XI. You can have half.
Tony, miserable due to the diet his doctor had requested he start to lower his cholesterol, watched in envy as Ziva looked over the dessert menu.
"You know, it's mean to eat something that your dinner companion can't," he said, pouting pathetically.
Ziva laughed at him, not unkindly. "My love, this is no different than when you continued to eat peanut butter sandwiches even though the smell made me nauseous."
Tony winced. He knew that one would come back to bite him in the ass. He continued to pout, "It's still mean."
With a soft, affectionate smile, Ziva said, "You can have half."
XII. Take my jacket, it's cold outside.
Ziva looked up from her desk and frowned at the white flakes falling outside the window.
"I do not understand why it snows in April," she mumbled grumpily. "In Israel, by now, it is very hot and sunny."
"Welcome to the Beltway, Zee-vah," Tony drawled, raking a hand through his hair. "Winter lasts forever and then summer heat suffocates us all."
"It is stupid," she muttered. Then, standing abruptly, she sighed, "I need lunch. That soup place will be open despite the snow, yes?"
"Yeah," Tony nodded, looking at her curiously. He paused for a moment, seemingly debating with himself, before saying, "Hey, take my coat. It's cold out and yours isn't that warm."
Ziva regarded him with a slightly shocked look on her face - this new co-worker who, yes, she teased and flirted with, was being unusually nice.
"Thank you, Tony," the corners of her lips turned up in a small smile. She accepted his coat and pulled it on over her own - suddenly she was enveloped in his scent and it shocked her, just how comforting it was.
XIII. Sorry I'm late.
Tony crouched on the cold ground, his knees aching and his back starting to stiffen. But he didn't want to get up.
His hand brushed over the name carved into the marble headstone.
"I'm terrified, mom," he mumbled. "I think she'll say yes. I hope she'll say yes, but..."
He trailed off.
It was stupid, but he had wanted to introduce Ziva to his mom before asking her to marry him. And she was late.
He wasn't superstitious, but it didn't feel like a good sign.
He didn't hear her footsteps, but he felt her hand on his shoulder.
"Tony," she said, voice hushed in respect for their surroundings. He stood slowly, knees cracking.
"Hey, didn't think you were coming," he shrugged nonchalantly, eyes catching on the small, but brightly coloured bouquet of flowers in her hands.
"I am sorry that I was late," she replied, blinking up at him. She knew just how important this was to him.
Tony saw something in her eyes and smiled before kissing the top of her head. "So," he said with a smile, showing his teeth, "meet my mom."
XIV. Can i have this dance?
Ziva watched as John McGee twirled his new bride - her's and Tony's daughter, Nora - around the dance floor. They looked absolutely giddy.
The smile on her face spread wider when John leaned in to whisper something to Nora, causing her younger daughter to throw her head back in laughter. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to her husband's in a kiss so sweet Ziva felt like she was intruding.
Across the dance floor, Tony - still handsome even with a head full of grey hair - spun their granddaughter under his arm, Tali and her husband watching with matching smiles on their faces.
"Time flies, huh, Ziva?" Tim sat down in the seat next to her.
"Mmhm," she hummed contentedly. It still stunned her that Tim and Delilah were really part of their family now.
She took her eyes off of the dance floor for a little bit to share a quick conversation with Tim.
A few moments later, there was a gentle tap on her shoulder. Turning in her seat, she was greeted by Tony's smiling face.
His hazel eyes twinkled and despite the creases around his eyes and on his forehead, his smile made him look like the young(er) man she had fallen in love with.
"Can I have this dance?"
"It would be my pleasure, my love," she put her hand in his and let Tony lead her out to the dance floor.
XV. I made your favorite.
Tony let out a short sigh. They were going on day two of Ziva having locked herself in their bedroom.
"Abba?" Tali tottered into the kitchen, Kalev gripped loosely in her hand. "Why Ima sad?"
Tony's heart skipped a beat - it would kill Ziva if she knew that Tali had picked up on her sadness. He knelt down next to their nearly five-year-old and brushed a hand over her head. "Ima's just got a case of the blues, baby. She'll be better soon. Why don't you go draw her a picture?"
"Gonna draw a boat!" Tali giggled and ran off to the living room - boats were her new favorite thing, probably a result of having Gibbs babysit for an afternoon.
Satisfied that Tali was happily distracted, Tony gathered up a tray from the kitchen and nudged their bedroom door open.
"Hey," he said quietly, "you gotta eat, Z."
She made a muffled noise that Tony took to mean "no." He sat on he edge of the bed and set the tray on his lap. "Made your favorite."
Ziva raised an eyebrow. "You made my Ima's rugelach?"
Tony's lips curved up in a crooked smile. "I made the Tony DiNozzo version of your ima's rugelach."
"Thank you," she murmured, eyes filling with tears again as she reached out to hold Tony's hand. He gripped it tightly, knowing he was her anchor at this moment.
XVI. It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway.
The baby's cry started slowly and Ziva held her breath, hoping he would fall back asleep. No such luck.
Ben's cry grew louder until she couldn't ignore it anymore. The subtle shifting on the other side of the bed told her Tony was awake too.
Ziva gently reached out and tapped his lower back. "Tony?"
"Mhm?" he hummed, partially rolling over and craning his neck to look at her.
"I cannot get up again," she felt tears welling in her eyes. "I am so tired and sore."
Tony gave her a soft smile, "I've got this, Z. We'll have a little father-son time."
He swung his legs out of bed and pulled on a sweatshirt before heading for the nursery. Ziva sighed in relief and called after him, "Tony, I am sorry to wake you and make you go."
"It's okay," he gave her a little wink, "I couldn't sleep anyway."
XVII. Watch your step.
DC in the winter was an icy hellhole.
Which was an oxymoron, Tim supposed. But either way, the layer of ice that covered everything made their job so much more difficult. Especially when petty officers were murdered and had their bodies dumped in the forested area of Rock Creek Park.
He clutched the supply bag tightly as he carefully picked his way over frozen branches and piles of icy leaves, trying to ignore the sound of Tony and Ziva bantering behind him.
They had been taking pot shots at each other all day - a consequence of Gibbs having kept them in the office until the early hours of the morning and only allowing a break for a quick shower and change of clothes. Frankly, Tim was tired of the banter. He wished they would just sleep together and be done with it.
Ziva's tone was sharp as she snapped at Tony for grasping at a tree branch for support only for snow and ice to rain down on her head from the movement.
Tim imagined that Tony gave Ziva a glare and waited for the senior agent's return volley.
It didn't come.
Instead, Tony took on a softer tone as he warned Ziva to "watch your step."
Ziva seemed surprised at the change in tone too, since she didn't return with a witty quip and only said, "thank you, Tony," in return.
In fact, their tones were so different than the previous few minutes, Tim felt like he had intruded on something. Shaking his head, he scurried over the ice, ready to join Ducky and Palmer, a partnership that was most definitely not giving each other the bedroom eyes that Tony and Ziva were famous for.
XVIII. Here, drink this. You'll feel better.
Tony listened as the key scratched in the lock a few times, obviously missing its target more than once. He laughed a little to himself, imagining what Ziva must look like on the other side of the door.
Eventually, she managed to get the door pushed open and stumbled inside. Her hair was in knotty curls and she definitely had a glassy look in her eyes.
"Hey there, sweetcheeks," Tony grinned at her.
"I am not drunk," she said, pointing accusingly at him. Her bag fell from her shoulder to the floor with a thud.
"Never said you were," Tony laughed. Girls' night with Breena and Delilah usually took a turn for the inebriated. The Uber drivers of D.C. must live for the third Friday of every month for how much the trio used the app.
Ziva blinked slowly at him and swayed a little. Tony jumped up and grabbed her around the waist.
"I am only topsy," she slurred, much to Tony's amusement.
"Alright, ninja lady," he ushered her to the kitchen and sat her down at the table. Getting a large class and filling it to the top with water, he placed it in front of her and said, "Here you go, my little lush. Drink this. You'll feel better."
Ziva downed the water in three gulps and looked up at her husband with warm brown eyes. "I love you too," she sighed.
XIV. Can i hold your hand?
Tony had been understandably distant and prickly in the week since Senior had died. Ziva and the kids had been on eggshells around him - he was surly and prone to snapping.
Ziva didn't blame him. Whatever Tony's relationship with his father in the past, they had grown closer since the first unexpected visit to D.C. and Tony's grief was normal. She wished he wasn't taking it out on her and Tali and Ben, but now was not the time to chastise him.
Instead, Ziva made the funeral plans and kept the kids busy and made sure Tony ate.
He had shied away from her concern - rolling his eyes while she "mothered" him and sleeping on the couch in the den. She knew it was so he could cry and break down without her or the kids seeing and hearing - in Tony's mind that was a sign of weakness. But it still hurt when he pulled away from her.
Now, they were the only ones left in the cemetery. Tim and Delilah had taken Tali and Ben back home for them, knowing Tony might need a breather before the reception.
Ziva sat next to her husband on the bench next to Senior's grave. He was a zombie, staring at the mound of dirt and chewing on his lip.
She signed softly. "Tony, can I hold your hand?"
Wordlessly, he flipped his hand so it was resting palm-up on his knee. She grabbed it, interlacing their fingers. She stroked her thumb over the side of his hand and Tony leaned his cheek on her shoulder and began to cry.
XX. You can borrow mine.
"Arghhh!" Ziva growled, smacking the side of her computer with an open palm.
Tony watched her with his eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline. Ziva was definitely scary at times. And this was one of those times.
"You okay there, Ziva?" he tentatively called across the bullpen.
"No, I am not okay," she snapped, looking up at him and softening a little bit at the shocked look on Tony's face. "Sorry," she sighed. "My bank set a fraud alert on my credit card. I am trying to buy a ticket to visit my Aunt Nettie. But," she growled at the computer again, "they will not unfreeze my account."
"Oh," Tony replied easily, "Is that all? You can borrow mine."
Ziva looked at him with a gimlet eye. "What is the latch?"
"It's catch," Tony corrected, "and there isn't one. I'm being a friend."
"Oh," Ziva said, deflating a little in her chair. "Well, thank you then."
"My pleasure," he said, retrieving the card and tossing it across the bullpen. She plucked it from the air easily. "I get to make points without spending anything!"
Ziva rolled her eyes affectionately and ordered her ticket.
A/N: Happy 5 year anniversary of Cote not resigning her contract! The anniversary was definitely the reason I kicked into gear and finished this next batch of 10.
Same deal - different universes, canon, non-canon. The only criteria is that Tony and Ziva are always in love.
Let me know what you think :)
