Changes and Tough Choices
Eli David emerges in Paris after hiding for four and one half years. Will he contact Ziva and her family? Early July 2017
He watched the woman with the long dark curls and olive skin as she lifted the crying baby from his stroller. She said something to the tall American man as he led the curly haired little girl to the swing set. The girl was obviously the woman's child, having her mother's curls and skin tone. She also had her father's grin and eyes.
"Push me high, Abba," the girl squealed in delight.
"I'll make you fly high, Tali," the man replied as he helped the little girl settle on the swing and kissed her forehead with love.
"Ima," the girl called out, "Watch me fly high with Abba!"
The woman, meanwhile, had placed a shawl over herself and the baby, and he assumed she was nursing the child. He watched his daughter, her husband, and his grandchildren from a hidden spot in the park. Grandchildren were not something he ever expected to have in life. Two of his three children had died too early to have families of their own, both violently.
He wiped a tear from his cheek. Of all of his children, he had least expected his Ziva to have a family of her own. She was always the good little soldier, loyal to her country and to him until she had been assigned to NCIS as a Mossad liaison officer. NCIS per se had not been her undoing in his opinion, but her attraction to and unexplainable love for her coworker had made her soft. When she had resigned from Mossad to become an American citizen and an NCIS agent, he had felt angry and betrayed. How dare Anthony DiNozzo take his daughter from him?
Yet, even then he had secretly been happy for his Ziva; she had found a love that he could only wish he had. Veeda, Ari's mother had captured his heart fleetingly, but she had never had his undying love. Rivka had borne his daughters and raised his son from another woman, but he had never really loved her. Orli had used him and manipulated him with her sexuality, but again he never really loved her.
Now, as he watched the family, he felt a great sadness. He longed to go to them and to see his grandchildren up close. He wanted to wrap his arms around his daughter lovingly and express his love for her. He would even want to welcome his son-in-law to the family. But, he had burned his bridges and all ties to his family many years ago. In his ambition, he had driven a huge wedge between himself and his only surviving child. Even the day of his "death" in January of 2013 had been strained with Ziva. She had treated him coldly, refusing to talk to him directly because of the unfortunate killing of an American agent.
When she had buried her 'father' in Israel in 2013, only a handful of people knew that the body that had been autopsied and subsequently buried had been Eli's security double. When Ziva had run from outside the Vance house to chase the shooter, Eli's team had moved quickly, taking him out the back and placing the body of the double in his place. Even Orli did not know the truth. Eli himself had been hurried to South America by former Mossad agents who had pledged their loyalty to him alone. He had spent the time until last week in Peru and Argentina, mostly as a recluse in properties owned by the men who would stand by him until his dying day. This short trip to Paris had been unplanned, but when he had been given a picture of Ziva and her family taken outside a Paris birthing center, he felt a need to see her.
He watched as she turned the baby under the shawl, getting a glimpse of her bare breast and the baby's face as he latched on greedily. The little boy was the image of his father. Eli smiled to himself at the thought of a little DiNozzo. For all of Eli's teasing, sniping, and calling the man 'Agent Meatball,' Tony really was a good man. He had a loyalty and devotion to Ziva that was unshakable. Eli had gained a new respect for the American agent when he could not break the man in hours of interrogation about the death of Michael Rivkin. His love for Ziva had been written all over his eyes even then.
He turned towards Tony and his granddaughter. The girl was the image of her mother, except for her eyes and grin. That was all her father. As he watched the two interact, he could plainly see the love of the father for his child and the adoration of the child for her Abba.
Father and daughter walked towards Ziva and the baby boy. "Tali, see if Anthony is done feeding and we can try to convince Ima to ride the glider swing."
"Okay, Abba," Tali replied as she ran to her Ima. "Ima, Ima… are you ready to swing on the big swing with me and Abba?" She grinned at her mother. Ziva grinned back at her daughter.
"Very soon, yaldati," Ziva responded. "Let me burp Anthony first."
She moved the baby out from under the shawl and handed him to his father. As Tony burped the baby, Ziva closed her top and removed the shawl from her shoulders. Tony sat next to Ziva, placing the little boy in her arms as he brushed his lips on hers.
"Ani ohev otach, Zi." He gazed into her eyes before taking Tali into his lap.
"Ani ohevet otcha, Tony." Ziva had baby Anthony over her shoulder gently patting his back. Tali helped her Ima pat the baby's back. "Gently, Tali…"
Eli took a picture of the family with his point and shoot camera. It would be the only reminder of what could have been for him until his death. He turned to leave the park; turning his back on the daughter who had become a stranger to him by his own choices. He would die a lonely old man in the not so distant future. His cancer would take him from this life very soon.
She was better off without him; she had her children and husband and happiness. He could not and would not ever take that from her by turning her world upside down. To her, he would remain dead. He hoped that someday Ziva would tell her children about their Saba.