So thinking about this now; this should have gone on the end of the first chapter.. And it still might. I might merge the first two chapters later. I was expecting this to be a little longer.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Ziva walked to her room and changed to her pyjamas before creeping into her bed. She grabbed the thin children's novel off the side table along with her flash light and sliding down her bed enough to hold the covers over her head.
Just as she began to get into the book from where she left off, the covers were suddenly missing. As she jumped in surprise, the flash light cluttered to the rug covered, wooden floor with a muffled noise and the book fell to her chest before to the mattress. She looked up with a slightly sheepish look at the intruder before it changed to one of anger.
"What do you want?" she spat at her alleged older half brother.
"Just come to say goodnight," he smiled at her.
"Goodnight," she said as she sat up and pulled the quilt to her chin. The man sat on the edge of the bed, picking up her light and handing it to her.
"I'm guessing you're meant to be going to sleep?" he asked.
"You are not allowed to tell Ima," she said, "she will not be happy."
"So you're the eldest and you have to go to bed before you little sister," he stated.
"Ima told me to, but I don't want to, so I am reading," she told him as she pulled the book from under her covers to show him.
"Good book?" he asked.
"It is okay," she shrugged as she flicked through the pages.
"Is everything okay?" he asked after watching her for a moment.
"Why do you care?" she shot back.
"You don't look happy," he observed as she watched his little sister.
Ziva looked up into his sincere eyes before looking away, "They always do it," she said.
"Do what?"
"Argue, when they do they ignore Tali and me," she said a shade of sadness in her voice.
"What are they about?" he asked.
"I shouldn't talk to you about Abba and Ima. I do not know you."
"You know what?" he said as he found a piece of scrap paper and a pen lying on her side table and scribbled a number on it, "If you change your mind and want to talk, you can call me."
"I don't want to talk to you."
"Does Tali talk to you?" he asked.
"Sometimes, when she isn't being mean to me."
"Is that why you stole her toy?"
"She dared me that I wouldn't!" Ziva defended her arms over her chest.
"I think you should try and get some sleep," he stated.
"Why? It's only seven," she replied.
"You were told to go to bed after dinner," he said.
"What am I doing? Sneaking out of my room?" Ziva smartly said.
"So I'm guessing that this isn't the first time you've done this then," he stated.
"No," she replied, "why are you here?" she asked.
"To meet my little sisters."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I have no family aside for you, little Talia and our father," he said.
"It sucks being the eldest," she said, "you get blamed for everything and they can pull pranks on you and not get in trouble," a playful glint flashed through her eyes, followed by a cheeky grin.
"Oh, no, don't you even think about it," he laughed.
"Why not?" she asked, "I'm not eldest any more," she said.
"I'll let you in on a little secret," he said leaning forward and talking to her, "you were never the eldest."
"I'm the eldest girl," she argued.
"Yes-"
"And I am the eldest for Ima," she said.
"Yes-"
"So your secret is not true. I am still the eldest."
"Not the eldest David," he said.
"No," she simply said.
"No?"
"Yes."
"And how do you figure that?" he asked.
"Because your last name is Haswari."
"But, your father is my father which means I have David blood - which means I am the eldest," he said and watched as she yawned, "you should sleep."
"I'm not tired," she argued.
"I think you are."
"Are you going to leave like Abba does?" she asked, "because if you're our brother than you should live with us and not disappear for days - sometimes months at a time," she said.
"Well I go to university in Europe," he said, "but, I'm not going anywhere for a while."
"Good," she said.
"Good night Ziva," he said as she turned to her side while he walked to her door, shutting it behind himself.
A few hours later, the door to Ziva's room opened and small footsteps sounded as they walked towards her: "Ziva?" a soft voice said as a hand reached out and tapped her face.
"Tali, what?" Ziva demanded looking at her little sister who had tracks from tears on her face and unshed tears in her eyes.
"They are fighting again," she stated as she pulled back the covers on her sisters bed as Ziva moved further to the other side of the small bed.
"About what?" Ziva asked as she watched her sister take half the quilt and tuck it under her chin.
"I don't know. I wasn't listening. But Abba was yelling and it was scaring me. I think that man is still here. Ima was saying something about he shouldn't have been introduced to us. What do you think? I like him I think he can buy us lots of stuff."
"I don't think he will be buying lots of stuff. He lives in Europe."
"So? There are other things to buy in Europe."
Ziva closed her eyes and tried tuning out their parents yelling that she wasn't aware of until a few moment previous.
"How long do you think it will be next time Abba goes away?" Tali asked as Ziva began to fall back asleep.
"I don't know, but I hope it's not long," Ziva said, "I wonder if Ari will stay here when Abba leaves. Then he can do things that big brothers are supposed to do," she added.
"What do big brothers do?" Tali asked.
"Look after their little sisters, and protect them from people who might hurt them."
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