A/N: So, I haven't yet watched the Season 11 premiere, though I probably will tonight or tomorrow. I decided to mark this night with something that makes me smile to counter my aching heart and trepidation over CdP leaving the show - and my anger, as I have moved into that stage of grief on more than one level.

This is the first of what will be a collection of one-shots (well, at least I think they will be one-shots *snort*) along the theme of family with Ziva and Gibbs. There will be no rhyme or reason to the order and I cannot say how often it will be updated. Therefore, if you like the idea, this one would be a good one to put on alert. I will say, however, that the 2nd one is already written and is loosely planned to go up after the next update of Grace.

If these chapters fall into a certain time or universe, I will tell you. This first one falls in "Waves of Grace" between Chapters 25 & 26. As you may remember, the concept of shopping for new vehicles came up in the anniversary chapter (#25) and this is my version of how that might have gone. =)

I really hope you enjoy it, and that you'll review and let me know, if you do.

"Thought we could look at these first."

Gibbs pointed to the hand-written list he held, then took Ziva's hand and led her through the car lot. As his destination became clear, Ziva stopped in her tracks.

Since when had car dealers started selling Army surplus?

The pull of her weight against his arm made him pause and look back at his wife.

"That is what you want me to look at?" She pointed in the direction in which she thought they were headed.

He nodded.

"Jethro. I no longer live in a war zone. I am not driving around in an urban assault vehicle."

"But –"

"Jethro."

"But, Consumer Reports says –"

Ziva's eyes widened, then her brow lifted as she considered him.

"'Consumer Reports?'" she repeated in disbelief.

He nodded.

Before he could launch into the merits of this vehicle that had been conveyed in said report, Ziva moved to stand right in front of him. She raised a hand and took hold of his face, her fingers gripping one cheek and her thumb the other, effectively cupping his chin in the web of her hand between her forefinger and thumb as she gazed at him searchingly.

"Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

Gibbs looked away. If he was a man who blushed, Ziva would have sworn he did so right then.

Just a little.

Ziva considered him another moment.

"Jethro?" she asked softly.

He just shrugged lightly at first.

Then, allowing his gaze to find hers again, he rested his hands on her hips under the cape he'd bought her and tipped his forehead against hers.

"He turned into a dad again," he mumbled endearingly.

Now, how in the world was she supposed to resist that?

When Gibbs had fallen in love with Ziva, his worry gear started engaging more often, but had been tempered by the certain knowledge that if anyone could take care of themselves, it was Ziva.

That didn't mean nothing could or would happen, but it did allow him to relax a little. He didn't feel like he needed to be hyper-vigilant all the time.

However, from the moment she'd told him they were pregnant, that worry gear had shifted into overdrive.

Now he had two of them to worry about, one of whom would be completely helpless for a very long time.

Of course, his experience of losing Shannon and Kelly in one fell swoop while they were inside a vehicle didn't help the current matter under consideration.

He was really trying not to smother her, but …

Ziva's hand slid down from his cheek and she encircled his chest with her arms under his coat.

"I see," she murmured lovingly.

Because she did.

That did not mean, however, that she was going to drive around the city in something that looked like it ought to have a machine gun mounted on the top.

"Perhaps we could compromise a little," she suggested, tilting her head to gaze at him with affection and understanding. "What else is on your list?"

His characteristic smile tugged at his lips and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

And he moved to the next possibility he'd written down.

They took their time – which was not typical for either of them when shopping for a new vehicle or much else, for that matter. However, Ziva refused to let them be rushed, sensing that what was going on under the surface for him needed to be tended and she was determined to honor that, even if it remained largely unsaid.

In words, that is.

When the first salesman who approached them annoyed her one too many times, Ziva marched into the show room, observed for a moment, then selected a woman who appeared competent – and who did not fall on her like a starving rat on the last piece of cheese.

It also didn't hurt that the woman had a picture of a young Marine on her desk.

They checked out all the ideas on the list Gibbs had created – except for that first one - after he 'fessed up to getting McGee to help him research safety ratings. They looked at a few other cars, as well.

They took the three they liked best out for test drives.

After driving them, there was one that Ziva liked the most, though it was a little larger than she'd expected to buy. It was more like a small SUV than a car, though it definitely handled more like a car than a truck. It was also stylish, even a little sporty, and had a large cargo area that could be converted to a third row of seats that even had enough leg room for adults.

She made Jethro check that part personally, figuring she'd need a crane to haul her out if she tried to climb back there in her current pregnant state.

When the saleswoman shared that this particular car had above-average safety rating scores in this class of vehicles – a 9.8 out of 10 – Jethro was sold.

And when she added that this model had been voted the "Best for Families" in the class of small SUVs, that sealed the deal for Ziva, as well.

Well, that and the fact that she could get it in a bright candy-apple color called "Crystal Red" and with heated seats – one of her favorite features on her Mini.

The cold was not Ziva's best friend.

When she wasn't carrying around a whole 'nother person inside her that drove up her own body temperature, that is.

She asked the helpful-but-not-pushy saleswoman if they could have a moment and the woman wisely, immediately gave them some space.

Ziva turned to her husband, leaning in to rest against him.

"'Best for Families,'" she repeated softly, smiling as she laid her hand on his chest. "That is us, yes?"

Gibbs smiled back at her, raising a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"That's us," he agreed in a voice that had deepened with emotion, placing a hand over hers where it lay on his chest and squeezing gently. Then his blue eyes twinkled. "And, Consumer Reports likes this one, too."

In fact, it had tied for second place on his list for its above-average safety rating.

Ziva laughed and hugged him tightly, perhaps never loving him more than at that very moment.

"And now we look for you," she announced with a determined eye.

"Aren't you getting tired?" he side-stepped, ready to be done with this for today.

"A little," she admitted, "but I want to know we have you taken care of, too."

Then she smirked.

"And this saleswoman does not make me want to pull my knife."

He chuckled at that and allowed her to lead him to the mid-sized SUVs that they'd discovered on their tour, the ones that looked and drove more like a truck than a car.

Something like that was a better fit for him than what they'd chosen for her.

Ziva looked around and caught the eye of the saleswoman who was keeping a discreet eye on them from a respectable distance. Once the woman joined them, Ziva explained that it appeared they had chosen the other one for her and would now like to look at something different for her husband.

They ended up finding one in the used car lot that was only a couple of years old, was low in mileage, and had the safety angle covered, as well. It wasn't silver, but Ziva was a fan of the True Blue Pearl the color was listed as and whispered in his ear that she liked the way it brought out his eyes.

He nearly rolled those eyes at that, but at least it was a darker blue that reminded him of the jacket to his Dress Blues from his former life rather than some phoo-phooey color.

They took it for a test drive and returned to the lot in fairly short order.

Before getting out of the vehicle, Ziva hugged his arm and wheedled, "It even has seat warmers."

He practically snorted and lifted a brow at her. He couldn't have cared less about heated seats and she knew it.

"I will very likely be riding in this, too, on a regular basis," she pointed out.

The saleswoman was approaching them, but Gibbs leaned close to his wife and murmured, "You don't trust me to keep your beautiful ass warm?"

Ziva blushed lightly even as her lips twitched. Putting her own lips near his ear, she responded in kind.

"You are my very favorite way to have my ass warmed and you do an excellent job of it. However, that might be difficult while you are driving, especially with our son looking on from the back seat."

Oh.

Good points.

She grinned with a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

True Blue Pearl with seat warmers it was.

The paperwork part went remarkably smoothly. Gibbs insisted that Ziva get exactly what she wished for with regard to all the different options, even if that meant her car would be brand new and they'd have to order it in off another lot to get everything she wanted. The saleswoman assured them it would be in within the week.

He was perfectly happy with the one they found for him. She drove it home – contentedly ensconced in the driver's seat with the seat warmer on low, providing just the right amount of warmth on this January day - while he followed in his silver truck that would be kept for hauling and such, at least for now.

They'd already made arrangements to sell Ziva's Mini to a friend of Tim's once she got her new car.

All the way home, Gibbs tried to decide if he should tell her he was getting her windows replaced with bullet-proof glass or if he should just do it and take the consequences.

Or … maybe he should spring it on her during one of those wickedly hot moments in bed where she'd agree to anything if he'd just stop tormenting her and –

Take.

Her.

Now.

He grinned as he considered the bonus he got out of that, as well.

Yep, that was definitely the plan.

And when his wife turned the tables and got him to agree to replacing his own windows, too, he considered himself lucky that she hadn't been trying to convince him to paint his SUV some phoo-phooey blue that matched his eyes exactly.

'cause, God knows, right at that moment with her mouth hovering just out of reach and the tip of her tongue teasing him unmercifully, he'd have agreed to that, too.

~ The End ~