Title: Be with who you love
Author: dizzy - in - the - izzy
Rating: K+
Summary: Tony listens as Ziva talks to a victims daughter, and something she say's makes him think.

A/N: Okay, so a couple things. 1) I've had this half written, in my "Snippets and Ideas" folder for a LONG time. I swear, I could have finished this a long time ago. But, because I'm me, I rewrote it so it made sense. It originally had Abby in it. 2) I'm sorry for just being gone for so long. I could have posted loads of things, but I've been experiencing things going on at home and life just... sucks. 3) I miraculously remembered my password. Everyone clap. 4) This has no time stamp. It just floats.

This goes out to Samm. Gotta love her. And my sister. Because I stole her name for this.

Tony had narrowly escaped death, and now he ate his reward in silence. It had taken quite amount of whining to get away from the bullpen to get something to eat. The daughter of a recent victim was hanging out in the bullpen with Ziva, and the Israeli was having difficulty making small talk with the child. Clara wasn't too keen to talk either, which maDe the situation twice as funnier to Tony. He could see the awkwardness building between the two, and had decided that it might be easier to talk sans a man. Ziva had protested. Tony had ran. He escaped a flying pencil by an inch.

On a positive note, he was pretty sure Clara laughed.

Now, he finished his bag of trail mix quietly. Clara was going through a lot, with a dead mother and a missing father. It was no wonder the eleven year old was quiet. Tony was more than positive that most eleven year olds had a million things to talk about. He was also more than positive that most eleven year olds didn't have as much on their plate as Clara did. She had taken it quite well, and he hadn't seen a tear on her face yet.

But that was mainly because Clara was attached to Ziva.

It wasn't planned. And most children that ended up at NCIS attached to Abby. However, Clara was different. She didn't even look at Abby. She'd looked at McGee briefly, and she'd glanced at Tony's face once. But when it came to Ziva, the child stared at her face all the time. And it wasn't just that. Ziva had been nice to the child, though Clara never spoke. Ziva had tried once, and it had made things even more awkward. Now, Clara just sat on a chair provided by Gibbs next to Ziva, watching what the woman did. Even when Gibbs asked her a question, Clara wouldn't look away from what Ziva was doing long.

Now, as Tony looked over the bullpen walls to see what they were doing, he saw that they still weren't talking. Maybe it was better. Maybe that was how Clara was coping. Sometime, being close to someone that seemed strong was just what one person needed. And Tony knew better than anyone that Ziva exuded strength.

However, he paused his walking when he saw Clara's mouth move. He was pretty sure he knew what she said as well.

"What are you doing?"

Ziva looked at the eleven year old. Her face showed the surprise that Tony felt, and he decided to blend into the background. He moved slowly toward the bullpen, trying not to break the moment.

"I am looking through public records and waiting for an e-mail from a friend," Ziva said, smiling at Clara. The young girl nodded, and Tony moved silently into his seat. Neither female acknowledged Tony was in his seat, though he knew Ziva was aware of him.

"Does it have to do with my mom?" Clara asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, it does."

Clara nodded, settling back in her seat a bit. She became quiet again, and Ziva went back to her search. Soon, though, Clara spoke again.

"Do you think you'll find my dad?"

Ziva looked at a loss for words, and pursed her lips together.

"I think we will," Ziva answered, smiling softly at Clara.

"What if you don't?"

Tony could hear the desperation in Clara's voice, and he was sure Ziva could as well. She glanced at Tony quickly, before turning to Clara. The girl looked close to tears, and Ziva touched her cheek softly.

"We will. I promise you, we will find your dad," Ziva stated firmly, rubbing her thumb over Clara's cheek. It seemed to soothe the child, so Ziva repeated the gesture.

"You don't think he killed mom, do you?" Her soft voice couldn't mask the desperation, and it was obvious Clara was bursting with questions.

"I do not believe your father would kill your mom," Ziva's voice was firm again, and Clara responded positively to it.

"Why not?"Clara let a few tears slide down her face, and Ziva brushed them away gently. Tony felt something in his chest tug at the tenderness Ziva was expressing.

"Because your dad loves your mother."

"How do you know? You've never met them!" Clara burst, and Ziva smiled. It seemed to upset the girl, and Ziva quickly explained.

"No, I have not met your parents. However, I have spoken to your parent's friends and people who knew them, I have seen pictures, and it is obvious. When two people love each other very much, it is obvious to everyone around them," Ziva explained. Her voice had reached a new level of soft, and it seemed to placate Clara.

"So you think my dad will come back?" Clara asked, her small tears spilling over. Ziva handed her a tissue, and Clara wiped her face.

"I think your dad will come back because he loves you. And people like to be with who they love."

Ziva smiled, and Tony felt the warmth across the room. It was then that Clara noticed him sitting at his desk, and her cheeks flared up. She turned away from him, blowing her nose. Ziva smiled at him before turning to console Clara. Tony was about to speak when Gibbs walked in, addressing Clara.

"I need you to come with me." He said, his voice unusually kind. It must have been the tears, because Gibbs kept his arm around Clara's shoulders as they walked away towards the elevators. Ziva pushed Clara's chair back a bit, and looked over at Tony.

"That was good," Tony said, and Ziva tilted her head.

"What was good?" She inquired back, and Tony shrugged.

"What you said. It was just what Clara needed to hear. Ever thought about being a grief counselor?" Tony joked, and Ziva shook her head.

"I was being serious, Tony. I wasn't saying it just to placate her. I meant it," Ziva answered in an annoyed tone, and Tony had to smile.

"I know you meant what you said. I could hear it in your voice."

Ziva nodded slightly, trying to gauge his facial expression. She had a question on the tip of her tongue, but somehow Tony beat her to it.

"So, are you with who you love?" Tony asked quietly, leaning forward at his desk. Ziva felt like firing the question right back at him, but she knew he was serious. There was a fine line between sarcasm and serious, and Ziva knew where Tony's was drawn.

"Yes," Ziva said quietly, "Yes I am."

Tony smiled, realizing they were alone in the bullpen. He was about to speak again when Ziva spoke.

"How about you?"

Tony thought for a moment. He already knew the answer in the back of his mind, but he just wanted to think. He thought about the people he loved (the select few they were) and where they stood in his life. He then looked at Ziva, making eye contact. She was waiting for his answer, her hands places under her chin. She looked as though she already knew the answer as well, so Tony simply nodded. Ziva smiled warmly at him. She got up and walked over the printer, grabbing the information she'd printed. She looked at Tony.

"Even right now?" She said jokingly, and Tony laughed. Ziva moved out of the bullpen before Tony was able to respond to her. She looked back at him briefly before following Gibbs' path, a smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled.

"Especially right now." He whispered to his desk before he went back to his e-mail.

A/N: I don't know if the end gives the rest of it justice. But, I liked it.

Reviews are lovely and appreciated. :)

-Love, always, Izzy.