No Choice

The bullpen was unusually quiet that day. No one really felt like joking around. They were all still trying to process the latest case they had been on. A Naval Lieutenant and two of his young children had been violently murdered, and the third had been kidnapped. If it had been a movie they would have found that third child alive, but life wasn't a movie.

McGee had thrown up at the scene. Gibbs had to send him away because he just couldn't handle what had happened to this loving father and his children. The worst part, it had been the wife and mother. No one was sure why though. Psychologically deranged was the only answer any one could come up with at the moment.

Tony had seen horrible things before, but this was the worst. He couldn't even imagine what had been going through that woman's head as she slaughtered her entire family. How could someone look into the innocent face of a child and commit such an atrocity?

Ziva didn't know how to feel. She had seen so much more death in one spot, but this was a family. A father and his three young children. She hadn't seen kids that young intentionally killed before. Maybe that was it. Unlike in Israel, these weren't casualties, these were victims. They weren't in the middle of some war, they were in their own home. Were they should have been able to feel safe.

They all sat quietly and waited for Gibbs to come out of his meeting with Vance. They knew they should be filling out paperwork, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it. A few minutes more of silence passed before McGee's phone rang. It was Abby. She wanted him to come down and be with her. She was the one who had to go through the kids stuff and clothes. She was taking it just as hard as them.

Tony waited until it was just him and Ziva before he moved. He stood and headed over to her desk. She looked up at him and he could see that she was just as torn up as he was over what had happened.

"Hey, Zee. Are you okay?"

Ziva looked up at him, at his deep brown eyes. Eyes filled with worry and pain. He was just as confused and he was worrying about her. For some reason that she couldn't explain that made her happy. She needed someone to care.

The second she thought that she stopped. She, Ziva David, trained assassin and Mossad agent, needed someone to care. Her father would be so disappointed in how she had changed.

"I don't understand, Tony. What had they done?"

He sighed as he moved to sit on her desk in front of her.

"I don't know. Sometimes people do things without a good reason. Haven't you seen children die before?"

Ziva started as she looked up at him. Did he think that just because she had seen so many deaths that she couldn't feel anymore? Did he really just think of her as a robot?

"Yes, Tony, I have. And it is never a pleasant experience. No matter how many times you see it, children shouldn't die. No matter what age they are."

Tony realized his mistake then. Tali. Tali had been a child. Of course Ziva was going to think of her sister no matter how different the circumstances were.

"I'm sorry, Zee. I wasn't thinking. Of course it's not something someone could get used to. I'm just not used to seeing you so…"

He trailed off as he struggled for the right word.

"Human?", she finished for him.

Tony knew he had made a mistake again. His invincible little ninja wasn't invincible. She was human too. She had just always been better at hiding her emotions, but he guessed after what they had seen, she wouldn't really feel like it.

"You know I think you're human. You're just a better grade than the rest of us."

That earned him a small smile.

"DiNozzo, David. Go home. Today has been enough. Get some rest and be back here at 0700 tomorrow. Try to relax a little."

Tony and Ziva both looked up at their boss as he finished making it all the way down the stairs, and nodded. Tony moved back to his desk to grab his gear and turned to Ziva.

"My place night? Movie, pizza, and beers?"

Ziva knew that he was just trying to find a way for them to relax and try to move past today. Somewhere, deep down inside, she knew he wouldn't try anything tonight, so she accepted. She received a small smile for her yes, and the two of them walked towards the elevator together and on their way to moving past the events of the last week.

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So, this is just beginning to build up to where I want it to go. The next chapter is also a little more build up and chapter three will start all events in motion. So, if you wouldn't mind reviewing and telling me what you think so far, that would be wonderful. Also, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to those as well. Thank you for reading!!