Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. I am not a therapist, a parent or jewish.

For the rest of Saturday, Tony and Ziva's sole focus was Tali. It always was, but today and for the rest of the weekend, everything was about making sure Tali felt safe and secure in the knowledge that she was not going to be sent away and that Ziva was not going to leave. Tony and Ziva spent most of the time following their instincts. They watched Tali's favourite movies and TV shows, played games that Tali liked and enjoyed, ate her favourite foods. Clara popped over for a couple of hours on Sunday, with some fresh food and played with Tali to give Tony and Ziva a break. They also faced time with Senior in DC and Abby in London.

Saturday bedtime had been tricky. Tali was worried that she was going to have a nightmare again. Tony and Ziva caved pretty quickly into letting Tali sleep in their bed. On Sunday, however, Tali said she felt brave enough to sleep in her own bed. Fortunately, she did not have nightmares on Saturday or Sunday.

On Monday morning, both Tony and Ziva took Tali to school. They wanted to speak to Tali's teacher, Miss Fay, about how Tali was doing at school, about the weekend just gone and if she could recommend anything. Miss Fay recommended that they make an appointment with the school counselor, Mr. Simon.

Whilst they were waiting in the playground for the doors to open, Ziva and Tony encouraged Tali to make up with Ottie and Maddy. Tali walked over to Ottie and Maddy and within seconds they were hugging and BFFs again. Tony and Ziva were glad that Tali had such good friends.

After dropping Tali off, Tony and Ziva walked to Dr. Leroux's office. Ziva called over the weekend and asked if it was alright it Tony accompanied her to Monday's appointment. Leroux agreed and Tony and Ziva explained about Tali's confession.

'So Tali believes that you left because she was bad?' asked Leroux to Ziva. Ziva nodded. The idea that Tali thought her Ima didn't want her played heavily on Ziva's mind over the weekend. 'How does that make the two of you feel?'

'Terrible' said Tony.

'Horrible. Guilty' added Ziva.

'We thought she had moved on, or come to terms with everything' said Tony. 'She had stopped asking if Ziva was going to leave.'

'So what prompted this confession?' asked Leroux.

'Tali had a bad day on Friday and by bedtime, we have both told her off' said Ziva.

'Ziva sided with me' said Tony. 'Instead of Tali. She also had a bad dream about leaving and not being with us.'

'That made Tali worry she was going to be sent away or Ziva leaving' said Leroux. 'What did you two do in response?'

'Try to make sure she felt safe' said Ziva. 'Tell her that we love her and that no one is going away.'

'Ziva also sort of explained why she was away' said Tony. He looked at Ziva when he said it. Ziva had been convinced that staying away from everyone, including Team Gibbs and sorting Sahar on her own was the way to do it. Now, Tony worried if she was second-guessing every decision she had made.

Leroux made some notes.

'Well?' asked Ziva. She needed to know how to help her daughter.

'It's difficult to make any suggestions without meeting Tali, of course, but by the sounds of things, you to did what any parent would. From what I know about your history, is that Tali has only ever been with one of you, not both of you and has an underline worry of being separated from one or both of you.'

Ziva took a deep breath and Tony squeezed her hand for support.

'It is not uncommon, Ziva, for children to feel like this. Again, it's difficult to really say, but for Tali, that worry might be stronger than for other children. She might still be trying to figure out what family is. I have a couple of ideas that you could try and do at home.'

Tony and Ziva shifted on the sofa and listened to Leroux's suggestions.

A couple of days later, Tali and Ziva sat on the floor by the coffee table in the living room. They had finished Tali's homework and Ziva was about to suggest they try one of Dr. Leroux's ideas.

'Tali, I have an idea' began Ziva. 'But we are going to need your art supplies.'

'All of them?'

'Maybe just your colouring pencils for now.' Tali got up and went to fetch them from her bedroom. She came back with a very large pencil case that was bursting full of colour pencils. Ziva produced a large piece of paper and put it on the table.

'Ima, what are we doing?' asked Tali.

'We are going to make a poster about your family' said Ziva. She picked up a pencil and wrote Tali's family in the middle. 'Why don't you draw a picture of your face next to it?'

Tali smiled and drew her face next to her name.

'So, who is in your family, Tali?' asked Ziva.

'Daddy' said Tali. 'And you Ima.'

'OK, then.' Ziva wrote down Daddy and Ima on the poster. 'Draw our faces, yes?' Tali nodded and drew Tony and Ziva's faces. 'Who else is in your family?'

'Papa.' Ziva wrote Papa and Tali drew Senior's face. 'Auntie Abby.' They did the same, Tali being careful with Abby's pigtails. 'I almost forgot Uncle Tim' cried Tali.

'There is plenty of space for Uncle Tim' said Ziva, her voice with a relaxing tone. 'Anyone else?' she asked after Tali drew Tim.

'Clara?' Ziva nodded. They wrote and drew Clara. 'Can I draw Ottie and Maddy on it?'

'Of course, you can' said Ziva and Tali drew her friend's faces.

'What about Uncle Crispin and Ginny and Charlie?' said Tali. She drew them. Ginny and Charlie were Crispin's children. 'And there's Auntie Holly and Jack and Tom and Immy.' Holly was Crispin's younger sister, with Jack, Tom and Immy her children.'

'Can you think of anyone else?' Ziva smiled at Tali's thinking face, trying to laugh. It was difficult sometimes. Her daughter's thinking face was one of the funniest faces Tali could pull.

'No' said Tali, eventually.

'Ok then.' Ziva put the lid on her pen. 'Shall we put it up in your room?' Tali nodded and they stuck it up on the wall near Tali's bed. It was hard trying to find some space. Tali loved drawing and the entire apartment was full of her artwork.

'What's going on?' Tali and Ziva turned and saw Tony standing in the doorway.

'Hi, Daddy. We made a poster about my family.' Tali pointed to it, showing Tony.

'Wow, very nice. You OK?' he asked. Tali nodded.

'Yes. I got my family.'

Ziva stood outside the building, on the other side of the road. She looked up at the grandeur of the building, with its arches and circular windows. It was an old building, built the 1950s apparently. It was beautiful. Over the years, Ziva had lost count how many times she had stood outside a synagogue, wanting to go in. She did not. Not wanting to risk her life, risk the lives of the innocent men, women, and children who attended, risk the destruction of such lovely old, and important buildings.

'Ziva' called a British voice. Ziva looked up the road and saw Clara walking towards her. She waved back. They had spoken a couple of days ago and Clara mentioned that she was going to the Shabbat morning service and would Ziva like to come. Ziva didn't remember clearly saying yes, but a little over twenty-four hours later, here she was, about to go to her first Shabbat service in four years.

Clara walked up to Ziva. The two women looked at the building, admiring it.

'You ready?' asked Clara, smiling. Ziva smiled.

'Yes, I am.'

When Ziva got home from the Shabbat service, she found Tali and Tony in the living room, watching cartoons.

'Have you two moved at all since I left?' asked Ziva, sitting next to Tony.

'Course we have' said Tony, protesting. 'We made breakfast and ate breakfast.'

'And have not done the washing up' added Ziva.

'We're getting to it, Zi, alright?'

Ziva laughed and leaned forward to kiss Tony. This was nice, she thought. A peaceful Saturday morning. The service had been good and Ziva was looking forward to going next week.

I got an email from Crispin' said Tony.

'Your cousin?' asked Ziva. Tony nodded.

'He and Holly are going to Montpellier at the end of the month. A joint family holiday. He wanted if we could join them for one of the weekends.'

Tali ears pricked up. She went over to her parents.

'Can we go? Can we, please?' she pleaded with them.

'What do you think?' asked Tony to Ziva. 'First mini family holiday.' Ziva smiled.

'Ok. Let's go' she said.

'Yay!' cried Tali, jumping up and down.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Again, I am not a therapist, a parent or jewish. I did some research. I hope the idea of a family poster is good. I also decided that Tony and Crispin are similar in age, but his children are old than Tali. Immy is short of Imogen.

The next chapter will feature Montepellier.

Thank you for reading. See you soon :)