After the painting lesson and a short breakfast in their room, including lots of chocolate milk and their own food, the group of children sat down in a circle on the carpet. Mini-Ziva sat in between her two new friends Max and Hanna, when Miss McCully, who had also sat down cross-legged among the children, presented them a ball and held it in her lap.

"We are going to pass the ball around to each other and when you get it, you have to say a word that describes you... for example who can think of a word that describes a tree?"

Several children put up their hands, from where the teacher picked out a red-haired girl, "Lucy, can you think of a word?"

The girl nodded. "Green."

Ms. McCully smiled, "Well done Lucy," she praised, "Who can think of another one?"

More hands rose.

"Mikey?"

"Leafy."

"That's right. Well done, a leafy tree. So now we understand the rules, we'll play. Because I have the ball I will go first... how about... funny Ms. McCully?"

Every child, including Ziva laughed, and McCully passed the ball to the child next to her.

"Michael?"

"Power Ranger Michael!" He said proudly, showing his power ranger watch on his wrist. The children laughed and Miss McCully smiled.

"Ok, pass it on... Pheobe?"

"Tickles."

The group snickered and laughed even harder when the girl's friend, who sat next to her, tickled her under her chin.

"Gwen? What's your word?"

"Giggles." She said earnestly, before breaking into a fit giggles.

The ball went further around the circle, before it finally landed in Hanah's hands. Max smiled and leaned into Ziva, whispering -"It's your go soon"- in Hebrew.

The little girl looked at him and smiled. She still was stuck for an answer but tried to put up a brave front.

"So, Hanah, what is your word?"

The blonde girl thought for a moment. "Happy!... I'm Happy Hanah," she beamed at the group who chuckled in return.

Ms. McCully smiled, "Ok... Ziva what is your word?" she asked as Hanah gave the ball to the little girl. Mini-Ziva played with it for a few moments, painfully aware of the class watching her every move. She fidgeted and Ms. McCully reassured her smiling, "It's ok Ziva. Take your time."

"Any word you want Ziva," encouraged Hanah, while Max nodded.

Mini-Ziva racked her brain for all of the English words she had learned in the past few weeks. One particular stuck in her mind the most.

"Bug," she declared in the end, causing the other children to exploded into laughter. Ziva giggled too, after seeing the teacher's nod and smile. So the little girl gave the ball to Max, who grinned widely at her.

"And your word Max?"

"Friend," the boy said smiling at Ziva and Hanah, who smiled right back at him.

(A while later)

"Alright everyone, it's time to play outside for an hour," Ms. McCully declared after they had played another round with the ball, till the red object finally was returned back to her.

The group cheered and was already on their feet and at the door when their teacher reminded them to be quiet and stay together while they would go to get their jackets and shoes from the coatroom.

Since it was slightly chilly outside, Ms. McCully had reminded them to actually put on their coats and not leave them behind, like they sometimes did in the spring and autumn.

Once dressed properly, most of the kids rushed to the back entrance where Ms. McCully already waited for them, letting them outside while she stood at the door, waiting for the rest of her group.

Hanah and Ziva were some of the last to finish getting dressed. The blond girl smiled at Mini-Ziva, patiently waiting for the shrunken agent to zip up her coat.

Max, having went with most of the others outside, ran back into the room.

-"Are you ok?"- He inquired as he saw the little girl's struggle.

Mini-Ziva threw her hands to her sides, frustrated that her zip wasn't working. -"Lo."- She muttered darkly.

Hanna tilted her head, not understanding many Hebrew words yet. Only those which were taught them by Miss Leah.

"What did you say?" she inquired.

"I said is she ok, and she said no," Max translated, frowning slightly.

Ziva growled and then took her coat off, placing it aimlessly onto the top of her shoe shelf.

Hanah rushed over to her, "No Ziva, you have to wear a coat, it's cold ouside!" The blonde girl tried to give Mini-Ziva her coat back, but the little girl wiggled away from her.

-"Lo."-

"If you want to play outside you have to," Hanah insisted.

Ziva shook her head, curls flying. "Stay here." she muttered and went to look around the inside play areas. There she soon spotted an interesting looking bookcase and went over to it.

Hanah watched her from the hallway and sighed. The blonde girl had the feeling that any talking was useless. So she walked towards the back entrance. Max hesitated first, but then followed Hanah. His interest in the outdoors greater than his interest for books.

Meanwhile Ziva had dragged a beanbag over to a corner near the bookcase, before she had made herself comfortable in it, a book with a boat on the front cover, in her lap.

She has just opened the book, looking at its pages closely, when her anger returned and she muttered a "like boat" to no one in particular.

-"So do I," a voice suddenly said, causing Ziva to jump out of the bean bag. The book falling from her lap to the floor. Startled, the little girl looked around.

A teacher stood near the bookcase, watching Ziva with an apologetic smile as she took a step closer.

"Shalom Ziva, - My name is Miss Leah, you can just call me Leah-" The woman introduced herself as Mini-Ziva sat back down.

-"You speak Hebrew?"- The little girl craned her neck, question in her eyes.

Ms. Leah nodded, before sighing as her long brown hair went in her face. -"I speak Hebrew to every child that speaks it naturally,"- she continued in a gentle tone of voice.

-"Like me?"-

-"Yes, like you. Do you mind if I sit next to you?"-

Mini-Ziva shook her head and moved up so Leah could sit next to her.

-"This is a good book"- commented Ms. Leah and Ziva nodded in agreement.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, the teacher asked about her observation, -"Why are you not outside with the other children?"-

Ziva looked down and away, -"I can not do my coat. It's stuck!"-

Ms. Leah smiled and tugged some of Ziva's hair behind the little girl's ear, so she could see the kid's face, -"Do you want me to help you?"-

At the suggestion, Ziva looked at the teacher, evaluating the offer carefully before she nodded timidly.

"I put the book away and you get your coat, okay?"

-"Ken."-

The little girl nodded and ran to the coatroom, while Leah got up and put the book back into its place on the bookcase, following Ziva afterward.

"There you go," Ms. Leah had zipped the small child's coat and now held out her hand, which Ziva instantly took. Due to the fact that Leah spoke Hebrew with her, Mini-Ziva felt much more comfortable around her than with her other teacher.

Together they walked outside where Miss McCully was already looking for the little girl. A mug of coffee in her hand.

"Hello Ziva, we were wondering where you were," the teacher said, both Max and Hanna were standing next to her.

Ms. Leah smiled down at Mini-Ziva, "We were talking about boats, weren't we?" The little girl nodded and smiled at her friends.

Hanah stepped forward and took Ziva's hand, effortlessly dragging the now laughing girl with her as the three children ran towards the climbing frame.

Miss McCully looked questionably at Leah.

"Her coat zip gave her some serious trouble," the younger woman wore an amused smile, "Her Hebrew is amazing," she reported in awe, upon which Miss McCully smiled.

"She definitely looks like a smart girl. Her carer, Mister Gibbs, seemed to be very happy with her."

Ms. Leah grinned, "He should be." She waved hello to the Chinese twins who headed her way.

"Hi Leah." They said together.

"Shalom Xiu and Mai..."

"Okay, it's a quarter past eleven. You've three quarters of an hour to play by yourselves before lunch." Ms. Leah announced once the whole preschool group has found their way back into their room.

A class full of 'okay's' sounded, with only one 'o'tay'. Miss McCully smiled at her colleague, knowing that the word came from their newest student.

Max, Hanna, Ziva and the Chinese twins Xiu and Mai, who had befriended with Ziva outside, sat together on one of the tables. White and colored papers, along with a vast number of crayons, markers and pencils, littering its wooden surface.

As they all more or less quietly drew and painted, Ziva looked at the clock. The note from Gibbs lying right next to her. The little girl compared the clock with the agent's drawing for a while, till a smile stole on her face as she realized that he would pick her up very soon.

"What is this?" Hanah finally asked after her curiosity about the note had gotten the better of her.

Three other pair of eyes landed on Ziva.

"Time 'ibbs pick me up!" The little girl declared with a toothy smile, not noticing how Max and Hanah threw each other a sad look.

"You draw this?" Mai asked, peeking closely at the note.

"No, 'ibbs did."

The twins smiled, "Dad get us when this one," Mai pointed first to the small hand and then to a spot a bit away from its original place, "is here." Xiu nodded eagerly.

"Where do you go then?" Xiu asked.

"We eat ice cream!" Mini-Ziva announced loudly without baiting an eye.

"We too!" Mai laughed, earning herself a frown from her twin.

"No we don't."

"Do!"

"Don't!"

"Do!"

"Do..."

"Hey girls," Ms. Leah had come to their table, "Why are you two fighting?" She smiled at the pair.

"Nothing!" The girls chorused innocently.

"So?" The teacher playfully lifted an eyebrow and looked at the other children, "Really nothing?"

Hanah, Max and Ziva smiled and shook their head in negation, snickering rather loudly as Ms. Leah stood up with a smile and went over to an other group.

"Do you come tomorrow too?" Max asked quietly after they had all calmed down a bit.

Mini-Ziva shrugged and looked down at her hand, counting with her fingers, -"'ibbs said thrice weekly."-

The boy nodded and smiled, till Hanah punched him lightly in the arm, "What did she say?"

"She's comes here thrice weekly." Max frowned and rubbed his arm, "That hurt."

Hanah stuck her tongue out at him, "Did not."

The boy turned to Ziva and repeated his statement. Instead of a punch, Mini-Ziva just smiled at him, before taking a paper and quickly drawing something on it and finally giving it to Max.

His face lid up as he saw what she had made for him. "Thank you." He quickly drew something in return, handing it over.

Hanah, Mai and Xiu had watched them with interest before they looked at each other. A form planing in their little heads.

"Ziva and Max, sitting in a tree,

K-i-s-s-i-n-g

First come love,

then comes marriage,

then comes the baby in a golden carriage!"

The three sung very loudly, causing every other person in the room to look at them.

In the meantime Max and Ziva looked flabbergasted at the girls.

-"They think that's funny,"- grumbled Max, quickly switching language so that Hanah, Mai and Xui wouldn't understand them.

-"They sing wrong."- Ziva stated, keeping her eyes wisely on the paper in front of her. Looking up and seeing everyone stare would be too hard.

Max snickered and cast a sideways glance at his new friend, -"You're funny."-

The little girl smiled, having him seen looking out of the corner of her eye, -"Toda. You too."-

They were so engrossed in their talk, they hadn't noticed Ms. Leah stopping the chorus of their friends. Only when the teacher leaned down between them and whispered a quick -"You're both very funny."- they snapped their head back up.

Ms. Leah smiled, -"You okay?"-

The children nodded, both grinning widely at her.

The young woman had the faint suspicion that they would hang around each other a lot in the future, seeing how close and comfortable they stuck together. Most kids would have started protesting when others started to sing a taunting song about them. But those two just retired to speaking a language of which their friends didn't understood too much – yet. After all the goal of the preschool was to teach the children good English AND Hebrew.

"Hanah, Mai, Xui, don't you three have something to say to your friends?" Ms. Leah looked expectantly at the girls.

"Sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy." They chorused, though still smiling cheekily.

"Ziva, Max. Do you accept their apology?"

The pair looked at each other, playfully debating among themselves till they finally nodded. The same cheeky smiles on their faces like the girls wore.

"Good." With a grin, Ms. Leah returned to her colleague, who shook her head, smiling nonetheless, "This will be a very interesting time."

It was only five minutes before noon, when Ms. McCully asked everyone to pack their toys and crayons away, in order to line up so that they could go to the mess hall.

Mini-Ziva looked at the clock and frowned.

"Gibbs will be here soon," reassured Ms. Leah with a hand on the child's shoulder, "Why don't you say goodbye to Max and the others?"

The small girl momentarily looked up, but then nodded and quickly run to her friends, who already stood at the door.

"I'll lead the 'pack' to the mess hall, you can wait till Mr. Gibbs comes," offered Ms. McCully as both teachers watched the farewell between the children. Of course the older woman had noticed Ziva laughing and smiling a lot more when she was around the other teacher. But she didn't minded it, knowing that most children, who were native Hebrew speakers, bonded with Leah faster, as they enjoyed and craved for the familiarity of speaking their mother tongue. Especially when they were so far from home.

"All done?" Leah asked as Ziva came bouncing back to her.

The little girl nodded happily, eager to be home soon.

"Well then," Ms. McCully slightly bent down, "Goodbye Ziva. See you on Friday."

"Bye!" Mini-Ziva smiled widely and looked at Leah, while the other teacher herded the group to the mess hall.

"Let's go to the coat room, so you're ready to leave when Gibbs arrives," the young woman suggested, earning a nod from the preschool child.

They were just walking down the corridor when Ziva caught sight of a certain silver haired agent.

"'ibbs!" Mini-Ziva broke into a run.

"Hey," Gibbs crouched down and enveloped the small girl into his arms after she had run straight into his arms, "Did you have fun?"

"Yes!"

Over Ziva's shoulder the agent saw a young woman approach them.

"Mr. Gibbs I assume?" Leah smiled.

"'is 'ibbs," Mini-Ziva declared with a grin.

By now Gibbs had stood up, his shrunken agent now comfortably settled on his hip.

"Shalom, I'm Ms. Leah."

"Hello."

Gibbs motioned to Ziva, "Was everything ok?"

"Yes. She was very good. Already made some friends."

"You did?" Gibbs asked the little girl, smiling.

"Uh huh!" Ziva tightened her arms around his neck and snuggled into his shoulder.

"Uh huh," mouthed Leah, surprised by the term.

Gibbs gave the teacher a remorseful smile.

Leah circumnavigated the agent. "We were just on our way to the coat room. The other children have gone to eat lunch," she explained as she proceeded to follow their plan, Gibbs automatically following her.

They were nearly at the end of the corridor when they heard a shout from the other end of it.

"Ah, I already heard about Daniyel and Ziva bonding," Leah stated, chuckling as she saw the boy wave frantically at them, before his teacher steered him to the mess hall, along with the rest of his group.

"You did?" Gibbs smirked.

"Oh yes. And today, she befriended another boy. This time one in her own group. Those two were spending nearly every minute with each other."

Gibbs eyebrow rose, "Should I be worried?" He asked Mini-Ziva, who giggled at his playful tone of voice.

"Well, I caught most of the other boys in my group looking at her quite often," Leah winked at him and Gibbs could only shake his head in amusement.

"Always the same," he laughed lightly as the neared their destination..

"The necessary paperwork is in her backpack, as well as some of her pictures, I believe."

Gibbs smirked again and set Ziva down after they had entered the coat room. "Go and get dressed," he whispered into her ear, sending her to her outer wear.

"I'll have them filled and returned when I'll bring her on Friday."

"Oh, I have no scruples about that." She gave Gibbs a knowing smile when she suddenly remembered something else, "Before I forget it, please remember to bring a toothbrush for Ziva next time. We noticed she had none, after Max had already shared his with her..." The young woman smiled apologetic.

The team leader slightly grinned, "Guess I've forgotten to put it into her backpack, yesterday."

"'ibbs, up!" Mini-Ziva had returned to them and held her arms out to him.

With a smirk, the agent did as told, "Why have you not zipped your jacket, Ziv?"

"No work," the little girl grumbled, playing with the collar of Gibbs' jacket.

"Some parts of the zip seemed to be slightly twisted, causing it to jam very easily." Leah explained.

"Guess you'll be going to wear the other jacket then," the silver haired agent stroke Ziva's cheek with his free hand.

"Go home?" The small child quietly asked, the delay slightly starting to annoy her.

The adults seemed to have realized this too and quickly bid each other farewell so that Gibbs and Ziva were at the agent's car less than two minutes later.

"Do you want to go back here on Friday?" The silver haired agent asked as he opened the door of his car, letting Ziva crawl into the back before gently fastening the harness of her booster seat around her and getting himself into the front seat.

"T'orrow ?" The little girl furrowed her eyebrows. While she had enjoyed the time at the preschool, she had also missed Gibbs and the others.

"The day after tomorrow," corrected the agent, smiling at her through the rear view mirror.

"O'tay!" Ziva gave him a toothy smile.

Gibbs had just pulled out of the parking spot when his eyes landed on his little passenger again, "Ziv, do you remember our game from the morning?"

Mini-Ziva's eyes dilated as she realized that she had lost it a few minutes before, "Uh oh!"

~ TBC ~

Shalom = Hello

Lo = No

Ken = Yes

-"..."- = Hebrew