A/N we're all suffering from quite a lot of TIVAlessness (it's a word) so I decided to write a bit of a drabble. No actual serious plot. Just a bit of fluff to get you through the day. Please review if you have anything to say- good or bad. Thank you. 8
Disclaimer: I'd have payed Cote de Pablo all the money in the world to have stayed if I'd have owned NCIS.
He'd proposed on Christmas Day. She didn't celebrate the holiday but she appreciated the sentimentality of it all. He'd been traditional. Even asked Schmiel's permission via Skype a couple of days before.
She had woken up without him next to her and got out of bed and walked into the small kitchenette to find him. She was met by a bunch of 9 roses- one for every year they'd known each other. She'd only just picked up the roses when all of a sudden a voice came from behind her;
"I'll love you until the last rose dies. I hope you know that"
"Tony. I know you're trying to be sweet but everything dies eventually. Even these beautiful roses"
"Look again sweet cheeks" she looked down at the bouquet in her hands. In the centre surrounded by 8 beautiful roses was a single plastic rose. She suddenly realised what he meant and a smile came to her lips and tears pricked her eyes. She looked up from the bouquet and whispered.
"Tony I lo- tony? Tony? Where did yo-" she looked over the bouquet and there he was. Down on one knee.
"Ziva. I love you so much words cannot describe. I can't live without you. Will you marry me? "
"Oh Tony. Of course I will"
"Yes?"
"YES!"
They were hugging and kissing and laughing all day. Both of them forgot that it was any sort of special day. Both forgot that they weren't the only people on earth.
It had been 5 days since he had proposed and they still hadn't told anyone. They were enjoying the novelty of being the only ones in the entire world that knew that they were engaged. That she had said yes.
She didn't work at NCIS anymore, she'd left just after they'd started dating and was now working as a languages teacher at a local high school. It was safer and she enjoyed it more. And- since she didn't work there anymore nobody had had chance to spy the rock sparkling on her left hand. Nobody noticed at work; she wasn't that close to any of then anyway. She got in, taught the teenagers for a couple of hours and went home to her fiancé.
It had been a day much like this when she turned to Tony on the sofa and paused the movie they were watching.
"You ok sweet cheeks?" Tony asked her, she never turned off a movie. Especially ones starring Johnny Depp.
"We need to tell them"
"Who? What?"
"Abby...McGee...Gibbs...Ducky. We need to tel them we're engaged. They're our family. They deserve to know" she smiled "and we do want some guests at our wedding don't we?" He laughed.
"Yeah I can agree with you there! So. How do we tell them?"
"How about we gather everyone in the bullpen after you finish tomorrow? I will stop by and we can tell everyone together"
"I like that pla-"
"Then you phone your father" she interrupted.
"Ziva-"
"He is your father. He deserves to know that his only son-his only child- is getting married!"
"Well he already knows I asked you- or that I was going to ask you. I had to get the ring from somewhere"
"This was your...?" Her voice trails off, a look of complete awe on her face.
"It was my moms. I was told after she died that her ring was for the woman that I loved most" he grabs her hand. Tears streaming down her cheeks. "That's you Ziva"
She envelops him in a tight hug.
"I love you Tony"
"I love you more"
"Not possible" he lets her go and stares into her eyes
"I'll phone my dad tonight"
"Oh no. You'll ring him tomorrow night" she says kissing him softly "you've got other plans tonight" she kisses him again, grabs his hand and leads him towards the bedroom.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
17:30.
She's gonna be in the bullpen in thirty minutes and here he is. Stuck on a stakeout with McGee in what must be the only place in all of DC without a cell signal. God. He wouldn't be back in time and the 'big reveal' would just be Gibbs and Bishop getting pissed that he hadn't told them all together.
17:32.
"Tony?"
"Hm?"
"Hey DiNozzo?"
"What McGee?"
"Nothing" they settle back into silence
17:43.
"DiNozzo. That's the 4th time you've checked your watch in the last 10 minutes, something you want to share with the class?"
"I asked her to marry me McGee."
"Who?"
"Bishop!" He says sarcastically "Who do you think McGee?"
"You asked Ziva to marry you? What did she say?"
"She said yes McGee! I'm getting married!"
"Congrats man! What does that have to do with you checking your watch though?"
"She's stopping at the office in exactly 10 minutes so we can tell everyone together" he looks at McGee "please act surprised when we tell you"
"Tony I don't think you're gonna be able to tell what my reaction is like once Abby gets hold of you!" Once again they fall into comfortable silence. "Look this purps not gonna show tonight. Let's get back."
"Tim? Gibbs said he'd call us when he wanted us back"
McGee starts the engine "there's no signal out here and anyway don't you have some news to share?"
"Thanks Tim"
Walking I to the bullpen he notices instantly that something is off. He moves to his desk to find his chair occupied.
"Where hell have you been?" Ziva whispers through gritted teeth "I have been making little talk for 10 minutes with Bishop"
"It's small talk sweet cheeks" she glares at him "I was on a stake out. I got back as soon as I could"
"I have told everyone to come up here"
"Back so soon DiNozzo? What'd you find?"
"Nothing. Nada. He wasn't coming out boss"
"Anthony. Why have you called us all up here? I was halfway through some very important paperwork" Ducky says appearing from the end of the bullpen, Abby and Palmer on either side of him. "Hello Ziva my dear!"
"Hello Ducky" she stares up at Tony who now has his arm wrapped tightly around her waist "So...we have news"
Everyone stares intently at them. They look at each other and give a silent nod.
"We're getting married!"
There is a gasp from everyone in the room. Then Abby, as suspected, comes running
towards them both and takes them in a large bear hug.
"Abby. Need. Air." Tony pants laughing
"Sorry! Aaahhh I'm so excited for you guys!"
They exchange million dollar grins "thanks Abby".
After many hearty hugs, lengthy handshakes and a couple of kisses the team retire to the bar for celebratory champagne.
Once they were back at their apartment. Ziva retired straight to bed.
"All that champaign has gone straight to my legs!"
"To your head?"
"That too" she says and kisses him lightly "you coming?"
"Yeah. In a sec. I have a phone call to make"
"Ok. Join me when you're ready"
She goes to the bedroom and changes into one of his old football jerseys from collage that shed taken to sleeping in. As she was drifting off to sleep she heard a one sided conversation from the other side of the door.
"Hi dad"
"..."
"Yeah it's me"
"..."
"She said yes dad"
She turns onto her side and stares at the bouquet of roses. 8 of them are wilting but one stands tall. That one rose will never die.