Some hints of Tiva in this chapter! Also the Hebrew at the start I got off the Hebrew for Dummies website, and it's usually pretty good (my Italian teacher gave us some printouts from the Italian version) but if there are any mistakes I apologise, I don't speak Hebrew.

NCISNCISNCIS

"Auntie Ziva!" Lizzie cried, shooting down the stairs. Ziva laughed and crouched down so her "niece" could throw herself into her arms.
"Shalom Lizzie," she said, picking her up.
"Shalom Auntie Ziva."
"Mah shlomcha?" Ziva asked. How are you?
"Mamash tov," Lizzie replied. Really good. "Mah shlomcha?"
"Etzli b'seder gamur," Ziva replied. With me things are completely okay. Jenny smiled at the exchange between her daughter and her friend.
"Come in Ziva," she said. "Despite Lizzie's greeting, you don't have to stay on the doorstep."

"So Lizzie, how is school?" Ziva asked, following Jenny into the kitchen, still carrying Lizzie.
"B'seder," Lizzie grinned.
"Show off," Jenny said. "I thought you wanted to ask auntie Ziva something," she reminded her daughter.
"Auntie Ziva can you take me swimming?" Lizzie asked. 'Cause mom can't go but I really want to!"
"I will need to find out where the best place to swim is," Ziva replied. "But yes I will definitely take you." She turned to Jenny. "I could ask Tony for directions. But he will probably want to know why."
"Take him with you," Jenny replied. "Just..."
"I know," Ziva smiled. Just don't tell him Lizzie is your daughter.

"Hey Ziva," Tony said when she opened the door to her apartment. "Why the sudden need to go swimming?"
"It is not me," Ziva replied. "Lizzie! Time to go!" Lizzie turned off the TV and ran over to the door, clutching her swimming bag excitedly. "This is Tony," Ziva said. "Tony, this is Lizzie. She is the daughter of a friend."
"Hi Lizzie," Tony smiled.
"Hi," Lizzie replied.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah!"

XOXOXOX

As soon as they were poolside, Lizzie jumped straight into the water.
"Careful!" Ziva called. Then she dove elegantly into the water. Tony watched her admiringly before running towards the water and jumping in, pulling himself into a ball before hitting the water, splashing Ziva and Lizzie in the process.
"Smooth Tony," Ziva said when he resurfaced.
'Well it might not be as elegant as your dive but it was so much more exciting," he replied.
"Auntie Ziva, I'm going over here, okay?" Lizzie said.
"Okay. Do not go too deep."
"I won't," she called over her shoulder.

Ziva swam over to the edge and leant against it, kicking her legs in the water. Tony treaded water next to her.
"She's a cute kid," he commented.
"Yes," she agreed. "I have known Lizzie for a long time."
"She means a lot to you?"
"She is not like other children her age."
Tony glanced around. "You can say that again," he said. "She reminds me of the director." Ziva shrugged. He knew she wasn't going to say anything else so he changed to subject. "So what's her story?"
"Lizzie was brought up by her mother. She does not know her father. I do not think he knows she exists. I do not know who he is." But she had her suspicions of course. "She goes to school in England and spends her holidays with her mother."

Lizzie swam back over to them.
"Auntie Ziva will you take me on the waterslide?" she asked.
"I do not know..." Ziva said warily, eyeing the waterslide suspiciously.
"Please?"
"I'll take you," Tony offered.
"Her mother will kill me if anything happens," Ziva warned.
"Don't worry Zee-vah, she can sit on my knee. Nothing'll happen to her."
"I hope so, or I-"
"Will kill me with a paperclip, I know," Tony said. "Come on Lizzie."

Ziva watched Lizzie drag Tony up the spiral staircase after her.
"Ready?" Tony asked. Lizzie was sat on his lap as he waited for the okay from the lifeguard.
"Yeah!" Lizzie replied excitedly.
"Okay," Tony replied, wrapping one arm around her. "Here we go!" He pushed off then wrapped his other arms around the little girl, making sure she was protected. If Ziva was afraid of her mom, he wasn't going to take any risks.

Ziva smiled as she was a Tony and Lizzie shaped blur shoot out of the waterslide into the pool. A few seconds later they resurfaced and she clapped.
"Well done," she said as they swam closer.
"Can we go again?" Lizzie asked excitedly.

XOXOXOX

Ziva finished drying her own hair and turned to Lizzie. Carefully, making sure she didn't hurt her, she ran the comb through Lizzie's bright red hair, removing any knots. Her cell phone rang, and Ziva dug it out of her pocket, putting it under her chin so she could continue to comb Lizzie's hair.
"David."
"Ziva it's Jenny. Tony's probably on the phone to Gibbs right now and you'll get a call too in a minute. The daughter of a Rear Admiral in the Navy has been kidnapped. It's a high profile case and you need to get to NCIS immediately. Take Lizzie with you, I'll meet you there."
"Okay, I will see you soon. Shalom."
"Shalom Ziva."

XOXOXOX

Jennny leant against the rail on the catwalk, looking down at the squad room. Tony and Ziva hadn't arrived yet, so only Gibbs and McGee were at their desks. McGee was typing furiously, while Gibbs was wearing a look of serious concentration. The elevator pinged, and Jenny quickly came down the stairs.

"Mommy!" Lizzie cried, spotting her and running towards her. Jenny crouched down to hug her daughter. McGee tried-and failed-to hide his shock, while Tony just allowed himself a small smile at being right.
"Hey Lizzie."
"Mom, Tony took me down the flume like five time!" Lizzie said excitedly.
"It was more like ten times," Tony corrected her, swinging his bag down behind his desk.
"She also conned him out of candy from the vending machines," Ziva smiled, sitting at her desk.
"It was so cool!" Lizzie said, grinning up at her mom. Jenny smiled back at her, putting her hand on her daughter's still damp hair.
"Why don't we go upstairs to my office?" she suggested.
"Okay."

McGee had recovered from his shock and had returned to his work. Gibbs barked at Tony and Ziva and they too were working. As Jenny went back upstirs, she looked down and caught Gibbs' eye. She smiled, and he gave her a half smile back.

XOXOXOX

Gibbs stared through the glass into the interrogation room where their main suspect was waiting, looking nervous.
"Ziva," he said. "You take him." Ziva nodded and left the observation room, appearing again a few moments later on the other side of the glass. Tony and McGee were still working in the squad room, just in case they didn't get anything out of him.

The observation room door opened and closed. Gibbs knew who had joined him without looking round. Even if she hadn't been wearing her signature perfume, he would have recognised her presence.
"Has he given up anything yet?" Jenny asked quietly.
"Nope," he replied, not looking away from the window. Jenny sighed and crossed her arms. For a few minutes neither spoke, both watching the exchange in interrogation.
"Jen, go home," Gibbs said, breaking the silence, turning to look at her for the first time since she'd entered the room.
"It's okay," she replied. 'I'd rather stay and make sure you find her." Gibbs knew what she was thinking; the little girl in this case was only a few years younger than Lizzie, Jenny wanted to make sure her daughter was safe. He could understand that, with a pang of sadness he thought of Kelly. He put his hand on Jenny's arm.
"We'll get him," he said. She smiled.
"I know."

XOXOXOX

Jenny looked over at Lizzie and smiled softly. She'd fallen asleep on the couch in Jenny's office while reading the book Jenny had brought for her. The door opened. Jenny put a finger to her lips, warning Gibbs to be quiet. He glanced over at the couch and, seeing Lizzie, understood. Instinctively he smiled, marveling at how like Jenny she looked.

"We found her," he said softly. "She's unhurt and back with her family. The kidnappers are all in custody bar one who tried to run."
"You shot him?"
"Ziva did."

They lapsed into silence, Jenny watching her daughter who was unaware of the conversation.
"I almost don't want to wake her," she said.
"I'll carry her to your car if you want," Gibbs offered. She smiled gratefully.
"Thanks Jethro."
"You only had to ask."

Gibbs bent down and scooped his daughter into his arms, trying not to wake her. Carefully, he carried her to the elevator and to the garage, where Jenny's car and driver was waiting. He put her down in the backseat, pausing to push her hair off her face.
"Thanks," Jenny repeated.
"It's okay. Night Jen."
"Good night Jethro."