Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS
I am so sorry that the updates took this long again, but I'm just having harder time of writing. I know the general things to write but the details is what I'm having trouble with. Anyway I'm sorry for the wait but at least this chapter is longer than the usual.
"Shalom, Ziva." The guy at the door greeted as Ziva came into his view.
Tony slowly turned to face Ziva as she stared at the guy that standing at her door in surprise. She knows this guy? Oh great, the day just get better and better doesn't it? I try to pull a joke and it turns into some kind of tragic drama , he thought to himself. Or at least that's what it seemed at the moment to Tony. Since he had nothing better to say than some of his lamest jokes that came to his mind at the moment, he just stood there quietly waiting for someone to break the awkward silence. And after what seemed like hours, someone finally granted Tony's wish.
"Ziva. How are you?" The guy at the door, whose name was still Mr.I-Don't-Know to Tony, asked.
"Fi-" Ziva cleared her throat as she found it to be very dry for a moment before continuing. "Fine, Shmuel, I'm fine. And how are you?"
"Good." He answered.
"What are you doing here?" Ziva asked but as she realized that her tone sounded too demanding she added, "Not that you are unwelcome here but you-"
"I think what my sister is trying to say is what are you doing here when you should be half way across the world." Ari cut her off. "Thought I heard a familiar voice back here. I have been having a bad feeling for the entire day today and now I know why." He joked.
Ari grinned at Shmuel and he chuckled in answer. "How have you been Ari? It has been almost a year since I saw you last time."
"Has it been almost a year already? You know what they say-"
"Enough! Can you not catch up with each other later? Now seriously, what are you doing here Shmuel?" Ziva interrupted. Her voice was so fierce that everyone jumped, including Tony who had been observing the three Israelis the whole time without making a sound as they all seemed to have forgotten about him.
"Still has the bad temper I see." Shmuel commented as he tried to avoid laughing at his best friend's oldest younger half-sister's overly serious face.
Ari laughed out loud as Ziva just glared at him. "I would not make her mad if I was you Shmuel. You surely have not forgotten what happened the last time she got mad at you, now have you? You were so embarrassed that you avoided her for months."
At that reminder, Shmuel blushed and Ziva grinned for a moment. But soon it was gone from her face and she was serious again as she realized that they had gotten off the topic, again. She drew in a breath and prepared to demand for an answer again but Shmuel raised his hand.
"Yes I know Ziva, you want to know why I am here. To answer to your question is simply that I would be joining you and Ari at Naval Hills High after the spring break"
"What?" The sibling exclaimed simultaneously in the exact same manner much to Shmuel's amusement but it did not last long.
"Your father did not inform you?"
"Shmuel you know our father, he had never told us anything about things that actually involved our family, do you really expect that he would inform us about something that in his mind does not affect our lives?" Ari stated but his old friend still looked shocked. Even though Shmuel was not the toughest guy around Ari knew that as a child who was also from a Mossad family, unless things were serious, he would never let his shock hang right on his face for everyone to see. "Unless there is something else..."
"You father did not inform you that Tali will be joining you here?" Shmuel asked again but this time more clearer.
"Tali as in my sister is coming here, as in here here?" Ziva's eye widened in shock and surprise. When she saw Shmuel nod she asked, "When?"
"In fifteen minutes, she is staying behind with Michale to sort out the-" But his sentence was left unfinished as Ari cut him off in rage.
"Michael Rivkin?"
"Ari, it is fine, Michael and I are friends now." Ziva placed her hands on his shoulder trying to calm him down.
Tony narrowed his eyes at Ari's reaction. He'd never seen him show any emotion let alone an outburst like that but then again he was very protective of his sister even though Ziva was just his half-sister. He partly felt sorry for this Michael guy because if Tony was in his shoes he'd ran away as far as possible from Ari's wrath, but from the sound of it he might have deserved it too. And then Tony was hit with a sudden realization that the conversation between these three people have gotten a little too private and personal, and it probably wasn't for his ears to hear. Now Tony wondered if he should make his presence known because the three friends clearly had forgotten that he was still standing at the corner of the hall. But knowing Ziva, Tony was afraid that she'd get mad that he eavesdropped, not that it's considered eavesdropping since he was standing right beside them the whole time but he was also pretty sure that if Ziva had known that he was still there, there was be no way that she'd have let him hear that much. But before he could decide on which option he had would work out the best, Ziva's voice snapped him back into reality.
"Michael is coming as well?"
"Yes, Tali, Michael, Mr. and Mrs, Rivkin, my father and I landed couple of hours ago and we just cleared the customs an hour ago."
"Wait, what? Your father and-"
"We are moving here Ziva, all of us to Washington D.C." Shmuel cut Ziva off. "Mr. Rivkin and my father will soon arrive to discuss 'business' with your father. Michael and Tali are coming also to 'catch up' I believe is the term while they talk. When my father gave me his car keys and told me to go wherever I like until he calls me, I decided to come here early as an surprise but clearly it was more than I intended."
Ari nodded trying to absorb and analyze all the information that he was given while Ziva still looked slightly confused. "Your father is coming here to talk with my father but he is not here right now."
"Oh he is currently at the hotel the escorts that he sent to the airport to pick us up brought us to. Although they would be coming here soon. But I did not realize that we would have company." He gestured towards Tony and the same time looked curiously at Ziva. "Or at least your father still does not know that you have company at the house right now."
Well at least someone knows that I still exist, Tony thought to himself sourly. But then he made the mistake of making eye contact with Ziva. From his point of view, she looked pretty angry.
"What are you doing back here?" Ziva asked.
"I- uh- I never left?" Tony raised his shoulders and suggested. However that did not seem to make Ziva feel better. "Hey I wasn't eavesdropping if that's what you're suggesting because I was like standing in front of you guys the whole time. I just wasn't sure if I should interfere with the conversation that's all." Tony defended and it was not an excuse for once since it was the truth. He really didn't mean to listen but he did not know how to make himself known. There was nothing that Tony could have done differently in his mind. However Ziva was not so easily convinced. But luckily for Tony, Ari looked more forgiving.
"Tony I am so sorry but as you can see Ziva and I have some family issues to sort out. So..."
"Oh yeah it's getting late. We, um should head back home. " Tony responded awkwardly towards Ari's politeness since he really wasn't used to that.
Tony went back into the living room where rest of the group was still chatting. After Tony suggested, no insisted would fit the description better, for everybody to go back home, they all agreed. As everybody thanked Ziva again for the dinner and Tony for the movie when they headed out, Ziva dragged Tony by the arm back into the kitchen and closed the doors.
"Tony..." Ziva started but Tony did not let her continue.
"Hey you can't blame me for earlier okay? You looked so intense that I didn't want to bug you. Really I swear to God I really didn't mean to listen in without your permission in fact-" Tony raised his finger, "I didn't even hear that much. And honestly what did you expect me to do? I opened the door to pull a joke and suddenly you told me that you know him and all the things. I was confused."
"I know." Tony raised his eyebrows in shock. He was one hundred percent ready to start a yelling match again with Ziva when she got mad. They started fights for every single little things for the past month whether it mattered or not. Once they even fought for his choice of food as Ziva found it disgusting and Tony started a whole conversation about how it's American and all the unimportant things. They didn't make up for that for three frickin days so Tony was definetely not ready to see Ziva drop this subject so easily since he was slightly rude to stand there and listen if he was truthful to himself.
"What I mean is that..." Ziva trailed off as she tried to find words to explain but she was lost. She sighed and drew in a deep breath deciding to go with the truth. "Look, you are right, that was not your fault. Although you should not have opened the door and started to go on about how gay the person is without looking to see who was at the door and if he was a he in the first place, I... cannot disagree that it was not your fault since you did not know Shmuel."
"Okay." Tony said slowly stretching the word as he was really confused now.
Ziva bit her lips before continuing. "I just want to apologize for some of the things I did for the past few weeks while I have the chance. I should not have acted the way I did for the past month, especially when I was the one that caused such comfortablenesses in the first place. I am sorry for what happened on Valentines Day night. I should not have done that without giving you any explanations. But you have to know that I would not have done it unless I absolutely needed to. I know that you do not understand what I am saying but if I ever get the chance to I would explain. But I cannot stand to know that you think I wanted to do what I did, because I did not. I cannot say any more right now, you should really leave but I am sorry... for everything."
Ziva opened the kitchen door again but Tony could not bring himself to move. He was stunned at Ziva's uncharacteristic apology. Of course he knew that the Valentine's Day 'incident' was as simple as Ziva made it since her attitude made an one-hundred-and-eighty degrees turn in just hours, but he did not expect that kind of speech from Ziva. And he was really worried because Ziva played with the concept of the chance of talking to him again twice and Tony had no idea why. He hoped that it did not mean that Ziva was leaving because as much as he hated to admit it, he really liked Ziva, more than Jeanne, more than any girl he had ever dated, heck more than all of them combined. He wanted to ask more but he decided against causing Ziva more trouble as she looked troubled enough at the moment. He can ask her later, he decided as he grabbed his jacket and said goodbye.
As soon as the front door shut Ziva went to help her brother and Shmuel clean up the house a little so that her father would not suspect that Ziva brought her friends into the house without his permission. When the house looked clean enough, Ziva headed upstairs for her room but Ari blocked her path.
"This was a really close call Ziva. Do you realize that if it was not for Shmuel, father would have caught you with inviting people over to the house without permission. You know how he feels about company when he is actually in the house, do you know how mad he would have been if he caught you with company while he was away?"
"But he did not, did he Ari?" Ziva responded flatly.
"Look I just do not want you to jeopartize your chance to stay here in America for your own sake. You love it here and you are bonding with your friends. You cannot risk to piss off father more than necessary and I am quite positive that he has already heard about your suspencion."
"Would you back off Ari? It is none of your business!" Ziva snapped.
"Ziva-" The surprised Ari tired to speak.
"Look, we are definitely not here because of the reason that we were told. The entire Rivkin and Rubinstein family are all joining us here and Tali as well. Ari you are not stupid, you know that they are forming a unit here and they somehow decided that they needed to bring their family along. And I am sure you are not unfamiliar with the ending of stories with these kind of missions, so stop pretending that we can still control the outcome here because we cannot! If we can stay, we stay, if we cannot, we leave. Simple as that!"
Ziva felt bad for lashing out at Ari but she needed to release her anger and Ari just happened to be her victim. Every since little, her father had taught her and her siblings to not trust anyone other than themselves and not get too close with anyone. She had always excelled at that. She had many friends in Tel Aviv but none of them got close enough to truly affect Ziva deeply if one day they were all gone from her life. She just assumed that the friends she made in DC was just another few to add to that list but it was not until she realized that this may be another one of those trip of her father's mission that would only last few months did she recognize her mistake. She had let these people get too close, especially Tony, and now she felt miserable when she found herself in a position where she might be forced to leave any second.
Before she think any further, she heard the lock turn. Both her and Ari turned and headed for the door where they were met by their father, Mr. Rivkin, and Mr. Rubinstein who acknowledged them with a nod. They were followed by Tali and Michael. As soon as Tali spotted her sister, she wrapped her around in her arms.
"Shalom Tali." Ziva said as Tali stopped hugging her as she caught her father glaring at her with disapproval at corner of her eyes.
"Shalom Ziva, Ari." Tali greeted back. "Where is Shmuel. You did not knock him out again Ziva did you?" She whispered the last part so that only Ziva could hear.
Ziva snickered as she answered. "No, no I would not do that again. He is-"
"Here." Shmuel finished himself as he came out of the kitchen. "Did you know that Ziva's falafel is really good?"
"Yes" Tali, Michael, and Ari answered at the same time.
"Good."
"Shalom Ziva." Michael smiled at her.
"Shalom Michael." She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheeks which Ari frowned at. When Ziva stepped back she gave him a little shove with the elbow that nobody would notice as a warning.
"I still do not trust him." Ari hissed at her low so that it could only reach Ziva's ears.
Before Ziva could hiss something back or seriosly elbow him in the gut, her father interrupted as the three male adults finished their own small conversation.
"Well it seems that the children are settling down well so why do we not move this conversation to the office so we can discuss business and they can talk without us." He suggested to the other two tall Mossad officers, which Ziva really wanted to roll her eyes at if she was not standing right in front of her father. He always made it seem like he cared about her and her siblings in front of other people but privately, he was not even close to be considered a caring father. And children, he has not treated any of us like children since we could walk! she internally huffed, but kept it to that only.
"Yes we should." Michael's father agreed and Shmuel's father nodded in agreement as well.
As the two officers went into the office, Eli David stepped towards her daughter and hissed dangerously. "We will talk later."
Ziva had to bite her tongue really hard to keep herself from satisfying her irrational urge to respond with 'about what?' just to piss him off.
When he left Tali commented happily, "What are you frowning about Ziva? We get to go to school together again next fall when I would be in high school too. I know it has been barely two months, but I have really missed you, Ziva."
"Tali you cannot seriously believe that we would still be here in September. You know better than to believe that we can stay in one place that long when we are to 'accompany' father during his missions." Ziva said.
"What are you talking about Ziva? This is a long term thing. From what I heard we would definitely stay for a year maybe more.I do not know what exactly they are doing but they are definitely not doing the kind of missions you have in mind since Michael and Shmuel's families signed the lease contract for a twelve months for their apartment."
Ziva turned to the boys who both nodded backing up Tali's statement.
"We are going to be here for long term. Wait, do you hate it here? Is that why you're not happy which makes sense I guess becuase you looked pretty mad when Papa told you to come here." Tali said worriedly.
"No. No, it is the opposite actually. I like it here and I know that you will love it here too Tali." Ziva smiled at her little sister knowing that the promise was not empty. For a sympathetic and peaceful person like Tali who is full of life, there would be no better place for her to be than in DC where she is far away from gunpowder and war. "Now I fell stupid about working myself down like that." Ziva sighed.
Tali narrowed her eyes for a moment before saying, "It not the expression work yourself up, not down?"
"Hey, unlike you I have more language to keep track off other than just Hebrew, Arabic, and English. I am sorry if I mess up every once in a while." Ziva defended herself. Usually she only messed up idioms on purpose to make Tony laugh but every once in a while when she did honestly made a mistake, she could not help but to use that excuse.
Tali chuckled in response and Michale and Shmuel followed. Even Ari smirked, so Ziva joined in too. She may still have to 'talk' with her father, Ziva was happy for the time being because she knew that she was going to enjoy the next year with her siblings and friends.
Thanks for all those who reviewed and guessed who the man at the doorstep was the last time! But unfortunately none of you got it right, it was Shmuel Rubinstein (The boy that Ziva hit in her first fight when she as 8)! Okay, yeah I never expected anyone to guess that right so I'd say that you were close enough with Michael Rivkin since they're both teenage Israeli boys in my story. I promise I will update faster next time.
TBC and please review