Disclaimer: Not mine. Otherwise, NCIS would be one big orgy.

Spoilers: Mid to late season four.

Warnings: Semi dark-fic.

A/N: This is an extremely (and when I say extremely, I mean it) late response to the NCIS Pornathon Prompt- Gibbs/Tony/Ziva, safe.

--------------------

"Ziva?"

It was well past midnight, and this was the second evening that she'd found herself standing on her boss' front porch wearing nothing more than her pajamas. Tony had an arm wrapped around her once again, his head resting on her shoulder in exhaustion as she tried to keep him from falling over.

She looked up, bleary eyed, as Gibbs stood against the frame of his door swirling what was left of the bourbon in his glass.

"He started complaining a half hour ago, wanting to come here." Shifting her grip around Tony's waist he groaned in pain, and she winced. "I hope that's alright?"

Gibbs nodded stoically and motioned them inside, shutting the door behind them as she shuffled her partner toward the couch.

"I thought last night was a one time deal, DiNozzo?"

Ziva lowered him onto the soft cushions, watching as Tony's eyes glazed over in fear, unshed tears threatening to spill onto his bruised cheeks.

"I- I couldn't, Boss. The nightmares- I thought I was back there." His voice broke, head dropping in shame. "All of the screaming- oh God- I just…"

A small sob wracked through his body and Ziva sat down next to him, pulling him into her arms.

"I couldn't relive it again- couldn't watch her die."

"You didn't want to be alone." She whispered knowingly.

Her own memory of sitting at Lieutenant Sanders' bedside as he slowly faded into nothing was still fresh in her mind. Though nothing could compare to being kidnapped by a stalker, tortured, and then forced to watch as they brutally murdered your lover right in front of you. She hated that he'd had to live through that.

He shook his head against her chest in confirmation, sniffling as tears continued to fall, clutching to her as if she were the only thing keeping him from breaking into a million pieces.

She peered up at Gibbs, her face crestfallen and full of worry. His brow was furrowed, guilty conscience clearly showing as he downed the rest of his drink and set the glass on the nearest flat surface before crouching in front of them.

"When's the last time you ate, Tony?"

There was a hitch in his breathing and he shivered slightly as she ran her fingers soothingly through his hair. "The h-hospital."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gibbs frown.

"That was over 24 hours ago." He said softly. "You need to eat something."

Tony shook his head. "Not hungry."

Ziva caught Gibbs' gaze and flicked her head toward the kitchen, where they'd silently shared a pot of coffee the night before, taking turns consoling the man in her embrace. He squeezed her knee, letting her know that he'd gotten the message, and went to gather some food.

"Come on, Tony." She cooed, turning his head so that she could gently wipe the moisture from his battered face. "Even I know that you need to eat at least once a day."

"Can't keep anything down." He groaned.

"We'll share." Smiling softly, she ran one hand up and down his back and whispered conspiratorially. "Whenever Gibbs isn't looking I'll take a bite. He'll never know that you didn't eat it all."

He chuckled, hiccupping through yet another sob. "Do you really think he wouldn't notice? He's Gibbs."

"Oh, I know he would notice. But, if it gets you to eat, I'll gladly do it."

An odd look came across his face, one of thanks and sadness, before he nuzzled back into the crook of her neck; sighing against her soft skin as his breath evened out and he calmed.

Leaning back against the arm of the couch, she could hear Gibbs moving restlessly in the other room, opening drawers and putting things back into the fridge, the noises stopping only when he made an appearance a few minutes later. He carried a plate with a turkey sandwich over to her and sat down on the coffee table, keeping a half-full cup of juice in his hands.

Gently, she shook Tony and waited until he looked up at her to take a bite of the food, offering him some as she ignored the annoyed look that Gibbs was shooting her way.

His mouth only opened a fraction of an inch before he gingerly bit into the crust, and began chewing as his head dropped back to her chest. Bringing the sandwich back to her mouth, she took another healthy bite before holding it in front of his lips again; repeating the process until the entire thing was gone.

Gibbs handed her the drink and set the plate down next to him, watching as she brought the glass to his mouth and made him swallow it. He sputtered a bit at first but quickly downed the liquid, and snuggled back into her.

"Oh no you don't." Gibbs stood and rested a palm on Tony's elbow, attempting to pull him up and off of the couch. "We gotta get you up to bed, DiNozzo."

He protested and latched onto Ziva, arms wrapped tightly around her body, not willing to give up his warm pillow without a fight.

Frowning at his antics, she sat up as much as she could with his weight almost entirely on top of her. "I'll stay with you if you like, Tony. But I refuse to sleep on this lumpy sofa."

Ziva felt him sag against her before grudgingly nodding his head. Gibbs leaned back down and slowly hauled him up onto his feet, supporting him against his body much like she had earlier, and waited for her to take the lead upstairs.

She smiled gratefully and made her way toward a little hallway that would take them up to the second story. It was narrow and dark, and a complete safety hazard if anyone were to try running up them two lifts at a time during the middle of the night. She'd learned that from experience, and had the bruises on her shins to prove it.

At the top of the landing, she turned to the left and passed three doors before opening the one to Gibbs' bedroom. The bed was still unmade from the night before when Ziva had fallen asleep curled around Tony, fending off his night terrors. He'd woken up screaming more than once, crying out for his abductor to take his life instead of Jeanne's, and she quickly discovered that they only way to sooth him was with a caring touch and reassurance.

There was a shuffle behind her and Gibbs appeared in the doorway, slightly out of breath.

"When did he get so heavy?"

Ziva's eyes rolled as she walked over and wrapped Tony's other arm around her shoulders, helping to bring him across the room until he was settled onto the edge of the bed; his forehead resting against her collar bone as she stood between his legs, unbuttoning his shirt.

Gibbs threw her one of his old Navy tees and she got him into it as soon as the other material had slid off of his body.

"Scoop back, Tony."

"Scoot, not scoop." He corrected absent mindedly, grumbling as he moved to the middle of the bed.

She crawled next to him and reached for his pants, her fingers swiping across his stomach accidentally as she undid the button, startling him from his semi-relaxed state.

"What are you doing?" He looked almost frightened.

"Comfortable, remember Tony?" She pulled the zipper down, motioning for him to lift his hips so that she could drag them off of his legs. "Denim is definitely not sleep-attire."

Blinking drowsily, his gaze went back and forth between Gibbs and herself, before he closed his eyes.

"If it makes you feel better DiNozzo, we won't look."

A hint of a sleepy smile curved his lips, as his pants were drawn down his legs and tossed to the floor. "S'okay, Boss."

Ziva discarded her shoes before laying next to him, pulling the worn blue comforter over both of them as she got settled. She hadn't been still for more than three seconds before Tony slid a leg in between hers and threw his arm around her waist, pulling her close enough so that his forehead could touch hers if either one of them moved the slightest bit.

She could see Gibbs just over her sleeping companion's shoulder and could tell that he felt like an outsider in his own bedroom. For that she was truly sorry. But, this is where Tony wanted to be, and she knew that both of them would automatically give it to him if that's what he needed.

They'd almost lost him.

Now that they had him back, they'd do anything necessary to help him survive his guilt.

Their boss stood up to leave the room and the second the bed shifted Tony had rolled and grabbed his wrist, much faster than a man who had just been severely beaten should've been able to.

"Stay." He whimpered; a sound so desperate that even a cold-hearted criminal couldn't refuse it.

Gibbs stared at him, seemingly contemplating his request. She knew that he would agree, but even the small amount of hesitation that he showed was beginning to make Tony panic.

His chest heaved against her own, a gentle wheezing becoming more distinct as his breath quickened. He was on the verge of a panic attack.

Ziva couldn't take it anymore. Tony would just end up injuring himself even more if he didn't calm down. She could already tell that the strain was pulling on his stitches and she most definitely didn't want to be making any early morning trips to the ER because of it.

Her arm slipped carefully over his hip and pulled the blankets down invitingly behind him. Gibbs glanced at her and nodded, apparently understanding her action as he gently pried his agent's fingers from their grasp. His gaze wavered from hers momentarily, skin flushing a light pink in a very un-Gibbs-like manner, before removing his sweats and cautiously lowering himself in between the sheets.

Tony relaxed, his shuddering ceasing once the bed dipped behind him, and surprisingly she could feel her uneasiness slowly fading as well.

Ziva almost laughed at the absurdity of the moment. If anyone had told her a week ago that she'd be sleeping in the same bed as Tony, let alone have his half dressed body wrapped in the cocoon of her arms as Gibbs tentatively spooned himself against the other side of the younger man, trapping her hand between the hard plane of his chest and Tony's back, she would have called them crazy.

Warm breath puffed against her chin, and she was thankful that the rhythm seemed to be slowing, as Tony was encased by the radiating heat of their bodies. The bed shifted, light tremors running through the mattress as Gibbs situated himself.

Her body jerked when she felt his palm run down her calf under the blankets; eyes widened with surprise, a sharp intake a breath escaping her lips before she realized what was happening. She was tempted to break every one of his fingers for his presumptuousness, her anger beginning to bubble dangerously just below the surface. But once he lifted her leg from where it had been placed over Tony's hip earlier and slipped under it, mimicking the other man's pose before wrapping it back over the top of both of their thighs, she just didn't have the heart to do it.

This is about Tony and what's best for him. She had to remind herself as she relaxed her body. His comfort had to come before either of theirs did. And if that included cuddling with her superior, then so be it.

The injured man sighed shakily and managed to snake his hand under the hem of her tank top, letting it rest lightly against the small of her back as he pulled her the tiniest bit closer. Shivering against the gentle knead of his cold fingers, she repressed the urge to moan when her skin prickled and tightened as tiny little bumps rose along its surface. The sensation increased when Gibbs' palm slid back up to her hip and squeezed it tenderly before covering their companion's hand through her shirt, effectively wrapping not only Tony but herself in his arms.

She'd missed this. The feeling of someone next to her, the warmth of a living person, and the comfort that it brought. For more years than she could count she hadn't allowed herself the luxury of getting close enough to anyone for something like this to happen. It was almost second nature for her to push people away. They'd only become a liability.

But she trusted them. And oddly enough, even though the situation was a bit awkward and unfortunate, it didn't exactly feel wrong to her. She needed this, no matter how greedy it sounded.

Nuzzling her head into the pillow, and inadvertently into an unruly mess of blonde hair, her eyes drooped closed. After a few minutes, thoughts disappeared and her mind began drifting, the soft ticking of a nearby clock lulling her toward the edge of slumber.

If they were lucky, Tony would sleep peacefully through the night.

TBC...