WARNING: This chapter has the disciplinary spanking of minors. If you don't like it. Don't read it. This is your last warning.
Once Ziva returned Eli disdainfully declared "If you had spoken to me in that tone of voice or acted so impertinent you would have gotten a sound whipping."
"Yes Papa… but you were raising a ruthless, souless killer and I am raising a child" raising her voice slightly.
The tension hung between them for more than a long uncomfortable minute. Tony finally shattered the silence with the demand "Why are you here Eli?"
"I have past business to clear up with Director Vance. And I thought that while here I might be able to see my daughter …" he trailed off. He sounded well… neither Ziva or Tony knew what that emotion was exactly but it wasn't nasty emotionless thug.
Again the three stood without saying a word or moving.
CJ wasn't able to hear every word but she heard enough. … but you were raising a ruthless, souless killer… it was in the moment that bells started to go to off in her head… people joking that Ziva could kill a suspect without leaving a mark on the body… other comments that she'd changed after her time in the desert… they weren't joking… they weren't making up stories… they were true… CJ knew all this information before… but until her mother said those words …. Raising a killer… it hadn't clicked… now CJ crouched behind a cubicle wall was having an epiphany… unfortunately before she had enough time to process all of this new information someone grabbed her ear and directed her towards the bullpen.
The tableau of three was disrupted with the approach of the ME Jimmy Palmer who continued to forcibly directly CJ by the ear towards the stationary gathering.
"I found HER… crouched behind the desk over there… NOT thinking that is where she was supposed to be." He said motioning towards the location where CJ had hidden herself.
Due to the fact that CJ's mind had been squarely planted on other topics she didn't immediately jump to her own defense but instead studied her grandfather's face. He looked like any man, a well dressed man but with Tony as a father that was nothing new. He didn't look like a monster, he didn't look cruel, he actually looked like a nice old man, a grandfather. So when Tony growled "What were you doing there, your mother told you to go down to Abby's lab?" she actually startled.
"I… I… " CJ started to sputtered she really didn't have an excuse as to why she was there. Eli started to look between Tony, Ziva and CJ watching how this little family dispute would turn out. CJ caught his eye noticing his interest in the interaction; her attention was so drawn from her parents that she didn't hear her father's command to go to the conference room and wait. It wasn't until her repeated it louder and Ziva gentle turned her in the right direction. CJ walked mechanically towards the conference room her attention still on the anxious adults.
CJ was finally out of range and Tony did something he wasn't sure why but he needed to get back to work and end this awkward encounter. "Eli we need to get back to work so why don't you join us for dinner this evening at our home."
"Agent DiNozzo that is very unexpected, but thank you, I would love to have dinner with my family."
With that Eli excused himself and made for the elevator. Tony followed with a slip of paper with their address and to see Eli out to the lobby.
Jimmy handed off the paper work to Ziva he had come up to deliver and quickly turned on his heel to return to the safety of his autopsy arena.
Ziva walked purposefully to the conference room. Ziva understood CJ's reaction; she couldn't easily walk away from things either. With her hand on the knob to the conference room door Ziva delayed her entry as she remembered back to years earlier when she was approximately the same age as her daughter.
Flashbash
School let out and Ziva had gone to the training ground as she always did after classes. When she arrived there were several men she had never seen before. The man in charge caught sight of Ziva and sent her to begin the training and he would join her and her brother in a few minutes. Ziva walked away, first doing as she was told, but she had a 'bad' feeling and she had been taught by her father to follow her instincts they were 'good'. So she left the building and then quietly made her way around the side of the building and listened in the window. Things were definitely not as they should have been and although she didn't hear everything she made sure to remember as much as she did hear.
Ziva was rudely interrupted when the collar of her shirt was snatched and she was pulled to standing and handily taken into the building. She yanked herself free and straightened to attention cockily facing her superior. "What did you hear?" he interrogated. Ziva remained silent."I will ask one more time. What did YOU hear?" Again Ziva remained silent. Swiftly and wordlessly the man removed his belt, took Ziva by her shirt and bent her over the desk. He proceeded to administer what Eli would have called a sound whipping. Ziva for her part didn't fight, cry out or resist in any way. When he finally stood Ziva using her shirt, she glared at him with glazed eyes but remained silent.
The man leaned down and came face to face with Ziva and in a threatening tone began to warn her about sharing her information. Before he had a chance to finish his threat Ziva's training officer came in to find out why she hadn't shown up for training yet. Not saying anything she followed the officer out of the room and out onto the drill grounds. Training that afternoon was not at all pleasant nor was the conversation that ensued when her father asked her to join him in his study after supper.
"Why were you late for training? Aharon seems to think you had a problem with the manager at the field today. Why would that be?"
Ziva weighed the options of lying to her father and covering for the manager or explaining that she had been eavesdropping gotten some information. In the end she went with option B and the conversation stayed on the topic of the manager's involvement in something he shouldn't have been.
That night her father had actually been proud of her disobeying orders. She had followed her training in getting information; funnily enough her father's bigger concern was that she had been caught. His lecture in the end had been about spending more time practicing evasion and staying quiet.
With her reminiscing over Ziva finished opening the door and walked into her daughter spinning on one of the chairs. She looked so young; she couldn't believe that at that same age she was so much older. Yet CJ was different than kids her age, she could think through problems as evidenced by all the pranks she had set up. She could look after herself and could lead others. Ziva was happy that they had been able to keep some of the ugly world away from her daughter, and understood that this day would eventually come. The day that the nasty world came to roost on their front door step, she was just hoping CJ would be a little older.
Ziva had to bring herself back to the here and now, the reason she was actually walking into the conference room her daughter was waiting in.
Snagging the spinning chair and bringing it to an abrupt stop Ziva crouched down so that she was level with CJ's face.
"Mama, I'm sorry… I just… I wanted to know… I needed to know…"
"Hush, my little one. I understand what you wanted. I understand why you wanted to stay…. But you need to do as you are told… you need to listen when I tell you to do something…. I did it for your own safety…"
"He was going to hurt me?" CJ asked confused.
"Not physically … no… and if he tried your father or I would make sure he did not succeed… but you can be hurt with words and knowledge…"
"Like finding out you lied to me?" CJ said sadly rather than the anger she had initially felt when she found out about the trespass.
"Yes… I did it to protect you… we have hidden your birth from my biological family because of who they are… they are NOT good people… I did not lie to hurt you or to deceive you… I did it to protect you…"
CJ was not one who dealt with intimate emotional discussions… like her parents… and like her father she was more likely to crack a joke or make light of a situation. And so with the emotional energy skyrocketing in the room CJ feeling more and more uncomfortable she inquired "So I can lie to protect myself" flashing her charismatic smile.
"Caitlyn Jennifer that was uncalled for" but she smiled back anyway.
"What a lovely conversation mawwwm… but I think now I had better get going back to the bullpen Dad is probably waiting for me.." again hoping the smile on her face would end the unnerving discussion.
"Good try… but you were sent to this room for a reason… you remember?"
"Mmm… I think I might recall something… but it was sooooo long ago that I might not think it all that important anymore" CJ was being disingenuous in hopes of ending this discussion would end quickly and without any reprimand.
"CJ… I am serious, you disobeyed me and that is unacceptable."
Now, CJ knew she wasn't going to get out of the punishment she had been sent to the conference room to wait for, but she thought she might be able to mitigate the severity of said punishment. Whenever the men in her life were about to punish her CJ would follow their commands quietly and try to be stoic during the administration of the reprimand. However, when her mother was at the helm of the punishment CJ took a completely different tact. CJ would plead, cry, beg and kick to instill as much guilt in her mother so that the punishment would be easier to take. So as soon as CJ knew there was no talking her way out of the spanking completely she started her little charade.
"No Mama please no."
Ziva stood and drew in the closest chair and seated herself. "CJ come here"
CJ's pleading started in earnest while at the same time standing and approaching her mother slower than a turtle on vacation. "I won't do it again… I promise… please mama… please I don't want a spanking."
"CJ just this once could you please take this one quietly" Ziva spoke tersely and quietly.
The hurt look CJ had seen earlier was once again on her mother's face. In combination with the words and tone of voice CJ became immediately silent. Ziva took her daughter's arm and gently guided her over her knee. The flurry of smacks that Ziva rained down on her miscreants upturned backside were strong and left a sting and heavy heat. CJ didn't kick, fight, beg or move but tears still streamed down her cheeks. After the last swat Ziva assisted her little one to stand. Wiping away CJ's tears tenderly Ziva explained "It is over now my little one" in a practical tone of voice. Continuing to clear away the falling tears from her daughter's cheeks she whispered "CJ we may ask a lot of a twelve year old but I know you can handle it. And any time I or your father ask you to do something I expect you to follow through is that clear?"
"Yes Mama"
"Let us go and get you cleaned up. I need to get back to work and you need to help Abby in the lab. It looks as though we are going to have a guest for supper tonight.
