Another Dream

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS

Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long to finish this story. I was having a hard time to write Ziva's dreams. I hope this makes up for it!

Ziva David-Put Our Dreams Aside

Ziva lay back on her bed, exhaustion running through her body. She knew she wasn't the only one feeling this way about the past few weeks, since she could see the bags under Tony's eyes, the dark smudges under Tim's eyes, and the forced cheerfulness of Abby's personality. In fact, of the four of them and their team leader, only Gibbs seemed unaffected by the events of his being shot in the diner. Ziva narrowed her eyes at the ceiling, mentally damning Gibbs for his normalcy under the circumstances.

Ziva had the feeling that like her, her teammates were having dreams of what might have been, but were having a hard time to deal with theirs. Considering that she caught that gleam in Abby's eye when she was looking at Tim, she guessed that at least Tim and Abby had come face-to-face with what might have happened between them. Based on that, she made the logical guess that Tony was facing what might have happened if Kate had lived.

The only reason she thought her guess logical was because of the dreams-no, nightmares-that she had been having. They started with having Ari miss Kate on the rooftop. From there, her dreams spiraled right into some of the most horrific nightmares anyone could have: having to kill Ari because he failed, having to seduce and kill Rivkin because her father ordered her to find out who he was betraying Mossad for, even finding out that her ability to have children was completely wiped out by a roadside bomb in Tel Aviv, which she miraculously survived.

They'd been at their worst for the past few days, and Ziva was almost afraid to close her eyes and sleep based on the terror they invoked. As she tried her hardest to keep the memories of last night's demons away, they stole over her and made her remember what she'd seen last night.

*Dream 1*

Ziva had been shoved into an interrogation room. Her hair was down, having been taken out of its customary French braid and searched for hidden weapons. She was wild, having been interrupted in hunting down a known war criminal who made his way to America to get medical treatment. Ha! He would apply for asylum and never have to face what he had done to her people.

She sat there, trying to get the wildness under control. She wasn't sure how much time had elapsed, except that it hadn't felt like enough when the door opened. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone that she would consider handsome at first glance. As he started circling around her, she started to pull her profiling skills out to profile the man.

'Tall, from the looks of him he has Italian ancestry. Is either used to being well dressed or comes from money, judging by the clothes and their fit. Married, has a tasteful wedding band on left hand. Most likely a Catholic, based on heritage. Hadn't practiced for a while, and just came back to it to get married. He prefers to be underestimated, seeing as how he dresses like a rich playboy.' She thought to herself.

She heard him trying to "guess" her name, and tuned back in to hear "Tiva."

"My name is Ziva David." She said.

He went on and on about how he had to follow her once on assignment, to a hotel pool, and how she made an impression on him.

"Apparently, you did not do the same." She said.

He sat down across from her. "Why are you in the country, Ziva?" He asked her. "Just visiting Washington, taking a mini-vacation from Mossad?" He continued to look at her. "No, you're not the type to vacation here, especially in November. It's much too cold for you."

"It does not matter why I am here."

"Yes, Miss Da-veed, it does." He said, stressing her last name. He snapped his fingers. "I know, you're in the area because of your war criminal, aren't you?" He stood up to pace. "No need to answer, we already know." He said.

"Then why did you pull me in and blow my cover?" Ziva asked.

"Perhaps, Miss David, I'm simply a tool being used to keep your cover intact." He said, leaning down by her shoulder. "Ever consider that?"

"I don't believe you." Ziva stated.

"Perhaps you should believe him, Miss David." A new voice said. Ziva looked over to see an African-American man walk in through the door. She recognized him from the few times she'd been in the room with her father during video-calls to this man.

"Director Vance." She said.

"DiNozzo, you're done here." He said. "I'll take it now."

DiNozzo simply walked out the door. Ziva couldn't help but feel that he'd taken her heart with him. She disabused herself of the notion quickly: she was a Mossad officer, she did not have time for romance or love.

*End Dream 1*

The dream worried her, since she now knew how powerful love could be. She also knew that it is exactly how she would have reacted, had she still been a Mossad officer. While this dream was worrisome, the second dream she had was enough to make her sit up in a blind panic, a thin scream escaping from her throat.

*Dream 2*

Ziva was on the Damocles, working through an assignment to find and capture a terrorist who had bombed Mossad headquarters. Thankfully, no one was there at the time. Still, he struck at their base of operations, so it was time to go after him.

She was moving quietly through the ship, trying to find her way to the terrorist, when she heard a creak behind her. Swinging up her gun, she found that she was being followed.

"What do we have here, men?" A voice rang out. Ziva's eyes hardened. It was the mastermind behind the bombing. "A woman who thinks she can do a man's job?"

The men all started laughing and jeering.

"We shall show her." The man said. "Praise be to Allah!"

Similar cheers rang out as Ziva was forcibly grabbed. She fought off the two who grabbed her, but the mastermind leveled a handgun at her head.

"You shall do as we say. You are worth nothing, filthy Israeli!" He said.

"If I am filthy, then why do you conspire to lie with me?" Ziva asked.

"Allah provides, and we need to have some relief." The man said. "But trust this: when we reach land, your life is over."

As the men dragged her towards the stairs to head below decks, Ziva had to prepare herself to become a martyr for her country. No one would save her. They couldn't afford to.

She would be dead soon. She could feel it in her soul.

*End Dream 2*

The dream was too similar to her experiences in real life. While there were glaring differences in what happened and how she had been captured, the similarities had brought back the stark reality that had been her life a couple years ago. Thankfully, her NCIS partners had come across the globe and saved her from that fate.

As Ziva started to sit up, she heard the faint crinkle of paper. She pulled her gun and immediately cleared her whole apartment, afraid that someone decided to be foolish enough to break in. After several minutes, and finding no one else, she returned to her bedroom and looked at the paper. It was folded, and as she picked it up, she noticed it felt heavier in the center.

As she unfolded the paper, her Star of David-the one she lost on that fateful trip to the terrorist camp-was sitting in the center. There was dried blood on it, which gave Ziva the creeps. She put the pendant aside, and turned her attention to the writing on the paper. The words were in Hebrew, which tossed up a few more red flags as she started to read.

Ziva,

I do not have much time to get this letter written and readied to be sent to you. What you've seen in your dreams, or nightmares, is completely real. That is, they are real if you had never left Mossad, like me. It was our destiny to board the Damocles, but your destiny was to be rescued by Tony, Tim, and Gibbs. Yes, I know about them. I've seen your life.

I showed you the dream where you were being "interrogated" by Tony to show you that even then, I was attracted to him. I have the feeling that in your world, you should go after him and enjoy your life. A 'Rule 12' should never stand in the way of love, even if it hurts after.

I give you my Star of David, in hopes that it will remind you that you are strong and you will persevere through everything thrown your way, be it being a federal agent, an American, or even being a mother. I think you'll be surprised if you take the first step, what will happen.

Stay strong. My time is over. Yours is not.

Ziva David. March 27, 2012.

P.S.-My apologies for this letter being so late, even though I have no control over when it is sent.

Ziva was stunned. This letter was from herself? The Damocles episode had happened over two years ago, but according to this Ziva, she wouldn't live through it in 2012? And why'd she get this letter four days before it was dated?