Eli Talks to Ziva (Part 1)
Tony walked out of MTAC and stopped on the catwalk hoping to catch his heart-rate and drop it a bit before having to confront Eli David once more with Ziva by his side. He didn't trust or like Eli, but he was still Ziva's father and he knew that Ziva felt basically the same about the man. Now, he had to throw her in MTAC, unknowingly and put her face to face with her father again.
He finally moved from his spot and found his confidence. He would have her back in there, just as Gibbs had had his back. He found Ziva working peacefully at her desk. He walked straight up to her. He tapped on her desk until she finally looked up.
"Gibbs gave far too much paperwork for an early morning," Ziva said quietly. "Would you care to help? Where have you been anyway?"
"MTAC," Tony said quietly. "Your father's on. He wants to talk to you."
"No," Ziva said quietly.
Tony went around to the other side of her desk and kneeled down, taking her hands in his, looking her straight in the eyes. He felt sorry for doing this, without telling her the reason for it, but she would find out that reason sooner rather than later.
"He's insisting on it, Zi," he whispered lightly. "I'll be in there and Gibbs is in there too. Nothing bad can happen. Trust me, please."
She studied him for a moment and then finally caved under the intensity of his look in his green eyes. She nodded.
"Alright, as long as you are in there also," she agreed and stood up with him.
They walked back upstairs to MTAC and Ziva scanned them in. They entered to find Gibbs and Eli in a staring contest. Tony thought that was the only place he would rather be less, was between a staring contest of these two men. Yet, he was putting himself right there, but it wasn't for nothing and it was definitely worth every second of torture.
Ziva's hand had made its way into Tony's and she was clinging tightly and tense as they came. Tony gave her hand a squeeze and led them forward straight into the middle of the staring contest.
"Ah, my Ziva," Eli said, looking at the other two agents and breaking the gaze with Gibbs.
"Abba?" Ziva asked quietly, hoping that this would be short and sweet and straight to the point.
Tony was tensing as he stood there and he felt Gibbs shift uncomfortably. Ziva certainly wasn't her father's anymore. She belonged to another man already, regardless of whether there were vows said or not.
"I just learned that you are sharing a relationship with one Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," Eli said suavely, ignoring Tony's presence and speaking of him as if he weren't standing right there; though he was glaring down at the clasped hands. "You know I do not like that man, right?"
Tony thought this was an understatement. He had met Eli David twice before now. He had seen him multiple times and he knew that Eli didn't like him. Before he ever met him he had received a death threat from him; the first time he met him, Tony received a death threat from him; and, the last time he had received that hard stare that he was just trying to break Gibbs with moments ago. Now he was standing here, telling him he wanted to marry his only remaining daughter.
"Abba, this is none of your business," Ziva said, going a little pink and standing her ground.
Tony noticed that her posture straightened up immediately and she stood stronger and more confident than ever before, even in the face of something dangerous involving work.
"And, yes, he and I are in a personal relationship outside of work, unlike the time you suspected us," Ziva continued.
"The time I suspected you, you were certainly spending an awful lot of time there. This only gives me more reason to believe that you are keeping it from me still. Why, Ziva, are you afraid of me?" Eli asked, sounding hurt, but not looking it.
"I am not afraid of you, Abba," Ziva said confidently. "And I have no reason to lie about something that happened so long ago. You will not hurt Tony now. I will make sure of that."
"What makes you think you are capable of these kinds of decisions? Do you not need your father anymore?" Eli asked, still sounding hurt, but this time showing a slight hint of injury to his ego.
Tony knew that this was one of Eli's tactics of manipulating his daughter into doing exactly what he wanted her to do. Ziva obviously realized it too, because her face turned harder and colder at his words and his feigned emotions.
"I am an American citizen now and he makes me happier than I have ever been in my whole life. If you are planning on telling me that we should not be together, then do not bother. I do not care what you think. I am happy and will not sacrifice my own happiness for you any further than I already have. The last time I chose to do that I ended up in a terrorist training camp in Somalia on the Horn of Africa! Is that clear?"
A/N – So, the conversation has begun and it looks like Ziva is going to stand her ground. Read more to find out what happens next! Will Eli cave? Will he give in and allow this? Will he threaten them again? Leave a review if you have thoughts.