She rolls out of bed without the help of an alarm clock. Her internal alarm clock tells her that the baby will be awake in mere seconds. The clock tells her it is five a.m. She doesn't turn on the light, she simply wanders over to the crib. She looks inside, and finds Matthew sleeping. She stands, and watches him for several seconds. She gets the feeling that the baby is not the only one being watched. She looks up, and sees someone standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing?" she questions.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be creepy. I just got up to go to the bathroom. I looked at the clock, and I figured that you would be up."

Ziva lifts the sleeping baby out of the crib. She moves towards the doorway.

"Do you need something?"

"When are you going back to work?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well today is Monday, and..."

"I have only been off two weeks."

"I don't know how to put this, without hurting your feelings," she admits as she starts down the stairs.

"But?"

"But you are driving me crazy. You make me breakfast, and lunch, and dinner. You are waiting for me when I wake up. You tuck me in. You drive me to school, and pick me up from school."

"I thought that was what I was supposed to do," Ziva admits as she enters the kitchen. She holds Matthew with one arm. She uses her free hand to open the refrigerator, and get out a bottle. She unscrews the top, and puts it in the microwave.

"You are driving me crazy. I spend every waking moment with you. Can you please go back to work?"

"I thought that it was important that we got to know each other, that we bond."

"We've got the rest of our lives. You are bored aren't you? You are ready to go back to work."

"I am not ready to leave the two of you."

"Him. I am in school all day."

"I am not ready to leave him, with a stranger."

"Take him with you, until you find someone suitable."

"I do not think that is an option."

"Please go back to work, today."

"Why are you so insistent upon me returning to work?"

"This is not normal, spending every moment together. I am glad that I went to school."

"I am too clingy?"

"No, but..."

"But what?"

"You are trying too hard. I don't need you to pack my lunch every day. We can order dinner out sometimes. I like to eat cereal for breakfast. You don't have to do everything for me. I can put my dishes in the dishwasher, and I can pack my own back pack."

"I am your mother, it is what I am supposed to do."

"I can do things on my own. I am not saying that I don't need you."

"You are saying that you're eleven, not four?"

"Yes," she nods, "So will you please go back to work?"

She kisses Hannah's forehead, "You are the most unusual child I have ever met."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, I will go back to work, if it is that important to you."

"It is important for the both of us. I know how much you want to go back to work. Since I am up, why don't I take care of him, and... you can go take a shower?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I have to offer to help with him soon. The way he eats in a day or two, he is going to outweigh me."

Ziva opens the drawer, and drapes a burp cloth over Hannah's shoulder. She passes Matthew off to her. Hannah takes him into the living room, and takes a seat on the couch.

Ziva stops at the bottom of the stairs, "When do you want me to go back to work?" she jokes.

"It isn't funny. You have to go back, today."

"Ok," Ziva smiles as she heads up the stairs.

Hannah watches as Matthew ravenously sucks at the bottle. He stares back at her.

"I'm glad she agreed, aren't you? I think she was getting on your nerves to, wasn't she? I could tell. You tried to warn her, but she doesn't listen. You want to spend time with other people too. It doesn't mean you love her any less, it just means there are other people you like too."

He doesn't respond. He obliviously continues to suck on his bottle.

"You are going to be a man of few words. I can tell. Sometimes silence is the best option," she adds, "You'll probably wait until you're twenty before you start talking."

When Ziva returns downstairs she finds Hannah eating breakfast. Matthew sits in the middle of the table, sleeping in his bouncy chair.

"That is what you are wearing?" Hannah asks between bites of cereal.

"What is wrong with what I am wearing?"

"Why do you have dresses if you never wear them?"

"It is cold outside."

"I guess," she shrugs.

"Is that what you are wearing to school?"

"I am still wearing my pajamas."

"You need to hurry up."

Hannah sits her bowl in the sink, and leaves the kitchen. She stomps up the stairs. Ziva makes a cup of tea. She grabs yogurt, and takes a seat at the table. She sips her tea, and stares at the sleeping baby.

"Matthew?" she tickles the bottom of his foot with her finger.

His eyes flutter open. "Good morning handsome boy," she smiles, "Are you ready to get changed?"

He stares at her pensively. She finishes her breakfast, tossing the dishes in the sink, and the yogurt container in the trash can. She un-straps Matthew, and heads towards the stairs. She goes into his room for clothes. That was basically all that his room contained. It wasn't like he actually slept in there, his crib was in her room. After one night with him in his crib, in his room, she decided that it was unbearable. She grabs a diaper, and wipes. She opens a drawer, and pulls out his Ohio State outfit. As she finishes she hears a frustrated groan from down the hall. She lifts him off the changing table into her arms. She leaves his room, and wanders down the hall towards the bathroom. She pushes the bathroom door open. She finds Hannah standing in front of the mirror with a hair brush.

"Problems?"

"I can't do anything with my hair," she huffs.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Get it out of my face. It is everywhere."

"Should I help you, or let you spend the next twenty minutes attempting to do something with it?"

"Help me please," she replies.

Ziva uses her foot to close the lid on the toilet. She points, "Sit," she commands. Hannah takes a seat on top of the toilet seat. Ziva hands her the baby. She grabs a hairbrush, a comb, and a hair ties.

"Do not worry about hurting me. I like my hair tight. I don't want it falling in my face half-way through the day."

Ziva sections her hair off into two sections. She quickly, but tightly braids one side. She then equally as skillfully does the other side. She secures the braids with hair ties, and returns her utensils to the bathroom counter. Hannah looks up at her in amazement.

"You're done?"

Ziva nods as she takes the baby from Hannah. Hannah vacates her seat, and takes a look in the mirror.

"Is that good enough?"

"Yes," Hannah confirms.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Almost."

Ziva looks at her watch, "We need to leave in ten minutes."

"Leave the house for the car, or be in the car, and pulling away from the house?"

"The second one."

"What are you going to do with him while you're at work?"

"I thought that I would just leave him here," Ziva answers.

"You have a plan, I assume?"

"One that will work for today."

"You have to find him a nanny."

"I know."

"You have interviewed twenty five people. None of them are good enough?"

"I will admit my standards may be a little bit..."

"Out of sight?"

"Maybe."

She arrives in the NCIS squad room at 0658. She takes a seat at her desk. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed sitting at her desk, in her chair. The elevator dings, and Tony steps off. He makes his way to her desk. He looks down at her.

"Can I help you?" she wonders.

"What are you doing here? You are supposed to be on maternity leave."

"I have taken enough time off, besides Director Vance did not specify how much time I had to take off."

"You are ready to come back to work?"

"I was asked to," she reveals.

"By Gibbs?"

"Hannah."

"Who has Matthew?"

"A trusted friend."

"Who will be picking up Hannah after school?"

"She is going home with a new friend. The girl's name is Annie, and she lives a block away from us. She is in Hannah's art class. I am picking Hannah up from Annie's house after work."

"I see."