Jace and Ziva were coming out of the gym from their sparring session. He enjoyed spending his time off rotation with Ziva, she encouraged him to seek help when a Dam Neck doctor advised him to see specialists for the residual physical trauma he endured and to experience life outside of being a SEAL.

"You let Gus have it back there."

"He's a Krav Maga instructor! I thought he could keep up," responded Ziva.

"Keep up with you?!" laughed Jace. "DiNozzo has a better chance of convincing my dad to go on a double date him!"

Both broke out into laughter at this comment. However, it was cut short when they noticed that Ziva's car was running, they could make out a single figure in the passenger seat. They took out their sidearms, corning the vehicle at the driver's side and rear. Ziva opened the driver-side door, weapon ready. Before she could identify herself as a federal agent Ziva did a double-take.

"No kiss for your father?" said a voice Jace didn't recognize.

The sailor went over to her and blanched at the sight inside the car.

Director Eli David.

Head of Mossad.

Ziva's father.

. . .

The car ride was a tense one, Ziva's father had seen her with Jace; she wondered how long he had been surveying her. She had Jace tell Gibbs about her father's presence in D.C., she hoped her father did not have a tail on Jace, no good could come from that. They stopped at a park and went around on foot.

"One of these days you must give me a proper tour of this city," commented Eli. "Perhaps when it is warmer."

"Where is your protection?" inquired Ziva. "They've usually given themselves away by now."

"That is why they do not know I am in the country," answered the older Israeli. "No one does."

"You're the Director of Mossad, Abba," responded Ziva. "That is impossible."

"Ziva, nothing is impossible, only difficult."

"Which makes this the stupidest thing you've ever done," retorted the former Mossad officer. "Which is saying something. Don't you remember the last time you were here?"

"Yes, you said 'Sometimes life surprises you," replied Eli. "Surprise."

"What is your business here?"

"My daughter has made no effort to visit me in the last two years," answered Ziva's father. "So I must go to her. I am here for you, Ziva."

"How long have you been here?"

"I arrived this morning."

"What if someone saw you?"

"At your gym?"

"At all," hissed Ziva. "Surely you still have enemies that want you dead."

"You think?" Eli laughed. "Ziva, I do not walk straight lines. As your Agent Gibbs would say: 'This is not my first radio.'"

"Rodeo," corrected Ziva. "You could have at least called."

"I did not want to be refused."

"There's no other reason for your visit?"

Director David took a breath. "I promise you. My intentions are honorable. No one will know I was here."

He looked Ziva straight in the eyes. "Now I have answered all your questions."

He spoke to her in Hebrew, and Ziva responded by accepting the incoming embrace. She was completely engulfed in the surprise of the situation, Ziva then snapped out of her reverie once she heard his next question.

"I don't suppose it is too soon to ask about your gentleman friend at your gym?"

. . .

Jace was waiting in the lobby of the Navy Yard, he wanted to wait for Ziva before telling his father of Director David's presence in Washington. Based on what Zee had told him about his last visit, he wasn't expecting ever to meet Eli David on US soil. He broke out of his train of thought when he saw her come in.

"Thanks for waiting for me," said Ziva, kissing him on the cheek.

They made their way to Abby's lab. His father instructed her to keep him in the loop, he told Jace to go home. He and Ziva left together.

"Call me if you need anything,"

"Jace," said Ziva, stopping the sailor before he left. "I love you."

Julian stepped closer to Ziva, cupping her face as he looked into her eyes.

"I love you, too."

. . .

Jace was overseeing an oil rig recapture drill, The Black Squadron operators were perched at the top of the rig as the assaulters divided up the rest of the facility. He couldn't stop thinking about Ziva, her father was a targeted man with no security detail. His father and Director Vance were working to keep Eli under the radar but this could only work for so long. He called Ziva to check in, she said everything was fine so far. They kept their calls and messages short to avoid drawing Eli's suspicion. Their latest call revealed something that Jace wouldn't believe if it came from someone else.

Arash Kazmi, the Director of VEVAK, and Eli David were hatching a peace-making plan for Israel and Iran.

Once the drill was over Jace left for Director Vance's house, the bread breaking was scheduled to take place there at sundown. Ziva asked him to be there with her Eli had gotten curious about her 'friend from the gym'.

When he arrived he noticed tensions between Ziva and her father, something grave had occurred between them. When Eli had begun to speak about freedom and family Ziva scoffed, and she stormed out the front door. Jace got up to follow her, but before he could reach the door gunfire erupted in the dining room from the outside of the house.

Julian raised his sidearm but stopped himself from engaging once he saw Director David in the dining room doorway, slummed to the side with multiple gunshot wounds. He used his jacket to apply pressure as he called for an ambulance.

"Director Vance! SITREP!" Jace called out.

"I'm fine," called out the older man. "Jackie's hit."

"So's Director David. An ambulance is on the way."

Soon after McGee and DiNozzo arrived, Tim went to help Vance and his wife while Julian told Tony to get the emergency first aid kit in the back of his SUV. Despite their efforts, they lost him to the wounds. He helped load Mrs. Vance into the ambulance and let his friends work the scene. Soon his father, Amato, and Ziva arrived.

"How's my father?" inquired Ziva.

"Tony and I—" Julian struggled to speak. "I'm so sorry, we tried to stop the bleeding in time."

The Israeli woman darted past her boyfriend and coworkers only to do a double take at the sight in front of her. Not many things could break Ziva David, but this was right at home.

"Abba!"

She kneeled beside her father, holding him in her arms, praying as she cradled the body. Jace looked on.

She doesn't deserve this, hasn't she lost enough already?

Julian looked to his father, the Marine knew what his son was thinking.

If this isn't handled, Posse Comitatus be damned.

. . .

Since Ziva had been barred from the investigation of her father's death she had been staying at Julian's, occupying her time with the triplets. The Sailor had been sitting across from the woman he loved, thinking about what she had just gone through.

Once the girls went into the kitchen for their snacks Ziva spoke.

"I know what you're thinking."

Julian blinked, not sure if she was referring to his brief thought of vigilantism, his guilt over not being able to save Eli or his sympathy over her loss due to his history.

"I don't want you doing anything crazy or feeling guilty over my father's death."

Apparently, Mossad women could read minds. Jace thought to himself.

"Zee, I—"

"You and Tony tried to save him," interrupted Ziva. "And if you do violate Posse Comitatus you would lose everything."

"There's no point in arguing with you is there?" asked the SEAL, not even sure if he was being rhetorical.

"Which of us is more stubborn?" Responded Ziva.

Both laughed, sharing an embrace.