Tony opened his eyes and blinked. The clock blinked 2:18. 2:18. 2:18. 2:18. He sighed and padded towards the kitchen and filled up a glass of water. Drinking greedily he wiped his eyes and prepared to head back to the bedroom. Jacob's door opened slowly and a pair of dark eyes peered out.
"Hey buddy..." Tony whispered crouching in front of the boy. "Can't sleep?"
Jacob cocked his head to the side and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Oh buddy...nightmare?"
The boy read his lips and frowned.
"Bad dream?"
Jacob nodded his curls flopping. He pulled off a few pictures from his book and passed them to Tony. Fire. Blood. Ima. Abba. Tears flowed down his face. Instinct took over, Tony wrapped his arms around the small boy and hugged him tightly. He walked them over to the couch and held him, letting the silent sobs rack his small body...
Ziva woke up to a cold and empty bed, her internal clock telling her that it was nearing 6 am. She rolled out of bed and threw her running clothes on. There was a chance that Tony was out running before her, but it was a slim chance. When she opened the door, the loud snoring told her that Tony wasn't running, but she didn't expect to see the sight ahead of her. Tony, sleeping on the couch with Jacob wrapped in his arms.
"They sound like saws." Daniela whispered, causing Ziva to jump. "Sorry I scared you. I have been awake for a little bit of time." She came up beside Ziva and smiled. "May I go running?"
"How about we go running together?" Ziva pulled a blanket over Tony's body and placed a kiss on Jacob's forehead. "Okay Daniela, let us go."
#
The giggle woke him just before the cold water did. His green eyes opened with a start, searching for the known attackers. He placed Jacob off to the side and jumped up. Daniela sat on the armrest of the couch, a grin on her face. Ziva threw the waterbottle behind her and plastered an innocent look on her face. "Good morning." Daniela said softly.
Tony shook his head, the drops of water spraying all over. "You two are in for it." He said with a smile that even surprised himself.
Get them! Jacob signed, launching himself at his sister who fell off of the couch. She squealed and pushed him off.
Tony corned Ziva and smiled. "What should we do to them?" He asked, watching as Jacob clamoured up and sat on his sister again. The boy grinned and started kissing his sister with wet slimy kisses and tickled her.
"GREAT IDEA JACOB!" Tony howled, tossing Ziva over his shoulder and dropping her onto the couch.
"Do not do it Tony." She warned, attempting to glare at him. "I am warning you."
He grinned, his green eyes flashing with amusement. Leaning forward he slowly licked his lips, making sure that they were covered with a layer of saliva.
"You would not."
Her answer was quick...and wet...and loud. She felt his lips press against her forehead, leaving a wet spot on her head. He pulled back and was about to make a comment regarding his handy-work when the door opened.
"What on EARTH ARE YOU DOING DINOZZO?!"
Tony pulled back so quickly he fell back and hit his head on the coffee table. Daniela flipped Jacob off, leaving the small boy to tumble in a ball on the floor.
"Boss...I can explain...we were just...fooling around." Tony tried to straighten his hair, his eyes darting around wildly. "Jacob...he had a nightmare and I slept out here with him..."
"And Daniela and I, we went running. We awakened Tony by dripping some water on him. This is their revenge." Ziva explained.
Gibbs glared. Harder than he had ever glared before. He swallowed the rage that was boiling from within and clenched his jaw. "You two. Kitchen. NOW!" He roared.
Daniela closed her eyes and clamped her hands over her ears, tears streaming down her face. She rocked slowly, her body trembling. Jacob laid in the corner, watching the scene unfold with curiosity. When he saw his sister begin to cry he put two and two together. Gibbs made his sister cry. He stood up and stomped over to where Ziva and Tony were slowly slinking towards Gibbs.
Jacob go to the other room. Gibbs signed.
The boy stood there and glared. His fingers began to fly and when he realised that no one in the room could understand him, he did what any logical four year old would do. He threw a temper tantrum and started swinging wildly at Gibbs. It took all of them by suprise, as his tiny fists connected with any and every part of Gibb's anatomy. Tony and Ziva watched with both shock and awe as Jacob hit every inch on Gibbs that he could reach...and Gibbs doubled over, grabbing his...more at risk pieces of his anatomy. Tony reacted first and grabbed the small boy, picking him up and holding his flailing arms. Ziva looked around and rushed over to Daniela who was still rocking and crying. Daniela clutched her like a drowning victim to a life preserver.
"What's wrong with her?" Tony asked over the noise.
Ziva shook her head and whispered quiet Hebrew to Daniela, trying to calm the girl down. None of them heard the front door open and close until they heard Jenny's voice.
"What is going on here?" She looked down at Gibbs who was struggling to regain his breath, Tony who was holding a struggling Jacob and Ziva was getting Daniela to slowly calm down.
"Long story director." Tony called above the racket of the two struggling children. "Boss came in and yelled at me and Ziva...and Daniela freaked out...and Jacob realized that Boss made Daniela cry and hit him where the sun don't shine."
Jenny fought back a smirk and looked down at Gibbs and then to her two more junior agents. Jacob had finally calmed down and had his head lying on Tony's shoulder. Daniela had stopped crying and was staring at Gibbs with an evil eye. "Are you okay Daniela?"
The girl nodded slightly, wiping her face. "Yes Miss Director." She whispered looking up at Ziva. Ziva said a few things in Hebrew to the girl and tenderly pushed her hair out of her face. Daniela stood up and took Jacob by the hand and walked into the bedroom and shut the door.
"What was that all about?" Jenny asked when the kids were out of earshot.
"I caught these two playing grab ass on the couch." Gibbs growled, slowly bringing himself to a standing position.
"And?"
"And then Gibbs went all Marine, yelled, Daniela freaked out and started to cry...and Jacob went all Marine and nailed boss in the family jewels." Tony said with a slight smirk.
Jenny fought back a smile and looked at Ziva who kept shooting concerned looks at the closed door. "Jethro," She started softly. "If you want to catch this killer...they must act like a family. That's what you were doing, right?"
"Yeah. 'Course." Tony replied.
"Good. Now Abby and Timothy will be arriving soon to check on all of the cameras. Ziva, do you want to check on the kids?"
The Mossad officer nodded silently and headed towards the room with Tony on her heels. Once they were gone she turned and glared at Gibbs. "Jesus Christ Jethro. These kids have been traumatized, seriously, THINK. Did you not think that yelling would scare them just a little bit more?" She shoved him hard in the chest. He had the sense and good grace to look ashamed.
"Rule 12."
"Rule 12 my ass." She glared and pushed her hair off of her face. They stared at each other, each daring the other to look away...
#
"Why is Mister Gibbs mad?" Daniela whispered softly.
"Because Gibbs is a grumpy old man." Tony replied picking Jacob up. "He didn't mean to yell Daniela...well...he did, he just didn't mean to scare you. He mean to scare us."
Why? Jacob leaned back and signed to Tony.
"Because that is Gibbs." Ziva replied brushing the tears off of Daniela's face with her thumbs. "And now that the director has finished yelling at him, would you like to have breakfast?"
Pancakes!
"Daniela?"
The girl shrugged and wrung her hands nervously. "I guess...Mister Gibbs...he will still be mad?"
"Not if the Director has anything to say about it." Tony nudged the door open with Jacob in his arms. "Boss, Director, we're planning on having pancakes for breakfast. Care to stay?"
Jenny smiled as Tony carried Jacob on his hip and grabbed the boy a juicebox.
"It's okay Tony."
"We are making them. It will not be any more trouble." Ziva replied pulling out a bowl and passing it to Daniela.
"I guess we can stay..."
"And us!" Abby piped up walking through the front door. "What type are you making Ziva?"
"Ziva makes the best blueberry pancakes." Daniela said quietly.
"Blueberry it is."
"Okay, double checked the cameras. There are cameras in every room except the washroom and your bedroom." McGee said to Tony who was swinging Jacob around. "Tony, he's going to throw up."
"Watch this." Tony set the boy down and watched as he stumbled around before falling over and laughing.
"Tony, that is so demented." He leaned down and picked the boy up. "He's not your own personal toy."
"You're just mad that you don't get a kid to play with." Tony rolled his eyes and looked around. "There are cameras in their rooms, right?"
"Yeah, why?" McGee dropped Jacob on his bed and watched as the boy made a beeline for his book.
"Any way that we can have a set up to check their rooms?"
Cocking an eyebrow McGee shrugged. "Guess I could. Why?"
"Jake's been having nightmares...and I'm pretty sure Dani hasn't been sleeping well either. This way Ziva and I...WHAT?" He turned to McGee who was smiling smugly.
"Never thought I'd see the day when Anthony DiNozzo went all parental."
"Shut up McGee." Tony growled picking up a stuffed basketball and tossing it to Jacob.
#
"Daniela, can you get the door?"
The girl nodded and quietly walked to the door, leaving Abby, Jenny and Ziva talk in the main room with Gibbs looking over their shoulders. She opened the door a crack and peered through. A woman stood on the porch with a man behind her and two children. "Hello?"
The woman smiled. "Hi sweetie, is your mother home?"
Daniela nodded. "One moment please." She shut the door and walked over to where the three women sat. "Ziva, there is someone at the door."
"Thanks." She stood up and put her arm around the girl and walked towards the front door and opened it. "Hello?"
The woman stretched out her hand. "Hi, I'm Jessica Wong." She motioned to the man behind her. "This is my husband Keith and my kids Jamie and Beau."
"Ziva D-ella Rovere. This is my daughter Daniela." She shook Jessica's hand and smiled.
"We saw you move in and saw that you had kids about the same age as ours." Jessica continued as Jamie smiled at Daniela from behind her mother. "Here, I made you this." She passed a tray of cupcakes over to Ziva.
"Thanks so much...we just have some company or I would invite you in..." Ziva began to explain before Jenny came up from behind her.
"We're just leaving dear." She placed a kiss on her cheek and one on Daniela's head. "See you tomorrow." Jenny smiled and dragged Gibbs, McGee and Abby out behind her.
"Come in." Ziva said with a smile opening the door wider. "My husband should be out right away, he's in our son's room with Jacob. How old are you Beau?"
"Four." The boy said, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes.
"And I'm 9 and a half." Jamie said importantly. "I'm in the fifth grade."
"Jamie, don't interrupt." Her father chastised. He looked around the room and began to say something before Tony and Jacob burst into the room, pants on their heads, Jacob squealing at the top of his lungs.
"PJ FUNNY BUNNY!" Tony yelled grabbing Jacob before stopping and looking at their guests.
"This, is my husband Tony." Ziva said feeling her face grow red. "And our son Jacob."
Tony smiled and pulled his pants off his head. "We were just reading PJ Funny Bunny." He began to explain.
Jacob frowned when Ziva pulled his pants off and handed them to him. Put on your pants.
Who's that? He slowly put on his pants and latched onto Tony's leg.
"Hi, I'm Tony."
"Keith."
Tony leaned down and pried Jacob off of his leg and propped him on his hip. The boy's eyes went wide when he saw the cupcakes. He reached forward and tried to grab one off the tray.
"Why doesn't he talk?" Beau asked watching Jacob and Daniela sign rapidly.
"He was born deaf." Tony said slowly trying to swallow the anger he could feel rising. "He communicates with sign language, pictures and lip reading."
Beau thought about this for second before grinning. "Wicked."
"Daniela, could you and Jamie take the boys outside to play? And please make sure your brother is wearing his pants." Ziva said with a chuckle.
"Do I HAVE to?" Daniela asked in Hebrew looking the older girl up and down. "I don't like her."
"GO Daniela." Ziva ordered. "You need a friend your own age. Go and make friends."
Daniela sighed and pasted a fake smile on her face. "We have a swingset, a sandbox and toys in the yard. Allow me to show you towards the backyard."
Jacob nodded and grabbed two cupcakes before shoving them in his mouth and making a run for it.
"Would you like some coffee?" Ziva asked sweetly.
"That would be great." Jessica smiled. "I'll help since it appears our husbands are talking about basketball."
"One thing I do not like."
"Me either."
Ziva nodded. She was playing the perfect wife...and it was harder than she thought.