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Gibbs pulled up in the parking lot outside NCIS, turned off the engine and looked at Ziva through the rear-view mirror. The whole drive she had been squirming in her seat. He had been called in for a meeting with the director and he had had no other option than to bring Ziva with him. She had down right refused to go into the day-care and he knew no matter what he said she still wouldn't go. She cocked her head, giving him a large smile. He had put her hair into pigtails that morning and had actually done it quite well.
"You are going to sit at your desk until I am done, are we clear?" He asked her. She nodded. "If you go anywhere else I need to know."
He got out of the car, placing a hand gently on her upper back to make sure she didn't go anywhere. He steered her in, both going through security, and almost into the elevator. He began to step into it however when Ziva didn't move he stepped back. Fears from past events plagued her now she was a child, fears that had not even existed at the time. He had not seen her near an elevator yet.
"It'll be fine, Ziver," He assured, taking one step in and gesturing for her to follow.
She glanced behind her. "Can we use the stairs?"
"We're already late," he said.
She took a wobbly step in, the doors shutting behind her. At every noise she took in a gasp. He watched her hands shake at her sides. Gibbs bridged the distance between them, stepping towards her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. One hand snaked around his leg. Her breathing calmed quickly, heart rate dropping. Even after the incident with the elevator she hadn't been scared to go in it. She hated her new body. As soon as the doors opened she rushed out, running to the bullpen and jumping up in her chair. Gibbs left without saying a word, making his way up to the director's office.
"How's everyone's favourite ninja today?"
"Fine," She chirped back.
She sat carefully on the chair with her legs supporting her, both on either side of her bottom so it wasn't quite touching the seat. Tony grinned.
"Your butt a little sore then, Da-veed?"
She turned her best glare on him and leapt from the seat before stalking over to him, leaning her arms against the desk. He tried to hide his fear as her eyes bore into him. Still Ziva, he pushed back a little, his chair rolling to distance them.
"What was that again?" She coaxed. She knew Gibbs would not have said anything and so he was just guessing. Still, she did not want him to draw accurate conclusions. When she grew up she wanted to retain some dignity.
"Erm, well-" He stuttered but she cut him off with an overconfident 'ah ha' and plopped herself back on her seat, ignoring the pulsing pain in her backside. She did this only to make a point.
He nodded, slightly confused by his own fear and returned to his work. They had had no cases recently and both he and McGee had just been catching up on paperwork. She laid her eyes on McGee's empty desk then stood on her chair to look around. When it began to swivel she had to steady herself. Tony immediately rushed over and attempted to drag her down. She waved his hands off.
"Stop it, you're going to fall," He said.
"No, Tony, you are going to make me fall," She pushed her face close to his, "Or would you rather I kill you?"
He let out a long sigh and kept a hand just brushing her lower back in case she slipped. "What are you doing anyway?"
She gracefully pounced off the seat. "Where's Tim?"
"With Abby," He replied frustrated and returned to his desk. "What are you doing now?"
She left the bullpen without a word. Looking around, he got up and followed her. There was absolutely no way he was going to let her wander around NCIS unattended if he was the last person to see her. Gibbs would have his head if anything happened to her. She skipped the elevator completely, something that surprised him, and used the stairs. It was only a matter of moments before he caught up. When he asked her where she was going she just ignored him, taking the steps two at a time with childish leaps and bounds. He knew she was going to hurt herself.
"Ziva, Ziva stop, you're going to-" He stopped with a long exhale when she tumbled down the last three steps. "You ok?"
He knelt down beside her. Both knees were severely scraped and she was taking in quick shallow breaths to calm herself. He tried to sooth her by rubbing her back but she just pushed herself up off the floor, brushed him away and continued her descent down the stairs. When she ran into the morgue Ducky immediately perked up to see her.
"Ziva, well hello," He called, shuffling over to her. "I've been meaning to see you. How have you been? Look at those knees, how did that happen?"
"She fell," Tony answered for her as he entered, "down the stairs."
"Well, I'm sure we can get those cleaned up," he told her, gesturing to a seat as he went to get disinfectant. While he was wiping the grazes he began on about her current situation. She zoned out, looking around the room. She only realised what was happening when he carefully stuck plasters on her knees. "There."
"Thank you, Ducky," She smiled, casting a look at Tony before skipping off to look at the body. "What's happened?"
She lifted up the dead man's hand and dropped it before trying to poke his cheek. Ducky took her hand before she prodded the man and returned it to her side. He went round the other side of the body to turn out the light.
"What happened?" She asked again, "and where's Palmer and-"
"And what has honoured us with your presence?" He asked, trying to get her attention away from the deceased. It may be Ziva but he refused to talk about the subject with a child.
Seemingly oblivious to his ploy, she said, "Gibbs has a meeting with the director."-She picked up a scalpel-"can I help with the autopsy?"
Tony swooped in, picking up Ziva and turning towards the door. "And on that note I guess we'll be going."
She squirmed and yelled, threatening him for the most part as he carried her into the elevator and away from autopsy. They were half way through their ascent when she suddenly realised where she was. One hand gripped the back of his shirt tightly and her eyes turned up to the ceiling. He could feel her heart pounding away. The moment the elevator stopped on their floor she kicked her way out of his grip and stormed off. He grimaced and rubbed his thigh as he left. When he looked around she was nowhere to be seen. Damn it, he could already feel the back of his head thumping.
NCIS-NCIS-NCIS
Abby and McGee were sitting arguing about some high tech nonsense when Tony came in. He was panting, sweaty and out of breath. He looked around the entire room before turning his attention back to Abby. She smiled at him, cocking her head.
"And what can I do for you very special agent Anthony Dinozzo?" She cheered.
"Have either…of you…seen…Ziva?" He asked in between breaths. "I've looked…everywhere."
Abby immediately perked up, remembering her own situation. In a very accusing voice she boomed, "You lost her?"
"The kids too damn easy to lose," he retorted.
"Hmm, typical," Tim grunted, getting up.
"What was that Probie?"
The two agents glared at each other at a standstill before Tony Gibbs-slapped McGee. Abby jumped to his defence, issuing a head slap to Tony before throwing her hands up and reminding him she couldn't be slapped. He muttered something before turning away and looking around the lab.
"How'd you lose her anyway?" McGee asked as he helped in the search.
"You watch her for five minutes and then ask me that," he spat.
Ziva held in a chuckle as she listened from her hiding space, a small twenty centimetre space behind a shelf. Once inside there was only enough room for her to curl up in foetal position on her side. She had slipped in while Abby was furiously typing away to look for evidence to help her case in her argument with McGee while he was too busy trying to proof himself right to notice her passing. She knew the little debate would fester into something interesting. Her spy skills came in handy. Any child her (new) age would pale in comparison to her skills. Then again, she had been trained by the best.
NCIS-NCIS-NCIS
Gibbs left the director's office and realised before even taking a step that the bullpen was empty. He took the elevator and clicked it down to Abby's lab, knowing the chances were they had congregated there. None of them had a lunch break for at least another hour, probably more. He was a little disgruntled with his meeting with Director Vance however to be honest he hadn't expected as much time off as he had. That day marked five days since she had been shot and his fourth off work. He had another week, if she wasn't cured by then he's have to come back. He had left somewhat Gibbs style, wordlessly with a look and a slammed door. When he entered Abby's lab all adults turned to him.
McGee was the first to break the silence, nerves getting to him. "It was Tony's fault."
"Hey, Mcgrass," Tony shot back, "she just disappeared, boss."
He gave him a head slap before whistling loudly, causing Tony to cringe from the noise. "Ziver, we're leaving."
There was a small scurry of noise before Ziva appeared, her hair slightly dishevelled and one out of two plasters having fallen off her knee. There was a small lick of dirt on her cheek. She landed right on front of Gibbs, looked up and gave him a cheesy smile. He lifted her up with two hands under her armpits and handed to Tony to awkwardly who took her in a similar position. Gibbs pointed a warning finger near his face.
"Don't lose her."
"Right boss," he immediately left the room. When he put Ziva down outside the lab he muttered, "You did that on purpose." To which all he got was a series of laughter.
Tim immediately exited the room, keen on leaving without a head slap. Abby gave him a large smile. He spent some time lecturing her about losing Ziva however he stopped quickly when he realised she felt bad enough about it already.
"So," She began, knowing he had finished, "tomorrow is Saturday and Ziva's a child so I was thinking we could do something with her, something fun like Disney land,"-at his expression she quickly changed it-"or the zoo…or the swimming pool or something. She never has any fun, now there's nothing for her to do but have fun. "
"We'll see," He stated. While leaving he stopped, looked her straight in the eye and added, "Caf-pow is not an appropriate drink for a child."
Pressing her lips together into a straight line, she nodded and spun back to her computer. She would definitely not be making that mistake again. She could swear her car was still recovering from having the hyperactive child in it.
NCIS-NCIS-NCIS
Gibbs returned to the bullpen to see Ziva threatening McGee. He was doing a very bad job at not showing his fear. Gibbs chuckled, lightly tapping the back of her head. She spun round to face him. He picked up some work from his desk to take home, his glance dropping to her knees then to the scrapes on her left arm that hadn't been looked at before. He brushed the scrape lightly and looked at Tony.
"Where'd she get them?" He asked.
"He pushed me!" Ziva shouted quickly, keen on causing some trouble. "We were going down the stairs and he pushed me."
Tony's mouth dropped as he looked between Ziva and Gibbs. Gibbs could barely contain the smile and sent a perplexed look in his direction, already knowing she wasn't quite telling the truth.
"She's lying," Tony spat, turning to McGee, "tell him, Probie."
McGee was grinning too. "I didn't see it."
He looked between all of them again. "B-boss, oh come on."
On his way out he head-slapped him lighter than usual. She dropped her head onto his shoulder as he carried her to the car. He couldn't help but smile as her breathing began to even out. Dorneget bumped into Gibbs on his was out which cause her to jump in his arms and look around sleepily at what caused her to stir. Gibbs stopped, facing straight towards Dorneget as he tried to walk away, terrified under the superior's gaze.
"You tired?" He asked her when Dorneget managed to scurry out of sight.
Yawning, she answered, "no."
She was asleep again before they even got to the car. Only once more did she fuss when he placed her in the seat, strapping the seatbelt and shutting the door quietly. Before he got in the car himself the phone rang. He cast a quick look in Ziva's direction before taking a few steps away and answering it. It was the hospital again making an appointment with him for Monday. He hung up, looking through the window at a sleeping Ziva. Her pigtails were now a little lopsided, the dirt cleaned off her face and her mouth only slightly parted. She looked so innocent. He let out a long breath. She was going to be hard to let go of. The doctors believed they had worked out a cure that would get her back to the right age. It had been tested and they believed they would be ready for the go-ahead at twelve on Monday morning.
NCIS-NCIS-NCIS
When he got back home he decided against leaving her in the car. All in all he knew she was less likely to awaken but it wasn't worth the risk. Besides, if she woke up she would do permanent damage to his car. He opened the back door and chuckled. During the trip home, she had curled her legs up and her thumb had entered the gap between her lips. He unbuckled her and carefully lifted her out like a baby to keep her in the same position and guided himself into the already unlocked house. He tucked her into her bed and got himself back down the stairs. Instead of sitting in the basement he sat in the living room with a newspaper and coffee so he could hear Ziva when she woke up. It wasn't even lunch time yet so she probably wouldn't be out for long. She had almost three days of being a child left, if one couldn't the two half days as one. He knew it was going to be hard for him to let her go. He sighed, shutting over the newspaper after reading the same sentence four times. He was really going to miss her.
Don't worry; I am NOT ending the story soon. There will still be multiple chapters to go. I am confident I will have the next chapter up for tomorrow. Don't forget my beautiful REVIEW. I seriously stay glued to my e-mail until I update my next chapter so don't leave me hanging. Thanks for reading.