Chapter 3.

Ziva stepped closer to the screen, wracking her brain, she didn't remember this, she looked at the screen trying to jog her memory. Tony, McGee and Gibbs held their breath, Abby hid her face in Gibbs shoulder. The camera didn't move as the child stayed put, Oren growled and stepped away from Akiva, this caused the child to run the camera jumped as she ran but she wasn't quick enough, the camera skidded to the floor, capturing the entire picture. They could see Oren running after Ziva, she ran him in circles until he caught a hold of her hair. He gripped it tightly pulling her off her feet, Ziva's tiny arms immediately tried to remove the offending hands, she was screaming and crying in Hebrew. They were center screen now as Oren threw Ziva to the ground, everyone winced as her cries were instantly cut off as her tiny face slammed into the hardwood floor; Oren turned her head to the side inspecting his work. Tony's eyes instantly noticed something in the background. Akiva stood on shaky legs, her blue dress was torn up to her hip, a strap hanging off one shoulder, her face was bruised and her nose was bloody, but she had death in her eyes. Oren immediately stood snapping his attention to her.

"You do not touch her! You never touch her!" Akiva roared her accent thick, as she wiped the blood from her nose. Oren just grinned, and licked his lips.

"She is 12 now, a woman, I could have her if I choose." Oren replied smoothly stepping closer to Ziva.

Akiva's nostrils flared as she took another step towards Oren, "Do not you even dare!"

"Your English needs some work Akuziva." Oren bent down gently touching Ziva's hair.

Akiva gritted her teeth, "I said do not touch her!" Akiva closed the distance between them but stopped quickly when Oren produced a knife. She was so close, only two steps, but she was unarmed and he was so close to Ziva.

"You want me to spare her?" Oren touched Ziva's cheek with the back of his hand.

Akiva moved forward slightly but stopped herself, "What do you want?"

"An heir."

Akiva furrowed her eyebrows, she looked down at Ziva, swallowing, then back to Oren. Her face went through emotions in quick succession before setting into place. "Fine."

Oren grinned standing, he put the knife back into his belt, and pushed Akiva back to towards couch, forcing her to turn around, leaving Ziva unconscious on the floor. They were obscured mostly by furniture but it was clear what was taking place. Oren began ripping away Akiva's dress, pulling his pants down in the process, Akiva laid there keeping her eyes on the back of Ziva's head tears slowly escaping her eyes, as Oren grunted above her. The low battery signal flashed in the corner before the video cut out to snow.

Ziva blinked slowly as the video returned to home screen, Abby was softly crying on Gibbs shoulder, Tony and Tim were shell-shocked. Gibbs watched Ziva, she stood unmoving just staring at the screen like a statue. Slowly Ziva shut her eyes, trying to recall that night, but she couldn't; it wasn't there, she could remember her party and nothing else. To her this wasn't real, it couldn't be, Akiva would never leave herself so vulnerable, so unprotected.

"Am I, interrupting, anything?" Ducky came into the bullpen holding something in his hand. Gibbs pulled Abby from his shoulder going over to the old Scotsman.

"Whatcha got Duck?" Ducky looked around before settling on Gibbs. He handed over Akiva's eye patch that she had left down in autopsy when the sniper took his shot.

"Well, this." Ducky pointed to the eye patch. Gibbs looked at it, it was old and worn, he flipped it over looking on the inseam, Gibbs squinted and turned on his desk lamp putting the eye patch under it. When the light hit it, there was an impression like something was between the fabric, Gibbs picked up his knife carefully pulling away the stitching. Unaware of his growing audience, Gibbs pulled the fabric; carefully he pulled out a small metal piece it was shaped funny, like an infinity symbol, he turned the small piece of metal over in his fingers. Suddenly everything clicked in Gibbs head, he pulled the dog tags off his desk flipping the decorative Semper Fi tag over, and there on the back was a similarly shaped space. Quickly, Gibbs removed the tag's silencer then placed the small metal piece into the back, there was a clicking sound, then the dog tag split in two, and inside was a micro SD chip.

"Legacy." Ziva breathed in awe, Gibbs looked up at her then to his audience, he took the small piece of plastic in his fingers carefully handing it to McGee.

"On it." McGee sat down at his desk, pulling open a drawer looking for a converter, finally finding one he slipped the drive into his computer. His mouth fell open in a smile when the files on the drive started opening, he quickly put the information up on the plasma. Gibbs eyes quickly scanned the files, it was filled with pictures, missions, secret gold stores for all the world powers, military and nuclear capabilities for China, Russia, the United States, everything that anyone would ever want to know.

"Take it off McGee." Gibbs' eyes caught Vance coming down the stairs; McGee removed the drive setting it on his desk. They all looked as innocent as possible as the director of NCISI came into their bullpen.

"Got some news for you Gibbs." Vance handed over a file. "Oren escaped the country, flew out on a private jet 8 hours ago."

"Why are we just hearing about this?" Gibbs growled tossing the file on his desk.

"He wasn't on our watch list until 6 hours ago, Interpol spotted him going into Russia, but they lost track of him when he entered the mountains." Gibbs glared, Leon just smiled and handed him a packet of plane tickets. Gibbs looked at the tickets as Vance retreated back to his office, one for each of them, and an extra one to get someone onto a military carrier, they were flying to Ohio first, Gibbs watched Leon's form go across the catwalk, a small smile on his face.

"Gear up! We leave now!" Gibbs team grabbed their gear, leaving Abby and Ducky stunned in the bullpen. Abby turned to Ducky handing him his gift, the old M.E. looked at it in surprise and opened it to reveal a new ornate tea pot.

"She's very observant isn't she?"

"Yep." Abby quipped, holding her new CD to her chest bouncing her way back to her lab. Ducky looked at the dog tags sitting on Gibbs desk, he took the micro drive from McGee's desk placing it back inside, then clicked them shut, then he hid them back inside the old velvet medal case, placing it in Gibbs bottom drawer, he then placed the key back inside the eye patch putting the eye patch into an evidence bag. Yep, no one would be the wiser, the M.E. smiled to his self taking his new teapot down to autopsy.

As the team stood in the elevator Gibbs handed out the plane tickets, Ziva furrowed her eyebrows. "Why are we going to Ohio?"

"We're going to need Akiva on this one."

"Sh-she's alive?" Ziva turned in awe looking at Gibbs, he nodded, she then hit Tony in the chest.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For letting me think she was dead!"

"I-I di-" Smack. Tony rubbed the back of his head. Ziva grinned and turned back around, Akiva was alive!

Ziva could hardly contain herself, on the plane, she drummed her fingers, played with the tray table, looked out the window, honestly she was driving Tony nuts.

"Would you stop?"

Ziva glared at him pulling out a paper clip, Tony instantly shut up and scooted a little bit away from her. Ziva smirked and went back to fidgeting. She was between being happy and hurt, happy that Akiva survived and hurt that her team had neglected to tell her, although when she thought about it, Gibbs did say something about taking her to see her, she had just assumed that she was gone. Ziva couldn't hold Gibbs responsible for the breakdown in communication but she could defiantly make Tony feel miserable for a little while.

When the plane landed they collected their gear heading to the rental car, Ziva took the front seat without argument. Gibbs pulled out his cell phone dialing a number on a piece of paper before handing it to Ziva. She looked at him confused before a familiar voice entered her ear.

"Shalom?"

"Shalom, Vidette."

"Where are you Zivaleh?" Vidette's voice was soft as she spoke, but she could hear the smile on her lips.

Ziva smiled back, "Close, may we come see you?"

"Sure, do you know where?"

"Do you live in the same house I visited when I was a child?"

"Of course, Akiva is here too, she is sleeping now." Ziva's smile grew wider at the mention of Akiva.

"Ok we'll be there shortly."

"Shalom, my dear."

"Shalom." Ziva hung up the phone looking to Gibbs.

"Where now?"

"Take this street until the light, then turn right." Ziva helped guide them through the streets, taking mostly back ways, hoping her mind would not fail her, soon enough they pulled into the drive way of a very nice looking house, it was one story with a two car garage, there was a Jimmy and a Van in the drive way. The team slowly got out of their car approaching the glass door, the inner door was opened and Ziva peered in before knocking softly. Soon enough, Vidette came to the door wiping her hand on a towel, she smiled wide before opening the glass door.

"Welcome, please come in." the team filled in the house, it was well lit and spacious, they walked down the hallway past a kitchen and into a large living room that was filled with scattered children's toys.

"Watch your step. We had a two year old hurricane pass through here." Vidette chuckled, she motioned for them to take a seat, there was plenty of room, Gibbs sat in a recliner on one wall, McGee and Tony taking a spot on the couch on the other and Ziva stood in front of Vidette. The older woman hugged her tightly, kissing her cheeks. She took Ziva's head in her hands looking into her eyes, brown met green and they shared a moment of silent communication.

"Is Akiva here?" Gibbs asked pulling the two women from their silent conversation.

"Yes, but they are asleep."

"They?"

"You ever wake a 2 year old Mr. Gibbs?"

Gibbs chuckled and nodded his head, "Oh, yea."

Ziva looked at Vidette her eyebrows scrunched, "She has a child?"

Vidette looked at Ziva with a concerned face, then led her down a hallway to a bedroom, she quietly opened the door stepping aside, Ziva peered in, what she saw took her breath away.

End Chapter.