A/N I'm sorry it's been so long since the last update. This chapter didn't want to cooperate. I hope it was worth the wait. I tend to be my biggest critic, so I'll leave the reviews up to the readers. Thanks to everyone who is still reading and reviewing.
Disclaimer I don't own NCS and I'm still not making any money from this.
Jethro opened the door to the elementary school gym and let Ziva enter ahead of him. He followed her to the front of the gym where Liz was waiting on them. Gymnastics mats had been laid out on the hardwood floor and chairs were arranged in a semi-circle in front of the mats. A small crowd of elementary age students accompanied by older women had already gathered.
"Ziva, I'm so glad you were able to get away from work early." Liz greeted Ziva with a friendly hug. "I was afraid your boss wouldn't let you leave. I know what a slave driver he can be."
Jethro rolled his eyes as Ziva laughed. "I think he was hoping to score points with the principal. He rushed me out of the bull pen at 5:00," Ziva whispered loudly enough for Jethro to hear.
"If you two are finished, can we get started?" Jethro tried to look annoyed. The sparkle in his blue eyes ruined the effect.
Liz and Ziva had agreed before hand to limit each class to twenty participants. They both left that number would be most effective. Ziva would be able to spend individual time with each student during the two hour session. As the two final students and their mothers entered the gym, Liz counted heads.
"Everyone is here. I think we should get started now." Liz told Ziva. She and Ziva faced the crowd as Jethro moved to the side and sat in an empty chair.
"Good evening." Liz greeted the eager girls and their companions. "For those of you I haven't met, I am Principal Dixon. I would like to thank all of you for coming here tonight. I think I am as excited about this class as all of you are. We hope this will be the first of many such classes. I am very happy we can provide such an important outreach to the community."
Liz took a step to the side and smiled at Ziva before she continued. "I would like to introduce our instructor for tonight's class. This is Special Agent Ziva David. She is an agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. As a member of the NCIS Major Crimes Response Team, Agent David investigates crimes involving Marines and Naval personnel. I've been told that only the most highly qualified agents are allowed to become members of that elite team. Please welcome Special Agent David."
As the class applauded, Liz took her seat next to Jethro. Ziva faced the students and smiled. She relied on her Mossad training and her years of working with Gibbs to hide a sudden attack of nerves.
"Thank you, Ms. Dixon." Ziva tried to project confidence. "I would also like to thank you for coming here tonight." Ziva hesitated as she saw Tony slip in the back door and lean against the wall. He held up the pieces to a protective suit he had borrowed from a friend on the Metro PD.
She returned her attention to the class and handed a stack of papers to the woman at the end of the row of folding chairs. "Please take one and pass these down the row."
As the ladies each took one of the sheets of paper, Ziva continued. "We will begin the class by discussing some basic rules of personal safety. The first rule is 'Never walk anywhere alone.' Think about life in the jungle. Lions hunt gazelles. The lions will attack the gazelle that they think will be the easiest to take down. They will target the gazelle that is separated from the herd. You must be smart gazelles. Always remember, there is safety in numbers."
Several of the older women nodded as Ziva continued. "The second rule is 'Always make sure someone knows where you are, who you are with and when you will be home.' It is very important that your family knows where to find you and who to contact if you do not come home when you should. Your family should also know when to expect you to arrive home. You must look out for one another. You know your family members routines. If someone does not arrive home when they should, you must not hesitate to call the police for assistance. When we investigate crimes, time is always our enemy."
Ziva move closer to the ladies. "The third rule is 'Always be aware of your surroundings.' Remember, you must be smart gazelles. That means you must not allow yourself to be distracted. You must know where you are. You must notice things like suspicious people and safe places you could go for help. What are some things that could distract you?"
The young girls called out different things such as cell phones, iPods, reading, or looking in store windows.
"Very good," Ziva told them. "All of those things take your attention away from your surroundings. You will not be paying attention to the people and the buildings around you. This can be very dangerous. And, if you are listening to someone on the telephone or an iPod, you will not be able to hear possible danger."
"The fourth rule is 'Walk with a purpose.' You must have confidence. You must walk with attitude. Your walk should tell anyone watching you that you know where you are going and that you are not a weak gazelle." Ziva held out a hand to one of the young girls. "Would you help me demonstrate?"
The girl rose and moved to stand next to Ziva. "What is your name?" Ziva asked.
"I'm Tamara," the student replied.
"Tamara, I noticed when you came in the gym you have the type of walk I am talking about. Please, walk to the side and back."
As Tamara crossed the room and returned, Ziva commented, "Tamara definitely walks with attitude. Look how she moves quickly and with purpose. Her head is up and her shoulders are back. She is confident and not timid. Her walk says, 'I know who I am and where I am going. I dare you to mess with me.' The lions would not think this gazelle is an easy target."
Ziva thanked the young girl. "That brings us to rule five. 'Always keep your cell phone where you can reach it quickly.' How many of you have cell phones?"
Every hand was raised. Ziva addressed one of the girls. "Where do you keep it?"
"In my backpack," the student replied.
Ziva turned to one of the mothers. "Where do you keep your cell phone?"
"In my purse," the older woman answered.
"And, if you had to retrieve that phone quickly, could you? My guess is probably not." Ziva smiled at the ladies. "If your bag is like mine, you would have to dig through layers of junk to find it. That does you no good. You should carry your cell phone on your belt or in your hand. It should be easily accessible in an emergency."
Ziva shot a quick smile at Jethro. "On my team, we have a rule that says we should always carry a knife. Those of you who are students cannot do this. It would be against school policy and against the laws of the city. So, for this class our rule six is 'Always know what you have that can be used as a weapon.'
"For instance," Ziva pulled her key chain out of her front pocket. She placed the keys so that they were sticking out from between her fingers. "Most all of us carry keys. They can be a very effective weapon. I will show you how to use them a little later."
Ziva returned the keys to her pocket and moved to stand in front of one of the mothers in the front row. "Please, give me your hand."
Ziva raised the woman's hand so the other women could see her three inch long, acrylic finger nails. "This gazelle is definitely armed and dangerous. You would be able to do much damage with these."
The other women all laughed as Ziva returned to the front of the class. "Rule seven is very important. 'If you feel threatened, scream.' Make as much noise as you can. This will draw attention to you. Hopefully, this will scare away anyone who tries to harm you. But, it can also bring assistance."
"Rule eight is also very important. 'Never, ever allow someone to get you to come close to their car.' This is a very dangerous situation. You must remember that an adult will never ask a young person for assistance." Ziva stepped closer to Tamara. "What do you do if someone asks you to help look for something he has lost?"
Tamara thought for a few seconds. "I ignore him and keep walking."
"Very good." Ziva looked at a particularly shy looking girl in the back row. "What do you do if someone offers you something like candy?"
The girl looked at her lap and mumbled, "I ignore him."
"And?" Ziva asked.
"I keep walking and I dial 911 on my cell phone." This time the answer was a little more confident.
"That is very good." Ziva smiled at the little girl. "Remember, you must never be afraid to call for assistance if you feel threatened."
"I know many of you young ladies must go home after school to an empty house or apartment. That is why we have rule nine. 'Never go into your home if it something does not feel right.'" Ziva shot another grin at Jethro. "My boss has taught us to trust our gut. That means you must learn to trust your instincts. If the door is open and it should not be, do not go inside. If you see a strange car parked outside, keep walking. If you can see a light on that you know was turned off when you left, keep going. Each of you should know a neighbor you can trust. Or, you should know a location like a police station, a fire station, a store where you can go until you can call a family member. It is best to be safe."
Ziva faced the class. Over their heads, she spared a glance for Tony. He was still leaning against the wall, listening intently to her presentation.
"And, finally, rule ten. This is the most important of all. 'Never hesitate to fight.' You have been smart gazelles. You have followed all of the other rules. You have done everything you can to keep yourself safe. And, still someone tries to hurt you. You fight!" Ziva looked at each of the young girls as she spoke. "You kick. You bite. You scratch. You hit. You inflict as much damage as you can."
"That is the next part of this class. I will teach you how to defend yourself." Ziva looked at Jethro. "For this part, I will need an assistant."
As Jethro rose and moved to stand beside Ziva, she saw the skeptical looks shared by some of the young girls. Ziva tried not to grin. They were in for a shock that would hopefully leave a lasting impression on the students.
"I see you are surprised by my assistant. You see the silver hair and you think this old guy does not look so tough. This is another lesson you must not forget. Never underestimate your opponent." This time Ziva shared a smile with Tony before she continued. "This is my boss, Special Agent Gibbs. He is the most highly decorated agent at NCIS. And, he is a Marine. None of the other agents on our team, including myself, can take him in a fight. You must not be deceived by appearances."
Jethro had borrowed a protective suit from a Marine buddy who also taught self defense classes. As he donned the suit, Ziva picked a volunteer from the audience. She chose the shy young girl from the second row.
When the very small girl joined Ziva at the front of the class, Ziva asked her, "What is your name?"
"I'm Tonya," was the timid response.
"You must be confident, Tonya. Remember, head up, shoulder backs. You are a strong gazelle." Ziva moved Tonya so that she was standing in front of Jethro. He now looked like the Michelin tire man in the heavy suit. "I will show you ways to protect yourself and you will then try them. I want everyone else to pay attention. You will also have the opportunity to practice. And, do not worry. You cannot hurt Agent Gibbs."
First, Ziva demonstrated how to deliver an elbow to the stomach and then had Tonya try it several times. Then, Ziva showed the class how to use a palm strike to the nose. She showed the class how to take down a bigger, stronger opponent with many of the techniques she had learned as part of her Mossad training. Each time, the young girl was able to follow Ziva's precise instructions. By the time Ziva finished the demonstration, Tonya was beating up on Jethro to the cheers of her classmates.
Ziva helped Jethro stand and tried not to laugh. She could tell he was enjoying this as much as she was. It felt good to be able to use their unique skills to give back to the community.
Ziva gave Tonya a brief hug. "You did very well, Tonya. Thank you for helping me."
As Tonya returned to her seat, Ziva addressed the other class members. "I think for this next part, I will need a second assistant. Tony, would you mind helping us?"
The older women and the girls turned and watched as Tony carried his protective suit to the front of the gym. Ziva noticed the apprising looks Tony received from the older members of the class. She had long ago grown accustomed to the female attention that was aimed at Tony. That did not mean she had to like it. Ziva tried to reign in her jealous streak. But, she had to admit she would enjoy watching the women beat on him.
When Tony joined Ziva and Jethro, Ziva turned back to the class. "This is my partner, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Agent DiNozzo is the senior field agent on our team. Again, do not underestimate your opponent. Agent DiNozzo looks like a pretty boy; but, he is tougher than he looks."
The class laughed as Ziva managed to dodge a head slap from Tony. While Tony suited up, Ziva divided the class into two groups. She had one group move to the mats on the left with Tony. The other group she directed to the mats on the right with Jethro.
"Now, everyone will get a chance to practice the techniques Tonya and I demonstrated." Ziva picked the student from each group who would go first. Each young girl and older woman had their chance to pommel Tony and Jethro. Ziva moved between the groups. She offered suggestions and encouragement. She had them repeat the moves over and over. Ziva joined the students as they cheered Liz when their principal took a turn beating on Jethro.
As the second hour of the session drew to a close, Ziva directed the class back to the chairs. An exhausted Tony and an equally tired Jethro stripped off the hot, heavy protective suits. All three agents were pleased with the progress of the women and the girls.
"I want to thank each of you for coming here tonight." Ziva addressed the class. "It is very important that you know how to keep yourself safe and to protect yourself if you are ever in a dangerous situation. I hope you have enjoyed the class. But, I especially hope you have learned something from this time tonight."
When Ziva dismissed the class, all of the older women came forward to thank the agents and to tell Ziva how much they had enjoyed the class. Several of the younger girls approached Ziva and asked how they could become NCIS agents. It was fifteen minutes after the class ended before the last of the participants left the gym.
When the gym was finally cleared, Liz gave Ziva a hug. "You were fantastic, Ziva. You did a magnificent job. This was wonderful."
Ziva couldn't contain her excitement. "I enjoyed the class very much. Thank you for asking me to do this, Liz. Imagine how much more we could cover if we had an intermediate class. And, then with an advanced class, we could begin to teach them more complicated martial arts."
Tony slung an arm around Ziva's shoulders and faced Jethro. "Boss, we better watch out. She's planning to create her own army of little Ninja warriors."
Ziva slapped Tony on the chest as they all laughed. "I was just thinking about the potential for classes like this."
"Well, I hope I can count on you for next Tuesday night. I already have twenty participants signed up," Liz told Ziva.
Ziva cast a concerned look at Jethro. "I hope I can leave work again early. But, what if we have a case?"
"You don't worry about that. For as long as you want to keep doing this, you can leave early on Tuesday nights," Jethro reassured her. "Tony and I might not always be able to come with you. But, I'll make sure you have two people to help out."
"What about Director Vance?" Ziva questioned. "Will he not be angry that one of his agents is unavailable?"
Jethro's grin was positively wicked. "You leave Vance to me. If he gives us too much flack, I'll talk to Jackie. She'll deal with Leon. She'll probably insist that he come help you."
As the men picked up the suits and the group left the gym, Ziva suggested a stop for pizza. She had been too nervous to eat earlier. Now, she discovered she was starving. She also wasn't ready for the evening to end.
It was Tony who answered first. "As long as it's delivery. After that work out, I'm too tired to go out. Boss, that hot tub would really feel good right now."
As Liz locked the gym, Jethro took a good look at his two agents. Tony's arm was still around Ziva's shoulders. Her arm was around his waist and she looked to be the only thing holding Tony upright. Tony had worked overtime on a stake-out for the past two days. He looked dead on his feet. Ziva was still on such an endorphin high, she was almost vibrating.
As Jethro escorted Liz to his car, he tried to hide his smile. "You two follow us. We'll have pizza delivered to my house."
Jethro watched Tony hand Ziva the keys to the Mustang and snorted. Liz and Ziva would stay up late discussing the class. He would end up with Tony crashed on his couch. Jethro laughed as he slid into the Charger. There wouldn't be any action at the David house tonight.