I should be asleep right now, and I should be updating Girl Next Door, and I should have posted that one shot for Ellen, but heck, I rarely do what I SHOULD do. Italian side of me. So, thank you guys so much for all of the reviews. I'm really happy that you like it, because I've had this idea for AGES and I am glad I finally got it written.

Thank you to princessjoey630 for letting me use some of the stuff she wrote in B12 for this chapter. The proposal is from that story. Check it out if you haven't. Great story. :D

Disclaimer: I can't, nor will I probably ever, own something as great as NCIS, House M.D, Family Guy, Fox Network, CBS etc...

Abby wasn't sure what was worse; knowing how Kate died, or not knowing what had happened to Ziva. Sure, she knew she disappeared, and that no one could figure out to where or why or how, but that was it. That was all they knew. All she knew. Tony never said anything about it, but anyone who saw his face when someone said her name, or mentioned Annie and her growing up; they knew he thought about it. They knew he wasn't so naive, and he knew something important. But, no one tried to push it, not even Abby. She wanted to, she really did.

But she knew it would crush him.

The look of smugness on Annie's face for the next three days was impossibly cute, but annoying. She sat at the dinner table, watching me eat with a smug smile on her face. I glared at her, and went back to eating my food.

"Dad, we saw her." She said, and I didn't look at her. She had been badgering me since that night we got ice cream.

"I know Annabelle." I said, and Annie shut up. When I used her full name, she knew to let it go.

I got up and put my dishes in the sink. Annie came up next to me, handing me the dishes she had used. She grabbed her stool, and she stood next to me. I scrubbed, and she rinsed, just like every night.

"Can I ask you one question daddy?" Annie asked, and I looked at her. I didn't answer, and she got the hint.

"Well, what happened with mom? When did she… disappear?" She asked, and I stopped cleaning the dishes. I shook my head, looking back down at the plate in my hand.

With one toss, the glass plate broke against the wall. Pieces flew across the room, and a child's cry reached my ears. I looked at the mess in front of me, and then down the hall to my daughter. I sighed, remembering the words she had told me.

"Not everything is perfect, no matter how things look on the outside."

"A lot happened." I said, putting the dish down before it became the seventh to break on the kitchen wall. Annie saw this, and she turned off the water. She was always efficient. After wiping her hands off on the kitchen towel, she put her stool away.

"Can I ask you some more questions about mom?" She asked me, and I sighed. I looked at the dishes, and then my daughter. Again, I was stuck choosing.

"Sure." I said, picking her up and carrying her into the living room. She grabbed her blanket off the fridge as we walked, and she wrapped herself up in it. I put her down on the couch, and sat on the ground.

"What do you want to know now?" I asked, feeling a little bitter inside. I liked to talk with Annie, but when she wanted to talk about the past, it was harder. She always knew the right nerve to hit.

Annie got a bright look in her eyes, and I knew she was thinking of something fairy tail like.

"When did you first tell her you loved her?" She said.

"That is ridiculous Tony. I don't see that as realistic at all." She said, referring to the movie we had just finished watching. About a year into our friendship, I had grown tired of her not knowing any of great movies. So, we started a movie night. We kept it, all the way though our romantic relationship and until Annie was born.

"But that is the best part! None of it seems real, but you know that it's great anyway." I said, and she rolled her eyes. She picked up the last piece of pizza, and I raised my eyebrow at her.

"What, did you want this?" She asked, and I nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I did." I said, reaching over to get it. She kept it away from me, taking a bite. I sputtered a little, and she laughed at me.

"Having trouble Tony?" She asked me, getting up. I followed her, reaching out for the pizza. She put it behind her back.

"I want the pizza Zee-vah." I said, grabbing her upper arm. She smirked at me. She brought the pizza around in front of her, taking a huge bite.

"Oh, you mean this?" She said with her mouth full. I grabbed what was left, and frowned.

"You almost ate the whole piece!" I said, and she smiled. She swallowed the pizza and wrapped her arms around my waist. I dropped the pizza as I wrapped my arms around her body, pulling her close to me.

"That wasn't nice." I said, pressing my lips to her forehead. She smiled, snuggling her head into my neck.

"It was funny." She said, and I smiled.

"A little." I agreed, and she laughed. She reached up and took my face in her hands, kissing me softly. When she pulled back, I couldn't help myself.

"I love you."

"Did you guys fight over pizza often?" Annie asked, and I shrugged.

"When one of us took the last piece." I said with a smile, and Annie laughed.

"When did she tell you she loved you?" Annie asked, and I smiled. It was one of the best memories I kept with me.

I yawned again, rubbing my eyes as I lay on the mattress in our office. Ziva was sitting next to me, leaning against my chair as she read a book. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I could hear McGee and Gibbs talking in my sleepy haze. It had been a long week, and after finishing my reports I had decided to take a nap. I felt Ziva's hand weave it's way though my hair, and gently massage my head.

"Is he asleep?" McGee asked, and Ziva's hand stopped massaging my head.

"No McGee. He's meditating." Ziva said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Right." McGee said, and then there was silence again. I rolled over so I was facing Ziva, and then I felt her move into my arms. I wrapped my arms around her, and I heard her sigh. She gently held my face in her hands, and her fingers ran through my hair.

"I love you Tony." She said quietly, kissing my chin.

Annie rolled over, looking up at me.

"She told you when you were asleep, or thought you were?"

I nodded, remembering waking up knowing she had finally said it. I leaned back against the arm of the sofa, feeling tired. Annie could stay up for hours, and I knew that. But, since it was Wednesday and she needed to go to school tomorrow, she had to go to bed.

"Annie, it's time to go to bed." I said, and she groaned.

"One last story." She said, and I sighed.

"Get in bed, and I'll answer your question." I said, and she jumped up. When I walked into her room, she was drinking some water out of the bottle Abby had bought her at Disney Land. It had Tinker Bell on it, and it always stayed next to her bed with water in it.

"You're fast." I said, and she smiled. She put her bottle on her nightstand, and snuggled in against her pillows.

"Can you give me Nathan?" Annie asked, and I grabbed her favorite stuffed animal. After she was born, Ziva bought a brown cat with an extra long tail for Annie. Ziva named it Nathan, the boy name we had picked out, and it became Annie's most loved stuffed animal. 'Nafan' was her first word too, which had surprised me all to hell.

I handed Nathan to Annie, and she snuggled the cat to her chest. I watched as she rubbed her cheek against the fabric, and then looked up at me.

"One more question." Annie said, and I nodded.

"Only one though. It's late." I said, and she nodded. She thought for a minute, and then she smiled.

"How did you ask her to marry you?" She asked.

I sat in the hospital room, looking at Ziva as she talked to the doctor. At 37 weeks, her stomach was huge and her face was glowing. I had never believed it when men said their wives glowed during their pregnancy, but now I did. Ziva looked radiant and her eyes were glistening. After the doctor left, she looked at me.

"Finally, that stupid doctor is gone. He is so pompous, and annoying. I can't wait until our child is born, and I can finally get away from him. Can't you like, kick him in the balls and say the baby made you do it?" I asked.

Ziva laughed. Her eyes twinkled, and I couldn't help but smile at her beauty. "Tony. I-"

"Marry me."

Ziva stared. "What?"

I took in a deep breath, saying it again. "Marry me, Ziva."

Ziva looked at me as if I was crazy, her hands rubbing over her stomach. She did that when she was nervous.

"Tony, what-"

I moved so I was kneeling down beside her bed, taking her hand.

"Ziva, I've been working with you for years, and have dated you for two. You've become my family, my best friend, and I keep falling in love with you more and more every day. And the fact that now you're having my child…. I'm so happy right now, and I want to be with you all the time. And I know you feel the same. You know it, and I know it. We know we are meant to be together."

For a moment, I made Ziva speechless. "Tony, have you even thought about this? It seems impul-"I cut her off again.

"I have thought about it." I said, pulling out a small green box. I put it on the bed next to her, and she picked it up.

"Can't you do this like a normal person?" She asked, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Have we ever been normal?" I asked, and she smiled. She looked at the box again.

"Tony-"

"Ziva."

"What?"

"This is the part where you give me an answer so I can stop feeling like an idiot and regain feeling in my knee because this floor is really bad to kneel on."

"Yes."

"What?" I asked.

Ziva smiled. "Yes."

"You can have more than ten seconds-"

"Yes."

"You can think more about it."

"No."

I frowned. "Yes or no?"

Ziva moved over, and put a hand on my face. "Tony, my answer is yes."

Annie was smiling at me when I finished, and she sighed.

"That is so cute." She squealed, and I laughed at her.

"You're funny." I said, gently moving her hair off her face.

"Why weren't you guy's normal?" She asked, and I shrugged.

"We never did anything like everyone else. Our first date was a group bowling night, and we ended up staying out until three AM at a café." I said, and she grinned.

"That sounds romantic." She said, and I shrugged.

"Eh, we ended up arguing over what coffee was better, hers or mine." I said.

"Did you guys argue a lot?" Annie asked, her voice getting quieter as she fell more asleep.

"Yeah, I guess we did. But, Jenny said that was how we stayed so close. We were always honest with each other." I said, and Annie shut her eyes.

"Grandma and grandpa argue a lot too." She said, and I smiled.

"Well, Gibbs and Jenny have a relationship much like your moms and mine was." I said, and she smiled. I kissed her forehead, and rubbed her upper arm.

"Night daddy." She said, mumbling as she fell asleep.

"Night Ans."

--

I woke up in a cold sweat, my hands clenching the bed sheets. I bit my pillow, fighting back the yell that I needed to let loose. I took a deep breath through my nose, and cursed.

I rolled out of bed, grabbing my running shoes. I got dressed in a flash, not caring what time it was. I needed to clear my head, and cold morning hair seemed the best way. I made sure Annie was still asleep before I made my way silently out the front door. I stretched out before I jogged down the street. Small café's were just opening up, and a florist was putting flowers out front. I nodded at the man as I made my way down the sidewalk. I jogged to the park, and ran through the trees. All of the green was a blur to me, and I couldn't make out the trail from the bark of the trees.

My brain kept going back to my dream, showing me flashes of the horrid nightmare. I shook my head as I ran, stopping next to a tree and resting my head against it.

"Stop it DiNozzo. You need to stop it." I said to myself, and I hit the tree. The leaves shook, and one fell next to me. I looked down at the trail, and started to jog again. When I came back out of the trees, I was at the playground I took Annie to all the time. I sat down on the end of the slide, and rubbed my face. I was breathing heavily, still half asleep. I shook my head quickly, and I felt the cold air hit the sweat on my neck. It made me shiver.

After walking around the park, I jogged back down the street opposite the park. It was quicker than going back through the trees. As I jogged, I stopped at a doughnut shop, buying some fresh doughnuts for Annie when she woke up. I carried the bag as I ran, the doughnuts bouncing in a rhythm that harmonized with the rhythm my feet made. When I slowed down on my street, I saw a car sitting outside the court my house was on. I could barely make out a figure sitting there in the morning sun, but I knew who it was as I got closer. I sucked in a quick breath, and my teeth protested at the cold.

She got out of the car, and stood next to the door. When I came to a stop in front of the car, I finally got a good look at her. Her hair was shorter, hanging beneath her shoulders. It was just a curly as I remembered it, maybe even more, but it looked a little fuzzy, as if she had straightened it and it frizzed out in the slight fog. She was just as small as always, a good head shorter than me, and she looked skinnier than I remembered her. And even in the dark, I could see her eyes twinkling as she looked at me.

I took in a deep breath again, trying to regain my composure. I was starting to get cold, and I moved my hands to my arms to rub at the skin. Something was keeping me from stepping forward and talking to her. I finally took a step forward, and then I stopped.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, finally finding my voice but not the right words.

"I should not be here." She said, her voice raspy. She sounded like she had been yelling for the past hour.

"Why not?" I asked, and she shut the car door. She moved over to me, invading my personal space like she always did. I missed it.

"I should not, but I had to." She said, her eyes going over my face. I couldn't move my eyes from her neck, where I could see a slight purple tinge. I reached up, and then stopped myself. She saw this, and she took my hand. It reminded me of a movie; our hands entwined at the same height as her shoulders.

"Why?" I asked again, and she sighed.

"I don't have the time." She said, and I looked at her. She finally met my gaze, and I could see her conflict in her eyes.

"Ziva, what happened?" I asked, trying to keep myself from wrapping my arms around her.

"I do not have time." She said, and I let go of her hand.

"God damn it Ziva. You disappear one morning; no warning and no word of where you were or if you were okay. And you scared the crap out of Annie. I don't care if you don't have time. I deserve an explanation." I said to her, and she cringed away from me. I saw more purple on her arms, and I sighed.

"I'm sorry Ziva. But…" I trailed off, and I think she got was I was saying. I reached out and pushed her hair back, and then ran my fingers though it. I was caught off guard when she shut her eyes and let her head rest in my hand. I moved my hand to her cheek, rubbing my thumb over her skin. With her neck bent like that, I could see the bruises on her neck. I felt my anger spike as I saw they were shaped like a hand, or fingers.

"What's on your neck?" I asked, reaching up and touching the bruises. She stiffened slightly, but she moved towards me. I saw the look in her eyes when she looked up at me, and I wrapped my arms around her. She buried her face in my shirt, and her fists gripped the fabric.

"I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled, and I sighed. I wrapped her up tighter, and rubbed her back.

"Ziva." I said, and she shook her head.

"No Tony. No." She said, her voice cracking. I rested my cheek on the crown of her head, and rubbed her back some more. She sniffed, and then looked up at me.

"I have to go." She said in a scared tone. I rubbed her cheek softly, looking into her brown eyes.

"I still want to know." I said quietly. She looked like she could cry, but she blinked rapidly.

"I know." She whispered, turning away from me. I grabbed her arm gently, and pulled her back to me. I kissed her forehead softly.

"Please come back." I whispered, and she gave me a sad smile. She slipped something into my hand, and then moved away. I watched as she got into her car and drove away. I didn't look at the paper until I was inside, sitting on my bed.

Leo's Café, 3 AM, Sunday.

I put the paper next to my bed, kicking off my shoes and collapsing under the sheets, finally falling asleep peacefully.

Again, thanks to princessjoey630 for allowing me to use her idea in here. I had to change it, as you can tell, to fit the story and the point of view I write in, but it's the basic idea that is in B12. So, credit to her!!! :D This is probably going to be my favorite chapter, as far as flashbacks go. I thought forEVER about the flashbacks and questions Annie could have. I have everything planned out in my head, so I'm screwed if I get knocked out.

Eh, it's too late. I'm going to watch Miracle again, my favorite movie of all time(right before Slumdog Millionaire & Longest Yard & The Proposal) and then go to bed. Maybe. I had a Rockstar energy drink earlier. Double strength too :D :D. Gah, Cold Case ended. It's 2 AM.... hence my rambaling. Sorry. I need to get in bed so my sunburn will go away.

Leave me love(reviews).

Izzy.

P.S. I've decied to watch 'Little House On The Prairie'. :D Okay, done rambaling.