Title: Pinky Promise
Fandom: NCIS
Author: alidiabin
Words: 350.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Genre: pre-series, family.
Warnings/Spoilers/Rating: none || none || PG
Pairings/Characters: Ari Hazwari and Tali David.
Prompt: Ari and Tali, promises. From the lovely Doro.
Summary: Tali makes him promise.

Pinky Promise

Ari Hazwari groaned as the front door opened. It meant one or both of his half-sisters had returned to their mutual fathers house. He loved his sisters but he found it hard to connect with them. They were years younger than he was and a different sex. They also had the benefits of being fully Israeli, fully Jewish and more time with their father, which made it harder. He and Ziva had become close through training but he and Tali were distant. Mostly because Ari and Tali were so different in so many different ways.

Tali walked into the lounge of her father's house. Even though she had lived in the house for the five years since her mother's death, she did not consider it home like Ziva did.

"Ari," Tali called noticing the open motorbike magazine on the coffee table.

Ari looked up at his sister who was almost half his age. He could tell she was upset about something, even though she like the other members of the David family was not good at displaying emotions.

"Are you okay?" Ari asked trying to emulate the caring look Ziva gave the child when she asked the same question.

"Can you make me a promise?" Tali asked, as she was stunned by her half-brothers concern.

"Sure," Ari said without hesitation. He figured the promise would be along the lines of 'Don't tell Aba that…'.

"Don't become like him," Tali begged, as she sat next to her brother on the taupe colored couch.

"Who?" Ari asked even though he knew the answer.

"Aba," she declared. "Sometimes it feels like Ziva is becoming like him. I do not want you to become like him as well."

Ari did not agree that Ziva was becoming like their shared father, yes they shared traits but Ziva was capable of independent thought. Ari believed that if push came to shove Ziva would find a way to escape from Eli's clutches.

"I promise," Ari replied.

The girl, who was like Eli only in appearance, held out her pinky finger. He looked at it puzzled.

"Pinky promise,"