Title: All She Has Left
Author: Ashleigh Anpilova
Rating: PG
Character: Ziva David
Word Count: 300
Genre: Gen
Summary: Ziva has only one physical reminder of Ari.
Spoilers (if any): Kill Ari

Disclaimer: "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Services," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Belisarius Productions, Paramount Network Television Productions, Paramount Television, and CBS Television. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with " NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Services," CBS, or any representatives of the actors.

Author's Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I merely borrow them from time to time.

Author’s Notes: Written for sageharper 'T' - Token

He gave it to her when they were children and she has kept it with her ever since.

It is not a diamond or gold or silver or jewelry, or even a knife or other weapon. All it is is a stone; a simple grey pebble, made smooth by the sea.

She can still remember the day he gave it to her. She can still remember how perplexed she had been to find something so hard that was so smooth. She can still remember how delighted she had been when he had given it to her.

She could still remember how delighted she had been when he, her big brother, had given such a treasure to his baby sister. She can still remember him laughing at how pleased she had been.

She has kept it with her since that day; she has never left Israel, left her home, without taking it with her. It has always been her lucky talisman; she swears it has kept her alive on more than one occasion.

Now it is all she has left of him.

A simple smooth grey pebble. The gift of a child to a child. Now she knows it is just a pebble; but then in truth she has always known that.

He gave it to her as a token of his love for her, or so he told her. Despite all the lies he has told her, despite the fact that he died at her hand because of his lies, she will never cease to believe that those words he spoke to her all those years ago were not a lie.

"Shalom, Ari. Rest in peace," she says. She slips the pebble beneath her pillow and settles down to sleep on the first night of her new life in America.