Hi! I've been enjoying NaNoWriMo ... so SURPRISE! So can you!

Thanks, JessicaRae95, Troubled-Angel-26, DS2010, fiftyshadeswritergal (thanks for the review on the last chapter as well!), didodado, HappyGuest, Tamara, AmyV24, S (good guesses), Fan, Fashionista-girl (for both reviews - how do you do that?), and KrisShannon. I appreciate the reviews, y'all!

Now, let's see what else is going on with Ziva...

...

Ziva's brunch with Gibbs had been enjoyable. The two of them did not talk a whole lot, but Gibbs downed a pot of coffee and Ziva enjoyed her muffin, scones, and tea. He smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he went to pay the bill. She had insisted that she could afford it but he was fast in grabbing the bill.

They swung by the hardware store so Gibbs could purchase a few supplies - Ziva busied herself locating each item that she had used as a weapon. Gibbs whisked her out before she could move on to determining which other items would make good additions to her private arsenal. She vowed that she would return and stock up on some of the potentially worthy items at a later date.

Neither Gibbs nor Ziva wanted lunch, so they returned to their respective hobbies upon their return to the house. Ziva decided to practice darts with an old board that she had located in Gibbs' basement and relocated to the backyard with Gibbs' blessing. He kept working on his boat.

After scoring a sufficient amount of points, Ziva began to feel fidgety. It was not too hot outside but she was feeling uncomfortably warm.

Feverish.

She shook the thought off. Or she would have, if her head was not starting to hurt so much.

I just need some water, she told herself, choosing to believe that she was dehydrated despite the three cups of tea rather than consider the fact that the infected cut was beginning to cause some very real damage to her body. She dragged herself inside to the kitchen and got herself a glass of water. She rustled through the cupboards, trying to find some pain medication but before her search could get too thorough Gibbs came upstairs and bee-lined for the coffee maker.

"Looking for something, Ziver?"

"No." It was starting to get a little worrisome how adept she was becoming at lying to Gibbs.

...

Gibbs was concerned by the very same fact.

"Are you sure?" he asked, testing to see if she would be any more forthcoming.

"Yes," she replied.

"I'd play a few rounds of darts with you," he offered, surreptitiously trying to conduct surveillance on his sneaky agent. But Ziva was not to be easily caught.

"I am tired of darts for now," she replied.

"Then what are you going to be doing?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Zi..." he said warningly.

...

I do not want to make him angry at me right now.

"I guess that I will read," Ziva sighed.

Although she had no interest in continuing the sappy romance novel, likely a forgotten or scorned book belonging to one of the ex-wives, it was better than trying to explain to Gibbs that she was starting to feel ill - this time of her own making. That would just be an invitation to a long lecture and what she could only imagine would be a spanking for lying or putting herself in danger or some other silly reason.

"Bring your book down here to the living room," Gibbs said. "I'm going to read the newspaper. We can keep each other company."

Ziva really did not want "company" and she doubted that was the real reason that Gibbs was tell her to come downstairs, but there was no way out of it without acting suspicious. However, she did not have to be happy about his interference with her afternoon.

"Fine," she hissed between gritted teeth. She retrieved her book and dropped onto the sofa. She pointedly held the book up in front of her face, blocking Gibbs' view of her.

She heard a rustle of the newspaper and peeked around the edge of her book to see Gibbs imitating her position. She tried to be annoyed but it was too funny. She lowered her book a little to reveal her smile. Gibbs reciprocated the motion and the two soon fell into a comfortable silence ... or as comfortable as one can be while running a fever. Ziva's headache got so bad that she could no longer focus on the words in the book and she gave up, grabbing a blanket off of the back of the couch and curling up a little, letting her eyes drift closed. The pain had tired her body and she needed rest.

...

"Ziva! Gibbs! We're here!"

Ziva jerked at the loud greeting as a door slammed behind an exuberant Abby, who's earlier Tony-enforced time-out with Tim did not seem to have caused any harm. She was waving a large container of cookies as well as a game. Tim and Tony were right behind her, wiping off their shoes. Tony's arms were full with pizza boxes - it looked like he had brought more than just the vegetarian one that she had ordered. Tim had bottles of pop and sparkling water. They both grunted their greetings from behind packages and edibles. Ziva struggled to prop herself up, but the simple movement seemed impossible. Her body refused to cooperate. She could feel fatigue in every limb as she let her head nestle back against the cushions.

Abby skipped out to the kitchen and delivered the cookies, then hurried back to the couch where Ziva was still lying, feeling every little ache and pain intensify as she awakened.

"Ziva! Get up! Come on! This is going to be AWESOME!" Abby cheered, plopping down on the couch.

"Ow!" Ziva gasped, grimacing at the pain that shocked her body when jolted.

Abby frowned. "That doesn't sound good." She leaned closer and looked at Ziva's face, then dove forward to kiss Ziva's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Ziva groaned, trying to roll away from the intrusion.

Abby pulled back and shook her head seriously. "Ziva, you're burning up!"

Gibbs stepped out from the kitchen where he had been working and crouched next to Ziva and Nurse Abby. One look and he knew the truth as well.

"Ziver," he said gently. It had equal undertones of frustration and disappointed, but they were balanced with love and concern. He reached out and felt Ziva's forehead. She did not try to fight it like she normally would. His cool hand against her head actually felt good.

"McGee, call Ducky. Tony, please get Ziva a glass of water. Abs, please go check the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I don't know if I have anything that isn't expired..."

"I'll check," Abby assured him.

"I do not need..." Ziva began her little spiel, but Gibbs silenced her with a calloused finger lightly pressed to her lips.

"Shh, Ziver," he soothed. "You're hurting bad, aren't you?"

"A lit..."

"The truth."

"Yes," she whispered, hating that an uncontrollable tear trickled out of her eye.

Stupid body!

"Here's the water," Tony said, walking over. His loud voice made Ziva cringe.

"Quiet down a bit," Gibbs directed him.

"Sorry," Tony whispered in response, holding out the water. Gibbs took it and gave it to Ziva. She took two small sips before pushing it back into his hands.

"Gibbs! All of your meds expired ten years ago. Ten YEARS ago!" Abby yelled down the stairs, pounding back toward them waving some packets and bottles.

"Never need them, Abs," he told her calmly before motioning for her to soften her voice. "How long have you been hurting?" he asked Ziva softly.

"Um, a while," she fudged. Gibbs gave her the "glare of truth" as Abby had called it a few weeks ago. The scientist had been right - it dragged the deepest, darkest truth out of you without exception.

"Ever since I climbed out of the window," she mumbled the admission, hoping that Tony, Tim, and Abby would not hear.

They did.

"You climbed out the window?" Tim asked in surprise. He turned to Tony and Abby. "Who does that?!"

Tony and Abby's equally flushed faces and uncomfortable shifting - the response to remembered chastisement - answered his question.

"They've both done it far more than Ziva," Gibbs growled, silencing all three of them. He turned back to Ziva and gave her his full attention. That made Ziva feel both simultaneously scared to death and completely safe.

"Let me see," he ordered. Ziva wordlessly obeyed, pulling her shirt up. Gibbs' jaw tightened as he saw the festering mess.

"McGee?"

"Ducky's on his way."

"He does not need to come,"Ziva protested.

Gibbs' eyes flashed dangerously and he leaned in to whisper, "Don't. Protest. You chose to be foolish and how you have to pay the consequences. I am disappointed in you, Ziva. I trusted you to tell me if something was wrong."

It was clear that he was telling the truth. Inexplicably, the disappointment in his sad blue eyes nearly had Ziva in tears. She struggled to hold herself together in front of the others.

He pulled back and turned to the others. "Go, eat. Get Ziva a piece of pizza and bring it in a few minutes."

The three other kids, with backward glances, made their way to the kitchen.

It was just the worried dad and a pained, scared, newly-adopted daughter left alone.

Ziva took a deep breath and forced herself to sit up, Gibbs' supportive hand on her back the entire time.

"Did I ruin our game night?" she asked softly.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and growled. "Zi ... why didn't you tell me? I asked you, again and again. Jenny asked, Tony asked, Duck asked. Why did you keep lying?"

Ziva took a breath, but the motion hurt. Tears made their way to her eyes despite her best fight. "I am not weak," she told him, avoiding eye contact.

"I know. We all know. But this" - he motioned to her cut, still visible with her shirt rolled up - "does not look strong to me."

Ziva flushed at the gentle rebuke. "I did not want everyone mad at me," she whispered under her breath. But Gibbs had super hearing and he heard - and understood.

"Ziva David, I want to listen and listen good. Jen, Duck, me - we'll be upset when you do foolish things. We might be mad. But that does not mean..." He stopped. Ziva looked at him timidly and he shrugged. "Ask Jen to explain it better, but ... even if we get mad, it does not mean that we don't want you. We love you. That's why we're upset in the first place." He leaned forward and Ziva felt a healthy dose of intimidation. "And Ziva - you will always be in more trouble for trying to hide something from me. It does not matter how bad it is - you come to me. Right away. No hiding. No lying. You tell me what's the matter so I can help you. Understand?"

"Yes," Ziva whimpered. She wished that she had energy to fight back, to insist that she was fine on her own like always, and that she did not need his help or scolding, but she was too tired.

"Good. Than that's all we'll say about this ... for now. We can deal with the rest later."

Ziva gulped worriedly at that ominous announcement. Gibbs shook his head gently, stopping any protests. Abby timidly entered the room with a plate.

"Ziva, I got your pizza for you."

"Thanks, Abs," Gibbs thanked her, taking the plate and handing it to Ziva.

"I am not very hungry," she tried to tell him, but before he even focused his gaze on her she was already grabbing the piece of pizza and cramming it into her mouth. She could tell that she was in enough trouble already without antagonizing Gibbs more.

"You need to give your body strength to fight your fever. Just a few bites," he told her. His face was still grim, but it has lost a little of its hardness at her obedience. "If you want something else, we can get it for you in a minute."

"Tony, Tim ... how about you come eat out here?" Abby suggested, a nervous squeak in her voice revealing that the tension in the room was cutting through even her cloak of happiness. The two boys joined them, silently taking seats. Ziva looked at all of them repentantly. When she planned her "tricks", she had not foreseen them ruining time with her friends. This was even worse with dinner the night before with Gibbs and Tony. She could see it all in their eyes - the sympathetic tears welling in Abby's; the nervous confusion and patient loyalty in Tim's; the protective gleam mixed with betrayal that she had hid the truth from him in Tony's. So different from the excited, anticipating, joyous expressions of fifteen minutes ago.

She felt worse than sick. She felt responsible for ruining everyone's nights and that responsibility came with a heavy helping of guilt.

She dropped her pizza onto the plate and forced herself to look up at her team. They deserved that much respect at least after all she had put them through.

"I ... am ... sorry."

The words hung heavy in the air. Abby, Tim, and Tony just looked at her. She could feel Gibbs' gaze on her as well. She forced herself to keep her head up, not giving in to the guilt or painful throbbing.

Before anyone could respond to her apology, there was a brisk knock on the door and Ducky and Jimmy entered.

"Hi, everyone!" Jimmy said with the the cheerful awkwardness that was always exuded around him. "Do I smell pizza?" He looked around the room and finally seemed to catch on to the tense situation. "Ah..."

"Mr. Palmer was just accompanying me home for a game of checkers after dinner," Ducky told everyone, "but I hear that I have a patient."

So I ruined Ducky and Jimmy's nights as well! I keep finding out that I am a worse and worse person!

Ziva wished that she could disappear as Ducky looked at her with an expression which was nearly a mirror of the one Gibbs had given her earlier. All of the disappointment, all of the care. It had the effect of making her feel lower than an ant to have caused Ducky to have to look at her like that. He came and knelt next to her.

"Let me see what you have gotten yourself into, dear," he told her lovingly, setting aside the well-deserved scolding for later as he saw her wince as he adjusted the shirt.

"Jimmy, want a piece of pizza? Abby, Tim, you both look like you need some more." Tony corralled the other young members of the team out into the kitchen to Ziva's great gratitude. Ducky guided her to lie down once again as he began the impromptu check-up, clucking his tongue unhappily as he did so.

Ziva just squeezed her eyes closed, wishing that she could somehow reverse time and undo all the damage she had done, not just to herself but also to her friends-slowly-turning-family.

Gibbs gently stroked the hair away from her temples as she lay there, face taut with pain while Ducky prodded and poked as gently as possible. The tired father did not worry when he saw the tiny tear slipping down her face because he knew it had nothing to do with her physical pain. His little girl was learning a very hard but necessary lesson - hurting herself hurt the ones who loved her best in the end.

And as long as everything worked out, he was appeased that she was learning her lesson. If she learned it well, it would save them from even worse situations in the future.

But for the moment, all their focus would be on getting her feeling better now. And he would be at Ziva's side the whole time.

A tiny gasp from the hardened Ziva confirmed that it would not be fun and games.

...

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