NCIS - When the hour came
Title: When the hour came
Author: odette_river
Fandom: NCIS
Characters: Ziva David, Tali David
Rating: PG
Word Count: 319
Summary: "Will you hate me if I don't?"
Notes: It's short. But there you have it.
The last thing she and Tali ever talk about is not men. It's not about their brother, who they never see anymore. It's not about the boy down the street who was killed a month ago. It's not even about their father, who doesn't deserve to be discussed but most often is. The last thing she and Tali ever talk about is Tali herself.
"I'm scared," Tali says over a lunch that Ziva will not be able to remember. Her hand is clasped around a glass of water and later that is all Ziva will see: that water, and blood.
"Don't be," Ziva says, in a way that could be taken as brusque, if she were talking to anyone else, even Ari.
"I try not to, but-- Ziva, I don't want to do what you do."
"You won't have to. There are many--"
Tali shakes her head. "No. I don't want any of it." She takes her hand away from the water that she is never going to drink.
"I know," Ziva says. Her sister is not like her. Tali still cries for the boy down the street. Tali cries for everyone.
"Will you hate me if I don't?" Tali asks. Her voice is soft, but her eyes are hard.
"Of course not," Ziva says.
But Tali shakes her head. That's not good enough. "You'll forgive me, but will you hate it?"
"No," Ziva says. "I'll hate you if you choose this."
Tali sighs.
Later, Ziva will realize that's exactly what she needed to hear, but now it doesn't seem like enough. "Tali, I will make sure that you do whatever you want, no matter what anyone else thinks."
"I just want people to be happy," Tali says, and Ziva thinks that's what they all want, but Tali's the only one who deserves to live in that world.
Less than twenty-four hours later, she is dead.
Author: odette_river
Fandom: NCIS
Characters: Ziva David, Tali David
Rating: PG
Word Count: 319
Summary: "Will you hate me if I don't?"
Notes: It's short. But there you have it.
The last thing she and Tali ever talk about is not men. It's not about their brother, who they never see anymore. It's not about the boy down the street who was killed a month ago. It's not even about their father, who doesn't deserve to be discussed but most often is. The last thing she and Tali ever talk about is Tali herself.
"I'm scared," Tali says over a lunch that Ziva will not be able to remember. Her hand is clasped around a glass of water and later that is all Ziva will see: that water, and blood.
"Don't be," Ziva says, in a way that could be taken as brusque, if she were talking to anyone else, even Ari.
"I try not to, but-- Ziva, I don't want to do what you do."
"You won't have to. There are many--"
Tali shakes her head. "No. I don't want any of it." She takes her hand away from the water that she is never going to drink.
"I know," Ziva says. Her sister is not like her. Tali still cries for the boy down the street. Tali cries for everyone.
"Will you hate me if I don't?" Tali asks. Her voice is soft, but her eyes are hard.
"Of course not," Ziva says.
But Tali shakes her head. That's not good enough. "You'll forgive me, but will you hate it?"
"No," Ziva says. "I'll hate you if you choose this."
Tali sighs.
Later, Ziva will realize that's exactly what she needed to hear, but now it doesn't seem like enough. "Tali, I will make sure that you do whatever you want, no matter what anyone else thinks."
"I just want people to be happy," Tali says, and Ziva thinks that's what they all want, but Tali's the only one who deserves to live in that world.
Less than twenty-four hours later, she is dead.