Just in case you're wondering what Hasmia looks like, kinda imagine a young Ella Eyre with Ari's eyes. Also I am not sure what it is like being homeless in Israel, but this is fantasy so just go with ;)
"Shhh Hasmia, come on girl, come back to me," Tony softly encouraged. He had again woken to a sharp cry, following my banging, she was thrashing in the bed, kicking the wall on occasion. He raced over to her, holding her wrists gently as he slid underneath her, so her head and shoulders were on his lap, hugging her shaking frame close. He had come to genuinely care for this girl, as if she really was his daughter, the thought of her being in pain scared him. Slowly he felt her relax in his arms, subtle movements showed she had finally woken.
"You can let me go Tony," She quietly muttered.
Tony obliged, releasing her wrists, but not moving out from under her, Hasmia had rolled onto her side, her back nestled against Tony's abdomen. "Wanna talk about it?" He gently asked.
He felt her stiffen sat the suggestion, "Not now."
"Whatever you want, but what I want is some hot chocolate, and believe me! You are looking at the hot chocolate king!" He grinned down at her, attempting to lighten the mood.
Hasmia smiled, despite herself, "I haven't had hot chocolate in years, I can't even remember what it tastes like," She said weakly, whilst Tony rubbed her shoulder tenderly.
"Well then you're in luck! McGook can't even order Gibbs' coffee properly!" He laughed, as Hasmia sat up, rubbing her eyes, Tony noticed that her hair was sticking to her skin slightly. "Want a shower?"
"I am not dirty," Hasmia replied, confused.
Tony opened his mouth to reply, but stopped himself, "Meet you in the kitchen."
Hasmia paused once he had left, getting up out of bed, she was wearing a oversized plain tee shirt and some boxers, her burnt legs extremely obvious to her. She quickly put some cargo pants over them. She walked quietly down the hall, wondering if Ziva was really that good of a Mossad Officer, she still appeared to be sleeping, her Abba woke at the smallest of things, a cough, flushing the toilet, even a alley cat could wake him sometimes. She didn't know that Tony and Ziva had woken, but he had convinced Ziva to go back to sleep. Hasmia pushed the memory away, making her way to the kitchen, finding Tony pouring hot water into two cups. He was boiling milk in a small pan, adding what looked like sugar and a vanilla bean.
He saw her entering, "You want marshmallows in yours?" He had two in his mouth already.
Hasmia shrugged, "Does it make them taste better?"
"Uh yeah! Ok so you can have four, two pink and two white, I always have white ones because, well you know I am a man and all."
"Are you suggesting I am part man?" Hasmia slyly asked.
Tony took the pot off the heat, "I uh, well your hair is a little like a lion mane, only the guys have those." He saw the look she gave him, "But I like it, it is different, not straightened to death. It's you."
"Nice covering up there," She joked, noticing how it seemed only Tony could bring her out of her shell. He slid over the counter a mug, filled with steaming chocolate broth, they took it outside to the outdoor recliners, the hot cups keeping them warm, as they sit back and watch the stars overhead.
"This is really good," Hasmia sighed with pleasure after a mouthful.
Tony grinned, "Yeah, my title isn't on my resumé for nothing!" He joked, but by the slightly blank expression he got in return he guessed Hasmia didn't understand. "Resumé, it's French, full term Curriculum Vitae, also known as a CV, basically all your achievements, you bring it with ya when you apply for a job." He quickly explained.
Hasmia nodded an understanding, "You know what happened to my mother don't you?" She suddenly asked, not looking up from her cup.
Tony shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah, the night you came, Ziva was trying to find where Ari had gone when he left Tel Aviv, she kinda read more than she wished to," He awkwardly stated quietly. "I'm sorry about all the crap you've been through Mia." He knew that his apology could do nothing, but he hoped she might find it comforting.
"Not your fault," She simply replied, eyes clouded over slightly, drink long forgotten, "I think I am ready to talk, but you don't have to, you can go to bed, I can see the darkness under your eyes," She looked up at him, wether she meant to or not her own eyes reflected her need for comfort, for understanding, Tony would never leave her in a moment like this.
"Just take your time, I won't be going to sleep anytime soon, Ziva snores."
Hasmia drew a deep breath, "When I was eleven Abba left, he said he had to go to America for work, I didn't even know what he did for Mossad, but I believed he was helping better the world. He never came home, it was just as if he had evaporated. Ima had no education, no skills, nothing, so she could not get a job, we were evicted. I had to stop going to school because we couldn't afford the fees. In Israel the homeless are not cared for like in America, so I had to steal to get food, I became good at it, I could take a phone from your pocket and you wouldn't notice. We got by, ended up making a small, shelter of sorts in a alleyway made of metal tin sheets. We had nothing, but a small flute that Abba had given Ima for a wedding gift, she loved to play it, cold, lonely nights would be full of music. We had nothing but we were happy enough, even though I was never once not hungry. Years past, and then one night eight men came down the alleyway and my life changed." Tony saw how stiff she was, eyes completely glazed over, mind retelling a story he wished he didn't have to know. He reached out and squeezed her hand reassuringly.
She paused, blinking away the flashback, "They were drunk and wanted fun, Abba had taught me how to fight, but I was out numbered, there was nothing I could do." Tears began to slowly leak out of her hazel eyes. "They said I wanted it, that I was a whore, they held me down, I couldn't fight them, I just couldn't." She sobbed loudly, Tony dragged his chair closer, wrapping an arm protectively around Hasmia, rocking her back and forth gently. She tried to keep going, but couldn't talk properly due to her crying.
"Shush Mia," Tony comforted.
She suddenly pushed away, "No, I need to talk." She firmly said. "They wanted to leave their mark, to make me their's, we had a small fire going, they-" She stood, her cargo pants were over her boxers, she pulled the drawstring, letting them fall to the ground. The wattled scars were obvious, even in the dim lighting. She purposely didn't look at them, or Tony, she didn't want to see the disgust that she knew would be in his eyes.
Tony's eyes widened, he couldn't speak, these men had burned her, held her legs down over the hungry flames. Bastards. He saw how Hasmia's gaze was fixed firmly at the ground, shame evident in her hazel orbs, "Mia, look at me," He ordered gently. Slowly her gaze met his, "This wasn't your fault, there is nothing shameful about them."
"They are hideous." She spat.
"They are strength," He reassured, she looked confused, "To be able to move past such pain, and still laugh, albeit not much, but still laugh, you trust me?"
She nodded mutely.
"You were hurt, by men, yet you trust me. You are strength, they are strength." He pulled her into a tight embrace, as the sobs returned, wracking her small frame.
"I am scared," She eventually murmured.
"You're safe Mia," Tony comforted.
She shook her head, "No! They were angry after! They want to kill me!" She blurted out.
Tony paused, 'After what?', "Mia, why would they want to kill you?" He carefully asked.
"A few days after, I," She hesitated, "Ran away from Child Services, I saw one of the men, he was getting out of his car, once he left I cut his breaks, but I swear I didn't want him to die!"
Tony pulled away, "He died?!"
She nodded, "Car crash," The tears began falling again, she was again sobbing, clutching onto Tony's night shirt desperately. Eventually she finished, "Let's go back to bed, OK?"
She again just nodded, following him back inside, letting him wrap her up in her warm duvet.
"Hush little baby don't say a word," He paused, "Tony's gonna buy you a mockingbird." She smiled faintly, "And if that mockingbird don't sing, Tony's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond turns brass, Tony's gonna buy you a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke, Tony's gonna buy you a billy goat." She nestled down deeper into her rugs, "And if that billy goat won't pull, Tony's gonna buy you a cart and bull. And if that cart and bull turn over, Tony's gonna buy you a dog named Rover," Tony smiled at her, as her eyelids became heavy, "And if that dog named Rover won't bark, Tony's gonna buy you a horse and cart. Hush little baby don't say a word, Tony's gonna buy you a mockingbird."
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS
Hasmia came to work with Ziva and Tony a lot more prepared the next day. She had all the books Ziva had given her, a computer disk Tony had given her, it was meant to help her to learn how to read English along headphones which were another gift from Tony, a pad of paper and a pillow incase she got tired. She glanced across the bullpen, both Tony and Ziva were having a meeting up in The Director's office, probably in regards to bringing a teenager to work. Agent Gibbs was getting coffee and again she was alone with Agent McGee, who smiled at her, nervously anticipating her to run off again.
"Sorry about yesterday Agent McGee," Hasmia finally said after a few minutes of debating herself wether or not to apologise.
He looked up, "It's fine, you must have just been bored."
She huffed, "VERY bored."
He spied the disk she was holding in her hand, she had barely ever used a computer and the simple task seemed nearly impossible, "What's the disk?"
"It is from Tony, it is meant to help me learn how to read and write English, but I don't know how to use this thing," She sighed, slightly embarrassed.
McGee stood, "Oh, you can't read or write?"
Hasmia's jaw clenched angrily, "Yes I can read and write both Hebrew and Arabic, but not English, how many languages are you entirely fluent in?!"
McGee turned bright red, "I mean, uh, you want me to set it up for you?"
"Please." She said, pushing the computer chair back away from the desk, so McGee could easily take the disk from Hasmia, showing her the slot that it slid into, clicking the correct icon and how to change volume, also where the headphones connected. She nodded a thanks as he left and sat back down. Pulling out the pad of paper to do the exercises and finding a pen near the computer she pressed play.
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS
"You need to find a school for Hasmia, it will not work for her to stay at NCIS everyday." Vance informed them, hands intertwined behind his desk, the two agents in front of them he knew would be difficult to convince.
They glanced at each other, "Director she has not been to school in years!" Ziva was the first to voice her objections.
"I know, I read her file, I know all that you know."
"Everything?" Tony asked carefully.
Vance sighed, "Sadly yes, and I understand your hesitation to send her to school."
"Then why are you making us?" Ziva angrily responded.
"What happened yesterday is a classic example of why having a child around is not a good idea," He firmly answered.
Ziva scoffed, "She is barely a child!"
Yeah c'mon Vance, no need to be the bad guy here," Tony added.
Gibbs opened the door, strolling in casually, empty coffee cup in hand, he dumped it in the bin. "You guys argue that she hasn't been to school in years. So? Shouldn't this be a second chance for her?" He sternly asked.
"But Gibbs, she will be very far behind," Ziva worriedly replied, understanding though what Gibbs was saying.
"Get her a tutor, she doesn't have to be in the top classes, most large public and I would say all private schools will offer options for her." He more sincerely added.
"Fine, give us a month?" Tony asked.
Vance paused, then nodded, "Very well," He handed Tony a visitors card, there wasn't a photo but her name was printed on it, "I thought she might need that to get around for a while."
"Thanks Director," Ziva gushed, Tony just shook his hand, they left, smiles plastered to their faces. Gibbs stayed behind, saying her had to talk to Vance.
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS
"She snores," Tony stated as they entered the bullpen, hand in hand, Hasmia was leaning, face down on a pillow, which she had put on Ziva's desk. He looked at his girlfriend, "I cannot believe you two are related." He added sarcastically, not looking away from her sleeping form.
Ziva jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, "I bet she can could kill you with that pillow," She smugly replied, walking over to McGee. "How long has she been sleeping?"
"About an hour, after you left she started those English exercises but soon got bored and took a nap. I had to help her insert the disk Ziva, it was like she had never used a computer," He blurted, unaware of Hasmia's past.
"Until yesterday, she hadn't," Ziva mutters as she wonders wether or not to wake Hasmia.
Gibbs wheeled in, making up her mind for her, "Gear up, double homicide in Maryland."
Hasmia jerked awake, hair fallen completely over her, still half closed, eyes, "Huh?"
Gibbs smirked as Hasmia blew a gap between her new long fringe, "You, with me," He held up a finger, beckoning her to follow, she glanced at Ziva, who shrugged her confusion, before following the Marine down the elevator, ending up outside the forensics lab. "Be good kiddo," He gently says, going to leave then coming back to Hasmia, to lift a stray curl form her face, then going back to the elevator.
Hasmia sighed, Abby seemed nice, but very social, and Hasmia wanted nothing else than to curl up and go to sleep. Eventually she went inside the blaring music. This time Abby was at her desk, retying her pigtail, she spotted Hasmia immediately, grinning broadly she finished her hair and leaped over towards her.
Today Abby seemed to be dressed more normal, but that was probably due to her having a white lab coat over her usually dark clothes. "Hey! What brings you to Labby?!" She happily cried.
Hasmia rubbed her eyes, "Agent Gibbs sent me here, they have a case." She simply replied.
"Oh, well that's good, I was getting bored, so was Major MasPec. Well I guess it's not good good, more good bad. Good that I am no longer going to be bored, but bad because, well someone has died, and I would hate-"
"Two deaths."
"That's so bad! Not good bad, but bad bad!"
Hasmia nodded, "Oh I interrupted something last night."
Abby paused, then excitedly jumped up and down, "What? Not sexy time?"
She laughed, "No, Tony had his arms around Ziva, they were laughing and he whispered into her ear."
"What did he say?!"
She shrugged, "Didn't hear, then Ziva took me shopping and-"
Abby folded her arms, a grumpy expression on her face, "Ziva took you shopping?!"
"She is my Aunt," Hasmia added.
"But she hates shopping! I love it! She should've asked me to come!" Abby pined.
"Sorry?" Hasmia was taken aback, Abby seemed very bi-polar, happy one second, desperate the next, then mad, and straight back to happy again.
Abby shrugged, "It's fine, when I was eight and three quarters I once wanted this really cute dog collar so much…"
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS
"Boss, what exactly happened?!" Tony asked as soon as they got to the crime scene. It was a old backyard shed, in a broken neighbourhood, empty house and lawns that had probably never been mowed. Inside the shed, he was told, were two freshly deceased woman, both naked. They had clearly been tortured, large sections of there skin missing, whip lashes marred their bodies, their lower limbs had been burnt by a large fire.
Gibbs didn't reply until they reached the shed, which was surrounded in various agents, crime scene detectives and probationary agents. He pointed to a smeared message on the side of the shed in Arabic, it had been scrawled in blood, "David," He ordered.
She calmly stood next to him, studying the text, her face turned pale, she took a step back. Silently shaking her head, unable to say what the words stated.
Tony was immediately at her side, "Ziva, what is it babe?" He asked, eyes full of care, battling to gaze into Ziva's whose were full of pain and fear.
"It, it says this is revenge for the death of Ahmed Hussain, there will be more deaths until Hasmia Haswari is handed over, you will be contacted with further details, god Tony, what could she have done?" Ziva all but collapsed into Tony's embrace, the only thing keeping her middy composed was the fact she knew she couldn't loose it at a crime scene.
Tony's eyes had fixated on the Arabic scrawl, he didn't fully understand what Hasmia had done, only that she had gotten revenge for what had happened to her and her mother, but a man had died. Now this man, who supposedly must have had some close friends, was being avenged. Tony knew that for them to track her down and come all the way over here, they meant business.
Hasmia was in terrible danger.
DUHN DUHN DUHN! Hope you didn't find that too painful! It's cool how Hasmia is just starting to open up!
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