I'm so sorry for the wait. I got totally stuck on one part, and I was like grr and just pissed so I stopped. Then, after writing some of the ending chapter, I got an idea for this chapter. Even though I already knew what was going to happen. For once, I know what's going to happen in a story, and it's completely planned. REally proud.
Anyway, this is shorter, but where I stopped it I had good reason too. The next chapter will most likely be longer. Side note, the beginning of this chapter is just like the beginning of every other chapter, in third person, but I decided to put something with Annie in it. some insight to what happend with Ziva over the six years of dissaperance.
Disclaimer: I don't own, nor will I ever, so you can all take a hike or fly a kite. Besides, I'm just happy right now with my DSL, which I got the other day and now I am updating and I'm super happy, how about you?
Annie wasn't feeling the room she was in. She looked around, frowning at the color. A dark, dark black. Her eyes went over the bed that was perched against the wall, and then to the chair that was across the room. Her hands trembled as she touched the chair, noticing the dents. As she started to count, she realized that there were more than the numbers she knew.
"There has to be over a-a thousand!" She whispered to herself, running her finger over the dents. All of the dents were grouped together, and there were six lines of dents in all. She noticed that the last line wasn't as long as the rest. She started to count, trying to calm herself. Maybe if she busied herself, she wouldn't be so scared. And just maybe she'd forget about the dark haired man in the other room, talking in a language she didn't know. She was up to two hundred marks when the door opened and she started to shake again. She turned around to see the dark haired man standing there, his hand in his hair.
"What do you want?" She snapped, trying to sound confident. The man laughed, and Annie backed away from him.
"You are just like your mother." He stated, and Annie tilted her head. She noticed the wedding band on his hand, like Gibbs', and frowned.
"You're my mommy's husband, aren't you? She doesn't like you." She snapped, this time sounding a little more confident. And just a little bitter.
"I know she does not like me. But, she does not have to." He said, turning on the light. Annie noticed how high up the switch was, and wrinkled her forehead.
"Why doesn't she? Isn't marriage about love?" Annie asked, trying her best to hold her hands still. The man shook his head, and laughed.
"Not always." He laughed, and Annie crossed her arms. He was mocking her, and she didn't like it.
"However, I do love your mother." He said, and Annie frowned.
"So does my dad. And she loves him." She retorted, and the man nodded. He sat down on the dented chair, and Annie moved as far away from him as possible.
She didn't like the man, but she decided to try to be civil. After seeing the bruises on her mother's arms and legs, she knew what he could and would do.
Moreover, she also decided to name him Harry. No matter what he said his name was.
"So, Harry." She said, and he glared at her.
I locked the door, and closed blinds on the windows before walking back into the bedroom. Ziva was still shaking, despite being asleep, and her hands gripped the sheets. I sighed at the sight of her, walking over to the bed and lying down next to her. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her to my chest. She stopped shaking, and her breathing quieted.
"Do you think she is okay?"
I looked down at Ziva, noticing the tiny tears on her bottom lashes. I wiped them away before answering.
"She's either cracking under the pressure or making witty remarks." I said, and Ziva smiled. She looked around her, and then back up at me.
"Why am I in a bed?" She asked, and it was my turn to smile.
"You got a little upset, remember? I took you here and you've been sleeping ever since." I explained, and she sighed. She pushed off my chest, standing up and stretching. She looked at me before disappearing out of the room. I stood up, following her. I found her in the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle.
"We have to help find her." She said, and I shook my head.
"No way Ziva. You need to rest." I said, and she glared at me.
"That is our daughter Tony! He has her! For all we know, he has her in that god for saken room he kept me in!" She yelled, and I stopped. She was under too much stress, and I could see the scabs on her arms stretching as she threw her arms up in the air. Arguing would make it worse.
"I know Ziva. I know." I said quietly, the tension that had sparked in the air dying. She sighed, moving over to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. I rested my cheek on her head, holding her close.
"We have to do something Tony. I cannot just sit here and wait for someone to call." She whispered, and I kissed her hair.
"Neither can I, but what are we going to do?" I asked, and she sighed heavily.
"It's impossible to find his house." She said, and I noticed she didn't say 'our'.
"How so?"
"Have you ever tried to find Camp David?" She asked, looking up at me. I shook my head.
"If you tried, you would not ever find it. It is well hidden, and not on any map." She said simply.
"You know this how?" I asked, and she shrugged. I shook my head.
"So, you're saying it's impossible to find?" I asked, and she nodded.
"To those who don't know where it is." She said.
--
"I can't believe I agreed to this." I said again, and Ziva smile at me from the driver's seat. Her driving was as erratic as ever.
"You are easily persuaded." She said, and I laughed. She swerved down the road, and I held onto the side.
"How no one's taken away your license is a miracle." I said sarcastically, and she shook her head. She stopped the car at a stop sign and furrowed her brow together. The sky was darkening as clouds built up, and I knew it was going to start raining. "He actually let you out of the house?" I asked, and she threw a glare at me.
"I was not his total prisoner. I was allowed to go out." She snapped, finally turning the car left.
"That was the only reason I can remember how to find the house, and how I found you and Annie." She said, slowing the car down. I looked out the window, frowning.
"Ziva, it's a forest. A thick forest." I said, and she smiled.
"Not when you know what to do." She said slyly, pulling the car over and turning it off.
"Ziva-"She cut me off, pointing to a car ten feet away from us. I tilted my head to the side, and she got out. I followed her as she made her way into the trees, touching each one she walked past. Looking down, I saw a path was beaten into the ground.
"Do you-"
"Shh." She said, turning to glare at me. I put my hand over my mouth, and she smiled. We walked in silence, and I suddenly stopped.
"No kidding." I said, and Ziva smirked at me.
In front of us, a small, cozy looking house sat in a clearing. The path led right up to the front door. Ziva stopped me before I could go further, and I watched as she listened. Her hearing was always better than mine. She tilted her head to the side, and then looked at me.
"Something is wrong." She said, and I frowned.
"What?" I asked, and she looked back towards the road.
"I cannot hear anything." She said, moving forward.
"Ziva, I'm beginning to think this is a bad idea. Maybe we should go back." I said, and she grabbed my hand.
"Too late."
She dragged me forward, her eyes scanning the house. She pulled a key out of her pocket, and I grabbed her hand.
"What if he's here?" I asked, and she stared at me.
"It is too quiet." She said, and I threw my hands up as she proceeded inside. I followed her carefully, cringing at the mess everywhere. Not just the mess, but stains and marks all over the walls and ground…
"She's not here." I was pulled out of my trance by Ziva's panicked voice, and I looked up to see her entering a room down the hall. I followed her, and almost threw up when I saw the room. Now I knew why Ziva was panicking.
On the floor, next to the end of the bed, fresh blood had pooled. I pulled Ziva away before she touched or disturbed it.
"Ziva, don't." I whispered in her ear, and she shook. She started to mumble in Hebrew, Annie's name mixing with the language. I heard Rivkin once or twice, so I pulled her out of the room by the waist and took her outside. Once there, she kicked the ground. I pulled her too my chest, trying to get her to calm down. My hands shook as I rubbed her back, and a sob broke from her body.
"Okay, be positive. It might be Rivkins." I said, saying it more for myself. She shook her head, and looked up at me.
"Tony, Tony, Tony, that… that room. He had her in that… oh my… tha-that room." She stammered, and I wrapped my arms around her tighter. She was too stressed. Way too stressed.
"Ziva, I need you to calm down. Remember what the paramedics at Annie's school said. You need to relax or you'll pull the scabs that are starting to heal and the bandage on your arm will come off." I said, and she hit my chest. I grabbed her hand before she could hit me again, and I saw fire in her eyes.
"Do you know what he did to me in that room?" She yelled, and I shook my head. She broke free from me, moving away.
"I don't think I want to know." I said, and she nodded.
"You really don't." She said, and I couldn't help my smile.
"Contraction." I said, and she glared at me.
"What?"
"You used a contraction." I said, and she stopped her pacing. She started to laugh, the sound echoing off the trees and the house. I watched her go into hysterics, her hand covering her stomach as her eyes filled with tears. I grabbed her before she fell, and she took deep breaths to stop her laughter.
"Did I miss something?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"I just… was remembering that time you told me I didn't use enough contractions. I asked you what a contraption was." She said, and I grinned.
"We need to call the police." I said, and she sobered up.
"Yes, that we need to do."
--
The sound of dogs barking must have caused Ziva distress, because she was soon curled up against my side in the back seat of my car. We had been told by Fornell to sit and wait, as they didn't want to lose another civilian out there in the trees. Apparently, the report of a missing child in the middle of the woods, where a small house had been built against anyone's knowledge got the presses attention, because there were now reporters behind a police barricade. I think that also got to Ziva.
"Do you have a blanket?" Ziva suddenly asked, and I shook my head.
"I have an extra jacket." I said, and she held out her hand for it. I handed her it and she wrapped it around her shoulders. The rain was barely drizzling, but it made the forest look enchanting when it was anything but. I heard people yell, and a dog started to bark crazily. Ziva looked out the open door, her hands grabbing mine that rested on her thighs.
"She's found something!" A man yelled, and I held onto Ziva as she started to gravitate towards the barking. She listened intently, and I could see the concentration on her face as she tried to see through the fog.
"What is that?" Someone said, rather loudly. I then heard Fornell tell them to not touch it, no matter what.
"It looks like a sock." The first man yelled, and Ziva looked up at me.
"A sock? They found a sock?" She asked, and I gently flattened her hair.
"Annie's smart, you know that. She's very capable of taking care of herself."
"She is in a forest, with most likely a wound." Ziva spat, and I gently rubbed her thighs. I knew she was worried, as was I, but she showed it in a different way.
"The dogs would have found her by now if that was her blood, don't you think?" I asked, and she sighed.
"I really hope it is not hers."
We sat in silence some more, the reporters chattering lulling in the background. I could hear them trying to get our attention, even though we were 100 yards away and in a car.
"Hold on, I think- I've got something!" Someone yelled, and I sat up straight. Ziva leaned forward, and I could suddenly feel the rain on my face.
"I found her!" A man yelled, and Ziva stood up. She was about to run when she stopped, turning to look at the crowd of reporters. Her lips twisted into an angry scowl, and I grabbed her waist before she moved.
"What?" I asked quietly, and she glared at the crowd 100 yards away from us.
"He is over there, watching like some... Some-"She was at a loss for words, so I twisted so my back was too the reporters and she was out of sight. I kissed her cheek softly, wrapping my arms around her waist.
"Stay here." I said, and she nodded mutely.
"Sir, sir! We found your daughter." A rookie agent said, and I glared at the man. He swallowed, and nodded.
"Right, well she won't move. Says she wants her mom." The man said, and Ziva looked at him. Ever so slowly, Ziva took the man's arm and followed him into the mist. When I turned back around, Rivkin was gone.
Ehh, a mini cliff hanger. Just a mini one. Next chapter will have a lot in it, i think. I have still yet to write it. But, for now, I leave you with this and an apology if I dont update sooner next time. I want to finish this before *grimaces* school starts *sobs*. So, I shall be hurrying.
Leave me a review. :) Thanks.
