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Chapter Text

Eli David had to admit, retirement was not such a bad thing. It was a rare state a Mossad director usually found himself in, but there was a bit of an optimist in him and he planned just in case the opportunity should arise.

Over the years, he had set up a network of locations in Europe for him to escape if need be. A flat in Amsterdam, a villa in Tuscany and a home in Monte Carlo, even though he had no taste for gambling. And he still did return to Israel. He would never permanently leave his homeland.

He had seen the necessity of going back after Orli had informed him of the attack on the home Ziva was staying at. He was reassured that she was safe, although her whereabouts were unknown for some time. He had sent his people, loyal to him from Mossad, to look for her, but they were largely unsuccessful. He was well aware that when Ziva didn't want to be found, she would not be.

Then an old family friend contacted him, told him that Ziva had been seen at the olive grove, as well as a young man. Eli asked for a description of the man, and sighed heavily when figured out who it was. Then he was told a few weeks later that Ziva was alone again. It was then that he made arrangements to go to her.

By the time he arrived, she was unwell. Withdrawn, sleepy and constantly nauseous, it had alarmed him at first. Then he realized what was wrong with her.

It was an afternoon after she had clung to the toilet that he decided to speak to her. “Does he know?” Eli asked.

Ziva turned to him, eyes narrowed, trying to playing dumb. It was not something any of his children had ever had an ability to do. “Does who know what?”

“Ziva, do not deny this to me. I know he was here with you! I may be retired, but I am not without my sources,” he scolded.

Ziva bit her lip. “No,” she said at last.

“You must go, tell him.” It was a demand, but said as softly as possible.

Ziva shook her head. “No. We made a clean break. He understood my reasons for staying. I can't ask him to give up the things he loves.”

“Even when one of those things is you?” It was a mere whisper, but one loud enough to hear.

It was a mirthless laugh that followed. “You want him to know? Abba, I know you have no taste for him. You have made it clear a number of times.”

“He has a right to know,” was all he replied.

She shook her head again, more vigorously this time. “No, let him live his life.” When he began to protest again, she pointed at him, a dangerous expression on her face. “Swear on Tali’s grave, you will not tell him.”

Eli sighed, trying to merely nod an oath. Her face got stormier and he said at last, “On Tali’s grave, I will not tell him.”

Things got icy between the two of them after that. She knew he disapproved of keeping the secret, but he was aware how stubborn was could be, a trait she inherited from her mother, for sure. At last, he left for his European boltholes.

It still bothered him, her reticence to tell him. No, he did not have much taste for the man, but he had shown himself to be much more than his profile said he was. He had said as much to Leon when the NCIS director had called him to tell Eli Ziva had been rescued. He had hoped they would be able to. He had not so much left her to die, but Mossad could only operate so much without rousing the suspicions of Israel’s enemies. The Americans had a wider latitude to act within.

Eli had told Leon to express his gratitude to Special Agent Gibbs, but had been shocked by Leon’s response. “It’s Agent DiNozzo who you should be thanking, sir. He was the force behind all of it. Even went up against me when I was making it look like my hands were tied.”

“DiNozzo?” The name came out with more disgust than he had wanted.

He could see, in his mind’s eye, the smirk Leon had to have had on his face as he continued. “He never believed that she was dead. Even if she was, he felt a duty to her memory to take out the son-of-bitch, which we did. And he set up the attack as well. Made sure he was in position to lead the SEALS right to the camp. And he did it, according to Agent McGee, in his typical style.”

Eli translated that as him being a smartass, but it seemed to have worked. He thought on that again. He had told Ziva when she was younger that one day, she would dance with a man who deserved her. The former director of Mossad was as shocked at anything to think that that man would be Anthony DiNozzo.

Eli had sworn on his daughter’s grave he would not tell DiNozzo about the pregnancy. But, he had left himself leeway in his vow to use other ways of letting the man know. It was after dinner and he was in his flat in Amsterdam, when he had called Liat before him. She and Malachi had left Mossad with him and now acted as his personal bodyguards, with Liat also giving off the appearance of being a personal assistant as well. When the young woman stood before him, he ordered, “Find me this man.” He tossed a picture at her and she looked up at Eli with curiosity. But he didn’t need to say anymore. She went about to locate him.

He was, rather conveniently, in Monte Carlo. The winter was just beginning and Eli’s arthritis was acting up, so a trip to the South of France was a welcome respite. Using old friends Eli could count on in the DGSI, Eli was given his location as the Le Meridien. If his information was correct, it was a little out of the man’s price range, but it was not Eli’s place to question.

He sent Liat and Malachi to stake out the hotel and one night, they spotted their target going into the bar. Eli came immediately and found where his operatives were.

“He has been in there for about fifteen minutes. Has not moved from his table,” Liat reported in Hebrew. Then, she raised her eyebrow, a hint of a smile on her face. “I can see where Tony’s gets his good looks.”

Eli threw a glare at her, but approached the table wordlessly, the two hanging back.

“May I join you?” he asked the seated man, who turned to him, a hint of recognition on his face.

Chapter Text

Anthony DiNozzo, Senior did not know the voice and did not remember the face, but the accent was very familiar to him. He had heard a similar one for the last few years when he visited his son in Washington, DC.

The man who spoke to him was distinguished looking, in a dark suit with an open collar shirt. He thought there was something in the man’s face that he had seen before, but couldn’t put his finger on it. All the same, Anthony gestured to the leather chair across from him.

“What are you drinking?” he was asked.

“Macallan 18, three fingers,” DiNozzo replied. A waiter came over and the stranger ordered the same, and another glass for him. There was a way that the man moved that Anthony also thought he saw, graceful, but with a force to it that bespoke a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

The drinks arriving, his guest raised the glass in toast. “To...new friends,” he said, mysteriously.

Both sipped the single malt and finally, DiNozzo asked his question. “Not that I am one to refuse a glass of this fine scotch, but do I get to know the name of the man who has bought it for me?”

The man opposite him dipped his head and extended his hand. After grasping Anthony’s, he said, “Eli David.”

Now it was starting to make sense. “You don’t by chance have a daughter who is an NCIS agent in DC, do you?”

“Former NCIS agent, but yes. I believe you know her,” Eli replied.

“She has graced my presence a number of times, even my arm. A beautiful woman, your Ziva is,” Anthony Senior said.

“She takes after her mother, but thank you.” He took another sip, looking like he was working up to something. “And your son is a...remarkable young man. A cunning and bravery I had not expected.”

Anthony saw the slightly left-handed compliment but let it slide. “The bravery is gifted from his mother, but the cunning, well, I’ve been called worse.” Now he took a sip. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of the company of a man such as yourself?” When Eli raised his eyes to look at Anthony directly, it seemed to be taken as a challenge.

“I have heard from my daughter about you. It is just a happy accident that we should find ourselves in the same city at the same time,” Eli said, never dropping his calm demeanour.

Bullshit. “Since we seem to have met each other’s children, I can take it to mean we have also both met their boss, correct?” A nod of acknowledgement. “Has Ziva told you about the rules of Leroy Jethro Gibbs?”

“In passing, they have come up,” Eli answered.

“Junior has gone on about them for a while now. He seems to have had them drilled into his head,” Anthony began to explain. “One of them, I believe it’s number thirty-nine, is ‘there is no such thing as a coincidence’.”

Understanding came to the hard stare. “He is a wise man, if not a pain in the ass most of the time,” came the response.

“I doubt, Mr. David, that we have much in common,” Anthony mused, “but from the stories I have been told, we are not much different in his estimation.”

“No, in that I think we are not.” Then Eli looked away, a look of shame on his face.

Anthony put his glass on the table and returned the glare he had been seeing for the last few minutes. “I am a businessman, and despite what any dossier you may have on me says, I am a straight-shooter. So, cards on the table.”

Eli put his drink down as well and returned the stare. “I am, you can say, in the information business. As such, I must gauge what information can be released and to whom. I must take a measure of the man I am giving that power of knowledge to. So, know this. You have raised a most...honorable...son.” Then he sat back. “That is why I have sought you out.”

Anthony didn’t know how to respond. After a minute, a terrible truth was all he could say. “Sadly, that didn’t come from any influence on my part. My wife, his mother, died when he was only eight and I couldn’t deal with it all. I sent him to numerous boarding schools, hoping to put distance between myself and the pain I felt from her lose when I saw him.”

Eli nodded. “As I said, I am in the information business. I knew that. I have not been so good a father either.” His face clouded over. “I lost my youngest daughter to the violence of my land and in seeking vengeance for that, I turned my elder one into a killer and my son into a monster.” Then, he blinked. “I assure you, we are on equal footing in terms of fatherhood.” Then he stood. “Please, what I have to say to you, I think is best said in private.”

Anthony DiNozzo heard the concern in the other man. He rose from his seat. “Then, by all means, let us talk.”

Chapter Text

Having been safely delivered back to his residence, Eli and Anthony sat in the study, another drink in each of their hands. “Eli, to be honest, you have me worried,” his guest said when they were settled.

“I am sorry for that. It is nothing dire, but it is about our children,” he replied. “I think we both have another thing in common. We both raised stubborn children.”

“Now, whatever would give you that idea?” he joked, trying to alleviate the tension growing in the room.

“Have you heard from your son recently, Anthony?”

“We haven’t talked in awhile,” he said before pausing, “but I received a rather terse email from him saying Ziva had left the agency and America.” Then he sighed. “It did concern me, actually. He sounded depressed, angry, tired. Not himself at all. If you know my son, happy-go-lucky is the best way to describe him.”

“I do know your son. We have...crossed paths before under not the best of circumstances,” Eli told him. He saw the look of concern in Anthony’s eyes. “He killed an agent of mine, in self defense, but I did not think it possible. Who was he, a jock who made a joke out of everything, a ladies’ man who moved from one woman to another without a taking a breath? Up against one of the finest agents I trained, I am sorry, but it should have been your son in the grave.”

“Another family trait. Word of advice, never underestimate a DiNozzo,” Anthony commented with a smile.

Eli tipped his head, a sign of agreement. “My daughter has had many trials for the last few years. She had come away, I believed, stronger from them, but they have taken their toll, weighed her down more until she could not bare it. So, she abandoned her career which had redefined her, her adopted homeland where she wanted to make her life away from all the pain. She returned to Israel, against all logic. She now is there, trying to repent for the sins she believes she has committed.” Eli had to cover his mouth, brush his fingers over his eyes, to stop the emotions he was feeling from surfacing. “She was in danger not long ago and for a time, we did not know where she was. But it was your son who found her at last. And not for the first time.”

“Tony is tenacious when he wants to be,” DiNozzo said with great pride, “and I have never seen him more than he has been about Ziva.”

“I know of this tenacity. It is the reason my daughter is alive.”

Anthony seemed to know of what he spoke of. “Junior never went into it much, but it sounded like he put himself at risk for Ziva.”

“He saved her life.” Eli thought this father should know the whole story. “Ziva stayed in Israel after Tony killed my operative and I assigned her to the man's team on a mission in Africa. She was...captured and it was believed that she died in the service of her country. When her colleagues, her family, at NCIS learned this, they sought vengeance. A mission was put together to track down the terrorist responsible.” Eli looked directly at Anthony. “Your son allowed himself to be captured and tortured so the target could be located. He was drugged with truth serum and questioned for hours about the whereabouts of the remainder of his team. And do you know what your son told him?”

“This isn't classified, is it?”

Eli smiled. “A parent has the right to know, the right to be proud of that child's actions,” he whispered, as if sharing a secret. “He told this terrorist about his team, about Gibbs, about McGee, about Dr. Mallard, Abigail Sciuto, Leon Vance, about how all of them worked together to be at that place. The man became enraged, brought out a hostage he had, threatened to kill her.”

“Ziva.”

“Yes,” Eli confirmed. “Then your son, he said, he was the wildcard, the one who looks at the situation, grim, hopeless and refuses to accept it.” Eli sat back, seeing he had the other father’s complete attention. “Then he told the man he had thirty seconds to live, that Gibbs was a sniper.”

“I'm guessing this was the point where the bullet endeth the story?” DiNozzo Senior questioned wryly. “So, that's when it was, when he truly fell in love with her.”

Eli stood. He was almost unwilling to go on, but he had come this far with Tony’s father. There was no backtracking. “He was with her for some time at one of the family residences in Israel. Neighbors saw them together, in the olive groves on the land.” Then he took a deep breath. “Ziva eventually sent him away.”

“I gathered from what little he wrote is was an...unwanted parting.”

Eli nodded. “I went to see my Ziva, to see how she was coping after the latest...incidents. She was...not well.”

Anthony Senior jumped up, concern lacing his features. “Tony was shot at through the windows of his apartment. Was Ziva…?”

“No, in that way, she was fine,” Eli assured him, with gratitude for the other man’s concern for his daughter. It helped him continue with his story. “No, the illness...it was another.” After that, he could not go on.

He could see Anthony grasping for an idea of what he was talking about. Then it seemed to click. “You don’t mean…? I mean, I know Junior cares for her…” Something made him shake his head. “No, more than cares. It’s been obvious to me from the moment I met her and saw them together…” Then a smile illuminated his face. “You’re not telling me…?”

Eli held out his hand and the other man clasped it with great enthusiasm, so much it brought a tear to the hardened spy’s eyes. “We are going to become family, Mr. DiNozzo.”

“If that is the case,” Tony’s father said, “please, call me Anthony, Eli.”

Chapter Text

Anthony DiNozzo Senior had not felt this happy since the day his son was born.  He still couldn’t believe what he was being told.  Nothing could bring him down.

“There is a problem, however,” Eli interrupted his quiet celebration.  “Remember, I said we have very stubborn children.”

That set him back.  “What do you mean?”

“My daughter, as I said, feels she must pay a price for the crimes she believes she has committed.  Among them…”  The other man’s voice grew with emotion.  “Among them was the death of her brother.”  Before he could ask, Eli continued.  “For some reason, she has decided not to tell your son.  Let me be clear, I do not agree with her decision.  I have tried to reason with her, tried to tell her Tony has a right to know.  But she does not listen to me much anymore.”

“Then talk to Junior.  I’m sure he wants to know and if it came from you…”

“Ziva made me vow on her sister’s grave I would not tell him,” Eli revealed.

“Well, I can talk to her if you would like.  We had a lovely rappaport going whenever I would visit,” Anthony offered.

“That will not work, sadly.  She would not appreciate learning you know either,” Eli disagreed.  When Anthony began to question him, Eli raised his hand.  “No, we must be more...sneaky...about this.”

Anthony smirked at him, a mirror of his son’s.  “Well, it’s a good thing you were a spy.  No need for sneakiness in that line of work.”  Then, he asked, “I presume you have a plan already.”

That made the operative laugh finally.   “Yes, I do.  This is something that must be handled most delicately, lest we alienate either of our children.  Ziva must be handled with great gentleness…”

“And if Tony learns this the wrong way, he’s liable to explode.  His anger is not one to tangle with, as rare as it is,” his father agreed.  “So, how do you propose we resolve this?”

“I think we may need, at least, one other,” Eli admitted reluctantly.  “I believe there is one man they would both listen to.”

Anthony knew who he spoke of and agreed.  “In your estimation, who between us would be on better terms with him?  I think he’s still upset with me for not reacting to that bombing at the Navy Yard last year.  Or being there for Tony’s bout with the plague.  Or several other missteps I’ve taken over the last four years.”

“You didn’t check on your son after Dearing’s bombing?  I heard about it in Israel and made contact with Ziva while she and Tony were still stuck in the elevator!”  Then he shook his head.  “But those pale in comparison to the belief I left my daughter for dead in the desert.  No, it would be better from you.”

Having heard the whole story, Senior had to agree.  While still not buddy buddy with Gibbs, he could only imagine the feelings he may have had to Eli David.  Not a perfect man,  not a perfect father, the emotional damage he had admittedly inflicted on his son was possibly gentler to whatever strife was in the David family.  “How far along is Ziva?  How much time do we have to make the two of them see that they should be together?”

“Ziva is in her early second trimester, if my guess is correct.  But I would still hasten the process along.  I cannot think that Tony will take kindly to the thought he may have been purposely shut out from any part of his child's life.”

“My son loves her enough he would probably understand,  but I don't want to put all my chips there, just to be safe,” Senior agreed.  “Okay, I am going to need to make flight arrangements for DC, as soon as possible.”  He reached for his phone.

It was not a surprise when he heard the other man.  “If you would like, we can take my jet,” Eli said, “for our journey to the United States.”  Then, he added, “I hear you do not like to fly commercial anyway.”

Anthony felt his cheeks redden.  He was usually more than willing to accept a free ride on a private jet, but now, it felt kind of tacky.  “Are you sure?  I don’t want to take advantage…”

“As I said, we are about to become family.”  Then Eli asked, “Will you be calling your son?”

“No, I don’t think so.  I find it best to catch Junior a little off guard.  It’s what he usually expects.  If I call ahead, he might find it odd and question me about it,” Anthony said.

Eli smiled.  “You too?  I know my daughter does not care for me just showing up, but in my line of work, there were the benefits of being a surprise.  It often managed to save lives.”  Then he called for his pretty young assistant.  When she appeared he spoke to her in English.  “Liat, have the jet ready for tomorrow morning.  It is too late to get underway now.”

The woman began to question him in Hebrew, but he interrupted her.  “English, please, Liat.  We have a guest.”

Liat gave him an icy stare.  “Is there anyone we should contact ahead of our departure?”

The other man shook his head.  “No, but have the house in Ashburn prepared.  I think it best we stay there while we are in the States.”

Liat left, but Anthony had questions.  “Who does she mean by that?”

“I would guess Leon Vance.  But I do not wish to make my presence known until it is absolutely needed, or else my old friend will have me sequestered in a safehouse.”  Then he rose from his chair.  “My assistant has had your things brought here from the hotel.  There is a guest room at your disposal for the night.”

“Thank you.  It is most generous,” Anthony replied as he moved to go to his room.

“One thing before you retire for the night,” Eli called after him.  He turned to the bar and poured Courvoisier Napoleon into two sniffers.  He handed one to Anthony.  “A toast to, what I hope, is our success.”

“To our grandchild,” Anthony replied.  “ Cent’Anni.”

“ Lecha’yim ,” Eli returned as they clinked glasses.

Chapter Text

As they flew across the Atlantic, Eli David considered the man who sat opposite him.  He knew Tony DiNozzo to be an incessant chatterbox, annoyingly so.  But his father, he did not seem to be that.  Perhaps what the two men had discussed last night had made him contemplative.  Eli knew he had become more so since he had figured it out.  

The dossier he had collected on Anthony DiNozzo Senior told him of a man who had been married to his first wife for nearly a decade, until her untimely death when their son was only eight.  Eli considered it a blessing that his children had their mothers into adulthood.  He could not think of how he would have reacted had he been left to be the only parent remaining for Ari, Ziva and Tali.

After her death, DiNozzo Senior had married a few more times, but none had lasted.  He had recently been connected to a woman who was the friend of his late first wife and his son’s godmother, but that, too, seemed to have not come to much.

Eli was stirred out of his thoughts by a question that was posed to him.  “Last night, you said that Ziva feels guilty for her brother’s death.  I know it connects to my son in some way but…”

“Ari killed Gibbs’ former team member, Caitlin Todd,” Eli answered bluntly.  “It was right in front of your son.  He shot her from a great distance, in order to inflict pain on Gibbs.”  Anthony lowered his eyes, as the retired intelligence chief continued.  “Ziva was sent to collect him, as he was working as a Mossad operative.  But when she heard Ari confess to the killing in order to get back at his superiors...at me...she shot him to save Gibbs’ life.”

Anthony inhaled deeply, soaking up the information.  “And may I ask, why would he want to get back at you?”

“My son came to believe that I had his mother killed, purposely, in retaliation for the death of Tali.  I insisted it was a tragic coincidence, that I would never target any of my family, which I considered his mother to be.  And nor could Ziva.  It was a cancer that grew in my son and when he crossed paths with Gibbs, he saw the two of us as alike.  Since it was impossible for him to get to me, he decided to go after others, which would, eventually, embarrass me.”  A glare met Eli.  “You wish to have as much information as possible, yes?”

“I would like to know what kind of family mine is getting in bed with,” the other man replied.  “Quite literally in this case.  Ziva is a lovely young woman, someone I would welcome.  But you sir, I’m not quite sure what to make of you yet.”

Eli appreciated the honesty he was being told.  “I made sacrifices for my family, and for my country, often at the expense of my family.  There was a time, though,” he felt the sadness of everything as he spoke, “there was a time when we were an idyllic family.  That ended with my daughter’s death.”

Eli could see the same emotions in Anthony’s eyes.  “Mine ended with my wife’s death.  Suddenly, it was just me and Junior and he was more lost than I.  It’s only been within the last four years we’ve had anything more than an occasional e-mail between us.”

“Ziva and I have had a complicated relationship since she joined NCIS,” Eli confessed.  “In the end, I chose to cover-up my son’s actions.  He was buried with the honors of our country.  But Ziva, she could not look at me.  After that, she requested an assignment to NCIS.  I did it with the condition that she keep me advised about the agency, and Gibbs in particular.  She protested, of course, but in the end, she did as ordered.  She gained his trust.”

“She was a double agent, then?”

“Not so much that, but I wanted my own set of eyes on them.  And I had them, until…  She wrote to me, weeks later, resigning from Mossad.  I sent Malachi to DC, to bring her back, with force if necessary.  But Gibbs stood in the way, told him she was off limits.  My own daughter!”  His voice raised in a burst of anger, but then returned to its regular tone.  “It was for the best, in the end.  If it had gone the other way, I suspect I would have lost my daughter forever.”  He looked at Anthony, shrugging his shoulders.  “She would have cut me out of her life permanently.”

“The more you try to rope them in, the more they pull away,” Anthony mused.  “I tried that with Tony.  When he told me he was going to be a cop, I cut him off.  I wanted more for him, I told myself.  Being a police officer...I just couldn’t see it.  But Junior did the right thing.”  There was a tired sigh again.  “In truth, I was scared of something happening to him.  I wouldn’t want to live in a world he was no longer in.  Losing his mother was...devastating, but if I lost him…”

“It is not something I would wish on my worst enemy, burying your child.  I have had to do it twice.” 

Silence fell between the two of them for a spell.  An attendant served them a light meal, which was eaten quickly.  Then Anthony got down to business.  “When we deplane, I’m going to go to DC, if you don’t mind.  It has been a while since I saw Junior and I want to check up on him.  Besides the email he sent me about Ziva, Gibbs called me to tell me he hadn’t slept for a while right after she left.  I just want to check on him.”

“It may be for the best if we split up,” Eli reasoned.  “I do not want suspicions aroused if it should get out that we have been in contact.  At least, not yet.”

“I think I’m also going to drop in on Gibbs, too,” Anthony said.  “I’ll get his read on Tony’s state of mind.”

“Yes, that is a good idea as well.  But do not let on too much.  Gibbs has a suspicious mind and if he believes there is something amiss, he will seek out the truth.  I am not ready for that yet,” Eli counselled.  

Then Liat came over to them.  She handed Eli a box, which he opened.  Inside was a mobile phone.  “This has my encrypted number programmed under Elias Vaughn.  If it should be noticed, he is a businessman who is working on a deal with you.  Nothing more.”

“We’re going the full James Bond route, I see,” Anthony quipped.  

“We will need to take precautions, if we are to succeed,” Eli reminded him. 

“You still think there’s a chance we won’t?”

“I do not know.  My daughter...there is still a darkness in her and I fear it will engulf her.  The child may not even save her from it,” he said.  That was his great fear.  “I do not believe that she will do anything rash, but I am still worried.  It is that she does not believe she deserves a happy ending.”

Anthony grinned at him.  “Well, did you ever think a boy like my son would be her Prince Charming?”

Eli saw the mirth play over his features, much like when he son would tease.  He knew that Ziva’s reaction was generally to try and ignore it, so he played that role now, rolling his eyes dramatically.  “I still do not believe it.” 

Chapter Text

As promised, when they landed at Dulles, Anthony headed into DC in a luxury car rented for him by “Elias”. He had to laugh at that, because on the remainder of the flight, they had decided to come up with a more detailed cover story. Anthony vaguely remembered Tony telling him Gibbs had a rule that said when lying, be specific. They came up with every little detail and he was amused to find Eli David seemingly enjoying himself as they developed their cover.

Anthony’s first stop was the Adams House, his favorite hotel. Again, using funds transferred to him in the form of diamonds, he paid for the room and saw that his bags were delivered before returning to his car and heading towards the Navy Yard. He thought it would be a good idea to check in on Junior as soon as possible.

He was about to be escorted up when Tim McGee showed up at the security checkpoint. “Mr. DiNozzo, I didn’t know you were in town!” the younger man exclaimed before shaking his hand.

“Well, I haven’t been by recently to check in on Junior, so since I had business here, I thought it would be a good idea,” Anthony replied as they headed to the elevator. After stepping in, he turned to his son’s friend. “How is he doing? I know that Ziva’s left, but he didn’t delve into it much when he told me via email.”

Tim sighed. “Well, it’s been up and down. Tony, he went looking for Ziva in Israel for the summer but never found her.” Anthony schooled his features to play up his shock. It appeared as though his son had fibbed a bit to his colleague. “He went about a week without sleeping and that made it rougher. But he seems to have moved on, at least, I think so.”

Anthony hoped McGee was wrong about that, or this whole op would go south real fast. “He took it that hard, not finding her?”

Tim merely frowned as the elevator brought them to the floor. He stepped out first and then Anthony followed, catching sight of his son at his desk.

“Hey, look who I picked up in the lobby,” Tim called to Tony as he passed his desk. His son seemed distracted before looking over his way.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Tony questioned immediately, standing as he did so.

“Well, I haven’t been here for a while and thought I should come and visit, check in on you,” Anthony said. He came over and gave his son a hug, a rare thing between the two of them. Tony was reluctant at first to return it, but he did eventually, if a little bit loosely.

“Um, well, thanks, I think,” Tony stammered.

“And I have some business in town. New deal I’m working on should set us for life,” Anthony added. It wasn’t exactly a lie, more of a misdirect. He knew what his son thought he was talking about, but of course, it was wrong.

“Still, ah, wheeling and dealing?” Tony sighed, looking a little perturbed.

Anthony merely shrugged his shoulders as Agent Gibbs rounded the corner behind the stairs. “Chief, nice to see you.”

“And you too, Agent Gibbs,” Anthony greeted pleasantly. “Say, you don’t have a case going on, do you? I was wondering if I could take Junior out to lunch?”

Gibbs was at his desk when he looked up to the older DiNozzo. He turned to his Senior Field Agent, who Anthony noticed from his periphery grimaced. “No, no cases today. It’s been pretty quiet, actually.”

“Which is usually a bad sign. Say, dad, I’d love to have lunch with you but--”

“Great! I read about this new restaurant on the plane and I want to go try it. It’s Mediterranean cuisine, Greek, Turkish, Israeli. Come on, let’s go!” Anthony started towards the elevator before he could give his son a chance to back out. Tony’s face fell, but he grabbed his bag and joined him.

They found the place and sat down, reading over the menu in silence. But he saw his son peek over at him occasionally. Anthony decided to ignore it, for the time being. Once the order was placed, his son seemed to gather his courage enough to speak. “Okay dad, what’s going on?”

Anthony feigned confusion. “‘Going on’?” What, I can’t just drop in to visit?”

“No, dad, you really can’t. It’s not who you are. And if you do, there’s an ulterior motive. So, spill. You need money?”

“Junior, I am offended! I do have a business deal going and I do have it here in DC,” he told his son, before adding, “and I have been worried about you, since I got that email.”

His son visibly bristled at that statement. “Dad, I said…”

“I know, but in all honesty, it’s not healthy, keeping it all bottled up. I mean, I could tell that you did find her, but you told McGee that you never did?” He was genuinely curious as to his son’s reasoning about that.

“It was just...easier that way, telling McGee, Ducky and Abby that I...couldn’t find her. I know she talked to Gibbs, I asked her to, but the others…” His voice trailed off.

As Tony grew more melancholy, his father tried to think of something to say, something to give him the push he needed. “Have you spoken to her since?”

“No, I promised her I’d hold off, wait for her to call. And, it’s been tough. Over the last...few weeks, I’ve picked up the phone and dialed a lot. Even got to the call button, but then I remembered….” Tony scrubbed his face, an indication of weariness. “I really don’t want to talk about this, Dad, okay? Tell me about this deal you have going.”

“It’s nothing, really. I met the gentleman in Monte Carlo and he told me about his family business, bringing it to the States. I told him I had contacts over here, I’d help him set it up.” Again, the truth, in clever lies.

He could tell Tony had more questions, but they were interrupted by his phone ringing. “DiNozzo. Yeah, Boss I got you. I’ll head there ASAP.” He hung up the phone and gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry, Dad, but I need to give you a raincheck. Duty calls.”

“Okay, son. Look, want me to come over and cook your favorite dish? I may be rusty, but I can whip up a pot of Grandma’s gravy.” Anthony threw his son a smile.

Tony heaved a sigh. “Yeah, that would be nice. You know where the key is?” When his father nodded, Tony got up and patted his father’s shoulder before leaving.

When he was gone, Anthony considered his options. His son’s years in law enforcement, especially at NCIS, had made him paranoid about communications being intercepted, so he didn’t feel comfortable calling Eli with an update. But he also was concerned about being followed and again, giving Eli’s presence up that way. In the end, he thought it was best to wait. Hopefully, the case wouldn’t be too involved. He wanted to have this out in the open, as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

For two days, Eli waited, and for someone who had little patience, it felt like an eternity.  But, it was also not unexpected.  The options open to them for communication were limited.  Eli had gotten the prearranged signal that told him Anthony had been in contact with his son, but only that.

And, he felt as though the walls were closing in on him.  He did not like to be caged up, even if it was for his protection.  For two days, he said little to Liat and Malachi.  But on the third day, it was too much.

It was a Friday that he formulated his plans.  It could work, if it was set up correctly.  After he explained it to his associates, he ordered Liat, “Put me through to this number,” he told her.  Soon, he was on the phone.  “Avi, my old friend, how are you?”

Rabbi Avi Wasserman had grown up in Tel Aviv not far from where Eli and his family had lived.  When he had completed his time in the IDF, he’d begun to study for the rabbinate.  After that, he had emigrated to the United States where he had served a synagogue near Washington DC ever since.  When Ziva had first arrived in DC herself, her father had given her Avi’s name in case she needed anything, but his friend had reported to him numerous times that he had not heard from Ziva David.

Avi sounded surprised to hear Eli’s voice.  “ Shalom, Eli.  It has been a long time.”

“That it is, my friend.  But, I have found myself in DC on business and I thought of you.  My few trips here, I have not had much time for anything other than work,” Eli replied.

“When you are a man of such importance, I understand the limited amount of time you have to spare,” his friend said kindly.

“Still, I wish to make it up to you.  I was wondering if you would care to share a meal with me tonight?”

There was silence on the other end of the line.  “What do you want, Eli?”  His old friend saw right through him, it seemed.

He thought it best not to lie to a rabbi.  “I am in need of your help.  Please, come to dinner and I will explain.”  Eli supplied the address and a time was agreed upon.

With an hour before sundown, Rabbi Wasserman arrived at the house.  After being led in by Malachi, Eli greeted him warmly.  “Liat is preparing a meal, so we have time to talk.”

“Kosher, I hope.”  Avi knew him well enough to know Eli was not the most observant Jew.  Part of that, Eli chalked up to the shared rearing he had of Ari, who, according to Jewish law, was not considered Jewish.  The fact had been that Ari was not religious in either the ways of his father or mother.  Perhaps there had been the first step to his eventual turning against his father and his nation.

“Of course, Avi.  You do not think I would not respect your religiousness?”  He offered his friend a drink, which was declined.  Avi waited for him to settle down to explain why the invitation had been offered.  “I am in the middle of some difficult business.  I can assure you, it has nothing to do with my former career.  But, because of that, I am concerned about making contact with my partner.”     

“Ever the spook, yes Eli?  Paranoid you are being watched?”

“The Americans have a saying, ‘Just because you're paranoid does not mean someone is not watching you’.”  Eli smiled thinly.  “As it happens, my partner has a son who works with an agency here, making me doubly cautious.”

“You need a courier, then, yes?  To deliver messages to this partner?”  Avi had worked for a short time with Mossad, after his military service but before his rabbinical studies, so he was well versed in the world Eli had spent his life in.

“Only one message.  I am planning on a communication method sub rosa , I merely need to get a message to him,” Eli explained.  “And you, my friend, are the only one here I can trust the discretion of, until such time that I need to come forward.”

“The young man who escorted me here?  This woman Liat?  They cannot help you?” Avi asked him.

“They are known to agencies here.  If they are seen making contact with my partner, it may become...uncomfortable,” he continued.  

Avi sighed.  “What is that you are drinking?”

“Macallan 18.”  Avi’s eyebrow lifted minutely.  He knew Eli’s tastes ran more to vodkas, so he added, “It is favored by my partner.”

“Best to pour me one,” Avi said.  Eli obliged, and the man tipped his glass back.  “Now, normally, I would ask for something in return for this favor, but I fear it would be too much to ask to see you at services tomorrow morning?”

Eli chuckled.  “For once, I wish that I could.  But I am laying low.  Again, I do not wish for my presence here to be known, at least just yet.”

“Then, when this is over, I expect to see you at my synagogue.”  Avi finished his drink, then let a small smile grace his face.  “Now, tell me my part in this mission.”

Eli returned the smile.  In the end, he realized that it could work.  The letter Avi was to deliver was going to the Adams House, to Anthony DiNozzo, Senior.  Avi’s eyebrow rose again, but did not question why.

The letter contained Eli’s new plan.  Earlier in the day, he had set up a secure call to the Israeli Embassy, to the Mossad station chief there.  It was still Michael Bashan, who had always been loyal to Eli.  He agreed to aid Eli in his mission, even without being told all the details.  Liat would be ‘assigned’ to DC for Mossad, so she had more freedom to move about.  Until he was ready, she would be his eyes and ears.  After a few days, Liat would make contact with Anthony, making it seem like a serendipitous encounter why the other man was with his son.  Of course, Tony, and by extension, NCIS, would be curious as to why Liat was in town.  But he hoped she would be enough of a distraction for Leon and his people.  Liat would also take up the role of courier when needed.  

Perhaps it was too complicated, but Eli felt confident in its success.  It would allow Eli to have easier access to at least try and slip messages to Anthony, hopefully without anyone being the wiser.

Avi left that evening, the letter safely tucked in his breast pocket.  He promised Eli it would be done, but not until after services the next day.  Eli begrudged him that concession as he wished him a good evening.  

That would mean more waiting, possibly days more of it.  And, the one thing that Eli David hated, was waiting.  

Chapter Text

Sadly, the case Junior had been called away from their lunch had been more complicated than Anthony Senior would have liked.  That meant the father had to occupy his time.  At least he was able to move around the city freely, something he knew Eli David was unable to do.  Senior figured the other man was not taking that very well.

He was returning from an early Sunday dinner when he stopped at the desk to see if there had been any messages.  He was sure there were none, so it was a pleasant surprise when he was handed the letter that had been dropped off.  Thanking the desk clerk, he pocketed it and headed to his room.

Once there, he opened the letter, explaining Eli’s plan.  It did sound rather ingenious, using Liat as a messenger even though Tony knew her from previous experience.  He sent Eli a coded text verifying he had received the letter.

Late that evening, Anthony’s phone rang.  He looked at the number and smiled, relieved to see it was Junior.  “Son, good to hear from you.  It’s been a few days.”

“Was out in West Virginia, drugs.  Just got back and decided to see if you were still in town,” Tony said.

“Oh, I’m gonna be sticking around for a while.  My negotiations on this deal are trickier than I thought.”  Again, a lie wrapped carefully in the truth.  “I’m going to be backed up with meetings tomorrow, but say we get breakfast together.  Yesterday morning, I found this quaint little cafe in Georgetown,” Anthony suggested, giving his son the name and address. 

“Yeah, sounds great,” Tony said after agreeing to a time.

“Well, see you then, son.”  The call ended with Senior wishing his son a good night.  Then, immediately, he sent Eli a coded text, telling him the time and place of breakfast the next day.

Anthony wasn’t surprised when he got to the cafe the next morning that he was the first to arrive.  Junior had never been much of a morning person, an issue he still seemed to have, despite working for a branch of the service under a former Marine.  But, he checked his phone to see if Tony had left a message and then waited at a table on the sidewalk.  It was not much longer that Tony arrived. 

“Sorry about being late, had to go into the office after we talked.  Gibbs needed me to sign off on a few things.  But, thankfully, he gave me the day off,” Tony said as the waitress came by with a pot of coffee.

“It’s no problem, son.  I was just notified that my next meeting got pushed to eleven.  Let me just text a confirmation.”  Senior pulled out his phone, sending a message to Liat.  When that was finished, he looked up at his son.  “Tough case?”

“No, not really.  Perp was just an all-star track runner in high school.  Winded me a bit and I landed on my bad arm when I caught up to him,” Tony replied.  

“How’d you injure your arm?”  Senior asked.  He was a little ashamed he wasn’t up on all of his son’s injuries, so thought he should know now.

Tony rubbed his left forearm, his face pinched.  “Broke it in a fight with a rogue Mossad officer.”  He took another sip of his coffee, before adding, “They seem to be attracted to this city.”  Then something must have caught his eye.  “And then turn up like bad pennies.”

Anthony turned around even though he knew who Tony had spotted.  His son tried to stop his curiosity, but it was too late.  He’d seen and winked at Liat, giving her the signal.

The young woman caught it and approached the two of them.  “Agent DiNozzo, such a surprise,” she said, playing down her lack of.

“Officer Tuvia, what brings you back to this fine city?  More Palestinian terrorists?” Tony asked in a joking tone.

Liat smirked.  “Not quite.  I was just reassigned here to work at the Israeli Embassy.  I just arrived two days ago.”  She then turned her attention to Senior.  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“Dad, Mossad Officer Liat Tuvia.  Liat, my father, Anthony DiNozzo, Senior,” Tony offered even as he cringed.  

“ Buongiorno, signorina, ” he greeted her, placing a light kiss on Liat’s hand.  “You work for Mossad?  They must have a beauty requirement for their agents.”  Anthony’s eyes slid to his son, whose head fell into his hand.

“Well, the more beautiful the woman, the deadlier she can be,” Liat returned, winking at him.  “I am guessing you have met other members of Mossad?”

“Yes, Tony’s former partner, Ziva David.  Did you know her?”

“Liat’s actually worked with us in the past.  She was on a security detail when Director  Vance needed some backup from her then-Director Eli David,” Tony explained hurriedly, side-eyeing  Liat himself.  “Worked her way into his circle real nicely.  Even attempted to usurp Ziva’s place.”

Liat’s laugh was devoid of humor.  “I tried no such thing.  And, even if I did, Ziva warned me off the idea.”

“So, you’re in an apartment nearby?” Senior asked, trying to keep the conversation civil.

But Liat shook her head.  “Not yet.  The Embassy is readying a place for me.  Until then, they have put me up at the Adams House.”

“No kidding!  I’m in town on business and that’s where I’m staying,” Anthony said.  Tony’s head shot up at that connection.

“Well, then, maybe we should meet for drinks.  I have been curious about Tony since we first met,” Liat purred, a little too convincingly.  “But at least, meeting you has explained something to me.”

“And what is that, my dear?” Senior asked.

“Where Tony gets his good looks.”  She said her goodbyes and went on her way.

Anthony turned back to Tony.  “What a stunning woman.  They must put something in the water over there.  And she seems to have an interest in you.”

Tony looked at his father as he pulled out his cellphone.  “I’ve had my fill of Israeli Mossad officers, thank you very much.”  Hitting one last button, Anthony could hear the other end pick up.  “Boss, just want to make you aware of a situation.  Officer Liat Tuvia just strolled past me in  Georgetown.  Said she’s been assigned to DC.”  Gibbs was asking more questions on the other end.  “Well, she seems to be traveling as diplomatic staff, so that may be why her name wasn’t flagged.  Still, it’s never a good thing when Mossad shows up in town.”  A few more comments could be heard.  “You want me to come in?  Okay, let me know what McGee finds.”  When he ended the call, he looked at Senior.  “Say, dad, it might be a good idea if you stay at my place while you’re in town for this deal.”

Anthony expected his son would make the offer, but waved him off.  “I’ll be fine, Junior,” he assured his son.  Then, his expression grew concerned.  “When you made that comment to me about being done with Mossad officers, did you mean Ziva?  Was something going on between the two of you?”

Tony turned away from Anthony.  “Look, it’s just…”  He sighed before continuing.  “My gut is telling me she’s here for something and trouble’s about to follow.  And I’d rather you be out of the path of that trouble.”

“I appreciate the concern, but the Adams House is a large hotel.  I really doubt I’ll see her,” Anthony said, a wide smile on his face.  Of course, Anthony DiNozzo, Senior, was planning the exact opposite.