As Liya drove to Ziva's apartment, her eyes were focused on the road, but her mind was somewhere else. She thought back to what started this all. Not just this case though. It was deeper than that. 'This' referring to her working with Mossad, and it dated back to the day Tali was born.

- 1986 -

Sixteen year old Liya is in a hospital room, just her and her step-mom. Her father is in the waiting room with seventeen year old Ari and four year old Ziva.

It has been a long day and night. 17 hours of labour, but now she is holding a beautiful baby girl in her arms. A baby that she won't get to raise because of the decision she had made eight months ago.

"Ima?" Liya calls, "Are you sure this is the right decision? Am I making the right decision?"

Rivka strokes Liya's head, smoothing her hair and tucking it behind her ears, "Absolutely. You are doing the right thing, and Ziva will never know. Tali will simply be her sister."

"I don't want Tali to know either. I don't want her to think I don't love her."

Rivka smiles, shaking her head, "She won't."

"Still, I don't want her to know. I want to be her sister. You will be her mother, Ima. Just like you're mine."

"I love you, ahava shelli."

Liya smiles back, "I love you too, Ima."

A couple months after Tali was born, Liya went on her first Mossad mission.

- Present time -

Liya parked her car at the curb, walking up the apartment building steps as she remembered how just two months after giving birth she assigned her first Mossad mission.

When she was standing outside Ziva's apartment, she gave a light knock. Announcing her presence before opening the door and walking inside.

"Ima!" Chaya yelled as she ran to hug her mother.

Liya hugged her daughter back, picking her up as she walked over to Declan, giving him a one-armed hug and kissing the top of his head.

"We were so worried about you, Ima." Declan uttered, relieved as he hugged his mother back.

Liya smiled, "Oh…I thought about you both the entire time, but I knew you were both safe with your Aunt Z."

Ziva strolled over to her sister, "So…were you ever planning on telling me about what Shula really is?"

"I couldn't." Liya informed

"What about who she is?" Ziva wondered, crossing her arms, "Who she really is?"

Liya took a breath, still holding her kids close, "How did you find out?"

"Find out that Shula was made from your DNA?"

Liya's eyes widened. That was supposed to be classified.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Ziva asked

Liya let out a breath, "I had my suspicions, but I wasn't certain that…I didn't know."

"Okay. How did it happen?"

"Abba….ten years ago, just before I was loaned off to Interpol, Abba pulled me off a mission and gave me a special assignment with our government. I wasn't cued in on what that assignment was. They just took some DNA from me. I had no idea until I saw her picture two weeks ago. That was when Abba told me about Operation Flock." Liya explained, "She's at the embassy now, and I really should go."

Ziva nodded, "Yeah. With Ian still on the loose, the less time you spend here with the kids, the better. It's safer in Tel Aviv."

Liya leaned over the kids to hug her sister, "I love you, Z."

"I love you too, Li." Ziva replied as she hugged her sister back, squeezing her just a little tightly, "And thank you. For everything. Not just for this case, but for my whole life. No matter how hard Abba was on you, no matter what he did, you always tried to protect me."

"It was my job. Still is, but you have more family now. And a true father."

Ziva laughed, "Gibbs."

"Yeah. He loves you. Abba doesn't."

Ziva nodded, "I know. And you know, you don't have to work for Abba. He doesn't love you either."

"I know." Liya added, "But until Ian is caught, it's safer this way."

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

What would you like to see happen next?