Chapter 15
AN: Thank you for the support. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.
AN2: As I have said, let me know what episodes you would like me to address. Hope you like this chapter.
A few weeks has passed since Gibbs joined NIS and ever since Mike has been around the Gibbs house several times a week, and honestly both Ziva and Gibbs like having him around as it means they actually have to talk.
It is a Sunday evening and Ziva is working on her homework in her room when Gibbs knocks on the door.
"Yes?" Ziva asks, turning to look at him, and Gibbs walks over.
"Ziver, I've got orders for a new mission," Gibbs explains, wanting to tell Ziva as much as possible, but he knows he can't tell her much as he has been ordered to take part in a drug interdiction mission in Columbia as they need a sniper.
"You are leaving?" Ziva asks, sounding shocked, and a little afraid.
"Yeah Kiddo," Gibbs confirms. "I shouldn't be gone too long," Gibbs explains.
"When will you leave?" Ziva asks, trying to hide how much she hates that her father is leaving, again.
"That's the thing, Kid, I have to leave tomorrow," Gibbs explains, trying to be as gentle as possible.
"Oh," Ziva says, fighting not to look upset. "What will happen to me?" Ziva asks curious.
"Mike is going to stay with you," Gibbs explains, Mike being what he insisted Ziva call him, and that was the only reason why Gibbs agreed to do the mission, because Mike said he would look after Ziva.
"Okay," Ziva says, with a nod, feeling like that isn't too bad.
"How's your homework going?" Gibbs asks curious.
"Okay," Ziva answers. "What is for dinner tonight?" Ziva asks curious.
"Steak and vegetables," Gibbs explains, as while he would be good with just steak he knows Ziva needs food a bit more balanced.
"Okay," Ziva says, with a nod.
"Do you want to help me cook?" Gibbs asks curious.
"Sure," Ziva responds, and once she does she marks where she is up to in her homework, and then she gets up and heads out of the room with her father.
The next morning Ziva and Gibbs are having breakfast together when there is a knock on the door.
"That will be Mike," Gibbs explains and once he does he gets up and heads to the door to get Mike.
About a minute after her father left he walks into the room with Mike,
"Little Miss Ziva," Mike greats.
"Hi Mike," Ziva responds.
"You gotta go Probie," Mike informs Gibbs.
"I know," Gibbs says, finding it hard to go because of what happened last time he was away from his family. "I got to go, Kid," Gibbs says, walking over to Ziva.
"I know," Ziva says.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Gibbs promises. "I love you, Kid," Gibbs says, before hugging his daughter.
"I love you too," Ziva says, feeling amazed to hear those words as she hasn't heard them in weeks, and Gibbs kisses her head.
"I'll see you when I get back, be good for Mike," Gibbs tells his daughter.
"I will," Ziva says, and once she does Gibbs heads out of the house, it feeling incredible hard for him to take the steps, to walk away from his daughter, after everything that has happened.
For the next five minutes or so Mike notices that Ziva just kind of picks at her food, not really eating it,
"Chin up, Little Miss Ziva," Mike tells her. "Your old man will be back soon," Mike says, being pretty sure that Gibbs part of the mission should be pretty simple.
"It will not matter," Ziva says, as she stands up.
"No, I don't think so. Sit back down and explain that," Mike tells the young girl.
"Explain what?" Ziva asks.
"What you meant by that," Mike requests. "Talk," Mike says, giving Ziva a look which says 'you are going to talk to me,'.
"We do not really talk, Dad and I," Ziva reveals. "I think he wishes that Kells, his real daughter, was the one who survived the accident; he resents me," Ziva explains, as that's how she feels.
"Ziva, no, he doesn't," Mike says, knowing that, and wanting Ziva to believe that.
"It feels like it does," Ziva admits. "I need to go to school," Ziva says, before getting up and heading out of the room without another word to Mike.
"Damn Probie, you've got a mess to clean up," Mike mutters to himself once Ziva is out of hearing range.
For the next few days Mike looks after Ziva, and actually starts to bond with the almost nine-year-old. After the phone call he just received Mike really doesn't want to tell Ziva, but he has no choice, and so he is carefully opening her door.
"Ziva, are you awake?" Mike asks, as it is pretty late, so it is quiet possible that Ziva is asleep and in that case he'll have to tell her in the morning, which may actually be best.
"Yes," Ziva confirms, and once she does Mike turns on the light.
"Ziva, something's happen," Mike explains, as he walks over to where Ziva is lying in her bunkbed.
"Dad," Ziva realizes, as dread rises up inside of her. "What has happened?" Ziva asks, not wanting the answer, but at the same time she needs it.
"He's missing, Ziva," Mike reveals. "Your Dad has been out of contact for twenty-four hours. People are looking for him." Mike explains. "Ziva, at the moment there's nothing that makes anyone think he isn't okay, but we just don't know where he is," Mike explains.
"Go away!" Ziva says, as she starts to cry.
"Ziva…." Mike starts to say.
"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" Ziva yells, and deciding that giving Ziva space is best Mike leaves the room.
After Mike leaves the room Ziva just squeezes chestnut tight as she cries, not believing that she is going through this again.
For the next few weeks Ziva, who cries herself to sleep every night, just waits for news, expecting it to be bad. With every day that passes Ziva becomes surer that any news she is going to get is going to be bad, and honestly Ziva isn't sure how she is going to handle that.
It is early evening and Mike is making dinner for Ziva, knowing that he is going to have to try harder to get her to eat, as he makes dinner the house phone rings and so Mike walks over and answers it.
"Yeah?" Mike answers.
"Ziver, I want to talk to Ziver," Gibbs's voice says, as that is what he has been wanting for weeks, his daughter.
"Damn, it's good to hear your voice, Probie," Mike says as he heads to Ziva's room. "Miss Ziva, phone call for you," Mike says, walking into Ziva's room where he finds her sitting at her desk, and so he hands the phone over to her.
"Hello?" Ziva asks, feeling confused.
"Hey Kid," Gibbs greats.
"GIBBS!" Ziva yells, sounding excited. "Are you okay?" Ziva asks, feeling overwhelming joy to hear her father's voice as she was expecting it to be bad news.
"I'm a little hurt, but it's nothing that won't heal," Gibbs explains, knowing that it is only thanks to Rose that he is going to be okay.
"Are you coming home?" Ziva asks, wanting the answer to be yes.
"Yeah Kiddo, I'll be home soon." Gibbs promises, knowing that it will only be another couple of days. "Are you okay? Have you been okay with Mike?" Gibbs asks, as he has been concerned about his daughter since he realized how long he has been gone.
"I am okay, and yes, I have been," Ziva confirms.
"That's really good to hear," Gibbs admits. "I'll be home soon, Kid, I love you," Gibbs says and with all the doubts she's been feeling the last couple of months Ziva isn't sure she can believe him.
"Love you too," Ziva responds, and once she does Gibbs hangs up.
"You feel better now?" Mike asks.
"Yeah Mike, I do," Ziva confirms, as she hands the phone back.
"You know Ziva, I've been living with you for a month, how about you call me Uncle Mike," Mike suggests, as he's started to feel like an Uncle to Ziva. "I don't think your Dad will mind," Mike admits, being pretty sure that Gibbs will actually like that fact.
"Okay," Ziva says, with a nod.
"Dinner will be ready soon, and you're actually going to eat tonight," Mike informs Ziva.
"Yes, Uncle Mike," Ziva responds, and once she does Mike heads out of the room.
For the next couple of days Ziva waits for her Dad to come home, and with every day that passes she finds herself becoming more worried that maybe he won't come back. It is after dinner on a Friday night and Mike is in the living room of the Gibbs house when the door opens and Gibbs walks in.
"Damn Probie, welcome home," Mike says, standing up.
"It's good to be home," Gibbs admits, as he puts his bag down.
"You need to go talk to your daughter," Mike reveals.
"Is Ziver okay? Is something goin' on?" Gibbs asks concerned.
"You mean other than the eight-year-old girl whose convinced that you resent her for surviving the accident?" Mike asks. "You need to fix that Probie," Mike informs him, and without a word Gibbs heads to Ziva's room.
"Hey Kid," Gibbs says, walking into Ziva and Kelly's room, where he finds Ziva sitting at her desk, and without a word Ziva runs to Gibbs and hugs him.
"You are okay," Ziva says, sounding amazed.
"Yeah Kiddo, I am," Gibbs promises. "We need to talk Ziver," Gibbs says, as they break apart.
"Okay," Ziva says, getting a bad feeling, as Gibbs walks over and sits down on the chair Ziva was sitting on, and once he is sitting Gibbs gestures for Ziva to sit on his knee which she does.
"Ziver, I am so glad you survived the car accident, and If I made you think otherwise I'm sorry," Gibbs admits not even minding that he is breaking his own rule as Ziva needs to hear it. "I don't resent you, I never could," Gibbs explains, hoping Ziva believes him as it's the truth.
"Really?" Ziva asks.
"Really," Gibbs says, kissing her head. "I miss your Mom and Sister every day," Gibbs reveals.
"Me too," Ziva admits, as tears come to her eyes.
"And every day I am glad you weren't killed too," Gibbs admits. "Ziver, I am trying my best, but I don't know how to do this without your Mom, I never thought I would have to." Gibbs admits. "You are just as much my daughter as Kelly was, and if I ever made you feel otherwise I am sorry." Gibbs admits as that is the last thing he wanted. "Neither of us are good at talking Kiddo, but I think that's something we have to do, at least with each other, okay?" Gibbs asks.
"Okay… Dad," Ziva tells him, calling him dad, to his face, for the first time which makes him feel with joy. "I will try to talk more," Ziva says, knowing she will try to talk to Gibbs more, but she doesn't think she can with anyone else.
"I will to, promise," Gibbs assures her. "Do you want to tell me about these books you've been reading?" Gibbs asks curious.
"Since the accident I have been stru….. having issues with English," Ziva reveals, getting frustrated when she can't say what she wants to say. "I have been practicing and trying to improve," Ziva explains.
"These books aren't all on English," Gibbs says, making a note to talk to Ziva's doctors at her next follow up, and promising himself that he will help her more.
"I know. I have been learning other languages," Ziva admits. "I cannot find the words I am feeling in Hebrew, or English, so I have been looking for it in other languages," Ziva explains.
"Have you?" Gibbs asks curious.
"No," Ziva admits. "But it has been good to focus on something else," Ziva explains. "I like learning,"
"Well, let's look at what languages you are learning, see if I can help," Gibbs says, smiling at his daughter.
"I would like that," Ziva admits, and as she does Gibbs starts to look through Ziva's books and picks one that he can help her with.
A couple of hours later Ziva has fallen asleep so Gibbs has tucked her into bed. After leaving Ziva's room Gibbs heads to the living room and starts to look for something.
"Come on, I know you're around here somewhere," Gibbs says, as he starts to search through the shelves in the living room. After a bit of searching Gibbs finally finds what he is looking for, Shannon's books on Hebrew and Jewish culture.
Once he has the books Gibbs heads over to the table and starts to read them as in the last couple of hours he has realized that it is more important than even for him to learn Hebrew and learn about Jewish culture, for Ziva.