Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Thanks to skyjadeprincess and Reader for reviewing 24.

A pounding on the front door brought Ziva struggling out of the warmth of the bed and her husband's arms at six in the morning two months after Jackson's burial. Grabbing Tim's robe and pulling it on, she shuffled into the living room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she went. "I am coming! Hold your cows!"

"It's horses, Zi." Tim muttered, following her. The sudden loss of warmth had woken Tim up enough that the better option was to get up and start the day, as opposed to sleeping in like they'd decided to, for once. He stopped in the kitchen, starting the coffee as Ziva yawned and opened the door.

"What?" She snapped, causing the person on the other end to step back.

"Zivaleh-" As the sleep finally began to leave her mind, she registered who stood bed before her.

"Tali?" She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. "I... I am sorry, I just..." She yawned, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her husband's robe. "What are you doing here? It is six in the morn-"

"I know what time it is, Zivaleh." Tali cut her off. "I knew what time it was when I left the house this morning. But I have something to tell you, it's important."

"What is so important that you couldn't call us over the phone and wake us up that way, like normal people, instead of banging on our door at zero-six-hundred, Tali?" Tim asked, pouring three cups of coffee. Ziva nodded, glancing over her shoulder at her husband as he brought two mugs over to them, and handed Ziva one, before holding the other out to Tali.

"Tim does have a point, Ta-"

"Abba is in D.C., Zivaleh. He's looking for us." Her sister stopped, mid-sip, dark eyes snapping up.

"I... I am sorry... what did you say..." Tali nodded, glancing at her brother-in-law, tears in her eyes.

"Abba is in town, Ziva. He knows. He knows everything."

Once she was seated on the sofa, Tim wrapped her hands around the mug and then went to check on the children, giving the sisters privacy. "I... I am sorry, Tali, but... but that is impossible... he... he put a hit out on you and... and killed Ima and... disowned me, because I refused to abort the only tie to my husband. He... he does not know where we are... he..." Tali shook her head, setting her cup down on the table and taking her sister's hands. "How?"

Tali shrugged. "Does it really matter? He's our father, and the Director of Mossad. He has an entire team of spies and assassins at his disposal. One flick of the wrist..." Tali clutched her hands, squeezing so hard she dug her nails into her sister's flesh. She was shaking so badly, Ziva was afraid she'd end up having a seizure. Quickly, she wrapped an arm around her sister, holding her close. "He can't just... come back after all he's done. He destroyed our family... he killed Ima... he disowned you and Asher... he tried to kill me... he turned Ari into a monster... He cannot just come back and expect to pick up where he left off..."

Ziva looked up as Tim came back into the kitchen, dressed, and fixing the collar of his shirt. The boys were up and getting dressed, and Zipporah was settled on her father's hip, the only one- besides Ziva- still in her pajamas. As he poured himself a cup of coffee and joined them, Zipporah whimpered to get down, and once they reached the living room, Tim did as his daughter wanted and set her on her feet. She clutched at his pants leg, walking with his help. The sight of her only niece walking was enough to stem Tali's fear, however brief.

"She's walking?" She asked, as Tim took a seat in the armchair. Zipporah looked up at her father, before turning to Tali.

"Yeah. Still a little wobbly, so she uses one of us for help, but for the most part, she's walking on her own." His sister-in-law broke out in a smile.

"That's wonderful." She whispered. Tim chuckled, leaning towards Zipporah and giving her a gentle push towards her mother and aunt.

"Go to Tali Doda. Go on, Zip."

"'Zip'?" Tali asked, raising her eyebrows as the little girl came to her. Tim shrugged. "Please tell me you don't call your daughter that." She said, scooping the little girl up as she turned to her sister. Ziva snorted and shook her head.

"God no, that is Tim's name for her. That or sweetheart. But he calls the boys 'sweetheart' as well, so. Occasionally, he calls her Zippi, but more often it's 'Zip'. Zippi is Liron's name for her, and he has been quite adamant about him being the only person allowed to use that name for her, so Tim has shortened it." Tali chuckled softly.

"So what do you call her?" Ziva took a sip of her coffee and quickly set it down again, sitting back.

"Well..." She shrugged. "Ora. Or my songbird. Or just Zipporah." Tali nodded, thinking as she turned back to her niece. The little girl was playing with her necklace, and Tali gently brushed a hand over the dark curls on her niece's head.

"Ora. That's nice. Very pretty, Zivaleh." Her older sister gave her a small smile, reaching out and picking up at her cup. A moment passed, before Tali spoke again, voice soft and filled with fear. "What do we do? Now?" Her eyes filled with tears and she glanced between her sister and brother-in-law and back. "He knows where we are. He knows that... I survived the bombing and that you and Asher are here... and God only knows what he will do when he catches us. I am beginning to wonder if it would have been better had I died in that bombing..." She pressed a kiss to Zipporah's curls as Ziva reached out and grabbed her sister's hand, squeezing gently.

"Do not say that, Tali. We will think of something. Somehow, someway," Ziva assured her, catching Tim's gaze. "we will think of something."