I do not own the rights to NCIS or anything related to NCIS. I am simply writing this for my own writing pleasure and for the reading pleasure of others.

Ch. 1

Voices swam in Tali's mind.

"Who is she?"

"The youngest David! She should be dead!"

"Well everyone knows her as dead now."

"She cannot return. Not under any circumstances."

"Keep her secluded. Nothing from the outside."

"We can't keep her any longer. It's been years."

"… A burden to our cause."

"The confusion should wipe her out."

"She'll find her way on her own."

Tali woke up from a deep sleep. She couldn't remember how long she had been out but she knew it must have been a long time. She remembered a hand sliding soundlessly over her mouth and a cloth being pressed to her nose and lips. Everything after that was blank and dark. She felt something sharp dig into her back as she shifted her weight. She reached behind her and pulled out a stick and some leaves.

She opened her eyes and the bright sunlight shocked her into consciousness. The darkness she had been secluded to for five years had made her eyes sensitive. Next to her were a thick bush on one side and a brick wall on the other but she could hear cars close by.

She slowly stood up with her back to the brick wall. She could see that she was in a city but the street signs were not in Hebrew like she was used to back home; they were in English. She silently thanked God that Ziva had tutored her in English all those years ago.

There were only a few countries she could possibly be in. She thought of England, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand but as a man walked past her talking on a cell phone she quickly was shocked to learn that she was indeed in the U.S.A. There was no mistaking that accent.

She stepped out from behind the bushes onto the sidewalk and untangled her black leather jacket from a branch before brushing some of the dirt off of her jeans and white v-neck t-shirt. She was sore all over and had no idea what she looked like at the moment but she had no desire to either.

A woman jogging past Tali with a stroller came to a slow stop at the sight of her. "Are you okay? Do you need help?'

"Yes, I will be okay. Where am I?" asked Tali.

"D.C. Are you sure you're okay? I can call someone to come get you if you want."

"No I will be okay. Thank you. Do you know where the closest government facility is?"

"Well that would have to be NCIS," said the lady as she pointed East toward a group of buildings. "If you need help, that taller building over there is where you will probably want to go. That's the main building where all the government employees work."

"Thank you very much."

As Tali began to walk East she looked down into the stroller and saw a little girl not much older that two. "Your daughter is very cute. Thank you again. Shalom."

"Thanks. Anytime," said the lady slowly with a look of concern and confusion on her face.

But Tali hadn't heard her as she walked away; she was already thinking about what she had to do and what she would have to do to get it all done.