Rule #1: Never screw over your partner.

Its like my father's brain is trapped in my mother's body.

Eden Dinozzo: a study.

I've always thought I was morally built like my father. I'm capable of terrible jokes and the only way I make it through the week sometimes is knowing I'll have Friday movie nights with dad. I'm always looking for the person who needs a laugh, needs to be cheered up. I'm capable of making bullies dissapear, and leave the underdogs alone. Now, some may say that's because I'm a ninja's daughter. Actually no one says that because no one knows that. But hey. It could be partially because I can beat up the football players. I did it once. Mom and dad pretended to be mad but both encouraged me later on in private.

So, back to me. My mom's body. Dad's brain. Remove his emotional center and replace it with mom's. I don't like feelings. No clue how I have a boyfriend. No clue how he puts up with me. No clue why he sticks around. I sure never tell him how much I appreciate him. See, right there? Couldn't even say love, even though that's how I feel. Appreciate. I think that's how it was with mom and dad. Everything was assumed, nothing confirmed. Like they knew. She knew she was not alone, yet she slept with Adam. He knew she was hurt, yet he couldn't actually get in until she'd let him. Its all a mess.

They make my life difficult.

So if he and she can coexist, live, and tolerate one another inside of my head, why can't they out in the real world?

I think that's how I felt when she didn't answer his call.

As she attempted to let the third ring chime on by, I reached across the table and pressed the call button. She was not going to ignore him. That's not how this was going to work. I'm done sitting by and watching them screw each other over. The first rule is to never screw over your partner. They've broken it one to many times. Rivken, Adam, Bodnar, and it just goes on and on and I can't even begin to process how many other names there are.

I placed my hand on the mute button and lightly tapped it.

"Talk to him, Mom. I'm serious."

She looked kind of angry, but I guess I did just boss her around. I expect to get punished. Sassy back talk never did get me anywhere with her. Unless I said in Hebrew. I still got punished but she got very impressed.

She unmuted the phone and pulled it to her ear, and got up from the table. I heard Dad say, "Ziva?" in this tone I was very unfamiliar with.
"Tony?" my mom said, walking into her bedroom, and shutting the door.

So I didn't follow. Gibbs told me to let them do this, and he's right. I'd only be hearing half of the conversation anyway.

Soon, I felt my phone ring. It was Abby.

I answered it, and immediately, she shouted, "Did he call her?"

So much screaming to process in
so little time.

"Abby, breath. They're talking now."

She squealed like an 8 year old.

"Abby, who's talking in the background? "

"Its Bishop."

"Bishop?"

Yeah. So Ellie never did quite figure out mom and dad. Dad isn't willing to talk about it, I'm not going to do it, Abby is too hyper, Gibbs is Gibbs, and McGee doesn't contribute to stuff like that. The deck was stacked against her in this one. Its not really necessary that she knows all of this, but I mean it's been a confusing 16 years for the poor woman.

"Congrats, Eden!" Bishop said.

"There is nothing to be congratulated on at this point. Relax, I have to go before she gets off of the phone, " I said, abruptly hanging up on them. The whole ordeal kind of frustrated me.

But mom didn't come out of her room. Not for a long time. It wa strange. I was nervous, so I shot Conner a text. He immediately responded, concerned that I'd texted him first. I said "my parents are talking" and he said immediately that he wished he could be there to give me a hug and I felt better. And then suddenly, mom emerged from
her room.

She didn't say anything at first. There was no way that she wasn't going to tell me. That doesn't fly.

"We're going out for drinks."

"Drinks? Um, mom, your not 30 anymore."

"Let me rephrase that. Drinks. As in coffee. And tea."

"So a coffee shop."

"Yes."

Oh, mom.

"When?"

"Soon," she said, pointing at me. I swear she smiled. "Very soon."