A/N: Another rather sad chapter following on from the last one, just a couple of months later.

Tony= 8
Ziva= 7

Rose DiNozzo passed away that August. Her condition quickly sapped her strength even with the treatment she was receiving. As her body deteriorated and rebelled against her so did her mind. Senior took her to the hospital for good when she drank her sons Sea-Monkeys. Tony visited every day although it hurt his heart each time he saw his once strong beautiful mummy weak and skeletal. The one thing Rose remembered was to say the three most important words to her baby. Every time she saw Tony the last thing he heard was always 'I love you.'

When he allowed Ziva visit with him, he saw that the trip affected the Israeli more than she'd ever admit and so refused to let Senior take her with them again. Sometimes he needed to remind himself Ziva was only six no matter how old she acted. Sometimes he need to remember he was only eight but rebuffed that thought whenever it appeared in his mind.

His plan for the best summer ever failed miserably. Every summer he could think of beat that awful month. It was hard to be fun and happy in a hospital and even harder to smile when his mum was in pain. He was thankful she passed the way she did though. Tony brought his mum's favourite black and white film to her room and they lay and watched it together. She thanked him for the best time she'd had since her arrival in the ward, said she loved him and died 10 minutes before the ending. She'd died happy and for that he too was happy(ish).

2 months passed slowly for Tony and Ziva as they struggled to cope with the loss of a woman both looked up to. For Ziva, Rose had acted more like a mother to her in the couple of years she'd known her than Rivka had since her birth.

Every night after school Ziva followed Tony home and then trekked her own way back to her home.

"Lehitraot, Tony," Ziva mumbled.

Tony grabbed her arm. "Do you want to watch a movie? My dad's not in."

Ziva nodded eagerly following Tony into the grand house. The big home had not been the same since Rose had gone. It was too quiet, too cold, too empty. Tony knew Ziva could not make it better but he was fed up of being alone. Senior was never home anymore and he just wanted some company.

"What do you want to watch?"

"Abba let Tali and I watch the Sound of Music last week but Ima came home before the end. She turned it off and sent us to bed without dinner."
"My grandma bought the Sound of Music for mu-," Tony chocked on the word with a noise not unlike a sob. "For us last Christmas. I'll go find it."

Ziva nodded, settling uncomfortably on the couch. "Am I 'cool' now?" she asked hesitantly. Tony looked up at her in confusion. "I turned seven two days ago and you said six year olds were uncool and silly."

"Why didn't you have a party?"

"Ima would not let me."

"Can I ask you a question?" Tony asked as he put the DVD into the player.

"Uh-huh."

"Does your Ima love Tali more?"

Ziva stayed silent, staring dully at the TV that played the opening scene of her favourite movie. "Tali is better than me. I am a bad daughter."
"Will your Ima be angry if you're late?"

"Ima es siempre enojado," Ziva mumbled before switching back to English. "Maybe."

"Has she ever hit you?"

Ziva twisted toward Tony anger flaring in her eyes. "That is more than one question, Tony!"

"Sorry."

The pair watched the movie without speaking for a while until Ziva's quiet voice broke it, "It is okay. Ima has only hit me twice but they were accidents."

"Do you love her?"

"With my whole lung."

"Heart."

"Oh."

The two children continued to watch Julie Andrews sing and dance around with the children she was looking after. "I don't like this film," Tony suddenly stated. "It's too... singy and... none of the Nannies dad interviewed were that nice."

"Singy is not a word. And I like it."

"You would."

"Has your dad found a Nanny?" Ziva asked.

"Yup," Tony muttered glumly. "She's been here every day since September and I hate her. Dad's meant to be home this weekend so she's taken Friday to Sunday off but I have a feeling dad won't be here."

"Why not?"

Tony shrugged. "He's never in anymore. I don't think he likes the reminders in the house of... you know... and so he just stays away. He did come home last week stinking of al...co... beer."

"I do not like alcohol," Ziva stated. "It makes Abba angry."

"It just makes dad sad."

"Are you okay, Tony?"

Tony sent Ziva a wry grin, covering up his grief with humour. "How can I be? We're watching the Sound of Music."

By the time the film had finished the sun had set and it was dark outside. Feeling bad about letting the younger girl walk home alone in the gloom, Tony shrugged on his coat. The two wandered through the streets receiving concerned glances at the few passer-bys they encountered.

"Won't your family be worried?"

Ziva shook her head. "No," she whispered. "Ima will be angry, Abba will be disappointed and Tali will be sad because Ima will shout. Ari would be worried but he is back in Gaza again."

"Why did you stay then?" Tony asked.

"Because you are my friend and you are hurting. I wanted to help you, Tony."

To say Ziva's Ima was angry was an understatement. She was absolutely livid. Tony could almost see steam pouring from her ears like the mad cartoons on Saturday morning TV. She grabbed her daughter roughly by the top of her arms and literally dragged her into the house yelling loudly in fast Hebrew. Tony watched the home with emotion-filled eyes, troubled for his best friend.

TBC

Translations:
Lehitraot = Goodbye (Hebrew)
Ima es siempre enojado = Ima is always angry (Spanish)