Hi! I'm finally back!

Thanks for all the reviews everyone - Troubled-Angel-26 (always so fast to comment! I think that you must be my speediest reader!), Hetwaszoietalsals, his-red-head, HannaBananas13 (love the username!), DS2010, Loads of Randomness, Hawk, S, Guest Who, Guest (I'm glad to hear about your enthusiasm!), Fan (Gibbs will definitely babysit at some point; also, I'm glad that you notice the continuity - I try!), MissShephardGibbs (hmm - sensing that you like Jenny and Jethro together?!), Fashionista-girl, HappyGuest, A, Suzy Q1068 (I love how people keep being reminded of toddlers that they know! I laughed when I read your comment - keep in mind when you read the chapter that I had already written it before reading your response!), and KrisShannon (Ziva definitely loves liveliness when she is playing!).

I worked at a daycare, so this chapter was fun to write. I hope that you enjoy, and thank you so much for the patience as I get back into my regular schedule. Hugs!

...

Ziva had clung to her Mama's hand as she looked around in confusion. Here they were at "daycare" and there was not a single baby animal in sight! No baby hippos, no alligators - not even an ordinary puppy or kitten! Instead, there were a bunch of kids screaming and playing with toys. Ziva played with them for a few minutes, but then she had noticed Mama getting lost and leaving without her. Ziva had run over and grabbed onto Mama, but now two ladies were trying to pull them apart while they called her "sweetheart" and "honey". They were trying to steal her away from her mommy!

But the worst part was ... Mama let them!

"Bye bye, darling. I'll pick you up after work," Mama said, giving Ziva a quick, nervous kiss on her cheek before disappearing out of the door like a coward.

Ziva tried to run after her, but one of the ladies picked her up and held on tight, even when Ziva thrashed and squealed at the highest decibel she could manage.

"MAMA! MAMA! MAMA!" Ziva screamed in panic as she came to terms with the fact that she could no longer see her mother. Besides the times when she was sleeping, she had been around Mama all the time since they moved to America. It was traumatizing to lose sight of her.

"Do you want to read a story?" the lady holding her asked after several minutes of trying to calm her down while Ziva panicked.

"MAMA!" Ziva screamed. It was not working. Mama had disappeared.

The lady tried again. "Do you want to play with the toys?"

Ziva swiped at the big tears trickling down her cheek and adamantly shook her head. She pointed to the door and whimpered in the most pitiful way possible, "Mama!" Maybe this lady would help her go find Mama. The lady shook her head and smiled kindly.

"Ziva, your mommy went to work. She'll be back later. She wanted you to stay here and have lots of fun."

Ziva wiggled wildly, wanting to get down and run to the door, but the lady held her tight.

"How about we go play with Benny and Izzy over in the block corner? Do you like blocks?"

Ziva went quiet. She had worn herself out a little with screaming and kicking, and Mama had not come back. Maybe she never would. It was sad. She began to suck her finger and blinked away the tears so that she could focus on the little boy and girl that the lady was talking about. They were playing with giant cardboard blocks that made huge piles. Izzy giggled as Benny knocked over the current tower. It did look like it was fun - maybe.

"I'm Miss Lora," the lady said as she sat down next to Benny and Izzy and settled Ziva in her lap. "And this is Benny and Izzy. Can you guys say 'hi' to Ziva?" She's going to be your new friend!"

"Hewwo, Zida!" Benny said enthusiastically, nearly falling onto her as he tripped on some blocks. Miss Lora steadied him with a chuckle.

"Watch out, buddy! You have blocks everywhere over here!"

"I'm thwee!" Izzy told Ziva proudly. "I'm a big giwl! My biwfday is soon."

"That's right. Izzy is going to be four next week."

Ziva pulled her finger out of her mouth. It was about time that she have a voice in the conversation.

"Mama don," she informed them seriously. It was important that everyone know the travesty committed against her.

"Mommy comes befowe suppew," Izzy told her, patting Ziva's head like she was a puppy. "Come play!"

"Oh, that sounds fun," Miss Lora said enthusiastically. "Who wants to make a big tower?"

"Me!" Izzy cheered.

"Me!" Benny echoed.

"What about you, Ziva?"

Ziva shook her head back and forth. No, she was not interested in playing. She was still much too sad about her mommy leaving. She was not screaming anymore, but she was still upset. She wiped away quiet tears while Izzy, Benny, and Miss Lora played with the blocks.

...

"How are you holding out?" Gibbs asked Jenny as he finished updating her on the current case.

"I'm a wreak," Jenny admitted, slumping a little in her chair. "I am so worried that she will think that I am never coming back and will hate me when I go to pick her up and never want to see me again!"

"She's two and at daycare, not sixteen and in prison. She'll be glad to see you when you go back in a few hours."

"Maybe."

"Jen, she's fine."

Jenny sighed. "This is just so much harder than I ever thought that it would be."

"Relax. She's okay. She's probably having lots of fun."

...

Ziva whimpered through morning snack, sniffled through lunch, and sobbed herself to sleep at nap time. She did NOT like daycare!

But when she woke up and began to sniffle once again, missing Mama's hugs, she suddenly spotted craft supplies being taken out and placed on the table that was just the right size for toddlers to have a good view of everything.

There were plates full of beautiful paint just waiting for hopeful young artists.

"Want to come finger paint, Ziva?" Miss Julie asked. Miss Lora was already helping Benny dip his hand in red paint. It did look fun. Ziva nodded cautiously. Within minutes, she was dressed in a painting apron and cheerfully patting green hand prints all over the brown paper tablecloth. She forgot all about missing Mama as painting transitioned to snack time and snack time transitioned to playing outside in the sandbox. She was dancing around in the early autumn wind and fallen leaves when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Hi, Ziva baby!"

Ziva tripped - once again, those sneakers got in the way! - then scrambled to her feet, a dimpled grin lighting up her whole face.

"Mama!" She ran to the gate and Miss Lora let her out, where Ziva promptly grabbed her mama's knees in a tight hug before transitioning to trying to climb her.

Mama laughed and picked her up, kissing her cheek.

"You look like you had fun! Did you like daycare?"

Ziva, once again safe with Mama, looked around at the daycare. It had been fun, but she suddenly remembered how upset she was that Mama had left. Promptly, she burst into tears.

...

"What is the matter?" Jenny asked in genuine confusion. How come Ziva, who had been giggling twenty seconds ago, was now crying against her chest? Nothing that bad had happened since she arrived. She looked around for any reason for the sudden tears.

"This happens all the time," Lora chuckled. "I think the babies and toddlers just like to keep up the protest that they really don't want to be left behind. My little guy used to do it all the time whenever I left him with a babysitter."

Jenny relaxed a little, rubbing circles on Ziva's back. "So are you just doing this for show?" she asked the toddler. Ziva blinked innocently and pointed to the car.

"Doh buh bye!"

"In a minute." Jenny turned back to Lora. "How was the rest of her day?"

"She was fussy at first and definitely had some hard moments, but it was just an average first day for a kid her age. She did pretty well and I'm sure that it will only get better. Right, Ziva? You and Benny and Izzy and the other kids can have fun again tomorrow!"

Ziva tilted her head at the new information, but turned back toward the car.

Jenny patted her back. "You ready to go home too? Let's go get some supper ready, baby."

"Bye bye!" Izzy hollered.

"Bye bye!" Benny echoed

"Buh bye!" Ziva said charmingly, waving to her two new friends who were watching from the sandbox.

Jenny smiled and kissed Ziva's cheek again. They had made it through the first day of daycare and Jethro was right - Ziva still loved her, if the kisses and chatter about "Hungwy - ookies?" were any clue.

...

I hope that you enjoyed. Thanks for reading! If you have a moment, please leave a comment. I love to hear from you!