Disclaimer: I don't own them.
A/N: You get a special update since I am stuck at home with kidney stones. And yes, they are as painful as you have heard. It's my second attack with them. Hate hate hate. It feels like having a 6000 lb man kicking you in the kidney until he gets upset and sticks a red hot poker in your kidney, just for the hell of it.

Tony almost sprinted out the door as soon as he was released, Ziva on his heels. He tapped his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel and waited for her to come. "Hurry up hurry up." He muttered as she slid into the vehicle.

"Tony, we are just going to the school to pick them up." She smiled and shook her head slightly. "This is not going to be every day, is it?"

Glaring, Tony reversed out of his parking space and headed towards the school. "I just want to make sure that they had a good first day of school. Is that so wrong Zee-vah?"

She just smiled and watched as Tony drove through the DC traffic with a style that freakishly reminded her of Gibbs. They made it to the school in record time and waited as streams of kids flowed out of the front doors. "There they are!"

Sure enough, Daniela and Jacob were quickly making their way to the car. Tony hopped out and met them on the corner of the school grounds. "How was your day?"

Daniela shrugged. "It was okay."

I like school. Jacob grinned and latched onto Tony's hand.

Ziva held the car door open and gave both the kids a hug. "How was your first day?"

Checking over her shoulder quickly, Daniela gave a soft smile. "It was okay I guess. I did not learn anything that was new. How was your day, Mom?"

"It was good, but I missed you two." Ziva smiled gently. She gave Jacob a kiss on the cheek. "I missed you Jacob."

He grinned and threw his bag into the car. Tony rushed over and got in the driver's seat, a lot calmer than before Ziva noted with a smile.

Daniela popped her head between the two of them, leaning on the front console. She began to speak rapid Hebrew to Ziva who nodded repeatedly.

"Should I be worried?" Tony asked glancing briefly at Ziva.

"No." She smiled. "It is no large deal."

"Big deal Zee-Vah."

"Big deal." She repeated with a smile.

"It is no big deal, Tony." Daniela said leaning back in her seat.

"I'm not sure I trust you two." He glanced in the rearview mirror at Daniela who was smiling placidly and then at Ziva who was smiling back at him. "Yep, really don't trust you two."

#

"Out out out." Ziva shooed Tony away from the kitchen. "Do not worry, food will be ready soon."

"It smells so good. What are you two making?" Tony sniffed the air. "Can I please have one bite?"

"No. Now go away." Daniela waved her hands at Tony and began to push him out of the room. She walked over to Ziva. "Our first Sabbath supper."

"Yes, and it should be ready right away." Ziva pushed her hair out of her face. "I need to go speak to Tony for a moment, do you mind watching the challah?"

Daniela nodded.

"Is supper ready yet?" Tony asked as soon as Ziva entered the room.

"No Tony, but we must talk." She sat down beside him and watched as Jacob played with some Lego in the corner. "Do you know what day it is Tony?"

"Friday."

"Sabbath eve."

"Oh."

"Yes. Today we are going to be having a special supper. It is very meaningful to the children, and if there IS someone who is looking for Jewish families we must act accordingly."

"Got it...we can still use electricity and stuff...right?"

"Yes Tony. I am not Orthodox, neither are the children, so therefore neither are you." She patted his knee. "It does mean though that you and Jacob must wear a kippah."

"How long until supper?"

"Long enough for you and Jacob to get ready." Ziva smiled and headed back towards the kitchen. "The kippahs are in our bedroom, on the dresser and I laid out Jacob's clothes."

Tony watched as Ziva disappeared into the kitchen. "Okay little man, let's go get you ready." He tapped Jacob on the shoulder and signed clothes.

Jacob frowned. Why.

Sabbath.

A grin crossed Jacob's face. He pulled Tony towards his room and quickly began to get dressed in the dress pants and button down shirt Ziva had laid out on the bed. You too.

Tony nodded and went into the other bedroom. He pulled out a dress shirt and a pair of dress pants and pulled them on. On the dresser sat two small head coverings. "How am I supposed to keep this on?" Tony grumbled placing the cap on the top of his head, only to have it fall off.

Pin. Jacob smiled and made the sign again, slower. Pin. When Tony didn't move, Jacob pointed to the bobby pins that sat on the dresser.

"Oh." He picked them up and gingerly attached Jacob's kippah, then his own. "Looking good, buddy. Let's go find them womenfolk." He took Jacob's hand in his and walked towards the kitchen. "Whatever you two are making, it smells amazing."

The kitchen lights were dimmed, the table set with four candles, two taller ones and two smaller ones. Jacob tugged at Tony's hand and smiled as Ziva got out a match and lit the candles. After she covered her eyes and began to speak in Hebrew. "Barukh atah Adonai E1oheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat." After she opened her eyes and stared at the candle for a few seconds before turning around and smiling at the children and Tony. "Sit. We have a few other blessings."

Tony went to sit beside Jacob before Daniela shook her head. "No. Fathers sit at the head of the table." She ushered him to his seat.

Ziva shared a smile with him and started another blessing. "Ye'simcha Elohim ke-Ephraim ve'chi-Menashe" she said is slowly, facing Jacob for him to read her lips. He smiled at Ziva and nodded his understanding. "Ye'simech Elohim ke-Sarah, Rivka, Ra-chel ve-Lay'ah" She continued in Hebrew, Daniela smiling and nodding. Finally she stopped and looked up at Tony. "Now we can eat!"

Daniela lifted a cloth off of a tray and showed it to Tony. "Ziva and I made Challah bread!" She tore off a piece and passed it around while Ziva poured grape juice in the children's cups and wine in hers and Tony's. "We made chicken and rice too!"

"It looks amazing." Tony said with a genuine smile. "Absolutely amazing."

"Ziva, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure Dani."

"Is it okay to play sports on the Sabbath?"

Ziva looked at the girl. "Of course it is. Did you play sports on the Sabbath in Israel?"

She nodded. "I did, but the girls at school...they say it is not okay."

"Just ignore them, it is okay if you believe it is." Ziva ruffled the girl's hair. "Why do you ask?"

Blushing, Daniela pulled a wrinkled piece of paper out of the front of her jumper. "I want to play basketball."

Tony turned at the sound of his favourite sport. "You want to play what?"

"Basketball." Daniela passed the piece of paper to Ziva. "Can I play?"

"Sure. We will sign you up tomorrow for it." Ziva said smiling.

Daniela blushed a deeper shade of red. "Actually, I am signed up already."

"Without asking us?" Ziva cocked an eyebrow.

"It is better to ask forgiveness than ask permission." Tony said with a chuckle.

"Please? Can I play?"

Tony and Ziva exchanged glances. "Yes, you can play. But next time, please ask."

Daniela jumped up and wrapped Ziva in a hug. "Thanks mummy!" She ran over to Tony and threw herself on her. "Thank you Papa! Can we go..." She stopped in mid sentence and stared at Tony and Ziva. "I...I..."

"It's okay Daniela." Tony pulled her onto her lap. "You can call us whatever you feel comfortable with. Anything."

Chewing on her bottom lip, Daniela slowly looked at Tony. "Really?"

"Yeah. Well...almost anything. There are a few choice words that you can't call us. But Mom, Dad, Mummy, Papa...you can call us any of those." Tony shifted Daniela on his lap so that she was looking at him. "I have a secret for you."

She cocked her head towards him and narrowed his eyes. "Secret?"

"Yeah." He moved his mouth close to her ear and whispered something. Her face lit up and broke into an ear to ear grin.

"CAN WE!? Can we go NOW!? Please?!"

"What are you two up to?" Ziva asked, smiling as the girl shot up off Tony's lap and ran towards her room.

"Never you mind." He walked over and flicked Ziva's ponytail. "We'll be back."

"Yes, we will be back!" Daniela ran back into the room wearing her jacket and black patent leather shoes.

Ziva watched as the two of them left the house. She smiled down at Jacob who was drawing a picture. Just us.

He smiled and held up the picture that he was drawing. It had two kids and two adults, all with smiles on their faces. Us?

Jacob nodded and went back to colouring. She smiled and went to the kitchen to clean up the dishes...

#

Before this day, had Tony been told that Daniela was unable to smile, he would have believed it, but now she was wearing an ear to ear grin.

"Those!" Daniela pointed at a pair of black, white and red basketball shoes.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded emphatically. "YES! I want to try THOSE on!"

"Okay, we'll try those on." He shifted the five pairs of basketball shorts, the tshirts and warm up suit into his other arm. "Can we try these on in a size 4?" Tony called to the kid working. Quickly the kid returned with an armload of shoe boxes.

"I brought out some other styles too." He explained.

Daniela was almost vibrating when she saw the boxes. "Papa, I can try on ALL of these shoes?"

"Sure, pick the pair that you like the best." Tony grinned as Daniela smiled up at him and then to the worker.

"My Papa is buying me basketball shoes! I am going to play basketball tomorrow." She gushed.

"You sure know how to make a girl happy." Tony froze at the sound of her voice. "Tony."

"Jeanne." He turned around and smiled at the woman before him. "It's been...a long time."

"It has." The woman smiled down at Daniela who was kicking her feet happily. "And who is this little princess?"

Daniela looked up at the blue eyed woman and frowned. "Papa, I like these shoes. These are the ones I would like."

"Papa?" Jeanne turned to Tony. "She is...?"

Tony gathered up their purchases. "Let's go Daniela. I still have one more place I want to go before we go home."

The girl glared at Jeanne and attached herself to Tony's side. "I cannot wait to show Mummy my new shoes."

"What time is your practice tomorrow?" Tony held the girl tight to his side.

"I am not sure. It is on the note." Daniela looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Jeanne as they left the building. "Who was that Papa?"

"No one important."

#

"What is that noise?" Ziva looked up from the book she was reading and headed towards the front door.

"MUMMY! I HAVE A BASKETBALL AND A BASKETBALL NET!" Daniela screamed rushing towards Ziva at full throttle. "PAPA IS PUTTING IT UP!"

Ziva smiled and pulled Daniela into her arms. "Isn't that nice of Papa?" She stole a glance at Tony who was pulling a large net from the back of the car. He smiled at her.

"I figured she could practice..."

Basketball! Jacob ran out of the front door and started jumping up and down. Ours!

"How about we put it up tomorrow, Tony? It is late...and it looks like the children could fall asleep standing." Ziva said with a smile.

"Okay, we'll put it up tomorrow." Tony pulled the box into the house and helped Ziva wrangle the kids.

Finally, what took far too long, Tony and Ziva were able to get the children into their own rooms.

"You know, I do not think she is going to sleep." Ziva said quietly. "You made her very happy today."

"It's the least I can do. It's just a basketball." Tony sat down on the couch beside her. "It's not like I bought her anything huge."

"No, it is huge for her." She leaned on him, relaxing as he wrapped his arms around her. "It is giving back some of her childhood."

He ran his hands through her dark hair, relishing in the feeling of having her close to him. "Ziva...I'm not sure I can do this."

"Do what?"

"This pretending." He moved her off his lap and stood up and covered the camera. "I can't do this. I don't think I can let these kids go...let...you go." He stared into her dark eyes, trying to read what they were saying...