wow, so this is unexpected!

I sat down this evening, fully thinking that I was going to have to be a really bad person and not update this week. I sat down, thinking that I would make a start on the chapter, and then finish it up during the week. I did not, expect for this to come out.

Thank you for all the encouraging reviews from last chapter, they really made me smile! i was having a rubbish week, so they DEFINITELY brightened up my life!
maybe I was REALLY inspired by "Shabbat Shalom" (I cried.), so I have my AU take on the events.

Please tell me what you think of this chapter, I REALLY want to know! :) and the more reviews i get, the faster I update ;)

DISCLAIMER: i do no own NCIS or angry birds.

Chapter 20

It was a slow day at NCIS. And yet, that was something to be thankful for. A slow day at NCIS meant no crimes. No crimes meant no death, which meant no grieving wives, or children who will never get to say goodbye to their mum again. No death meant that there was hope in the world. But it also resulted in a bored Tony.

Kate looked up for the fifth time that minute to see Tony grinning manically at the screen of his phone. His phone was chirping and making strange noises in an equally irritating manner, and it took all Kate had not to go over there and shut him up herself.

"How old are you, Tony?" Kate said finally. Tony may be getting married soon, but he was still such a child.

"Just because you're having a midlife crisis doesn't mean everything is my fault," he said, his eyes still not leaving his screen.

"You have been playing Angry Birds for the past hour, and I'm the one going through a midlife crisis?!" Kate said incredulously, the sarcasm dripping from her New York accent, "do you not have anything better to do?"

"Well…" Tony pretended to think for a moment, "no."

Kate sighed and turned back to her computer, tapping at her keyboard. At least she was pretending to be working. But much like Tony, she was bored. However, unlike Tony, this was because she had been a good girl and was on top of all of her paperwork, had organised her desktop, had emailed her mum and could now think of nothing better to do.

"So, how was dinner last night?" Tony asked. His eyes never moved from the screen, but Kate could tell that he was almost bursting with curiosity. When he had first turned down Abby's offer, she had been surprised. He was a generally nosy person, and despite the fact she knew that he cared, he did not seem to get involved, even when it was his wedding after all. And that was another curious thing. Tony DiNozzo, the irritating childish frat boy was in a serious relationship? It was craziness at its best.

"It was nice. Ziva's mum is a really good cook," Kate said nonchalantly, and Kate could almost hear the internal battle that was going on in Tony's mind. She knew that her answer wasn't what he was looking for, she wasn't giving him the details that he craved. And she was doing it on purpose, just to tease his just a little bit. But Tony was debating whether going along with her teasing was below him.

But then again, this was Tony.

"Anything, interesting happen?" Tony asked, matching Kate's nonchalance, still not looking at her, but pretending to concentrate on the brightly coloured birds on his screen.

This time Kate turned to Tony, who was still not giving up the pretence of using his phone. Crossing her arms, she propped them on the desk and tilted her head to one side.

"No," she said smiling. That dentist white smile was all it took, as Tony spotted it in his peripheral vision. Pressing a button, the chirping of his phone halted, and Kate could only assume it was the pause button.

"So anything about my wedding that I should know about?" he said, turning to face Kate fully. She mirrored his actions, and set her face in a serious expression. Now was time for the fun.

"You don't have any preference in suit colour, right?" Kate said casually. Tony tilted his head to one side, instantly taking the bait.

"I always thought I would be in black at my wedding. Why, there something I should know about?" Tony said. Now he was worried, and in the exact place that Kate wanted him.

"Well… it's really nothing…" Kate said casually, turning back to her computer monitor, "but how do you feel about pastel green?"

Immediately Tony was out of his seat, and searching through his contacts to find Ziva.

"But it was what Ziva wanted!" Kate called out, watching Tony's disappearing figure as he half walked, half jogged around the corner. Kate smiled and put her hands behind her head to lean on. Revenge was sweet… she thought as she flashed back to the time Tony had loosened the screws of her chair…

Ziva heard her mobile ring from its position on the side bench, perched precariously on the stereo. As it vibrated manically, Ziva suddenly had the vision of her phone falling to its death, so with one shoe securely on and the other in the half way house she sprinted over to catch the phone, just as it was about to hit the floor. Looking around, she was disappointed to see that no-one had witnessed her moment of sheer awesomeness. But nevertheless, she answered the phone, if somewhat breathlessly.

"Hello?"

"What colour is my suit for the wedding?"

Ziva was surprised to hear Tony's voice, he knew not to call her at random times in the day, but what really surprised her was the question.

"We never decided, Tali, Ima and Abby drank two bottles of wine between them, and their wedding suggestions involved you not wearing anything at the church," Ziva said deadpan. If she had been worried that some important decisions were going to be made without her consent, her fears vanished when she returned to the living room after her conversation with Tony. Upon arrival, she saw that Abby and Tali had somehow migrated to the floor, and were now literally rolling on the floor laughing at something. When Ziva had looked at them with disbelief on her face, all they had done was look at each other and then laugh even more. Needless to say, the evening only became stranger as it went on.

"whose idea was that?" Tony said, only slightly relieved that the pastel green suit disaster had been averted. However, the prospect of being married in his birthday suit was not appealing either.

"My mother," Ziva said, "I swear, if she had to choose between us, she would choose you."

"I do have that affect on people," Tony said, and Ziva could see his charming grin from there.

"So, anything else I need to know about from last night?"

Ziva balanced the phone in the crook of her neck, bending down to tie the other lace. Once she did so successfully, she sat down .She didn't really want to tell Tony this, but there was no way of avoiding the inevitable.
"Tony?"

Ziva could hear the cogs turning in his mind, as he took in the serious tone in her voice. But she pushed on.

"I-"

She was cut off as she heard the door of the studio be pushed open. The heavy sound-proof doors were hard to move at the best of times, but they were useful in informing her when anyone entered the room. Turning around, she expected to see one of the assistant coaches or a pupil early to their rehearsal . She did not, however, expect to see that face.

"Aba?"

She momentarily forgot that she was on the phone, until her heard Tony's voice in her ear.

"Ziva? Who is there?"

"I am going to have to call you back," Ziva said softly, she shock in her voice clear. Without breaking eye contact with her father, she pressed the end call button on her phone, and let her hand fall to her side.

"What, no kiss for your father?" Eli said, his soft voice almost laughing at the irony of the situation himself.

"Aba, what are you doing here," Ziva said, her tone measurable and cautious. Her father was never this softly spoken, unless there was something that he wanted. But this was the first time he had gone to the trouble of coming to America, to her place of work. Maybe he was sick of attempting to reason with her, and was going to pull her back to Israel kicking and screaming.

"I heard you were getting married, and had to come and see the proof myself," Eli said. His eyes flickered down to the simple ring on her finger, and Ziva instinctively drew it into her other hand, as if by looking at it Eli could take it away from her. But she didn't want him to take it away from her. She wanted, no she needed Tony. Eli had taken so much from her, he was not going to have this.

"Where are you security detail?" Ziva said.

"They do not know that I am here," Eli said, and at Ziva's quizzical tilt of the head, he expanded, "I am not here on official business, but rather to see my daughter, and meet her fiancé."

"And what if I refuse?" Ziva said coldly, and Eli took in a deep breath to change the subject. Maybe the conversation was getting too serious too soon.

"This is a beautiful place you have here. I am proud of what you have achieved for yourself," Eli said, looking up at the polished wooden tiling of the ceiling.

"I do not want your approval," Ziva said curtly, and Eli sighed.

"Perhaps we could go somewhere to talk," Eli said. Ziva was about to object immediately, but Eli pre-empted her strike, "I want to explain. And after, if you still so desire I will leave and never contact you again.

The prospect of having her father out of her life was too great a temptation for Ziva. All she had to do was put up with him for a few more hours, and then she would be rid of him for good. So she reluctantly agreed, just as he had known she would.

oooOOOooo

The coffee shop was surprisingly busy for that time in the morning, but Ziva relished the chatter that helped her to ignore the man in front of her. She felt like the surly teenager all over again, ignoring her father. But instead of the anger that radiated off her father and worked to fuel her anger, there was nothing but sadness in him. Which made Ziva all the more wary of him.

"So, do I get to meet this fiancé of yours?" Eli said, forcing the conversation.

"Why would you want to do that?" Ziva shot back quickly.

"I would want to meet the man who has won my dear daughter's heart," Eli said.

"I am not your "dear" nor will I ever be," Ziva said. Turning back to her food, she poked at her piece of cake angrily.

"I thought that we could talk about weddings, and the day. I want to keep the day that I will be walking my daughter down the aisle free…" Eli said, and that was the final straw.

Standing up abruptly, Ziva's chair scraped loudly against the hard wooden floor.

"After all you have done, you expect to be able to walk back into my life, and walk me down the aisle? Do you think that I have forgiven you?" Ziva said, her voices rising until she was yelling the final words. She pulled her bag off the back of her chair, and walked out, leaving only inquisitive stares in her wake.

Eli pulled out a few bills and left them on the table to cover the meal, and gathered his things. His hands were shaking as he did it, but he ignored the pain that coursed though his body with every movement. He closed his eyes, trying to control his hands until he felt them still. Breathing a sigh of relief he followed in the footsteps of his daughter. He just hoped that he was not too late.

Ziva stood at the side of the river, looking out onto the open water. The continuous movement of the waves calmed her racing heart, but they did nothing to stop the tears that threatened to fall. In another life she would have been the master over her emotions, just as her father had taught her. But maybe her years in the states had made her soft. But it was not something that she was ashamed of. She was glad she wasn't who she used to be, she was glad she was free to dance, not play with guns. But this was the only time she wished she had her old skill set. That way, she wouldn't be showing her father what he caused her.

She felt Eli come to stand next to her a few moments later. Much like Gibbs, he had a presence about him, one that made her hyper aware when he was around. For a few moments, Ziva refused to talk, out of fear that her voice would not be able to hold her tears in place. But as one fell, she gave up, and let the words flow.

"You left me to die in Somalia, when I was a child, Aba. A child" Ziva said, the word Aba coming out as more of a plea that she would have likes, "and when I returned, was there an apology, or an explanation. There was nothing. You didn't even look me in the eye. Was I that much of a failure that I did not deserve even that?" At the final word her voice cracked and the tears were now flowing freely. She was not going to hide it. He deserved to see all the pain that he had caused her.

"Ziva," Eli said, stepping closer to look her straight in the eye. Even after all these years he still towered about her, still was her father, "I could not look you in the eye, because," his words faltered for a moment, desperately searching for the words that were going to make the situation better, " I saw what I had made you face. I saw the horrors that you had seen, all shining in your eyes. And I could not stand what I had done. But what I need now is forgiveness"

Ziva could hear the sorrow in his soft voice, but still there was nothing that he could say. He was the root of her pain, and had been for so many years. She could not forgive him, no matter how cold hearted that made her seem.

"Your sins," she said, but she had to start again as her voice trembled too much. Closing her eyes, she started again, "your sins… are too great."

Before Ziva could break down she turned and walked away. Now she tears clouded her vision, and she could not see her father any more. Little did she know that she would never see her father again…

DUNDUNDUN. what is wrong with Eli? reviews equate to fasted updates! can we make it to 200 review? :D