Over dinner, in a small restaurant, the little girl constantly reminded Gibbs about her bike. The agent had thought it had been long since forgotten, but was proved wrong when Mini-Ziva had spotted some children driving their shiny bikes on the sidewalk.

So Gibbs decided to take Ziva to the nearest hardware store in order to look for a paint that would be to her liking.

The only problem was that he had once again lost her in the big store. Having only let go of her hand briefly, as he made sure to have his wallet with him, the little girl obviously had used the chance to go exploring herself, leaving him to wonder why she suddenly had left his side when she had stuck close to him before, at any other time.

"Must have been the preschool." Gibbs muttered under his breath as he walked along the main corridor, checking the aisles left and right from him.

Meanwhile Mini-Ziva had found what she was looking for and even had managed to convince a sales clerk into helping her.

"Okay," the man smiled at the small child, "If your dad wants to repaint your pink bike, he should first cover it with this." He put special emphasis on the pink after Ziva had told him that "'ibbs p'o'mised" her to "make the pink go away.".

Mini-Ziva frowned at the cap of the spray can, which indicated a white color.

"Don't worry it's just to make the new color come out better, without the pink shining through."

His statement elicited a toothy smile from Ziva, "O'tay!"

"So, what colors do you like Ziva?"

At the beginning he had tried to find out why she was running alone around the shop, but only managed to get to know her name and that she was here with a "'ibbs", who he guessed to be her dad. Both of them wanting to look for a color in order to repaint her bike in a less "yucky" color.

Since the sales clerk had a distant idea that the little girl would put up a hell of a fight if he would just take her to the information counter, he had decided to keep her company instead. After all, her dad would let her be called out sooner or later. Then he could go to the nearest phone with Ziva hopefully following him without protest.

He had been so lost in his thought that when he concentrated on the colors again, the little girl had disappeared. Exactly what he had tried to avoid.

"Ziva?" He called out, walking down the long aisle at a rapid pace.

At the end of the corridor, the little girl pocked her head around the corner, looking questionably at him.

"I thought you had run off..."

"Lo," Mini-Ziva shook her head and looked sweetly at him. "Me look!"

The man laughed lightly, "Have you found a color that you like?"

"Uh huh!"

If the man was surprised by her choice of words, he didn't let it show, "You gonna show me?"

"Ken!"

Before he noticed it the little girl had disappeared to the next row of spray cans, shouting for him to get over there. Using a word that sounded very similar to 'come'.

"Alright, alright, I'm here."

"Look," Mini-Ziva pointed to a rack of spray cans.

"Uhm," the man looked at the different colors, "What color do you want?"

"'is!" Again she pointed only upwards.

"Guess you don't know the name," the sales clerk mused, experimentally picking a spray can.

"Lo, o'ter Ohn."

"This?"

Mini-Ziva shook her head.

"Okay... But this then?"

"Yes!" The little girl gave him another toothy smile.

"Good. Let's take two of them." The clerk offered after having made sure that it would be the right sort of spray to use on metal. Surprisingly Ziva had picked the right kind instantly.

"O'tay." Suddenly bored, the little girl looked first left and then right before starting to wander off again.

"Hey, wait." The clerk was alarmed. He couldn't afford to loose sight of her.

"Why?" Mini-Ziva cocked her head.

"We should find 'ibbs, I mean your dad, now."

The little girl's eyes dilated, "'ibbs!" she looked around, trying to find the agent.

"It's okay, Ziva. We'll find him." The clerk put his free hand on her back and steered her to the nearest phone. "I'll call him out, okay?"

A few minutes later Gibbs walked up to them. Relief showing on his face.

"'ibbs!" Ziva, happy to see the agent, run to him and wrapped her small arms around his legs before she was picked up by Gibbs.

"Don't run off," he told her sternly, tightening his hold on her in an impromptu hug.

"Sowry," she muttered against his neck.

"I'm sorry Sir. I wasn't sure if she would come with me to the phone before we had picked out some colors for her bike." The clerk offered, feeling a bit guilty at seeing their relieved expressions.

"You already have picked the color?" Gibbs now asked Mini-Ziva who nodded against his chest.

"I've got them here," the sales clerk indicated to the spray cans lying in the crook of his arm, "A primer, too."

Gibbs nodded in acknowledge and took the items from the man before walking to the register.

"'ibbs?" Mini-Ziva asked from the backseat of the car. Since their reunion in the hardware store she hadn't uttered a word.

"Yeah?" The agent looked at her through the rear view mirror.

"You mad?"

Gibbs briefly closed his eyes at the scarcely audible question. "No Ziv. I was just worried when you were suddenly gone. You scared me."

"Sowry," Mini-Ziva mumbled, feeling bad to have caused Gibbs any grief.

The agent turned around in order to really look at her, "Stores like that can be very big for children, so always tell me where you want to go and we'll go there together, okay?"

He didn't really wanted to tell her to stick close to him, fearing that she would experience more separation anxieties if he did so. Although he knew that he couldn't afford it to loose his shrunken agent for real, just because she decided to go exploring and might get abducted by some weirdo.

"O'tay." Ziva sighed and looked out of the window, refusing to meet Gibbs' gaze any longer.

"Let's stop by the coffee shop and get something sweet to eat, for later," Gibbs tried to brighten her mood – successfully.

"Yay! Can we get dow'nuts?"

"I guess, let's get some donuts for the others, too." Gibbs suggested, articulating donuts with emphasis.

"O'tay."

(NCIS - Headquarters)

Mini-Ziva covered her ears with both hands. When she had willingly agreed to bring Abby her favorite energy drink she had totally forgotten how loud the music in the lab could be. Today it felt as if it was even louder than usual.

The little girl first had tried to shout over the deafening sound but failed to be acknowledged by Abby, who was still happily bouncing on her heels as she worked on her computer.

Ziva sighed and picked the Caf-Pow! up, which she had placed on the floor in order to cover her ears. Warily she walked further into the lab, till she finally stood behind the scientist.

"Abby!" She tried anew, but to no avail. Mini-Ziva huffed and eventually just pulled on Abby's white lab coat instead, hoping to get some kind of reaction.

Abby felt her coat tightening around her shoulders and swirled around, confused as to who would bother her.

"Ziva!"

Immediately the little girl found herself in a hug, causing her to giggle and nearly spilling the small cup of Caf-Pow!.

"Shalom Abby!"

The goth smiled at her shrunken friend and lifted her onto the table, right next to her keyboard and computer mouse.

"You back." She stated unnecessarily.

"Uh huh!" Mini-Ziva grinned widely and held the mini Caf-Pow! out to her.

"For me?" Before Ziva could answer her, Abby had snatched the energy drink out of the girl's hand, "Toda Ziva."

"Eyn davar."

"So," Abby loudly slurped her drink, "How was preschool."

A grin spread across Ziva's face, "Like it!"

"Aww, that's nice. Did you made some friends?"

"Uh huh." Mini-Ziva dangled her feet, not offering any further explanation.

"Come on, tell me something about them and your day!" Abby grinned.

Ziva cocked her head once again, her expression completely innocent, "Why?"

The goth laughed, "Please."

"O'tay." the little girl shrugged and started to smile even more as she began to tell Abby about her day. "Maxs, Dan'yel, 'ana', Mi...li...dunno," she shrugged, not being able to remember the correct names of the twins.

"We draw and then play wif' ball and outside!"

Mini-Ziva shook her head, her expression earnestly, "No Dan'yel but Maxs. He sweet! He gave me cookies!"

Abby looked astonished at her small companion, "Really?"

"Uh huh! And then we ..." Ziva thought for a minute, "Rac'z'ed to top of towar." She bobbed her head as if to agree with herself.

"'ana' fell," Mini-Ziva frowned slightly, "But she o'tay. And we play hi' and 'eek."

"Oh," Abby finally caught up with the little girl's rambling, "I'm glad your friend is okay," she smiled.

"I fell too." the little girl stated nonchalant and pulled her leg up, clumsily rolling up her trouser leg to reveal a scraped knee.

"Awwww," the goth immediately reacted and inspected the 'wound' closer, "Poor baby."

Mini-Ziva frowned, "Me no baby!"

Abby blinked at the outburst, "Uh... I wasn't..."

"She's saying baby to everyone who's hurt," Gibbs offered from the doorway, his eyes scanning over Ziva and her knee, "That hurting, Ziv?"

"Nah!" She grinned widely at him, not the slightest bit bothered when he came over and lightly poked the scraped skin.

"Did you told the teacher?" Gibbs asked, seeing that while it was a minor scratch it must had started to bleed slightly as the fabric of her pants was pulled away from it.

"No?" She countered, her brown eyes looking questionably at his blue ones.

"If you get hurt, you should always tell them, okay?" He gently scolded her, taking the offered first aid items, which Abby had gotten in the meantime.

"No hurt bad." Ziva protested meekly.

Gibbs grinned and lightly dabbed the scraped skin with a cotton ball after putting some disinfection agent on it, "I guess, but you'll tell and show your teacher next time."

"O'tay."

Abby laughed next to them, "On the bright side, you'll be rewarded with a sticking plaster, Ziva."

Mini-Ziva gazed quizzical at her.

"Like those," Abby held some colored plasters out to her friend, "I like the ones with the skulls on it the most."

"Abs," Gibbs warned her lowly. "Don't corrupt her..." he thought, slightly glaring at the hyper scientist.

Although it was already too late and Ziva had picked out a white plaster with green glistering skulls on it, "Have 'is."

Abby at least had the sense to look sheepish.

The team leader sighed, "Okay. This time." He gently applied the plaster and rolled Ziva's pant leg back down. "There, as good as new." He placed a kiss on her hair.

Ziva grinned, "Toda."

Gibbs turned back to Abby, his face telling her that the playtime was over for the moment, "What ya got, Abs."

After, a for Ziva very boring, explanation about Abby's newest findings, Gibbs and she had made their way upstairs again. Although the team leader went a level higher with the elevator while Mini-Ziva left at the floor of the bullpen.

"McGee!"

Startled, the agent jolted up from his seat, dropping back onto it as he noticed Ziva standing next to him. Her amused smile reminding him very of her grown-up self.

"Hey there." McGee tried to calm his racing heart.

The little girl grinned a little more and scrambled onto his lap, hugging him around the neck once she had found her balance.

"I've missed you too, Ziva."

She slightly eased her grip to look at him, "P'e'school funny!"

"That's good."

The agent was happy for his friend. While he missed the real Ziva – and Tony of course – he was relieved to know that she had a great time. Enjoying stuff she probably hadn't been able to do in her 'first' childhood. Also given the technical development over the past few years, he guessed everything was new or at least very different of what she knew before, anyway.

"Bug! Ya back."

"Toneyyyyyyyyyyy!"

McGee rolled his eyes as the little girl left him for his other shrunken partner. The day had passed slowly and it was strange how normal it had been. They bickered like before, leaving Tim to wonder about grown-up Tony's state of mind.

"He's just enjoying to annoy you," a tiny voice in his head told him.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as a squeal followed by lots of giggling echoed through the bullpen.

As he looked across the team's area, through the gap between Gibbs' and 'Ziva's' desk, he saw Tony kneeling on the floor. The teen was in the process of tickling Ziva. The little girl squirmed under his hands, trying to fight the offending hands off. Though, her laughter told McGee that she was having fun nonetheless.

Meanwhile Gibbs had left the Director's Office and had descended the stairs with a scowl on his face, which he directed at every agent, who had dared to stare at his shrunken agents. Some having taken photos while others surely had filmed the whole scene with their cellphones. He would have to ask Vance to confiscate those films, before someone from outside could get a hold of them.

"Remind me to never say again that you should stop to act like kindergarteners after those two have returned to normal. 'Cause surely it can be a lot worse." The team leader commented lowly to McGee as he walked to his own desk.

"It's fun to watch though."

Gibbs turned to his agent and briefly leaned his head to the side, "Yeah... But people are supposed to be working here."

Across from them it had gotten very quiet. After their short tickle fight and the consequent wrestling match, Tony and Ziva lay next to each other, both breathing more heavily than normal.

The team leader looked over the desk, "You still got two hours to work, Tony."

"Do I really need to?" The teenager groaned and slowly stood up before taking a seat behind the desk. His hand slowly flying over the keyboard again, while he yawned widely.

"Ziv?"

"Sleepy." The little girl also yawned but made no move to relocate. She just looked at him. Her eyelids dropping now and then.

Gibbs smirked and picked her without further ado off the floor.

"Time for a nap," he whispered into her hair as he carried her over to the mattress.

"Lo, stay wif' ya." Mini-Ziva mumbled back, gripping his black jacket lightly.

The team leader looked down at her, pondering her request, "Okay."

So instead of laying her down, he settled himself behind his desk, with her held safely on his lap. He never would admit it to anyone else, except her maybe, but the hours without her had proven to be rather boring. Even when she was only sleeping next to his desk, it was different to her being completely absent. With Mini-Ziva around he had the living proof that their Ziva was still with them and not across the world, doing god knows what.

"McGee, report!" Gibbs slightly reclined back in his chair, giving Ziva a better angle to fall asleep. He was glad to know that the noise of the office wouldn't bother her at all. She could sleep through nearly everything, except thunderstorms...

(An hour later)

Ducky walked quietly over to the sleeping pair. He had been surprised to find his longtime friend asleep on his desk, but guessed that it really wasn't much of a wonder.

His changed schedule and lifestyle was bound to exhaust the team leader at some point. Given the fact that the newbies where out chasing leads, his timing to catch up with some sleep couldn't be more perfect.

Though, Gibbs didn't slept and startled the older man when he all of a sudden asked him about the wrapped packet, which Ducky had placed right in front of them on the table. "From you Duck?"

"Jethro! Don't startle me like that."

The team leader smirked. "Didn't meant to, Duck."

"To answer your question, no, this is all Mr. Palmer's doing."

Gibbs nodded, "His exams coming along?"

"Yes, he's doing well. Also I regret that his studies keep him away from NCIS."

Ziva choose this moment to slowly wake up. The minor vibrations of Gibbs' chest having roused her from her nap.

"Ducky," she sleepily greeted the M.E., waving slightly before wrapping her tiny arms loosely around Gibbs' torso and huddling against him.

"Slept well, my dear?"

Mini-Ziva nodded, another yawn keeping her from saying something.

Gibbs stroked his shrunken agent's hair, "Do you want us to go home, Ziv?"

The little girl momentarily turned her head to him, before burrowing her face back in his shirt and mumbling a "Sleepy" shortly before as her breath evened out again.

"She didn't even noticed the gift," Gibbs smirked.

"It was a busy day for her." Ducky agreed smiling. "You also seem to be much more relaxed than a few hours ago," observed the older man.

"Giving her into someone else hands doesn't feel very good." Gibbs muttered under his breath, causing Ducky to smile knowingly.

(Gibbs' household - Evening)

"I'm taking the trash out," stated Tony, planing to fulfill his house chores.

Though, this time Gibbs stopped him, "Nope, it's Ziva's turn, tonight."

"Isn't she too young?"

"She lost a game, now she must take out the trash," Gibbs smirked at the little girl, who looked at him with a frown. "Right Ziv?"

Mini-Ziva sighed loudly and put the stuffed dog aside, with which she had been playing at the dinner table. -"Ken."- she mumbled timidly and got of the chair, leaving Jimmy's present unattended.

Slightly grumbling, she walked up to Tony, who held the trash bag in his hand.

"But you can make sure she hasn't any problems," commented Gibbs as the teenager handed the bag over.

"Sure."

"Let her carry it." Gibbs called after them, smirking to himself. He wouldn't put it past the teen to take the bag back, right after the pair had closed the door behind them.

"A bet is a bet." he thought smiling. Not that the agent would mind much if Tony would carry out the task. But the bag wasn't heavy and he was positive that Ziva could handle it herself.

"So," Tony put the lid of the trash can back, "What game did you lost?"

Ziva crinkled her nose and looked up at him, a slightly pouting expression on her little face, "Me say Uh huh in p'e'school."

Her declaration caused Tony to laugh the rest of the way into the house, a now actual pouting little girl trailing behind him.

~ Fin ~

Lo = No

Toda = Thank you.

Eyn davar = You're welcome.

Ken = Yes