Moving on?!
The team was still in shock.
Losing yet another of their members could do this to you. Granted, neither Jackie nor Eli David had been real teammates, but they were family by... well, FAMILY...
But if seeing Leon walking around like a zombie at the office, there were no words to even remotely fathom the way it hurt to see Ziva, being all broken and lost.
Having lost the last bit of "home" she had, her father, she fell into an endlessly deep dark hole of sorrow and no one, not even Tony could get her out of it.
The horrible events that had disrupted their little family in such fundamental ways happened about a week ago and yet they still had no idea where else to look for answers.
The vigour and utter thrive for answers and ultimately vengeance had come to a halt, since every lead they had followed turned out to be more than just a dead end, on multiple occasions it seemed to border on potential declarations of war to investigate any further.
So when the elevator doors opened with an eerily familiar *ding* the last thing the team around Special Agent Gibbs (that moment without Ziva, who had been staying home to mourn and hold Shiva by herself, but including Abby and Ducky, who were up in the bullpen for moral support after another devastating setback) needed or even wanted to see was the delegation of Mossad agents who were in DC to introduce the new Deputy Director of Mossad and to be brought up to speed with the progress of the investigation.
Along with the familiar faces of Liat Tuvia and Malachi Ben-Gidon there were two other people whose presence shortly spiked the interest of the MCRT.
A young – no older than 26 years old- skinny 5'5 woman with long blonde hair that was held back in an intricate bun in the nape of her neck, wearing a close-fitting black long sleeve shirt with a rather low cut back and skinny jeans in the same colour, was carrying a really obvious gun in her thigh-holster, which led to Tony's admittedly stupid question: " whoa, who let Lara Croft in here?!" only eliciting a sarcastic eye roll from Liat.
The unknown tall muscular man with the sophisticated look and the designer glasses, apparently the reason for the full protection detail completed the quartet.
All four of them seamed apprehensive and highly alert as they ascended the stairs up to the catwalk to get to Leon Vance who had obviously been waiting for them.
"Hello, my friends. Thank you, for coming here this soon, I believe it must have been difficult to arrange." He greeted them quietly.
"Thank you, Director Vance. Yes, it has led to some speculation regarding as of why we already left Israel so closely to losing our former director. But rest assured, that none of them should led to trouble for you, your government or the diplomatic alliance between Israel and the US. And would you please also accept our deepest condolences for your own loss, I image it must still be hard to adjust to that." Officer Ben- Gidon answered, offering Vance his hand. The latter took it and also accepted the one- armed hug, the Mossad officer offered.
"Thank you. Now please, Officer Rozen and Director David, would you follow me, so we can have a conversation in a more private setting?" the NCIS director finished off their little reunion.
The young woman and the man with the glasses shared a glance and then nodded at Liat and Malachi for confirmation, following Vance in his office.
"Wait a second, did Vance just say Director DA-VEED as in David?! As in Ziva and Eli David?! Who is this guy?" Tony asked looking around quizzically.
"Not a clue, DiNozzo, but somehow I think we're about to find out." Gibbs answered, his eyes never leaving Officer Ben- Gidon who had just passed the stairs and was walking towards them.
"Officer Ben- Gidon, what a pleasure to see you again." He bit out with as much fake enthusiasm as he could muster.
"Special Agents Gibbs, DiNozzo, McGee; Dr. Mallard and Miss Sciuto" (whilst everyone else received a curt nod, Abby got a kiss on the back of her hand after her greeting)
"I honestly wished the circumstances of our meeting were of a happier origin, but alas..." he drifted off with a shrug of the shoulders and a sigh.
"Well, nevertheless do I hope you are doing fine, considering..." again he trailed off.
"I have to apologize my lack of tact, it's just that a lot has happened lately and even though death is a daily occurrence in our work of field, the death of someone close like this still manages to make you lose your perspective sometimes. You wish for it to never having occurred, but what good does wishing do? Please forgive my inquiring, but where is Ziva? I or rather we were hoping to see her here."
"Why? So you can guilt trip her into coming 'Home' to Israel, maybe even Mossad? After all, she just lost everything that still tied her to her childhood home! How dare you!" Abby answered hot- heartedly with increasing volume, causing both the Mossad officers to look alarmed and Team Gibbs to immediately old her back whilst trying to soothe her.
"Oh no, that was never our intention. Our reason for this is simply to ask about her preferences regarding the further matters of the funeral and her father's will. And about to do with his personal belongings at Mossad, his house in Tel Aviv and so on. And that only if she is up to it. We wouldn't want to impose on her grief in that matter. She has made it quite clear as to where her alliances lie now and that she wishes to cut all ties with Mossad and we respect that." The Mossad officer said while seemingly ending on a sour note.
" Well, I suppose young Ziva should be present when the briefing for our friends from Israel happens." Ducky then said to Gibbs.
The silver-haired fox seemed to contemplate this for a moment before turning to Tony.
"DiNozzo, get Ziver. Make sure she is ready. It's her call. Don't let her drive."
"On it, boss!" the agent answered before grabbing his coat and disappearing in the elevator.
"Now, Officer Ben- Gidon, I believe you heard DiNozzo's question earlier. Is there a connection between former Director David and present Director David?" Gibbs then turned towards the Israeli again.
"Agent Gibbs, I don't see how the potential familiar ties between our former and present director are relevant. And even if I knew anything about this I don't really know if it's my place to tell you." The younger man answered seemingly worried.
At this Gibbs sent him one of his patented glares, turned around and left the room, grumbling something about coffee, leaving a rather confused Malachi behind.
"Was it something I said?" he asked to no one in particular.
"I guess it's rather what you didn't say." Was McGee's response then.
"And who was this young officer? I swear, I have seen her before! There was something about her." Abby then spoke up.
"Indeed, my dear, I was under the same impression. She seemed rather familiar. Something about her eyes, I think. That reminds me, I have an ophthalmologist appointment. I'll see you later." With that, Ducky left too.
"Well, since our so called FRIEND from Mossad is not going to answer our questions I'll be in the Labby to run some facial recognition on our mysteriously familiar guest. See you later, Timmy!" Abby said while skipping past Ben-Gidon towards the elevator, leaving McGee and the silent Israeli alone.