HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZZY!!! If you didn't know, today is Izzy's (dizzy-in-the-izzy) birthday! Happy birthday!!! I would really like it if you all went to her profile and wished her a happy birthday, or leave it in your review and I'll tell her. This is a nice little birthday fic and I think it's perfect for birthdays. Airighty, enjoy!
Dedication: dizzy-in-the-izzy of course!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did I wouldn't be writing this.
"Happy Birthday!" We all shouted.
Ziva looked up after coming off the elevator. "What is this?" I saw her eyes dart from Abby smiling broadly to McGee holding presents to Gibbs with refreshments, aka coffee for all, to Ducky holding the cake and finally to me. Before she could ask anything else, Abby launched herself at Ziva giving her a big bear hug. Ziva and Abby's laughter filled the air.
"Why it's your surprise birthday party, silly!" Abby cheerfully stated letting go of Ziva and stepping back to the group.
"In the middle of the day? In the office? While we are working?" Ziva questioned skeptically.
"Yes of course!" Abby said.
Ziva gave a small chuckle. "Well, in that case thank you, Abby. And thank you everybody else." Ziva looked from Abby to each one of us, and I couldn't help but notice she lingered on my face a little longer than anyone else's. She looked back to Abby when she saw I was looking right back at her. "Really you did not need to do this."
"We wanted to." McGee said. He shifted the presents in his hand and reached into his pocket looking for something. His face lit up as he found what he was looking for and pulled it out. "And what would a party be without music?"
"Music? Really?" Ziva asked.
McGee walked over to his desk and plugged in his iPhone. He pressed some buttons and soft party music began to play. "There we go."
Gibbs passed everyone a coffee and Ducky put the cake on Ziva's desk. Abby put the candles in and lit them up. Ziva moved to the other side of the desk ready to blow them out.
As we started to sing Happy Birthday I couldn't help but notice how happy Ziva looked. Everything had been so different when she came back, so awkward. Ziva was always the strong one and to see her so week, it almost killed us all. As soon as we found out what had happened to her we did everything we could do. With Gibbs on the case it only took a few days to get her back safely, but she was still damaged in other ways. Ziva couldn't go back to Mossad after that so she became a US citizen and rejoined NCIS. It had taken months to just feel remotely normal, but it was never the same. Right now though, it felt right. It felt like old times. Watching Ziva smiling and laughing I couldn't help but smile myself.
When the song ended Ziva closed her eyes and paused for a moment. She opened her eyes a few seconds later and blew out her candles making her wish.
Her wish. Ziva's wish. I would give Ziva anything I could if it would make her happy. Maybe I could get her to tell me her wish that way I could make it come true. Make her happy again like how she is right now.
Ziva cut the cake and Abby started to pass out the cake to everyone. As they were all distracted by getting cake, I came up behind Ziva.
"What did you wish for?" I whispered in her ear.
She spun around and stared at me. "I cannot tell you." She said bluntly.
It caught me off guard. Why couldn't I know? Wasn't I her friend again? "Why not?"
"Because if you tell someone your wish it will not come true."
I chuckled. "You believe that old saying? If you don't tell anyone, no one will know if it came."
"I will know." She smirked at me.
"Present time!" Abby squealed.
Ziva smiled at me and went over to McGee's desk and sat down in front of all the presents. Everyone went over to the desk to surround Ziva and the presents except me. I stood staring after Ziva. I shook my head and walked over to McGee's desk.
"Open mine first! Please, please, please!" Abby squealed in Ziva's ear.
"Okay, okay, Abby. I will open yours first." Ziva said covering her ears.
"Good!" Abby grabbed her present and shoved it into her hands. Ziva careful opened the bag and looked in. She pulled out what looked to be hair bobbles. Ziva stared at them trying to understand.
"They're spiked hair bobbles! That way you and I can wear them together! I can put your hair in pigtails now if you want!"
"Why not." Ziva said with a shrug. Abby jumped out of happiness and grabbed the hair bobbles. As Abby put Ziva's hair in pigtails, everyone seemed to be having a good laugh. Abby had finished with one last tug and the pigtails were in place. I looked at Ziva carefully noticing how childish she looked, so youthful. But it wasn't even the pigtails that made her look that way; it was also her smile and laughter filling the room. She looked like a little kid on Christmas morning. A small smile came across my lips.
"Okay, mine next." McGee gave Ziva his present. Ziva tore the wrapping paper off. After all of it was off I could see a book in her lap.
"A book, McLoser? You got her a book?" I asked.
"It's Shakespeare, Tony. It's a classic with no pictures so you wouldn't like it." McGee shot back. Before I had time to shot a come back Ziva cut in.
"Thank you, Tim." Ziva beamed at McGee then turned back to face everyone else. "So, who is next?"
"How about you go Duck?" Gibbs suggested.
"Alright, Jethro." Ducky grabbed his present and handed it to Ziva. She opened the bag and looked in. She pulled out a knife. I took a small step backwards. Who knows what Ziva would do to me if she had a knife?
"It's an army knife. I bought it at a very good army store up near were my mother's nursing home. I had a very lovely chat with the sales women, she…"
"Duck?"
"Yes Jethro?"
"We got it." Everyone gave a little chuckle and Ducky looked a little sad that he didn't get to continue his story, but he bounced back quickly. "Alright, here's my present."
Gibbs reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out some kind of folded piece of paper and handed it to Ziva. Ziva small smile disappeared as she opened the piece of paper. Her hand slowly came up to her mouth in shock. I moved closer to get a look at what it had on it. I peered over Ziva's shoulder and I felt myself shock as well at what I saw. It was a picture of all of us laughing late at night in the office. I mean all of us. It was Ziva, Abby, McGee, Gibbs, Ducky, me… and Jenny.
"It was the last picture we took as a group before Jenny died." Gibbs said. "I've had it for awhile now, and I thought that after what you went through, this could be a reminder of the good days you had here and you'd remember that we're your family."
I stepped back and looked at everyone. Gibbs had a small, sad smile. Ducky was looking down having nothing to say. McGee looked like a hurt puppy. Abby was in McGee's arms crying softly. Ziva was looking at the picture intently. A small smile spread across her face and a single tear rolled down her face.
"Thank you, Gibbs." Ziva said softly. After a few silent minuets, everyone seemed to compose themselves again.
"Well," Ziva said, "I guess that only leaves Tony's gift." Ziva looked up at me. Suddenly I was feeling very worried about my present. I had spent weeks trying to figure out just how to give it to her. This was it, my turn.
"Tony was very secretive about his gift. He wouldn't tell any of us what it was, not even me!" Abby said. "It must be something pretty important."
Ziva stood up and came to stand in front of me. "So, where is it?"
"Right here." I reached into my jacket pocket and brought out a small box. Ziva took it from my hands and I could tell all eyes were on us. Ziva carefully undid the ribbon holding it together and lifted the lid.
"There is nothing in here. It is…"
I didn't let her finish. I cut her off with a kiss, a kiss that said everything. It told her how I felt when I was with her, when she was gone, when she hated me. It conveyed every emotion I had. I felt Ziva shock when I first started the kiss, but I expected that. As it went on I felt her relax and slink her arms around my neck as she returned the kiss.
Time was passing and I could tell people were looking wide eyed at us. I knew we had to end the kiss soon before Gibbs had a heart attack, I didn't want to , but I had to. I pulled back from Ziva slowly, but didn't break my hold on her. I looked deep into her eyes to see that that kiss had meant everything to her too.
"Oh, I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Abby shouted. "See Timmy? I told you that was what he got her!" Abby did a little happy dance and everyone started laughing. I took Ziva's hand from around my neck and held them in my hands. I looked over at Gibbs who was looking at us. I saw him give us a small nod of his head, as if approving.
I felt Ziva pulling me away from the group to the other side of the bullpen. She looked up towards the sky. "Thank you."
When Ziva looked back at me I gave her what-was-that look and she only smiled at me.
"That," she said pointing toward the sky, "was for my wish."
"Your wish?"
"It came true."
"So, now that it has come true, will you tell me what you wished for?"
"I wished that you would kiss me." Ziva gave a small laugh and walked over to the group again. I stood there momentarily thinking. I had made Ziva's wish come true. Maybe there were more wishes I could grant.
I raced over to Ziva lifting her up. Laughter erupted from her again, followed by the laughter of the entire group.
So, I guess it doesn't matter where you spend your birthday, just who you spend it with. Years come and go, but it's the memories we have that live with us forever.
Okay, so there it is. A happy little birthday fic. Happy Birthday to all, even if your birthday's 6 months away! Have a great day and please review and wish Izzy a happy birthday!
~Silent
