Ziva needed discretion; accepting the role meant a limit to sharing information; she held the phone, fingers poised. Eliza had disappeared for a reason; Ziva wondered if Eliza was ready? This call would force her from hiding, to confront the parents and why she choose to leave. If Ziva had declined the job, she could have avoided this dilemma, got on with life unknowing; instead, the file contained a grey photo, address and phone number for her missing niece. Her discovery was easy, CCTV access, the SIA (Secret Investigative Agency) followed Eliza from the train, tube and although lost her in the Spice District, they knew to look for cash rentals. A cautious answer greeted Ziva rather than relief; Eliza growled, wanting to stay lost, but she remained on the phone listening to Ziva, the aunt’s effort to encourage a meeting with her parents.
Emilie bit her lip; a coffee shop in Windenberg, an agreed neutral location, Eliza felt it would prevent her mother from following her home. Months had passed, hearing her daughters voice brought Emilie to tears; at least she was alive. Eliza refused to meet if Rylan came, her father had insisted, but Emilie made him wait in the car until she had a chance to convince Eliza things would be different when she came home. The tension was palpable; Eliza steadied her breathing, keeping a safe distance from her mother. She peered into the cafe, expecting Rylan; assurances he was home failed to convince, Eliza remained stuck, hoping the distance and public meeting place would stop Emilie making a scene. Relief at seeing Eliza, replaced with indecision, Emilie wanted to hug her, make her realise she was foolish and get that happy ever after. Reality had a different plan; Emilie needed to consider every word, uncertain how Eliza would react. This situation had a fragility to it that scared her.
Despite the meeting being her choice, her mother’s questions made Eliza feel smothered, frustrated by the interference in her life; Emilie wanted her to admit she made a terrible decision. Eliza craved freedom and independance, her father’s idea of what was in her best interests had been the main reason, and she had no regrets. Her mother refused to give in, implying Eliza was ignorant and childish, learning to talk to people came with barriers and negotiations, running had solved nothing. The pain in Emilie poured; Eliza held tears, determined she could go it alone.
Emilie knew where Eliza lived; she and Rylan could have forced her back home; this meeting, she hoped Eliza would learn compromise and an understanding of the hurt caused. A family of five, it was difficult and as the big sister, Patrick and Charlotte, looked to her for guidance. Eliza dropped her head, clenching her teeth together, feeling unheard. They were looking at her to fit a mold, a design in their minds, a perfect daughter to an ideal family, she had attempted to talk to them, help them see her viewpoint, but it seemed to grab their attention, Eliza needed to take radical action. Her mother stressed the importance of school; if she planned to remain in her apartment, Emilie wanted Eliza to attend San Myshuno High. An agreeable compromise, Eliza missed her studies.
As Ziva had tracked her down, Eliza wondered with her new freedoms; what surveillance would track her activities through the city?
By the Grace of Sim Gods 