Work Text:
Ziva dressed nicely for their family dinner. It had been a long time since the last time she had dinner with her father and if it was like she remembered, it was going to be horrible, stuck in a room with her abusive father unable to leave.
The Mossad Officer had been sitting at the restaurant for over an hour and her father still hadn't shown up, as always late. She was just about to be ready to leave when her father slipped into the seat opposite her.
"Sorry, my dear. My last meeting ran late." Eli David justified his actions as he sat down and folded the napkin across his lap. Great, just typical of him to put work before his daughter, nothing ever changes. "Have you ordered?"
"No, I was waiting for you." Ziva kept her tone and language as professional as possible, she really didn't use any more emotional energy for him today, the balance was empty, there was nothing to give.
"Good. Let us make this quick so we can discuss more important matters shall we?" Her father said as he waved the waiter over to order.
"As you like, father." The obedient girl replied without objection. She always bent backward for him, whatever he wanted, he got.
Once the waiter left with their orders, Eli started, he jumped straight to the point. "You do not talk to me anymore Ziva. What happened? You used to tell me everything that is going on in your life."
"I just do not have anything to say to you. So I do not say anything to you." Ziva replied simply, she was already starting to get irritated by the conversation which they barely started, she wanted to blot so badly but the night was just starting and she had no choice but to stay.
"What is wrong Ziva?" Eli's brow furrowed, his phony concern plastered on his face so out of place. "You changed." He was stuck on the past child he always thought of, the obedient one who followed orders and clung to his every word to please him.
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing is wrong." She almost yelled. He's pretending to care now? After all this time? Why didn't he care before when she was a child and she needed him then? He was about 20 years too late. How does she tell him that it's his fault that she's broken? How is he so blind? How does he not see that he is hurting her? I'm in pain and you put me here! He can't do anything to find this relationship.
"I an just trying to figure out how I can be a good parent. I want you to be happy, that is all I want." Eli explained himself. Happy? He berated her all this time, traumatized her. And he wants her to be happy? Wow, that is the exact definition of oxymoron. Then the food came, interrupting their conversation.
They were enjoying their meal in the silence of the night in the secluded back of the restaurant. Neither of them knew what to say, there was nothing to say after so long of not talking to each other.
It was so hard to look him in the eye and the meal was getting more awkward by the second. "I went to Costa Rica this summer." Ziva shared trying to break the invisible wall between them as she poked her fork around her food.
"Oh? How was the trip?" Eli reciprocated.
"Really hot-" Ziva answered before setting down her fork to indicate that she was finished with her meal.
"Ziva, when did you eat so little? You are a picky eater." Her father suddenly questioned. "You know if you keep this up, you will have an imbalanced diet and many health problems." Ziva stayed silent and took his words without acknowledgment. She knew that it was futile to argue back, it was a waste of energy even thinking about it.
Of course, he has to control every aspect of her life, down to the amount and types of food she eats. Not to forget he sent people to spy on her and the people she interacts with at her own house like he doesn't trust her at all.
It was just a simple nice dinner. But somehow he still found a way to trigger her, he intentionally brought up touchy topics, something she didn't want to discuss with him at all, it was personal. She tried to share something with him like he wanted to and he turned it into a lecture every single time.
And she remembered why she didn't talk to him anymore. Why did she agree to go to dinner with him in the first place? She was stupid to think that he would ever change, be nice for once. In the end, it was just wishful thinking. Somehow he finds a way to put her down. That was Eli David's superpower.
"I am done. And if you do not mind, I will be returning to my home now, I am tired from the flight here." With that, Ziva stood up and left without waiting for her father to reply. Nothing made her mad except for her father playing innocent so she looked like a bad daughter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She got home without a problem (she being a Mossad Officer definitely helped since she was speeding home) and once again, she gave into the fear and need for comfort and she pressed the first number on her speed dial.
The same sleepy voice came through the phone again. "What's wrong Ziver?" He didn't even need to guess to know that something was wrong or she wouldn't have called.
"I am sorry if I am keeping you from sleep," Ziva replied. "I needed to hear your voice." There was a need in her voice that he had never heard before, almost desperate. "I just wanted to talk to you."
It was the second phone call of the day in distress, of course, the father figure wasn't going to turn her away. "Okay, I'm here Ziver. I'm not going anywhere."
There was a moment of silence, Ziva didn't know what she wanted from him, there was nothing he could do from 600 miles away. "Can I just stay on the phone with you until I fall asleep Gibbs?" Ziva requested finally.
"Yeah, Ziver. We can talk." Gibbs replied in a soft voice. "When are you coming back?" The father figure asked.
"In 5 days..." She said. "I do not how or if I am going to survive this Gibbs." She really didn't want to be in this hellhole. "He is just... he is a monster... I can not do this." She reluctantly admitted.
Ziva sounded like he needed him. "Tell you what," Gibbs said gently after a while. "I'm gonna jump on the first plane to Tel Aviv and I'll come to you. Sounds like you need someone to run interference with your father and someone to show them if they tried to mess with you, I'm going on a warpath for you."
"You do not need to do that." It was just like Gibbs to want to protect her. "I appreciate your offer and it sounds tempting but you can not stop your life and drop everything for me. I do not think it is worth it."
"Hey, you're definitely worth it." The father figure would do anything for his little girl. "I love you kiddo." He said sincerely to reassure her, it was true he loved her with all his heart.
"Love you too Papa Bear." Ziva couldn't help but smile into the phone. Gibbs was the best, he was always there for her no matter where she was.
"I'm coming now, stay there, don't move." Gibbs decided to move now, better late than never. It was going to be expensive to get on a last-minute flight but it was going to be worth it if it meant he could comfort Ziva. He better get on a plane as soon as possible if he wanted to get to Tel Aviv by morning.
"Now where would I possibly go?" She joked. She liked to admit it or not, he was her safety person, he was the one she went to whenever there was a problem.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was hours later, Ziva was still trying to go to sleep. But she couldn't sleep, presumably because of jetlag or maybe it was her mind just reeling about today's events and the resentment that was building slowly about how her father treats her but no matter which way she tossed and turned, she couldn't fall asleep.
It was almost bright out, Ziva assumed that it was dawn, had she been up that long? Then the doorbell rang and silently she padded her bare feet across the wooden floor. She opened the door and on the other side was Gibbs standing there with his to-go bag, smiling kindly at her.
"You came." She gasped not believing that he was actually there. She stood there in her pajamas surprised not knowing what to say or do. Gibbs was her knight in shining whatever and no one was gonna say otherwise.
"Of course. Anything for you Ziver." The father figured stepped into the house and put down his bag on the floor.
Then Ziva unfroze, she couldn't help herself but wrapped her arms around Gibbs tightly, she was so glad to see him here for her. Nobody had ever done such a loving gesture for her. "You came." She whispered into his ear still in disbelief.
Gibbs hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her in a loving embrace as his hands rubbed her back gently in a soothing gesture. "I'm here." He whispered back. It was quite an intimate moment, it was like he was reunited with his little girl, comforting her.
And before she knew it, tears of safety and comfort sprang to her eyes. "I am glad you came." In his arms, she felt so safe, so warm, it was like a warm fuzzy feeling of cute bumble bees in a sunny field of grass. Nothing could equate to the safety of his existence and the love radiating off him.
Gibbs' heart broke, "It's okay, I'm here now, Ziver." The father figure was very protective of her, she was the closest thing to a daughter he could ever have and since Eli David did not have the decency even to acknowledge her hard work or even show an ounce of love for her, he would.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soon after, they settled on the couch with a cup of coffee in each of their hands that Ziva made. "Good coffee Ziver." Gibbs slowly sipped his, savoring the taste.
"Thanks. Family recipe." Ziva replied but then fell silent as flashes of her childhood raced through her mind and the feeling of misery and suffering came back. Her father and her childhood always haunted her at the most unfortunate times.
Gibbs noticed the change in facial expression as sadness and anger flashed over her face for a second. "What are you thinking?" Gibbs spoke softly. The father figure gently swiped aside a piece of hair that had fallen across her face.
Ziva stared at her cup of steaming liquid, zoned out with eyes glazed over. "Just my childhood..." She replied subconsciously in almost a whisper. "He will never change, will he?"
"I can't hear you Ziver..."
"How is he so blind not to see that he is hurting me?" She continued without acknowledging him. "I tried. I tried to tolerate him and have a nice conversation... And every single time it ends badly... He will never change." She breathed finally.
Gibbs sighed, of course it was Eli David messing with her mind again, he swears that all of his little girl's suffering stemmed from him and his horrible parenting. "Ziver, it's not your fault you hear me?" Gibbs tenderly curled a finger under her chin and guided it up for her sorrowful eyes to meet his. "It's not your fault."
She snapped out of her daze, grateful that Gibbs was there to bring her back before she spiraled into another endless wondering why her father did the things he did. "I am glad you are here." She told the father figure. Then she glanced at the clock. "I need to be at Mossad soon. My father set me up for training every day I am here for."
"Want me to come? I'm good company." He offered.
"No, my father would not like that, you can stay here as long as you like." Gibbs nodded complying with her wishes. "I feel guilty for taking your time to deal with my stupid issues," Ziva admitted. "Honestly, I did not want to bother you. I am sorry I called."
"Don't worry. You can call me anytime and I'll show up every time you need me." He smiled at her softly and she smiled back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------