This fic was inspired by the programme "Lie to Me". It is a different kind of post-Aliyah fic.
Look at the nice family in this picture. A mother, a father, a son and two daughters. All happy and smiling. In the background a nice semi-dethatched house and a decent car. All have dark hair and brown eyes, though the father is going grey.
But if you look closely you'll see the father's smile is fake. There is no warmth in his eyes. In fact his face is void of all emotion.
The mother's smile is more of a grimace when you look carefully. She is hiding a great deal of pain. And you can how her face is wrinkled with stress lines, making her look older than she is.
The twelve year old son is hiding his contempt for his father. His smile is one sided. Even at this young age he is aware of his father's true nature.
The ten year old daughter is concealing anger and disgust. She has been forced to wear a frilly dress, which she hates. She prefers dresses which allow her to move. She would also rather be playing then standing for a photo.
The six year old daughter is the only one who is truly smiling. She has crow's feet wrinkles, pushed up cheeks and movement from the muscle that orbits the eye. She is oblivious to the tension in the family, and thoroughly enjoying the moment.
Now if you know the David family, at first glance you would think this an inaccurate photo, with their happy smiles. But when you look beneath the surface you see how accurate the photo is.
The father's lack of emotion would remain for the rest of his life. It cost the love and, in at least one case, the life of his children. Of course it serves him well in his job, and he rises to the top of the agency he worked for.
The pain in the mother's face was both physical and emotional. Physical, because of the debilitating MS that was slowly killing her. Emotional, because she knows her husband cheated on her, and she knows what he will do with each of the children, if he gets the chance. Unfortunately she dies before she can stop him.
The contempt the son shows will turn into hatred. This hatred will result in deaths of innocent people, and eventually his own. Even after he dies his actions cause trouble, leaving many wondering who is trustworthy.
The elder daughter's disgust for inaction would define her working career, and gain her the respect of her colleagues in both agencies. For the rest of her life she continues to despise frilly, constricting dresses. She is also left deeply scared, emotionally and physically, by her father.
And the younger daughter's ability to live in the moment and enjoy herself remains with her for the next ten years. She is unfortunately killed by a suicide bomber at 16.
It is amazing what you can see if you look hard enough. Let's hope the elder daughter's NCIS colleagues remember this and don't misjudge her. And let's hope she doesn't misjudge them.
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