AUTHORS NOTE. BEFORE READING THIS YOU SHOULD GO TO MCGEEK2009 AND READ "ONE LONG NIGHT" IT IS THE START OF THIS STORY AND IS ONLY ONE CHAPTER
The buzzer of the oven went off the signify the cookies were done baking. Ziva had made a batch of cookies with Dan's help. The DiNozzo's were coming over later for a visit and everyone could agree no snack food was better than Ziva's homemade chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. Ziva smiled at her son and signalled for him to press the off button on the stove as she put the oven mitts on and took the cookies out of the oven and put them on top of the stove to cool down. She noticed in her peripheral vision her daughter eyeing the cookies from the entrance to the kitchen.
Dan jumped a bit as the buzzer sounded that the cookies were done. All the times he had baked with his mom he would have thought he would know the sound by now. He pressed the off button as his mother asked of him and watched her take the cookie sheet out of the oven. They looked and smelled good enough to him. And he did help bake them, so didn't that make them half his? The logic made sense in his eyes. The boy reached out to the tray his mother had just taken out of the oven. What could go wrong?
A tail wagged next to the little girl at the door of the kitchen. The animal always loved adventures, especially ones that ended up in the kitchen. He usually got something good out of it. He nudged the little hand that had stopped and was just watching. They wouldn't get anything if they didn't actually go in.
Ziva saw the small hand reaching for the cookies. "Dan No." She said swatting his hand away gently. "They are too hot and they are for our company tonight" She told him before looking to her little girl. "That means you too. No cookies until Uncle Tony & Aunt Abby are here."
The little girls big anticipating smile turned into a small pout. "Yes mommy." Said the little girl. She looked down at bolt and pet his head gently with a smile. She loved that dog.
Dan whimpered as his hand was swatted. Maybe he should have waited till she left the room THEN taken a cookie? Good plan there, but it was a little late for that. Especially since the tattle tail was watching them and getting the same idea he had. But he was born first, so he therefore had the idea first, so therefore he got the cookies first.
Bolt sat as Naomi reached down and pet him on his head. He had grown up with her over the two years of his life. His hind paws lifted off of the ground and put them on Naomi's shoulders for support. He started to lick the little girl's face.
Ziva looked at Dan. "I mean it Dan." She said before seeing in her peripheral vision an accident about to happen as she watched her little girl fall.
Naomi screamed and started crying as she fell onto her butt when bolt jumped onto her shoulders and knocked her over. She was only seven and the dog weight just as much as she did if not more and on his hind legs was slightly taller than her.
Dan looked up at his Mom, knowing that when she used that tone of voice she meant business. "Yes Ma'am" He said softly and sat at the table, still eyeing the cookies. He didn't even see what had happening behind him in the hallway.
Tim came into the house from mowing the lawn. He had tried to dodge the dog poop, but there was a lot out there. He saw the dog on the girl and sighed softly. "Bolt off!" He commanded and when the animal was off he picked up the little girl and hugged her close.
Bolt whimpered and got off of the crying little girl. He hadn't meant to knock her over or anything. He put his tail between his legs and headed upstairs with his head hung.
Naomi clung to her daddy when he picked her up and cried into his shoulder. She wasn't really hurt it was just the shock on the situation that made the little girl cry. After a few seconds her her daddy's arms she felt better.
Ziva smiled softly at her little girl and her husband. As her little girl calmed down. She knew that Naomi would be fine. She had fallen on her bum and there was nothing she could have hit her head off of she was most likely just startled by what had happened.
Tim held his little girl close. He knew the dog probably hadn't meant to hurt her or anything. He carried her into the living room and sat in an armchair, setting the little girl into his lap. "He loves you a lot you know." He said softly to the girl in his lap.
Naomi snuggled into her daddy and nodded. "I know daddy. H-he just scared me! He is a big dog!" She said to her daddy in a very matter of fact tone of voice and stretched her arms out to signify just how big he was.
Tim couldn't help but laugh when his daughter showed him how big of a dog Bolt was. Maybe an Australian Shepard wasn't the best idea for a 5 year old's birthday present. "I know sweaty, but he can't help that. I am sure that he hogs the blankets too doesn't he?" The man asked, because the dog usually slept with Naomi on her bed.
Naomi looked at her daddy. "What is so funny?" She asked him not realizing that she had made her daddy laugh. "I know daddy. B-but why did he have to jump up on me?" She asked him and tilted her head. "Bolt doesn't use blankets daddy! Your silly." She told the older man.
Tim shook his head softly when she asked him what was so funny. It wasn't like she would understand. "It's nothing sweaty. Remembering something that happened at work." The man lied. He gently stroked the little girl in his lap's hair. "He jumps on you because he loves you. He wants to give you kisses!" Tim answered her question.
Dan looked over at the cookies on the counter. It had been a few minuets and maybe they were not as hot now? "Do you think they cooled off any mom?" He asked as he looked up at the older woman in the room.
Naomi smiled up at her daddy. "Is Bolt sad daddy? Because he gotted in trouble?" She asked him. She didn't want bolt to be sad. She loved bolt and now that she knew that he had only wanted to give her kissed she wasn't angry with him anymore. "Should I go give him kisses?" She asked him.
Ziva looked at her son with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think they will be cool for awhile. Why don't you go play?" She asked him giving him a look as if to say. 'stay away from the cookies'
Tim smiled down at his little girl. She was so cute and he was her world. Why couldn't time just keep her like this forever for him? He thought about it as he stroked her hair. "You know he might be, he might think you are angry with him. Maybe you should go and show him that you forgive him? I think that he would like that." Tim said softly, setting her down on the floor.
Dan sighed when she said they wouldn't be cool for a while. He hated waiting. "Yes mommy." He said and he got up from the table, going up to his room and taking his old 3DS from his bed side table. He needed a new plan.
Naomi nodded. "Okay daddy." She said as she started to skip up the stairs to look for bolt.
Ziva went into the living room and smiled at Tim. "Now. How can we keep them young like this forever?" She asked him as she sat down on the arm rest of the chair.