I appreciate all the comments from everyone. I am guessing that some of you may have more reading time on your hands. I am still studying although my courses have been switched to online, but I will try to write and post regularly. Just understand that it is not all that I am doing!

Thanks to all the reviewers on the last chapter - Troubled-Angel-26 (she is slowly learning that!), Ludy (I don't think that she is in a listening mood just yet, but hopefully she'll get to that point!), DS2010 (I think that she is rather grumpy with that realization), Loads of Randomness (a version of that happening will occur in about five or six chapters), didodado (that will happen soon), S (ha ha! I think that will happen in the next chapter - several people have backed up my original plan that Jenny needs to have some time dealing with Ziva), KrisShannon (here you go!), Guest (that is definitely happening in the next chapter), and a second Guest (thank you! I definitely will continue!). Sorry that I have not been the most communicative lately - I'm out of the habit but need to be better about it again. I definitely enjoy hearing from you. It is what sets fanfiction apart as such a fun writing style. You leave me feeling motivated to continue!

Now, shall we see how Ziva does at Ducky's?

Enjoy!

...

Ziva stormed out of the therapy session, her face just as flushed as it had been after her earlier spanking - but this time it was clear that she was angry rather than embarrassed.

"Ziver?" Gibbs asked as she angrily brushed past. "Zi!"

"Ziva, I still need to check your side," Ducky protested as she grabbed her sweater off of a hook by the door and ran outside, slamming the door loudly behind her. Apparently even getting un-grounded was less important than getting away as fast as possible.

"We hit on a sensitive subject today," Jackie explained, coming out to talk to the two men.

"She going to be okay?"

"Yes. Eventually," Jackie sighed before recovering and smiling. "Gibbs, you may want to make sure to keep an eye on how she reacts to things this week. I will see her in two days anyway, but in the meantime make sure that she feels supported and loved, especially if she experiences any triggering."

"Are you able to say what triggers in particular?" Gibbs asked.

Jackie hesitated. "I am going to say no. I will discuss it with you on Thursday if I believe that it is needed and if Ziva wants me to explain it instead of her, but I would love for you to try to talk to Ziva yourself first. As difficult as it is for her, she needs to discuss her triggers with those close to her so that they can help her manage them. If she does not take steps forward in that way soon, then I will discuss with her about doing joint sessions with you and maybe Jenny to help facilitate the building of your relationships. For the next few days, just try to give her as much support as possible."

"Good. I'll try."

"Wonderful," Jackie said brightly. "As she has already left, please tell her that I will see her on Thursday."

"Oh, she'll be happy to hear that," Gibbs said, sarcasm heavily implied. He shook Jackie's hand. "Thank you for all the work that you are doing with Ziva. I am seeing small changes every now and then."

Jackie nodded. "That's how therapy works - a tiny bit at a time. I have to go to my next appointment but I will see you on Thursday. Have a wonderful rest of the day."

"Thank you, Jackie. Good bye," Ducky said, helping her put on her jacket and letting her out the door before turning back to Gibbs. "Now, shall I wait or go looking for our missing Ziva?"

"Give her some time. She does not like being grounded. She's been begging me to get you to check her earlier. She'll be back for sure."

...

Ziva eyed the tree hopefully, but once again the branches were up to high and she would risk re-tearing her wound if she climbed it. She turned and stomped away, kicking at rocks and snapping off any branches that got in her way. The physical aggression allowed her inner turmoil to escape.

Why did she have to be so nosy?!

She circled the house for a sixth time, glancing at it through the trees. No one had come looking for her yet - she had seen Jackie leave and would have seen Gibbs or Ducky come out - so she she continued to walk, attempting to drown out the voices in her heart.

It is good that they are leaving me alone! I do not want to talk to anyone else! If they mention my father too, then I will explode!

Why does everyone insist on discussing my emotions? As a child I was told it was wrong to focus on those thoughts and fears - and now I am being told that is is "healthy" and "beneficial"?! I wish that they would all leave me alone!

But where are they? Do they not care that I am not there? Ducky is supposed to check me today. Is he not worried that I will get hurt? And Gibbs said that I am not allowed to go for walks by myself while I am grounded. Why does he not care that I am not listening? Maybe they do not care.

...

Gibbs finally stood and went to the door.

"It's been half an hour. I'm going to go check that she's okay."

A bad therapy session on top of a spanking - her day is just not going well.

"I will prepare a pot of tea for when you bring her back," Ducky said, confident in his friend's powers of persuasion in retrieving disappearing young adults. He had seen it work before on both willing and unwilling members of his team. Ziva would be no exception. "Tell her I have doughnuts!" he called cheerily after Gibbs as he left the house.

Gibbs could not help smiling as he closed the door behind him.

Ducky loves that kid.

He walked out and looked around to see if he could locate Ziva's location. It only took about fifteen seconds for him to see movement on the perimeter of the woods surrounding the property.

Ziva.

He began walking in that direction and the movement stopped. He finally got to the edge and made his way over to Ziva who was standing there with her arms folded tightly across her midsection.

"Hey, Ziver," he said easily.

She did not answer, just stood there shivering in the cold. Gibbs walked closer. "Want to talk?"

"No! Leave me alone!" Ziva snapped, stepping backward as he approached.

Gibbs took several more steps before stopping and then holding his hands out to her.

"C'mon, Ziver. It's cold out here. At least come back in with me."

"No. I am not cold," she insisted, taking yet another step backward.

Gibbs bit back his impatience and waited with her. He knew that he could outlast her stubbornness.

...

Ziva shivered as another cold breeze went through the woods.

Just go away! she thought as Gibbs comfortably leaned against a tree and smiled at her.

Why is he always so certain that he is right?! Why can he not listen to me for once? Why can he not just leave me alone?

This is such a cold day.

"Ducky is making some tea. He has doughnuts for you as well."

I am hungry ...

"It's a lot warmer in there."

And I am cold ...

But ...

"No!"

...

Gibbs had to admire her tenacity. Something had worked her up so much that she did not want to go back in, no matter how cold and hungry and sore she was. And as frustrating it was to not be able to automatically fix the problem right away, he knew that showing any negative emotion in front of Ziva would be counterproductive. Instead, he unzipped his jacket and moved to drape it around Ziva's shoulders.

...

Ziva pulled away when Gibbs started toward her with his jacket, but relaxed a little as he wrapped it snugly around her shoulders before taking a few steps back again to let her have her personal space.

"Thank you," she muttered reluctantly, appreciate of the gesture, especially as she knew how cold he would be without it.

"Want to talk?" he repeated.

"No! I already said, no."

"Okay. Then let's go inside and visit with Duck. I want one of those doughnuts to go with my coffee. And I think that he might have some more of those caramels that you enjoyed earlier."

Ziva seemed to relax for a moment and Gibbs took the chance to put his arm around her shoulder and begin leading her to the house.

"C'mon, Ziver."

She hesitated but ultimately followed him.

"We're not going anywhere on you," Gibbs reminded her quietly, patting her back.

Ziva did not verbally agree, but neither did she argue. She just settled on ...

"What kind of doughnuts?"

...

There will likely be spanking in the next chapter. Just so that you are forewarned if you like to skip those chapters.

Thanks for reading this chapter!