Title : Of Sand & Stone
Disclaimer : I do not own NCIS or any of the characters mentioned below.
Author Notes : A series of short one-shots based around Ziva's life before NCIS. When she was younger, going through Mossad, etc. I really don't know where I'm going with this, if anywhere at all.
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"Use it wisely."
Eli stood in front of her with kind eyes and the faintest of smiles, and even though his words were short she knew that he meant well. The object felt foreign in her hands but she knew what it was, where it came from, and what it was used for. She saw it on the streets on a daily basis, strapped to her father's hip, hidden in various locations in the house despite her mother's protests. "It is a SIG 220 Compact. Small yet reliable. Six round magazine, more then enough." He stood behind her, raising her hands as he showed her the appropriate handling of the weapon. One to support, the other to shoot. Aim with your body as well as your eyes. They were all unspoken commands that she received without problem.
"Is it accurate?" She knew little about guns, and the fact she was holding one now meant she would learn everything about them. Which was lighter, heavier, deadlier. Pistols, rifles, fully automatic, semi-automatic. There were so many choices and variations that it would take time. Time she was willing to sacrifice if it meant becoming better. Stronger. Able to make her father proud.
He chuckled. It was so foreign to her she nearly froze, but his finger overlapped hers and he whispered his answer just past her ear. "I have sighted it in, myself." He shifted her gaze and the weapon to a vase on the bookshelf. It was a long standing family heirloom, hand made and painted well before any of their time. Their fingers pulled the trigger together and it shattered in an instant.
They were laughing as they picked and prodded at the broken fragments of a once beautiful object, a twisted sort of amusement that was familiar to them. She was enthralled with how simple it was to bring down years of practiced work and care. He was amused with her excitement and nothing more. Together they picked it up, leaving nothing but dust and an empty shell.
"Eli David! What have you done?" Rivka appeared in the doorway, and if looks could kill her father would have been long since buried. And just like that the entire mood of the house shifted, and shadows were cast over everyone's thoughts. She was mumbling and distraught and Eli almost looked guilty. Almost.
Pushing himself off the floor he kissed her forehead softly, ignoring her mother's frantic muttering. "This will be our secret. Keep it with you at all times but do not make it obvious. Think of this as your first assignment." He winked as he walked away, ushering his wife into the kitchen to try and calm her though they all knew it impossible.
- - - - - [ NCIS ] - - - - -
And she kept it with her at all times. Even while she slept, it was held safely beneath her pillow. It would be her savior more times then she cared to admit, an almost extension of herself. Ziva and her SIG. Ziva and her weapon. Ziva, the sharp end of the spear. She would keep it with her at all times, because she would not fail her first mission. Ziva David was no failure.