Shards To A Whole: Chapter 82

McGee centric character study/romance. Want to start at the beginning? Click here.

Chapter 82: Shabbos

December 2013 started a new Team Gibbs family tradition. Shabbos at Ziva’s.

Baruch atah Adonai

“Once I had a home filled with the sound of laughing children.” Ziva remembers her father saying that, or something close to it. Once…

She’s the last of the Davids now.

And she has not done this, not in a home filled with ease and love, since she was a child. Since her Safta lit the candles, and her father laid his hands on each of them blessed them before the meal, and she and Tavi and Ari were young enough to laugh and play between prayers.

And it is true, there are no laughing children in this home, not yet. Though there is ease and love here. And soon, ‘round about Valentine’s Day, Molly Palmer will join the festivities. And if a little McGee is more than two years off, she’d be stunned. In the years to come, there will be children here.

She looks at Tony as she blesses the bread, breaking the loaf, and prays that one day there’ll be a small DiNozzo to pass these traditions onto. A little boy or girl to make Challah with, to teach the prayers, and to bless.

Ducky asks her about each prayer, and what they mean.

And Gibbs smiles at her as she answers.

McGee and Abby watch. Abby seeming to appreciate the faith of this, and Tim getting into the celebration, asking about the day of rest bit, intrigued by the idea of a faith that celebrates its holiest day by praying, visiting with friend and family, studying, and naps.

Tony makes a joke about naps and sex being part of the celebration, and that gets a smile out of everyone.

Jimmy’s all in favor of the singing part, though the rest of the crew seems wary. And sure, he’s bad at Hebrew, but he and Ziva produce a decent sounding two part harmony. After a few verses, Ducky joins in, and if there’s anything that sounds odder than Scottish accented Hebrew, Ziva’s never heard it, but she certainly appreciates the effort. Breena adds her voice after that, a soft soprano to go with Ziva’s alto, and yes, it’s not the Sabbath of her childhood, but it’s awfully sweet, and it’s a good first step into a new life that remembers and honors the old, but moves forward into the future without fear.

As they were driving home, Tim said to Abby, “I really liked that.”

“Yeah, it was fun.”

Tim came away from Sabbath dinner thinking that the Jews really knew how to celebrate their faith. Dinner, really good dinner, at home, with all of your best friends and family followed by a day of napping, studying, and sex struck him as a really civilized way to tell God thanks for being alive.

Dinner is served.

Or at least, he certainly preferred it to Mass. Maybe it was because the rituals were new and different. Maybe it was because it was at home, and done with family and friends as opposed to a collection of near strangers. Maybe because the specter of his father was in no way attached to this. Maybe it was because he never quite hooked into any church the way he was supposed to. Or it could have been the wine and really good food.

Whatever it was, he was hoping that Tony and Ziva hosted Shabbos again.

And if he attends Mass because it’s important to Abby, he’ll go to Sabbath at Ziva’s because he likes it.

He thinks about that as Abby drives. “Is that what Mass is like for you?”

Her eyes dart away from traffic to look at him for a second. “What do you mean?”

“That was…” He’s having a hard time coming up with a good word. “Like being home. The way home is supposed to be. Warm and welcoming and just, really comforting and satisfying.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Huh.” He intellectually knew that she felt different about Mass than he did, but until today he didn’t really have a good understanding of how it made her feel.

She’s smiling, and if she wasn’t watching oncoming traffic, he’s sure that smile would be aimed at him. 

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