Hey. Got chapter seven up a few days early. Hopefully next chapter will be longer with more time to write. This one might be sad but that's only because I was in a bad mood for the majority of the weekend. Anyway read and review iif you like.
The day went by slowly without a new case they had time to make changes to their hotel room and get more plane tickets for Sunday. Ziva still hadn't heard from Aubry and if she went out with her squadrant they hadn't put out the records of it yet so she was left high and dry. She went down to the lad for a few hours until Abby got a case from another team, then she took the girls out for lunch. As predicted when she got back Abby was still working on the case so the girls couldn't stay with her so Ziva brought them up to the bullpen with her. Tony had gone down to get Colby after their meeting with Jenny and he was playing a game on his gameboy behind Tony's desk. Ziva stands and walks to the breakroom to get something to drink when she sits on the couch in thebreak roon her phone rings.
"David," she answers.
"Special Agent David of NCIS am I correct?"
"Yes, who is asking?"
"Senior Master Sergeant Dennis of the U. S. Air Force. Senior Airman Piper had told us when she came out with us that you were looking after her girls while she was gone. I am very sorry to say this Miss David but Piper was K.I.A. this morning at 0400 hours. She got called out on a detail with my squadrant at 1600 hours yesterday and was suppose to be returning to her children in ten days." Dennis waits for a reply but when Ziva is silent he continues, "Does Piper have any family that can take in her girls?"
"No, she was an only child and her parents died before the girls were born."
"What about Mr. Piper, did he?"
"No, his brother died in a car accident when five and their parents died a few months before he was killed."
"Then we could put the girls in the foster system for you if you'd like."
"I cannot let you do that. I made a promise to aubry that if anything were to happen to her then I would look after the girls." She looks down the hallway towards the bullpen, "I will take care of them, they are already good friends with my daughter. It will just be like an extended sleepover."
"Okay, I am sorry for your loss ma'am. Piper always talked about you. We will keep you posted on funeral arrangements for her. We will be in touch." Dennis hangs up and Ziva leans up against the vending machine, unshed tears brimming her eyes. She slides down and sits on the ground just as Jenny walks by. She sees Ziva and walks over to her.
"What's wrong Zi?" She asks sitting next to her friend.
"I just got a call from the Air Force, one of their Senior Master Segreants."
"What'd they say?"
"Aubry died this morning. He did not say how, just that at four o'clock this morning she was killed in action."
"When was she suppose to come home?"
"Ten days, I am going to take care of her girls before you ask. I have managed with Colette and Colby and now Tony knows about them and he is more thanhappy that he can take care of them."
"What about your apartment. It barely fits you and the twins, how are you going to fit two other kids?"
"Find a house big eniugh I guess but that is not what I am worried about right now. It is telling Jessika and Jordan that their mother is dead. How am I suppose to do that? It is easier when you do not know the person but when they are like real family to you, that is harder."
"I could help, or you could just wait until they are older and understand."
"But they do understand, the same thing happened to their two years ago."
"Then we will tell them together later. Just not here, either wait 'til you get home or wait until after the op, but not before." She stands and holds out a hand to Ziva, "come on," she pulls Ziva to her feet, "they're probably looking for you back at the bullpen. If you want I can come over later and help you tell them, like you said 'it's easier when you don't really know the person'." Ziva whipes away the stray tear in her eye and walks with Jenny back towards the bullpen.
"Mommy where did you go?" Colette asks when she sees her mother walk up with Jenny. Ziva bends down and picks up her daughter.
"I needed a drink." The little girl looks at her mother and notices her eyes are slightly red.
"What's wrong mommy?" She asks in a quiet voice.
"Nothing, I will tell you later." She sits in her chair and looks at Jenny, mouthing 'thank you' to her before turning to McGee. "Did you get everything set for Sunday McGee?"
"Yeah, also tried to teach Colette how to work the plasma. She was like you when you tried to use it for the first time." Ziva smiles at the little girl in her arms then looked at the clock on her desk.
"It is already three, have you kids eaten lunch yet?" They all shake their heads no except Colby who is too distracted by his video game. She looks at Tony who says,
"I brought him a sandwhich when I got him from Duck like an hour ago."
"Okay, Gibbs, Jenny is it alright if I take the girls out for lunch?"
"Go ahead," they both say before Jenny turns towards the stairs and starts walking up them. She smiles a weak smile down at Ziva and continues to her office.
Ziva stands and puts Colette down, "come on girls, let's go get food. Tony can you watch Colby?"
"Yeah, if I leave before you get back I'll bring him home." She smiles a little before walking to the elevator. Once they get in the car Colette pulls out a note pad and pen from the glove box in the front seat and scribbles something down on it before handing it her Ziva.
"Hey sweetheart, I told you that I would tell you what was wrong later and have I ever bailed on a promise to you?"
"No but when you say later you didn't say a specific time and once later comes then technically it'll be now so really later never comes."
"Fine I will tell you once we get home tonight, okay, I will tell all three of you." They all nod and Ziva starts to drive. "So where do we want to go for lunch?" The three girls turn to each other before saying, in unison,
"Friendly's," they smile and drive to the restaurant. After they eat the go back to the car and before they get in Ziva says,
"Hey girls get in the car, I have to make a call then I will be right there." They nod and get in the back seat. Ziva pulls out her phone and dials Tony's number. He answers with,
"Hey, what do you need?"
"I have a proposal for you."
"And what would that be?"
"I need to find a house with at least four rooms, are you intersted in helping me?"
"Yeah, are you gonna tell me why you need a house though?"
"Aubry's girls are going to be mine, ours, if you would like."
"What happened to Aubry?"
"I will tell you later, see you at home?"
"Yeah, are you coming back to NCIS or are you just gonna go home?"
"Home,"
"Okay, I'll wrap up here and meet you there, bye Zi." He hangs up and Ziva gets in the car.
"Okay girls, are you ready to go home?"
"Yeah," Jessika speaks up with,
"Miss Ziva can we go to the cinema later?"
"That actually sounds relaxing, I will tell you what, when we get home use Colette's computer to look at the show times."
"Thank you ma'am." The rest of the drive was quiet, Ziva preoccupied with thoughts and the girls whispering to eachother in the back. Once they pull into a parking spot at Ziva's apartment Tony's car was already there. "Colette bring Jess and Dani inside, I will be there in a minute."
"Okay mommy," the little girl jumps out of the car followed by here friends and walks up the stairs. Ziva pulls out her phone and sends a text to Jenny saying that she wasn't going to be home and would tell the girls tomorrow. She puts her phone in her pocket and looks up to her apartment and sees Tony looking down at her smiling. She smiles back to him before walking up the stairs. Once she is in front of him he greets her with a quick kiss and says,
"Are we doing anything else tonight besides looking for a house for you?"
"The girls are looking to see if they want to watch a movie at the theater, and, I was hoping the house could be for us."
"Well then let's go inside and wait until the girls pick a movie." He takes her hand and they walk in. "And if you're ready you can tell me about Aubry." They sit down on the couch and she lies her head on his shoulder.
"I got a call from West Over, I recognized the number, they have called before. The man on the phone was different than last time, it seemed like itwas his first time giving someone bad news." Ziva looks down the hall towards Colette's room before whispering, "she was killed this morning. He did not say how just that she was suppose to be coming home in ten days, but she is not."
"And that's why you, we, need a house."
"Yes," Colette runs out of her room,
"Mommy we found a movie."
Sorry if this was sad for you. Usually my mood has a strong effect on how I write. Next chapter should be happier. Hopefully you liked this one. Please review if you like and have suggestions.
May
