Chapter 14

AN: Thank you so much for the support. PLEASE REVIEW, PLEASE REVIEW.

AN2: As I have said, let me know what episodes you would like me to address. Hope you like this chapter.

A couple of weeks have passed since Gibbs and Ziva returned to Pendleton and ever since they returned the two of them have been struggling with the constant reminders of Shannon and Kelly. As a result of how much they have been struggling the two of them haven't really spent a lot of time together as they are both coping by being alone, and in Gibbs case drinking is helping him to cope.

It is early evening and Ziva is at the desk in hers and Kelly's room, which she still considers it to be both of theirs, practicing her English as since the accident she is having more issues with speaking and understanding English, but not reading it, and so she started to practice more; partly because it is a good way to pass the time.

"Ziver," A voice says and after jumping Ziva looks to see her father.

"Yes Gibbs?" Ziva asks, and he walks over to her, deciding not to mention Ziva jumping as he assumes that it is normal considering everything.

"I have to go away for a few days," Gibbs reveals, having decided to be honest with Ziva and this is something he has wanted to do since he talked to Agent Franks, but he didn't want to leave Ziva until her health was better, and now that she no longer requires crutches he feels like it is the right time.

"Okay," Ziva says, having a lot of questions, but feeling like she doesn't have any right to ask them, not at the moment.

"While I'm gone your Gramps and Nan will be here," Gibbs explains, as he talked to Shannon's parents, as he needed someone to stay with Ziva, and they, to his surprise, agreed.

"Okay," Ziva confirms.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so go wash up," Gibbs instructs.

"Yes Gibbs," Ziva says, and she gets up and heads to the bathroom, Gibbs noticing that she is still having a slight amount of difficulty walking, though she is clearly doing everything she can to hide that fact.

After Ziva leaves the room Gibbs quickly leaves too as it hurts him to be around a room that so clearly belongs to both his girls.

A couple of days have passed since Gibbs told Ziva he had to go away and in that time Gibbs has travelled to Mexico and killed the man who killed Shannon and Kelly, who almost killed Ziva, having known where to find him thanks to Mike Franks.

After killing Pedro Hernandez Gibbs has crossed back over the border and is sitting at the place where he, Shannon, Kelly and Ziva spent their last camping trip. As he sits on the log that he shared with his family months earlier Gibbs points his gun at his head.

"What are you doing?" Shannon's voice asks him.

"I don't know if I can do this without you two," Gibbs admits, and with how heartbroken he is, how much he misses Shannon and Kelly, Gibbs can picture Shannon standing in front of him.

"Well figure it out, Marine. Ziva needs you," 'Shannon' tells him.

"She needs you," Gibbs says, knowing that Ziva has always been closer to Shannon than him. "I miss you so much, both of you,".

"I know," 'Shannon' says. "We're gone Gibbs, but Ziva's not. She's a little girl, your little girl, who has lost her world, again. She needs you," 'Shannon' tells him. "I know you don't see it, but she's a lot like you, and she's hurting, she's coping the best she can, but don't make her lose you too," 'Shannon' tells Gibbs, and what she says is enough for Gibbs to put the gun down.

"I miss you," Gibbs says as he puts the gun down.

After putting down his gun Gibbs made his way back to Pendleton and to his home. As he arrives home he finds Mac and Joann, Shannon's parents, in the living room.

"Jethro!" Joann exclaims seeing him.

"Where's Ziva?" Gibbs askes, after everything that has happened he wants to see her.

"Her room." Mac answers. "We went to the library yesterday she has got some new books," Mac explains, and Gibbs just keeps walking, without saying anything.

Once he gets to Ziva and Kelly's room Gibbs heads in and he finds Ziva asleep on her bed, with the light still on, surrounded by books, all of which seem to be about learning languages. Picking up the books Gibbs takes them over to the desk where he puts them.

Once he has put the books up Gibbs walk back over to Ziva, who he tucks in.

"It's over Kid," Gibbs tells his daughter. "I'm sorry, you deserve better. This, this was exactly what Shannon and I wanted to protect you from," Gibbs admits. "I don't know how to do this without her, and I'm going to make a lot of mistakes Kid, but I love you, I just hope I'm enough," Gibbs admits, and once he does he leans down and kisses Ziva's head.

After kissing Ziva's head he spends a few minutes watching her sleep, and then he heads out of the room, turning off the light as he does.

For the next three months Gibbs and Ziva try to live their life, try to have some semblance of normalcy, but they don't really succeed, especially on what should have been Kelly's eight birthday.

Both Gibbs and Ziva are in pain and are struggling to deal with it, which is causing the Gibbs house to be a pretty quiet place. As he doesn't want Ziva to see how not okay he is Gibbs, to an extent, is avoiding his daughter; because of that Ziva assumes that he is mad that she is the one who survived, and she is too afraid to admit that to him.

It is a summers afternoon and Ziva, who has been sitting on base reading all day, is heading back to the Gibbs house. Honestly, she is looking forward to school starting the next day as it will give her something to do other than studying various languages and living in a basically silent house.

"Hey look, it's the girl who speaks funny," A boy a little over than Ziva, says as she is walking home. "Didn't your Mom and sister die?".

"Leave me alone," Ziva says annoyed.

"Ohh what you think you're better than us?" the boy asks. "I bet you think your better than your mom and sister, that you think…." The boy starts to say, but he doesn't say much more than that because Ziva swings out and punches him, knocking him to the ground.

"Do not talk about my family," Ziva says angrily, and she jut walks away, noticing that her knuckles are cut as she goes.

A few minutes after she punched another kid Ziva is walking into the house,

"Ziver, is that you?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes Gibbs," Ziva says, as she hides her hand, with the bloody knuckles, in her pocket.

"I've ordered Pizza for dinner. It should be here soon," Gibbs explains to his daughter.

"Okay," Ziva responds. "Can I go to my room?" Ziva asks curious.

"Of course, I'll call you when it is here," Gibbs explains to his daughter, who nods and heads to her room.

When Ziva gets to her room she climbs onto her bed, and just picks up chestnut, which she hugs close as she thinks about Kelly and Shannon, about how much she misses them.

The next morning Gibbs drops Ziva off at school, which for her is even more terrifying than usual as she doesn't have Kelly, and then heads to NIS. When he asks to see Mike Franks.

"Back again, Marine?" Mike asks Gibbs.

"Not anymore," Gibbs reveals as he has put in his discharge papers. "It's done." Gibbs reveals.

"not what I heard. No such thing as an ex-marine," Mike comments, "that's forever. Right. Not even gonna ask where you've been. Guess the question is, where you going?" Mike asks.

"I don't know," Gibbs admits, as the only thing he knows is that he has to be a parent to Ziva, and he is struggling with that.

"Look at you, all self-loathing and misery. You make me sick. Come here to mope?" Mike asks.

"Nope. Came for a job." Gibbs reveals, as everything Mike has done for him has inspired him to become an NCIS agent.

"My god!" Mike says shocked. "You really want to be a cop. You got to let a lot of old stuff go, learn a lot of new stuff to take it's place. Think you can do that?" Mike asks.

"I think I'd be a good cop." Gibbs response, as that is what he believes.

Hours later Mike has agreed to take Gibbs on as a Probie starting immediately and Gibbs, after spending the day arranging a couple of things, is waiting outside Ziva's school for her to finish. Gibbs hasn't been waiting long when Ziva hurries out and gets in the car.

"How was school?" Gibbs asks his daughter.

"Fine," Ziva answers, deciding not to mention the fact that, without Kelly, she didn't talk to anyone all day and instead spent the day reading, and learning languages as she wants a way, a language that can put into words, what she is feeling.

"Just fine?" Gibbs asks, as he starts to drive, and Ziva just nods, so he decides to change the subject. "Ziver do you remember Agent Franks?" he asks curious.

"Yes," Ziva confirms, being pretty sure she wouldn't be able to forget him. "Why?"

"I'm going to be working with him," Gibbs explains.

"What does that mean?" Ziva asks confused.

"I'm going to become a NIS agent," Gibbs tells his daughter.

"Does that mean we have to move?" Ziva asks, as even with as hard as it is living in the house without Shannon and Kelly she isn't sure she wants to move away.

"Not right now, Kiddo," Gibbs explains as that is one of the things he arranged today, making sure he and Ziva could continue to live in their house.

"Good," Ziva says, her voice barely loud enough for Gibbs to hear.

"Agent Franks is going to come over for dinner tonight," Gibbs reveals, as with how closely he and Franks are going to be working together he wants Ziva to get to know him just in case.

"Okay." Ziva says, and the two of them drift into silence as they continue to drive.