I just had to share this drabble with you - it's actually one I'm quite proud of (yes sometimes I like my stuff as well). Anyway, enjoy reading (:
PS: I think this can be read as tag to 11x02 or can stand alone!
"Russia it is, huh?" Tony slowly approached her after spotting her at their agreed meeting point.
"It is safer." She answers quietly and melts easily into his embrace. They both try to ignore the fact that it's been way too long since they've last seen each other. Two years to be exact and everything they could hold onto were each other's voices every few months.
A little girl, still a toddler, was clutching Ziva's leg from behind and was now peeking at the man in front of them.
Looking down at her she tenderly spoke up. "Hey tateleh, want to say hello to your daddy?" Not quite trusting the situation she let Ziva lift her up into her arms to further inspect the man her mother told her was her father.
"Daddy?" She shyly spoke up, her voice insecure.
"Hey Gracie, I'm happy to finally meet you." He gave her a reassuring smile while taking in her small features. Of course he had seen pictures of her before but seeing her now was something entirely different.
She had Ziva's eyes and her curls but her hair was a little lighter than her mother's and more like his. She was simply beautiful.
"Ima?" The little girl looked up to her mother in question. "It is ok Gracie." Ziva smiled warmly down at her. "Do you want to go to daddy for a while?" The girl vehemently shook her head upon hearing the question and cuddled even closer into her mother's embrace.
"It's ok Ziva, she needs a while to get used to me." Tony nodded in understanding, seeing the apologetic look in her eyes.
For a moment the three of them just stood there as the sun over St. Petersburg began to set, making the sky look like it was set on fire, before their daughter quietly spoke up once more.
"Daddy stay?" Looking into her eyes they saw a perfect reflection of Ziva's gaze when she was serious and they couldn't help but being mesmerized by this resemblance.
"Yes tateleh, daddy will stay now." She reassured her daughter and watched as she started sucking on her thumb again.
"She's beautiful Zi." Tony looked at the little girl in awe, watching her eyes starting to droop since it was getting late.
"I know, she is a little wonder." Ziva absentmindedly stroked the girl's curls and let out a small sigh.
"We're together now." He sensed how thoughtful she was and gently cupped her cheek with his hand. Before she could even respond he pulled her in for a sweet and tender kiss and it felt like all the worries from the past two years were diminishing under it.
He hadn't been able to be there for the birth of their daughter, hadn't seen her doing her first steps or saying her first words but seeing her now he knew he would make the best of their future, hoping they would never have to be apart from each other again for such a long time.
"I love you." She breathed against his lips, momentarily closing her eyes.
"I love you too Zi. Both of you." He smiled into their kiss before gently pulling away.
"Let's go home and bring our little girl to bed." They both looked at their daughter who was fast asleep in her mother's arms by now. And it felt so normal, so natural to hear him saying this that she couldn't help but smile at him, knowing she would never get tired of hearing it.