Chapter 4: Building a Support System

After Anthony's emotional revelation, the principal called for a break for everyone. He had the attorney provide the other families with information about counselling for the kids and how to have their family legal representation contact the school's attorney if needed. All of the families signed confidentiality agreements with the school system. The other families headed home for the day; many of the parents had stopped near Tony and Ziva to offer whatever support they could.

The couple thanked each one, but the understood agreement between both DiNozzos was the need for the family to have some privacy to absorb and process the information they had just learned. While they were waiting for the next stage of the conference, Mrs. Griffith collapsed.

Ziva herded her four back towards the conference room, as far away from the woman as possible. Tony was torn between his family and helping a human in distress. His agent training took over at first. He checked the woman for pulse and breathing.

"You," he pointed at the niece, "Call 911 NOW!" She went to make the call as the school nurse entered the room.

"Pulse is strong, breathing labored, she has been unconscious for about six minutes," Tony informed the nurse as he backed away. "If you got this, I'm going to my family…" The nurse nodded. Tony turned and walked to the conference room. He spotted Ziva and the kids sitting in a group of upholstered chairs near the windows in the room and just about ran to them.

He drew all five into a group hug, "We need to get Gibbs and LJ on board with what went down today. LJ especially… DiNozzos stick together!"

"Like Superglue!" all four children said as one. Tony and Ziva met gazes over the heads of their children; they would get through this latest as they always did, together.

"The unwritten rule," Ziva mouthed to her husband. He nodded; 'you do what you gotta do for family.'

The family sat quietly together in the conference room while EMTs arrived and took Mrs. Griffith to the emergency room. The school attorney conferred with the principal as the stretcher was taken to the ambulance. After about ten minutes, they both came over to the DiNozzos.

"Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo," Mr. Jefferson began the conversation. "We are going to suspend the conference for today. Anthony, you were very brave to tell about what happened in front of all the others in the room. I will be contacting your parents about a deposition from you in the near future. My assistant has already contacted the FBI, so I am sure you will be contacted by them soon.

"We strongly suggest that you obtain a lawyer to represent your family in any investigation, litigation and other actions that may arise. I hate to say this, but with both of you being Federal agents, I am sure you are aware that the legal process is not a quick one. If this goes to trial, it will be at least two to three years from now.

"I will have to get the final approval from the school board, but I am sure they will agree. We are offering counselling for Anthony and the girls for as long as they need it. All of their discipline records will be expunged; they will all have a clean slate as of today.

"Mr. Benton will contact you next week about other options that may present themselves as this is investigated and the school board receives recommendations." He indicated to the principal that he could add any additional information at this point.

"Rivka and Beth, there will be a new teacher in your classroom on Monday. I told the others the same thing that I am going to tell you. If you feel that you need to switch classes, please tell me as soon as possible. I want you both to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom for the entire school year. I will do whatever is needed to make sure you have a good school year and that there is no negative fallout from today.

"I know kids talk, and I am sure you are going to have some of the others ask you about today. Remember that your parents have signed a confidentiality agreement with the school board. It's okay to tell anyone who asks about today that you can't talk about it. If anyone persists in giving you trouble or asking questions, especially if it makes you uncomfortable, let me know immediately. I will deal with them. Any questions?" He looked at the family.

"I'm not worried about the kids at the high school; I'm only there two days a week for P.E., but what about Anthony? How do we protect him from the middle school kids?" Tali asked.

Anthony started to protest, but Ziva cut in, "Middle school kids can be cruel. I am concerned about the kids starting rumors and picking on Anthony."

"Ima, I will be fine," Anthony interjected.

Tony put a hand on his son's shoulder, "I think what Ima and Tali are saying is that they don't want you to have to deal with any more stuff right now from someone being mean or starting a false story about you. We'll talk about this some more at home, okay?"

Anthony nodded to his Abba as Mr. Benton made a note to discuss this with Mr. Jefferson and the school board about the concern. "I will be in touch on that one. Honestly, I am not sure how to proceed. I hope you understand." He looked to Mr. Jefferson, who just nodded. He also was not sure as to how to advise the family.

"Are we done for today?" Ziva wanted to get her family home and give them all a chance to unwind from the day's events. After receiving replies to the affirmative from both the principal and the attorney, she led the family out to the mostly empty parking lot.

"We have all three vehicles here," Ziva motioned to their parked vehicles. "Anthony, would you ride in the van with me please? Rivka and Beth, you can ride with Abba in his truck or with Tali in her car."

"I'll ride with Abba," Beth called out.

"I'll go with Tali then," Rivka responded. "That way no one is alone." The family exchanged looks; Rivka had voiced what they had all been thinking.

Anthony got in the passenger seat as Ziva started the engine of her van. She picked up her phone and send Tony a quick text before she backed out of the space to head out. 'May take the long way home to talk to Anthony.'

Anthony noticed that his mother turned in the opposite direction from home almost immediately. "Ima, you turned the wrong way."

Ziva glanced at her son, "I did it on purpose so we could talk before we get home." She watched as he sighed and sunk a bit lower in the seat. She drove to a small park about a mile from the school and pulled into the parking lot.

"Anthony, I do not know how to start this conversation, but I have something I want to share with you," Ziva began as she made eye contact with her son. "Please hear me out and then you can talk if you want."

"Ima, I'm fine. I don't need to talk about it," Anthony protested. He really just wanted to go home and go to sleep.

"Anthony, I used to say the same thing to your Abba and others, even when I was not fine. I was trained by Mossad and my father to avoid emotions and to take care of myself. Any requests for help were considered a sign of weakness. Before Abba and I were, um, were…, I was captured by a bad person in Somalia. I was held in a cell for almost three months until your Abba, Uncle Tim and Grandpa came to rescue me. During that time, the man and his…" Ziva choked back a sob, and steeled her resolve to share. She continued, "They did bad things to me, including beating me and torturing me, and I wanted to die to end the misery. I was ready to die and had made peace with it…"

"Ima, did they do, did they, uh, do IT to you?" Anthony was wide-eyed and angry thinking that someone could hurt his Ima that way. He had to know if they had violated her; he didn't understand why he had to know, but he had to.

"Yes, I was raped repeatedly. After, I was told I could not have children because of the damage to my body," Ziva let her tears fall. "But that is another story for when you are older, much older, and not one you need to hear.

"My point is that even though I felt that I could handle it, your Abba and Grandpa knew otherwise. Uncle Leon insisted that I had to go through counseling before I could become an NCIS agent instead of a Mossad liaison. I hated him for that at the time, but looking back now, I know that he was correct. I needed to talk to someone. I needed to get the anger and the hurt out in the open and to confront it and my feelings about it all.

"I guess what I am trying to tell you is that I understand all too well that you want to keep everyone from knowing that you are scared and hurting. I know what it is like to say everything is fine to others just to get them to back off. And I know what it is like to get lost in the bad thoughts in your head. I am here for you if you need to talk, any time. Ani ohevet otcha, Anthony, not because I have to but because I want to. At lo levad, do you understand?" Ziva took her son's face in her hands and looked in his eyes.

"Ken, Ima," Anthony whispered as he melted into his mother's arms and sobbed. Ziva held her boy and sobbed with him, rubbing her hand on his back to soothe and comfort the young man.

After about five minutes, Anthony straightened up and put his hands in his Ima's, "Thank you, Ima. I'm so glad I have you for my Ima. I love you." He wiped at his eyes and smiled through tears at Ziva. Both sniffled and reached for the tissue box on the console.

"Abba knows that I planned to talk to you, but that is all that I am going to say unless you share with him and the others," Ziva explained. "Now, let's go get some pizzas for dinner, because I am hungry!"

"Me, too! I think I can eat a whole pizza by myself, Ima," Anthony buckled up as Ziva started the engine and headed towards home.

"Text Abba and let him know we are bringing food. Ask him to call in the order for us to pick up."

Thirty five minutes later, Ziva and Anthony arrived home with six large pizzas for dinner. Both noted Gibbs' truck in the driveway behind Tony's truck. Before the two got out of the van, Ziva gave Anthony's hand a squeeze, "I am so proud to call you my son, Anthony."

While they were out, Tony and the girls brought LJ and Grandpa into the loop on the day's events. They didn't go into much detail about Anthony's revelations, but gave enough information to let LJ and Gibbs know that it was serious abuse to Anthony. LJ was stunned and quiet at first; he mulled over what Abba and his sisters had just told him. He walked over to his sisters and hugged each one.

"I have your six!" He told each of them as he hugged them. "DiNozzos stick together like Superglue!"

Gibbs was quietly fuming, but let nothing show. He hugged each of the girls, "I'm proud of you for telling what needed to come out. Got your six always!"

As the kids went to set the table and get ready for dinner, Gibbs put a hand on Tony's arm to stop him from following them. "You, Ziver and I will talk more later." Tony nodded his agreement.

Ziva and Anthony came in the door with the food, "Pizza is here; who is hungry?" Ziva called out. LJ came to the door first and hugged his brother trying not to knock the boxes of pizza he was carrying.

"Got your six Anthony! I love you," LJ took the two pizza boxes from Ima and he and Anthony took the food to the dining room table. The rest of the family came into the room and took their seats around the table.

When all were seated, they joined hands around the table, ready for Gibbs to give the blessing for the meal as usual. Gibbs was about to start when Anthony spoke, "Grandpa, may I say the blessing tonight?"

"K."

"Thank you for my family. As I look around the table, I see one of the strongest forces in the world: the love of family. I know that I am going to be okay because you all have my six. I love you, and I am a DiNozzo and…"

"DiNOZZOS STICK TOGETHER LIKE SUPERGLUE!" the whole family spoke with Anthony.

"Bless the food and my family. Let's eat!" Anthony squeezed Ima's hand and LJ's hand on either side of him and smiled at his Ima. He then grabbed the pizza box in front of him and pulled the entire box to his place. "I got mine…"