Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: And now, we find out the reason why Ziva's turned so cold...
Thanks to Zyid137 for reviewing 4; Jar, Bookloverz22, earthdragon, Reader and Toni Michelle for reviewing 9; and puppypants for reviewing 1, 5 and 9.
"We need to talk, Officer David." Tali glanced at Tony, Kate and Gibbs the following morning, before getting up and following Tim to his office. Once the door closed behind them, Tim gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa in the corner. He quickly poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to her as he sat by her side.
"What... what do you want to talk about, Director?" She sipped her coffee, feeling his green eyes studying her intently.
"I need to know about your relationship with your father, and why your... sister is the way she is." Tali stopped, mid-sip, glancing at him. He waited, and after a moment, she lowered the mug and wrapped her hands around it. A soft sigh escaped her throat, and she glanced at him.
"Why?"
"Because I want to know who I'm dealing with."
"So, instead of going to the source, you go to me?" Tali met his gaze, uneasy. Tim shrugged, setting his mug on the low coffee table.
"She's your sister. You know her better than anyone." The young woman took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She mentally weighed her options; on the one hand, if she told Director McGee, he'd probably go after her sister with a pitchfork. On the other, Ziva would kill her.
"Our mother... she died when Zivaleh was... fourteen. I was twelve. Killed, in a suicide bombing in Ammon. Ziva was... exceedingly close to Ima. When she died..." Tali swallowed thickly. "Ziva turned in on herself, you Americans would say."
"She closed herself off." Tali nodded.
"Became... pro... promis.."
"Promiscuous." Tim whispered. Again, the girl nodded, choking on a sob. "Because your mother died?"
"Ziva valued Ima's opinion above anyone else's, Director McGee. Followed Ima around like a... like a dog, begging for dinner. And Ima doted on her; wouldn't allow Abba to touch her, let alone shape her into the assassin he wanted. They were closer than... anyone I have ever met." Tim watched as the light in Tali's eyes faded slightly and she lowered her head, studying the mug in her hands.
"So your sister was the favorite, was your mother's favorite." Tali nodded, confirming silently.
"When Ima died..." She swallowed, glancing up at him. Tears glistened in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away, turning back to her hands. "Ziva was ripe for the plucking."
"Picking." Tim gently corrected.
"Abba... Abba started grooming her for Mossad; she was only twelve, but... it didn't matter. With Ima out of the way... he would have his assassin. And Ziva... Ziva sought revenge."
"For your mother's death?" Again, Tali nodded.
"She... never has... found the people who... who killed Ima... but..." The girl drew a shaky breath. "But she... she tries..."
"So... this... going after Ari, and the way she acts towards you and... how she runs Mossad..."
"She thinks... if she tries hard enough... if she searches long enough, and... focuses on.. on other terrorists... on troublemakers... on... then maybe..."
"Maybe she'll find your mother's killer?"
"Yes." Tali met his gaze, forcing herself to turn from the mug in her hands once more. "Ziva... she really isn't... she is... she is sweet, Director McGee, and kind, it's just... she has become so focused on... on finding Ima's killers that..."
"It's taken over her life." Tim whispered, and Tali nodded, whimpering softly. He gently laid a hand on Tali's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Thank you, Officer David. You can go." Without a word, Tali left, rushing down the stairs once she'd reached the catwalk. Tim sighed, getting up after a moment. He knew all about wanting revenge, he'd witnessed it first hand; when Mike Franks- Gibbs's mentor- had been murdered, the Team Leader had gone on a manhunt, searching for the killer. He'd gotten the guy, but it had nearly destroyed him in the end. As he went to the window, he stopped, glancing at his phone. Without hesitating, he picked it up, dialing quickly.
Ziva looked up from the window of the hotel. Tali dropped her bag by the door and wandered over to her, hands in the pockets of her coat. She stopped feet from her sister, studying the older girl silently. "What is bouncing around in your head so intensely?" Tali remained silent, and Ziva turned back to the window. "You will give yourself a headache if you don't stop thinking for once, Talia."
"Like you, and Director McGee?" Ziva released the curtain, turning from her study of the horizon and towards her baby sister. Her dark eyes narrowed.
"I am sorry?"
"Did you sleep with him? Last night." Ziva moved away, heading for the bed and grabbing her jacket. "I told him, Zivaleh." Her sister stopped. "About Ima. About how... all you are doing is... searching for revenge... by disposing of every threat you can think of. He asked me, Ziva. I had to tell him. He needed to know. He needed to know so he won't get involved with you. Because all you will do is kill him." Her sister turned, dark eyes narrowing. "Please, tell me you did not sleep with Director McGee."
"What if I did, Tali? What is it to you?" Tears came to the younger woman's eyes, and she took a shaky breath.
"This has to stop, Ziva. You will never catch them; you will die before you do. I know you were close to Ima, but... but Ima is gone, Zivaleh. And Ari is gone. And Abba is all but dead to us. Please, stop. I... I cannot lose you too."
"Ari knew, Tali!" Ziva replied, stepping up to her sister. "He knew who killed her! He knew where they were! He had their location... I was this close!" She cried, holding up her fingers. "I was going to take him back to Israel and have him hand over the information!
"And then kill him? Ziva, he was our brother!"
"Our brother was gone!" She snapped. "He died a long time ago, Tali! Abba turned him into the monster, not me! I didn't do it to him! I used him, I almost had what I needed to catch Ima's killers, and your bullet, your shot took that away!" She pushed her sister; Tali stumbled, but regained her balance, meeting her sister's eyes. "She was our mother, Talia." The older woman ground out, before turning and storming from the room, slamming the door.