"I don't understand," he admits.
"It is amazing what you can do with those resources."
"Please fill me in, I don't get what you're telling me."
"I got a helicopter, and took her to the closest hospital, with the equipment necessary to keep her alive."
"Oh."
"We made it to the hospital."
"She didn't make it out of the hospital?" he questions.
"Why are you so interested, anyway?"
"Ziva is my partner."
"It's more than that."
"It was my baby."
She smiles widely at him.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you don't know."
"Don't know what?"
"She was born fighting. She was born strong, despite the circumstances."
"I'm not surprised. Her mother is the same way."
"You should have brought her."
"I didn't think she needed to go through this. I didn't want her to have to hear from you, that her child is dead. She already knows that."
"I wouldn't tell her that."
"It's against your code?"
She shakes her head, "No, because it isn't true."
"It isn't true? What do you mean?"
"It's not true."
"She's not dead?" Tony questions.
"No. She's alive."
"You're sure?"
She nods, "Yes, she's perfectly healthy. She doesn't talk, but... we aren't really sure why that is."
"We? How do you know this."
Her eyes go past him. She focuses on something across the room. Her pointer finger points. He follows her finger, to where she's looking. "Because I'm looking at her," she answers.
He stares at the little girl, sitting on the floor, playing by herself. She holds a puzzle on her lap. The pieces sit on the floor. She carefully, and silently, places the pieces in the puzzle.
"She's smart. She seems to understand everything we say to her, in any language. She likes to play by herself. She does puzzles, and reads books, well she looks at the pictures, at least. She loves to be read to. If you notice there is a doll laying next to her. She carries it everywhere. It sleeps with her. It eats with her, it takes a bath with her. It does everything she does. She signs, sometimes."
"Is there something wrong with her hearing?"
"No, she just doesn't talk. She's only a year and a half old, we think that she will start to talk, soon."
"She doesn't say anything?"
"Nope."
"Can I..."
"Of course, hold on," she wags her finger. She steps past him, she looks at the toddler. She whispers quietly, "Z, come here, please."
The little girl's head pops up. She pushes the puzzle off her lap, and grabs the doll. She stands up, and walks over to them.
Elise smiles, "See, her hearing is great."
Tony turns around, and looks at the little girl. She has thick, dark curls, and long eyelashes. She has green eyes, with flecks of brown in them. Elise squats down, to her level. She looks the little girl in the eye.
"This is Tony."
She looks up at him.
"Tony, this is Zafirah. Would you like to tell her who you are?"
He bends down, and smiles at the little girl. "Hi. I'm Tony. I'm your..." the word pops into his head, finally he exhales, and says it, "dad."
The little girl smiles widely. She opens her mouth. "Take me home?" Her tiny voice poses the question, in perfect English.
Tony, and Elise stare at her in shock. Neither of them say anything.
"Mommy?" is the next questions she asks.
Tony lifts the little girl off the floor. He smiles at her, "Your mommy is at home. There are a few things that I need to take care of, but once I do, I will take you home."
"Ok," she smiles.
"Can I ask you a question now?" he wonders.
"Yes," she nods.
"What is your doll's name?"
"Rose," she replies.
After over nighting DNA samples to Abby, he returns to his hotel room, alone. He fights the urge to call Ziva, and tell her. Eventually he falls asleep. He wakes up to the phone ringing.
"Hello," he answers groggily.
"Why did you send me samples? I thought you were on vacation."
"Do you have my results?"
"Of course."
"And?"
"The samples belong to father and daughter."
"You didn't run them against any databases did you?"
"You sent specific instructions."
"And you destroyed the samples, when you were done?"
"Yes."
"Thanks, Abs."
"You owe me one. You better bring me back a really nice souvenir."
"You won't be disappointed, I promise."
"You already have something in mind?"
"Yep. I'm going to go get it, this afternoon."
"When will you be back? A week, and five and a half days?"
"If everything goes according to plan, I should be back later today."
"Can I..."
"I'll see you tomorrow," he promises, hanging up the phone.