After getting in her car, Liya drove straight her her children's school and picked them up early. The whole drive from Quantico to DC, she had one thing on her mind. It was getting to Ziva. But she did managed to explain what had happened to her children, especially since they were curious as to why they were being picked up early.

Liya didn't usually pick them up from school early, if she got the chance to pick them up at all. It was usually their nanny.

Two hours later, Liya and her children arrived at the Jewish temple where Ziva was praying. Declan and Chaya were both quiet, walking down the aisle in an orderly fashion, staying right beside their mother.

Liya sat down in the same pew as her sister, joining Ziva in the prayer. Declan and Chaya took their seats in the pew directly behind their mother and aunt, also reciting the same prayer.

"Li?" Ziva questioned, hearing her older sister's voice. She uncovered her eyes, looking over to her right, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you." Liya told her sister as she wrapped an arm around Ziva's shoulders, "Dec and Chay are here too. Right behind you."

Ziva gave a sad smile as she felt two hands on her back, one hand smaller than the other. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and as she stared at her older sister, she noticed that Liya's eyes were red and puffy too.

"You're crying." Ziva uttered, "I thought you didn't care about Abba anymore."

Liya nodded, "Yeah. Well, Abba came to see me three days ago. He wanted to make amends, and I shut him down. I've been thinking about everything. About what...about the chance that we lost."

Ziva leaned into her older sister's side as Liya was holding her close. The same way that Liya had her arms wrapped around Ziva, the younger sister too had her arms wrapped around Liya, holding her tightly as they both cried.

"Why does it hurt so bad?" Ziva wondered, through her tears.

"Because he was our father. He made mistakes. So many mistakes, but I believe that he still loved us. The best way he could at least." Liya explained

Behind them, Declan was holding his younger sister Chaya. He was trying to be strong as his little sister cried, grieving the loss of their grandfather, but Declan missed his Saba too.

In the back of the temple, standing and leaning against the door was Tony. He was glad that he had called Liya. It wasn't just that she deserved to know her father was dead, but knew that Ziva needed her. Watching them, he could see that Liya need Ziva just as much, but just like he observed Declan was being strong for Chaya, Liya was also being strong for Ziva.

He gave a small, sad smile before exiting the temple.

Ziva sniffled as few times, wiping her eyes after she pulled out of Liya's grasp, "How did you know to come?"

"Tony." Liya said, "He called me."

Ziva blinked, letting out a breath. As she felt her nose starting to drip, she sniffled again. She should have known.

"He cares about you, Z." Liya added

Ziva nodded, "I know."

There were a very moments of silence. The only sound that was heard was the shuffling of feet as Chaya walked around to join her mother and aunt, leaving Declan by himself.

"Do you think he ever loved us?" Ziva asked, looking at her older sister

"Yes." Liya replied, "You know, I remember the day you were born was one of the happiest days of his life. Abba loved us. He wasn't great at showing it, but he did love us."

Liya watched her daughter, cuddling up to Ziva and she felt her mind starting to drift. Not to the day that Liya had been talking about. The memory that had shifted to the forefront of her mind was not the birth of her sister. It wasn't even a memory of Ziva. It was a memory of her and Eli.

- 1976 -

Six year old Liya David is back in Israel with her father's family after spending two weeks with her mother. Liya is happy. She loves her father. She's happy when she gets to spent time with him. Usually, her father is very attentive to her when she's home, but she's been back for a few days and she's barely spent five minutes with him. He's been spending all his time in his office.

Her father has two offices - one at work and a home office. Right now, he's in his home office. Liya happily runs into his office, expecting her father to welcome her into his arms, but he doesn't.

"Abba?" Liya speaks sadly, questioning why her father doesn't seem to want her around.

"Hold on, one sec." Eli says as he is on the phone. He glances over at his daughter, "Mamaleh, I'm on an important call, but when I get off, we have something important to discuss."

Liya smiles, not knowing what the conversation is going to be about. She's just happy that she's going to actually be spending time with her father.

- End of flashback -

That conversation that Liya had with her father that day effectively ended her childhood, but it was what started everything. That day in 1976 was the first day of Liya's Mossad training.

"Abba had a really hard job, but he did love us. Not the way we deserved, or even the way we loved him, but he loved us they way he knew how. That way he had too in order to make strong. It wasn't fair and we didn't deserve it, but we survived and we have each other. I'm not going to leave you again." Liya pressed a kiss to her sister's temple, "I promise. I am here for you."

"You have always been there for me, Li. You have been the very best sister."

Liya shook her head, "No, I haven't been. I tried too."

"That's what counts. You tried."

Liya pulled her sister into another hug, sandwiching Chaya in the middle of them, "I love you."

"I love you too." Ziva replied as she called Declan over, pulling him into the hug too. "Mishpachah."


Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated. In fact, they keep me going.

Translations

Mishpachah - family

Shiva - seven (seven day period of mourning)