A/N: Thanks for being patient! I am sorry it took so long….. here it is…

xoxoxoxooxox

Go Karts:

"That was so much fun!" Kevin laughed walking out of the driving track.

"It was!" Alex laughed. Alex picked up his phone.

"Hello."

"Alex, I need your help." Ziva said into the phone.

"No problem, everything okay?" Alex asked.

"Just wondering if Danielle called you?" Ziva asked.

"No. Is she okay?"

"I don't know. She ran off and has been missing for 2 hours." Ziva said.

"I'm on my way." Alex said hanging up the phone.

"What's goin on?" Kevin asked.

"Danielle isn't at home." Alex said.

"O. Did she go out?" Kevin asked

"Yes." Alex said not trying to show how worried he really was.

"Okay. Are we trying to find her?" Kevin asked.

"No. I am trying to find her, you are going to bed." Alex said getting Kevin on the bus.

"NOO!!!!" Kevin yelled. "I wanna help!"

"Bed!" Alex said

"PLEAZZZE!" Kevin begged.

"Kevin, don't start with me." Alex said grabbing his phone and calling Danielle.

Yo you reached me, but I am not here, leave a message if it is important.

"Danielle. Call me back when you get this message. We don't know where you are. Please call me back." Alex said into the phone to the answering machine.

"But I am not tired!" Kevin said yawning.

"Sure." Alex laughed.

Tony and Ziva:

"Do you know anywhere she could have gone?" Ziva asked Tony.

"Um…" Tony thought. "Wait! There is this gym she used to go to. She knew the owner from before, he helped her a lot. Maybe she went there." Tony said.

"Good, let's go." Ziva said

Tony turned the car toward the old gym.

Ziva and Tony knocked on the door.

"Coming!" A man said from inside. When the door opened. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Danielle DiNozzo." Tony said. "She been here?"

"May I ask who you are?" The man said. "I don't just give out people's whereabouts just like that."

"Special Agent Anthony. NCIS." Tony said holding up his badge.

"May I ask what she has done?"

"Are you confirming that she has been here?"

"No, I am asking what trouble she has gotten into." The man said.

"Listen, that is my daughter and she has been missing for 3 hours and I am starting to get a little worried."Tony said.

"Your Danielle's father." The man said.

"Where is she?" Ziva asked.

"She came here about 3 hours ago and left an hour later." He said.

"Did she say where she was going?" Ziva asked.

"No. Just said she needed to let loose. She said she would lock up when she was done. I haven't seen her since then." He said.

"Okay."

"If she comes back, do you have a number I could call? She used to come here when she was little and her mom had her friends over." He said. "If I know her like I think I do, she will come back, either today or tomorrow. That is if she isn't home."

"She came here?" Tony asked.

"Ya, her and a little boy, they used to take the kickboxing class together. I remember when she would beat his ass. He got so mad." He said.

Ziva started to laugh. "What did you say your name was?"

"O, I didn't. My name is Mark. Mark Johnson." Mark said.

"Hi, I am Ziva." She said shaking his hand.

"Hi, listen I told her to work this out, she refused. I didn't want her to wander off and get hurt so I let her stay here. I knew she wasn't going to stay to long but I thought I could keep her safe as long as possible." Mark said.

"Thank you." Ziva said. "You can reach me at 555-9832."

"Okay." Mark said.

Ziva and Tony walked out of the gym and got into the car.

"McGee hasn't found anything." Tony said.

"She is a pro. She would have turned off her cell or took out the battery." Ziva said.

"Ya, I know, just, sometimes I wish she was normal and didn't act like a ninja." Tony said.

"Ha, that will never happen." Ziva said.

"I wish it would." Tony said.

Tony's House:

"Hello?" Alex said walking in.

"Alex?" Gibbs asked from the table.

"Here." He said. "I was going to drop Kevin off then go looking for Danielle."

"Stay." Gibbs said walking toward the door.

"No." Alex said. "I have to look for her."

"Stay." Gibbs said.

"Gibbs, I can't lose her." Alex screamed.

Gibbs stared at him.

"I can't live without her." Alex screamed. "I have already lost her once, I can't do it again. I finally have her, and even if it's selfish I can't let her go."

"Go." Gibbs said.

"Really?" Alex asked.

"Do you want me to change my mind?"

"Going." Alex said running out the door.

Once Alex was out Kevin began to talk.

"Are they getting married?" Kevin asked.

"For once, I don't think that we will ever be sure."

"Why?"

"One minute they love each other, they next they are ripping each other's hair out." Gibbs said.

"O."

"Come on, let's get you in bed." Gibbs said leading Kevin to Danielle's room.

"Noooo! I wanna stay up." Kevin yawned.

"I think it is time for bed." Gibbs said to the sleepy boy.

Headquarters:

"McGee?" Abby asked.

"I'm awake." He said jumping up.

"I have found nothing!" Abby said. "I have checked every camera on the D.C. streets. She is nowhere."

"Check…. Hmmmm..uhhh…" McGee said stuck on what to do next.

"I know. I can't think of anything." Abby said placing her head on her desk.

"Where would Danielle go if she was trying to stay away from sight?"

Abby's eyes widened and she started typing very fast.

"Abby?" McGee asked.

"There is only one place in D.C. that I have not checked." Abby said.

"Where?"

"HERE!" Abby said pulling up the NCIS security videos.

Secret Room:

"Where am I?" Danielle said waking up. "Shit!"

She said holding her head. She had a giant head ache.

She decided that she should leave. She got up and grabbed her duffle bag and went toward the door. She opened the door slowly and silently walked out. She was waiting for the camera to turn then bolted for the other hallway. Danielle carefully went undetected by the cameras. She went around to the stairs and hurried her way towards the ground floor. She snuck passed the front desk and back out on the street. She started to run home. She got halfway there when she ran into someone.

"Sorry." She muttered getting up and starting to run again.

"DANIELLE!" She heard from behind.

Tony's House:

"Gibbs?" Tony asked walking through the front door.

"Shhh…" Gibbs said pointing toward the bedroom. "Kevin is sleeping."

"When did he get here?"

"About 15 minutes ago." Gibbs said. "Alex dropped him off then went looking for Danielle."

Tony looked around. "Did you try to stop him? She doesn't want to be found, and no one will find her."

"I tried." Gibbs said, "but he gave a better argument."

"What was that?" Tony asked.

"They same thing you said to me when Ziva went missing. He can't live without her." Gibbs said walking away and going to the kitchen.

Tony looked at Ziva then he looked away.

"Tony?" Ziva said walking toward him. "What's going on?"

"He…..i didn't know……DAMN!" Tony said running out of the house.

"Gibbs!" Ziva said franticly running into the kitchen. "Tony has gone insane!"

"He is fine. Sit down, tea?" Gibbs said pushing a mug towards her.

"Gibbs!" Ziva said. "He just ran out!"

"Guess it runs in the family." Gibbs said sipping the coffee.

City Streets:

"DANIELLE!" The voice said from behind.

Danielle recognized it and ran faster and harder so she could get away.

The person chased her around the corner and was right on her tail. She lost them around 5th street but they caught up after 7th. She ran into a café and waited there to catch her breath. Once she saw them run past the café she walked to opposite way. She felt bad trying to ditch the person but, she needed her own time. Time to think. Danielle walked to the gym, for the second time that night. When she saw that the lights were on, she turned around and walked toward home.

Two Blocks Away:

Alex stopped to catch his breath. He had just been chasing Danielle but she had gotten away.

He pulled out his phone and called Tony.

"Ya." Tony said into the phone.

"I found her." Alex said.

"Where?" Tony asked.

"I was chasing her, she got away but she was on 7th street. I lost her at 8th and Porter." Alex said.

"Okay, I'll pick up from there, keep looking. Go backwards, she likely hid somewhere then backtracked once you passed." Tony said.

Alex shut the phone and ran the other way, hoping her could get to her soon.

Alex ran backwards watching the numbers slowly decline which each street he passed.

He finally saw a small silhouette in the distance.

"Danielle." He muttered under his breath as he ran towards the walking shadow.

He got to the person and turned them around.

"Excuse me?" the girl said.

"Sorry, wrong person." Alex huffed as he looked at strange girl, it wasn't Danielle.

2 blocks away:

Danielle walked up to her house. She looked through the front window and saw Ziva and Gibbs in the kitchen. She then went around the back and climbed up the ladder she had thrown down before she ran out. She got to the window and climb through waking up a small body in her bed.

"Hello?" It said as it squirmed.

"Shhh." Danielle said putting her finger on her lips and walking over to her bed.

"Danielle!" Kevin whispered.

"Yes, now please shush!" Danielle said sitting on the bed next to him.

"What are you doing?" Kevin asked. "Why did you run away?"

"It's complicated." Danielle said quietly.

"I'm glad you're okay!" Kevin said lunging towards her and giving her a hug.

"What made you think I wasn't?"

"Well, your dad and Alex finally became friends and I never thought that would happen. So, I thought you must be in trouble if they are going to work together." Kevin whispered.

"I am okay." Danielle whispered back.

"Can you go tell daddy. He is really worried." Kevin said.

"Gibbs? Worried?" Danielle snorted.

"Yup. i could see it in his face. I don't see why people don't get him, if you look close enough, you can tell what he is thinking." Kevin said.

"That's the problem, most people don't want to know what he is thinking." Danielle laughed.

"O." Kevin said.

"Tell you what, if you go get Ziva, and only her, I will tell her I am okay then she can call the boys." Danielle said.

"What do I say?" Kevin asked. "Gibbs can tell when I am lying."

"Don't lie. Ask her to read a story." Danielle said. "She will. Gibbs won't know. Just say you can't sleep."

"Okay." Kevin said getting up and walking out of Danielle's room. Danielle took the opportunity to change in comfortable cloths before they came back.

Danielle heard footsteps outside the door. She also heard Kevin's voice.

"You have to be really quiet. When you walk in you cannot scream." He said.

"Why?" Ziva asked.

"Because,….. my friend is sleeping." Kevin said.

"Someone else is in there."

"Yup, he traveled with me from my grandmas. He was packed in my suitcase." Kevin said.

Ziva laughed and opened the door quietly. Danielle stood behind the door so that she wouldn't be seen first.

Kevin led Ziva to the bed and laid down under the covers.

"What story would you like to hear?"

"None." Kevin smiled.

"Huh?" Ziva asked.

"I brought you here." Danielle said coming from the shadows.

"Danielle." Ziva said surprisingly.

"Shush!" Danielle said walking over to her quickly. "No one can know I am here."

"Danielle, what were you thinking?" Ziva asked

"I'll explain later. First tell Alex to go home and tell my dad to come home. Tell them I am fine and called. I am staying at a friend's house till tomorrow." Danielle said.

"Why?"

"Because, we need to talk." Danielle said motioning between her and Ziva. "And they both will come back here running and getting me to explain things when I need someone who wouldn't judge me, or almost kill me."

"Fine. Come on Kevin. Let's go see Gibbs." Ziva said holding out her hand to Kevin. "You." She said pointing at Danielle, "Will stay where you are and if anyone comes in here you are in the closet. Got it?"

"Yup!" Danielle said happily sitting on her bed.

"Kevin, you can't tell anyone that Danielle is here." Ziva said.

"I know. I pinky promised!" Kevin said holding up his pinky.

Ziva smiled and led him out of the room and towards the kitchen.

"Gibbs." Ziva said. "I just got a call from Danielle. She is at a friend's house, safe, unharmed and upset. She said not to worry, she will be back tomorrow."

"Good. Do you know where?" Gibbs asked.

"No. She didn't say."

"Ha. Okay, let's call the man hunt out looking for her." Gibbs said grabbing his cell phone. Gibbs called Tony and Ziva called Alex. They both arrived back at the house at the same time.

"Where is she?" Tony asked.

"Friends." Ziva said. "She will be back tomorrow, now, go get some sleep."

"Who?" Alex asked.

"Will you both listen to me?" Ziva yelled. "She is not here, she will not come home, she is afraid of both of you! She doesn't want to choose between you two. Stop pressuring her, give her space, let her make her own decisions!"

"But…" Tony started.

"NO!" Ziva interrupted. "Even if I did know the whereabouts of that girl I wouldn't tell you. You both need to sleep this over. Just be happy she is safe." Ziva screamed.

"Let's go Kevin." Gibbs said. "Alex?"

"Coming." He said.

Tony waited until they left before he talked to Ziva.

"Is she really okay?"

"Yes. She is fine. Now, go to bed. I have some things to take care of at my place. I'll be back." Ziva said kissing Tony's cheek.

"Okay." Tony said yawning and walking to his bedroom. Once he shut the door Ziva went into Danielle's room and motioned her to follow.

Danielle quietly followed Ziva to her car.

"Okay, we are going to my place. I need some things and then we can talk, alone." Ziva said.

"Thank you." Danielle said sitting in the passenger seat.

The car ride there was silent. When they got there Ziva led the way to her apartment and Danielle got comfortable on her couch. Ziva soon came out with a bag and put it by the door. She sat down next to Danielle.

"Okay, I just have a few questions before you start." Ziva said.

"Okay."

"Where did you go tonight?" Ziva asked.

"First, the gym. Next I ran to headquarters and fell asleep in the secret room. Then I was on my way back to the gym when Alex saw me. He ran after me but I lost him and came home." Danielle said.

"Okay." Ziva said. "That is really all I wanted to know."

"Okay, I'll start from the beginning. I was sadly kissing Alex when dad walked in and was surprisingly really cool about it. Once Alex left, he went insane. We yelled and fought and finally it led to me having to make a choice between my dad and Alex. I decided not to choose either and ran out. You know the rest from there but, I told my dad the truth. If he was to make me choose between him and Alex, I would choose Alex. I didn't want to be mean, or make him thing he is a bad father. Cause he isn't it's just, I don't think I can live without Alex." Danielle said.

"But you have lived without a father." Ziva said.

"Ya, I know it would be hard at first but, I think I could do it. I would go insane if Alex wasn't here. I don't know why? It's not like I try to choose or try to like either of them better, I just do." Danielle said.

"Ahh." Ziva said. "I know what you are going through. I had to make that same choice too."

"When?"

"Before Somalia, my father, made me choose between NCIS or Mossad. He told me I had to prove my loyalty to him. I chose Mossad over NCIS. Granted there were reasons for my actions, it was still my choice and I knew what I was getting into, I just was too stubborn to see the truth." Ziva said.

"And what was that?" Danielle asked.

"My dad was using me to get business done. I was just another body. I never meant anything to him. I learned the hard way to trust your instincts. It took me almost dying before I could see the true reason for everything that had happened that passed summer." Ziva said.

"So you are saying to trust your instinct." Danielle said.

"Yes, to an extent. I don't want you to regret anything. I think we have both learned life is too short for regrets. Thankfully, we have both gotten a second chance at life, so don't waste it. We have to live with our choices." Ziva said.

"I get it." Danielle said.

"Good." Ziva said. "So, tell me about before. When you and Alex were just friends."

"What do you want to know? We hung out a lot. The neighborhood wasn't as bad as it is now. We would go to the gym. There is a Chinese place 4 blocks away that we went to every night. I went to school at a boarding school. He was there. We grew up together. More like really close brother and sister things. But never felt that way. If you saw us, we looked like brother and sister but we weren't. I went to Florida and saw my dad. From there I went straight to Israel. I didn't see him for 3 years. Faked my death then went back and enjoyed life. Then Somalia happened then a year later he was sent to military school. Then my mom died and the rest is history." Danielle said.

"That's a big history." Ziva said.

"I have known him since I was 4. It's been a long time" Danielle said.

"Kevin really likes you." Ziva said.

"Ya. I guess since his mom died when he was little, I was his 'mother' sorta. I hung around him a lot and made sure he did stuff like brushing his teeth and stuff." Danielle said. "Alex was planning on adopting him when he turned 18."

"Really." Ziva said.

"Ya, once Alex moved out, he didn't want his dad to take out his anger on Kevin." Danielle said.

"Alex is a very responsible person." Ziva said. "He seems to know what he wants in life."

"I don't know." Danielle said. "The only thing I think he really wanted was a better life for Kevin."

"I am glad that they both have a better life." Ziva said. "Gibbs is trying really hard to get the adopted."

"I know. Kevin really likes Gibbs." Danielle laughed. "He calls him dad now."

"I heard."

"It's really cute." Danielle smiled.

"Wow, it's already 12:30. We should start heading back." Ziva said.

"O. Wow. Ya, let's go." Danielle said.

They both go into Ziva's car and drove to the DiNozzo residence. Ziva walked in first making sure Tony was asleep, when she was sure, she lead Danielle in.

"Hey Ziva," Danielle said before closing her bedroom door.

"Huh?"

"Thanks for listening." Danielle smiled.

"Anytime." Ziva smiled back at her before retreating to Tony's bedroom.

A/N: Tell me what you think! REVIEWS!