Title: Conversations, Strange
Fandom: NCIS
Author: Alidiabin
Words: 1,113
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warnings/ Spoilers: 8x08
Parings: none
Summary: Abby and Eli talk.
Conversations, Strange
Eli David rubbed his temple, as he walked behind McGee. Gibbs had insisted on the bizarre pretence of a tour of the place Eli's last remaining child worked to keep him busy. Liat and Malachi were three steps behind and exchanging angry glances.
Eli had sensed their lovers tiff in the safe house the evening before and from his understanding it was something to do with the fact, the Malachi had not disclosed the fact he had slept with Ziva a long time ago when they were in training together. Eli had not pried; the lone rule of romance in the mossad was do not bring attention to it. Eli had once thought of taking a leaf out of Gibbs book and banning it all together, but Eli was no stranger to a young officers life, where death was as common as a cold and sex was a exchanged between officers (and in his day prostitutes as female officers were rare), to feel something, just when you thought your work had destroyed you. Still as he heard Liat whine Eli wondered how long it would be until he had to reassign Liat.
McGee led them to a lab. Loud music echoed from the room. Eli had read the report many years ago, that said Ari had shot into the very room he now stood, and it had missed Abby. He repressed his desire to vomit at the thought of his sons actions, by bitting his lips.
"Abs" McGee said looking at the Goth in her mid-thirties. "Can you" McGee paused; Eli thought of the irony of a writer without any words.
"Director David" the woman child said softly. Eli looked up, Gibbs and Vance had taken to calling him Eli and DiNozzo failed to even acknowledge him.
"Yes" Eli said looking at her, at her bright eyes and warm smile. He looked around the lab. He couldn't help but think of his youngest child Tali. Of his last born but first taken.
Eli's mind played his youngest daughters life like a movie. He thought of the quiet infant dressed in pink, of the toddler taking her first clumsy steps, of the child still tugging onto her mothers hand when the school teacher tried to coax her inside, of the teenager the showed Eli all her certificates and of the sixteen year old with a peace sign painted in her room.
"Papa, I've decided what I am going to be when I grow up" the sixteen year old brunette and spitting image of her sister told him as they walked down the Tel Aviv street toward the restaurant where Ziva was supposed to meet them. "I'm going to change the world, I'll be a journalist and write what Israel's really about"
"Sir" a young Amit Hadar said as he knocked on Eli's door. Eli rose from his desk as Ziva appeared from behind Amit, with her face covered in tear marks.
"Ziva" Eli uttered. He wrapped his arms around her.
"Tali, bus bomb, dead" were the only words that escaped Ziva's twenty-one year old lips. "Tali, bus bomb, dead" Ziva repeated. Eli rubbed her hair as her sobbed echoed in his office.
"We will catch the people that did this" Eli uttered.
McGee was in the Goths office checking something on her computer. Liat and Malachi were having a discussion in hushed Hebrew tones in the corridor.
"It is nice to meet you Miss Scutio" Eli said "My daughter has always spoken very highly of you" Eli replied diplomatically.
"Have you and Ziva talked yet?" Abby asked, looking away at the computer.
"I have not even seen my daughter yet" Eli uttered. There was a lull of silence in the room between the humans, the music still blasted out.
"Why'd you do it?" Abby uttered. "I mean Dads are supposed to protect their daughters, not send them to clean up their half-brothers messes"
"Ziva volunteered for that mission" Eli uttered coldly in response, he did not advertise that Ziva had killed Ari and suspected the Goth did not know the full story of Ari's death.
"What about Somalia?" Abby said. Eli gulped. Somalia had broken the final thread that held his and Ziva's fragile relationship together. Blood was like water and the bath Eli poured her had emptied.
"She is alive now" Eli uttered, at a loss at what to say. Abby looked away, Eli wondered if it had been Abby who had helped Ziva with her recovery; with the nightmares and if Abby had helped her find clothes to cover her scars
"Do you still want to be in her life?" Abby asked looking squarely at Eli. "Because Tony and his Dad made up and Gibbs and his Dad did too, and I'd give anything to have my Dad back" Eli watched as Abby turned to face her lab equipment, hiding tears that had threatened to fall.
"Miss Suctio" Eli said softly, using the same soft tone he used with seven-year old Tali when he explained collateral damage and why Ziva was in her room sobbing because her Muslim best friend Khaleed was not coming back from his vacation.
"Abby" the Goth said as she collected a farting hippo from the counter and turned to face him. Eli's eyebrows rose at the soft toy. "No one calls me Miss Suctio"
"Abby" Eli said. "As much as I dislike it, my relationship with Ziva is complicated. I have a responsibility to my country." Eli paused. "And I would truly give anything to have my children back, to go home to my house and hear them laugh. I would give anything to save them, to see them with children of their own."
"Then why don't you just talk to Ziva" Abby asked. The hippo let out a long fart. Eli grimaced, remembering the few nappies he changed when his children were young.
"She is happy, I have not seen her so for so long. I would welcome her with open arms if she were to choose to let me in, but Abby I have learnt to accept that Ziva may not want me back. Besides I have responsibilities. Six million of them" Eli paused.
"Tell her that" Abby uttered. "You should at least be honest with her"
Malachi walked in with Liat two feet behind and an angry look on her face, McGee walked in muttering something about computers. Abby returned to her work. Malachi turned around. Eli followed.
"Are you all right sir?" Malachi uttered. Eli looked back at Abby, he swore for a second he saw Tali. He rubbed his temple again.
"I'm getting to old" he replied. "I swear I'm seeing things"
A/N: After Abby's conversation with Ziva I wanted one with Eli and Abby. Yes, I write a lot of Eli fics but the man is a complex character and I love the Eli/Ziva relationship.