Thanks for the reviews and thank you for the "congratulations" comments!

I had someone message me and ask me to keep a little blog on my profile; so if you guys want to check my profile every once in a good while, I'll keep you updated on how the pregnancy is going and other things like that. I've started it today because yesterday I had the ultrasound :) read my blog to find out what happened! The baby is due Christmas Eve, so it might be an exciting pregnancy to read about :) can ya'll sense my excitement?

This is the LAST chapter, hope you like it.

Love Like Crazy

Digidestend Angel

Chapter 14 – …And Love Like Crazy

"Ziva, how are you, dear?" Jenny asked as she walked into Ziva's room slowly. The blinds were shut tight, making the room too dark, and she could make out her daughter's tiny form under the bed covers. "Ziva…" She sighed as a tear went down her cheek. She sat on the side of the bed, gently rubbing Ziva's back as she noticed her tearstained face; she looked to be in a daze.

Usually if one of your father's co-workers died, it wouldn't be so emotional. But if the co-worker died to save your father, you'd be thankful to God they did it and appreciate it. And there's the co-worker died to save your father after the reason she was there was to help save you…no words can describe the guilt Ziva was feeling.

Kate had been there because she was naïve. Ziva beat herself up because she believed that she could trust Damon, or at least actually have a best friend outside her family.

It felt good to have a friend to trust and be around, to actually be yourself. Damon brought out the real Ziva and that made her happy. She wanted to be her true self. He seemed so real, so sincere; like he actually cared…or even loved her, like how she fell in love with him and his loyalty to her. She felt she could go to him for anything, hence how she was kidnapped in the first place. After a terrible argument with her twin brother, she called Damon's cell phone and begged him to take her to a place…a safe place. Just for a few hours. His strong, loving voice told her he'd be there within a few minutes. And he was, just like he said. He was one to keep promises, or so she thought. On the way to where she had no idea she was going, Damon held a protective arm around her waist as she hugged him close. She felt safe already…or so she thought she was.

The pain she felt when Damon, Eli, and even Jeanne, forced her into the van a few blocks away from her house, was unbearable. She tried to scream for help, but Damon's hand on her mouth prevented it. She saw in Damon's eyes…he felt guilty and regretful. Once they made it to some house, they forced her inside and tied her up, but not before Eli tested Damon's alliance. He told him to punch her square in the face, which he did, ending up breaking her nose. He had a punch, Ziva admitted that much. Ziva absently mindedly touched her nose gently, which had a tight bandage on it, and winced. It still was painful.

Then Damon said he couldn't do it anymore. The plan. He wanted nothing part of it and he wanted to set Ziva free. That he loved her…Eli lost it and grabbed a knife…he slashed a large gash to Damon's neck, which Damon couldn't move quickly enough. With Ziva screaming and Jeanne laughing, Eli began beating Damon. He used his shoe to stomp on Damon's face, until he was almost unrecognizable. Blood was everywhere, including her shirt and face, since his blood splattered. It was the most traumatic sight Ziva had ever since, since she had never seen death.

If her dad ever found her, and hopefully he would soon, Ziva knew she couldn't ever be the same. She was already frozen in shock, staring at Damon's damaged and broken dead body, who knew what would come next for her.

Everything after was a bit of a blur. Ziva remembered the important things, as her father and mother always taught her to do, but her mind was clouded by the image of Damon. It was all she could picture.

And then, after seeing her father, suffering with his bruises and his now burnt arm, as he dragged her out of the burning warehouse because she was too weak to walk properly…and then after, as she saw Kate push her father out of the way of the gun pointed at Jethro's chest…Kate was shorter, so it happened to hit her forehead, making her fall backwards. Somehow her eyes remained open and looked towards Ziva. Ziva knew she was dead, but her eyes seemed to pierce into her soul. Even after Tony and Tim grabbed her and pulled her behind the ambulance truck, covering her to protect her from gunfire, she couldn't take her eyes off Kate's glassy eyes.

After that moment, life became a blur. Jethro and Jenny took all three kids out of school, just in case, for the rest of the year. It was almost March so it was only a few months. They were homeschooled. They couldn't go anywhere without one of their parents with them, but the depressed teenagers didn't even want to move from their rooms. Tim couldn't comprehend, Tony couldn't believe, and Ziva felt so guilty.

Jethro blamed himself; he felt that he should've kept his senses open for Eli, since he was still alive and around. Kate, being trained to keep her eyes open all day, every day, saw it and saved his life. Kate didn't have family, but Jethro loved his precious children and his loving wife, so he knew Kate did it so he wouldn't miss his kids' lives as they grew up.

The family was not used to Ziva being this depressed and isolating herself, but even worse, they've never heard her cry in such agony and in pain. Not because of her minor injuries, but for the internal emotional pain. Ziva had nightmares all night, so now she slept in her parents' bed with them so she would feel safe, but some nights, that didn't work. Sure, it was only two weeks since Kate's death, but life changed dramatically after. Sometimes, even Tony and McGee would sleep in the room with them, but in sleeping bags on the floor, next to the bed and close to each other.

Kate's funeral was emotionally draining. Tears and tears exited many eyes, including Marc Ishida, Aiden Takashi, and most people at NCIS…the kids' never stopped watering all day that day. Jenny cried, and after the funeral and away from the kids' eyes, Jethro cried a little to Jenny, but that was all he needed.

It was certain though…Kate Todd, Special Agent of NCIS, will never be forgotten.

Ziva couldn't hold the tears back and cried into her pillow, with her mom next to her, whispering comforting words, but they couldn't stop the cries. Ziva had no idea how much more tears she could give out before she passed out from dehydration.

"It's going to be okay." Jenny whispered…those words; Ziva couldn't help, but snap.

Ziva left her mother's arms and got out of bed. She was in jeans, a baggy sweater, and socks. Her hair was down and a mess, eyes red and puffy, almost swollen. "No, mom, stop saying it's going to be okay! Nothing will ever be okay! Never again!" Ziva screamed loudly, holding her head tightly, as if she had a headache. Jenny went next to her and tried to stop her from hurting herself. "No, don't touch me! Leave me alone!" Then Ziva went past her mother and past McGee and Tony, who ran from their rooms to see what was happening to her. She speeded down the stairs, but went too fast and she lost her balance and fell a few steps and landing on the wood floor below, crying out in pain.

"Ziva!" Jenny screamed as she raced down the stairs. McGee was at the top of the stairs, unable to go near his sister…she's never broke down this bad before and it scared him. Tony, on the other hand, had gone after her and was already by her side. "Tony, is she alright?" Jenny asked hastily when she went next to the twins.

Tony shook his head through the tears. "I don't know anymore, mom." He sobbed as he held his sister close.

Ziva was awake and crying into her brother's chest, holding his shirt. When Jenny helped them both up, Ziva forced Tony to let her go. "Don't touch me! I don't deserve to be helped anymore!"

Jenny was concerned more than ever. "Ziva, your head is bruising; we need to take you to the emergency room!"

Ziva shook her head, which made her dizzy as she held on to the kitchen counter. "No! I deserved it!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" A voice yelled with frustration. It was Jethro's first day back at work that day, and he didn't need to come home to screaming and yelling.

Before Jenny could speak, Ziva went up to him and held his jacket clenched in her fists. "Say it, dad! Say it! Say that it's my fault!" She let him go and turned to her brothers and mother. "Someone say it!" She screamed.

Jethro grabbed her arms and made her look at him. "It is not your fault! It's no one's fault! It's part of a plan bigger than us, Ziva!"

Ziva screamed sharply, and yelled at his chest as she weakly punched him in the chest. "No! Say it! Say it! Say it, please, just say it!" She continued screaming loudly till she collapsed from exhaustion, as did Gibbs against the wall.

Jethro slid down the wall, Ziva helplessly against his chest and he held his only daughter close to him. Her head in his strong, rough hands and she clutched his jacket in her fists again. Her screams calmed to whimpers after a few seconds. Jethro could hardly comprehend what just happened, but his strong daughter just collapsed in his arms and he had to be her protective father and hold her now.

Jenny had Tim in her arms as he wrapped his arms around his mother's waist on the top of the stairs. He was crying, but not loudly. Tony had slid down the kitchen counter and had his face in his hands, with his knees up to his chest. Jethro couldn't tell if he was crying or not, but Tony was hiding it well.

After a few minutes of sitting in the same spots, no one moving or making noise, all they could hear was Ziva's small whimpers, but then they heard nothing. Jethro knew Ziva was asleep and he noted he was exhausted too. He picked her up, holding her like you would hold a small child, and realized how much weight Ziva had really lost over the weeks. He would deal with that tomorrow. Tomorrow was another day. He walked past Tony, McGee, and Jenny, who nodded, indicating she would take care of the boys. He went to his room and unmade the bed, laying Ziva down and he took off his shoes and laid on the other side. He gave Ziva room as he tucked her in and he was falling asleep.

He was right about one thing though. Recovery took a long time and it was a slow process.

One step at a time.

Tomorrow would be another day.

As Jethro was almost asleep, he was surprised to suddenly hear Ziva's voice. "Dad?" Ziva's tired voice was heard.

"Yes, Zivers?"

Ziva turned to face him. "Why did Eli David call me his daughter?"

Uh-oh, Gibbs.

Would really appreciate reviews to let me know how the story went.

Thank you, faithful readers.

And sorry, no sequel. Well, maybe. You never know. I plan on writing another NCIS story, since I'm absolutely in love with the show, BUT the creative juices gotta get flowing; not to mention, I need to finish "That's So NOT Funny!" before I write another story.

-Digidestend Angel-

"Penny for my thoughts? Oh no, I'll sell them for a dollar. They're worth so much more after I'm a goner. And maybe then you'll hear the words I've been singing. Funny when you're dead, people start listening…" – The Band Perry

THE END!