Thanks Vicky for beta reading this for me. I've been dumping a lot on you and my other beta reader Surferdude lately. I have decided to focus on this story for a while and finish the other one after I am done with this one. I got confused with the story lines, writing 3 stories and publishing 2 at the same time is getting a bit too much so I'll focus on this one first. Have fun and LEAVE A REVIEW

Running on Empty

Chapter 8

After she had been X-rayed and both the ER doctor and Ducky couldn't find anything wrong with her, other than the hairline fractures that were still present, she was released to go home. The ride back to Gibb's house was silent, except for Ducky's storytelling habit.

They all got out of the car and Ducky excused himself claiming he had a hot herbal tea waiting for him at home.

Ziva tried to make a quiet get away, but Gibbs was not having any of it. He took her by the arm and guided her into his house, before she got make herself scares.

'How long as this been going on?'

As soon as they entered his house he was on her case.

'What do you mean?'

'Dammit Ziva, how long haven't you been sleeping? How long has that bastard been invading your dreams?' He slammed his fist on the table and she flinched. He knew his mistake the moment his fist came down onto the table.

'Ah, hell Ziver. You know I would never hurt you'

'I know'

They sat there for what seemed like ages.

'I need to go home. I've got a headache' Ziva got herself up and walked to the door.

'You can stay if you want. I've got an extra bedroom'

'Yes, I know, but what if it happens again. I cannot take many more of these hits'

She tried to make a joke. 'And neither can you' She gently grazed her finger across the right side of his face.

'Sorry'

'Let me at least drive you home'

'Sure'

He drove her home and walked her to the front door.

'You OK?'

She nodded and they both knew she was lying. He kissed her on the forehead.

'Don't be in the office before ten o'clock or else there will be repercussions.'

She nodded once again.

'Take a sleeping pill, Ziva. Just this once. No human can go on without sleep the way you have. Ducky, gave you some just take one. Get some sleep tonight, Ok'

She turned around, unlocked her door and gave a poor excuse for a wave goodbye and closed the door behind her.

She leaned against it. Her head against the door. He didn't need to know that she was afraid that if she did take one she wouldn't wake up if the nightmares began once again and she couldn't bare the thought of Salem violating her again and again and not being able to wake up. She shivered. Waking up was her salvation.

Gibbs was relieved that the following day Ziva wasn't in the bullpen to greet him, maybe she had taken his advice and had indeed taken a sleeping pill.

'Wow Boss, what happened' Tony entered the bullpen and pointed at his face. 'You're supporting a big shiner there'

'Nothing I can't handle, DiNozzo'

They were doing paperwork when Ziva showed up just before ten o'clock.

'Well, nice of you to grace us with you're…' the next view words were stuck in Tony's mouth. Ziva was supporting a purple, blue, yellow shiner on the left side of her face. Her eye was completely swollen so she could barely see out of that eye.

'What the…, who did…' Tony didn't finish his second sentence of the day and that meant a lot.

'Boxing practice didn't go so well' she murmured. She shrugged her shoulders and sat down.

'Yes, DiNozzo. To answer your question. I did it. We hit each other simultaneously '

Gibbs was shocked at the sight of Ziva's face but decided that backing her up her story was the right thing to do. 'Except my punch was a little harder then we both expected. I am so sorry, Ziver'

'I am fine, it's just that the area you hit is still sensitive from, well…...before. I went to see my doctor this morning. He also said it looks worse than it actually is. So I am just fine'

Tony didn't know what to say or think, he was dumbfounded. Ziva supporting a shiner or Gibbs apologizing for it. What has to world come to?

'Rigggggght' he said. What a load of horseshit but he didn't feel the need to voice that out loud.

They worked until one o'clock when Ziva decided she needed some solid food, grabbing the keys to the van she took everyone's orders and headed out.

It took her about hour before got back. She looked forward to lunch, she was hungry. She didn't eat much this morning due to her teeth and her painful face but she could eat a horse right about now.

She dumped everyone's orders on their desks and unwrapped her lunch. Since she couldn't eat properly she had ordered a salad with chicken after slowly eating it she still felt very hungry and she was looking longingly at Tony's Philly cheese steak.

Tony saw her watching and actually licking her mouth.

'You want some'

She shook her head, pointing at her jaw.

'Want to, but I cannot. I still have to wait another week or so before I get my teeth'

'I can cut it into very little pieces'

She looked longingly at the Philly cheese steak again but decided against it.

'No, but thanks anyway, I just have to suck it up'

Tony looked at her with big eyes.

'What?'

'Nothing, you got that one right'

Ziva's face was throbbing, so she sneaked out and went down to the morgue.

'Hello Ducky, have you got some ice?'

'Sure, everything alright?'

'Yes, it's just…' Ziva couldn't come up with the right word. She opened and closed her right hand hoping Ducky would get the idea of what she meant.

'The word you are looking for is throbbing, my dear' Ducky opened one of his 'coolers' and lifted an icepack out of it.

'Here you go; you can take a seat at my desk' Ducky pointed towards his desk and Ziva sat down gingerly with the icepack inside of towel against the left side of her face. She sighed, that helped. The bruise felt like it was having a fever and this cooled it down considerably.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep in the chair; she had grown accustomed to sleeping sitting down so this wasn't any different.

TBC…..

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