This is a warning, before you read on. This short is much darker and of a far more serious nature than anything I've written so far. Nothing graphic, or mature, just to let you know.

Car

" Agent DiNozzo!"

Ziva turned to look at the woman across the partition, raising an eyebrow.

" Yes?"

" It's a phone call for you."

The agent grumbled, crossing the room and taking the proffered phone.

" Hello?"

Both McGee and Gibbs started as Ziva rushed back to her desk, the phone left hanging, gathering her items before making a beeline for the elevator. Gibbs started after her, managing to catch her hand.

" Ziva, what the hell is-"

She turned to him, eyes large and panicked, visibly trembling.

" That was Bethesda... Tony and the children... There's been a crash..."

Gibbs said not another word, his only actions taking the keys from Ziva's hand, not sure, based on her usual driving, if letting her drive whilst panicked was an altogether good idea.

" Please, Mrs DiNozzo, come in."

Ziva was ushered into the room, Gibbs instantly behind her, despite the doctor's protests.

" I'm family, doctor."

Ziva nodded her approval, eyes fixed on the white coat in front of her, willing him to skip the protocol and tell her where the hell her children and husband were.

" Mrs DiNozzo, your husband and children were brought in earlier as the results of an RTC, involving two vehicles- "

" My family, doctor. I just want to see them."

The doctor nodded, skipping through several sheets on a clipboard.

" Of course, of course. Your children all had minor injuries, bumps, small whiplash, generally shaken up..."

There was a pause, Ziva too scared to even breath. The doctor paused again, meeting her eyes with a sigh.

" The driver that hit your husband's car was under the influence of alcohol. His blood level was nearly twice the legal limit. He was driving into oncoming traffic at nearly double the legal speed limit. From the positioning of the crash, the fire service told us that it was clear your husband had retained control, and the other car had crashed only into the driver's side of the car, specifically the front, not any further back than the driver's door."

Ziva stared, mouth attempting to form words, as Gibbs stepped in for her.

" DiNozzo's condition?"

" It's touch and go at the moment. He's in ICU, we lost him twice on the way here, stable at the moment as far as I'm away. He's lost a lot of blood, heavy concussion, several broken ribs. WE'll know more when he regains consciousness. "

There was a tangible silence in the wake of the doctor's words. Ziva sat down slowly, taking several breaths, mind clearly processing the situation.

" I'll go and fetch your children, Mrs DiNozzo."

Gibbs gave the man a grateful nod as he left, turning to his shaking agent.

" Tony-"

" He steered into."

Ziva looked up at him, swallowing. Gibbs sat down next to her, watching her carefully.

" He couldn't avoid the crash, so instead he acted the hero an-"

" He saved his children."

Ziva met the piercing blue eyes boring into her, a half laugh escaping her lips.

" He put hims-"

" You're telling me you wouldn't have done the same?"

She was silenced again, as the older man leant back, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

" He's a father, Ziva. Far before an agent. In the heat of the moment, with the lives of his children threatened, primal instinct kicks in."

Ziva shook her head, voice trembling.

" He put himself in this condition, so that-"

Her words were cut off as the door burst open, three yelling bundles making a dash for her, several sobs and panicked 'Mom!''s echoing through the room. Ziva held them all, shushing them, kneeling down, uttering soft words in Hebrew. Gibbs smiled ever so softly, watching the scene play out.

" So that this could happen?"

Ziva nodded softly at his words, only half paying attention, more focused on calming the nervous children. Timmy and Abi were shaking, but it was Tony who sobbed, clinging to Ziva with abandon. Gibbs gently coaxed the two younger children into a snack from the vending machine, leaving Ziva with her eldest son.

" Momma, I tried! D-Dad, he...I tried!"

Ziva frowned, gently brushing her son's hair out of his face.

" Just tell me what happened, baby."

Tony nodded softly, sniffing.

" I was in the front, Timmy and Abi in the back. We were singing along to the radio. Then the other car came towards us, and Dad yelled at us to...to.."

He motioned with his hands, beginning to get more upset at the lack of understanding. Ziva soothed him softly, willing him to continue.

" Brace?"

He nodded, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

" Uh-huh. And then there was a massive bang, and...and it's a little fuzzy...then we stopped moving and Dad...Dad was...there was so much blood, and he was, like, whispering. He told me...told me to take Timmy and Abi and get away, stay off the road, wait for the police. Not to let T-Timmy and Abi see anything, cuz they're only little... And I did that, and my neck hurt but I pulled them out and waited, and Timmy wouldn't stop crying, and then the police and the firemen and the paramedics came and Dad..."

He waited for a moment, before bursting into a fresh flood of tears, unable to continue. Ziva took him in her arms, rocking him gently.

" I know D-DiNozzo's ain't meant to cry b-but..."

" Don't be so silly, Anthony. You've been so brave. I'm very proud of you. Cry if you wish."

The boy nodded, clinging tighter to Ziva, as Gibbs returned, the doctor from earlier at his back.

" Ziva...Tony's awake."

Ziva always hated hospitals. The wires, tubes, heck, even the smell sent shivers through her spine. It reminded her too much. Particularly of an injured Gibbs. And that put the fear of God in her.

So the sight of her husband, bruised, bandaged and hooked up to a cacophony of bleeping machines instantly panicked her. The usual cocky, joking Tony silent was another massive blow. It wasn't until she was at his bed side, his hand in hers, and looking into his slightly dazed eyes that she felt even slightly relieved.

" Hey, sweet-cheeks."

Ziva scoffed, quickly wiping away a stray tear that had somehow managed to sneak around her inner walls of 'no emotion'.

" Having fun, dear?"

Tony laughed weakly, wincing at the pain it caused.

" I've had better days, let's be honest."

Ziva gave his hand a gently squeeze, before leaning into him, arms curling around him as best they could under the circumstances. Tony kissed her cheek gently, pulling her closer. She began to sob, the sound muffled as she pressed into him.

" Th-thank-you..."

" Only doing my job. The doctor said the kids were fine."

There was a nod from Ziva as she pulled away, wiping her face.

" A little shaken, a couple of bruises, nothing a few days rest won't fix. It's you we have to worry about."

" Baby, please. It's me. DiNozzos are particularly robust."

Ziva smiled again, her hand finding his, fingers intertwining, before sighing.

" Tony was most upset. He told me what happened."

" He really deserves a pocket money raise. At least, a bonus fo-"

" You could have died, Tony."

There was a sharp silence between the couple, as Tony raised his eyes to look at her.

" And what was I meant to do? Let the idiot crash into the passenger side, take out our sons? Or maybe try and avoid it and he might have only hit Abi. How could I have faced you, faced myself, with their blood on my hands?"

Ziva bit her tounge, unable to counter the look in her husband's eyes.

" I would never have blamed y-"

" But I would have. I was driving."

" The other guy was-"

" An idiot, fine. But I was at the wheel, which makes me in charge. I'm their father, Zi. If there's any chance of putting myself between them and harm, I'll do it, to hell with the cost. And because of that, they're here, and as long as that remains the case, I couldn't give two shits what happens to me."

" And who is here to protect them if you throw your life away like that?"

Tony chuckled weakly, pushing himself into a sitting position with a wince.

" There's always Gibbs."

" Don't you pass this one off to me while you're still breathing."

Both heads turned to the man at the door, as a younger boy let out a squeal and made a run for his father. Little Tony buried his face into his father's chest, heaving a large sigh of relief, as the elder bent down to plant a kiss on the top of his head.

" I was so scared, Dad."

" I know, son. You did so well though. Proud of you."

He gave the boy's hair a gentle ruffle, as Ziva disappeared towards the door, Gibbs stopping her with a hand and a questioning look. She smiled sweetly, freeing herself of his grasp, headed for the door, turning back to give him a sly wink. Gibbs allowed himself a smirk, knowing that whatever pain the ass that had hit the car was in would be tenfold by the time the Mossad agent was done.

A note to mprmusings, who never fails to leave me a chirpy review (: Thank you so much for your time, it means a heck of a lot to me to know you're still following my ramblings.

To everyone else, thank you for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy them.