Title: Help Her (Talk About It)
Summary: After being teased and bullied at school, 15-year-old Tali tries to be better, but in the worst -possible way. Daddy!Tony, Teenager!Tali. WARNING! Eating Disorder discussed.
Second Summary: Anorexia. For someone so very loved and adored like Tali David-DiNozzo, you would have never expected it to be associated. But when Tali is bullied and taunted at her American High School – it becomes too much and her self-esteem plummets. Resorting to what she believes to be the only way to gain self-worth, she tries to change the way she looks – losing weight with the help of an eating disorder. Thankfully, Ellie notices and tells Tony. With the love only a father can provide, Tony talks to Tali about it and helps her overcome.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: With this story, a request from SoapDramaCrimeGirl and I do not mean any disrespect, offence or to misrepresent anyone. This is the first time I've tackled a topic like this.
Ellie noticed it first. Tali was often 'babysat' by her when Tony was at work. Even though Tali was old enough to look after herself, Ellie volunteered to look after her. At first it was a few skipped meals with a 'I'm not hungry, I'll have something later' or 'I had a big lunch, so I'm not really hungry'. Ellie knew that the teenager was lying. But didn't have enough evidence to prove it. And if she said anything to Tony about it, if he confronted Tali and she denied it – then Ellie would be at a loss. Tali didn't need to do this, she already in good shape. Ellie knew that Tali wasn't sleeping well. She had dizzy spells that she thought no one noticed, Ellie had seen extra hair in the drain hole of her shower that she knew wasn't hers. She noticed what looked like menstrual bloating but she also noted the absence of any blood in Tali's underwear. Tali would be constantly going for runs or she'd shut herself in her room and hide away from the world, under the pretense of studying for test or exam.
Tali had the words ringing in her ears. Her self-esteem was already at rock bottom. It could get any lower. She had started to shake and she could feel the familiar burn of tears.
"You should go back to where you came from! You don't belong here," one person had sneered at her, while she was simply minding her own business.
"You're just a dirty…ugly…Israeli. Aba's little princess," another snarled – she had been washing her hands!
"You gonna set bomb at the school? You are a terrorist after all," she had been in science when this taunt came at her.
"Crawl back under your rock and make our lives all the better," this was laughed when she was going to her locker to get her books.
"Maybe you should off yourself! Make our lives easier." Walking the corridor to get to class on time.
"You're so fat…look at it – she's got love handles!" Getting changed for gym class – and this time she used the excuse that she was feeling unwell to get out of being there.
Tali could never understand how people could be so rude and hurtful. She'd had friends when she was in Paris with her father. But once they came to America, so her father could take a job at Bethesda Naval Hospital, she found it was harder to make friends. A lot of American children were wary of outsiders. They didn't trust anyone not born in the US or who had lived there for more than 20 years. Tali was 15 and had lived in Paris for heaven's sake! So what if she used the Hebrew words for mother and father – that wasn't a bad thing. Her mother had been born in Israel and her father America – so she had both in her blood. She could probably use 'Dad' now. It was just her and her father now but why couldn't she talk to him about the teasing and taunting she was getting?
"Tali? Dinner's ready!" Ellie had picked up Tali from school and was taking care of her while Tony was at work. Ellie had spaghetti a dish that was simple and she knew Tali liked. Particularly when her father made it. Tony had given it to Ellie that afternoon when he went to start his shift at the hospital.
"I'm not really hungry, Aunt Ellie." Tali replied. But she still came down to the kitchen, "it was taco day in cafeteria today – ate a little too much."
"Are you sure?" Ellie asked, Tali nodded and gave her a small smile.
"I'm sure. Just not hungry. I'm going to do my homework." Tali returned upstairs without a backwards glance. Ellie frowned; Tali was never not hungry and she knew it hadn't been Taco Day – they had one the week before and Tali hated tacos.
Ellie knew this kind of reaction; she'd seen it before but it had been a long time ago. She had a friend from elementary school, Danielle, who had suffered from anorexia when they were young and she had seemed to get over it when they were teenagers – until Danielle was 17 and committed suicide as her escape from the hurt and the suffering.
"Tali, what are you doing to yourself?" Ellie said to herself as she put Tali's untouched spaghetti in the fridge in case the teenager decided she wanted it later – but Ellie knew it was highly unlikely.
"Dani, what would you tell me to do? What do I do for Tali, that I couldn't do for you?" Ellie had been a teenager herself when her friend died and had witnessed most of the symptoms of anorexia. Now knowing them she could see the same signs in Tali. She was an analyst, so analyzing Tali would be easy but could she do that to such a loving and kind girl? Could she betray Tali's trust like that? No, Ellie decided, she couldn't and wouldn't do that to her friend's daughter. It would be up to Tony to talk to Tali about it. Maybe he could even discuss how to approach it with one of the other doctors they may have an idea on what he should say or do – but first Ellie had to inform him of her concerns.
"Are you sure?" Tony asked. He hadn't noticed anything unusual about Tali habits. He just figured if she wasn't hungry, she'd eat when she was.
"Nearly positive, Tony. She pushed her food around on her plate for an hour, before asking to be excused. Nick didn't notice, but I did. She's starving herself. I can see her ribs, and she declined to go swimming with us…she has never refused to go swimming." Ellie said.
"She loves to swim." Tony said, Tali had begged him for swimming lessons when they'd first returned to American when she was 6. After hearing of Ziva's death – truly this time – he had decided that America would be the best place for them, despite loving Paris, Tony and Tali had family in America.
"I couldn't even get her to go and lay outside in the sunshine." Ellie told him, "She's too pale and it's not healthy for a girl her age."
"That's not the daughter I raised." He muttered, he hated that he hadn't noticed, Tali was his little girl and here he was being told by an old co-worker that she was starving herself due to not feeling like she was worth anything.
"You're going to have to talk to her, Tony. I'm worried she's going to waste away. With what I have seen…it looks like anorexia. I know the signs; I lost a school friend to it." Ellie said.
"I didn't sign up for this." Tony sighed, he rubbed his face with his hands and ran them through his hair.
"You think anyone says 'I won't sign up if my daughter gets an eating disorder'? No one wants to face this, no one signs up for it! You can't choose not to face this! Tony this is your daughter!" Ellie snapped.
"Don't yell at me, Eleanor. I don't take orders from you. I'll talk to her, but I don't know if I can fix it." Tony growled.
"All I ask is that you talk to her." Ellie said, all anger gone. She didn't want to fight with him.
"Tonight. When she gets home." Tony promised.
Tali sat opposite her father at the dinner table that night. Tony watched as she pushed the food around on her plate. Ellie was right, Tali hadn't touched the food, just pushed it around so it looked like she was.
"Not hungry?" He asked, trying to sound casual and nonchalant.
She shrugged, "Not really." She replied.
"But it's your favourite." He said.
"I'm not hungry, ok Dad?" Tali snapped.
"Tali…what's going on?" He asked, trying a different approach.
"What do you mean?" She asked, now confused.
"What's going on, at school with your friends?" He asked.
Tali seemed surprised, "Oh. Not much really. Just normal stuff." She shrugged.
"Normal stuff? I was teenager once. I think I can keep up." He said.
"Who have you been talking to? You are never interested in my school stuff." Tali said, now accusing, someone had mentioned her bullying, they had to!
"Honey…Ellie was concerned about you." Tony said.
"Why? I'm not her problem." Tali said, getting up and walking away from the table.
Tony got up to follow her, "Tali. Sweetheart, she said that you were pushing your food around, like you are now. She said you refused to go swimming. You love swimming." He said.
"Yeah. I did." She agreed.
"Did? What changed?" He asked.
"You say I have friends. I have one. And one isn't enough to block out all the teasing and the taunts I get!" Tali spun around to face her father, tears shining her eyes.
"Tali – talk to me. You can tell me anything, you know that." Tony said.
"I'm not sure if I want to talk about this, Aba." Tali admitted.
"Tali…Ellie is worried, Nick is worried – therefore I am worried." Tony said.
"They don't have to be worried. There is nothing wrong." Tali said.
"Tali David-DiNozzo! You are not eating; you are far too thin. This is not healthy." Tony said, his 'father/drill sergeant' voice coming into play.
"No, Dad. Being fat isn't healthy. All those supermodels on TV, are they too skinny?" Tali asked.
"Yes, they are. Tali…have you been eating…at all?" He asked.
"No. I can't. I need to lose weight." She muttered, the tears were falling now, he'd broken that barrier down.
"Oh no honey…you are perfect the way you are. You don't have to be model skinny to be worth something. You are my daughter, and I am so proud of you for just being you. You don't have to be anything or anyone else but you, ok honey?" He said.
"But Dad…they all say I'm fat! They say I have love handles!" She whined, burying her head in his shoulder.
"Tali! You're skin and bone…you have no more weight to lose. You are beautiful, smart and funny. And you are very loved and adored by your family. By your Aunt Ellie and Uncles Nick, Tim and Leroy and Ducky and Jimmy and Kasie." Tony said, "you don't need to do this. Now…will you let me help you?" Tali looked at her father, she knew he would never lie to her so she gave him a weak smile and nodded, yes – she would let him help her.
"I spoke to her. We had a long talk, going on two weeks now." Tony said after he had greeted both Tim and Ellie with hugs. He had been working hard with Tali ever since, he made sure she ate – he had asked her 'friend' to keep an eye on her to make sure she ate and didn't binge and purge. She had given him reports via text that Tali was eating and doing her best to ignore the teasing.
"And?" Ellie asked.
"It'll be a long road, but I think we'll be getting somewhere. Though I am thinking of pulling her out and getting her home schooled or something." He said with a smile.
"Where is she?" Ellie asked, looking around for the usually bubbly 15-year-old.
"She's in the break room, with Gibbs. I hope he's making her eat. If anyone can, he can." Tony said, "I'm really hoping that we can come back from this and be better for it."
"Is it weird being back here?" Tim asked.
"A little, but I called the hospital and asked for the week off. Haven't had a day off since I started so they let me have the week." Tony said.
"Lucky you, oh I think they're coming back." Nick said spotting Tali and Gibbs.
"Dad! You'll never guess!" Tali cried running up to him, it was like she was 10 again and excited to tell him he score on a spelling test.
"Probably not, Tali." He joked.
"She ate everything I put in front of her." Gibbs told him.
"Thanks, Jethro." Tony said shaking his hand.
"Dad! Uncle Leroy said he'd go with us!" Tali said, bouncing excitedly on the ball of her feet, all were glad to see the 15-year-old return almost to normal.
"Where to?" Nick asked.
"We're taking Uncle Leroy to see a football game, right Dad?" Tali grinned.
"We sure are, you ready to go, Jethro?" Tony asked.
"I'm ready." His old boss agreed.
"Let's go, Dad! We're gonna miss the game!" Tali cried tugging on Tony's arm.
"Before we run off, Tali is there something you want to say to Ellie?" Tony said, Tali let her shoulders droop and turned to Ellie with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Ellie." Tali said.
"It's ok Tali. I'm just glad you're okay." Ellie said giving the teenager a hug.
"Yeah. Can we go swimming?" Tali asked with a grin.
"Of course, we can. Saturday afternoon?" Ellie replied. The trio of game-goers laughed and bid the rest of the team goodbye before leaving to watch Tali's first ever live football game.
A/N: Considerably shorter than I wanted but it's done. Again, if I have offended, misrepresented or disrespected anyone, I apologize, I have not had an eating disorder and I admire anyone who does and comes out the other side.
Ellie's friend – Danielle – is based off my friend who had anorexia and died because of it.