Liya and Ziva returned to Israel to bury their father. For Liya, it was surreal being back. It felt both like home and like a prison all at the same time. However, there was one thing that she knew. Mossad was without a director and as Eli's oldest daughter and child, she could stake a claim to the position he had held. She could bring some good to Mossad. The question was whether or not she actually wanted that job.

When the plane landed, immediately upon leaving the airport, Ziva took Declan and Chaya with her to Eli's house while Liya met up with Kiev.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Liya." Kiev said as he embraced his former partner in a hug.

Liya hugged him back, "Thank you."

"How are you and Ziva doing?"

"We've been better." Liya replied, "How's Shula? She still thriving?"

When they got Shula back three years ago, Kiev took 'custody' of her. And to this day, he still had Shula living with him. She wasn't with him at the moment though. He had left her back at the lab. Since the now 11 year old's father and uncle are dead, and her mother is...well that's complicated. Shula may have been made from the DNA of Liya David and Barnaby Melton, but she belongs to the Israeli government. She is their project. Even with Eli dead, Liya still has no claim to her biological daughter.

He nodded, "Yeah. But time is short. Our government is getting impatient and Mossad wants the war to end."

She tilted her head, "What do you mean? I thought Shula was just for educational purposes?"

"Oh...you don't know." Kiev uttered, realising that Liya didn't know everything about Shula. About the real purpose of Operation Flock.

"I know that she's more than one child. That she's a blueprint."

He hummed, "Yeah. A blueprint to make warriors. The perfect soldiers."

Liya looked horrified, "Made in my image. That's why Abba wanted my DNA. He told me once that he bred and raised warriors. That I was his best operative." She let out a breath, "I feel so stupid."

"No. You're not stupid. You didn't know. You couldn't."

"I should have." Liya insisted, "He was my father, and because I didn't, an innocent child..." She trailed off, "It's like Tali all over again. My child doesn't get to have a childhood."

With this new information, Liya not only realised that her father had lied to her. Again. But also that Shula wasn't a child, she was a pawn. She was never meant to be a child.

Kiev furrowed his eyebrows, "I'm sorry. Tali? Tali David? Your sister?"

"Yes, and no. Tali was my daughter. Ima and Abba raised, but she was mine. And not a day goes by that I don't miss her."

Liya rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall, and suddenly she knew what she needed to do.

"Abba wanted to make peace with Iran before he died." Liya informed, "I need to honor that, and I have to save Shula. I can't let one more child suffer for the cause of this war."

Kiev stared at her quizzically, "So...what does that mean?"

"I'm taking over as director of Mossad."

"Do you want that?"

Liya took a breath as she gave a sad smile, "It doesn't matter what I want. It's what needs to be done." She hugged Kiev, "It was great seeing you again, but I need to go."

Then without giving Kiev another chance to speak, Liya left. Next stop, Mossad. She needed to tell them that she would be taking her father's place. She would tell her sister after it was official. She knew Ziva probably wouldn't be happy about it, and she wasn't sure how her children would feel, but this was for the greater good.

The process of signing the paperwork and officially becoming the new director of Mossad was easier than Liya had thought. It had only taken about two hours to get everything squared away.

Liya made it home just in time for dinner, which Ziva was still working on in the kitchen. Declan and Chaya were distracted looking through photo albums in the living room.

"You were gone a while." Ziva uttered without glancing up

Liya hummed, "Yeah."

"How are Kiev and Shula?"

"Good."

Ziva looked up, turning to face her sister, "All right. What is wrong?"

"Nothing." Liya replied, "It's nothing. Just...after Abba's funeral, I won't be returning to the United States with you."

Ziva nodded, "Okay. Why not?"

"I'll be starting a new job."

"And what is the job?" Ziva asked, suspecting that it was Eli's job.

Liya let out a breath, "Director of Mossad."

"Okay."

"You're not mad?"

Ziva shook her head, "No. I may not understand, but I trust you. There is not anyone I would trust more with that job."

Liya smiled, "Thank you. I feel a little guilty about uprooting the kids again. I haven't told them yet, but then again I did just decide today."

"So...do you start after the funeral?"

"Yeah. And I'm going to try and negotiate the peace treaty with Iran that Abba was trying to put together before he was killed."

Ziva gave a smile, "Abba would like that. He would be proud of you."

Liya snickered, "Yeah. He was never more happy than when we were working for Mossad."

"Well, now you will be running it." Ziva added, "You can bring some good to it."

"That's the plan."

Liya wasn't going to tell her sister about what she had learned from Kiev about Shula's situation. She didn't want Ziva to worry or for anything to entice her to stay in Israel. Liya wanted her sister to return home to NCIS and to Tony. Shula was made from Liya's DNA. The little girl was her responsibility.


Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated. In fact, they keep me going.

What would you like to see happen next?