"So my little lamb no boyfriend? Said Rabin raising a shaggy, silver eyebrow at Ziva and giving her his half smile. His soft, rolling, eastern European accented English making the word Lamb rhyme with limb.
Ziva snorted, shifting in her arm chair and coyly looking at the floor. Taking a slow sip of her tea in dismissal.
He eyed her from the safety of his arm chair, "I don't believe it!" he said spreading his arms and slouching back on the sofa, giving her a knowing smile.
"Fess up my little lamb. Even when you were a little girl I have never known there not to be some fellow under your spell. Think of poor little Rubenstein. How he adored you" Rabin chuckled.
Ziva glared narrowed eyed at him over the top of her mug knowing the rememberence to come.
"How your father and I laughed, poor little Rubenstein so desperately in love with the cute, rough, little bear cub that you were, I shall never forget the look on your little face when he arrived at your birthday party with flowers and tried to kiss you. Although, I will admit you had a lovely upper cut even then. What a black eye, poor little Rubenstein"
He held his hands across his vast stomach as he laughed softly remembering.
Ziva looked up from her study of the carpet glaring "Rabin, I was never a bear cub!" she said her indignation clear but a small smile still playing on her lips.
"Yes you were my darling. Do you remember the summer I taught you to shoot! I thought you would never be a lady!"
He smiled at her, "Darling, I now that your father and I are close but you know that you can tell me anything .You know this .Eli my oldest friend in Israel does not even know I am here. He knows nothing of what you have told me of Somalia and he never will. You understand this, yes?"
Ziva smiled at Rabin her acknowledgement that all he said was true. Her big brown eyes showing her trust.
He looked at her seriously. "We have talked enough of such matters over the last long months and your father knows my views on the Somalia mission. But my darling you must remember that he is an old man and has had a very hard life and it has twisted him."
Ziva made a flat handed stop gesture at him closing her eyes and he nodded tears fighting to stream from his clear green eyes.
He shook his great lion like head in dismissal of the topic they had talked enough of on the phone.
"We won't speak of it again my darling." He smiled at her "Perhaps you should tell me about the famous Agent DiNozzo? Your father is still ranting about him! He laughed.
"Rabin, there is nothing between Tony and I" said Ziva
"Oh, really.....
"Tony" McGee shook the shoulder of the figure with its top half sprawled across the bar.
"Tony! Come on we need to go"
"Leave meeee alooooone, scat, beeee off, get out of here" Came the muffled voice from between the hands of the sprawled torso.
McGee shared a look with the pretty bar maid and started to help the sprawler up off the bar and towards the door.