said and than: "Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird…."

This time Ziva loved the song. There was no fear in Gibbs voice, no hurt. It was just soft and calming and loving. Long before he ended the song she had fallen asleep.

Tbc

Cheesy? Hm... I like cheesy :D But it's not over. One more chapter to go. Name of the next chapter: "Into the fire" Keep reading.