Tony and Ziva's wedding in Reno 1/1/2017
The plane touched down on the runway at 1335, ten minutes earlier than scheduled. As they taxied to the gate, Ziva gathered Tali's books and Kelev, packing the items in Tali's backpack. Tony gently woke Tali, letting her know they were on the ground. The little girl had slept most of the trip from Atlanta to Reno, after being hyper for the entire four hour layover in Atlanta.
"No, Abba. Sleepy." Tali rubbed her eyes and complained.
"Just until we get out of the plane, Tali. Then you can sleep in your stroller." Tony picked up Tali as Ziva carried Tali's backpack and the carry-on bag she and Tony had shared.
The family deplaned, and Tony handed the check tag for Tali's stroller to the flight attendant. Five minutes later, the three were headed to baggage claim, Tali strapped into her stroller and nodding off.
Ziva sent a text message to Tim, who was waiting in the cell phone parking area with the rental minivan. Tim and Delilah had arrived in Reno about four hours earlier. Tony grabbed the family's suitcase off the carousel and they headed out the doors. Tim spotted Ziva and waved her over to the van.
"Tim, it is great to see you," Ziva hugged her brother and former teammate. "I have missed you."
Tim returned the embrace, "Same here, Ziva."
"Unka Tim! Where's Aunt Dee?" Tali had spotted her uncle hugging her Ima as Abba put the suitcase in the rear of the rental van. Tali reached her arms to her uncle, and Tim bent down, scooping Tali into a hug.
"Aunt Dee is at the hotel, Tali. We'll be there soon." Tim handed Tali to Tony, so that he could secure the little girl in her car seat. Ziva folded the stroller and put it with the suitcase and shut the rear hatch. She climbed in the seat next to Tali as Tony and Tim got in the front.
Tim drove to the hotel, pulling in curbside so that Tony and Ziva could unload their gear and Tali to get checked in. He parked the van as Tony and Ziva headed to the check in desk. "DiNozzo, party of three." Tony was still getting used to referring to his family as a party of three, and in June, it would be a party of four.
The check-in went smoothly; Tim came in from the parking garage as Tony was handed the room key cards. The four went to the elevator to take up to their floor. Tim led them to the left down the hallway; Tony, Ziva and Tali were in an adjoining room to Tim and Delilah. Tony placed the key card into the door for room 403 as Tim did the same for room 404.
"We'll give you guys a chance to settle in and come over in about fifteen minutes," Tim said to Ziva as she followed Tony into the room. She nodded at Tim.
Tali climbed out of her stroller as soon as Tony undid the straps, while Ziva placed Tali's backpack on one of the beds and the carry-on bag on top of the dresser. Tony had put the suitcase by the bed he and Ziva would share.
"Come, Tali," Ziva called her daughter to the bathroom. Ziva removed Tali's pull-up and helped her into regular underwear. They had used the pull-up in case Tali had an accident on the flights, but she had stayed dry. "I am proud of you, motek. You stayed dry." Ziva hugged Tali, who grinned at her Ima.
Ziva had just finished hanging Tony's suit and her dress when there was a knock on the door joining the two rooms. Tony looked at Tali, "Who could that be?"
"Unka Tim! Aunt Dee!" Tali ran to the door with her Abba. Tony opened the door and Tali grabbed Tim's legs. Delilah wheeled into the room grinning, followed by Tim who was now holding Tali.
Ziva and Delilah hugged, "I feel like I have known you for a long time, Ziva." The two had chatted via Skype over the past few weeks.
Tim and Tony shared a brotherly hug, "Didn't get to properly greet you at the airport, Tim." Tony had missed his brother of the heart during the time in Paris, even with the regular Skype calls. Tali hugged Delilah, telling her Aunt Dee all about the flights and the airports the family had been through in the past day.
The adults visited a bit and Ziva turned to Tali, "Tali, Abba and I have to go to the courthouse. You are going to stay with Uncle Tim and Aunt Delilah for a while. When we come back, we will all get dinner."
"Okay, Ima." Tali nodded and turned back to her book that she was showing Delilah. "Abba and Ima get married, Aunt Dee."
Tony smiled, "Soon, Tali; that's why Ima and I have to go to the courthouse. We need to get the license."
Tali waved at her parents as they left hand in hand. She was more intent on being with her aunt and uncle and showing them her books, toys and Kelev.
Tony and Ziva decided to walk the four blocks to the courthouse. Hand in hand, they strolled the distance from the hotel to the courthouse. Tony had double checked that they had everything needed: two forms of ID each (drivers' license and passport), birth certificates, and the completed application for the marriage license. Each would sign the application in front of a notary in the courthouse and then pay the seventy five dollar fee, and they would be one step closer to being husband and wife.
Ziva was somewhat surprised at the number of people ahead of them in the line. Tony joked that the line was one way the county government gave the applicants time to get cold feet. When Ziva looked at him with a questioning look, he explained that 'cold feet' meant backing out and quickly reassured her that he was determined to make her his wife at midnight or shortly thereafter.
When their turn at the counter came, the clerk had the pair sign the application, checked their IDs, took the cash from Tony and handed them the marriage license in a matter of fifteen minutes.
The couple turned from the counter and headed out. As they neared the exit, Tony drew Ziva to him. "We are really doing this, Ziva. I'm happier than I have ever been and we haven't even gotten to the ceremony yet!" He kissed her and then wiped a stray tear off her face.
"Ani ohevet otcha, Tony!"
"Ani ohev otach, Ziva!"
~TIVA~
Back at the hotel, Tony, Ziva, Tim, Delilah, and Tali had dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Tali had spotted a family eating pizza as they were led to their seats, so the five shared two large pizzas among them. When Tim had asked what everyone wanted on the pizza, Tali had replied, "Pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese, and black olives!"
Tim chuckled to himself; Tali was definitely Tony's daughter and Ziva's daughter. Both Tony and Ziva nodded at Tali's choice, "Tony has come to like ripe olives, Tim. We compromise on the pizza, and Tali loves it."
After dinner, they all went back up to the rooms. The adults visited, while Tali played with her Kelev and coloring books. Tony asked Tim about the newbies to the team and Ziva listened to Tim's stories about Nick Torres, Alex Quinn, Clayton Reeves, and Ellie Bishop. Ziva didn't know any of them, and Tony only knew two. They asked about Gibbs, Ducky, Abby, Jimmy, and Leon Vance.
Tali fell asleep on her bed while the adults were talking, and Ziva covered the little girl with a light blanket. "Let her rest; there will be plenty of excitement for her later tonight!"
Ziva showed Delilah the dress that Tali would be wearing later at the ceremony. "It coordinates with Tony's tie." The blue dress had a sequined bodice and a princess neckline, with a chiffon skirt.
"She is going to look so cute in that dress," Delilah smiled. "I brought my blue dress as you asked and I think it is just about the same shade of blue."
Ziva took another hanger from the closet, "Here is my dress." It was a white lace and sequined A-line, V-neck, tea length dress, with short lacy sleeves. Ziva held it up to show Delilah.
"It's beautiful, Ziva. Tony is going to love you in it." Delilah glanced at the two men in the other room, making sure Tony wasn't looking.
"He does; he helped me pick out the dress." Ziva hadn't a preference on if they dressed up or not for the wedding, but Tony had insisted that they go all out. He told Ziva that they needed to make the occasion special, since he had no plans to do a wedding more than this one time; she was his forever.
Around 2230, Ziva woke Tali and the five got dressed to go to the chapel where the ceremony would be held. The chapel confirmation had suggested that they arrive about thirty minutes prior to the scheduled appointment, so Ziva figured they would need to be at the chapel by 2330.
Tim pulled the van to the front entrance of the hotel. Tony helped Tali get into her car seat, as Tim helped Delilah into the front passenger seat and placed her folded wheelchair in the back. Ziva sat in the third row seat and Tony sat next to Tali. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the chapel.
Before Tony checked in to the chapel, he handed Tim the small bag with the rings. He and Ziva had agreed to use the rose gold "Song of Solomon" rings that they had purchased in Haifa in 2012 on a long weekend trip to Israel. He took Ziva's hand in his and interlaced their fingers. She squeezed his hand lightly and he squeezed back. They were really doing this!
Tony led Ziva to the check-in desk. He handed the marriage license to the woman sitting there, "Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David. We have an appointment for midnight."
She took the paper from Tony and brought up their information on the computer. "You brought your own witnesses, you have rings, you have written your own vows, you want the CD-only photo package, and you have selected the blue accents. Is that correct?"
"Ken, I mean, yes." Ziva was getting excited, and had to remember not to revert to her native Hebrew.
"You have prepaid, so it looks as though we are good to go. Follow me." The woman led them to a small chapel room to the left of the desk. There were blue artificial flowers in vases, a blue rolled out carpet along a make-shift aisle and blue ribbons. "We will do the ceremony first, then the pictures. Who has the rings?"
"I have both," Tim answered, pulling the small bag from his suit jacket pocket. He and Tony were both wearing charcoal gray suits with white shirts and blue ties. Tali watched everything with wide eyes. She could tell this was something special, but was not quite sure what was happening.
"Ima," Tali tugged on her Ima's hand. "Ima and Abba get married?"
Ziva smiled down at Tali, "Ken, motek, very soon. Are you excited?"
"Ken, Ima." Tali looked at her Abba and grinned. "Abba happy?"
Tony's grin matched his daughter's, "Yes, Tali, I'm very happy."
"If you are ready, we can start any time," the woman looked at the couple who nodded their heads. "Let's get everyone in position then."
Tony and Ziva stood side by side with Tim at Tony's left and Delilah and Tali to Ziva's right. Tony held Ziva's left hand in his right as the woman started:
"We are gathered here to unite this man and this woman in matrimony. Is there anyone who objects?" She looked up and then continued, "Anthony D. DiNozzo and Ziva David, you have chosen to say your own vows. Ziva, you are first."
Ziva swallowed, and began: "Tony, from the moment I met you, I felt a pull towards you. You intrigued me, you became my best friend, and we shared so many moments together. We have a beautiful daughter together. Tali is my joy and my light. You, Tony, are my completion. You bring to me parts I never realized were missing until I met you. You are my soulmate, my forever. I pledge to be by your side for always, to be your companion, your wife, your lover, your best friend for the rest of my life."
Tony wiped a tear from his face, and spoke to Ziva: "Ziva, I have loved you since I met you. You have been in my heart for the entire time I have known you. You have given me the most wonderful gift possible, a beautiful daughter. You are my soulmate and my completion. Together, we will face the future, and I promise to love you and be by your side for the rest of my days. I will be your husband, your lover, your best friend for as long as I live."
Ziva sniffled, and took the ring from Tim. "Tony, this ring is a symbol of our love; it has no end. The inscription in Hebrew is from the Song of Songs. 'I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.' Wear this ring as a symbol of my love for you." She slid the ring on Tony's left ring finger and smiled at him through her tears.
Tony let the tears slide down his cheek before wiping them away with his handkerchief. He took the ring from Tim. "Ziva, with this ring, I give you a reminder of our never ending love. אני אהובתי והאהובה שלי Wear this ring as a symbol that my love for you is eternal and infinite." Tony slid the ring on to Ziva's left ring finger, and grinned at her with tears running down his cheeks.
The pair turned to the woman. She glanced at the clock, knowing they wanted to be officially married at or shortly after midnight. She continued, "By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, Mr. DiNozzo."
Tony leaned in to kiss Ziva and a loud popping and banging was heard from outside. Tony, Ziva, and Tim instinctively reached for weapons that were not present, instantly on alert. Tali looked at her parents with wide eyes. Delilah had pulled Tali into her lap as soon as the noise was heard.
Tony happened to notice the clock in the back of the room: 0003. "Probably just some fireworks for the New Year," he realized, relaxing a bit. He turned back to Ziva, "Now, where were we?" She smiled at him and fused her lips on his as he drew her to him. "I love you, Mrs. DiNozzo. Ani ohev otach."
"I like the sound of that, Mr. DiNozzo." Ziva returned the kiss, pressing herself to her best friend, her husband, the father of her children. "Ani ohevet otcha!"
Tony picked up Tali and the three DiNozzos shared a hug before pictures were taken of the family, Tony and Ziva, Tali with each one and by herself, Tony and Tim, Delilah and Ziva, Tim and Delilah, and the whole group.
Tali clapped her hands and yelled, "Yeah! Ima and Abba get married! Yeah, Unka Tim. Yeah, Aunt Dee!"