She was home. She was in America. She was never going back. They had saved her. Tony, McGee and Gibbs, they'd come for her. In all honesty Ziva had given up on them. They had told her time and time again that they weren't coming for her. She just wasn't that important. Ziva had been abandoned by everyone, everyone she ever loved. And they weren't coming back.

But they did. She smiled, laughter coming through, they came. From all the pain and suffering she endured she thought she was dead, died and gone to hell. She was sitting in Gibbs's house now, wrapped up in a blanket on his settee and she was safe. She was safe and sound.

"Ziver," Gibbs whispered as he came into the room. "Hay look I'm going to bed, you need me you call. Got that?"

She smiled and curty gave him a nod. She felt warm knowing that he cared; he was taking care of her. He was her stabilisers until she could ride by herself again. Sometimes you do forget these things she had to remind herself. Sometimes it is not weak to accept a helping hand when you need it. Slowly she lay down feeling the comfort of the settee under her instead of the cold, hard stone that she had become accustomed to over the past few months. As her eyes shut she felt the vicious attack of Saleem's knife cutting into her tender skin, slitting her dainty cover as if it was paper, thick red blood dribbling out from the cut. His face appeared, his sick twisted expression making her feel nauseous. She gasped, opening her eyes as she took in her surroundings.

"You are safe," She cried to herself, "You are safe David."

Without realising it she slipped away, sleep introducing itself to her once more. She didn't even realise the pain this would bring.

"Nobody's coming to safe little Ziva," He spat, hissing like a snake at every opportunity.

"I do not need help." She told him. At this point she was still confident in herself, in them.

"Oh yes, 'cause little Ziva looks after herself. Little Ziva can do anything," He slammed his fists into the chair, yanking back a chunk of her matted brown hair, his voice turning suddenly harsh, "You Jewish whore!"

He punched her jaw, once, twice. He spat in her eye, slowly slipped his dirty fingers into places they should not be, slowly unbuttoning her shirt. She started to hyperventilate, her hands fiddling with the rope. She panicked. As he continued she screamed, unsure of how else to react.

"Ziver, Ziver," Gibbs woke her, carefully stroking her cheek, "Ziva it's ok, Ziva you are safe."

She sat up straight still screaming. Tears streamed down her face, shaking horrendously. All she wanted to do was die, just drop down dead at that moment. She looked at Gibbs as he wrapped himself around her, to comfort and prove nothing would hurt her. As she cried he hushed her, every now and then whispering that she was ok and she was safe. He wouldn't let them hurt her again.

"They said you weren't coming," She cried into his chest, still shaking, the aftermath still vivid. "I did not know what to do."

Suddenly she leaped up, stalking off and leaning against a wall. What was she doing? She was trained for this, she was tried to react and to get back to normal, quick as. If she didn't she would be no use to mosaad. But then again if she was really mosaad then she would be dead. 'Cause it was her team, her partner that saved her, not her father. "You are weak!" The words returned to her like demons in the night "Black eyed Jew!" She let out more tears as she collapsed. How was she supposed to react to this? Gibbs once more wrapped her in his arms like he did with Abby in the elevator. This was his daughter and she needed him. She had been abandoned and she needed him. He would not leave her like Eli did.

"Ziver one day all this will just be a distant memory but right now you need to fight. You need to fight with us. Can you do that?"

She nodded into his chest as tears scored down her face.

"Good girl."

He sat with her like that for an hour before she slowly fell asleep, at which point he lifted her up, slowly and careful, before placing her back on the settee, pulling the blanket up and sitting beside her. If she woke up he would be there, to listen or comfort. He would be there like he had been before.

He pulled the knife along her lower back as he held her fragile head in his hand. She was limp. Why bother? She could do nothing. She had been there little over a month, raped seven times, earned enough scars to last a lifetime, swore at more times than had left Hitler's mouth. How much more she could stand she did not know but somehow she would survive. She would live. Papa would save her.

She woke at lunch time, her night haunted by vicious attacks both fiction and fact, the latter more horrifying than the former. She had hardly eaten in Somalia; she had lost a lot of weight, some she was too keen to recover. As Gibbs gave her the plate her hunger immediately decreased as her appetite was suddenly drained.

"I am not hungry," She told him, running a hand threw her thick, matted hair.

"Eat. It's good for you," He left her alone as he made his way to the door.

Abby stood there, hair up in two high pigtails. She wore black trousers with descending chains, clicking together like bells, her black t-shirt read 'bite me' and her red dog collar lay lifelessly around her neck. The atmosphere of happiness and innocence she usually brought with her was replaced with sorrow.

"Can I see her?"

Gibbs stepped back from the door silently as she allowed herself in. She saw Ziva, curled up on the settee, playing with the food that sat on front of her. Abby carefully came round, making herself seen before sitting beside her, wrapping her arms around her into a famous 'Abby hug'.

"Hay Abby," She spoke, voice drained of life, drained of hope and acknowledgment.

"Hay, I thought I'd see how you were,"

"I am fine."

She didn't look up at her, instead keeping her eyes firmly on the plate. Abby opened her mouth to say more but no words left her lips. It was as if someone had stolen her voice.

"I, I need to go to the bathroom," Ziva told her, getting up and making her way out of the room.

"Have I done something?" Abby asked Gibbs once she was out of earshot, "Because I only want to help."

Gibbs sighed, "No Abs. You haven't done anything. She's just finding it tough. She'll come round."

"I hope so."

Ziva dried her hands as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her brown hair was loose, tangled, clinging to her like children do their father's. Her eyes were bleak, void of all that she was. What was she doing? Pull yourself together David! She forced herself out of her thoughts as she unlocked the door and pulled. It didn't open. She pulled again and again. Quickly she began to panic as she realised the size of the room. The lights went out and the room descended into darkness, where the demons had haunted her for months. She backed away, fear overtaking her as she felt the blows of Saleem and his men.

"Nobody's coming!" He taunted as he hit her, over and over, purposefully in places to make her feel vulnerable, weak. "You bitch! You think you can break in here and everything will be ok? You mock me!"

Once more he hit her, fist making contact with her jaw before taking out his knife and cutting across her right breast, blood oozing out.

She screamed as she slammed her fists on the door, tears welling in her eyes and slithering down her cheeks where they continued to fall. "Please, please let me out!"

She heard Gibbs and Abby rushing up to the door. She could feel their worry in their footsteps alone. She called again and again to release her, to let her out. Without a moment's hesitation Gibbs broke down the door, lifted her up and brought her into the hall. She breathed in deeply, taking in her surroundings. Abby dropped down beside her, stroking her cheek.

"They were there, Saleem he was," She cut herself off as tears fell from her eyes.

"Saleem's dead Ziva, it's ok." Gibbs told her softly.

But it wasn't and she still had a long way to go before she was homefree.

Please review. There will be upcoming chapters as long as I get some reviews. I'll be gone for a week or so, so I will update as soon as possible.