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"Did I mention they lack empathy?" Tony said to McGee and Ziva as they saw Gibbs walk angrily into the elevator with Ducky. "But enough of you two gossiping. McGoo: get all the details on that Cartel group. I will call the detective that worked on the shooting case to email us the file.
"And what am I going to be doing, Mr. Bossy?" Ziva asked.
"You will take Janie back to her house to get her a change of clothes. I'm sure she doesn't want to wear that same dress twice in two days," Tony dialled Metro Police but got put on hold, he kept the phone close to his ear for when they got him off hold.
"Where do you think she's gonna stay if the Cartel are after her?" McGee asked as he typed away at his keyboard.
"Boss'll want to keep an eye on her a) because she's the sole survivor of the First Sergeant's death and b) she's his daughter. She's probably safest on the base."
"What do you think of her?"
"She's different?"
"Different how?" Ziva inquired.
"Dunno. The autism, the Christian belief... through all that, I can see Gibbs in her."
"She very much resembles her mother, though."
"Research does show if you live with someone for a long time, you start to look like them," McGee informed them.
"Thanks for the tidbit, McNerd," Tony joked. "I mean small stuff. The stance, the stare, the eyes. Who ever thought Gibbs would have a Gibblet?"
Bing!
They heard the elevator open, Gibbs and Janie came out.
"Where we at?" Gibbs asked his team.
"I'm pulling up any and all details about this Cartel group: members, M.O., everything," McGee stated.
"I'm on hold with Metro Police to have them email the file over to us," Tony added.
"I was thinking of taking Janie home to get a change of clothes," Ziva told Gibbs. Tony frowned when he heard Ziva take his idea. "I'm sure you want to get out of your old outfit."
"I would like to," Janie replied.
"Too risky," Gibbs stated as he sat at his desk. "Cartel's probably waiting for you."
"They might not even be looking for me. I was really quiet when I was hiding."
"Can't take that risk."
"Ugh! I must be your daughter... so stubborn." Janie crossed her arms.
"I'm not having you be a target for a drug lord."
"But if I go back to the scene, I might remember something about that day."
"Gibbs, I will be with her the entire time," Ziva assured him. Gibbs thought for a second then picked up his desk phone.
"I'm having a unit meet you at the house," Gibbs said as he dialled. "There and back only. And keep your eye on her."
"You have my word."
The two ladies left the building and headed downstairs and into one of the government-isssued Chargers. It was silent at first, but soon the dead air was cut.
"So, you're Israeli?" Janie asked.
"Yes, I am," Ziva bluntly replied.
"My mom named me Janie because it means 'gift from God' in Israeli. I guess I was a gift to her. What about you?"
"My father told me my name means 'splendid', though I do not see how I am splendid."
"What do you mean?"
"In Israel, every person, man or woman, must join the Israeli Army. After being discharged, I joined Mossad. I have been surrounded by death my entire life, professional and personal."
"It must be lonely being strong all the time. May I ask about your family?"
"My family is dead because of hate and war," Ziva said without expression, Janie gasped so Ziva reassured her. "I am okay with it now. Really."
"Are you sure?" Ziva was quiet. "C'mon, one faith to another. Talk to me, it makes me feel better and it might you."
"It is hard to forgive someone who takes your family away by force. Those days I question my God and wonder where He was. Why didn't He stop those bullets? Why didn't He slow the bleed? Why?"
"Everything happens for a reason, Ziva, and God gave man free will. As much as I hate the people who killed my mom, I have to forgive them. But I have to remember the forgiveness isn't for them, it's for me. By forgiving them, I can free myself from the guilt and pain. They think they have me but they don't. I have to remember I'll see my mom again in Heaven. And you will too one day. I think you are splendid, Ziva, because of your culture. An Israeli woman living in the Western world. And your necklace tells me you still have faith in Jehovah."
"You really know about Judaism, don't you?" Ziva smiled.
"I ready my Bible a lot. My faith comes first, then family. And I have a feeling I found more family than just Gibbs."
"You have," Ziva smiled.
A little while after, Ziva and Janie made it back to her house. They saw two police cars waiting for them, they knew Gibbs called the extra one. They got out, Ziva waved her badge and the two ladies walked inside the house. Ziva let Janie go first, to keep an eye on her likes Gibbs told her to. Janie froze when she saw the dried blood on the floor, she started shaking. Ziva wrapped her arm around her to move her to the side.
"It washes out," Ziva reassured her. "I promise."
Ziva guided Janie around the blood and to her room. Ziva saw a few self-drawn Shadow the Hedgehog at works hanging on the wall, along with several music awards. Janie grabbed a small suitcase from her closet and started packing her clothes and essentials. As she packed, Ziva observed the dresser where she found a photo booth four-photo slip.
"Who's this?" Ziva asked picking it up to see better.
"It's my mom and my unknown dad at the time," Janie replied.
"She's very beautiful. How old was she here?"
"Thirty years old. I guess it got the good end of the straw in the beauty department. I mean, when I first meant Gibbs, and this was way before I found out we were related, I thought he was the hottest guy over fifty."
"Any now?"
"...still the hottest guy over fifty."
The girls laughed. Janie took the picture and looked at it again. The pictures were:
1. Both of them smiling
2. Chloe kissing Gibbs' cheek
3. Chloe sticking her tongue out at Gibbs, Gibbs smirking
4. Kissing each other sweetly
"This was my mom's fondest memory of him," Janie said. "She said she had to literally drag him in."
"That sounds like Gibbs," Ziva said.
Janie laughed and packed the picture in her purse.
