A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed (Juli, reio, ninja88, easylion, and EowynGoldberry), favorited the story, and simply read it. You guys motivate me to write faster! Since I finished my exams Wednesday I am free to write! Enjoy chapter two and if you live in the U.S. happy early Memorial Day!
Disclaimer: My dog and cat both agree I do not own NCIS (even though I won the heated debate saying I did).
Chapter Two:
Ziva woke up late the next morning, well late for Ziva Gibbs that is, 8:30 am. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her body throbbing with the pain of her leg. She could still feel the pain of it, but decided to get out of bed. She limped groggily to the bathroom clad in an oversized shirt paired with her Star of David necklace and placed a fresh set of gauze on her unsightly burns. She exited her room, not even thinking of the notion to slip on some pants. As she limped down the stairs she saw a man who she faintly recognized. She thought to herself what was his name? She had seen him in the office the previous day but had not caught his name. She simply ignored him and walked into the kitchen to see Gibbs pouring himself some coffee,
"Daddy your late for work."
"I just checked back in to make sure you were alive."
Ziva laughed a little bit and asked,
"Who is the man on the couch?"
"That is DiNozzo, you're his case until your leg has healed. He will be chauffer and escort."
"I do not need a baby sitter."
"Well, you seem to forgot to put on pants so maybe it isn't a bad idea to have someone watching you Ziver."
He kissed the top of her head and headed out the back leaving her and Agent DiNozzo. Ziva made her breakfast and opted not to eat at the table. She took her bowl of cheerios and sat on the sofa. The man sitting on the opposite side of the sofa she presumed to be Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. He looked at her and laughed,
"So you're the one who gave the director of NCIS a bloody nose?"
"Ziva Gibbs." She said with a smirk. He replied back,
"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, though Zee-VAH you can call me Tony."
Ziva swiped the remote from him and gave a teasing smile. She began to flip through the channels where she found one playing 'The Sound of Music.'
Tony said,
"They hills are alive with the sound of music."
Ziva simply laughed,
"This is my favorite movie."
While they watched Tony got a call from Gibbs.
"Boss?"
"Need you in the field right now DiNozzo. I'm sending Kate over. McGee will be sending you the address."
"Got it boss."
With that Tony snapped his phone and said,
"I have to go, Gibbs is sending Kate over."
"Alright."
Ziva had overheard the conversation and so desperately wanted to be in on the action. As he exited the door Ziva began to change and quickly snagged the keys to Jenny's car. She sped off still being able to see the NCIS issued car in the distance. She cut off cars and drove like her usual maniac self. She was never a good driver. After all, Gibbs had taught her how to drive. As she arrived near the scene she parked a safe distance away walking the rest. She heard yells of "evacuate" and "bomb!" but she continued forward. She could defuse a bomb in the blink of an eye. If she didn't they might lose some vital evidence. She had heard how they were attempting to track down a terrorist with no luck and she thought this location might be a clue. As she neared she saw agents standing next to the door getting everyone out. She looked at the old building. There had been at least twenty agents in there working on this joint investigation. She slipped in and climbed the rickety wood to where the bomb was in view. She grabbed her knife and looked at the wires. She split them carefully before checking everything was done. As she lowered herself back down to the ground she saw the timer still running. This bomb could not be defused. She sprinted out but was not all the way out the door when the blast happened. She felt hot shrapnel and debris fall against her body. She was sent flying back to the hotel and then Somalia when hot fire pierced her skin but continued crawling. She knew she was bleeding but ignored it trying to find a way out without being detected. She saw an open way out and ran for it dismissing the searing pain that was ever present. She could see the blood trickling and the deep gash that was visible through her torn tank top. She got into the car and drove home hoping not to have to face her father over being at the scene. She completely forgot about the blood stains that Jenny would see when she got into her car. As she was exiting the car she heard the familiar hum of Kate's engine coming. She quickly ran inside and up to her bedroom. She grabbed her pajama shirt and ran into her on suite bathroom. She heard Kate's voice ring from down stairs,
"Ziva?"
"I'M UP HERE" She yelled back quickly trying to clean out her wounds and bandage them. She took out some concealer that she kept in her first aid bow and began to try to hide the ridges of her cuts. She washed off the ash and opened the bathroom door. As she walked out of the bathroom so found Kate lying on her bed watching the ceiling fan go around and around.
"Still in your pajamas? Who is feeling lazy today?"
"Well dad isn't letting me do anything."
She heard the sweet voice of Kelly ring out through her bedroom,
"With good reason."
She looked at Ziva and could see new cuts and studied her features.
"Looks as if you have been doing something."
Kelly ran her hand along Ziva's face and felt the bumps of cuts.
"What have you been up to?"
Ziva looked her sister directly in the eye and said,
"Nothing."
"Kate can you please step out for a moment. I think there might be something she wants to confess without the presences of a government agent."
Kate obliged and stepped outside.
"So what did you do Ziva to get you this beat up, years of experience can see even the best makeup concealed cuts."
Ziva plainly said,
"Some shrapnel, debris, and I came face to face again."
"How?"
"Why do you always have to pry so much?"
Ziva got off to walked away when Kelly caught her by the waist knowing it would be the most effective way. When she did she say Ziva wince. She drew her hand back and Ziva hung hers in shame.
Kelly walked towards her and lifted up her shirt to reveal a bandage caked in blood. She walked into the bathroom washed her hands and took out the first aid kit. Kelly went right to work removing the bandage and her eyes widened.
"Ziva…."
"I'm fine alright."
Kelly shook her head and said,
"You need stitched for this."
"Can you just go it now?"
"I have a surgical needle and thread in here somewhere I know."
She threaded the needle and begun the process when Kate came back in and walked over,
"I'm off the job right now. What happened."
"Nothing."
"Like nothing caused the giant gash in your side."
Ziva simply stayed silent before Kate yelled at her,
"What the hell happened!"
At the notice of Kate's angry voice Ziva sighed,
"You cannot tell dad."
They all shook their heads yes ok and prompted her to go on.
"So Tony got a call from dad saying they needed him in the field, and I just tailed him to observe. When I heard people shouting bomb, I instantly went inside to defuse it since I know how to defuse a bomb."
Kate looked at Ziva in disbelief and she felt a sharp smack to her head twice in a row both coming from her two darling sisters. Ziva continued,
"I thought I defused it until I caught sight of the timer. It was a tricky bomb, when I cut the wire it didn't go off as most would. Whoever made it was anticipating someone would 'defuse' it only so that it would blow up soon after. As I was at the door the blast hit me. That is when the debris and shrapnel hit me. It was nothing major, though the blood stains will not come out of Jenny's car."
Kate shook her head and said,
"It's in your best interest that I tell Gibbs, Kelly try to go get the stains out. Ziva…just don't do anything."
Kate called Gibbs up and Ziva just sat on her bed hearing the conversation between her sister and dad. It was not pretty. As Kate walked back in she sighed.
"I haven't heard him the angry since you decided to go to Israel."
"He never told me he didn't want me to go."
"After we dropped you off at the air port he was beside himself. He was mad at himself, scared that he would never see you again."
Ziva smiled a sad smile before Kelly came crashing in.
"I got the blood out."
After about ten minutes they saw both their parents step out of an NCIS issued car.
"I should probably put some pants on."
Ziva slipped on a pair of pajama pants. Kelly took makeup remover and began to wash off concealer,
"It will get you more sympathy."
"I do not need sympathy…"
"Zi. Yes you do."
Kelly continued careful to not reopen any wounds. Gibbs stormed up stairs just as Kelly finished.
"Kate, Kelly, out now."
He shut the door after Jenny came in and she could not look either of them straight in the eye. Jenny spoke first,
"Ziva! What the hell possessed you to do this?"
Ziva spoke quietly,
"I wanted to be back in on the action. I missed field work. I miss working. I mis-"
She shook her head not wanting to finish the sentence.
Gibbs shook his head and said something that hurt her more torture, that made her more vunerable than his yelling,
"I'm very disappointed in you Ziva."
Those words slammed into Ziva and she looked him in the eye not being able to even speak. She heard the same words come out of Saleem's mouth when she would not give him information, or anything he wanted. She clenched her hands on the comforter trying to stay in reality, trying to shake the image from her head. She was frozen. Jenny noticed the same look of fear as she had seen yesterday and began to try to rouse her from the nightmare she was enveloped in.
"Kelly!
As Ziva laid there the end of her shirt rode up to reveal the tip of a S. He carefully lifted the shirt and saw it with his own eyes. He had branded her. He had marked her forever. Gibbs thought to himself, that bahstard. Kelly came running in and began to coax Ziva out of her blind panic. She knew of what happened in Somalia, she knew every detail down to the severe emotional trauma linked to her torturous experience. Ziva's eyes gradually opened and she saw everyone looming over her. She carefully sat up and said,
"Do not look at me like that…"
Ziva walked out of the room and down stairs. She missed one thing most about Israel, drinking with her co-workers. She reached up on a shelf and grabbed an open bottle of bourbon and quickly poured herself a glass. She chugged it down, washed her glass and made sure the bottle was just where it had been. Nothing like some bourbon to calm her nerves. She went into the basement and started to sand the boat, going with the grain. It helped her calm her nerves. She could hear people calling her name but she was to set on her current task to hear them. When she heard her father's footsteps coming down the rickety wooden stairs she simply continued sanding as if it was a normal every day thing.
"Ziver?"
"Daddy."
She said almost in a hushed whisper letting her curls fall in front of her face. He walked over to her giving her a hug. He ran his hand up and down her back and ruffled her curls. He whispered,
"Tomorrow, you are grounded. DiNozzo will be here the whole day no matter what we need help with."
"You're treating me like I'm a teenager."She whispered back to him with a laugh.
"You sure as hell have been acting like one."
Ziva laughed a little and went back to sanding the boat when she heard the familiar pop of the cap of a beer coming off. Gibbs took a long sip before placing it back down.
Ziva asked,
"I'm twenty three so may I have one."
Gibbs shook his head no and Ziva simply marched over and took a long sip of his.
"What I am not messing with your coffee, there is no rule about messing with a marine and his beer."
Gibbs thought to himself; rule 62 never mess with a marines beer if you want to live.
Review Please! Tell me everything what you liked, what you didn't like, what you want to happen, and simply your opinion! I will not be able to post this weekend due to being out of town but I will try to write some of chapter three! (: Happy Holidays!