Discalimer: Really, you think I own this? I dont
Ziva pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She looked in the mirror. She felt so grown up. All the time had slipped away. It had only been four years since her mother had died. Her father had been away most of the time. He had just secured his director position at mosaad. Her brother was away at college. It had really just been her and little Tali for four years. Tali was ten now, Ziva was fourteen. Abba was so insistent that Ziva was ready. She could go on her first mission as long as they kept it low key.
Tali sat on Ziva's bed, tears in her eyes. She was playing with an old teddy that had once belonged to their mother. One eye was missing and it had several patches but it was an old family toy. Ziva looked over to her sister and sighed.
"Tali I will be back before you know it," Ziva insisted, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"No," She shook off her big sister's arm. She looked up at her with large sparkling eyes, "What if you die. I couldn't cope if you were gone. Papa is never here, mama is dead and Ari is in England. I need you Zee."
Ziva shook her head, looking down at the duvet before pulling her little sister close. Tali wrapped her arms around her tightly as she cried into her shoulder. Ziva rubbed circles into her baby sister's back. This was the little girl she had raised. Even when her Ima had been alive she had always been the one to look out for Tali. Every night when Tali was a baby Ziva would put her to bed and sing her to sleep even though she was only about four. Tali meant everything to her.
"Tali, I will come back. I will be ok," She insisted, kissing her forehead.
Tali looked at her, trying to laugh but failing terribly. She wiped the tears away from under her brown eyes. She was still such a little kid. Ziva promised that if Abba tried to make Tali go on a mission when she was fourteen then she would take her away. She would take her somewhere Abba could never find them.
"Come on Tali," She said, slipping off the bed and turning to her sister, "One fun thing to do before I have to go."
Tali smiled as she took her sister's hand. Ziva led Tali down the stairs and into the garden. The sun was beating down on them. It was hot even for the usual. She dragged her into the shed, shutting the door and locking it. It took a minute as she looked around. It was there she spotted it. Up on the top shelf was an old rusty box. She climbed up, grabbing it with one hand as Tali looked at her funny. As she dropped to the floor Tali perked up.
"Zee what are you doing?"
Ziva smiled as she dragged her into the garden again, grabbing a trowel on the way out. As she dug into the rough ground Tali stopped her.
"Do you remember when we made this?" Ziva asked sighing and pulling out the very colourful book from the old box. Tali looked at it. On each page was a picture of a time they had cherished, every moment they never wanted to forget.
"We made it after Ima died. I promised we'd bury it the first time I was away. It's been four years."
Tali smiled. She obviously remembered it. As excitement overtook her she began to dig into the dirt with her little hands in an attempt to make room for the box. Tali's excitement was infectious. Ziva began to dig with her, laughing like little kids usually did. Tali put the book into the metal box. Just before they buried it Tali gasped, leaping up and running into the house as Ziva watched curiously from her spot. The little girl ran back from the house, the little teddy in her hand.
"We can bury this too,"
Ziva nodded, taking the toy from her hand and into the box. She laughed, tearing up as she took off her necklace.
"Papa gave it to me for my fourth birthday," Ziva smiled, dropping it in. "One day we'll dig this up. When we run away when he tried to send you away we'll dig it up, huh?"
Tali laughed as they dropped the locked box into the hole and burying under handfuls of dirt. Slowly Ziva removed Tali's necklace and slipped the little silver key onto the chain."
"Tali I promise I'll come home."
Tali nodded as she was engrossed by a large hug. Ziva didn't want to have to go either. She would rather stay by her baby sister's side all her life because she knew in her heart she needed Tali more than she could ever need her.