Chapter 5: Resolution Takes Time

As much as Tony and Ziva wished for a quick resolution to the whole issue, they both knew from their experiences in law enforcement that the wheels of justice often move slowly. Tony retired from FLETC at the end of the year 2030 and took a part-time coaching job at the middle school. Ziva retired from NCIS at the same time. Both became more active in volunteer activities at the schools. Gibbs hired M. Allison Hart to represent the DiNozzo children.

The three girls went to once per week counseling for about six months each. Dr. Rachel Cranston offered to work with them and when her name came up on the list of possible psychologists that the school board would pay for, Tony and Ziva both picked her out of the list. Ziva remembered how much she had benefited from having Dr. Cranston to talk with as she learned to cope with the aftereffects of Somalia.

Anthony went to sessions with Dr. Grace Confalone for almost two years. He volunteered at a shelter for battered women who had children during his ninth and tenth grade school years when he was not busy with basketball. He and Ziva also developed a new closeness. Anthony vowed to be as strong as his Ima one day. Years later, Anthony would look back at the day his Ima had shared about Somalia with him as the turning point in the close relationship he had with Ziva. On the days that he still had feelings of self-doubt and that he was not worthy of having respect, he often turned to Ziva as his rock in the storm. The whole family was there for him, but his Ima was the one who understood.

Most of the other kids from the twins' class also went to talk with school counselors for part of the fifth grade year. Rivka, Beth, James, Jason, Kaelyn, Amy, Marco, and Jasmine started a school-wide heritage day that continued beyond their time in the schools. Many of the parents of the students who had been subjected to the abuse were among the many presenters who shared their stories and traditions from the country of their origin or their parents' origins during the first two or three annual celebrations.

Mrs. Griffith was never formally charged with any crime. She had been diagnosed with dementia and the doctors treating her supplied a statement that indicated that they believed she was acting out of ingrained paranoia and mistrust of individuals who were not "Southern white Christians." Her parents had just about beaten that fear into her when she was a child growing up in the rapidly desegregating South in the 1950s and 1960s. Much of what she had done to the students in her classes had been what punishments she had witnessed to others and had inflicted on her when she tried to befriend girls in her school who did not fit her parents' norms.

She passed away in September 2033 in a nursing home that was specifically for dementia patients. Anthony asked his Ima to take him to the services for her; he wanted to tell the woman one last time that he forgave her for what she had done to him. Ziva was proud of her son; he was one of only three students who attended the memorial. The other two were Rivka and Beth, who mostly went in support of their older brother. DiNozzos stick together like Superglue; they had told their parents when the two decided to go with Anthony.

The niece was fired from her position at the school. All of the school personnel were required to attend diversity training during in-service days that school year.

On his seventeenth birthday, Anthony celebrated with family and his girl, Katie McGee. After the party wound down, he took Katie to the park where he and Ziva had talked on that day of revelation. He shared with her all that he had been through and how he had put closure on the abuse with the counseling. She was at a loss for words at the things Anthony told her. She listened as he teared up reliving the events of his fifth grade year and held him as he sobbed and asked her to forgive him.

"Why do I need to forgive you?" She was confused.

"For keeping this from you until now," Anthony replied. "You are my soulmate, Katie, and there should be no secrets between us."

Katie stroked his face and wiped his tears, "Anthony, you had to be ready to share. It's okay," she held him as he rested his head on her shoulder and rubbed her hand in circles on his back.

"Thank you, babe. Thank you…" Anthony knew that his love for his life partner had grown that evening, and he knew that he could face anything with her by his side for the rest of their lives. His love was now his rock in the storm.

A/N This fic was a difficult one to write for so many reasons. A child who is abused, be it physical, emotional, sexual or other type of abuse, does not learn to hate the abuser. He/she learns to hate self. Elementary school aged kids are in a bit of fear of the authority figure and when that person does something bad to the child, the first thoughts the child has are 'I am bad' and 'I deserve this' to justify and make sense of the abuse in their minds. Parents and teachers are supposed to be "good" and the "person who is correct" in a child's eyes. Bullying as I depicted in this story is a form of emotional abuse. Those who are Ziva fans know that Eli basically bullied his eldest two children. He was an emotional abuser to Ziva and that self-loathing and self-punishment that she showed many times most likely came from that abuse. I can identify with her character deeply and that's probably why she's my favorite character to write, albeit not an easy write. Senior did similar to Tony; and again, I can identify with the character. He's my second favorite to write. This is also why I am no fan of Senior in my stories. He was cruel to a young Tony who only wanted his love and attention.

Please, if you know of a child who is being bullied or abused or even suspect that it is happening, reach out to that child. You may be the one person who is the impetus for change in that child's world. Children are resilient, to a point, but those who suffer at the hands of an abuser cannot see themselves as a person of worth. For those who think screening and background checks in school systems should be "weeding out" these bullies, think again. If they are never reported, there is no record. From forty two years of teaching experience, I have seen more than I should of adults who use their positions of authority and power over the children as a means to bully. Every child deserves to be loved and feel that he/she is a person of worth and someone who deserves to be loved.

Anthony is lucky that his family, especially his parents, understand what is running through his mind. In families where one child is the one who is the target, the others are often unaware or in denial of the abuse. They may even accuse the targeted child of making up stories to get attention, or lying or worse. That makes building a support network even more difficult for the child. The withdrawn child who is a loner, picked on, or teased may be dealing with a lot worse and no one knows except the child and the abuser. Reaching out to the child can literally save a life! Anthony's coach reached out, but because Anthony did not give names or details, the coach's hands were tied. When a teacher or coach has a child confide about abuse or bullying, they are obligated to report, but without details most times the report is filed away and nothing is done. A teacher who reports several instances is often a 'marked' person within the school or system. It's a fine line to walk and one that I hope most adults do not have to deal with ever. I pray for the children who suffer in silence, the adults who try to help, and even the abusers.

Thanks for reading. Thank you too to all who reviewed.

(Next story, #100, will be posted on Friday!)