BLACK ORCHID (6/13), GIBBS/ZIVA (NC-17)

[zabby]

Title: Black Orchid
Author: Victoria (starshines)
Fandom:NCIS
Genre: Het
Pairing:Gibbs/Ziva
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Last Man Standing, this actually occurs post LMS
Summary: Someone's out for Ziva. Will Gibbs be able to find out who before its too late to save Ziva?
Warnings: Reference to rape and torture, steamy love scene
Disclaimer: NCIS, all characters belong to the big D.B. Though I might wish otherwise...
Feedback: Yes, please! Love constructive criticism, just be nice. It's my first.
Special thanks and love to Bree for the beta!

Chapters: Prologue / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Epilogue


Chapter 5


She didn’t care what Tony or McGee said. She didn’t care what Ducky recommended. She didn’t even care what Gibbs threatened. All Abby knew was that she had to see Ziva. Over the years, she and Ziva had gotten so close. The team would call them unlikely sisters. And they were. So, nothing and no one was going to keep Abby from seeing her friend.

Slowly walking into the hospital room, she was surprised at what she saw. First, she was shocked to see Gibbs, protectively curling Ziva’s body against his. Though Abby knew him to be a kind man, no one ever saw him being so gentle to anyone other than a child. It made her heart smile to see such a hard man softened. Next, she was horrified to see the damaged done to her friend. There were bruises, scrapes and cuts all over the skin exposed by the hospital gown and fallen blanket.

As she quietly made her way across the floor, her eyes filled up with tears. Her hands clutched against her mouth, she whispered brokenly “Oh, Gibbs.”

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His eyes immediately opened, no sign of him beginning to awaken, no stirring to suggest a regaining of consciousness. There was simply asleep and not. When he was intent on protecting someone, his senses were usually heightened, his sleep light. Only this time, he had slipped into unconsciousness too easily and had slept too comfortably. It must have to do with who I’m sleeping with. Ziva. Why is it too easy for me to sleep next to you? I have to be careful that I don’t put you in harm’s way because of it.

Looking around, he tried to identify the source of the noise that roused him. When his eyes came across Abby, he relaxed. Motioning her closer, he whispered “Be quiet, Abbs. I finally got her to sleep. What’s up?”

“I had to come to see her, Gibbs. I had to know she was going to be okay.”

“I know Abby,” he said as he sought to reassure her. “We’re all worried for her. She’s going to be fine. She’s a fighter.”

Abby nodded as she reached out to brush Ziva’s arm, but froze as her touch caused her to stir and moan in her sleep. “Is she hurt everywhere, Gibbs?”

“Almost, Abbs. Almost. She’s going to need all of us while she heals. And she may not be the same warrior we know. But she’ll get there, Abby. She’ll come back to us.” But Gibbs didn’t know if he was saying that to comfort her or himself.

“Okay, Gibbs. I just had to see her for myself. I had to know she is going to survive this. And she will. She will.”

Since she couldn’t touch Ziva without disturbing her, Abby held on to Gibbs’ shoulder. “I’m going to go back to the lab. I left my babies running and processing, while Tim and Tony crashed on my futon. I promised I’d wake them up soon. If you need anything, either of you, please call one of us. We’re in this together, Gibbs.”

Before leaving, she asked one more thing of him. “Can you give her a kiss on the cheek for me, Gibbs? Let her know that I miss her, and I want her back soon.”

All he could do was nod his head in response and in thanks. The way his team came together in crisis never failed to amaze him. Turning back to the woman in his arms, he leaned into kiss her forehead again before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep.

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He walked through the hospital, unnoticed, undetected in his nursing scrubs. He raised no alarms dressed as he was. During his time working on the Bethesda computer mainframe, there had been a basket of leftover hospital wear near the room he was working in. Now that he could go visit Ziva whenever he wanted, he was so glad he’d had that foresight.

As he stalked the halls towards Ziva room, he had to divert his direction to the side of the walkway, next to the hospital map. Because coming down the hall was the Forensic Scientist, Abby. She would recognize him, from having talked with him earlier in the day.

She must have been looking in on Ziva. How sweet. Since she had shown such concern for his love, he would not hurt her if they were to meet under other, more difficult circumstances.

Finally reaching the room, he clapped his hands with glee, careful of the item in his left hand. He was finally going to see his treasure, his beautiful Ziva. He clasped his present for her. She was going to be so happy to see him.

Pulling back the curtain, he was stopped short. His treasure was in the arms of another man. Rage flowed through his body. How dare she allow another man to touch her!!

Walking up menacingly to the two, he stood over them, his right hand clenched in violence. He would pay, they both would pay for this betrayal. And he would get such pleasure from extracting the payment. In fact, he would make Ziva watch as he destroyed the mind and body of the one she let touch her precious body.

Before turning to walk away, he left his dark present on the pillow next to her head, where she was sure to see it when she woke up. It would do her no good to forget about him, and this was sure to remind her.

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As she slowly began to wake up, Ziva felt somehow different. Instead of waking up in terror, she felt comforted, safe. As she eyes fluttered open, she looked up at the reason why. Lying on the hospital bed with her, Gibbs was nestled against her, arms surrounding her. Gibbs is the reason why? He must be.

Reaching up, she let her fingers stroke the side of his face. A face of character, one she could trust. Gibbs would never hurt me. He promised to keep me safe. She let her hand come to rest against his cheek, her thumb stroking the corner of his lips.

For the first time in days, she did not fear the next person to walk through the doors. She did not fear waking or sleeping. She did not fear being alive. She did not want to lose that feeling. So, instead she was comfortable to just lie in his arms and gaze over his face, seeking new memories to cover the old ones that were bubbling to the surface.

Watching him like this, Ziva could tell the moment he began to wake. He didn’t stretch, he didn’t groan. Gibbs simply took a deep breath, and his eyes slowly opened. Her hand still cradled against his face, she said “Good morning, Gibbs.”

“Good morning, Ziva. How long have you been awake? Are you feeling well? Do you need more pain medicine?” His concern for her grew when he woke to find her watching him. He had planned to not have her alone for a moment, awake or not, until the bastard that hurt her was caught and dealt with. But as she held him, trust emanating from her eyes, his concern wasn’t the only thing that grew.

Knock it off, he told that other, more unruly part of him. Now is not the time to be lusting after a woman who was near death yesterday. Even though he warned himself against those feelings, his body was not listening to him, as she clutched him so trustingly. Ziva was a warm presence invading every space and nerve in his body.

“So many questions, Gibbs. Let me see. I have been awake for only a few moments before you. Other than it feels like every inch of my body is sore or hurting, I am feeling better. Thank you for staying with me.” The old Ziva began to peep out, ashamed of such weakness. “You do not need to stay, Gibbs. I am sure there is much that you need to do this morning.”

Grabbing the hand holding his face, he brought it to his lips. Leaving a light kiss against the tortured knuckles, he responded, “I am needed here more than any other place, Ziva. My first concern is protecting you and seeing you safe. You are my only concern now. The others can handle the case. They will find who did this to you. And then we will finish this.” Ever since Ziva had been found, he had made a number of vows, mainly to her. He prayed that he could keep them.

Trying to change the conversation to something that would ease the fear that began to blossom in her eyes, he told her about her visitor. “Abby came to see you in the middle of the night. She was waiting for her ‘babies,’ as she calls them, to give her something. So, she took that time to come and see you. She misses you and worries about you. We all do. I promised her we’d see you safe and well again. Oh, and she wanted me to give you this.”

Leaning in, he gave her a tender kiss against the softness of her cheek. He lingered longer than he should, savoring the feel of her against his lips. When he heard the brief intake of air, Gibbs pulled back afraid he had hurt her somehow. But instead of seeing pain in her dark eyes, he saw desire and confusion mixed together.

As he went to say something to ease the situation, Gibbs saw something dark lying against the whiteness of the pillow. “What’s this?” he asked, reaching over to pick up the black orchid that lay there.

When she moved her head to look at what he was picking up, she stared in horror. And screamed.