Chapter Seven: Decisions and Revisions
by Taygeta


Author's Note: For those asking, the argument that Gibbs mentioned in Chapter 6 is a reference in the story that precedes this one, called "Tiva".


Gibbs gave Ziva a kiss on the cheek and Tony a firm handshake followed by a hug. They left his house both feeling older and different.

In Ziva's apartment later, they sat silently with Ziva leaning her head on Tony's shoulder and his hand stroking the top of her head.

Finally Tony spoke, "Well...that happened."

Ziva smiled and gave a slight laugh, "I cannot believe he knew the entire time."

"Well...can you?" asked Tony reaching out for her hand. "I mean...'not' believe it. Gibbs sees all and knows all..."

"I know what you mean. I suppose we should have figured that he did know, but I just thought he would have brought it up by now."

"We made it a priority that this not change our work relationship and maybe that's why he let it slide?" said Tony. "Pretty sure Vance isn't going to let it slide."

"You know we won't be able to work together anymore," said Ziva finally expressing what was looming in the back of both their minds, a knowledge that remained understood but silent while they had talked to Gibbs.

Tony nodded, "I don't think anyone else has thought about that yet aside from Gibbs. They're so excited about us and about the baby...but everything has to change now." He took a deep breath and then looked at her squarely, "The most important question is...what do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, once the baby is here, how would we - ideally - want things to be? Like should I take a desk job...?"

Ziva raised her eyebrows, surprised, "You'd do that?"

His eyes turned away, "I've - I've been thinking about it. It's safer - it'd mean I'd have more chance to be around, more regular hours..."

"Tony, you hate paperwork," said Ziva simply. "McGee and I know given how often you have tried to get us to fill out your paperwork."

"Well yeah, but..."

"Would you wantto do that?" she asked. "What you want is important too, you know, Tony."

His eyes returned to her, "Not as important as it used to be."

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek lightly, "But still important and I don't want you do something that will make you unhappy, that will make you regretful. The sadness of doing something you don't want to do takes away from the happiness of life too. Our jobs are important, Tony. Sometimes I think you know that better than I do."

"And what about you? What do you want to do?"

Ziva had been contemplating decisions. She had thought about what it would be like to stay on as an agent, but also about what it would be like to move on to another position, one that would give her more time to be a mom. She was struggling with all the possibilities, fully believing that women could "have it all" but very conscious that it always was with a cost.

Everything has a cost.

"I'm not sure," she said. "I've been thinking about - that maybe I should transfer, take a desk job."

"Imagine?" said Tony. "You *and* me with desk jobs?" A thought popped into Tony's head and he laughed, explaining, "You'll be sitting there and some guy tries to break into the office and you'd probably take them down with a piece of paper or an envelope opener. I'd hit them over the head with the lamp...I'm scrappy that way."

"What's so funny?" asked Ziva. "I could do those things."

"Oh...I know," said Tony with a smile. "You are my ninja."

Ziva laughed, "Unfortunately, no amount of assassination skills can answer these questions."

...and unfortunately, these were the same questions that Leon Vance had.

Ziva and Tony had just left his office after a somewhat tense yet congratulatory conversation. Leon sat at his desk reflecting about the conversation in the silence, and he couldn't help but be amused.

They had asked if they could talk to him, scheduling a meeting through his secretary. It was an obvious red flag. There were only so many things that they might want to tell him...together.

Leon had always suspected that there might have been something between Ziva David and Tony Dinozzo. There was always this chemistry about them that made them a good team. He often saw how Gibbs used that energy to his advantage, often sending them off as a team. He knew firsthand, after Rivkin and Ziva's temporary departure from NCIS back to Mossad, how much Tony cared about Ziva. But he also knew that despite risking everything for her, Tony probably had no idea how much he really cared. Or at least, probably could not yet admit it to himself.

Despite all of this background knowledge, Leon hadn't expected the exact news he just received.

"Director Vance..." Tony began after they all sat down. It was a tone of voice that made Leon knew he was going to get an earful before Tony actually got to the point.

Ziva apparently knew it too because the next thing Leon and Tony knew she said rather plainly, "We're pregnant."

Tony and Leon looked at Ziva with silent, sudden looks.

"Is that not the correct phrase - even though it is just I that is actually pregnant?" she asked.

After a moment Leon said, "Only if you mean that you and Dinozzo here are having a baby."

"That is correct," she replied.

Leon leaned back against his chair in thought for a moment, before leaning forward, "You...and Dinozzo?"

"Um...'and Dinozzo' is sitting here..." said Tony. With Leon's stern look, he added, "...sir."

Leon then smiled and said, "Well congratulations to the both of you."

"Thank you, sir," said Ziva with Tony echoing the same. They both looked at him suspiciously, knowing that there was more to come.

And there was.

Leon took a moment before saying, "And while I am very happy for you two - that all being said - I do not need to know the circumstances of your relationship, Agents Dinozzo and David - I am sure that it was and is against a number of protocols. Knowing you two, somehow, I highly doubt that the circumstances were...isolated." He saw Tony and Ziva diverting their eyes, confirming that this was more than likely. "But what I do need to know is how you two see your roles at NCIS evolving - even if just temporarily - given the *current* circumstances."

"Well, I assume I should be removed from active field duty," began Ziva.

Leon nodded slowly.

"...and we're pretty sure it wouldn't be very ideal for us to work together anymore," said Tony.

"Well, the details of that will take awhile to figure out," said Leon. "But, long term, I'm afraid that that will be true. I will talk to Gibbs on how to deal with this shift in overall team structure...that is...if you two are considering on continuing your positions as agents. These things, understandably, do change people."

At their silence, he knew these questions were on their minds.

He glanced over at Tony knowingly, "Thinking desk job?"

Reluctantly, Tony said, "Maybe."

"You too?" he asked, looking at Ziva.

"Maybe," she echoed.

He tried not to visualize then the idea of Ziva David and Tony Dinozzo in desk jobs. Alone in his office, rewinding the conversation in his mind, he let himself have a chuckle. He'd be more worried that Ziva David go stir crazy and stab the desk with an envelope opener and Tony would be burning more hours on an unauthorized game downloaded on his computer. But he didn't express these thoughts to them. These were decisions he knew they could only make on their own.

"Well then, I suggest that you two figure those details out and we can see what your options are - what positions and teams might be available for you to work with."

They nodded.

"Well enough of all that," said Leon leaning back against his chair. "A baby, huh? Excited?"

Ziva and Tony smiled in a way that only parents and parents-to-be could express.

The somewhat tense meeting dissolved into a friendly conversation about babies and baby names. Leon told them a story about when his first child had been born, he had to rush from the office to the hospital.

"Back then I could only afford cheap dress shoes and I nearly fell flat on my face before meeting my first child," laughed Leon.

"Well, Tony, isn't exactly known for his cheap shoes," said Ziva with a chuckle.

"Hey," said Tony. "As the Director has pointed out, I am reducing my likelihood of falling flat on my face running through hospitals."

Leon raised his eyebrows, "I don't know, Agent Dinozzo, there are a lot of hazards in a hospital." He gave Ziva a glance and they both started laughing.

Before they left his office, Leon reminded them, "Just remember there are decisions you two need to come up with..."

"Yes, sir," they both said before they left him.

Leon couldn't help but remember what it was like when his wife was pregnant with their children - the anxiety, the excitement. He knew they were in for a long and wonderful journey and envied them a little, missing the days when he could hold his children so protectively in his arms.

They were growing up so fast.

And he wondered what Gibbs must be thinking because, in so many ways, his children were growing up too and one would undoubtedly have to leave the nest.


End of Chapter! Feedback appreciated.