Finally, the night of the gala had arrived.

The whole NCIS team was at the hotel where it was being held, in the main lobby. The whole area was packed with nicely-dressed people, event officials, and the odd caterer or two, making trips between the banquet hall and the kitchen. Everything about the atmosphere looked fun and inviting, yet the team was off to the side.

"What are we waiting for, again?" Jenny asked.

McGee sighed, though only because he was feeling nervous. "Our parents. I told them to meet us over here, so Sarah and I can introduce you all, but they're probably still working the room."

Gibbs looked around. "Where are Ziva and Ruby?"

"Over there."

McGee pointed to a big picture window, a little ways away from them. Adamant about not using the wheelchair that she used at home or around the office, a pair of crutches could be seen leaning against the wall beside them. Ziva was dressed up, and ready for a good time, and Rubyjane sat beside her.

Rubyjane was dressed for a party, and she was fully aware of what was happening, and that she was going to meet her grandparents who were local. She was also nervous. McGee had given her a pep talk, but for good luck, Sarah had tied her pigtails off with bumblebee decorations, and Clementine had surprised her with a bumblebee bracelet.

Rubyjane was appreciative of the pep talk, and of the new bumblebee items, but she still had the jitters. Noticing, Ziva sat with her, just to keep her company.

"Hey," Tony said suddenly when he noticed a new person approaching the pair at the window. "Who's that?"

Jenny's eyes widened in surprise. "That's Ziva's father. I haven't seen him in quite some time—did you know he was going to here tonight?"

Immediately, Tony found himself being stared at by Jenny, Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, Sarah, and Clementine. Even Scout was watching.

Tony took a few steps back, nervous. "Technically, Ziva told me while we were in Hawaii that Eli was coming to DC in January, but she just didn't say when."

Palmer stepped in. "Let's watch."

Back at the window, Ziva felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she had quite a start when she turned around.

"Abba?!"

The legendary Eli David was there, standing before his daughter, dressed in his finest suit, shoes, and yarmulke. There was nothing but joy on his face at the sight of Ziva, even if she was befuddled.

"Are you surprised?" he asked when thy'd hugged.

"Very." Ziva quickly moved to her crutches. "Was this what you meant by coming to town in January?"

"Yes, but also no. Originally, I was just to be here for a conference, and to spend time with you."

"But…?"

"I then heard about this event 'through the grapevine,' as they say, and I made a donation in Sarai's name."

Ziva's heart and bottom lip both wobbled at the mention of her first child. "Oh, abba, thank you. You did not have to."

"But I wanted to, and this is the town where you have laid your roots down, is it not? Or have I been reading your emails incorrectly?"

Ziva laughed. "You have not been."

Eli motioned towards Rubyjane, who was now beside Ziva, and watching shyly.

"Who is this?" Eli asked. "Have you adopted a child?"

"No, I have not." Ziva stroked her little companion's hair affectionately. "Say hello to my goddaughter, Rubyjane Lily."

Eli stooped down to Rubyjane's level and extended a hand. "Shalom, little one. I am Ziva's papa."

Rubyjane's mouth dropped open in surprise, but she recovered quickly, remembering her manners. She even shook Eli's hand.

"Shalom!" she mimicked. "You're from Israel, too?"

"Very good!" Eli praised. "It is very nice to meet you!"

Rubyjane just giggled and let go of Eli's hand; already she had been quite tickled by his charm. Eli found this amusing, because most people he met for the first time usually feared him to some degree.

Eli straightened up and spoke to his daughter again. "How did you hurt yourself?"

"I tripped."

"Come again?" The Ziva that Eli had raised was by no means clumsy.

"It is the truth. Upon return from Hawaii with Tony, I tripped over a luggage trolley at the airport, and I sprained my ankle."

Eli digested this and said, "Tony looked after you, yes?"

With a very straight face because she didn't want to give her news away, Ziva responded, "He still is, abba."

"Where is he?"

Ziva pointed to where everyone was failing to be discreet, her fiancé chief among them.

"Of course you already know Jenny, but come—let me introduce you to the rest of my new family."

Eli handed his daughter her crutches, and with a great deal of self-restraint, he didn't fret over her like an anxious mother hen while Ziva hobbled along. Cheerfully oblivious, Rubyjane skipped ahead.

Jenny greeted Eli first, quite joyfully, because of the close bond she had with the Davids. He was just as happy to see her, but was quite surprised to see that she was pregnant.

"You are expecting a child, Jennifer?"

She beamed and nodded. "Twins, actually, and I'm engaged, too!"

"Mazel tov, my dear. Where is your fiancé?"

Jenny looped an arm around one of Gibbs' and pulled him into view.

"He's right here!"

Jenny turned to Gibbs.

"Introduce yourself; he's very special to me me."

Everyone, but the team in particular, watched the two men size each other up. They had never met, but because of Ziva, knew plenty about each other. Eli also wasn't likely to forget in a hurry that because of the man in front of him, one of his children was dead, while the other—the assassin—served at Gibbs' right hand.

Nevertheless, Eli was not a sore loser, and chose to be the bigger man.

He extended a hand. "Shalom, Gibbs. Please call me Eli."

Gibbs shook the older man's hand. "Okay, Eli. It's good to meet you—and please call me Jethro."

Eli returned the handshake and nodded. "Shall we let bygones be bygones, and be friends?"

"Alright." Gibbs agreed, secretly relieved because this first meeting could have gone far worse. "Friends."

They shook hands again, and then Eli turned to Ziva.

"Will you introduce me to everyone else now?"

"Yes. Prepare yourself." Ziva pointed to everyone in turn as she indicated them. "We have Ruby's parents, Timothy McGee and Abigail Sciuto, Doctor Donald Mallard and his assistant, Jimmy Palmer, and McGee's sister, Sarah, and Abby's youngest sister, Clementine."

Eli nodded politely around at everyone, and then spotted Scout. The canine was dressed in her work uniform, but was wearing a festive kerchief around her collar that was cut from the same cloth as Clementine's dress.

"The dog is yours?" he asked Clementine.

"Uh-huh. She's my service dog." explained Clementine. "She's called Scout."

"She is beautiful."

"Thank you."

Ziva caught her father's attention by calling to him. "Abba, will you come here, please?"

Eli looked around to see that Ziva had moved stand beside a man whom he realized through the process of elimination was Tony. He had moved to the back of the group, nervous.

"H-hello." he stuttered as they shook hands. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

Eli shook Tony's hand. "There is no need to be nervous. You are the one who has been looking after my daughter, yes?"

Tony nodded quickly. "Yes. She's my best friend."

Because she knew Tony as well as she did, Ziva just knew that he was going to stall as long as he could, so as to avoid telling Eli about the true nature of their relationship. So she ripped the band-aid off, herself.

"Abba, Tony is the love of my life, as ima was yours."

Eli arched an eyebrow. "Is he?"

"Yes, and two more things—we are engaged, and we are expecting a child next year."

Normally, most parents wouldn't take too kindly to having so much life-changing news about their child thrust upon them in one go, but Eli wasn't quite 'most parents.' With his wife, his only son, and his youngest daughter all dead from violence, his middle child was all he had left. Though he found Ziva challenging at times when it came to issues like allegiance and loyalty, Ziva was yet his blood. He would always be happy for her about this kind of thing.

He opened his mouth, to convey his congratulations, but he was cut off because of two new voices cutting through the hubbub.

"Tim?"

"Sarah?"

A finely dressed older couple was working their way towards the group, stopping to say hello to anyone who stopped them.

Nevertheless, McGee and Sarah both groaned in unison.

"What?" Abby said in surprise. "Are those…?"

The siblings nodded, and responded in unison. "Our parents."