A/N: This is a new little project that I am working on :) I hope you enjoy, because I enjoyed writing it, especially Tali. Yes, Ziva named her daughter after her sister!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own NCIS.

"Tali," Ziva whispered, gently shaking the little girl in the bed, "it is time to wake up. Rise and shine."

The little girl rolled over on her side, opening her eyes a little. "Good morning momma." She replied sleepily. She rubbed her eyes, and pushed back her wild, curly brown hair so that it was out of her face.

"How did you sleep, sweetie?" Ziva asked, choosing which clothes the girl would wear for the day. She decided on a pair of cargo pants and a black shirt.

"Yeah. Can I go back to sleep please?" She murmured, rolling back onto her stomach.

"No. I have to go to work and you have to go to daycare." She told the girl. She put the clothes on the bed and gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen for breakfast."

"What are you fixing?" She asked, sitting up in bed. Ziva knew that her daughter was hoping she would fix french toast, but she didn't have the time.

"Cereal." Ziva replied, watching as her daughters face dropped. "We are running late so hurry."

Ziva quickly went into her bedroom and put on her clothes. She, like Tali, settled for cargo pants and a black shirt. She pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail and then ran a tooth brush over her teeth. She stared at the reflection in the mirror for a long time. Sure, she looked the same on the outside, but on the inside she was a different person.

"Momma." Tali said, coming into the bathroom. "Will you fix my hair?" She handed her mom a brush, twist tie and a ribbon.

"Of course." Ziva said, picking Tali up and sitting her on the counter of the sink.

"Will you tell Boss I said hey?" Tali asked as Ziva pulled her hair up. "McGee too."

"Yes ma'am." Ziva said, smiling.

"Do I have to go to daycare today?" Tali asked, looking up at Ziva with her best puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, because I have to go to work."

"Can't I go to work with you? Please." Tali begged.

Ziva pursed her lips. "Alright."

"Really?" Tali said, beaming. She hopped down off the counter and ran into the hallway.

"Yes. I will make you french toast too, since we have time."

Tali was beaming as she took her mothers hand and led her into the kitchen.

Everyday on the way to work, Ziva would ride by a cemetery. Not just any cemetery but the cemetery. The cemetery where Tony's memorial had taken place. It had been six years, one month and fifteen days since Tony disappeared.

"Momma?" Tali asked from the backseat. She was looking at the cemetery, her little eyes scanning the rows quickly.

"Yes?" Ziva was weaving in and out of traffic. If anything her driving skills had gotten worse, and she was concentrating on the road ahead.

"Do you think Daddy went to heaven?" Tali asked, looking at her mother carefully. Normally, she hated talking about her father, but she was in a good mood that morning.

"I think he did." Ziva answered slowly. "He was a great man, I wish he was still here." Ziva was surprised by how honest her answer was.

"Me too, mommy." Tali said sadly, looking out the window. "We're here!" She shouted as the pulled into the parking garage at NCIS.

"Abby!" Tali shouted as she ran into the bullpen, and into the arms of the goth.

"Tali!" Abby said, giving the girl a big hug. "I've missed you so much. Let's go down to my lab, because, um, well let's just go down there."

"Okay." Tali said slowly, confused. "Can I play with the big computer again?"

"Sure." Abby said as she walked toward her lab. "I bought you a stuffed animal that farts, not a hippo though because Bart is a hippo. I got a pig, that's fitting-don't you think?"

Ziva heard Tali giggle as they left the bullpen. "Where is Gibbs?" She asked, looking around. She dropped her gear and Tali's "gear" on the floor. She looked at the desk across from hers. The desk had stayed empty ever since Tony died. Gibbs made the new guys sit at the desk towards the back. She was surprised to see a black backpack like hers sitting on the ground.

"Um. Well..." McGee started. "That's what I needed to talk to you about."

"McGee, what is going on?" Ziva asked anxiously, frowning. Abby and Tim were both acting weird this morning.

"Well...Gibbs is talking to the director and well, um, he's talking to, um." McGee stammered.

"Spit it out, McGee!" Ziva said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Well, Ziva, he's um, talking to the director." McGee said.

"You already said that, Tim. Who else?" Ziva asked, exasperated.

"He's talking to To-"McGee began.

"He's talking to me, Probie." Came an instantly familiar voice as he bounced down the stairs.

Standing in front of her was Tony. Her Tony. The Tony that everyone thought was dead. For six years, one month and fifteen days everyone thought he was dead. Ziva. His daughter. McGee. Gibbs. Abby. Ducky. Palmer. Everyone who loved him had grieved for him. They all took turns placing flowers on his grave.

She did not believe what she was seeing. She thought that her eyes must be playing a trick on her. Or that she was still asleep, dreaming, and needed to wake up so she could get Tali to daycare on time. Or maybe this wasn't a dream at all, this was a nightmare and her alarm clock would wake her up any minute and return her to reality.

"Tony." Ziva murmured, taking a step closer to him. He was dressed casual and his dark hair was shaggy, a style he never would have worn six years, one month and fifteen days ago. He had bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't been sleeping much, and he was thinner. Ziva reached out, cupping his face in her hands.

She felt his face under her hands. He was real. This wasn't a dream, not a nightmare. Her eyes weren't playing a trick on her, unless her hands were lying too. Tony wasn't dead. Her Tony was standing right in front of her. She didn't understand what was happening.

"Ziva." He whispered. He leaned in to kiss her, but she quickly stepped back.

Tony was not dead. For six years, one month and fifteen days he made everyone think that he was dead. He did not call. He did not write. He did not come back by. He simply disappeared. Suddenly, Ziva wasn't happy that Tony was alive, she was angry.

She smacked him in the face. The look of shock and hurt on his face almost made her feel bad. Almost.

"Where have you been for the last six years, one month and fifteen days?" She cried.

"That's what I want to know, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, coming up behind Tony and giving him a slap on the head.

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-Tay