Sorry for the delay. It's been a difficult two weeks for us. We had to go out of town to get out of the house, with Bailey not here anymore. We have decided to get a puppy next year but there will never be another Bailey. This chapter is not overly happy as I have lost my Joie de vivre for the moment, and I really struggled to write this, hence another short chapter. Thank you for the overwhelming words of support and sympathy, it means so much. I have stopped watching the show, so any canon will be from episodes past.

Jack looked at Gibbs, looking as if he was trying to make a decision. He crawled over to his Daddy, and pulled himself up using Tony's leg for support. Tony placed his hand on his back to steady him.

"There you go, son. Walk to Grandpa." Jack looked at Gibbs, who was holding his arms out to him. He grinned and took a tentative step in his direction.

Mimi and Gibbs held their breath, not wanting to scare the little boy and distract him from his purpose.

Slowly, wobbling on unsteady legs, Jack DiNozzo took six important steps in his life into the waiting embrace of his proud grandfather.

In case anyone was wondering, I only own my characters.

Chapter Ten: "Feelings"

NCIS

Tony winced as he listened to Ziva speak lowly in Hebrew to someone very unfortunate on the other end of her phone line. Her voice was intense and authoritative, but clearly she was not getting the answers she wanted. She finally gave up and slammed the phone down.

She stood up abruptly and started pacing around her desk, muttering to herself. Finally Tony couldn't stand it anymore, and got up to join his vexed wife.

She started to protest when he gently took her arm, but acquiesced when she realized he was leading her to one of the conference rooms. Wordlessly, he pulled her inside, and then closed and locked the door.

They both waited in silence for a few minutes to make sure no one was going to try to barge in. Tony turned silently toward Ziva and stood patiently, noting the worry lines in her forehead; the way she was rubbing her left hand the way she always did when she was distracted.

Ziva glared at him at first, but then slowly her resolve began to crumble. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she went to lean against the credenza along the far wall, barely managing to keep herself from sliding to the floor in a heap.

"I am sorry I lost it out there. I am just so…"

"Yeah, pissed; I get it. Can you tell me why, or is this beyond my need to know?" Tony didn't mind that they couldn't share every little detail of whatever each of them was working on, but he didn't like the way Ziva was acting at the moment. National Security be damned: if he needed to do something to help his wife he was going to do it.

Ziva hesitated only slightly. "It is not anything critical; at least I do not think it is. That is the problem: I really do not know."

Tony frowned and crossed his arms in front of him. "Then why are you so crazed? Sorry, that didn't come out right." Tony grimaced, worried and hoping fervently that Ziva was not going to go off on him but she only smiled ruefully.

"No, I think crazed describes it well." She took a deep breath. "Eli." She said simply.

Tony sucked in his breath. Considering Ziva had been yelling at someone in very colorful Hebrew, he was not surprised that the Director of Mossad may have had something to do with her performance, but he never liked hearing his name in the work setting.

"What has he done now?" Tony asked warily, not really sure if he wanted to know. Ziva started pacing again, gesturing with her hands.

"I do not know that he has actually done anything yet, but he is up to something. He is not taking my calls and he has been mysteriously absent from some important meetings with Vance." She looked at Tony, her face troubled. "I am worried, Tony. But I do not know what I am worried about: That the Director of Mossad has some secret agenda, or that my father is doing something he should not be doing?"

"Is there a difference?" Tony asked quietly. "I mean, he wouldn't be doing anything as your father, would he? Everything he does is in relation to Mossad. Are you worried that he is working against us or something?" Tony now started to feel Ziva's worry. As inconvenient as it was, having a personal relationship with the Director of Mossad was a definite advantage for NCIS.

Ziva stopped pacing and stared at Tony. "No…no, I do not have that kind of concern. But I feel he is getting himself into something, something he should not." She stood in front of Tony, searching his face.

"I am letting my personal feelings affect my work. I should not be doing that." She berated herself, expecting Tony to agree with her assessment. Instead he just wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, listen to me. You know your father better than probably anyone. If he does anything that could have any type of ripple effect on us over here, I'm glad you can clue in on it before it happens. But I think you need to get more information before you take this to anyone, if that is your intention." Tony looked deeply into her eyes, willing her to listen to him.

Ziva sighed and nodded. "Yes, I know. All I have right now are some vague clues that I am drawing my own conclusion to. I have a few facts but none that prove that he is up to anything that is untoward."

"Other than it's your father we are talking about." Tony responded grimly. "Does any of this have to do with our case last month?" Tony remembered Ziva's comment about Eli not sharing the whole truth with them.

Ziva started slightly and then laid her head against his shoulder. "Yes, there is that." She murmured softly. "Tony, there are things going on that I do not like, and I am not sure I want to be hearing about them."

Tony looked concerned. "Such as…?"

Ziva bit her lip. "Eli is losing ground at Mossad. There are those who would wish to see him taken from power." She shrugged helplessly. "I suppose it comes with the job. If one does not keep up with the ideals of those who would support you, it is inevitable that they would seek to have you replaced."

Tony considered this new scenario, a Mossad that was not headed by Eli David, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. To be sure, he was a pain in the ass, but by being Ziva's father he was automatically an ally of NCIS. Tony wasn't sure a new Director of Mossad would be as motivated to keep things on an even keel, and that made him nervous.

He looked at Ziva. "How do you know this? Or should I even ask?"

Ziva eyed her husband speculatively and decided it wouldn't cause any problems to know of her sources. "There is one, Ilan Bodnar. He is very close to my father, his 'heir apparent' as it were. He is in his inner circle and he has been in contact with me regarding his concerns for Eli." Ziva's look of displeasure and the use of her fingers to make the quotation marks around the words heir apparent were not lost on Tony.

Tony sat down in a chair, considering what Ziva had just said. He took a deep breath. "If someone was trying to oust Eli, wouldn't this Bodnar guy be the most to benefit?" Ziva looked sharply at him.

"I suppose, if Ilan was one of those trying to oust him as you say. But he is a member of Eli's camp. I am not sure he would be the automatic first choice as the successor. As far as Ilan is concerned, he is most definitely the next in line because he is being groomed by Eli for the job." Ziva got a faraway look in her eyes.

"I do not know why Ilan is burdening me with his, Tony. It is not as if I can do anything about it anyway." She turned to her husband. "I do not want to get sucked into any Mossad intrigue, Tony. Please keep me from them."

Tony was startled and frightened by this admission. He stood up and pulled her back and looked closely her. "Are you worried that's going to happen? Is there something else you haven't told me?"

Ziva shook her head. "I just know how they work. They will come to me if there is any concern about Eli, and they will expect me to take charge. I cannot be involved, I cannot…"

Tony embraced her tightly and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her anxiety. He never considered that Mossad would try to come back into her life, their life, for anything. But what she was saying made perfect sense: who else would they turn to first regarding the Great Eli David? Would they expect her to return to Israel? Tony swallowed his fear, knowing he needed to be strong for Ziva and their family. Their family…

Dammit! Ziva had two little babies to take care of. Screw Mossad! Tony thought to himself. He wouldn't allow it if they came knocking on their door! Tony stopped himself and shook his head at his folly, as if he could really make Ziva do or not do anything. All he could do was try to make her see reason and hope that she would make a decision he could live with.

Ziva caught his movement and looked at him quizzically. Tony just kissed her lips softly, letting her know that she was not alone…that she would never be alone.

January 31, 2014

"That was just lovely!" Ellie gushed as she and Ducky left the Kennedy Center, walking out into the cold clear night. Ducky had surprised her at Christmas with two tickets to the London Symphony Orchestra playing in the Eisenhower Theater.

"Yes, it was wonderful." Ducky agreed. "I have many fond memories growing up, listening to the Orchestra play over our 'wireless'. And of' course as an adult, I have attended many of their concerts." He stopped and brought Ellie's hand to his lips.

"But never have I attended a concert as magical as this one." He looked into her eyes, gently caressing the soft hand still in his grasp.

Ellie placed her other hand on his cheek and brought her own lips to his. "Magical." She agreed, promising more to come. Despite his age, Ducky was still quite virile and they enjoyed an active relationship.

Ducky tucked her arm into his and they strolled to his Morgan, his eyes bright with anticipation.

The drive back to Georgetown was pleasant, the traffic light. As Ducky parked the car he turned to look at Ellie. He took her hand again and squeezed it tightly.

"I am so happy that you have come into my life, Ellie. I hope you know that." Ducky looked deeply into her blue eyes, somewhat nervous that he may be overstepping his boundaries.

Although they had known each other for over fifteen years, it had not been a continuous acquaintance, and they had only been declared a couple since October. Still, when one was not in their twenties, things had to move along a bit quicker out of necessity.

Ellie smiled softly, chuckling at Ducky's obvious discomfort. "Oh, Ducky, I have been waiting for you for years; don't you know that?" She kissed him gently on the lips, punctuating her comment with her actions.

Ducky's eyes widened in surprise, clearly stunned by her declaration but gratified nonetheless. "Let's go inside shall we? Into our home…"

NCIS

Vance ended his call and slowly replaced the receiver. He was disturbed by the news he had just been given, playing out in his mind's eye the various scenarios that could develop. "Eli, you Son of a Bitch; what are you up to?" He mumbled to himself.

Leon stood up and walked to his wet bar, pouring himself a scotch. He swirled the amber liquid, looking into the glass' contents as if he was peering into the future.

He sat heavily back into his leather chair, its comfortable seat creaking in protest. Vance looked lovingly at the framed photo on his desk, of Jackie and the kids. He smiled softly, knowing he really needed to get back home, to his safe place where the cares of the world ceased to exist and the pain and misery of potential future events never dared to enter.

He sighed, knowing he would be opening up old wounds and exposing his Agents to a potential threat that could have long term ramifications for all of them.

He knew the moment he signed the papers authorizing Ziva David to become an NCIS Agent that it may all come back to haunt them. Eli David was never beyond their sphere of existence but had for the most part remained distant and unobtrusive.

That was all about to end and for the first time, Leon Vance was truly frightened for Ziva David DiNozzo.

This is my beginning to the "Shabbat Shalom/Shiva" storyline on the show, but as I had mentioned earlier, it will not be the same in that Ziva will not go rogue and seek revenge. But it will be a very tough time for all involved. Thanks again for the reviews. I will mix in happy/fun stuff with this as always, so it doesn't get too morose and wallow in itself.