Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Thanks to Reader aka Sun Samurai for reviewing 13.

Tel Aviv,

Tel Aviv University

Israel

"So... the Jews at Masada slit their own throats in order to die free, otherwise, they would have been taken and dragged back to Rome in chains as slaves. We know this because-"

The small lecture hall fell into a hush as the door opened and someone slipped inside. Everyone turned towards the door, finding a young man softly apologize for interrupting the class. As everyone turned back to the lecture, he slipped into an empty seat; Shirah slowly looked up from her note taking, studying the guy. He met her gaze. "Slicha. Didn't meant to disrupt..."

He glanced down at her hands, seeing the brightly colored red henna designs on her skin; she and Jacqi had gotten them done over the weekend, when they'd taken a trip down to Be'er Sheva- she'd gone to Channa, the owner of the beauty parlor who had been the childhood friend of her Savta Rivka's before her death. The beautiful swirls of red, green and yellow appeared to be part of her skin, not just temporary decoration; his gaze then traveled to the star around her throat- one Saba Eli had given her for her birthday one year; along with the Catholic cross Saba John had given her when she turned eight. "You are Jewish? Or Christian?"

Slowly, the archaeology student returned to her notes, not glancing at him. "Shnei ha bechirot."

The guy raised an eyebrow. "You speak Hebrew?"

"You do not?" The guy looked up, as Jacqi peeked around her best friend, dark eyes studying him quickly before she ducked back into her seat.

It was Shirah's turn to look at him, as one slender eyebrow rose. "Ken. I am half-Jewish and half-Irish-American. Lama?"

He shrugged, grinning silently.

An hour later, the students streamed out of the lecture hall, Jacqi and Shirah among them. "Hey! Wait up!" Both girls turned back to see the new guy from class race to catch up with them. They stopped. When he finally reached them, he doubled over, struggling to catch his breath. "Cos ka-feh?Do you... want to..."

The girls shared a glance, before Jacqi said, "Should we put him out of his misery?" Shirah laughed, turning back to him as he straightened.

"We could always go for coffee, right, Jac?" The other girl nodded.

"Absolutely."

A moment passed before Shirah nodded towards her best friend. "This is my best friend, Jacqi Williams." He quickly shook the girl's hand.

"And you are-"

"Shirah McGee."

"McGee? I thought you were Israeli?" He asked, taking her hand.

She started, meeting his gaze as his hand folded around hers briefly. "I... I am. My... Abba was the son of the American Ambassador to Israel, and Ima is the only surviving child of the last Director of Mossad." He raised an eyebrow.

"You are Eli David's daughter?"

"Granddaughter." She corrected. "Ima is Saba Eli's daughter- Ziva. And... you are?"

The guy blushed, suddenly embarrassed. He chuckled, replying, "Eleazar-"

"Ben Ya'ir?" Shirah asked, referring to The Dovekeepers, hoping he got the joke, as Jacqi giggled. The guy raised an eyebrow, briefly confused, but deciding not to push the obviously inside joke.

"Ah... no. Reis. Eleazar is a family name." Both girls nodded, sharing a glance. "So, coffee?"

They soon found themselves sitting at the small campus cafe, chatting over steaming cups. Turned out, Eleazar grew up in Palestine, and though his mother was Israeli, she'd married a Palestinian doctor. He had a younger sister, age fourteen, who was studying abroad in America to be an actress, stage name and all. With his dark hair and eyes, he was quite... striking, and Shirah found she couldn't take her eyes off him, though his obvious nerves seemed to help her relax around him; Shirah didn't do to well around new people- it had taken the girl a year to get used to being away from her close-knit family.

"Um... what... what are you studying?"

She started, caught off guard. "Sorry?"

"What're you two studying?"

The girls exchanged glances before Jacqi said, "We are both archaeology majors, though I am also getting a degree in Comparative Religions. And... what are you-"

"Archaeology. And History of Ancient Judea. I'm actually going on the excavation to Masada in-"

"So are we!" Shirah blushed, ducking her head, as Jacqi gently bumped her shoulder. "Right, Shirah?" Slowly, the other girl nodded. Jacqi, noticing her friend's sudden change in demeanor, got up. "Excuse me, I am just going to slip off the to restroom really quick." Shirah's head snapped up, and she pleaded silently with the girl to stay, but her roommate was soon gone, leaving her at the table with Eleazar.

"So, you're also going to Masada." She nodded, something catching her attention.

"You use contractions when you speak." Though she'd grown up in Washington, D.C., gone to school with other American students, she, her sisters and Jacqi were the only children who never used contractions- that she knew of. Many of the Jews in Georgetown shortened their words; they were so indoctrinated into the American way of life, that they didn't even think twice before contracting their words or sentences. But for the girls- they'd spent enough of their formative years spending holidays and summers in Israel, that they were more comfortable speaking the long way than shortening their words. Plus, with Ziva as a live-in example, was it any wonder they talked more like their mother than their father? "Were you in America at one point?"

He chuckled, glancing at his hands. "I was. I spent... eight years in America, studying abroad when I was a child. You?"

"I was born in Washington, D.C., and I have two younger sisters. My parents both work for NCIS."

"NC-"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service."

"Oh. I thought your mother was the daughter of-"

"She is, but she left Mossad not long after my youngest sister was born. She started with NCIS as a liaison officer, and then became a probationary agent after becoming an American citizen and then became an official agent. So her roots may be Mossad, but her heart is NCIS."

He nodded. "So you... live in America?"

She thought a moment, before nodding. "Georgetown. My little sister is going to Syria to help with the humanitarian effort and my youngest sister is filming a movie. Both my parents are still in Georgetown, they still work with NCIS. I... I am sorry, I tend to ramble when I..."

He chuckled. "It's okay. I tend to stammer when I'm around... a beautiful girl." She blushed. "Here." He held out a hand, asking silently for her phone, and after a moment, she gave it to him. Quickly, he put his name and number into her contacts, and then sent a quick text to himself from her phone. "I have to get going; gonna be late for my next class. Give me a call. We can be... nervous wrecks together."

He waved to Jacqi when she returned from the bathroom before slipping out of the cafe and heading across campus.

"So?" Shirah looked up as Jacqi finally returned, slipping into the seat he'd occupied earlier. Shirah bit her lip, holding out her phone. "He gave you his number?" She glanced at her best friend, suddenly realizing something. "You know, I think he wants you to call him."

The other girl narrowed her eyes as she grabbed the phone back from her friend and sat back in her chair, picking up her mug. "Oh, sheket bevakasha!" But all Jacqi did was laugh.