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Chapter 12 –

Tali sat in the bullpen with McGee and Gibbs waiting for her parents to come back from an interview, she had spent the day with Abby being constantly hugged and told that it was amazing that she had survived, she had come up though because she knew that she would have to tell the story of what had happened to her eventually and now she knew what her mother had done in Mossad she wanted the truth about her Israeli family, he mother had told her that her father hadn't wanted her to have a child and had called her a disgrace to the family, but she hadn't told Tali about her father's threat to come and take Tali away from them and she didn't want to, she didn't want to frighten her daughter, she was only 12 after all.

Tali only suddenly wanted to know because while she had been held hostage they had told her so much about her mother and her grandfather, that it frightened her. She didn't have any grandparents or other family that were blood related, but her NCIS family more than made up for that, she loved them all as though they were her blood relatives, they couldn't be a stronger family, her father's father had apparently been notified when she had been born but had never acknowledged her ever. But she didn't care and her dad said they were better off without him.

She was watching McGee hacking into something grumbling as he did so, "think you can do it" he asked, every time he hacked something and she was present, he would ask her to obviously wanting to see what she had learned. "No McGee she is not going to hack anything, she is way too young to have a criminal record" Gibbs said without looking up from his work. Tali giggled and went over to see what her godfather was doing, "you know it would be so much quicker on a computer Uncle Gibbs" she said watching him write out a report long hand "computers are unreliable" he said "they loose work easily, at least I know where it is now" she shook her head and shrugged, she often had the same conversation with him and often got the same answer.

She heard the elevator doors ding and whirled round, her parents were coming into the bullpen bickering as usual, Tali grinned at Gibbs who rolled his eyes at her "believe me it was worse before you were born" he muttered "I find that hard to believe" she said sniggering. Then she leapt forward as she had when she was young and wrapped her arms around her fathers waist, he stopped arguing instantly and smiled "hey what you doing up here ninja", she looked at him for a minute before saying to the whole bullpen "I know you are waiting to ask me what happened to me, but I don't want to wait, I am ready to tell you what happened now"

Everyone stopped and looked at her "are you sure Tali sweetheart" Gibbs asked gently, she nodded, "I want to move on, so let me tell you what happened so I can forget it", Tony looked at Ziva, who looked at Gibbs who relied softly "ok if you are sure, Tony Ziva you stay here" he said as they moved towards him "but" Ziva began but Tali shook her head "I don want you to hear about what happened to me mom" she whispered going forward to wrap her arms around her, Gibbs looked at her firmly, so she kissed Tali gently before watching her follow Gibbs up the stairs, to Vance's office.

"why are we going to Director Vance" Tali asked jogging to keep up, Gibbs looked at her gently "he told me that when I asked you what had happened, he wanted to be there", he pushed open the door to the small lobby and strode right past the receptionist who called to him to knock but he didn't he strolled straight in.

Vance looked up as his door opened without a knock, he knew who that was "and to what do I owe the pleasure Gibbs" he asked, Gibbs held the door open and Tony and Ziva's daughter entered, she appeared calm, but he watched her eyes flash around the room searching for any danger, he had never really got to know Tali, though he kept a close eye on her parents making sure that they worked to a high standard as usual, they always worked hard even when she was with them, well Tony never really worked hard, but he got the job done, so you couldn't complain, and Ziva was a valuable asset to the team, great for undercover work, you didn't have to worry about her because you knew she could look after herself, she had also been useful at maintaining a friendship with Mossad, especially when she had been a lesion officer, but that had all changed when she had got pregnant, and refused to follow her fathers orders to abort the baby, he had been furious, and had asked Vance to send Ziva back to Israel, after he had found out that the baby had been born, Vance had asked Ziva but she had refused and he didn't really want to push her, the relationship between him and Eli had been a bit touchy for a while after that but they had gotten over that but they never mentioned Ziva, Tali or any of Gibbs' team in any of their conversations.

He studied the girl who stood next to Gibbs who held himself with an air of defence to him; he wouldn't let anything else happen to the child. The girl had her head held high proud and defiant, she had the same air to her as Ziva, with her slightly darkened skin tone and tough stance, but there was Tony in her, the eyes, the mouth especially when she was smiling cheekily. But she was different to the other times he had seen her, even if they had all been from a distance. Although she seemed proud he could see that she was nervous, and she kept glancing at her godfather to reassure herself, she was still bruised and beaten, he had seen the video of what had happened to her and was surprised she was still sane. He could see some of the cattle prod marks on her arms, there were also other injuries, she had a swollen cheek, and a slightly blackened eye, every inch of her appeared to have been beaten, he felt for the girl, she really had been through hell, but amazingly she had survived.

He looked at Gibbs who said softly, 'she says she is ready', he looked at Tali again "are you sure, we can wait if you want", the young girl shook her head firmly "I want to do it now, I want to move on" she seemed certain, and very determined Vance thought. He nodded "all right then" he stood up and went round his desk and took her and Gibbs to the large conference table in his office, he gestured for Tali to take the seat at the head and he and Gibbs took seats either side of her, he pulled out a recorder and placed it on the table, "take your time" he said reassuringly, Tali looked at Gibbs who nodded encouragingly and so with a deep breath began to tell her tale.

She told of how they had been attacked at the gas station, trying to tell as much as she could remember, she told them of how she had hit her head and been thrown in the boot of the car, where she had heard the bounty hunters talking, she recalled as much of their conversation as she could, then she told how she had tricked them into thinking she was still out cold, using the training her mother had given her. Next she informed them of how she had managed to call Gibbs, and Gibbs told of how that had helped them have a rough estimate of where she had been but as her phone had been destroyed they hadn't been able to complete the trace. She told of how they had threatened her and then given her to Dayan who had told her that she had been brought their because of her mother. She didn't say much of what he had told her of her mother, just that his father had killed her aunt and in return out of grief Ziva had killed Dayan's father.

Then she told about the little room she had been left in with barely any food and water for 3 days before being brought as proof to her mother, she told of how she knew that if her mother had come she would have been killed so she tried to warn her, that was when she had been beaten, she said that they had used the cattle prod on her long after they had ended the conversation as well as hurting her in other ways about which she refused to elaborate.

Vance then asked about what had happened when she had managed to escape, and she told them of her little fight with the guards, and how she had knocked them out before running to the computer room knowing that she wouldn't get far if she did get out without help. Vance looked a bit suspicious when she said that she had managed after a few attempts to destroy the firewalls, but let it go as she moved on to how she had distracted the guards so she could climb into the vents and then of the conversation she had over heard, she couldn't tell them much on who the other man was, all she could say was that he was rich, Israeli and from the looks of him it was not his first time planting bombs.

She then told of how they had told her mother that she was dead and then they had left but not before she had heard them talk about the bomb and had seen the plans so she had known where the switch was, after they had left, not knowing that her family was coming for her instead of going for the bomb she had run too, she had managed to hitch a lift to Norfolk and then it hadn't been hard to get on the ship, she had gone to the captains office and found out where all the oil drums had been kept, before going to look for them, "and that's where I ran into the team" she finished "and I assume you know the rest"

Vance nodded, she had kept herself together throughout the whole time she was telling her tale, he could see that under all that control there was fear, fear that one the men who escaped would come back for her. "thank you Tali" he said, Gibbs touched the girls hand "you ok" he asked softly, Tali nodded before looking down at her hands clasped in her lap, Gibbs knew she was lying, she knew how to lie properly, so she couldn't seriously be all right. He looked at Vance who nodded and then he stood waiting for Tali to follow him, she did so slowly but by the time they had reached the top of the stairs she had bottled all her emotions back up again and she did a little skip to catch up.

Back in the bullpen Ziva glanced at the clock every minute of so followed by a look towards the director's office; Tony watched her he did the same but not as often.

"When is Tali going back to school" McGee asked trying to break the awkward silence, "when she feels ready" Ziva responded looking at Tony who nodded, Ziva glanced up the stairs and her face brightened, swinging round Tony and McGee saw Tali and Gibbs descending the stairs, Tali looked ok Tony thought watching her as she did a little skip to catch up with Gibbs, they entered the bullpen and Tali went and hugged her mother tightly, Ziva seemed slightly surprised but hugged Tali back just as firmly.

They left not long after, and once home they noticed the same things that Vance noticed, Tali looked under control but really they could see her fear, she hid them well but they had watched her grow, they knew all her little traits and secrets. Every time something moved her eyes would flash to it uncertainly, if someone went past in the hall outside she would edge away from the door uncertainly.

Ziva didn't show it but she was afraid, so that night she went into her daughters as she got ready for bed, Tali smiled at her as she jumped into the bed and snuggled down under the covers, "are you going to be ok" Ziva whispered, Tali shrugged, "I should be" Ziva keened forward and kissed her daughter before turning and walking towards the door, "he told me what you did in Mossad" Ziva froze before turning slowly, Tali was watching her she looked like she had just blurted that out without thinking, she watched her mother's reaction carefully her face expressionless, Ziva looked at her, thinking, before realising it was time to tell her the truth.

"What did he tell you" she asked quietly moving to sit once again on the end of the bed, Tali looked at her, she seemed to be deciding what to say and what to believe, "he told me you killed his father, because he killed your sister" Ziva watched her face as she said that, she didn't seem upset or worried, she just seemed to want to know the truth, carefully she decided to tell her everything and get the inevitable talk over and done with, "yes" she said with a heavy heart "I killed his father" Tali's expression or lack there of didn't change, she had learnt that from Gibbs, "he also said you killed others, anyone who got in your way, he said you were the best and you moved up the ranks because you didn't care about the consequences"

Ziva stared into her eyes, they were so similar to Tony's, the same golden greenie brown, usually like Tony's they were cheeky and sparkling, but now they were serious, desperate for answers, "yes" she said again, she was afraid of how Tali would react to finding out her mother was a killer, but she didn't react at all. Silently Ziva cursed Gibbs for teaching her how to control her facial emotions and how to lie so convincingly.

Tali watched her, she still didn't appear afraid "what was it like" she asked Ziva had to think about that "hard" she said finally "we were trained from the moment we started to never hold back, to give our all, it was drilled into us that we should never feel any emotion except anger, but we had to control it, we could never let it get the better of us, but I did after my sister died, I was so mad I had to get revenge, when my father let slip who killed Tali I don't think he thought I would go hunt him down, but I did, disobeying orders, I stared into his eyes as I killed him, and for the first time since Tali died I felt free"

She looked down at her daughter afraid that she might be scaring her, but Tali was tougher than she looked, she was listening, not eagerly, but intently, obviously glad to finally be hearing the truth, she had never told anyone this, not even Tony, it felt good to let it out. She told the rest of her tale, telling her how she had been shipped to America, where she had discovered a life outside of Mossad and found a family that actually cared for her, rather than a family who used her. Tali listened snuggled up against her chest. When she had finished she looked down at her daughter, Tali had her eyes closed and at first she thought she had drifted off to sleep, but hen she opened her eyes and gazed at her mother "thank you for telling me" she said Ziva smiled "Eyn davar" (your welcome) they lay there together for a while until Tony came in looking for his girls, she stood watching them for a minute before moving forward and climbing onto the other side of Tali "scoot over ninja" he said using his new nickname for her, Tali shuffled over before resting her head on her dad's shoulder. They lay there until Tali fell asleep, then they slowly untangled themselves from her and went to bed.

Ziva rolled over to Tony who kissed her softly "Ani ohevet otakh Zee" (I love you Zee) Ziva smiled back at him "Ani ohevet otakh Tony" she whispered back, they lay there together until they heard a small thump, they both sat up only relaxing when a small figure came in and scrambled in between them, and snuggled up to them.

The whole family fell asleep like that clutching each other, glad to be reunited together once again, afraid to let go, afraid that once again one of them might to snatched away and they would be separated once again.

XOXOXOXOXO

Meanwhile in some dusty motel room Dayan was fuming, that child, she had escaped and had ruined his plan, she had stopped the bomb from killing Ziva David and the bomb had had little other impact. He was going to find that child and her mother, then he was going to kill Ziva David and her precious daughter would be next.

Hope you liked it, sorry it has been so long. Will try to update soon, but GCSE's start soon so wont be for a while, this has been written very slowly, a couple of paragraphs a night.

Let me know what you think PLEASE open to any and all suggestions, was thinking of maybe Dayan trying to get revenge on them both in the next chapter what do you think.

Let me know, If anyone wants a specific story, check out my profile and see if I know the show, or whatever and inbox me, I am happy to give it a go.

Thanks

Mysticgirl101