Tiva tales

Road Trip

"Are we nearly there yet?" A voice whines from the back-seat.

"Nearly." Ziva says, adjusting her seatbelt and peering round the battered head rest to get a better view of her two children. 

Zehavi has half a bag of popcorn spilt in his lap and his dark brown hair is static from being rubbed against the seat - Ziva can clearly see how tired and fed up he is from the bags under his eyes and the way he avoids eye contact with her. Instead he chooses to stare out the window looking grumpy with his arms crossed.

Talya on the other hand is fast asleep, sucking her thumb. Her curly brown hair is draped on the tatty old teddy she is clutching to her chest in one hand. She seems peaceful enough and Ziva decides it is a good idea to try and keep quiet so as not to disturb her.

It has been a long car journey; somehow Tony managed to take the wrong interstate exit twice - after both times Ziva tried to insist she should drive but her husbands argument was that he wanted his family to live.

Suddenly Ziva feels a blunt force in her back. "Zehavi do not kick my chair." She warns, without bothering to look at him; instead Tony takes on the role of bad cop and gives his son a steely glare in the mirror. Ziva; although she would never show it, sympathises with her son, she knows what it is like to be trapped somewhere you don't want to be. But she also knows violence is only a temporary solution to a larger problem. In the past two weeks Zehavi has had three phone calls home regarding fights he has been in with boys in his class. His parents have been trying desperately to teach him the power of words and self-control but it is not an easy task when they themselves are required to use violence and force in their jobs everyday.

With tensions running high between Tony, Ziva and their son a road-trip where they are all stuck in a confined space for twelve hours wasn't exactly the first thing either party would have chosen but Tony is determined to make it work. "Why don't you watch a film?" He says. Zehavi's eyes light up. "We brought all the classics." Tony adds. Zehavi squirms in his seat and is about to announce which film he wants to watch when a faint cry sounds next to him; he shifts in his seat to see his little sister has dropped her teddy on the floor and rolls his eyes. 

"Pick it up for her." Ziva orders. "She cannot reach." Talya is now sobbing and waving her arms in front of her, pointing at the abandoned toy. Reluctantly her brother leans over and grabs it for her, picking the remnants of popcorn out of its' dishevelled fur. As soon as his sister has it back in her grasp she stops sobbing and Ziva breathes a sigh of relief; grateful that the situation did not escalate. 

Peace and happiness restored Talya quietly chirps "Nemo."

"No." Zehavi responds. "We are going to watch a classic." 

"NEMO." Talya shouts... when no-one responds to her raised voice the little girls bottom lip starts to quiver. Tony catches sight of it in the mirror.

"Hey. We don't negotiate with children who terrorize." He states. His daughter momentarily forgets about crying and has to attempt to cover the cheeky grin forming on her face. Talya is used to getting her own way, at home there are strict boundaries but out and about people are sucked in by the teddy, thumb sucking and cute bow in her hair - if they actually paid attention the would notice the cheeky grins and sideways glances but often they are oblivious. However when it comes to temper tantrums Talya knows how to terrorize; banging her tiny combat boots on the floor over and over again. Unfortunately this tactic rarely actually works on her parents.

"N E M O." She repeats.

"Tal you don't want to watch that again when we've got a whole collection of classics." Tony points out; to his disappointment his six year old daughter looks less than impressed.

"Put Nemo in." Ziva says smirking at Tony.

"Noooo." Zehavi moans.

"You can have your film on the way back, why don't you play that game with Abba where you have to name all the actors that have been James Bond." Her sons eyes light up again and he bolts upright in his seat.

"Okay."

Soon enough order is restored as Talya sits happily with her headphones on and the two men list off actors - some that Ziva has never even heard of. She loves her family dearly but as she yawns and stretches out her legs she can't help but hope DiNozzo seniors house isn't too far away now.