A/N I have to say, watching "Last Man Standing" really made be intrigued about Ziva's father. He seemed nice enough in the episode, but you could tell there was still some tension between father and daughter. So, I'm going to maintain my story line that I've shown you glimpses of in some of these drabbles in which David basically used Ziva as a recruit rather than a child.

Drabble 14
Title: "Take Your Daughter to Work" or "His Masterpiece"
Words: 452
Warnings: None really...drabbles a little ho-hum, but it's otherwise fine.

"Do you understand what's expected of you, Officer David?"

The nineteen year old nodded. "I do, Deputy Director." The response was crisp, curt, and direct. Ziva made sure not to introduce unnecessary words, inflection, or emotion.

Her father, Eli David, nodded in approval. As he looked at his oldest daughter, David congratulated himself on his accomplishment. Before him stood the perfect officer.

He had groomed her from the moment she could walk. When Ziva had fallen as an infant, she received a sharp reprimand in leu of the instant comfort most children are rewarded with. The future director of Mossad accepted nothing less than poise and grace from his child, and the awkwardness of childhood was no excuse to not achieve such.

Those standards remained a constant throughout Ziva's transition to adulthood. By the time she began official Mossad training, Ziva had already been conditioned to be admitted into Komemiute.

Ziva flew through the required training classes. Her scores in all areas of espionage, marksmanship, navigation, and linguistics as well as the various miscellaneous requirements, far surpassed her classmates.

Her instructor had deemed her the best recruit of his career. She was immediately cleared to run top level missions, while her fellow recruits were stuck doing basic intel analysis.

This was her first of those missions.

"Once you have completed this mission, you'll be made an official member of Komemiute," David told his daughter. "It is a great honor." David's inflection made it difficult for Ziva to decipher what her father thought about his daughter becoming an assassin.

Maintaining her posture, Ziva nodded in response.

David looked her up and down one last time before finally issuing a curt, "Dismissed," motioning for Ziva to leave the office.

"Thank you, Deputy Director," Ziva said before turning and leaving.

Eli watched as the door closed. He knew he would not be able to see or speak to his child for at least a month. He would be able to get updates through her control officer, but he would have no direct contact with her.

For a moment, Eli's hear clenched. He did love his daughter, a fact he only acknowledged in the back of his mind, and she was now entering one of the most dangerous careers in history. But then he reminded himself that he was doing this to create a better future. Ziva would be the weapon through which Eli would win the battle for is grandchildren to have a better Israel.

"She will be the sharp end of the spear," he resolved, reaching into his desk drawer for a bottle of scotch and a glass.

Pouring himself some, David slowly sipped. "May God forgive her."

Okay, there it is. As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated. I hope you enjoyed it.

Peace,
Hobbit Killer