Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Perfection
"The Day you realized Daddy wasn't perfect" – Boxed In
It had been just weeks after her twelfth birthday and her parents appeared to actually care for each other for a change. Her father had been home for dinner three times in as many weeks. School had begun. She walked with her Muslim neighbor Khaleed down the street they had met at the intersection as both had come from different directions as they were now in secondary school and went to schools based on their religion.
"Do you remember Schmuel Rubenstein" Ziva asked.
"You hit him when we were eight and he lives there" Khaleed said pointing across the street to the largest most European looking house. Schmuel Rubenstein was the only grandchild of the director of Mossad Ira Rubenstein.
"He's in my math's class" Ziva said. The Rubenstein house suddenly blew up both children hid behind the wall of the house they stood in front of. Khaleed's father Doctor Sa'eed Abdul Rassal ran out as did Ziva's Russian mother Nadia with young Tali gripping her skirt.
Her father was home for dinner that night. Ziva ate silently as her parents tried to sugar coat what had happened. It worked for Tali but Ziva had seen the blast so sugar coating was making her confused. Eli put a tin which contained cigarettes on the table.
"Ziva make sure Tali practices her new spelling words" Nadia said walking with Eli to the terrace they no longer smoked inside because of Tali's asthma.
Ziva listened to Tali struggling to spell the Hebrew word for level with one ear and listened to her parent's hushed conversation in the terrace with the other.
"It is just so terrible" Nadia said. "I cannot continue to live like this Eli"
"Russia is no better Nadia" Eli replied taking a puff of the cigarette the two were sharing.
"Ziva or Khaleed Abdul Rassal could have been killed Eli" Nadia cried.
"I somehow doubt Abdul Rassal's son would have been killed" Eli said. "Sa'eed Abdul Rassal did it"
"Do not be daft Eli" Nadia cried taking a puff of the cigarette.
"He helped Ruth Rubenstein in her house yesterday" Eli said "Perfect chance"
"To what plant a bomb" Nadia said sarcastically. "Every Muslim is not an enemy Eli" Nadia said before walking inside. "Girls are you doing your homework"
Three days later Ziva found herself walking home from school alone her mother had not forced her to go to school the day after the bombing and Shabbat fell the next day meaning she got a long weekend. Screams and cries in Arabic distracted Ziva from her musings. Eli David held Dr Sa'eed Abdul Rassal and stuffed him into a car. Zahra Abdul Rassal was screaming and crying Khaleed looked confused. An old man who reminded Ziva of Schmuel Rubenstein and was in fact his grandfather Ira Rubenstein the director of mossad stood by the car with a look of pure hatred.
When Ziva finally made it home her mother sent her upstairs to play with Tali Ziva knew this as her mothers code for 'distract Tali while I do something I shouldn't.' She walked up the stairs listening as her mother poured a drink and called an old male friend who used to visit when her father was away on long missions. Ziva had learnt in recent times that her mother would seduce him and the others there had been various over the years. The man came and left within an hour Ziva turned the radio up loud to again hide the truth from Tali that their mother was an adulteress.
Ziva lay awake that night childishly hoping her father would come home kiss her good night and tell her its all better like he had months before when he came to the kibbutz Nadia had taken them to after leaving Eli after he hit her when she would not disclose she was cheating on him and drove them back to Tel Aviv where they would be a family and where Ziva got to see Khaleed again after almost a year apart. Instead she heard plates breaking and loud voices like she had the year before.
"You know full well he didn't do it" Nadia screamed. Ziva crept down the stairs.
"Director Rubenstein believed he did I was just following orders" Eli cried.
"Following orders" Nadia cried in a sarcastic tone "Where are your morals? You punish the evil not the innocent" She declared reassuring herself more than him.
"It does not matter Dr. Sa'eed Abdul Rassal is dead" Eli replied pouring a drink. Nadia stood speechless.
"So poor Khaleed Abdul Rassal will have no father because of you" Nadia shrieked pure disgust in her harsh vodka filled Russian accented voice.
Ziva sat on the stairs reeling from it all. Her father had killed an innocent. Her best friend's father. She no longer saw him in the glow of perfection she once had. She no longer wished for him to come and make it better. She walked up the stairs on tippy toes like she had learnt in her dance classes all those years ago of which her father never attended a recital. Her assent up the stairs was silent. She refused to cry and instead silently got under the covers on her bed and hid.
She heard the front door slam the vibrations shaking the house and her imperfect father walking out.
A/N: Thank you to the person who suggested I put these at the bottom they are now so. I got this idea when re watching (for like the tenth time) Boxed- In my favorite season 3 episode after Undercovers of course. I have had it in my head for ages and have re-written it numerous times on paper and now it is for all to see. The characters are based on what Ziva says in Tribes, Agent Afloat, Road Kill and Silent Night. Hope you liked it please review.
I also realize that all my Ziva- centric stories are completely different in facts like her mother and the age difference between her and Tali. Oh well.
Yay season seven starts soon!!!