I hope you enjoy this next instalment in Ziva's bad day.

Just to clarify, I'm not sure exactly when this is set but it's about season three/four but I may take some poetic licence with the time-scale of the show.

I still don't own NCIS but it's my birthday next week and. . .well, a girl can dream.

Ziva was sat on a cold autopsy table as Ducky poked and prodded and scolded. She had tuned out some time ago and was now just staring absent mindedly, hoping he was nearly done.

"Ziva? Ziva? Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

Ziva was very fond of Ducky and usually she would have felt quite embarrassed for not listening and apologised, however today her head hurt and she was angry and tired and not in the mood to be lectured by the elderly doctor and so her only reply was a curt, "No."

"No?" Ducky repeated disbelievingly.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I do not care what you think about what I did! It is my life and I do not need you to tell me what to do! You might as well just shut up because I do not care!"

Ducky was an incredibly patient man and it took a lot to make him angry but right now he was about as furious as he had ever been.

"Do you want to rethink that statement young lady?"

"Not really," Ziva replied rudely, glaring at Ducky for even thinking of calling her 'young lady'.

"Well then, yes it is your life but you were very silly and careless with it this morning and. . ."

"Oh just go to Hell!" Ziva yelled getting off the table and storming towards the door. A small part of her mind was telling her that this was a bad idea and that Ducky did not deserve this but this was eclipsed by the larger part of her mind that was just plain pissed at anyone and everyone regardless of what the had or had not done.

Unfortunately for Ziva, whilst Ducky was too stunned that she had spoken to him in that manner to say anything, Gibbs, who had been upstairs talking to Abby, had chosen that moment to come down to autopsy and had heard both of her outbursts.

Ziva had only put one foot outside of the doors before she felt someone grab her arm and drag her back across the room.

"Hey!" She protested loudly as she squirmed and struggled in his iron tight grip.

Having pulled her back over to where Ducky was standing, he lifted her up and deposited her less than gently on the table before standing over her and glaring ferociously.

"Apologize to Ducky."

There was silence.

"Ziva. . ." Gibbs warned.

"I do not want to apologize Gibbs! He was telling me off and it is none of his business. It is none of anyone's business but mine!" She erupted eventually.

Seeing that Gibbs looked about ready to shoot the young woman, Ducky put a hand on his arm and shook his head slightly. Gibbs stepped out of the way and Ducky took up position in front of Ziva.

"Look at me please Ziva," he instructed the woman, who was now looking down at her lap in a mixture of embarrassment, guilt and fear, all emotions she did not often experience and all emotions she was very uncomfortable with.

When she didn't comply Ducky took her chin in his hand and brought her head up to meet his gaze.

"I know it's your life Ziva, but we all care about you and that makes it our business when you make silly decisions that put you in jeopardy."

"But the suspect was going to get away and. . ."

"Ziva, I would prefer for you to let every suspect escape than for you to get yourself hurt."

Gibbs nodded his agreement, "You came damn close to getting killed today Ziver, no mission's worth your life."

Ziva looked between the two men with genuine confusion in her eyes. "But. . . but. . . I was always told that the mission was everything. That it was more important than anything else. That you should sacrifice anything if it means you get the job done."

"What kind of bastard would tell you that?" Gibbs blurted without thinking.

Ziva looked over to him and her voice was barely audible as she replied, "My father."

Gibbs and Ducky exchanged shocked glances. Gibbs walked over and pulled himself up onto the table beside her.

"Look Ziva," he said cautiously. "I don't know how things worked back in Israel, but here, when you're under my command, firstly, you follow orders, and secondly, you don't take unnecessary risks. Understood?"

"But it was not an unnecessary risk! I was doing my job!" She protested.

"No Ziva, you were doing whatever the hell you wanted to do. You job is to follow my orders and to get what needs to be done done with the minimum number of casualties possible."

"But. . .I. . .I. . .I was doing what I thought was right."

"I get that, but there will never be an excuse to disobey my orders. If I tell you to hold position you will hold position. Got it."

"Got it," Ziva mumbled defeatedly.

Gibbs nodded, then turned to Ducky. "So what's the verdict Duck?"

"She is a very, very lucky girl. She hasn't obtained anything major but she has a rather nasty gash on her neck that may need stitches and I think you were right about the concussion but I think she should go to the hospital and get a CAT scan, just to make sure there's no serious damage."

Ziva heard the word hospital and immediately her head snapped up. "No. No, I do not want to."

Gibbs glared at her before looking back at Ducky. "I have a mountain of paperwork for this case but Abby's set up some tests and there's not a lot else she can do tonight so I'll get her to drive Ziva to the hospital."

"I can drive myself," Ziva said quickly.

"Not with a possible concussion you can't," Gibbs said firmly. "Thanks Duck."

"My pleasure Jethro, Ziva." Ducky replied with a nod and a smile. "Get well Ziva."

"I am well," she muttered irritatedly.

Ducky stifled a chuckle as he saw Gibbs swat Ziva's behind and she reacted involuntarily with a little yelp.

He smiled and shook his head as Ziva rubbed her backside and glared at Gibbs as the two exited autopsy. It seemed that their little family may have acquired a new member.

I hope you enjoyed this. If you did, please review, and if you didn't well, review anyway and tell me why.