Two and a half hours later: Safe House, Grayson, VA
Ziva pulled into the gravel driveway with such speed that a cloud of dust rose up around her vehicle—effectively creating a smoke cover for her approach to the house. She registered clearly that whomever was inside had either a) not laid claymores or b) not wanted her dead on arrival. She wasn't sure it mattered. She wasn't sure what she expected to find on the other side of the door. But, she was certain Leon Vance did not want her to lay hands on what or whoever it may be without his consent.
Fury is written in her features, Eli thought as he inhaled deeply, watching his daughter approach the house from the security camera feed on his laptop. She is not here to find what has been taken from her. She is here to find answers, to serve justice.
As Ziva moved up the last two steps to the front door, Eli exhaled and whispered, "Go."
Jackie Vance steeled herself and opened the door coming face to face with the barrel of Ziva's gun. Her hands went up, palms open as Malachi had instructed. She forced her shoulders to relax—feigning relief.
Ziva's face registered disbelief. Yet, she did not lower her weapon. Instead, she leveled it at Jackie's chest. Coldly, devoid of feeling, she demanded, "Where is your handler?"
"Ziva," Jackie started, "There is no 'handler' here. If it's answers you want, you need to talk to Leon."
Ziva turned her shoulder into Jackie and shoved past her, gun still raised, "You are not here alone. Vance would not take such a risk. He will not give me the answers I am looking for, so I have come to…extract them myself."
"And, you shall, Ziva," Eli uttered as he stepped into her path. "But, first, lower your weapon. You have no enemies here."
"I…" her well trained features contorted—a battle of emotions playing out under her skin. "What is this?! Who are you?"
She did not allow him to answer. Instead, pointing her gun at his head, she yelled, "…Bodnar! Do not be a coward! Show yourself!"
"Bodnar is not here, Ziva," Malachi Ben Gideon's voice came from behind Eli. "We are operating under Leon Vance's orders. This was an exfiltration operation."
A strange and intoxicating tingle emanated from Ziva's head down to her fingers. She jerked her head angrily at Eli, recalling a case in which a rogue agent stole a synthetic mask from the CIA. "Prove it. How do I know you are my father and not some sort of plant?"
"A plant?" Eli asked confused.
"A fake, an imposter!" Ziva replied, irritated.
"You do not know," Eli acknowledged with a sigh.
"Convince me," Ziva snapped, struggling to keep her emotions in check. Her mind was a mess. What to think? What to do? She did not want to think that she had grieved over the shadow of a man who did not deserve her love. Only a coward would use death as a cover.
Eli frowned, recognizing his daughter's anger. "The Star of David you wear around your neck," he began slowly, carefully, "Your friend, Aadil, gave it to you for your Bat Mitzvah..."
Ziva's brown eyes widened minutely—a flicker of surprise; a cherished memory triggered. But, she kept her gun pointed squarely at his head.
Eli paused, thought, she has every right to shoot me, and then smiled lovingly at his daughter, "The boy was enterprising. I would not allow him to come to your party—for which you sister said you hated me and you accused me of being shortsighted and discriminatory. But, this did not stop him. He came to our house that weekend—said you had told him you would be out and your father would, believe it or not, be home. He professed the meaning of his friendship with you…said he was your mirror image—the only difference between you being the names of your faiths. He said it was because of people like you he was not ashamed to be a Muslim living in a Jewish nation. I had planned to give you the necklace myself; it had survived the Holocaust around your grandmother's neck. But, I was…impressed…with Aadil so, I gave him the task. And, instead, I gave you a knife."
Ziva met Eli's gaze and, as she blinked away the welling of unwanted tears, she swore she saw him do the same.
A/N: Thanks for the great question/observation Zivatjl12-about the Star of David necklace. Answer is: I don't really know what happened to it after Somalia? I know Saleem yanks it off Ziva's neck in Aliyah (?), but then in later episodes she is shown with a similar/same necklace. Does anyone know? Did she get it back or is it new? :) Thanks!