This was originally going to be a cure for my writer's block, a one shot, but it ended up being about 7,046 words long! It still is a one shot, but it is long. It tells the story of Ziva's news for Tony, and the aftermath that follows. I am quite proud of this story, so I hope you like it as much as I liked writing it. If you would like, there is the option for a sequel, but first you have to read this! If there were a sequel, it would be a long way in the future. I need to get back to writing my other story.
Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this story. Don't forget to review.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS
Things You Miss when a Year Goes By
Ziva stood in the elevator which she hadn't stepped foot in for a little over a year and a half. It was strange to be there, visiting. She felt like she didn't belong in this place she had called home for several years. As the sound of the elevator beeping told her she had reached her destination, she wasn't sure if she was ready.
The only thing that made her keep walking instead of turning back was her little secret. He deserved to know, she told herself. With these thoughts running through her mind, Ziva found herself standing in the middle of an empty bullpen. "No matter," she told herself, "I will just sit here and wait." And so she sat down in her… or what used to be her desk.
After a while she decided to snoop around Tony's desk. She thought it would be a good idea to see if there was any evidence of him having a girlfriend before she saw him. No such evidence was found, and Ziva let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding in. She did, however, find her necklace which she had given Tony. She picked it up gently, as if it could disappear at any second. She grabbed one of Tony's movie magazines (she remembered where he kept them) and sat back down at the desk, feet resting on it, and waited for her friends to return from wherever they were.
Ziva opened her eyes to see 3 unfamiliar faces staring at her. Instinctively, she reached for her gun, which was not there. "Who are you?" She asked worriedly.
"We work here," they answered in return, "who are you?" She did not answer their question.
"Where are Gibbs, McGee, and DiNozzo?" Ziva was getting anxious. Where could they be? Who are these people? The unknown agents looked confused. "Those people haven't worked here in a year!"
Ziva's head began to spin. Her heart was pounding. They quit?! No, this couldn't be happening. She began hyperventilate, her hands were shaking. She was sure she was going to pass out.
She kept hearing her friends' replacements repeat over and over, You okay, Miss? You okay, Miss? You okay, Miss? You okay, Miss?
"You okay, Miss?" Ziva woke to hear this coming from someone she didn't know. She must have dozed off while she waited for her former team to come back.
"Hey!" The blonde girl snapped her back into reality. "I said are you okay? You were shaking and you kept mumbling." Ziva looked confused, but then remembered her nightmare. "Yes, I am fine," Ziva finally assured her, "Who are you?"
The blonde woman replied, "I guess I should ask you that same question." Ziva still ignored her and stood up. She looked around, but did not see any sign of her friends. "Where is Gibbs?"
"He's downstairs, with our forensic scientist," she answered. Ziva started hurriedly toward the elevator. "Oh, but Ma'am, you can't go down there. It's employees only!" The blonde rushed to say. Ziva was too far gone.
Bishop went to her desk quickly to dial security, but stopped when she saw the necklace sitting on her desk. At that moment, Bishop knew exactly who she had just met. This was the legendary Ziva David. The agent whose shoes she had to fill. There was so little that she had learned about her since she became an agent, but she had seen Tony pull out that necklace once in a while. When he did, he looked distant, he was quiet, he wasn't the Tony she knew. He must have changed after Ziva left. Why else would a necklace trigger such a response from him? Bishop's confused look was met by Tim's even more confused one when he came back from his coffee run. He set a steaming cup down on his boss' desk before joining the probationary agent. He stared down at the gold necklace she was holding.
"Did you go through Tony's desk?" Tim shouted suddenly. "He's gonna kill you!"
"I didn't go through his desk."
"You'd better put it back before he finds out!"
"I didn't—"
"You know that thing causes emotion. What are you trying to do, cause a meltdown?"
"MCGEE!" Bishop yelled as she gripped his shoulder.
"What?" He replied, finally calming down.
"I don't think Tony will mind at all."
Abby sat in her lab, hard at work on her computer and making sense of all of the new evidence that had just arrived from their case. She heard her lab door slide open. "Excuse me, could you tell me where I might find Agent Gibbs?" A voice said. Abby stayed focused on her computer, but answered, "He just left. He's in the squad room." The elevator dinged and her door closed. Suddenly, she noticed something 'hinky' and looked up, but by the time she had turned around, the person was gone.
That's odd. She thought, that sounded just like—like… She knew it couldn't be, so she continued on with her work. Thinking about it again would bring back all of the heartbreak. She couldn't handle that, so she just suppressed her thoughts, and got back to her evidence.
This is it. The elevator doors slid open. From this distance, Ziva could see her team hard at work at their desks. She saw that the young blonde she had met earlier was her replacement, and was sitting at her desk. As she stepped out of the elevator, the girl looked back at her and smiled. It was clear she knew who she was, but had not told Tony anything about her presence in the building. Ziva smiled back in return and began the walk toward her old workplace. She stopped right at the entrance to their cubicle area and waited nervously for someone to notice her.
Finally, Tony saw her shadow over his desk and started to ask, "Can I help you," but he stopped when he noticed that the one blocking his light was not a visitor, but in fact it was Ziva David. He slowly stood from his desk. By now, everyone in the whole squad room had realized the ex-agent's presence. Tony swallowed a lump in his throat and maneuvered his way around his desk to stand directly in front of her. She stood and waited for him to speak. His eyes were tearing up as he reached his hand out to brush a strand of her hair out of her face. "Ziva," he said quietly, with a sigh. She leaned and silently told him to kiss her. They kissed warmly and deeply until they heard an 'ahem' come from Gibbs. She looked at her former boss, and rushed over to give him a hug. Bishop was wide eyed, and looked at Tim for support. Had Tony just kissed her? Right in front of the whole office? McGee mouthed the words 'I'll tell you later' to her.
"Welcome back Ziver," Gibbs said softly. She fought back the urge to cry, but eventually said, "It is good to be back, Gibbs. Even if it is only for a while." He nodded as if he understood, but Tony's heart was breaking. He wished she'd stay forever.
"HEY! Don't forget me!" McGee called attention to himself.
"How could I forget you McGee?" She gave him a hug. Oh, how she had missed her team.
The blonde girl sat silently with her eyebrows raised, smiling as she watched the situation unfold. "I am sorry, I have not introduced myself," Ziva said, moving over to the 'Probie'. "I am—"
"Ziva David," Bishop finished, "I've heard a lot about you. Well, not a lot. Actually not much at all, the boys hardly talk about you, but I know your name. Sorry." She blushed at her fumbling of words. "I'm Eleanor Bishop, Ellie, for short." She smiled.
"Hi Ellie." Ziva said.
"Guys, I'd hate to interrupt, but Ziva, if you don't get down to Abby's lab soon, she's probably going to have a fit."
"Right," Ziva agknowleged, "We can talk later, I have some tips you might want." Ellie nodded, and the team made their way to the lab.
The music was blaring, as usual, but still Abby noticed the lab door open. This time she swiveled on her spinny chair and looked to see who it was. When she saw Ziva, she rubbed her eyes—as if to rub away figments of her imagination—then reopened them to see her still standing there. "ZIVAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH" Abby screamed as she ran to trap her friend in a bone-crushing hug. Oof! Ziva was caught and almost spilled the Caf-Pow she had brought for Abby.
"I knew I heard your voice!" Abby said, still not letting go. "It is good to see you, Abby." Ziva said.
"Oh my gosh! I missed you so much!" Abby finally released the hold she had on Ziva, and gratefully grabbed the drink from her hand. "I missed you too," Ziva replied.
"We need to catch up! I have so much to tell you about! Abby started excitedly. Ziva's face fell. She had almost forgotten why she had come in the first place. "I am sorry Abby, but I am going to have to take a water-check." Abby looked sad.
"Uh, it's rain-check, Zee," Tony corrected. Ziva's annihilation of this saying did not serve to improve Abby's mood at all.
"Are you leaving? You just got here…" Abby pouted.
"No, no. I just need to speak to Tony right now. In—In private." Abby perked up a little, now knowing that her friend wasn't going to abandon them again. At least not yet.
Everyone but Tony and Ziva stayed in the lab, talking excitedly about her unexpected return. That is, except Gibbs. He preferred to stay quiet, but he was happy just the same. McGee and Abby filled Ellie in on what she had missed. They told her about Ziva and Tony's relationship throughout the years, everything they had been through together, and Bishop's favorite part, the story of how Tony had left Israel, leaving Ziva behind.
"Wow." That was all she could say. She was speechless. She had no idea how romantic Tony could be, especially with a coworker. She wasn't stupid, she knew rule 12. Abby pulled up the surveillance video that she had taken from the Israeli airport, after learning about Tony's leaving her behind. She had to see for herself, and she also showed McGee. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Bishop watched in silence as Abby narrated using her lip reading skills. "Tony, you are so…"
"Handsome? Funny? What." Bishop drew in a breath. Wow, this couple was better than cable.
"Loved." Ziva said it simply, but the emotions behind it were present in the video. Ellie felt as if she were seeing a whole new side to Tony. One that also explained why he is the way he is today. Back on the video, Tony kissed Ziva wholeheartedly. Not a greedy or wanting kiss, but one full of love and despair. It was the perfect goodbye kiss.
Bishop didn't notice, but a tear fell down her cheek. Now she knew why it was so hard to please her team. Ziva was more than an agent. They were a family. Ellie began to feel like she was intruding on their family, but she also felt like she was a part of something big, and she was honored.
Apparently, Tony and Ziva's moving scene instilled a sense of courage in Tim because he suddenly burst out, "Abby, I love you!" even before he could catch himself.
"Oookaaayy," Bishop said awkwardly.
"Oh look, a cat. I'll go help it." Gibbs said, using McGee's excuse.
"Looks like a pretty big cat," Bishop added as her own ticket out of this situation.
Soon Abby and Tim were the only ones left. "For the record," Abby started, "I love you too."
Tony and Ziva sat down on the floor behind the stairs, leaning against the orange wall. Tony, sensing that Ziva was in need of encouragement, reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. She looked down at his hand and smiled.
"Tony, there is something you must know," He was deeply concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I am fine. But there is something else," She told him.
"What? You can tell me, remember? We can tell each other anything."
Ziva took a deep breath. "Tony, when you left, there was something I did not tell you."
"What was that?"
"I was pregnant." The words hit Tony. He looked at her, not saying a word, so she decided to continue. "I named her Talia Caitlin DiNozzo-David," she explained, "Born April 22, 2014."
Tony looked straight ahead, his face, a poker face. "She is yours Tony." His eyes filled with tears, but he did not crack. "She looks just like you." Ziva added, but his response was nothing.
"This was a mistake," Ziva said as she started to cry. She stood up and left, leaving Tony sitting alone, his head buried in his hands, crying.
"Hey Ziva, ready to go?" Abby asked excitedly, but Ziva just wiped her tears and left without a word. Gibbs pulled Abby close and held her to him, comforting her through this heartbreak that had fallen upon her again. Bishop looked puzzled and wondered what she had missed. Soon, McGee joined the Gibbs Group-Hug, pretending to help comfort Abby, when really, he needed all the comfort he could get.
Tony tried to make sense of it all. She was pregnant. I am a father. Forget that, I've never even seen the kid and I'm already the worst father in the world. I've missed a 9 months of her life. I'll never see her first smile, hear her first word, feed her, sing her lullabies, see her first steps, nothing. I'll never get to hear her say 'Daddy'. He began to sob again as this realization hit. He was a father, a daddy. She named her after Kate, my old partner. Ziva even hyphenated her name, so she'd at least have a part of me. Sobs racked his body. How could she do this to him? Not even tell him he has a child. It was clear she was here out of pity, to do the right thing and at least tell him. She wanted him to stay out of it.
Ziva climbed aboard an airplane, straight back to Israel. She had left Tali with a friend there so she could make the trip alone, but it was a failure. I just ruined Tony's life. She thought to herself. He had a chance of moving on, but I just ruined it. Why would he want to know about our child? It would inconvenience him, he is not the type to settle down. She scolded herself for even thinking it would be a good idea.
She had been so excited to show him pictures and tell him stories of their daughter's first year. She even brought an envelope with a flash drive full of pictures on it. She imagined showing him on the plasma TV, him beaming at their little miracle. She looked in her bag for the envelope, but noticed it was missing. Frantically, she dug through her purse to find it.
"Shoot." She said. I left it there! How could I be so careless? She knew Tony would not want to see those pictures, it would just make him angrier. For the rest of the flight, she tried not to think of him, but she knew that when she got home, a smiling toddler would be waiting for her, a living reminder of what could have been.
When Tony arrived back in the bullpen, everyone was sitting at their desks, pretending to do actual work. Bishop noticed a white envelope sitting on Tony's desk. "Tony, Ziv—" McGee shook his head frantically to tell her not to mention Ziva's name. "I mean, she left something on your desk." Bishop corrected. Tony sat down and looked at it. It read To Show Tony in Ziva's handwriting. He pocketed the bulky envelope.
"Boss, I—" Tony started.
"Go, DiNozzo," Gibbs urged. Tony left, despite the concerned stares from his coworkers. He would find it hard to sleep tonight.
Upon arriving at his apartment, Tony didn't even bother to change out of his suit and tie. He threw his bags down on the ground and his keys onto a shelf, then walked over to his alcohol cabinet to grab a drink. He laid down on his bed, took of his tie, and closed his eyes to attempt to sleep. It did not come.
Suddenly, Tony remembered the envelope he had found. He sat up and tore it open. Inside was what could only be a flash drive. He pulled it out carefully and looked at it. After a few minutes he decided to plug it into his laptop, and he braced himself for whatever Ziva had wanted him to see. The only thing that was on the device was a folder of pictures. He clicked on the first one and clicked slide-show. It began to show pictures of Ziva. Immediately, Tony knew what this was.
The first photo was of Ziva in a yellow bun in the oven shirt, but Tony noticed it was not a picture from her undercover mission. This was real. She had kept the shirt and used it during her pregnancy. Despite his anger at himself and Ziva, he found himself able to smile. The next picture was of Ziva in labor. She laid on a bed in a house, not a hospital, with some friends from Israel there to help. Tony's heart broke as he saw the distraught, pained expression on her face. Her hair was plastered to her face with sweat, and Tony saw the empty hand that he should have been there to hold. Why did she do this alone?
Another picture filled the screen, the first one with a baby in it. As soon as he saw his baby for the first time, it all seemed so real. He saw the tiny, wailing, pink baby in Ziva's arms. Despite all of the effort that Ziva had just put in, she was beaming, and tears were running down her cheeks. He noticed that the next picture was really a video, so he hit the play button. Someone had videotaped the moment of his child's birth. He heard a tiny cry fill the room, and though he was a year late, he smiled proudly.
Other pictures were of his baby's first smile, followed by a video of Talia's giggling fit. He especially enjoyed the videos of her crawling and practicing standing. As if by magic, he felt like he hadn't really missed a whole nine months of the baby's life. He still wished he could have been there for Ziva during her pregnancy, and he wished he could have actually witnessed his child's life, but this was the next best thing. The final file was a video of Ziva singing a Hebrew lullaby to their daughter. She must be an amazing mother he thought.
Tony decided to make a copy of Ziva singing so he could listen to it on a CD. Man he missed her. Since sleep would not come naturally, Tony put Ziva's song on replay in his room and her singing softly lulled him to sleep.
Tony awoke feeling better than ever. Through the night, he had been 'enlightened'. He was so excited about his daughter, that he almost forgot about the 5,864 miles separating them. He dialed his office's number on his cell, and called in sick. Today, he was going to visit his baby and the woman he loves.
On the way to the airport, Tony picked up a gift for both of his girls; A 'Daddy's Girl' outfit for the baby, and a ring for Ziva. He felt like he was moving too fast, but deep down he had known all along. Ziva is the only one for him. As for the fact that she didn't want him, Tony had discovered that that was obviously a misinterpretation. She had left pictures for him to see! This could only mean that she wanted him in her and their child's life.
As Tony sat on the plane, he thought about the last time he had taken this trip. He thought about the 'I Will' list he had made, and pulled it out of his pocket where he always kept it.
I Will
Get Married
Start a Family
Make fun of McGee
Be the Best Agent I can be.
That was all he had so far. Tony checked Start a Family off the list. He hadn't really started a family, per-say, but what they had was pretty darn close. He pulled another item out of his pocket, this time, a small, black box. He had had asked to have her name engraved on the box, so on the outside, it read Ziva in gold, swirly letters. He opened it up, just to make sure it was still there. It was. A simple diamond ring with a golden band, but the simplicity was beautiful. Ziva was not one for the extravagant and elegant, so Tony knew this would suit her perfectly. If only she said yes.
Ziva walked into her apartment in Israel. Not much had changed since she left a few days earlier, but she noticed the baby toys had been moved around the living room a lot. It was late at night, so Ziva tiptoed into Tali's room to see how her baby was doing.
She saw Tali standing up in her crib, her big eyes looking at Ziva as if asking, "Where were you?"
"I am here, Tateleh," Ziva soothed, picking up the little girl. "You should be asleep." Talia started crying, and Ziva held her to her chest. It was like she was raising a mini-Tony! This only made her miss him more, but it was clear he wanted no part of them. "Shh, shh…" Ziva hushed while she bounced the baby lightly. Tali rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, but the way she was acting told Ziva that she did not want to go to sleep any time soon.
"I cannot sleep either, my child," Ziva said. The two sat down on the couch in the living area, and Ziva pulled a book off of her bookshelf. The soft hum of the air conditioning put Tali to sleep quickly, and Ziva placed her gently back in her crib.
Suddenly, Ziva heard a sound in the entryway, and she grabbed her gun and stealthily moved toward the intruder. She turned the corner, gun aimed, but she slowly lowered her weapon when she saw that the intruder was Tony.
"How did you get in here?" Ziva asked, exasperated.
"Security here isn't as good as in the States," Tony explained, "Doorman gave me a key." Ziva switched the safety of her gun on and placed it in a locked box.
Tony looked around Ziva's apartment. He saw all of the dollies, baby xylophones, and other tiny toys strewn about the place. His heart was pounding in his chest.
"You should not have come," Ziva said.
"I must not be able to go anywhere," Tony teased. She had said this to him before.
"Look, Tony. I am sorry I wrecked your life. It was a mistake for me to have come."
"You didn't ruin my life!" Tony's voice escalated. Shhhhh… Ziva reminded him that a baby was sleeping in the other room.
"If I did not ruin your life, then why were you so upset?" Ziva whispered, her face showing frustration beyond belief.
"Because, Ziva. You didn't tell me when I was in Israel." There was a long period of silence.
"I thought you would disown me." Ziva finally said. Tony stepped closer to Ziva and put his hands on her shoulders.
"I love you, Ziva. I would never disown you." A tear fell down Ziva's cheek.
"You love me?" Ziva clarified, still crying.
"More than anything. I just wish I could have been there with you." Tony stepped even closer, invading her personal space. She didn't mind. Tony pulled out her flash drive. "You left this," he said, offering it to her.
"Keep it." Ziva told him, drying her eyes with her hand. Tony pulled her close so she could rest her head on his chest. He ran his hand through her hair. His loving touch was calming her down.
"I saw the pictures." Tony revealed.
"You did?" Ziva asked, suddenly perking up a bit.
"Yeah. I just wish I could have been there to see you for myself." Tony frowned. Ziva bit her lip.
"I am sorry, Tony." Ziva apologized. Tony nodded, not sure if he could even speak. Man, he had missed her so much.
"Would you like to see her?" Ziva asked quietly. Tony's eyes sparkled. Would he? He gulped.
This is it. This is the moment it all becomes real. I am a father. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the baby's room.
Together, they tiptoed into Tali's bedroom. Tony walked slowly, as if in a dream, toward the crib. He could hear soft breaths coming from the baby. He peeked over the edge to see a tiny human being laying on her back, hands above her head, sleeping soundly. He could barely breathe. Man, she was beautiful. She had dark hair, much like his own and Ziva's. He could tell it would one day be curly, just like her mommy's.
"She has green eyes, like yours." Ziva commented in a whisper. Tony's eyes watered. He couldn't imagine a better combination of his and Ziva's features. She seemed to have pulled all of her traits from the beautiful side of the gene pool.
"Would you like to hold her?" Ziva asked. Tony only nodded, he couldn't take his eyes off of her for a second. Cautiously, Tony slid his hand under the infant's head to cradle it, and picked up the rest of her tiny body. How breakable she felt! She stirred a little as he pulled her out of the crib, and her big green eyes opened a little. Tony rested her head on his chest, holding her close to him. Sensing her daddy's touch, she easily fell back asleep in his arms.
Her little chest moved up and down on his as she breathed softly. Every so often, she would sigh in her sleep, having a good dream. Tony couldn't stop smiling. This was the best feeling in the world. He never knew being a father would feel this great. After what felt like only a few moments, Tony was told to put Tali back in her crib.
Soon, Ziva and Tony were in the living room, and Ziva was filling him in on all he had missed.
"What do you think of her name? Do you like it?" Ziva asked, slightly worried.
"I love it, couldn't think of a better one myself." Tony replied honestly.
"I thought you would. I even put Kate's name in it, just for you." Ziva told Tony. He smiled at Ziva's nod to his old partner. Tony decided to give Ziva Tali's gift. He pulled out the box which the clerk at the store had wrapped in brown paper, and gave it to her.
"What is this?" Ziva asked.
"You'll see, unwrap it," Tony instructed. She pulled off the string and paper and opened up the box to reveal a pink and green onesie that said 'I Love My Daddy' on the front. Ziva chuckled at his gift, but was indeed grateful for it. "She certainly will," Ziva said, "You will be a wonderful father." Ziva's eyes filled with tears. She didn't want to have an awkward 'at-mom's-on-weekdays-and-dad's-on-weekends' thing with Tony. She looked away so he wouldn't see her crying.
Just then, Tony got down on one knee and held Ziva's hands in his. "Ziva, I'm in love with you, and Tali only proves that. I am so glad to have you in my life. I want to stay a part of your life, and I want to always be a part of Tali's life. Here, America, wherever. As long as I'm with you." Tony paused to regain control of his emotions before he continued. "Ziva David, will you marry me?" He pulled out a black box with Ziva name written on it and opened it to reveal the simple diamond ring. Ziva put a hand over her mouth in both surprise and happiness. She really started crying now.
"I will," she replied in a shaky voice. Tony's grin grew bigger than ever before. He slid the ring on her finger, then scooped her up in his arms with a big hug, and kissed her. Tears were now streaming from his eyes too. He held her close, breathing in her scent as he stroked the back of her hair. "Thank you, Tony," Ziva said through tears.
Tony and Ziva sat down to watch a movie. He had said he had to go back to the States to work, and he'd sleep on the plane, so they decided to stay up and watch a movie before he left. He had brought a great romantic comedy called Fools Rush In for them to watch. It featured Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry, and its character's predicament was similar to theirs.
"You know, you sort of look like Salma Hayek, Zee," Tony observed. Ziva laughed, "Ha, I do not see it."
They continued to watch, then it came to the part where Salma's character, Isabel, told Matthew's character, Alex, that she was pregnant. Ziva knew exactly why Tony had chosen this movie, but she continued watching, enjoying it wholly.
After the movie, Ziva and Tony said goodbye. They had agreed on Ziva and Tali moving back to D.C. as soon as possible, and they were both more excited than ever. They scheduled their wedding for March 18th, 2015. First they had to tell their coworkers, and they knew how excited they would all be, you know, after they broke the other news. At least by now, everyone knew Tony's true feelings for Ziva.
Tony sat on the plane back from Israel, feeling much better than he had the last time he flew the same route. He didn't know if he could wait 3 weeks for Ziva to get the correct papers and finally come home, but he'd have to. It was better than never seeing her again. He pulled out a picture of himself and Tali that Ziva had taken that night. He gave the picture a kiss goodnight, then fell fast asleep.
Ziva was fiddling with her new ring while she tried to fall asleep. After all that had happened that night, she wasn't sure if she ever would. Just as she was about to doze off, a crying arose from the room adjacent to her own. She got up and went to soothe Tali.
The baby was standing in her crib, pointing at the door, face red, and she had her mouth open as she yelled. Ziva could see the two teeth that had shown themselves only a few days ago. How can a screaming baby still be so cute? Ziva thought. She cradled the child in her arms, but Tali still stared at the door, eyes wide open. She wouldn't stop crying.
It was then that she decided to say her first word. "Dada!" She yelled it sadly, over and over, as if she were saying "Come back! Please come back daddy!" She was only nine months old, but Ziva supposed, if you wanted someone that much, it could break even a baby from its silence.
Finally, Ziva got Tali to go back to sleep, but she found herself unable to stop thinking about Tony, and she knew it would be a long and lonely night.
It had finally been the 3 weeks since Tony's visit, and Ziva was scheduled to fly in today, with Tali. It was now the beginning of February, and a light snow was falling. Tony could barely focus on work, much to his boss' frustration. Finally, the elevator doors opened but Tony did not see anyone, until a tiny little girl came crawling around the corner and into her father's workplace. The whole team, minus Tony, looked confused. Bishop stood up and walked over to the kid, kneeling in front of her.
"Hello," she said cheerfully to the baby, "Are you lost?" Just then, Ziva walked over and stood in front of her friends with a diaper bag slung over her shoulder. McGee looked from the baby to Ziva, and back again, his jaw basically resting on his desk.
"Close your mouth McGee, it is not very attractive," Ziva commented, walking over to Tony's desk and setting her bag there.
"I'm confused," Bishop said aloud.
"Da!" Tali said, pointing at Tony as if to explain everything to Ellie. McGee gripped the edge of his chair to keep from passing out. Gibbs noticed McGee's discombobulated manner, and rolled his eyes as he got up out of his chair. He walked over to Tony and slapped him hard on the back of his head, causing Tony to wince. He rubbed his head where Gibbs had hit, but he knew he deserved every bit of that punishment. So much for rule 12. Gibbs kept walking out of the bullpen. "I'm gonna need a coffee."
Abby came up from the lab to hand a report to Gibbs when she saw her Israeli friend over all of the cubicle walls. "ZIVA!" Abby screamed as she nearly knocked over a mailroom worker on her way over.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" She said jumping up and down while hugging Ziva. She had not yet noticed the mini DiNozzo-David. "You're back! You came back! I knew you wouldn't stay away forever!" Just then, Abby looked down and saw a little girl staring up at her with big green eyes.
"McGee, do you have a niece?" Abby asked, pointing at the baby. McGee shook his head.
"Bishop?" Abby continued. "Nope," Bishop replied knowingly.
"Is she a suspect then? Who is she?" Abby finally gave up on guessing. Tim, Ellie, and Gibbs pointed at Tony and Ziva simultaneously. Abby contorted her face as she tried to understand what they were telling her. To help her out, Tony walked over to his daughter and lifted her into his arms.
"TONY!" Abby said excitedly, "ZIVA!"
"Yes Abby." Ziva confirmed.
"What? How? When? WOAH!" Abby rambled on, all the while, Tony and Ziva stared at Tali, who was pulling on Tony's ear.
"What's her name?" Abby questioned. "Yeah, you never told us!" McGee agreed. Even Gibbs looked anxious to hear what his agents had named their daughter.
"Her name is Tali," Ziva answered, "Talia Caitlin David-DiNozzo."
After explaining everything that Abby had missed and showing her the pictures, Ziva finally told everyone about her and Tony's engagement. "Let me see the ring!" Abby begged. Ziva held out her hand for everyone to look at. By now, Ducky and Jimmy had joined the 'party' in the bullpen, and were caught up in the situation. Abby was holding Tali and already spoiling her, giving her tons of hugs, kisses, tickles and giggles.
McGee smiled happily as he watched Abby interacting with Tali. She would be a good mother one day, but he was interrupted from his fantasying by Tony, who asked, "McGee?"
"Yeah Tony?"
"How would you like to be my best man?"
"Will I have to make a speech?" Tim asked jokingly.
"Oh yeah, and it'd better be a good one Probie!" Tony replied laughing. McGee mocked deep thought before he answered, "Of course I'll be your best man." Tony grinned and went in for a big man hug.
Abby stared at Ziva, waiting for her to ask the inevitable question. Ziva rolled her eyes, but asked her "Abby, will you be my Maid of Honor?"
"No." Abby said. Confused stares landed on Abby. "I'm kidding! What kind of question was that? I would love to be your maid of honor!" Ziva gave Abby a hug, and Abby started talking endlessly about wedding plans.
Ziva looked at her successor, Bishop, and told her, "You can be a bridesmaid, if you would like to."
"It would be an honor," Bishop replied, smiling. She was finally seeing her team in their natural state, a family. Things turned serious when Ziva went over to Gibbs.
"Gibbs, I know you are probably very angry at us right now, and I am truly sorry—" Gibbs stopped her by holding up his hand. "No, I'm sorry," he apologized, breaking his own rule. "Congratulations you two," he said with a smile. "Now can I hold my granddaughter?" He asked, deeming Tali as one of his own. Abby unwillingly handed the baby to Gibbs, who accepted her and sat her down on his knee. Tali cooed and giggled at Gibbs who bounced her up and down.
"Gibbs," Ziva began, "Would you walk me down the aisle?" She had no real father, and he was far better than hers ever was anyway. She hoped he'd say yes.
"Yes, Ziva. I wouldn't have it any other way." A few tears fell down Ziva's cheeks. She was so happy that her boss, and father figure, had given his acceptance and wasn't angry at them. Everything was perfect.
At the wedding, Tali was all dressed up in her white flower girl dress. She was 11 months old, now able to walk on her own, and Abby had shown her how to scatter the petals from her basket. She really was a smart baby and an advanced learner.
Ziva was almost ready for her entrance. Ellie made a few adjustments to Ziva's makeup and hair, then pronounced her ready to go. Ziva took a deep breath. Today, she was marrying the man of her dreams, and she couldn't be happier.
Tony had agreed to do a Jewish wedding. He didn't know that meant fasting that morning till the ceremony was over. His stomach growled, and his nerves didn't help him to feel any better. Sometimes he thought he'd pass out, but when that happened, he just imagined Ziva and his dizziness would pass.
Ziva's synagogue was beautiful. He had been there once before, but back then was not as happy as today. McGee knocked on Tony's door and told him that it was time for him to greet guests. Tony went out to say hello to everyone they had invited. The crowd was mostly compiled of NCIS agents, the director, Ducky and Jimmy (with Breena), and Tony's father, who flew in just for the occasion.
"Hello Junior!" He said happily as he walked up and shook Tony's hand.
"Hey dad," Tony smiled. Senior clapped Tony on the shoulder and asked, "Are you nervous?"
"It's that obvious?" Tony asked worriedly.
"Don't worry about it," he assured, "It's nice to see my son finally settling down." He elbowed Tony in the side, saying, "And with Ziva of all people." What a flirt, flirting with my girl right before our wedding. Tony thought. "Come on dad," said Tony rolling his eyes.
"Where's my granddaughter?" Senior asked.
"Ah, Tali's with Abby getting ready," he answered.
"I'm happy for you, Junior," the older Anthony said. "Good luck," he said, eyebrows raised, "See you on the other side!" With that, Senior shuffled into the building and took his seat.
It's time! Abby said excitedly. Per usual tradition, Ziva decided to walk down the aisle, to blend her tradition with Tony's. Abby nudged Tali to get her started down the aisle. The little girl toddled down the aisle, every so often dropping a handful of flower petals. The organ played a song while the procession began. Next, Bishop began her walk, wearing a long, flowing, green dress. Her husband, Jake, accompanied her down the aisle. Abby followed, wearing an identical dress. Ziva had to admit, it was weird seeing Abby wearing normal clothes, but she looked beautiful just the same.
Ziva took a deep breath and began her walk down the aisle, arm hooked around Gibbs'. He looked in her eyes and silently assured her everything was going to be fine. She smiled and stepped in time with the music, walking toward her future husband.
When they reached the end of the aisle, Gibbs gave Ziva a kiss on the cheek and said "I love you Ziver." He then took his seat. Giving away Ziva was in a way like giving away his daughter, Kelly, which he would never get to do. He felt happy for the couple, and couldn't wait to see how it affected their work relationship, as long as it didn't make it worse.
Tony walked over to Ziva and covered her head with her veil, a Jewish wedding tradition, and smiled at her, to ease both his and her nerves. The stood side-by-side under the chuppah, a canopy, and at the Rabbi's instruction, said their vows. They then exchanged rings, sliding each one onto the other's hand.
The Rabbi said the seven blessings over Tony and Ziva, then told Tony he could kiss the bride. Tony leaned forward and connected his lips to Ziva's. Their first kiss as a married couple. The audience clapped and Tony and Ziva walked down the aisle together. They walked down the steps of the synagogue while their guests showered them with candy, another Jewish tradition. They hopped into Tony's car, and drove to their new home they had recently bought together, Tali giggling in the backseat. They were a family, a real family. Tony thought about everything he and Ziva had been through together, and wondered why he hadn't proposed earlier. It was obvious that they were soulmates. Who knew that something so big could have started with something so small, but it had, and Tony and Ziva were eternally grateful.
The End
I hope you loved reading this, and that it turned out okay.
Few notes: I made the wedding kind of a mix between traditional and Jewish, so I am sorry if some of it is unrealistic or inaccurate. I tried.
On another note, I would be delighted if you reviewed what you thought, and if you are interested in a sequel someday. You can also tell me your favorite part, line, etc… Thanks in advance.
I suppose I should get back to my other story… Thanks for reading!
~NCIS Obsession