It was hard. Hard to smile, to say or think that everything was okay. Because it wasn't.

She could have saved that little girl, saved her from the monster of a man that had kidnapped her. But she didn't. She couldn't. She had been knocked out at the last minute, and a man in a mask took the little girl. The girl with the long, blonde hair and the honey brown eyes, filled with fear. They found her, the day after. Bloody and broken. Lifeless eyes looked at her, stared at her.

She could have saved her. Could have sensed another man behind her, before she was knocked out. She could have--

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tony, who came in, talking to McGee as Abby skipped behind them.

"No way, Probie! Come on, you seriously think you can beat me and Abby?" Tony laughed, as he gathered his belongings.

McGee looked unsure at first. "Absolutely. I've got a pretty good poker face," he replied, as Abby and Tony shared an amused look. He looked over at Ziva, who was sitting, staring at the wall, but not seeing. "Don't you think, Ziva?"

"What?" she asked distractedly.

"McGee here thinks he can beat me and Abby in a game of poker," Tony informed her, walking over to her desk.

For the first time in over a day, she smiled. "You have no chance," she told McGee, straight out.

"How do you know?" he asked her with a curious look on his face.

Ziva just raised an eyebrow and turned off her computer.

Abby spoke up. "So, is everyone in?"

Tony smiled. "I'm in, and Probie is too. Ziva?" He questioned, turning to her. He gave her a look, silently asking if she was okay. She gave him a look back, telling him it was alright, she'll get over it.

This did not go un-noticed be Abby or McGee, who exchanged a look of their own.

"I'm in," Ziva decided, and she gathered her things.

- - -

Everyone laughed as McGee pouted, when Abby won. "There's always next time, Timmy," she smiled.

Ziva looked around the table at all the smiling faces. She heard the laughter, and remembered the saying; 'laughter is the best medicine.' As she looked around the table now, at Abby, McGee and Tony, she realised the saying was right. And that laughter was the best medicine.