Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just play with them!
"I'm impressed Tony. They both alive...and seem to be fed. And at least one of them is clean." McGee said looking at the two children.
"Shut up McGoo. And it's not my fault he didn't want to shower." Tony replied helping Jacob up into his chair.
"Actually, it is your fault." Ziva smiled from behind Daniela. Her fingers nimbly braided the girl's thick curly hair. "Because you did not shower, he did not shower."
"Tony!" McGee exclaimed. "You didn't shower?"
"Not on duty." Tony handed his phone to Jacob and set it up with a game. The boy grabbed it greedily and his small fingers started flying on the numbers. "He better not beat all of my high scores."
Ziva rolled her eyes and spun Daniela around on her chair. "There you go, Tinoqet. You look very pretty."
"Thank you Ziva." Daniela said politely.
"You are very welcome." She smiled at the girl. "We have to wait for Gibbs and the Director. Is there anything you would like to do?"
"I like to read." Daniela replied. "But all of my books were in my house..."
Gently squeezing the girl's shoulder, Ziva knelt down in front of her. "Do you prefer Hebrew or English?"
"I do not have a preference." She eyed up the book shelf behind Ziva. "May I please read this book?" She asked pointing to a small Hebrew book on Ziva's shelf.
"Of course." Ziva pulled the book down and handed it to the girl.
Gibbs and Director Sheppard appeared from her office and walked over to the railing. "DiNozzo...Ziva...McGee can you watch the kids?" Director Sheppard called from above them.
"Sure." McGee said nervously. He looked at Jacob who was looking at Gibbs, reading his fingers. Jacob nodded and signed something back and looked over at Tony. He started to hand over the phone when Tony shook his head and smiled.
"You will be okay with McGee." Ziva told Daniela who had put her book down and was intently listening to the conversation. "We will just be upstairs, and we will not be long." She patted the girl on the shoulder and followed Tony up the stairs. The kids watched as the two of them went behind closed doors. Daniela turned back to her book, trying to read and keep an eye on McGee at the same time. Jacob leaned back in the chair and put his feet up on Tony's desk, and played on the phone, his small fingers working quickly on the keypad. McGee rolled his eyes and went back to his computer, opening the office instant messenger.
McGee: Hey Abby, Daniela and Jacob are here. I may need your help translating.
Scuito: Okay! I don't have anything on the go right now, I'll head up.
McGee: Thanks.
He looked back at Daniela who was still reading, an eye watching him. "So, did you guys have a good breakfast?" He asked cautiously.
"Yes." Daniela put her book down. "We had cornflakes." She put her book down and leaned on her hands. "We had to wake Tony and Ziva up. They were sleeping."
"Really? Where where they sleeping? Together? In the bedroom?" Abby squealed, coming out of the elevator.
Daniela cocked an eyebrow and looked towards Abby. "No, they were sleeping on the couch." She looked over at Jacob who was happily playing the game and took no notice of anyone.
"Boy, does he look a lot like DiNozzo when he does that." Abby said, perching on the edge of McGee's desk.
McGee looked over and rolled his eyes. "Just what we all need, a baby DiNozzo."
"Do you want to come down to my lab, Daniela?" Abby asked, bouncing off McGee's desk and approaching Daniela. "I've got lots of cool stuff down there."
"That may be interesting. Will Tony and Ziva know where we are?" Daniela closed the book and looked at the forensic scientist.
"Yeah, we'll tell them." Abby grinned and grabbed the girl's hand. "McGee, grab Jacob." She ordered heading towards the elevator.
McGee walked over to Jacob and tapped the boy on his shoulder. "We're going to Abby's lab. Want to come?" He asked slowly.
Jacob cocked his head to the side and reached into his backpack. He pulled out a small binder full of pictures and words. Flipping through it, he grabbed a picture and stuck it on a long strip of Velcro. Handing the piece over to McGee Jacob stared at him.
Where? It simply stated.
"That is Jacob's PEC book. It has pictures to talk to people who do not know sign language." Daniela explained. "It has over 600 words right now." She turned to her brother. We are going to Abby's lab.
The boy nodded and flipped through his book and pulled out a few pictures. I have to go to the washroom.
McGee smiled. "Okay, we have to take a bathroom break, and we'll meet you ladies down there." He waited for Jacob to pack up his bag and follow him to the men's washroom.
"Della Rovere?" Tony looked up from the file. "Tony Della Rovere. Age 36. Naval Intelligence. Married to Ziva Cohen, now Della Rovere, age 31, language instructor for the US Navy. Two kids, Daniela 8 and Jacob 4."
Ziva looked at Jenny and raised her eyebrow. "One child, deceased. Isaac, 10, who died in a..."
"Suicide bombing in Israel." Tony finished, between Jenny and Gibbs.
"We had to put it in Tony, he's part of their life, they won't forget their brother." Jenny said softly.
"Or their parents Jenny." He looked at Ziva and shook his head. "Are you sure that these kids can do this? Forget their lives before, play pretend."
Jenny sighed. "I knew Marcus and Lisa when Marcus worked in the States, before the two younger children were born. They were great people, their kids are the same. It is unfortunate, yes, but...they are made of the same fortitude of their parents."
"That is a lot of pressure for the children." Ziva interjected.
"How about we ask them?" Jenny asked, her tone requiring no answer.
#
"And what does this do?" Daniela asked, peering at the large machine.
"THIS, is Major Mass Spec. He is the KING of the lab." Abby smiled at the girl who was wearing a smaller version of her lab coat along with Jacob who had emerged from the elevator with McGee in tow. "McGee make sure Jacob doesn't..." Her voice trailed off as the boy smacked the flickering monitor. Jacob looked up at McGee and grinned. He stuck a few pictures on the Velcro strip and handed it to him.
I fixed it.
McGee shook his head and turned to Abby. "He fixed it."
Abby laughed and gathered the boy up in her arms and plopped him on the chair, signing quickly. "Next time the computer needs fixing, tell me or McGee, okay?"
Okay. He smiled and kicked his legs, attempting to propel himself to Abby's desk. I like your lab. He giggled, something that came out more like a high pitched whine. Abby wrapped him up in a hug, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Daniela frowned, her eyes narrowing and darkening. She crossed her arms across her chest and stuck out her lower lip. A stream of Hebrew flowed from her lips as she glared at her brother.
"What was that Daniela?" Ziva asked, coming up from behind her. The girl blushed briefly before looking up at Ziva.
"Nothing. May we please leave?" She sighed and leaned against the wall. "Please?"
"No, we have a meeting with Agent Gibbs, the Director and Tony." Ziva said sweetly, forcing a smile. She looked over at Jacob and signed Tony's name. He smiled and nodded.
Tony Tony Tony Tony. He signed over and over, his eyes dancing. He jumped off the chair and tugged at Ziva's hand.
"Okay, we're going." Ziva smiled and angled the children into the elevator. Once the door shut, she turned to Daniela who was still pouting in the corner of the elevator. "Your brother does not get all of the attention because he is deaf." She said in Hebrew, turning and facing the girl.
Daniela rolled her eyes and glared. "Yes he does. Poor Jacob, he can't hear. Poor Jacob. Everyone cares about Jacob." She pressed herself into the corner. "No one cares about what I like, or who I am. Just Jacob."
"I care about what you like, who you are." Ziva said softly, kneeling down and looking the girl in the eye. "What do you like?"
"Don't ask me just to be nice." She scowled and pressed herself in the corner of the elevator. "But, if you must know. I like to read, run, play board games..."
The elevator dinged and the silver doors slid open. Ziva lead Jacob out, waiting for Daniela whose eyes were still full of confusion and anger. They walked through the bright bullpen and up the stairs where Tony, Gibbs and Director Sheppard were waiting.
TONY! Jacob ran up to him and pulled on his hand until the senior field agent picked him up. Gibbs swallowed a chuckle when he saw the look on Tony's face. Jenny smiled softly at the kids. "How are you guys?"
"I am fine." Daniela replied, leaning against Ziva. She looked at the redhead, trying to read her emotions.
"Daniela, I knew your parents."
"So? They are dead now." She said it with such finality, it almost shocked them. Almost. "We are here to help catch a bad guy, yes?"
"Yes you are. You, and your brother are going to be undercover with Tony and Ziva." Jenny waited for Gibbs to translate before continuing . "You will be their children."
Daniela froze for a second before nodding slightly. "Okay...but what will our last name be? It is not going to be DiNozzio, is it?"
Tony flinched at the mispronunciation of his last name.
"No, your last name will be Della Rovere. You will be attending Gray Academy, starting Monday." Jenny continued smiling at Daniela.
"Daniela Della Rovere. My parents liked Ds, did they not?" Daniela gave a small nod. "What do Ziva and Tony do for work?"
"That is a great question. Tony works for Navy intelligence..."
"Like my Abba!" The girl piped up with a small smile. "Sorry..."
"Yes, like your Abba. And Ziva, she is a language instructor at the Naval Academy. Ziva and Tony can fill you guys in on the rest, okay?"
Jacob looked at Tony and slowly signed out his new last name. D-E-L-L-A R-O-V-E-R-E. JACOB DELLA ROVERE.
"That's right buddy. Jacob Della Rovere." Tony said, tussling the boy's hair. "That's right."
#
"Who is Hannah Montana and why do I want to wear her clothes?" Daniela eyed the pink jacket warily and looked up at Ziva. "Is there ANYTHING that does not have pink on it? Or ribbons?"
"What type of clothing do you like?"
"Not this." Daniela held up a pink shirt with a frilly collar with disgust. "It appears as if...someone who was...blind made this!" She threw it on the rack and shook her head. "Normal clothes. Like what you are wearing."
Ziva looked down at her outfit. Jeans, a green fitted tshirt, and boots. Her normal fare. "Well Miss Daniela, I believe I know where we can get you some clothes.
This one. Jacob handed the words to Tony and pointed back to the shirt. It was a light blue button down, made by one of Tony's favourite designers.
"Really? This one?" Tony asked slowly.
Jacob nodded and pulled at Tony's OSU shirt. He quickly grabbed his piece back and placed a few more words on it. I want one of those too. O-S-U
Tony beamed and ruffled the boy's hair. "I think we can do that. How about we pay for these clothes and find the women."
Reading his lips, Jacob nodded and held out his hand.
#
Daniela took a sip of her berry mango madness and rewarded Ziva with a rare smile. "You are right, I do like this drink."
"Good." Ziva looked at her watch and shook her head. "They are late."
"Jacob has one speed. Slow." Daniela said taking another swallow of her drink.
"So does Tony. He is physically incapable of being on time." Ziva replied rolling her eyes.
"I am too capable. We just stopped for ice cream, right buddy?" Tony retorted, an ice cream in one hand, five huge shopping bags in the other, and Jacob following closely beside him.
"Healthy choice as always Tony."
"Hey, the kid wanted ice cream. Who am I to argue with a four year old?" He flashed an ear to ear grin. "How about we head home, pick up some food on the way or something?"
Ziva nodded, tucking Jacob to her left side, Daniela to her right leaving Tony with the bags. "I say we name it a day, what about you Daniela?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. It is a day. A good day."
AN – Sorry about the delay. I have started my new summer job which is working with students with ASD, and it has been a tiring week.
Thanks for reading! As always, reviews are much appreciated!