Disclaimer: I mean no profits with this story. The show and its characters belong to their owners.
Ziva slowly awakes, opening her eyes to the pitch black view of her bedroom ceiling at night. Still disoriented, she braces herself on the mattress and licks her thirsty lips.
The alarm clock says it's almost four in the morning. Rolling her eyes, she looks down and recognizes the clothes that she's wearing. A laugh escapes without her consent and Ziva wonders how in the world she could have ever let Tony convince her to put on her wedding dress, just to please their daughter.
A combination of pride and unconditional love spreads throughout her insides and Ziva simply lets it enfold her heart completely.
Getting up, she decides to find out what Tony and Geula are up to. Nothing good, she murmurs to one in particular, barking out a devilish grin.
Ziva walks down the dark hall, putting her wavy brown hair up in a classy bun. She stops by her daughter's bedroom door ajar and finds that no one's there, furrowing her eyebrows.
A flash of light grabs her attention and she's fast to pick up that it comes from the living room. (This is not the first and is not likely to be the last time that she will ever catch them watching tv late at night.)
After taking a dozen careful steps, Ziva feels her bones paralyze due to the adorable sight unfolding before her eyes… The bright screen shows an unmistakable scene of "Gone with the wind". And although the television is on mute, Tony is gently humming Tara's theme song to their nine-months-old daughter, who is dozing off with her head burrowed into his wedding tuxedo-clad shoulder. His dry lips are touching the little girl's soft forehead; the pair embracing each other and dancing from side to side.
Ziva doesn't even bother to refrain the fresh tears that are making their way to her eyes —not now that she's home and safe and free, not anymore—, but instinctively fights against the feeling of her throat closing up.
Tony's voice is honeyed when he whispers to Geula, "One day you'll be dancing in the arms of another man." His eyes are closed while he runs the tip of his nose against the child's fluffy cheekbone. "And I can only hope that he will deserve your love, baby girl."
The words hit too close to home and Ziva finds herself amid a burst of emotions. She feels enormously fortunate to be able to witness such a breathtaking moment between the two most important people in her life — her husband and her only child. At the same time she can't help but feel terribly melancholy to the memory of her own father prophesying a similar occurrence. (Despite all their misunderstandings, Eli was indeed right and she misses his warm embrace to the point that it hurts, some days more than others.)
Ziva suddenly feels like an intruder and considers returning to their bedroom, leaving a man and a baby to cherish an instant that's only their own.
Before she can retreat, though, Ziva hears him clearing his throat without even changing his posture. "She was restless", Tony explains. "We didn't want to wake you up."
Ziva likes the way he always says we; loves how they have finally become a stable family and appreciates the feeling that no one will ever break their bond.
"And you know how Clark Gable is the only one who can calm her down", Tony shrugs; his gaze meeting hers.
Ziva fails in holding back an open laugh and the sound almost wakes Geula, who grumps nonsensical words and stirs into her father's arms.
Tony accommodates his daughter more properly on his left shoulder, fixing a loving glance at her perfect little face. Such a miracle… Then, he reaches out his right hand towards Ziva, silently inviting her to join them. He's looking at her as if seeing her in that dress for the first time; as when Gibbs took her through the altar like a father himself.
The woman, formerly known as an unbeatable ninja, finds that she can't resist such request. Ziva strolls through the room, feeling her heart expanding with each step that she takes.
Tony meets her halfway, softly turning the toddler's little body towards her mother's open arms. Geula recognizes Ziva's scent and lets out a tired sigh, blinking a couple of times before succumbing to sleep once again.
Tony's eyes glint mischievously at his two perfect girls, stepping closer so they can all cuddle. He kisses the back of Geula's head, breathing her sweet smell of body powder and innocence. Then he raises his head, meet Ziva's eyes filled with tears and approaches their lips in a mesmerizing soft kiss, holding her by the waist.
After exchanging an 'I will always love you' kind of look, they find a rhythm —the three of them, standing in the living room, leisurely swaying together— as Tony starts to whistle the theme song of the classic movie that's filling the room with black and white shades of light.
Ziva lets out a sob, realizing that whatever she's feeling is far beyond affection, love or care — although she's completely submersed in these feelings as well.
She experiences an instant of deep serenity, as if her sins are finally turning to dust. It feels like all her life decisions and irreclaimable losses (seeking revenge, killing dozens of men including her brother, joining Mossad against her mother's will and leaving Israel against her father's, eventually trying to detach from NCIS and so on) seem to converge to these two irreplaceable people.
It all makes sense now.
She silently prays and thanks HaShem for meeting Tony in the following months after her departure from NCIS —for him not giving up on her, on them— and they finally giving in to the fate of being soul-mates. And then moving in together, having a beautiful baby girl.
Resting her forehead on her husband's shoulder, Ziva feels her daughter softly breathing against her neck. She quietly calls out "Geula…", caressing the girl's silky blond hair.
Tony smiles, recognizing the meaning behind their daughter's name, sinking his face deeper into theirs. "It means redemption, right?"
Ziva only nods and they stay like that until their bodies beg for rest, leading the couple towards their comfortable bed with a little girl, half Israeli and half American, sleeping between the two of them.