Ziva walked to school, leaving the house before anyone had even woken up; hoping to avoid Nimrod and his friends in the early hours of the morning. She hadn't confronted her father about the night of the recital, Eli hadn't brought it up either and it was weeks ago, he had forgotten. She arrived at school unscathed but didn't leave that way.
She barely made it home that night, battered, bleeding, and bruised.
Ari was in the study with his father so she tried to sneak through the house to the bathroom but Tali saw her before she collapsed in the hallway. Tali may have been two years younger than Ziva but she was not stupid, she helped her limp to the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
"Ziva, what happened to you?" she whispered.
"Creative differences with my class mates." She mumbled, wincing as she tried to sit up. Tali pushed her down again.
"Stay here, I'll be back soon."
"Can't go anywhere else." Ziva groaned. She couldn't take much more of this, if she didn't do anything soon this would kill her.
Tali came back with a basin full of warm water, a face washer and a bottle of stinging antiseptic. She gently wiped at the dried blood and dirt on her sisters face and dabbed at the nasty looking grazes and cuts. She handed the washer to Ziva and she started to clean up her arms and legs while Tali spread the nasty smelling antiseptic to her injuries. The sting brought her out of her animate state but it didn't hurt more than the throbbing that was flooding through her body.
"Aba didn't say anything about not going to your recital did he?" asked Tali.
"No... I think he forgot, just like every other time. All those other times he didn't promise though, he is a liar, one day I'll be able to tell when someone is lying to me and if they do I'll lie back at them and see how they feel."
Tali shook her head sadly. Ziva was the middle child, she was the one who got hurt on both sides. Hannah David had doted on Tali, the youngest, Eli David spent time with his oldest, only son. There was never room for Ziva. Now, even when Hannah was dead, there was room in Eli's heart for Tali but still none for Ziva.
Later that night, Ziva crept into Ari's room.
"Ari?" she whispered from the door.
"What Ziva?"
"Will you teach me how to fight?"