Someone suggested this to me a long time ago and I guess I kinda forgot about it. I've been having trouble building up to it but...here we go.

The following day she had woken up with bundles of energy, shooting up and out from five thirty. He hadn't woken until a few hours later but personally he found he'd have rathered a lie in. Ziva had the TV on to a program he couldn't recognise and was practicing handstands and cartwheels and things of that sort. When she turned to face him he noticed her cheeks were red, her hair was sticking to her sweaty forehead and more so she had a bandage around her hand.

"Ziver, what happened?" He asked, kneeling down and gesturing for her to come over. He began unwrapping it to reveal several cuts some bigger and deeper and others so shallow they may as well have been papercuts.

"Oh...I hit a glass." She waved it off as if it had no meaning. "I cleared it up and I washed the cuts. I got all the little bits and pieces out."

He inspected the cuts before giving in, retrieved his glasses and started again. She'd done a pretty decent job of it. "You should have got me."

"Why? It only hurt a little."

"That's not the point." He scolded and caught her hurt expression.

"But-but I got out all the glass. I cleaned up the mess. I handled it...isn't-isn't that what you always tell us to do?" Ziva seemed genuinely confused. Her eyes held his firmly. "I know it's not the same as before but even when I was young the first time Abba would tell us to fix our own mistakes. If I had woken him for something as trivial as-as a smashed-as a smashed cup...I do not think the cup would be the only thing that was smashed."

Gibbs wiped away the tear that caught her cheek. "It isn't trivial and I'm not mad. I'm gonna call Ducky in case that needs stitches."

"It doesn't."

"Well I'm just gonna check." Gibbs swapped the bandage out for another one from the first aid box under the sink and wrapped her hand up again. "Next time, Zivers, tell me when you get hurt. It's the same,"-she wore a quizzical expression-"I still want to know when you're injured."

Ziva's head hung low as she nodded. He kissed her forehead before picking up the phone and calling Ducky. He agreed to come over and inspect the hand and told Gibbs to keep her from her gymnastic exercises until he arrived. Gibbs smiled at that, glancing over to where she was now sitting in quiet watching TV with a carton of juice in her good hand. The situation had dawned on her and he prayed that next time (don't let there be a next time) she would come to him immediately, in tears if need be.

"Why aren't you punishing me?" She asked.

"You did nothing wrong, it was an accident." Gibbs replied firmly. "I'll never punish you over an accident."

Ziva's head dropped again, her hair shielding her face. "Abba would."

"Your Abba hasn't been in charge for a long time and he never will again," he assured her. "How's the hand."

"It...it stings a little." Ziva admitted.

He stroked her head caringly, kissed the bandaged hand and went to get himself some coffee. Truth be told, Ducky came over quickly, calling when he entered the house. He shuffled in, hanging up his hat and coat and came to find his patient.

"Hey, Duck," Gibbs greeted.

"Good morning Jethro, let's see the injured limb."

He kneeled down beside her, unwrapped the bandage and looked over the injury. "And how'd you do that, my dear?"

"It was an accident. I hit a cup…" She paused then added, "But it may have been better than that before I picked up the glass."

"Yes, it probably would have been," Ducky admitted, "but I think it's fine, just some scrapes. I doubt it needs stitches."

"I told him that," Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Your hand could've been fallin' off and you still wouldn't have admitted it needed lookin' at," Gibbs snapped back good naturedly.

She stuck her tongue out at him in response. Ducky chuckled at the exchange and agreed when he was offered a coffee. When they were settled at the table with their coffees they exchanged casual conversation. Not until Ziva decided to disappear up stairs did it turn to a more serious topic.

"So, how is fatherhood treating you despite this morning?" Ducky smiled as he swirled the coffee in his cup.

"Eh, Duck, she's gotta settle," Gibbs responded with the response now perfected. He found himself saying it at least three times a day, at least twice to himself. "She's...coping."

"Well I can see Ziva is coping but I was more interested in how you are coping." Ducky addressed, knowing his friend would do anything to keep the conversation firmly off himself.

"Fine." Gibbs assured him. "We'll be fine."

"As I suspected. Ziva's not the only one that needs to settle." Ducky chuckled knowingly.

"Hey, I could do a lot worse," Gibbs retorted defensively. "I'm working against thirty years experience here and at least twenty five of that was crap."-He glanced to the picture of Ziva and her little sister-"Not even five and she's lost more than most people do in their life...her sister, her mother, her brother...her father was a bastard...Somalia...I'm not sure I can compete with all that."

"I think you're forgetting something, Jethro." Ducky said. "You've been competing with all that for seven years. She's come a long way since she came to us. Ziva never had a real father before she came to NCIS. You're just continuing from where you left off."

A scream erupted from up the stairs which startled the two men. Gibbs immediately dropped his coffee, shot to his feet and raced up the stairs. His hand reached for his gun but found nothing. Pushing open the door, he found Ziva standing on her bed looking more startled than he probably did. It took him a few seconds to mentally clear the room. There was nothing there but a scared little girl.

"Ziver, what's wrong?" He breathed in relief. Quickly he turned back to Ducky, "She's ok, Duck."-He persisted when Ziva didn't respond-"Ziva, what happened"?"

"I thought there was a...something but I don't think...it was nothing." She admitted. He came over, brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. "But-but can you check?"

Gibbs systematically went through the room where anyone-or anything-could hide, from under the bed right to the crawlspace. She stayed firmly planted on the bed. He smiled, coming forward and picking her up. Her grip was incredible.

"There, nothing to be afraid of."

"I know he's dead but sometimes it feels like he's still here." Ziva whispered. "Even when I was still big. Just thinking about him makes me feel...small."

"That's normal, Ziver." He assured her, pleased that Ducky had returned back down the stairs when he realised the girl was just fine.

"Did Ducky say we were going out?" Ziva's head snapped up, sudden realisation at a previous topic.

Impressed at the speed her fears evaporated he smirked. "Yeah, but you gotta get changed. They don't let little girls walk around in pj's."

"Who doesn't?" She laughed.

"The government. They opened a special bureau just for that." He placed her firmly on the floor.

"No they didn't."

"Get changed." He watched her face shift to the prospect of being left alone again in the room. He found his way to the wardrobe. "So what'll it be? Dress, skirt or what?"

They proceeded for the next five minutes to fumble around with clothing. When he pretended to try and put her skirt on head to bum she cried an exasperated 'I'll do it!'. By the time he had lifted her up by the tights trying to get them as high up as possible she'd forgotten about whatever she had thought was in her room. Another ten minutes had passed getting her to the door to leave the house.

The three of them took a trip to an adventure park a few miles away where Ziva could play while the men got to talk. Since he hadn't come for the barbeque and Gibbs hadn't been at work it seemed like a nice time to get caught up seen as he'd been called for an impromptu examination. When they got there they sat on the bench just generally talking as she escaped the adult world she had just recently been divorced from. Both men kept one eye on her as she introduced herself to a small group of kids playing soccer. There didn't seem to be a proper set of rules attributed to this game as there were only one set of goals made up of coats and members seemed to flick between teams as they pleased. Kid's games always had rules though, strict ones that were difficult to make sense of unless one was apart of the game.

"Coffee?" Gibbs suggested as he pulled out a five dollar bill and made his way to a small stall.

Ducky followed him, accepting the offer graciously. She hadn't been far away and they'd only turned their backs for a moment. Gibbs turned back laughing as Ducky told a story when he saw her. Ziva was chasing after the ball onto the road. In the corner of his eye he saw the car.

"Ziva!" Gibbs shouted, throwing his coffee for the second time that day as he raced to her. It was surprising how quickly one could run with the right motivation. With no time to pull them both to safety, Gibbs pushed her out of the car trying desperately to break. The next thing he knew he was lying on his stomach and the world was a blur around him. There was a dull pain everywhere. He was loosely aware of the fact he had just rolled over a car. Somewhere in his mind he sensed the blur of people crowding around him. The only thing he was certain of was that Ziva had been in danger,

"Ziva," He forced out, blinking his eyes to try and clear the fog.

"Stay still, Jethro, we're calling an ambulance." Ducky. He was sure that was Ducky.

"Ziva." He forced again, bracing himself against the ground so he could look around. He collapsed. His arm wouldn't support his weight.

"Stay still, Jethro!" Ducky said firmer. "She's fine."

Gibbs had caught sight of her standing a few feet off like a deer in headlights. Like a child who'd just seen her father get hit by a car. His first instinct was to comfort her, his second to yell at her for running onto a road. His final one was to do what the doctor was telling him to do and if his body would co-operate he'd have gone with his first instinct.

"Duck, see to Ziva."

"Ok...just don't move."

Ducky removed himself from his friend's side. Getting up from kneeling position was a difficult task at his age but he didn't complain. When he got to Ziva's side he knelt down again. He placed a hand on her shoulder but she didn't respond, just kept staring at Gibbs on the ground. There was no blood but-as Ducky privately noted-that didn't mean there was nothing wrong.

"Ziva. Ziva." Ducky tried to pry her from her shock but to no avail. "Ziva, darling."

Without moving her eyes her hands grasped for the doctor's shirt for comfort and-eventually-she buried her head in the crook of his neck. When the ambulance arrived he got to his feet and lifted her. One of the paramedics went to Gibbs.

"Sir, what's your name?"

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs." He responded completely to prove he was still in tact with all his faculties.

"Ok, sir, can you feel this?" The paramedic touched his lower legs.

"Yeah."

They got him onto a stretcher to make sure and took him in the ambulance while Ducky assured him he'd take Ziva with him to the hospital. He sighed, glancing down at the companion in his arms.

"Well this day certainly had taken a turn."

NCIS-NCIS-NCIS

Ziva watched as Ducky spoke to a doctor. She was torn between guiltily staring at her feet and watching Ducky for any sign, anything that would let her know how he was. He was alive and talking at the scene. He'd been hit by a car before. He'd been blown up before as well. But he couldn't forget who she was now. She didn't know how she'd cope if he looked at her and just...forgot. Or if he didn't want her. It's not everyday your new daughter gets you run over. Ducky came over to her with a smile on his face.

"He's fine, lucky even." He told her. "A broken arm, a mild concussion, a few bruises. He's staying overnight for observation but he's going to be fine."

Ducky took her hand and led her into Gibbs' room. There was a nasty bruise forming on his temple and his arm was bandaged up. She held back, scared of what he'd say. When Gibbs reached out his good arm to her she practically ran into it though. Ducky excused himself for a few minutes. Before Gibbs could even start she began pouring out, her eyes tearing up.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to-I was just getting the ball and then-I didn't see the car and-then you were on the-and the-and your arm-and-and-and-and-" He had to stop her just from hyperventilating. Gibbs rubbed her back soothingly as he pulled her in with his good arm. "I didn't even check to see it was a road. You pushed me out the way."

"Ziva, do you know how upset I would be if I lost you?" He asked genuinely because by the confused look on her face he really didn't think she did. "You really scared me."

Her teary face looked up at him. "I should have looked."

"That would'a helped." He admitted. "Ducky's gonna take care of you tonight but you're not going there as a punishment or because I don't want you any more-"

"I know." Ziva mumbled back at him. A blush appeared on her face. "I love you...daddy."

Without missing a beat he replied, "I love you too, sweetpea."

She looked down at her own bandage and put her arm against his. "We match now."

"That we do." When he saw Ducky appear in the doorway he added, "be good for Ducky-I mean it."

"Promise." Ziva slipped down from the bed and took Ducky's hand again. "Night daddy."

Ducky turned his face to Gibbs' with a smug chuckle-like expression as he left with his guest for the night.

I've noted she only refers to him as her father briefly and generally at the end of chapters but I'm gonna make it more continuous now.

I'm right in exam season now. My first one is in two weeks so that is why this has taken so long. I doubt there will be many updates in the upcoming six weeks however I will try and get up as many as I can. Wish me luck, REVIEW and thanks for reading :)