TIVA FANFIC: Broken Years, Rivers of Tears (NCIS)

Ten Seconds To Explain

The day passed by quickly, and Ziva fell into the NCIS routine easily. But throughout it, her previous encounter with Jake nagged at her.

Ziva had learned to read body expressions from a young age, and Jake's nervous behavior had struck her as fishy. Something wasn't right.

At about four o'clock in the afternoon, Ziva decided to run to the restroom. Shutting down her computer, she raced down the hall, only to bump into a startled Jake, who rounded the corner. Taken by surprise, he flew to the ground as she bustled past him.

"Sorry," Ziva apologized, backtracking to help him up. "I'm so sorry."

Jake got to his feet and brushed himself off. "No, no. It's fine!" he smiled, showing his perfect white teeth.

Something clicked in her brain. Where had she seen that face? Those teeth? And that's when it dawned on her.

The blood. The excruciating pain. The Somali terrorist camp.

He had been with Saleem!

Her eyes shot open, and she dropped her hand from Jake's shoulder.

Now she remembered.

Jake had been at the camp when she was captured.

She hadn't seen him much, for he had stayed hidden in the shadows, smoking his cigarette calmly, and conversing with Saleem.

They had spoken to each other, as if they were old buddies.

Jake. He was a monster. Inhuman.

He was one of them.

Heartless.

Cold.

Despicable.

He had watched Saleem's men torture her! And he had done nothing but stand there. He had left her to be raped and abused. She had been broken. Limp. Tied to a chair. Bloody. Bruised.

As if she hadn't been broken enough already.

Shaking with rage as she recalled the horrors she had to endure, she snapped into reality and burst out, exploding onto Jake.

"You!" she screamed, her eyes widening in horror.

Jake shrank back, recoiling, and put his hands above his head.

"NO! Please, NO! Let me explain! Please!" he moaned.

Ziva's face contorted. "You watched, as the men- as they-" she broke off, lowering her face to wipe the tears that had streamed down onto her cheeks. Jake shuddered, and closed his eyes.

Ziva quickly regained her posture, and the anger and hatred pulsed through her veins.

"I will kill you eighteen different ways with this paperclip," she hissed, reaching into her pocket.

"No! No! It's not what you think," Jake shouted. "Please let me explain! You don't understand," he pleaded, eyeing the paperclip warily.

"You have ten seconds," Ziva spluttered, her eyes alive with fiery anger.