Author's Note-There's a lot of grief in this chapter so I'm giving it a tissue warning. Read and review NYLF xx

Gibbs gently lowered Ziva onto the bed before carefully laying the ice-pack over the bruise that had blossomed on her chest. She winced.

"I know this hurts Honey, it'll feel better soon." She whimpered as the full weight of the pack settled on her skin, putting pressure on her ribs, and Gibbs quickly placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I know Ziver." Her breathing was shallow as she tried to not aggravate her ribs further. "I'm gonna go check on the kids, are you gonna be okay?" She nodded slowly. "Okay, call if you need me." He pressed her cell into her hand, knowing she wouldn't have the energy to yell for him, before kissing her forehead and leaving her to rest.

Gibbs stopped in the living room doorway and took in the sight before him. Tony was sat in front of the couch, Ethan on his lap, his arm around LJ as she leant against him, sobbing into his shoulder. He watched as silent tears fell from his agent as he tried to comfort the children he barely knew. His heart broke just a little more. Tony caught his eye before turning into Lauren. He murmured condolences into her hair and Gibbs swallowed hard before leaving the room. He couldn't watch any more.

He'd been violently sanding his boat for more than two hours when the stairs creaked. He looked up to find Tony, hesitating.

"You okay Tony?" Gibbs asked gently. Tony was halfway to nodding before deciding otherwise. With a shake of his head he descended the rest of the stairs and sat on the bottom one, leaning against the wall and facing into the basement. Gibbs poured them both a finger of bourbon but Tony shook his head when he offered his to him.

"If I start drinking now, I'll never stop, and those kids need me to be lucid." Gibbs nodded before putting both the glasses back on the bench. "I know it's not the same but…" Tony trailed off, suddenly uncertain. Gibbs sighed before leaning against the bench, facing his best agent.

"You don't. It's not something you can 'get over'. You just get on." Tony nodded before dropping his head into his hands.

"I never got to say it back." He murmured. Gibbs crossed the room and pulled him into a hug.

"She knew it. Trust me." Tony sobbed into Gibbs' shoulder for several minutes before the door at the top of the stairs opened.

"Gibbs?" LJ asked quietly. Tony immediately withdrew and wiped his eyes with his back to her while Gibbs ascended the stairs to meet her.

"What's up?" Gibbs asked gently.

"I walked past your bedroom when I went to the bathroom and I think Ziva was crying." Gibbs squeezed her shoulder before taking off up the stairs, stopping only long enough to collect a glass of water and her pain medication. "Tony?" LJ's voice was quiet and breaking. Tony turned to face her.

"Yes Sweetie?" He smiled.

"You're not gonna leave us too, are you?" He had never heard her sound so frightened. He climbed the stairs before kneeling before her. He gently took her face in his hands and looked her dead in the eye, trying to ignore the tears almost drowning the ice blue of her irises.

"I'm not gonna leave you LJ. I will do everything in my power to stay with you for as long as you'll have me." She gulped back a sob before holding onto his wrists with trembling hands.

"Promise?" He pulled her into a hug and held her tight as she started sobbing into his neck again.

"Oh Honey, I promise. I promise."

Gibbs opened his bedroom door and watched as Ziva slept. Apparently she had cried herself back to sleep and was now breathing, slightly shallower than normal, but deep enough to tell him she was fast asleep. He smiled. Sleep was her best option right now.

The entirety of her torso was covered in fist sized bruises and the left side of her ribcage was basically one large bruise. She was lucky not to have developed two black eyes, only the right one having been blackened by the fracture in her cheekbone. Gibbs sighed.

She still looked gorgeous though. Despite her injuries, despite the fact she still winced anytime he, or anyone else-medical professional or otherwise- got within arms length of her, she was still so beautiful.

He watched her sleep for a little while longer before putting the glass and bottles on the bedside table on her side and carefully prying her cell from her hand, putting it beside them. She shifted, whimpering slightly in her sleep. Gibbs' heart ached for her. He pressed a feather light kiss to her forehead and smoothed down her hair before crouching next to her.

"I'm sorry Ziva." He murmured gently, covering her hand with his own. "Shouldn't have let him this close. Should have down more to protect ya, Pennie as well." He sighed. "I love you so much. If there is anything I can do to make this better Zi, tell me. I'll do it. Know this hurts like hell, know it will for a good few weeks, but I'll look after ya. You're safe here, won't let no one hurt you here." He stood before bending to kiss her temple gently, lingeringly. Once he pulled away she rolled her head to find him, her eyes rolling slightly when she opened them.

"Jethro?" She croaked. He smoothed her hair back gently, leaving his hand against her forehead.

"I'm here Ziva. Try to get some rest. I'm here." She nodded languidly.

"The baby…" She murmured. He smiled to himself, despite the fact she was laid in bed, in so much pain, she was still caring about others.

"He's fine. They both are. Tony's got them. They'll get through this, we'll help them. Ethan's a tough kid and LJ's sharp as a tack. They'll be fine." He kissed the tip of her nose softly, before pressing one last kiss to her forehead. "Love you."

"Mhmm." She hummed before falling asleep once more. Gibbs silently left the room, leaving the door cracked enough to let in some light from the hallway and so he could hear her if she called. He sighed softly to himself before making his way back downstairs. He'd get the kids to eat something and maybe convince LJ to take a nap with her brother. He'd then bunk on the couch, or in the basement, he couldn't risk hurting her unintentionally in his sleep. Sighing once more and shaking his head at himself, and the situation, he made his way back downstairs to support his agent, his friend, in his own grief and helping those kids through theirs.

Author's Note-I'm just gonna go...over there...and hide. Kay?