Tali & Monique, Age 5

            December 3^rd, 2023; The morning of Tali and Monique’s fifth birthday, Ziva was up at the usual time she got up at and started kickboxing in the living room before her husband, son and daughters woke up that morning. Kickboxing had always been therapeutic for Ziva.

            “You still have it.” Monique said as she came into the doorway at the moment when her protégé landed a roundhouse square on the kickboxing dummy.

            “I learned from the best.” Ziva replied as she grabbed the towel she had nearby.

            After Ziva had wiped her brow before she went to hug her mentor.

            “I’m glad that you were able to make it, Monique; it means a lot and the girls will be so thrilled to see you.” Ziva said.

            “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Ziva. I’d run into a hail gunfire for those girls.”

            Ziva smiled. Tali and Monique were two very lucky girls.

            “I can’t believe they’re five years old already, it seems like they were just born yesterday.” Ziva said.

            “I know, I can’t believe that you took my advice from all those years ago and finally settled down. And I have to say that I am a bit jealous, Ziva. You have three beautiful daughters, a handsome son and a drop dead gorgeous husband; your mother would be proud. So would your sister.”

            “They would, Ari on the other hand…”

            “Who the hell cares what Ari would think?”

            Shortly after that Tony, Madalyn and Asher wondered into the kitchen still half asleep.

            Tali and Monique on the other hand were anything but quiet.

            “Aunt Monique!!!!” the duo shouted as loudly as their five year old lungs allowed them too.

            “My god would you two put a lid on it.” Asher said to his kid sisters in Hebrew.

            “Asher Ari DiNozzo, apologize now.” Ziva demanded.

            “Sorry Tal, sorry Momo.”

            “You’re forgiven.” the girls said as they hugged their mother’s mentor and Monique’s mentor.

            At one point Ziva a sad look in Tali’s eyes as she watched her twin hug her namesake.

            “Tali, I know it’s hard for you to see your sister hug your Aunt especially on your birthday since Aunt Tali isn’t here like Aunt Monique is, but Aunt Tali is here in spirit just like Kate and Kassidy felt Aunt Kate and Aunt Paula’s presence at their party a few weeks ago.”

            Oh sweet baby girl, I am always with you so you don’t have to be sad. I am always with you just like I am always with your Mommy.

             “Aunt Tali?” Tali question when she thought she heard her aunt’s voice.

            Happy fifth birthday my beautiful niece, Happy birthday to both of my beautiful nieces.

            “She’s here, Mom; Aunt Tali is here.” Madalyn said.

            Ziva smiled.

            “I knew you would be here, little sis.” Ziva said.

             I would miss this for anything, Ziva. Those girls remind a lot of mom. And Asher has bit of Ari’s personality. Watch him.”

            I resent that.

            “What is it?” Tony and the elder Monique asked when they saw Ziva start to laugh.

            “Nothing, it just sounded like Tali and Ari were arguing like they did when they were alive when three of us were kids.”

            Some time later Tali and Monique’s party was underway at the D.C. location of Fun Zone. Everyone from NCIS was there with their respective families. Senior had taken a train down from New York and had just made it to the party. Eli on the other hand was unable to fly over from Israel for his granddaughters’ fifth birthday. To make up for it Eli initiated a video call via Skype so that he could wish his twin granddaughters a happy birthday.

            Eli being absent was nothing new to Ziva. After all he had missed every single one of her dance recital from she was child. Eli had become an absentee grandfather for all four of his grandkids just as he had been an absentee father for the majority of all three of his kids’ lives. And yet he wondered why Tali never got along with him when she was alive, why it was so easy for Ari to betray Eli and Mossad when he joined Hamas prior to murdering Kate as well as before he is own death. And most of all why Ziva saw Leroy Jethro Gibbs as the father figure in her life. And why it was beyond easy for Ziva to leave Mossad, Israel and Eli all those years ago to become a U.S. citizen along with becoming an NCIS Agent.

            All the kids were having a blast at Fun Zone. Their parents along the older siblings of the DiNozzo twins and the Gibbs twins had been watching.

            “Happy 5^th Birthday, my loves.” Ziva said to her girls silently as she watched them chase Kyle Luca through the massive climbing toy.