It was an unusually cool July for Tel Aviv, the high temperatures only reaching at most 82 in the afternoon and at least 65 at night... And Mossad Director Malachi Ben-Gidon was stuck outside in it. He was escorting his goddaughter Sara Bodnar to the airport, having signed off on her request to participate in the Foreign Exchange Program until she graduated high school. He was not, however, aware of her ulterior motives for signing up for the program. She wanted to escape, if just for a few years, the torture that a Mossad Officer named Halevi had been putting her through to "toughen her up." Though Malachi had ordered it stopped, Officer Halevi persisted, and close to the end of June, Sara approached Malachi about the Program.

-Flashback-

Thursday, June 27, 2030.

The end of the day was fast approaching, and Sara had to act fast. She had the papers with her that Malachi needed to sign, and they needed to be returned by the second week of July for her to be considered for the program. When she saw Halevi leaving Malachi's office, she took her shot. She darted into the office while he had his back turned, ensuring she wouldn't be seen. Halevi slammed the door shut, and Sara cleared her throat.

Malachi grunted, expecting to hear someone telling him that the Director of NCIS was calling for him. Instead, Sara spoke.

"I have some papers for you to sign," she said.

"What are these 'papers' for?" Malachi asked.

"The Foreign Exchange Student Program."

"Let me see them." Sara looked nervous as she handed Malachi the papers, watching as he read them over.

"Washington, D.C.," he said, looking up. "Why Washington, D.C.?"

"They selected the city," Sara said, not entirely truthfully. She requested D.C.

"And the family that will be 'hosting' you?"

"The Deputy Director of NCIS, Timothy McGee." She requested that, too.

Malachi nodded. "Are you going to stay out of trouble?"

"Trouble finds me. You know that."

"Just stay away from that demon spawn Ari DiNozzo." And with that, Malachi signed the pages he needed to sign. "Sara, is Halevi leaving you alone?"

"No. If anything, he has gotten worse."

In a stream of profanity, Malachi went to find Halevi. Enough was enough.

-End Flashback-

At the Ben-Guiron Airport, Malachi was behaving like a nervous father, something which Sara found both hilarious and annoying.

"You behave," Malachi said, going through the terminal.

"I always do," Sara quipped. With that, she smiled, gave Malachi a hug, and boarded the plane that would take her to Reagan International, Washington, D.C., and a fresh start.

...-_-...

After a 20-hour flight from Israel, Sara's plane touched down on the tarmac at Reagan International Airport. She made her way to baggage claim, getting the feeling that she was being watched. When the unfortunate soul that was watching Sara approached her, he wound up on his back. The poor soul happened to be Deputy NCIS Director Timothy McGee.

"I can only guess that you're Sara Bodnar," McGee said, getting back to his feet and dusting himself off.

"I am," Sara replied. "And you must be Deputy Director McGee."

McGee nodded. "I am. Welcome to Washington."

"Toda. And I'm sorry about-"

"Don't worry about it. I've taken worse."

Sara nodded, grabbed her luggage and headed out the terminal.

"You're going the wrong way," McGee said. "Passport and Customs is back the other way!"

Sara wheeled around and walked to where McGee was pointing. An excruciatingly slow hour later, Sara was cleared through Customs and following McGee out of the airport to a new life.