I'm finally going to see Infinity War tomorrow and I'm losing my mind, but here is the next chapter. Hope you like.

Chapter 4:

By some miracle, Gibbs and Vance had talked the FBI into a joint investigation, which explained why Eli David was currently sitting in NCIS's conference room and sipping hot coffee.

The door to the room opened, and Fornell entered, followed by Gibbs and Vance.

"Where is my daughter?" Eli asked, noting her absence with slight disappointment.

"Hospital," Gibbs grunted in response. "With DiNozzo."

Eli nodded in understanding. After the uncharacteristic display of affection he had witnessed on the jet, it should have been obvious that she would be with him.

"Director, we need to know why Bodnar made an attempt on your life," Fornell spoke, getting directly to the point.

"I do not know," Eli replied honestly, "he was like a son to me. I cannot think of why he would want me dead."

Gibbs set a file on the table in front of Eli, who opened it immediately. "McGee had to do some digging, but he found a plane ticket that you booked for next week," Gibbs said, pointing with a rigid finger to the evidence on the page. Yes, he had used an alias, but that only made things more suspicious. "Why were you planning a trip to DC?"

Eli sighed. The three American agents waited impatiently for an answer, the seconds passing slowly before Eli finally spoke. "That is classified. My own officers had no knowledge of my plans," he said, much to Gibbs' annoyance. "It is sensitive information dealing with international relations," he added, vehemently insisting that they leave the matter alone.

"We need to know," Vance said, his face cold and calculating. "Right now, this is the only lead we have. What were you doing planning a secret trip to the United States?"

The piercing stares of Gibbs, Fornell, and Vance eventually got the best of Eli. "Fine. I will tell you, but you must not speak a word about it outside of this room."

"Agreed," Vance said shortly, glaring expectantly at the Israeli diplomat.

"I was planning to meet my Iranian counterpart, Arash Kazmi, here to discuss peace between our nations," he announced.

Vance stood quickly and began to pace the room. "That sounds like a controversial topic, Director," Fornell observed sarcastically, "You think someone might have wanted to stop it from happening?"

Eli did not appreciate the sarcasm in the slightest. "It is possible, yes. Bodnar was my Deputy Director. Perhaps he did not share my opinion of the Iranians."

"Did Bodnar have any allies that may be working for him?" Gibbs interrupted. Eli could still be in danger. Just because one man had been taken care of did not mean that the threat was lifted.

Eli shrugged. "I do not know how deep this goes at Mossad, but Bodnar had a brother, Yaniv. He would be the most likely accomplice."

Gibbs scribbled notes in his notepad as the Director spoke.

"I'll make some calls to the Iranians, tell them to increase security on Kazmi," Vance announced. "He could be the next target."

Eli nodded as Gibbs helped him to his feet, escorting him out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Eli asked as Gibbs pressed the button to call the elevator.

"Hospital visit," Gibbs answered, "you need to talk to your daughter."

-.-.-

The car ride was silent. Neither man was known for being very talkative. Besides, tensions were high. Eli was Ziva's father by birth, yes, but Gibbs was more like her father in every sense of the word, and this was something that both of them knew to be true.

"Do you know why DiNozzo was in Israel?" Eli asked eventually, trying to strike up some form of conversation to break the silence.

"Yes," Gibbs answered bluntly, which irritated Eli to no end.

"This is usually the part where you tell me what you know," he explained, maddened by Gibbs' indirect answers.

"He came to me first," Gibbs said gruffly, emphasizing the last word. He was the first to know of Tony's plans with Ziva, NOT Eli.

"And what was your response?" Eli asked, intrigued to hear Ziva's self-proclaimed second father's take on the situation. He knew Gibbs had a rule against relationships between coworkers.

"I gave them my blessing," Gibbs all but shouted in reply. "They deserve it after what they've been through, after what you put them through."

The blame landed squarely on Eli's shoulders, and they were silent again for the rest of the car ride. Gibbs' not-so-subtle accusation had not gone unnoticed. Eli had been thinking a lot over the past year about his mistakes and his wrongdoings. In all honesty, he had hoped to put some of those to rest during his trip to DC. Peace between nations was his main focus, yes, but his daughter could not go forgotten. Not anymore.

As the two entered the hospital, they nearly collided with Ziva who was on her way out.

"Abba," Ziva said, surprised to see him. "I was just on my way to Tony's apartment. He has requested that I bring a small portion of his movie collection so he won't get bored," she spoke with a hint of laughter in her voice, which was a good sign. It meant Tony would be okay.

"Ah yes, I had almost forgotten about DiNozzo's love for film," Eli chuckled as he turned and placed an arm around Ziva. "I will accompany you," he decided, glancing up at Gibbs who nodded in approval.

"Yeah," Gibbs said shortly, "you go. I'll stay with DiNozzo."

If Ziva had wanted to disagree, she didn't have a chance. Before she knew it, Eli was escorting her out of the building in an unnervingly fatherly fashion.

They drove in relative silence to Tony's apartment. Every few minutes, Ziva would look over to see a peaceful, almost happy curl to Eli's lips, the reason for which she wasn't certain. He was acting strange, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet. The fact that he had offered to help her do Tony a favor was unfathomable, and yet here they were.

As they stood outside, Eli couldn't help but notice that the key to the apartment was on Ziva's own personal key chain. He raised his eyebrows at that, but didn't say a word. The first step into the apartment confirmed what he thought he might see, and he couldn't help but let a small smile cross his face. Yes, the place was small and obviously had been a bachelor pad for a while, but his trained eye could spot the objects strewn about the room that were clearly the belongings of a woman.

Ziva made her way to the shelf full of movies and pulled out the list Tony had given her, which told her which ones to bring. She busied herself with placing each one in her bag as Eli helped himself to a tour of the apartment. With his hands in his pockets and a curious expression on his face, he stepped closer to observe Tony's fish bowl. He watched the little goldfish dart back and forth until a photograph on a nearby shelf caught his eye.

"Where was this picture taken?" he asked Ziva, who seemed to be finishing up on her mission for Tony. She placed one last DVD into the bag before joining her father in front of the shelf.

"Paris," she said fondly, "three years ago."

Eli smiled. "It is lovely," he said, admiring it. "Maybe DiNozzo should have been a photographer."

Ziva laughed at that, remembering Tony saying something similar on the flight home. "No, I think he is much more suited to be an investigator, Abba."

Silence fell upon the father and daughter as Eli picked up the framed picture to get a closer look. The seconds dragged on and soon it became apparent that one of them would have to address the elephant in the room. Apparently, that person was Eli.

He placed the frame back onto the shelf and turned to his daughter. "You two are close," he stated. It was a fact, not a question, and Ziva was shocked by how direct he was being.

"Y-yes," she answered, not entirely sure where the conversation was headed. "He is my partner, we have each other's backs."

"Even closer than that, my Ziva," Eli corrected in a calm, level-headed manner that unnerved her. She gaped at him, unsure of how to respond. Clearly he knew of their relationship, but the question now was why he seemed so relaxed about it.

In the past he had made his dislike for Tony quite clear. Now, however, he seemed completely fine. Happy, even.

"You know," Ziva stated.

"Yes," Eli confirmed with a nod.

Ziva's brow furrowed. "And you are…okay with this?" she stuttered, searching her father's face for any sign of dishonesty.

Eli placed his hands on Ziva's shoulders and gave her a smile, which up until this visit had been almost unheard of. "It seems my initial impression of Agent DiNozzo was incorrect," he admitted, much to the confusion of Ziva. "He is a courageous, respectful man, and I am grateful to him for saving my life."

Ziva allowed a smile to cross her face as she nodded in agreement. These were the characteristics of Tony that you saw only if you looked beyond his goofy exterior. The fact that her father could see them now meant the world to her.

"Tony is willing to put everything on the line, if it means saving someone he deems worthy," Ziva commented, thinking back to her time in Somalia and her subsequent rescue. She had felt anything but worthy of such a favor, but still, Tony had come and dragged her back from the dead. "Which leads me to ask why Tony was with you, and why he would save your life," Ziva questioned, confusion replacing the pride and love that had taken over her features for a moment.

Eli was quiet for a few seconds, carefully formulating a response. "The purpose of his visit is not for me to disclose," he answered finally. "But I have seen the type of man he is, and the effect he has had on you, my Ziva. So I want you to know," Eli paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "that you have my blessing on your relationship. I see the love you have for each other, and I will do nothing to stop you from being with each other."

As he finished speaking, Ziva's eyes began to well up with tears, and she rushed forward for the first proper hug she had given him since she was a young girl. The embrace caught Eli off guard, but he only had to take a moment to process it before wrapping his arms around his only surviving child.

This. This was why he was here. 'Redemption' he might say. He savored the moment with Ziva until she pulled away, hoisting the bag full of DVD's up onto her shoulder and starting toward the door with a small smile on her face.

Lots of important conversations happening in this chapter. Let me know what you thought of them in a review, I would appreciate it a lot. I honestly can't tell if this story is that interesting. I love the big idea of it, but some of the added stuff I'm not so sure of.

Thanks for reading (again)!

~NCIS Obsession