Title: Fathers and Children
Fandom: NCIS
Author: Alidiabin
Words: 1,438
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warnings/ Spoilers: Based on spoilers for 8x08 (just spoilers written before episode airing)
Parings: hinted at Tony/Ziva. Leon/Jackie and Eli David/Baby Mamas.
Summary: Eli and Leon discuss their children.
Fathers and Children
"This brings back memories" Leon Vance uttered coolly, as he and Eli David leaned on the conference table in his office sitting scotch as the sun set over the Navy Yard.
"I do not remember the safe house in Amsterdam being this lavish" Eli replied as he pulled a cigar from his pocket. He offered it to Vance but Vance refused. While Eli was content to smoke to his death, Vance had to much to live for.
The safe house in Amsterdam was the definition of basic. Eli, the elder of the two men was perhaps the most disappointed; he was after all used to hotel rooms and his well decorated house in the rich part of Tel Aviv. Leon, being the younger man and a man raised with manners and the idea of respecting ones elders let Eli take the only bed.
"I doubt I will sleep" Eli replied as he sat on the bed."Insomnia is a side effect of the work we do"
"I need to get some more practice at not sleeping" Vance said. Eli looked at the young American confused. "My wife Jackie, she wants to try for a baby"
"I am surprised you do not have children already" Eli replied as he fiddled with his wallet.
"Jackie wanted a career first and she has one of those diseases that make it harder" Vance said. Eli nodded at his friends' ignorance of fertility diseases. "Do you have children?" Eli nodded. He pulled out his wallet, and stepped from the shadows of the safe house. He showed Leon, the only picture of all three of the children. The moonlight shone on the middle child. The child that would be saved.
"Ari is fourteen and top in his class at school, Ziva is eight and plays the piano as well as people twice her age and little Tali, well her mother says she's the smartest three year old in her preschool class" Eli paused and smiled at the photograph. "Of course Rivikia is biased" Leon Vance nodded at the photograph, Eli folded it up. Ziva's photographed form was split in half/ She was the middle child in both age and attitude she was half as compassionate as Tali and would later prove to be half as violent as Ari.
"How are your children, Leon?" Eli asked, as he lit the cigar. "You have two now yes"
"Good" Leon replied, as he looked to his own photograph of his children. "Kayla's nearly thirteen and Jared will be ten in the New Year"
"Ah teenage daughters" Eli said as a smirk crossed his face. Leon saw, the elder man look into the distance reminiscing of sneaking out and hangovers.
"I dread to think what Ziva was like as a teenager" Vance said. Eli scoffed.
"She was no worse than the average teenager, though Rivikia thought she was the spawn of Satan" Vance laughed. "I always though Tali was worse, she never listened to what I said" Eli paused; his eyes flashed perhaps remembering a fight, that all these years later seemed so very silly. Vance felt a sting of pitty for the man who had already lost two children and though his remaining child was not dead, he had lost her.
"Any advice for teenage sons" Vance uttered. There was a pause, and silence crept into the room. Eli took a long swig of alcohol and puffed on his cigar. He turned to face Leon.
"My friend look at me, I have two dead children, a dead mistress, an ex-wife who no longer takes my money because she is so ashamed that she wasted twenty-five years with me, and a daughter" Eli paused trying to hide the emotion that had seeped through. "My last remaining child cannot even look me in the eye because of what I did to her; I abandoned her for the sake of a mission. If Ziva ever has a family of her own I will not be a part of it. I have no family, but you do, go home kiss your faithful wife and remain faithful to her, hug your children or one day you'll end up like me grown up children who hate you and an ex-wife who hates you twice as much" Eli took another puff of his cigar "My one piece of advice, do not end up like me. Do not end up the old man without anything to show for his age, but a name on a door"
Eli's speech spurred Vance into action; he grabbed his car keys and rushed out the door.
"I need to stop drinking so much" Eli uttered to the empty room as he poured himself another glass.
Eli's speech had affected Vance; he drove in a Gibbs like manner to his house. Vance, had once looked up to Eli, in that Amsterdam safe house, Eli seemed to have it all three kids, a wife and a career. Now Vance had seen the old mans agony. Vance had heard the old mans regrets. Leon Vance was determined to end up nothing like Eli David. Leon Vance wanted to be the one Jared called twenty years from now when he wanted advice on how to propose. Leon Vance wanted to be the one who chased Kayla's children around her house. Leon Vance did not want to end up like Eli David, with nothing.
He let himself into his house. Jackie was sitting on the couch her knees to her chest as she did paperwork on her lap. Kayla and Jared were sitting in front of the TV with headphones plugged into it while an episode of 'Glee' played.
"Leon" Jackie said. "I thought you were working late" Vance looked at Jackie then moved to the couch, and put Jackie's paperwork on the floor.
"I love you" he whispered, he leaned into Jackie personal space and planted a kiss on her lips.
"Eww" Kayla and Jared cried in unison as the turned from the TV during the ad break.
"And I love you two too" Vance said. "And I want to be there, when you get married when you have kids all twenty years from now of course"
"Daddy are you all right" Kayla asked, as she hugged her father.
"Yes" Leon said. "In fact I've never been better"
Eli David leaned over the NCIS balcony. The alcohol had made him feel dizzy. He noticed Liat, his young officer on the telephone at the end of the corridor.
Ziva and Tony were bickering in the squad room over whether Ziva should share her Chinese takeout. DiNozzo had wrapped his arms around her and tried to steal it, in the end Ziva had lifted the chopstick to his mouth and he had eaten to noodles very rudely.
"You eat like a horse" Ziva declared loud enough for the entire floor to hear.
"Neigh" Tony responded. Ziva laughed and fed him another chopstick full.
"Eww" she screamed as sauce fell onto her shoulder. "You are disgusting"
"Don't lie you love it" Tony said as he moved from behind her and stood in front of her. He swiped the pot of noodles from her hand.
"Hey" Ziva screamed.
Amit Hadar, walked down towards Eli.
"Who is Liat on the phone too?" Eli asked.
"Her father" Amit said. Eli looked at Amit confused; Liat's relationship with her own father was almost as bad as Eli and Ziva's. "I do not know why sir" Eli noticed a tear falling from Liat's eye and a small bout of laughter come from her.
"It is good" Eli said. Amit suddenly felt the compulsion to call his ex-wife and their teenage son.
Eli returned to the action downstage, as Ziva and DiNozzo bickered.
"Have you ever seen Ziva that happy" Malachi said as he walked up the stairs.
"Never and I've know her since she was twenty-two" Amit said. Malachi whispered something in Amit's ear
"And yet you only screwed her once, I've known her half as long and done it twice as much" Malachi whispered. Amit smacked Malachi. Eli pretended not to hear his officers objectify his daughter (who probably came onto them).Liat walked toward Malachi and Amit.
"I need a coffee" Liat said "This time zone is getting to me". The three of them drifted away, in search of caffeine. Eli was left standing alone.
Eli watched as her and DiNozzo bickered over noodles and ended up sharing the cold remains. He had never seen her that happy, she was completely free and comfortable in DiNozzo's presence, as DiNozzo led Ziva to the elevator.
"Call my Shylock" Eli muttered to himself.
A/N: None of this is cannon because it was written before, the airing of 8x08, but it is based on spoilers from various places. The mistress referred to is Aris mother for some reason I cannot picture a sixty year old plus man saying "Baby Mama"
And the Shylock reference for those of you who have not seen or read 'The Merchant of Venice', Shylocks Jewish daughter Jessica runs off with a Christian boy Lorenzo. (Ziva runs off with Tony) and also the negative relationship between Antonio and Shylock is slightly similar to Gibbs vs Eli. (IMO anyway)