Chapter 18, Parent Life: Fall 2026

The new school year marked the first time all five DiNozzo children were out of the house five days each week for school. Tali had started her second year of middle school, Anthony was in the fourth grade, the twins, Beth and Rivka, were in first grade and LJ had started full day prekindergarten. All five went on the same bus, which made getting them ready and out the door a bit easier. Since the bus picked up the children at 0735, Tony was able to help Ziva in the mornings. Having two parents making sure breakfast was eaten, backpacks were packed with papers, lunches and what was needed for the day, and clothing was appropriate for the school day made mornings run a lot smoother. By the third week of school, the family had established a pattern and most mornings went smoothly.

The first glitch occurred late in September when Tali came downstairs crying. Ziva was busy with packing lunches, so Tony asked Tali what was wrong. "Abba, I think I am dying." Tali sobbed.

"Why, Tali? What makes you think that?" Tony knew Tali did not usually have a flair for the dramatic and whatever was wrong must be serious.

"Abba, I'm bleeding, um, down there…" Tali cried and looked at her Abba.

"Tals, if this is what I think, you are becoming a woman. It's a natural thing. Remember what you learned in your health class last year?" Tali nodded. "Ima will be able to help you with the details a bit better than I can, but it will be okay." Tony went to get Ziva.

Ziva looked up as Tony came into the kitchen. "Let me take over the lunch stuff, and you go talk with Tali." Tony looked serious. "She's not a little kid any more, Zi. She needs her Ima right now." Ziva nodded her head knowingly. Her baby had become a woman. She had been anticipating this moment, yet dreading it at the same time.

~TIVA~

As the school year geared up, the children got involved in afterschool activities, varying their afternoon schedules greatly. Tali continued with her weekly piano lessons that she had started when she was six. Luckily, her piano teacher lived along the bus route between school and home, so she got off the bus at the piano teacher's house on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Anthony joined the photography club at school, and stayed after on Wednesdays. Beth and Rivka went to gymnastics class on Mondays and Wednesdays; the gymnastics center had a minibus to pick them up at school on those days. LJ was the only one who did not have any afterschool activities, so Grandpa Gibbs offered to pick him up from school two days each week and have the little boy spend time with him. LJ loved his Grandpa Gibbs; the two of them were buddies. Both Ziva and Tony noticed how alike they were, and encouraged LJ to spend time with Grandpa. Gibbs was also the backup to pick up kids at the various activities if both Tony and Ziva were busy with work.

Ziva's part time work for NCIS sometimes had her at the Navy Yard, although many days she worked from home. She also had been teaching self-defense classes for women at the local community center one afternoon each week. With all of the children in school, she also volunteered at the public library two mornings each week. Most weeks she read stories to preschoolers or shelved books.

The day the elementary school had the bomb threat phoned in, she was at the Navy Yard. The McGee twins also went to that school. Tim had come to Ziva's work area, his face worried. "Ziva, there is a problem at the school. We just got word that there is an active bomb threat."

Ziva looked at Tim and could tell that he was as worried as her. "What are we going to do? Can we go there?" Ziva was not one to sit by when her children were at risk.

"We can go to the area where they have evacuated the children and school personnel." Tim knew that neither he nor Ziva could stand by watching for updates on TV, newsfeeds or internal communications. "Let's go together." Ziva nodded. As they prepared to leave, Leon caught up to them.

"First, find the kids. Second, let the LEOs and others do their jobs. Third, I have already let Tony and Delilah know that you two are on the way to the evacuation site." Both Tim and Ziva said their thanks and hurried to the NCIS car, making sure they had their NCIS credentials with them.

Ziva sent a text to Tony as Tim skidded around a turn at a higher than normal speed. She also texted Delilah that she and Tim were headed to the scene. She promised both that she would send updates ASAP. Tim skidded to stop at the checkpoint for the restricted area. The local officer asked for credentials and nature of their presence. Both Tim and Ziva handed over their NCIS credentials and Tim showed his badge. "There are children of NCIS employees in the school."

The officer waved them through and told them the children were in two churches two blocks to the left. As they arrived at the churches, another officer stopped the car. Tim showed his badge and explained that they were checking on the well-being of children of NCIS employees. The officer nodded and told them that grades PK through three were in the larger church to the left and grades four and five were in the smaller church to the right. Tim parked the car near to the larger church. He and Ziva ran inside, where they found a line of worried parents and grandparents who had come to retrieve children. All were being asked for ID and full names of the child or children they were seeking. School staff would then get the children from the areas where they had been sent as they evacuated, so that each teacher could account for each child in his or her class. Many of the reunited parents and children were crying and hugging in the lobby of the church. Local officers were gently herding the reunited families towards their cars to get them on their way home.

Tim and Ziva came to the head of the line. "John Anthony McGee and Caitlyn Sarah McGee, grade three." Tim's voice reflected his worry and Ziva put a hand on his arm to reassure him. A runner was sent to retrieve the McGee children.

"Leroy Jackson DiNozzo, prekindergarten, Elizabeth Shannon DiNozzo and Rivka Abigail DiNozzo, grade one." Ziva recited her children's names to the school principal. A second runner was dispatched for the DiNozzo children.

Tim and Ziva moved over to the doorway where children were being brought out to their waiting families. "DADDY!" "Dad!" Tim heard his twins call out. He opened his arms and hugged them both, and Ziva noticed tears in his eyes. He moved towards the outside door, telling Ziva that he would text Delilah that he had the children and also check on how close Tony was to the area to meet up with Ziva and their children.

Two other families were reunited while Ziva waited. She had expected a bit longer wait since she was picking up three children. A grandmother was reunited with her two grandchildren, and Ziva looked anxiously into the hallway. For the first time in many years, she felt the apprehension and fear from when she was small and a bomb had been detonated in her native country. She remembered that horrible day that her sister Tali had been taken from her. She shook her head to clear the memories, and took a deep breath. "IMA! IMA!" Ziva heard the girls calling out to her. She held out her arms and they ran into her embrace. She looked up for LJ but the boy was nowhere to be seen. She was just about to ask the runner where he was when LJ came around the corner and spotted his Ima. He ran to her and she scooped him up. He hugged his Ima, "Don't cry, Ima."

Ziva found Tim outside and they took the five children to the car to wait for Tony. Ziva then went to the other church to find Anthony. "Anthony D. DiNozzo, grade four." She showed her ID and within five minutes, Anthony was clinging to her side. She led him to the waiting group at the NCIS car and just as they arrived, Tony pulled up in the family vehicle. Tony raced over to his family, enveloping them all in a huge group hug. He looked at Tim and then made eye contact with Ziva. All three adults sighed and reflected on how glad they were that the family was safe.

As Ziva and Tony got their family in the van, Tony told Ziva that he had already sent Gibbs to get Tali, so that she could be with the rest of the family. Ziva mouthed a "Thank you" to him and when they got in the front seats, she put her hand on his arm. Their silent communication with their eyes said what neither dared to voice: their children could not be insulated from the horrors of the world for ever, despite the fervent wishes and best efforts of the parents.

After all of the children were in bed for the night, Ziva told Tony that it was time that she told the children about Eli and her life in Israel. He supported her decision, knowing that as much as it hurt her to relive that part of her life, the children should know about it some time.