Author's Note. I'm back, its back, it's all good :D I've marked When The Past Comes Back To Haunt You as complete and am starting the sequel. It's easier for me this way. This chapter comes as a belated birthday present for a very dear friend. So you have her to thank really. I hope you enjoy this as much as the first one. I don't yet know where we're going with this, but I hope you'll join me in the discovery. NYLF xx


Ziva stood in front of the floor length mirror, carefully smoothing her palms down the skirt of her dress.

She'd picked it out, with a little help from Lauren, while they had been impromptu wedding shopping a few months ago.

It was brilliant white, setting off her skin tone in a way that she knew would make Jethro smile, and want her.

It was strapless and had a mild sweetheart bust line so it allowed her to be sexy and feminine but it kept in mind that it was her wedding day.

It was a lace up back, something Abby and Lauren had had a lot of fun working out this morning when they had to wake up at 'stupid o'clock' as Abby put it, for their eleven o'clock wedding. The satin ribbon was tied in a criss-cross across the length of her back starting just below her shoulders and ending in a large but not over-the-top bow at her tailbone. Due to the lack of a modesty panel, flashes of deliciously golden skin could be seen between the ribbons. Jethro would be touching them all day.

The skirt flared a little at her hips; not a meringue, just enough so it wasn't straight up-and-down. It was also brilliant white and sat barely an inch off the ground even in her satin three inch sandal heels.

It was a relatively simple design. Lauren had said elegant. It was mostly bare, except for the delicate line of beading that twisted from the middle of her chest down around the lower curve of her breast and around to the back of the dress, its twin leading from the same start but tracing the pattern around her waist. Ziva was hesitant at first, worried that it was too feminine for her, but with a little persuasion from her maid-of-honour, Abby, and her only bridesmaid, Lauren, she had tried it on. And instantly fallen in love.

Ziva smiled to herself in the mirror. She was getting married.

In just a few short hours she was getting married to the man she loved, surrounded by the people that had become family while their children watched on.

She chuckled at that thought, still not used to calling Lauren and Ethan hers.

After Jethro's surprise proposal, they had talked with them both for a long time as to what that would mean. Lauren had understood that it didn't have to change anything, Ethan, still too young to truly grasp it, but a few months into their engagement she had discreetly pulled Ziva aside and told her that, while she would always love and miss her mother, she wouldn't mind terribly if Ziva was to become her mom. Ziva had held her until she could be sure she wasn't going to cry all over the girl.

She and Jethro had talked that night. They proposed their plan to the children the next day and started the process to adopt them once they had gotten their approval. It had all been finalised just a few weeks before and they were all just getting used to it.

Lauren was currently reading on the bed behind Ziva to keep herself calm. She was nervous of messing up, despite both Ziva and Jethro's assurances she wouldn't. She was already dressed though.

Her dress was strapless, knee length and baby blue. The bust line was relatively flat, meaning that it was suitable for both Abby and Lauren to wear, but the fabric across the bust was ruched to give it more shape and style. A white ribbon wrapped from the lace up back to the front around the girls' waists with a two inch thick line of delicate pearl beading just off centre from the top of the ribbon to the bottom. The skirt fell in waves around the knee in two translucent layers while an opaque layer sat against their skin. Ziva had insisted that their colour scheme should be blue and white, not telling Jethro it was to bring out his eyes.

Tony had agreed to walk her down the aisle, tears in his eyes as he did, and would look dashing along with Jethro, their ring-bearer Ethan and McGee in his black suit, baby blue waistcoat, matching tie and white shirt.

McGee was preceding them all down the aisle given that he was carrying the flower girl. Lilly and McGee had gotten married shortly after Jethro had proposed; everything with Pennie making both of them not want to miss another second. They had found out they were pregnant shortly after and Lilly had given birth to a beautiful baby girl a month before Jethro and Ziva were due to get married. Imogen Kate was immediately placed in the wedding roster as their flower girl, her tiny white dress adorned with tiny forget-me-not flowers fitting her in with the colour scheme.

Even Ziva's hair and makeup was colour coordinated. Baby blue eyeshadow and eyeliner and forget-me-not flowers woven into her hair, which had been pulled tight at the top and left to curl down her back. Both Abby and Lauren had had their hair curled, Abby's in waves and Lauren's in ringlets framing her face. They looked nothing short of breathtaking.

There was a knock on the door before Abby let herself into the room. Ziva smiled softly.

"It's nearly time." Abby informed her quietly. Ziva flicked her eyes to Lauren, already standing and straightening her dress. "You ready?"

Ziva gave a shy smile and as tiny nod. "Yes." She was definitely ready to become Jethro's wife.