Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Time for the directors to meet...

Tali groaned, unlocking the door to her room at the Embasero Hotel; her eyes were raw, her nose red from crying. She'd sat in Gibbs' basement, singing prayers to Ari as he lay on the cement, blood pooling beneath what was left of his head. A part of her had died when she fired that bullet, and yet, she realized, everything Ari had said was true. Their father had been just as he'd been described. He'd been a terror, torturing his children as they'd grown. Eli had destroyed his family; and Ziva had sent her sister on a suicide mission. All she wanted was to soak in a hot bath, climb into bed, and sleep until she had to return to Israel with Ari's body. This little sojourn couldn't possibly get any worse-

The volume on the TV rose, and she yanked out her gun, rounding the corner, ready to shoot if need be.

"Shalom, Talia."

The girl didn't bother hiding her surprise at the sight of her older sister, sitting in one of the chairs near the window, the remote in her hand. She swung the remote slowly back and forth before turning the TV off. Tali's throat clenched, and she struggled to swallow. Her sister, of course, looked as impeccable as ever- long dark curls flowing down her back, the black dress pants she wore with the dark green turtleneck accenting her curves and bringing out her dark eyes. The boots she wore were pristine and shone in the dim light of the hotel lamps. Silently, she set the remote on the table and stood.

Tali took a deep breath, dropping her gear on the floor by her feet. She loved her older sister, with all her heart, but there were times when Ziva scared her, and this was one of those times. "What... what are you doing here?" Ziva shrugged.

"I was just... what is that expression... in the neighborhood? and I figured... I would come see you..." She studied her little sister, before reaching up and gently brushing Tali's curls off her shoulder. She circled the girl, her vulture's gaze drinking in every detail. "I know about Ari."

"Because I called you-"

"No. I know that he died on the basement floor of Agent Gibbs' home, that you put a bullet in his skull, that you pulled the trigger, instead of arresting him and bringing him back to Israel. Ari was mine to kill, Talia. Mine to deal with. I am the director." She sighed, thinking. "You deliberately disobeyed me." Gently, she brushed her fingers through her sister's hair. "But I guess I can allow it; you had no choice." She pulled away, going back to the table.

"So... why are you here, Zivaleh?" Tali slowly took a step towards her sister.

"I need to speak with Director McGee." Ziva replied, not looking back. "And I decided, since phone conversation is not getting through to him, then," She turned, meeting her sister's gaze. "Maybe he will see reason."


The following Monday found the team lost in their own thoughts for the majority of the day. Delilah's loss was felt throughout NCIS, and the death of one of their own would continue to reverberate for the next several weeks. So it was around eleven that morning, that Tony looked up to see Tali enter, followed by another young woman. He instantly perked up, slipping out of his chair and stepping into the hall near the bullpen entrance. "What are you doing back here, Officer David? And..." He let his gaze flick towards the other woman, roving appreciatively up and down before returning to Tali. "Who did you bring with you?"

Tali sighed. "Agent DiNozzo, this is... my older sister, Ziva. The director of Mossad." His hazel eyes widened in surprise.

"Your... your sister... the... the direct..." Ziva studied the agent, before turning to Tali.

"Where is the Director's office?" Tali glanced over her shoulder.

"Up there." She pointed to the catwalk. Ziva nodded, pressing a kiss to her sister's cheek before heading up. Tony and Kate watched her go; Gibbs had gone out for coffee and had yet to return.

"That's your older sister?" Kate asked; Tali nodded, sighing.

"Ken. That is my older sister. That is Ziva." She wandered over to Delilah's desk, dropping into it, stomach in knots, waiting for Ziva to be escorted out of the Director's office in handcuffs, because God only knew if she'd lose her temper or manage to keep it in check.


Maura looked up in time to see the young woman stride towards the Director's office and grab the door handle. "Um, excuse me, but you... do you have an appointment?" Ziva glanced at her. "You can't go in there-" Without a word, the woman opened the door and slipped inside, ignoring the assistant's protests. She shut the door softly, studying the director from her place near the exit. He didn't seem like the hothead she'd encountered over video feed. A moment passed before she stepped forward, softly clearing her throat.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Maura-"

"I do not know what you tell... Maura, but I can bet that whatever she has to ask is not very important." Tim's head snapped up from his paperwork; he was surprised to see a woman standing on the other side of his desk, her hands behind her back. She looked familiar, but with the past week-

"I'm sorry... do I know..." A moment passed, before he realized who it was, sighing. "Officer David, you are supposed to be back in Israel-" The woman chuckled softly, lowering her head briefly.

"I can assure you, Director McGee, Tali will return to Israel when I see fit... and... I am not my little sister." She laid a hand on her chest. "Ziva." Tim narrowed his eyes.

"Ah, Director David." He stood, moving around his desk and holding out a hand. She took it, shaking firmly. "What are you doing here, in my territory?" She sighed, letting her gaze wander over him as he perched on the edge of his desk.

"We need to talk." He raised an eyebrow.

"You came all the way from Israel to talk?" She chuckled, licking her lips, her gaze slowly working its way over him once more, this time taking in every little detail she could see.

"It is about Talia." She replied, moving away and going to the sofa, keeping a good amount of distance between the two. The further away she was, the harder it would be for her to jump him like she desperately wanted to. He was even sexier in person; with that alabaster skin and those bright green eyes, he made his photograph pale in comparison. Tall, slender, he looked like someone who's quiet presence commanded a room whenever he stepped into one. She took a seat on the sofa, quickly finding herself the object of his study.

He moved away from the desk, wandering over to her, hands in his pockets. She was small, lithe, with olive skin and long dark hair pulled back in a slick, smooth ponytail. The grey pantsuit she wore with the red blouse and black heels accented her figure perfectly, but it was her dark eyes that enchanted him. "What about Officer David?" He perched on the table next to the sofa, meeting her gaze.

"I want Talia to remain here, to work counterterrorism with NCIS. It would be better if she were here than back at Mossad for now. With Ari's death, she will only be a target for the other agents and officers- because all in Mossad wanted the chance to track Ari Haswari down, and all were disappointed when I assigned Tali as his control officer- and I want to protect her as much as I can. So she is to remain here, under your jurisdiction." She stood, realizing that what she had planned to say, that her plan to chew him out, had gone out the window as soon as she looked into those beautiful green eyes.

"Why should I allow your sister to stay here, Director David? How would she benefit NCIS?" Ziva went to him, kneeling until they were eye to eye.

"She would be safe. I want my sister to be safe, Director McGee. I cannot lose another sibling." Tim narrowed his eyes, understanding.

"Another? Ari Haswari-" She nodded, standing.

"Ken. Yes. He is my half-brother, Tali's half-brother." She moved away from him, going to the window and leaning against it; the Washington Monument stood proud against the skyline. She took a deep breath, trying to relax. When she glanced over her shoulder, she found Tim perching on the edge of his desk, arms crossed. He waited, silent. A sigh escaped her lips, and she suddenly realized that this was going to be harder than she thought. "Why are you requesting that your sister be placed at NCIS, Director?"

A moment passed, before Ziva pushed herself away from the window, stopping inches from him. "She needs to get away from Mossad for a while, Director McGee. Away from me."

"Your brother was a Svengali, Director David." Tim whispered; he caught sight of something flashing in her dark eyes, and she choked on a breath.

"Like father, like son." She whispered, tears unwillingly choking her voice. The woman met his gaze, and he could see the tears in her eyes; silent, he reached out, taking her hand and squeezing gently. Her gaze moved down, and she sniffled, surprised, though she refused to let it show.

"How do I know you aren't trying to just dump your sister on NCIS to get rid of her?" Ziva met his gaze; they stood were inches apart now, if she leaned slightly closer-

"Because if I wanted to get rid of her, Director McGee, I would have killed her myself." Her dark eyes shifted quickly to his lips before meeting his gaze again. "She will be safe here. Please, Tim." The way her mouth, her lips, her breath, caressed his name, caused his heart to speed up. It was like listening to the sweetest melody.

Slowly, they closed the gap between them.