Leora was marching down a bland grey corridor, irritated by her escort's slow pace.
"Almost there!" the woman who had met her at the front doors said brightly, as though she were on her way somewhere exciting. Leo didn't respond to her chirpy statement and continued peering through the blinds of every window they past hoping for a glimpse of her sister. "Here we are." they came to an abrupt stop in front of yet another plane door and the woman swung it open to reveal a small room painted a pale, calming blue.
"LEO!" Zippy leapt up from the sofa and ran towards her,
"Hi Zippy, are you ok?" she scooped the little girl up in her arms and cupped her cheek gently,
"Want to go home!" Zippy demanded,
"Yeah I know, me too. It's ok we'll be going soon."
"Now?"
"Soon!" Leo chuckled quietly, Zippy never could understand the concept of soon, everything had to be instantaneous.
"Leora?" Leo looked up and noticed for the first time a slightly plump woman standing in front of an armchair with her hand outstretched. "My name is Kathy,"
"What is happening, why are we here?" Leo asked, ignoring her hand, Katherine McLeod let her arm drop to her side and smiled reassuringly.
"Well, there are some concerns about your situation so we're just going to have a little chat about . . ."
"Concerns? What concerns? Our situation is fine!"
"Well then if that's the case . . ."
"That is the case! So can we go home now?"
"No, you need to answer a few questions first I'm afraid."
"Look, I am not answering any of your questions until you answer mine!"
"Ok," Mrs McLeod sighed and sank into the chair, "I'll tell you exactly what I know, I need to right a report up either recommending that Ziva David be granted temporary custody of you and your sister for the time being which hopefully should be accepted by the judge assigned your case in Israel."
"Well we want to stay with Ziva . . . "
"Stay with Zizi!" Zippy exclaimed suddenly,
"See! It is better for us here." Leo stared at McLeod who had kept a calm smile plastered on her face throughout her rant.
"Well, the quicker we get through this then the quicker I can write up a report. Come and sit down, all you have to do is tell me a bit about yourself and your life here and I promise I'll do everything I can to get this sorted out quickly. I'll have that report on the judges desk by the time he gets into work tomorrow morning, but you have to help me ok?" Leo stood still for a moment, considering her words carefully. "Leo, trust me I am not interested in making your life miserable, I'm here for you and your sister." the sincerity in her voice finally convinced Leo so she stepped towards the sofa and sat down.
"What do you want to know?" Katherine smiled at her and pulled out a pen,
"Well let's start with you describing your life here ok? Just you average day."
The next morning Tony was gradually emerging from sleep when he realised that his bed was empty, he forced his eyes wide open to check the time. It was only five past six so he groaned and rolled back over onto his stomach, he assumed Ziva had gone out for a run which was probably for the best- she had a lot of pent up frustration that he definitely did not want to be on the receiving end of. He lay still for a few moments with his head buried deep inside the pillows thinking how strange it was to wake up naturally, without Zippy poking him awake and demanding breakfast. He thought back to the last time he saw her, she had been hysterical, screaming. Would she blame him? He hadn't stopped that woman from taking her, what if she hated him now? A tight knot formed in his stomach and he sighed at that depressing thought. He wallowed for a further few seconds before a loud crash finally drew him out of his thoughts, frowning he dragged himself out of bed to investigate. Shuffling through to the kitchen, his head still slightly fuzzy from sleep he caught sight of Ziva kneeling on the kitchen floor, surrounded by pots, pans, casserole dishes, bowls, roasting trays- basically the entire contents of his cupboards. He sighed and lent on the breakfast bar,
"Ziva, please tell me you are not cleaning out my kitchen at six in the morning on a Sunday." Ziva pulled her head from deep within his units with an annoyed expression on her face,
"Well I could not sleep, what else should I be doing?"
"I don't know, going out for a run?"
"What? I cannot go out what if someone phones about the girls?"
"Again. Six o clock. On a Sunday!"
"Not in Israel! It is the middle of the day there!" she replied indignantly, he just shrugged and rested his head on his hands and observed the mess on the floor.
"You're gonna put all this back right?"
"Of course!" she disappeared back inside the cupboard with her cloth, "What I do not understand Tony is why do you have all these utensils and yet you never cook!"
"Hey, I cook! Sometimes."
"Oh I see." she reappeared with an eyebrow raised, "You do cook, just not for me is that how it is?" she shook her head and dropped the cloth back into the basin, "After all the meals I have made you!"
"I would cook for you." he met her eyes and smiled, "I just didn't want to compete with the master." she returned his smile wordlessly before turning to pick up a towel to dry the shelves. "Hey, you know what would be a better use of your time right now?"
"What is that Tony?"
"Breakfast making! Yeah, I would like scrambled eggs with some toast I think." he sat up on a stool, grinning down at her indignant expression, "Oooh oooh and a fried tomato!"
"Tony, I am a little busy here!"
"Hey, you made me get out of bed at six! On a Sunday! The least you could do is make it worth my while. Oh and I'm adding a waffle to my order." Ziva narrowed her eyes,
"I did not make you get up!"
"Well you woke me up and you know very well that if I'm not asleep then I'm hungry!" he pleaded with her until she finally rolled her eyes and stood up, picking up one of the pans. Tony watched as she moved around the kitchen, pleased that at least for a moment he had taken her mind off the girls.
An hour and a half later Tony was washing up the breakfast plates while Ziva gave his units one final wipe when her phone started ringing. She flung her cloth down and pulled it out of her pocket,
"Hello? . . . Shalom Benjamin." Tony stared at her intently, holding his breath nervously as he studied her face for any signs of distress. But he needn't have worried as her face was soon split in two by a fantastic smile, spreading from ear to ear, "KEN!" she shouted and punched the air ecstatically as Tony's heart rose in relief. Ziva said a few more sentences before hanging up, "Yes, yes, yes!" she shouted leaping towards him and throwing her arms around his neck. "They said yes! The girls are staying here!" he laughed and wrapped her up in his own arms,
"See, I told you you're doing a great job!" he squeezed her tight,
"Yes, yes you did!" she slid back from him, leaving her arms resting on his shoulders she looked up at him. Her face was glowing with a beatific smile while her eyes shone brightly at his own, he had never seen her this happy or excited. He could probably count the number of times she had ever hugged him on one hand and yet she had just leapt across the room and grabbed him in a bear hug. She was practically Abby! "Thank you again Tony."
"I was just calling things as I saw them." he returned her grin, still holding her in his arms. She pulled him close again for another squeeze before jumping back and clapping her hands.
"Well come on then! Get dressed lets go lets go lets go!" she made a shooing motion at him but he didn't move,
"Where are we going?"
"What? What do you mean where are we going? To get the girls of course!" she frowned at him,
"Yeah but where from?" she raised a finger and opened her mouth to answer but then furrowed her brow and dropped her arm,
"Oh." she paused, her smile momentarily fading, "I will phone child services and ask!" she flipped open her phone but Tony grabbed her arm,
"We need to wait until they call us, they might not even know about the judgement yet and if you harass them it'll just annoy them." Ziva pursed her lips and frowned at him,
"But,"
"Look, it must have been a good report so we have nothing to worry about it won't be long till we get the call." he said calmly, knowing that haranguing the department would just slow things down. Ziva scowled at him for a moment before softening,
"Fine. But at least go and get dressed so we can leave as soon as they phone."
Two hours later and Ziva was practically bouncing off the walls as she paced back and for the through the apartment, pining round like the bullet she had fires in the freight container. Tony was just thinking that when the phone finally rang, Ziva pounced on it in a flash,
"Hello? . . . Yes . . . Great, we are on our way." she hung up and turned round to find Tony already on his feet and pulling on his jacket. He grinned at her and grabbed his car keys as she ran towards the door.
Tony let her drive and they arrived at the offices in a terrifyingly short time. They rushed up the steps and through doors to where Katherine McLeod was waiting to meet them. She looked exhausted following a late night rushing through their report,
"Good morning," she said as they approached,
"Where are they?" Ziva demanded, foregoing pleasantries,
"Upstairs, follow me." Katherine replied spinning around to lead the way. They followed her silently for a few minutes until they stopped at a door which McLeod pushed open.
"Can't see them." Zippy whined as Leo held her up to the window, "Not there,"
"Well keep looking for their car Zippy, they're on their way."
"That's the wrong window girls." the second Ziva spoke Leo spun round, taking Zippy with her,
"ZIZI!" Zippy squealed as Ziva rushed forwards and grabbed her from Leo and hugged her tightly before wrapping her other arm around the older girl, squeezing them both tightly.
"Are you ok? I'm sorry you had to . . . "
"We're fine, don't worry." Leo returned her hug just as fiercely before slipping away from her and walking towards Tony who was hovering just behind, "Hi," she said simply before pulling him into a hug too, he grinned happily and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He wasn't sure what to say so he contented himself with just hugging her. He looked at Zippy who had her face buried against Ziva's neck, his niggling fear returning but after a few seconds Zippy pulled her face out,
"Pickle, Pickle, Pickle!" she reached her arms out to him, Leora stepped back and Ziva passed the little girl over. Tony took her into his arms and she clung onto him tightly, wrapping arms and legs around him. He felt his fear fade away as her little fingers buried their way into his hair, tugging on it gently. She straightened up and looked at him in the eye,
"Miss Pickle."
"I missed you too Zippy," he replied and kissed her cheek, she giggled and wiped the damp spot off.
"Uck!"
"Oh charming!" he smiled as Leo and Ziva laughed.
"Well, I just have a couple of things here for you to sign and then I'll show you out ok?"
"Yes ok," Ziva said as she moved towards the woman and picked up a pen. Soon they were all heading back down the corridor, Tony carrying Zippy and Ziva walking with an arm slung across Leo's shoulder. When the reached the doors Katherine McLeod stopped,
"Good bye then,."
"Yes, good bye," Ziva paused briefly before continuing towards the door but Leo slid out from her arm and turned to the social worker,
"Thank you," she held out her hand, Katherine was taken aback, unused to being thanked for her work but after a second she smiled widely and held out her own, shaking Leo's hand warmly.
"You're very welcome Leo, good luck I hope everything works out the way you want it to." Leo nodded and turned away, following Tony and Ziva to the car.
As soon as they got home they all flopped onto the sofa, resting their feet on the coffee table. Zippy curled up into a ball on Ziva's knee, snuggling up close while Ziva stroked her hair.
"Are you tired honey?"
"Well she made me stay up all night playing that princes memory game, it was in our room." Leo complained, "She kept wanting to find Jasmine because she has dark hair like ours!" Ziva smiled and continued caressing the little girl's hair as her eyes slowly flickered shut.
"What about you? Are you alright?" she turned to Leo,
"Yes I am fine. I cannot believe I missed my camping trip though, after all the money my stuff cost." Tony whimpered in mock anguish,
"Don't remind me! Oh god the tent!"
"Well . . . It did not look very sturdy anyway."
"What? That's even worse! I knew I should have gone with you, got you a proper tent!"
"With your extensive camping experience?" Ziva asked sarcastically,
"Everyone knows camping is a man's thing, it's man stuff. I can choose a tent thank you Zee-vah!" he retorted childishly, before addressing Leo again,
"You know I could drive you back up for the rest you only missed one day." he offered but she shrugged and lent back against his arm which was resting against the top of the sofa.
"No thank you, I think that I would rather stay at home tonight."
"Ah good choice, you're in or a treat. I'm cooking tonight!" he announced, Ziva raised her eyebrows incredulously, and opened her mouth but Leo jumped in first,
"What? you're going to cook?"
"Why are you so surprised by that?" he frowned at her, "I can cook you know . . . I have all the utensils!" he insisted, causing Ziva to snort with laughter.