The sky outside had just started to lighten when Ziva leant back into her chair as her eyes slipped closed. She'd been working non stop all day, singularly after Tony had fallen asleep around one. She wasn't asleep long though as a beep ripped her from the beginnings of a dream. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand before adjusting Oscar and sitting up to deal with the sound before it woke father and child.

"What time is it?" Tony asked sleepily, not yet moving his head from his desk. Ziva smiled over at him.

"Just after six."

"How long did I sleep for?" He asked, rubbing a hand through his hair as he sat up more fully.

"Just under five hours." She murmured distractedly, reading and re-reading the result that had called for her attention.

"What is it?" He stepped around his desk and stood beside hers, taking Oscar from her in order to allow her to stretch properly.

"I…umm…I think I have Thomas' location." She answered shocked. "I have found him." Husband and wife smiled at each other while Ziva took out her cell.

"Yeah, Gibbs." The older man answered, he had gone home around two, working on his boat while looking over the case file until about half an hour ago.

"We have Thomas' location, Gibbs." The excitement was just barely overtaking the exhaustion in her voice.

"Okay, phone McGee, let him know. I'll meet you there. We go in quite and slow, I'm not risking those girls anymore than I have to." He ended the call before she could respond but she didn't mind as she quickly started to call McGee.

"Zi, I'm gonna take him downstairs. I'm sure security won't mind watching him for an hour." He called but she barely acknowledged him as she relayed information to their teammate.

"I need to know you will be professional." Gibbs glared at McGee. "All of you." He directed his gaze to both Tony and Ziva and all three nodded.

"By the book." McGee stated and both of his colleagues nodded.

"Okay." He gestured at Tony and Ziva to take the back while he and McGee went in through the front door. Both men burst through the door simultaneously to Ziva and Tony entered the back. Sigs drawn, they proceeded to clear the lower floor. With a few more gestures from Gibbs, Tony and Ziva ascended the stairs while he and McGee went down the the basement.

"Federal Agent! Drop your weapon!" Came Ziva's shout from upstairs, followed by two shots, alerting Gibbs and McGee, causing them both to run up the stairs to join the others. By the time they followed Tony into the room, Thomas was on the floor, single bullet to the head and Ziva's hands, still clasped around her gun, were shaking.

"Ziva. Baby. Put the gun down." Tony soothed, taking the gun from her hands and putting it back in her holster at her hip.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked quickly. Ziva merely turned her head to face the door frame behind her, sporting a bullet of its own. "Are you hurt?" Gibbs had followed her eye line. She shook her head. "Where are the girls?"

"Only room we are yet to check." She murmured and while McGee and Gibbs ran off to collect them, Tony embraced his still shaking wife.

"Ava?" McGee asked as he opened the door, leading to what had to have been Pippa's childhood bedroom. Sat up in twin child beds were Ava and Kayla, who was sporting a bandaged shin, obviously where the blood had come from.

"Dada, wha' goin' on?" Ava asked sleepily. McGee was immediately beside her, engulfing her in a hug that was at least on a par to the one her mother would give her while Gibbs hoisted Kayla onto his hip.

"Shall we go home little one?" He asked gently, tapping the end of her nose, making her giggle.

"Yes p'ease, G'ampa Gibbs." McGee cradled Ava close to his chest as they carried the girls out to the charger; they'd had the foresight to bring both of their car seats.

"Ziva? Sweet? Are you okay?" Tony asked as he stood there, just listening to her breath into his shoulder. "We should go, I'm not sure being here with the body's doing you any favours." She hadn't said a word since Gibbs left and she was starting to worry him. "Ziva? Honey, speak to me."

"Where did you leave Oscar?"

"With security. They said they were happy to have him as long as we needed them to."

"We should go." She sounded so calm, but he knew the tremble was there, just under the surface. He squeezed her before leading them from the room and out of the house. Gibbs straightened after strapping Kayla in and nodded at his agents as they got into the other car and sped off without a word.

After Gibbs phoned Ducky and Vance to get him to send a team to process the scene, he drove both the girls back to NCIS where Abby, Jimmy and Breena were waiting for them. The moment the four of them exited the elevator, three over the moon parents descended.

"Oh Darling, hello Baby." Abby babbled as she took Ava into her arms and held her closer than she ever had before. "Are you alright?"

"Mama, I fine." The two year old giggled, revelling in all the attention. Meanwhile Breena had taken Kayla from Gibbs and was showering her in kisses while Jimmy took a look at her shin.

"Hurts daddy." She pouted. Jimmy kissed the bandage.

"Better?" The little girl nodded before reaching out to him. He took her into his arms and held her tightly. "It'll all be okay now Pumpkin, mummy and daddy've got ya." Gibbs smiled at the scene before him, despite being acutely aware that Tony and Ziva were nowhere to be seen.

Just a few feat away, Ziva leant against the sink in the men's room while Tony watched the tears threaten to fall.

"Why has this got to you so badly?" He asked carefully, knowing full well that if he pushed her she would just shut down.

"I, I understood him." She faltered, closing her eyes against the sting unshed tears were causing.

"You understood a man who kidnapped your nieces?" She shook her head.

"I understand his motives, more than the actions."

"This may be one of the times you have to be real specific."

"Do not worry." She opened her eyes, blinked back the tears and composed herself. "We should go collect Oscar."

"Ziver?" Gibbs called her over once she and Tony returned to the bullpen. She hoisted Oscar better onto her hip before joining him at her desk.

"Yes, Gibbs?" He passed her her backpack, badge and cell before discretely passing Tony her gun, neither parent flaunted their guns while Oscar was around.

"Go home. Get some sleep, spend time with this one." Gibbs ruffled the little boy's hair as she looked around the bullpen to find that McGee had already left, presumably taking Abby and Jimmy and Breena with him.

"But the paperwork, incident reports…"

"They'll all still be here tomorrow. You've been booked in for your mandatory psych at ten tomorrow so come in, do that paperwork then go there okay?" She nodded. "Okay."