Amor fati
"Hey kiddo, I'm gonna miss you and your mom!"
A little blond girl was pulled into a big hug by her aunt.
"Then come with us!" she replied.
"Yeah come with us!"
"I can't, you know that Caya!"
" No I don't understand, your home is in the US!"
"Maybe but I'm not ready Catharina!"
"Fine, but you need to work through this and come home!"
"Will you say hi to your ex for me? "
" Haha very funny!"
"Come on, I thought you two are doing better now."
"Yeah, but Owen still isn't my favourite person."
"Mama, daddy Owen is nice."
"Whatever you say sweetie, but now say goodbye to aunt Ziva!"
Ziva hugged the girl she had grown to love as her niece.
"Bye Zi, I miss you already!" the little girl sniffled.
"I'm gonna miss you to Ziva, call me! A lot!" Caya said as she pulled he best friend into a hug.
"I will. "
The two friends said their goodbyes and Caya and her daughter left through Customs and boarded their plain to the US.
It had been 4 years since Caya had left the US. So many things had happened.
She and Ziva had a close friendship dating back to their time in Europe.
Caya had studied Psychology and had found a job with UNICEF, working with children in Lebanon.
When Ziva left Mossad for NCIS they kept in touch through email and many phone calls.
Ziva had changed a lot since her Mossad days, Caya liked the new Ziva. She was worried her friend was trying too hard to pay back for the "mistakes" she had made in her past.
But now her ex had called her to Los Angeles. He needed her to help out on a case. What case she had no idea about.
It was during the war between Israel and Lebanon, she had met Owen Granger.
He was much older than her but in the situation where they were in, he was a welcome distraction.
Caya was taken hostage and the man who had held her captive raped her before she was finally rescued by Owen Granger and a group of Marines.
Her work for UNICEF in the Middle East had ended when she had found out she was pregnant. After she had found out she left with Owen for the US.
Caya wasn't in love with Owen, but he was good for the baby girl, she had given birth to on Christmas day.
Their relationship quickly went south and when Caya heard Ziva had gone back to Israel after her father's death, she left the US as well.
Owen Granger was pacing around OPS. The team was out on a case and both Eric and Nell were busy doing whatever they did.
"Owen, she will be here soon, stop pacing!"Hetty told the Assistant Director of NCIS.
"How do you…?" he asked; "Never mind!"
He checked his phone as a message came in.
"I'm off!"
"Be nice Owen, underneath all this grumpy exterior I'm sure Miss Lynley saw the man you could be."
Caya inhaled the scent of the ocean as Sara enjoyed her first ice cream on American soil
"Caya, Sara!"
"Owen! I missed you!" Sara replied jumping into the arms on the man she considered her father.
"I missed you so much!" He replied hugging the little girl.
Caya smiled, regardless of their relationship going under, Owen was a good dad.
"Hello Owen." She replied kissing him on the cheek.
"Come on, let's walk."
Caya grabbed Sara's hand and Owen took the other. Sara was jumping between them.
Jetlag had kicked in, full force! Sara was sound asleep as Caya and Owen drove up to OPS.
Caya was briefed on the case and she was thinking about the options and whether or not she would take the job. She wasn't a field agent, never had been. She had worked for Interpol but only as an observant and analysing data. This was something completely new.
"You ready?"
"Sure." Caya replied picking up her daughter.
"I'll take her, she getting too big for you to carry!"
"Thanks!"
"Miss Lynley, it is so nice to meet you at last!" Hetty approached the red haired woman next to Granger.
Caya smiled, she had heard a lot about Hetty. "It is very nice to meet you too Miss Lange!"
"Why don't we go into my office, so that we can talk?" Hetty replied; "The little one can sleep a little longer."
Owen and Caya followed Hetty in, leaving behind a flabbergasted Callen and Sam.
"Did you see that?" Callen asked his partner.
"Who is that? And who is the little girl, she must be around Cam's age?"
They went up to meet up with Eric and Nell.
"Nell who is that with Hetty?"
"Dunno!"
"Nell?"
"Ok Hetty hasn't told us anything but.."
"But what Nell, spill it?"
"Her name is Caya Lynley and the little girl is her daughter Sara. They flew in from Tel Aviv today and I think she is Grangers ex-wife."
"What?" Callen looked stunned.
"Hey Amigo's what's new?" Deeks walked in unaware of the guests downstairs.
"Did you know Granger was married Kens?" Sam asked Kensi as she walked after her partner.
"No, why?"
"His ex-wife is downstairs with his child. They're in with Hetty."
"Okay, that's weird. No one is ever allowed here. Why would she be here?"
"Guess we'll find out soon." Eric replied as he motioned to the door.
Granger was standing there with Sara sound asleep in his arms, just behind him were Hetty and Caya
"Gentlemen, Miss Blye, Nell, a moment of your time please."