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Chapter 8
After finding out the truth about Talia, everything had been quiet. No words were said. Gibbs had told Ducky and Palmer about the new information. That's why whole team was scared when they saw an olive-skin woman standing in front of them.
"I am looking for a special agent Anthony DiNozzo", she said.
"You found him", DiNozzo answered.
"Eliana Levy, Hebrew translator. How can I help you?" woman asked.
"I'm special agent Jethro Gibbs. We need an official translation of these documents. And we already know what they include, Gibbs explained.
"You do? Then why do you need me?" Eliana Levy was surprised.
"I am special agent Ziva David", Ziva introduced herself. "I was born in Israel and Hebrew is my native tongue. But I am not sure if social service and judges would accept my translation. I am so close to this case."
"Okay, I understand and I will get to work", Eliana Levy promised.
Gibbs gave documents to Eliana Levy and showed her a table. She started reading papers and pretty soon she mumbled:
"Mossad… I always become angry when I hear or see that word.
"I know the feeling", Ziva commented.
Next hour was quiet. Eliana Levy was translating documents. She looked angry and sad at the same time which didn't surprise anyone knowing where she came from. Ziva was sitting in her chair and watching Talia sleep. DiNozzo was watching Ziva and Talia with a gentle look on his face. McGee was staring his computer, but didn't do anything. Gibbs was watching everyone. It almost looked like he was trying to take picture with his yeas and save it to his brain. There was certain sadness in that scene, but still it was peaceful. No one knew about the future. They could only hope for the best.
Finally a noise interrupted that moment.
"Oh, look who is awake? Do you want milk? But let's change your diaper first", Ziva said gently.
Ziva left the room with a baby and diaper and her arms. Five minutes later she came back.
"You managed to change her diaper?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah, and I even cleaned he", Ziva answered.
Gibbs nodded and took the baby.
"I can feed her", Gibbs promised. "I want something nice to do for a change."
Ziva just nodded. Gibbs started feeding Talia. He was deep in his thoughts. Memories of his daughter still haunted him. He missed his daughter, but Talia was easing his pain. Gibbs watched Talia's big, brown yeas and smiled. He wished that Ziva can keep the baby. Gibbs knew that she would bring a lot of joy to everyone's life – including his. Gibbs was sure that Talia would help him heal from his demons. No one could ever replace Kelly, but someone else could come to his heart and be there – right next to Kelly, Shannon and Jenny.
"Boss man is smiling", DiNozzo noticed.
"I think Jethro is enjoying", Ducky commented.
"That is good", Ziva said. "His life has not been easy either."
"You would be great grandpa-Gibbs, Gibbs", Abby stated.
"Who knows, maybe I will someday", Gibb stated back.
"Here are the documents", Eliana Levy said and gave the documents to Ziva. "I wish you all the best with the baby. I hope you can keep her. I do not want her to grow up in Israel either. I think we both know how this ends, if she will be returned there".
"Thank you and that is my wish too", Ziva admitted. "Israel and specially Mossad is not my favorite place to raise a child."
"You were part of Mossad?" Eliana Levy stated.
"Yes, I was a Mossad officer. My friend Jenny, who used to be a director in here, got me a position as a liaison officer. That changed my life and eventually opened my yeas. I realized that life has so much to offer to me. I resigned after my mission in Somalia. It almost cost me my life by the way. I become an US citizen and finally special agent", Ziva told her story.
"Forgive me my curiosity, but was Eli David your relative?" Eliana Levy asked.
"He was my father", Ziva answered. "You knew him?"
"I knew who he was", Eliana Levy admitted. "My brother joined Mossad".
"I do not know if I should be sorry or…?" Ziva stated.
"Well, I am sorry for him, I admit. Ima and abba were not happy either", Eliana Levy told. "But I must go now. Here is my number. I wish that you will inform me how this ends".
Ziva nodded and promised:
"I will. It was nice meeting you. Although I do wish that this would have happened under different circumstances".
"So do I, but have a nice day despite all off this!" Eliana Levy wished.
"Have a nice day too! And thank you for your help", Ziva responded.
Two hours later:
"Okay, so this baby's identity and nationality has been confirmed?" social worker asked.
"Yes", Gibbs answered simply.
"Her name is Talia Rivka Leah Shalit", Ziva told.
Social worker wrote the information down and continued:
"And what is her nationality?"
"Israeli", Ziva admitted.
"Okay, that leaves us one option: she will be returned to Israel and to his parents", social worker stated. "I'll sign the papers. Will you handle the rest?"
"Talia does not have parents", Ziva told. "Here is her mother's death certificate. I will also give you Talia's birth certificate and two letters. First is written by Talia's both parents and the second one is written by her father. They will tell you the truth and parent's request. They were written in Hebrew, but have now been translated to English by an official translator Eliana Levy.
Social worker took the papers, but the look in her face told that there would be a fight. But it was a fight that both Gibbs and Ziva were intended to win.
"This doesn't change anything. She is not American. I'm sure she has relatives there or if not, an orphanage will take her. She will probably be adopted. I'm sorry agent's Gibbs and David, but this is my final word", social worker said and signed the papers.
"Yours maybe, but no ours. We will fight as long as it takes. She is not going back to Israel", Gibbs said.
"I agree", Leon Vance suddenly stated from the door.
Everyone was quiet for a while and finally social worker said:
"And who are you? Because in case you are not related to this, I am going to have to ask you to leave."
"My name is Leon Vance and I am a director of this agency", Vance told. "So I do think that I have a right to be here."
After that Ziva continued:
"I have one question for you and I wish you answer truthfully. Do you know anything about Mossad?"
"No", social worker answered. "But I'm sure it's not as bad as you think."
Ziva took off her sweatshirt, lifted her tank top and showed her back, chest and arms.
"What do you see?" Ziva wanted to know.
"Scars" social worker stated.
"I have these scars because of Mossad. I was part of it and believe me, it is awful. I went to Somalia to eliminate terrorists…" Ziva started.
"That is good", social worker said. "So Mossad is not bad".
"She wasn't finished yet. Be quiet and listen", Gibbs said.
"Keep your agents under control and tell them to let me go. I have children to take care of. Her fate is solved", social almost shouted.
"I can't do that, because I agree with agents Gibbs and David. This is something you need to hear." Vance stated tightly. "Continue, agent David."
"Like I said, I was sent to Somalia. I had only one man left to kill and after that my mission would be over. But I got caught and I was held as a hostage for months. I was abused physically, emotionally and sexually because I did not tell them anything about NCIS. I was prepared to die. I even accepted my fate. I never thought I would live through it. I suffered and I was hurt. I only wanted to die.
But I did not, because I have family in here: agents Jethro Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo and Timothy McGee and forensic specialist Abigail Sciuto, medical examiner Donald Mallard and his assistant Jimmy Palmer and director Leon Vance. Without them I would be dead. Gibbs, Tony and Tim came to Somalia to eliminate terrorists and also to find out what really happened to me. Tony and Tim were taken as hostages too, but only because they wanted. They knew that it was their only option. They were hurt too, but they did not care. But they did not know that I am alive. When they found out that, they saved me. Tony and Tim put up a fight despite their injuries. Gibbs shot last terrorists and I was free. They saved me, but Mossad did not care.
Mossad officers are trained to be cold-blooded killers. Their only mission is to kill. I can kill 18 different ways with a paperclip or even with a credit card if I have to. I can build a bomb. Mossad does good things too, I admit it. But the way they do it, is not good: some agents get killed; some of them get physical or emotional scars. Usually both, but the emotional side is not easy to repair. You can get stitches and casts, but Mossad agents are trained to be tough. They are not allowed to cry, be weak or show emotions. Hate and revenge are the only emotions that Mossad officers are given a permission to feel.
It took me years to learn that it is okay to show every emotion and talk about my feelings. When I came here, I wanted to run away every time when someone tried to touch me or asked me how I felt. I hated hugs and I could not control my acts. I have been in NCIS for almost eight years now. Now I let people hug me and I am more mature and calm. I do not use violence as a surviving technique anymore. I am still not very good at talking, but I have given myself a permission to cry and even be vulnerable. I can tell my story now and show that I am hurt. I will always carry these scars with me. I have tears in my yeas, but years ago I would not have had them. And I would not have been able to talk about this. Because in able to talk about these kind of things, you have to know how you feel and you have to admit and accept your feelings. My father was a director of Mossad until he died. He thought me more as a soldier than a daughter, Ziva told her story.
"This is what Ziva looked like when we rescued her. And this is how Tony and Tim looked like after Somalia, Gibbs said and tossed pictures to table so that social worker saw them. "And this is the place where Ziva was held."
"So with all due respect, do you want Talia to go through same things than agent David did? Vance asked.
"I'm sorry, but I can't change my mind by seeing scars you have got as an adult", social worker said.
"Do you want to know what it is like to grow up in Mossad?" Ziva asked. "I can show you, but I need a bit time."
Ziva took her phone and made a call:
"Tony, can you go to my place and bring me a brown, heavy and big box? It is in my closet."
"Sure", Tony promised.
What is in that box? Find out…