Hey? Ermm… hello *raises hand awkwardly* if you still remember me?
Yeah, it's been a while, and I am SO SORRY! There was WAY too much going on in real life to get in the way of my writing life. But this chapter is SUPER long to make up for it?
thank you so much for the reviews, you people are my motivation! so let's make a deal, if I get to 300 reviews by Friday (EEK!), I will write a chapter and post it on Saturday. That's two chapters in one week! XD
writing this chapter was difficult, as I have never been to Israel or Tel Aviv. So if anyone from there wants to point out any errors I've made with regards to the whole atmosphere/geography, feel free!
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I do however, own the plot!
Chapter 29
Tel Aviv was a busy place at the best of times. Ziva had always remembered it as one, with the life that seemed to emanate from the people and the buildings being almost tangible. There was something in the air, something that was so familiar to her, and yet the place wasn't just as she remembered. Not that she expected it to be like her memories, she didn't expect to walk into the place like it was a dream, or a dream of a dream. She had always kept up to date with the current affairs of the place, and knew what was going on in her country. But there were some things that were never recoded, some things that you had to see with your own eyes. And it was these things that came as a shock for Ziva. Was there really this much pollution, were there really so many impersonal faces and names? This may have been the place of her childhood, but it was certainly not the same place.
"And I thought the States were busy," Tony said to her, having all but abandoned the pretence of enjoying the hot climate. Ziva smirked at him. She was revelling in the heat, the way the Sun fell so liberally on her skin as she strolled through the place she used to call home. As she passed buildings and shops, she couldn't help but fantasise about what it would have been like, had she never left the place. These streets would be just as much a part of her as Tali and Ari. But there were something that she could not see her life without. Like the benefits of American fast food, and greedy globalisation. And her dance studio. And Tony.
"Ziva, is that you?"
Ziva hadn't been looking at the faces as they passed the two of them on the streets. But when the voice called out, she found herself face to face with a man who she had not seen in years.
"Malachi?"
Malachi one of those childhood faces that had never left her mind. She still had old photos of the two of them playing in the garden, on those beautiful days where her father had gone off on business trips to the far flung corners of the earth, leaving his children in the capable hands of their mother, who allowed them to do all that their father had forbade them from doing. One of those things was playing with the other children, and Malachi, a friend from school, and neighbour, became her faithful companion for those times. He was a childhood friend, but as they got older there was always something there. The friendship was undeniable. But sometimes Ziva saw something in Malachi, something that she had never seen in any other man. Maybe it was the way they were able to relate on a level. Where some kids talked about toys and books and television, Ziva and Malachi would talk about knife throwing or dirty bombs, or politics. They collectively impressed their teachers at school, but even at that age they could sense the teachers' apprehensions. And it had to be said, their talents were impressive. But also a little bit scary.
Malachi knew more than anyone what it was like to have a father like Eli David. His own father was a military career man, the kind who wasn't afraid to tell his son about the horrors of wars, and tell his son what to think. There was nothing that Malachi could do that could please his father. When Malachi ran, his father told him to run further. When Malachi did well at school, he should have done better. And in the secret of the night, when Ziva and Malachi found themselves talking to each other when there was no-one else to talk to, they share their pain and sorrow. They were twelve at the time.
Malachi had been the only one who had told her to keep safe before her mission to Somalia. It was by pure coincidence that he was at the embassy the day that Ziva was meeting her team and flying out to Africa, and it was pure chance that Ziva had excused herself to use the toilet at the same time Malachi had dropped in to see his father at work. In the corridor, they had met, and after the initial explanations and reasons, Malachi hugged her for the first time, whispering a warning in her ear, and telling her to remain sharp and vigilant. And that was the last time she ever saw him.
"Malachi?"
Back in the present day, Ziva's eyes widened at the sight of such an old friend. It could not be him. Surely…?"
"Yes, it's me. Malachi Ben-Gidon?"
"Yes, yes, I know who you are," Ziva said hastily, in an attempt not to trivialise the friendship they had shared all those years ago. He was older, and looked tired in his ways. Gone was the slightly youthful boyish grin, and he had definitely filled out. He was no longer lanky and lean, but had gained at least a couple of pounds worth of muscles. And for the first time in their lives, he was taller than her.
"Ziva! I mean…wow?" Malachi said, and Ziva could understand his loss of words. What do you say to the girl you used to know?
"How have you been?" Ziva said, and then she winced at how strange the words were. But what could she say? The few words she said was swallowed by the hum of the city, as the three of them stood still among the crazed city movement.
"I have been well. But the question is, where have you been? The rumour mill back at Mossad was going crazy when you and your family left."
"There were rumours?" Ziva asked. She had never really given much thought to what others may think to their hurried departure. She had always just assumed that she was of too little importance to generate any kind of gossip on scuttlebug.
"There were many. Some claimed you have been on another mission. Some said that you never came back from Somalia."
"People knew about Somalia?"
"It was impossible not to know. Agent Paulo marched into the Director's office and resigned extremely loudly after your return from the place. Was yelling about using children to fight an adults' war. I think everyone in a five mile radius heard," Malachi responded.
"And people thought I was the reason he resigned?"
"You caused quite an uprising. Many seniors left because of it. It's a wonder it did not hit the media"
It was in the silence when Ziva was attempting to process the past few moments that Tony felt the need to point out his own existence.
"Be glad that news never hit the US. American Israeli ties are strained enough as they are."
"And you are?" Malachi turned to Tony, first content with ignoring the American tourist, but deciding that it was going to be too difficult, what with Tony addressing them directly.
"Oh, this is Anthony DiNozzo. My, ermmm, fiancé," Ziva said nervously, reigning control over her vocal chords.
"You're getting married?!"
"I am," Ziva said, and Malachi took a minute to peel his eyebrows from off the ceiling. Which was difficult, seeing as they were outside.
"We're just about to go to lunch. Come with us?" Ziva said. And just then Malachi got a glimpse of that hopeful child, desperate for attention from her father, and only wanting to be smiled at, or praised.
"I am currently on my lunch break, perhaps we can meet again this evening?"
And with that a time and place were settled. This was going to be a strange dinner date…
oooOOOooo
As the bus pulled to a stop, Ari and Tali stepped out onto the pavement, out of the cool bus and into the intense midday heat. Everywhere, locals and tourists alike were seeking refuge from the Sun's harsh rays, inside buildings or in the shadows of tall monstrosities of buildings that emerged from the concrete like a resurrected spirit.
Ari could feel a presence behind him before he could see one. And yet as he felt a pair of arms hug him from the back, he had to fight off all his instincts not to lash out.
Once the arms had released him, Ari was fess to turn around and face his attacker, with a grin etched onto his face.
"There is no-one else in the world I know who would be as stupid to approach me like that," Ari said, pulling the man into a hug. Joseph was a tall lean man, who had a careless attitude that rivalled Tony's. Even back when they were in school together, Joseph was reckless and unwise, but had an uncanny ability that allowed him to remain alive. And it was that trait that made him the most constant of companions in their joint army days.
As Ari released Joseph from the hug, Joseph seemed to catch sight of Tali for the first time.
"Hello Joseph," Tali said slowly.
"Hi," Joseph replied, his previous grin replaced with something else. Ari could see what was happening. And he didn't like it.
"Hey, stop flirting with my sister," Ari said gruffly.
"I was just saying hello!" Joseph cried indignantly.
"For you, that is flirting," Ari said deadpan, and Tali laughed at his off sense in humour.
Ari left Joseph grumbling to Tali, and turned to see another man.
"Nathan," Ari said, but this time the hug they shared was less casual than the previous. Ari had never regarded Nathan as an equal, but more as a man who was eternally wiser than he could ever hope to be. He spoke little, but the intelligence he had was far beyond his years. But Ari had known him to come up with the strangest and most unexpected lines that could leave a room in hysterics for days to come.
"And Tali," Nathan said, turning to the other sibling, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on it, "you have grown up to quite a woman."
"And I am the one flirting," Joseph grumbled, and Ari punched him lightly in the arm to shut him up.
There so many old faces in the restaurant, and Ari could not quite believe he was there. The raucous laughter bounced off the high ceilings of the modern looking space, and the voices to match the faces joined in the cacophony of sound.
Ari turned back to Tali on the other side of the table, sitting next to Joseph, who apparently had a death wish. There would be no other reason why he would still be flirting with his little sister so brashly, despite Ari's previous warning. Ari was far from oblivious to the male attention that both of his sisters attracted. When they were out in public together, it was even worse, with their smiles and laughter getting them long looks from all the men in a five mile radius. And the occasional woman. Yet Ari hated it, wanting to keep his siblings safe and sound forever. But alas, his sisters were going to get themselves romantically involved, no matter how many men he stared down. Hell, Ziva was getting married soon! And there was all that talk about Tali moving in with that boyfriend for hers… Call him old fashioned, but he wasn't pleased with the idea. This was his sister!
Ari was pulled back into the conversation as he heard some familiar names being mentions, gossip about who they were dating, and what they were doing. This was the reason he was there. To reconnect with people. To make up for lost time. To find that the place he knew was still there.
oooOOOooo
Malachi sat outside the food court, playing with his phone and trying to look busy. He was early. He just hadn't been able to wait any longer to meet with Ziva. She was back! All those years ago, when she had vanished out of his life, he had never thought he would see her again. He had thought that she had been killed in Somalia, or even worse. But then there was rumour that she and her family had fled to the USA, and his contacts had informed him that she was alive and well. And as the years had gone by, the prospect of calling her, or walking back into her life became even more distant, until the mere notion felt like a dream, or a dream of a dream. Then she came and walked back into his life. With a fiancé?! It was a strange day. There had always been something between them, an underlying love that was not quite that of a brother and sister. But they were young, and there were far too many factors that were acting against them, and it appeared that their time had passed…
Just as his thoughts wondered to couple, they appeared, Ziva with her hair pushed off her face with a large pair of sunglasses, and looking as radiant and happy as could be. As the pair moved closer, Malachi stood up, always the gentleman, to greet them.
"Ziva, Anthony," Malachi greeted them.
"Tony. Only my uncle calls me Anthony, and he scares me," Tony said, and Ziva rolled her eyes at his childish ways.
Sitting down, the three of them ordered drinks, and fell into a strange mash of conversation, punctuated by awkward silences and stupid grins from Tony.
"So, what did you end up doing with your life?" Ziva asked, genuinely curious about what had become of her oldest friend.
"I joined Mossad after I graduated. I did not really have anything else to do…" Malachi said, not wanting to admit that as a young man, the easy option had been to join Mossad. His father wanted him to, his mother wanted him to. The only person who had no strong desire for him to go into the family business was him.
"And you did not?" Malachi said.
"Yes. In the US, there is less of a demand for the young people to dedicate their lives," Ziva said.
"So what did you dedicate your life to?" Malachi asked.
"I run a dance studio."
Malachi took a few moments just staring at her, a look of disbelief plastered on his face, as if someone had told him that they had killed his cat. Of ever worse, eaten the last of the good Celebration chocolates (who even ate the Snickers?).
"Dance?" Malachi repeated, just to clarify. He shook his head in disbelief, but went along with it, "and where do you come in? Let me guess, you're a pupil of hers?" he said, turning to Tony.
"Yes. Because when you see me, you think dancer," Tony said deadpan, and Malachi grinned at this man's sense in humour. The use of humour to diffuse tension was so effective, and so American.
"Hey, you are not that bad!" Ziva protested. And then her face moulded into something more evil, and her grin was so sinister, "Remember that time with the tights?"
"I thought we were never going to mention that ever again! We had a deal!" Tony said, and Malachi laughed at how domesticated the two of them sounded.
"So when is the wedding?"
"We don't know," Tony said, "never really set a date."
"What about that autumn wedding?" Malachi said to Ziva, and her eyebrows shot up.
"You remembered?" Ziva said. When they were younger, they had shared some of their deepest secrets. Where most children admitted to killing the hamster, or flushing their siblings' heads down the toilet, Ziva had quietly admitted one night that when she was older, she was going to meet her very own prince charming, and marry him in an autumn wedding. But apparently Ziva had already found her prince charming. Malachi felt so bittersweet when hearing this in his mind. When he had caught a glimpse of Ziva, all grown up and as beautiful as he had always imagined her, he had for a fleeting moment fantasized about picking off where they had left off. But looking at the way Tony touched Ziva gently on the shoulder, as she spoke about Tali and Ari (he had never been friends with that man. And it wasn't because he didn't like Ari; it was just the fact that Ari scared the crap out of him…), Malachi could see that his dreams were not going to turn into a reality any time soon.
Hours later, Ziva pulled Malachi into a hug as they were leaving the restaurant and going their separate ways. They had already exchanged numbers and addresses. As Malachi felt her small frame in his arms (she had always been the tall one. And yet from their years apart, the roles had been reversed, and he was the one looking down at her), he smiled. He may have lost the hope that they could have something. But he had gained her. He felt her whisper words in his ear as they were about to break apart.
"Don't be a stranger," she said, and as they drew away, Malachi's smile gave her all the assurance he needed. And as she walked away, she turned back, and Malachi swore he heard the sound of that smile he had missed for all those years…
woo! Am I the only one who REALLY likes Malachi? :) please leave reviews! remember, more reviews, and I'll update again this week!