"David"
"Hey, it's Tony. Why'd you want me to call?"
"Tony…" Ziva began anxiously, "Um, well first off, how's the case going?" She started casually walking toward the bedroom, very aware of Mandy watching her every move.
"Good I guess. Hey Zivo, did I ever tell you that cheese makes me super nauseous? Everywhere I look there's cheese! Or beer. Or cheese and beer. I'm telling you, these Wisconsians (is that even a word? I don't think so, but whatever.) Well these Wisconsians sure get a load of the stuff. It's quite sickening actually."
"That's… good," Ziva replied, clearly distracted. Come on, Ziva. She thought. Just take the cow by the horns and say something about his family! She knew that 'taking the cow by the horns probably wasn't the right idiom, but she was so nervous, she didn't care. "Tony… do you have any younger family members?" Wow, that's kind of a lame approach. Ziva had now successfully closed her bedroom door behind her, blocking Mandy's restless facial expressions.
"What? Any younger family members? Yes. Yes I do."
Ziva's heart skipped a beat in the way it does when you already have butterflies in your stomach. Containing her voice she said, "Why didn't you tell me? Did you not think that something like this would ever arise on its own? That I wouldn't be interested?"
"Hang on to your cheese hat! I just didn't thought you'd be concerned about my cousin Bernie! He's not much to look at, after all."
"Oh… well…" Ziva sputtered, embarrassed.
"Who did you think I was talking about?" Tony demanded.
"Um… a half-sister?"
The silence on the phone was so long that Ziva thought Tony had hung up.
"Hello?" she said hesitantly. Then she heard Tony lick his lips.
"You're not kidding, are you?" he said quietly.
"No, Tony. I am not." Another long pause.
Finally in a rush he said, "What's her name? Is she like me? Should I talk to her?"
"Her name is Mandy, about 13 years old, and she's a true American girl. I think talking to her would be great, but don't interrogate her. You must make a good first impression, " Ziva said, opening the door.
She stepped out and almost collided with the person in question, who was crouched down, probably with her ear pressed against the door a second ago.
"Where you eavesdropping, missy?" Ziva hissed, her heart not into it.
Ignoring her question entirely she said, "Is he mad?"
"Why don't you talk to him yourself," she said, handing her the phone.
Wetting her lips, Mandy took it. "Hello?"