Things begin to fall into place.


One Month Later – Saturday Afternoon

Tony walked into the door of their apartment, the cake balanced precariously on his left arm, bags slung over the other, smiling as he took in the now familiar sight before him: Ziva and Tali sitting together in the living room, usually engaging in some sort of play, both turning to greet him as he came into the apartment.

When they'd come back from Paris, Ziva and Tali had moved into his apartment. It wasn't ideal, since it was only one bedroom, but they'd decided on the plane that they would look for a house, and buying a house wasn't exactly an instant affair. Currently, they were in the process of purchasing a house, but they knew when they first came back that they'd be staying at Tony's apartment for at least a couple of months, and planned accordingly, which meant buying two beds.

A toddler bed for Tali, of course, which they'd stuffed into the corner of the living room and blocked off by a portable partition wall, and a queen-sized bed for Tony and Ziva, because Tony still hadn't upgraded to a bigger bed since the last time Ziva had stayed there. The day the new bed had been delivered, they'd dismantled the old one and just put it off to the side, leaning it against the bedroom wall, deciding that they would take it on to their new house and use it for a guest room, or maybe it would be suitable for Tali when she got older.

It was cramped quarters, but it was temporary, and what mattered was they were together.

Tonight, however, the apartment would feel even smaller, as most of the NCIS team plus Tony's father were coming over for Tali's second birthday party. Tony had been to the grocery store to pick up the cake, along with some paper plates and napkins, since Ziva had forgotten them on her last trip.

"Abba!" Tali cried, running toward him and wrapping her arms around his legs. Ziva strolled up behind her, leaning over to kiss Tony as she took the cake out of his hands, earning her a grateful grin. The last thing he wanted to do was drop it, which might have happened with the way Tali had almost knocked him off balance.

They weren't really planning to have too grand an affair, but it had been a while since the whole gang had gotten together since both Tony and Ziva had decided not to return to NCIS, though Vance had offered both of them the chance to return, if they wanted to. Tony had been the first to decline, stating that the job was too risky and he needed to be around to protect his family; they came first.

Perhaps another opportunity that didn't involve the potential to be shot at would arise, but for now, he was content to stay at home with his family and take some much needed time for them.

Once Tony set down all of the things he had bought at the store, he bent over and swooped Tali into his arms, kissing her on the cheek. "And who's my birthday girl?" he asked, and Tali looked confused at the question. She was still too young to really understand the concept of birthdays, but they'd been saying things about her birthday all day regardless.

"Ir-day girl?" she repeated, smiling when Tony gave her a slight squeeze.

"Right, Tali. Who's my birthday girl? Is it … Ima?" Tony intentionally drew the sentence out, hoping to make Tali laugh. It worked, as she erupted into giggles. Tali absolutely loved when Tony got silly with her, and once Ziva had finished putting the cake on the counter top, she stood and watched their interaction from the kitchen.

God, he was always so good with her.

"Ima," Tali replied to Tony's question, and he leaned in and shook his head, nuzzling her forehead as he did so, which made Tali scrunch up her neck and gurgle.

"No, it's not Ima. Ima's not the birthday girl. Who is it?"

Tali pointed at Tony, poking him in the chest. "Abba?"

"No, it's not Abba. Abba's not the birthday girl." He blew a raspberry at her, and then asked again.
"Who's my birthday girl?"

She finally pointed at herself, pronouncing her name very deliberately, her voice raising an octave with the second syllable. "Tali?"

"That's right! It's Tali!" he praised, giving her a tight hug and showering her with kisses. She leaned over and kissed him back, patting him on the back and waiting for his return pat, which he happily gave.

"Okay sweetheart, you're getting heavy," he said, putting her down and letting her run around the house. She ran over to the living room where she and Ziva had been playing with a dollhouse that Senior had bought for her.

"Ima play!" Tali called, and Ziva stepped over to Tony, giving him another quick kiss before walking back into the living room to play with Tali. Tony grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge and then followed Ziva into the room, taking a seat on the sofa and watching his girls playing make-believe.

This is the life, he thought as he put his feet up on the coffee table. Ziva was back and an actual part of his life, and they were building a family together. They were happy. After everything they'd gone through, after all of the heartache, they were finally on the same page. Even though they'd gotten settled quickly into a routine back in DC, it still seemed surreal to him that this was his life.

The ringing of his phone interrupted his thinking, and he got up from the sofa and ran to get it. They were expecting guests in about an hour, so it might be one of them calling.

"Hello?" he said, not bothering to look at the caller ID on the screen before answering.

"Mr. DiNozzo, this is Carrie over at Coldwell Banker, how are you?"

He walked with the phone back to the living room, sitting back down. "I'm fine, actually, how are you?"

"I'm great. I have some news about the house you put an offer in on the other day, and–"

"Oh hold on, let me put you on speaker so that Ziva can hear." At the sound of her name, Ziva looked up at him quizzically, standing up from her position on the floor and crossing toward him, sitting down next to him. Tali, for her part, was still playing quietly and was oblivious to the fact that his parents were on an important phone call. "Okay, go ahead."

"Hi, Mrs. DiNozzo," the real estate agent greeted.

Ziva didn't bother to correct her despite the sudden jump her heart made, but instead just responded politely. "Hello," she began, tilting her head in Tony's direction. "You have news?"

"I do. The sellers have accepted your offer on the house, and they want to close in sixty days, so all you'll need to do is come by my office tomorrow and sign some paperwork, and you'll have purchased your house!"

Ziva gasped, covering her mouth, and Tony grinned widely. The house was everything they'd wanted for their family, and they'd been anxiously awaiting the seller's response to their offer. They hadn't wanted to get their hopes up because a deal can always fall through, but now they wouldn't have to worry about looking for something else.

Tony finished speaking with the agent, setting up an appointment for the two of them to go and sign all of the paperwork and then hung up the phone. He tossed it on the table, reaching over and pulling Ziva into a hug. Tali, finally noticing that Ziva had stepped away from their playdate, ran over and pulled Ziva by the arm, and Ziva followed as she tugged, saying, "Ima, play!"

"Okay, sweetheart, I'll play."

"Hey Tali, you wanna see Papa?" Tony called from the across the room. Tali adored her grandfather, and the feeling was entirely mutual. Every time Senior came over, he had something new to give her. He was spoiling her, and Senior absolutely did not care in the slightest. He'd told Tony that Tali was his only grandchild and that this was just what grandparents do.

Tali looked up, searching the room. "Papa where?"

"He's not here yet, he's coming though. Later," Tony said, trying to reassure her.

"Papa now!" She shrieked, not understanding why Tony would mention Papa if he wasn't already there. For Tali, it was quite literally out of sight, out of mind, except when it came to Ima, and sometimes Abba.

"He will be here soon, my little lamb, but you must be patient," Ziva interjected, trying to get her attention with one of the dolls, but Tali pushed it away as she started to wail.

"No! Want Papa!" She threw her head back and cried loudly, babbling incoherently about Papa through her tears. Ziva put the toy down and picked Tali up, trying to comfort her, but Tali stiffened and threw her head back, letting out another loud scream.

Tony shot her a look that clearly said, nice job, but Ziva merely shrugged back at him. Pretty much anything could send a two-year-old into a tantrum, so she would not be so quick to take the blame for it.

And besides, Tony was the one who had even mentioned his father in the first place. "You need a nap, little one," she said soothingly, and Tali whimpered in her arms, some of the fight going out of her. Ziva carried her to the bedroom, opting to lay her down in there. During the day, it was much easier to get Tali down for a nap if she wasn't in the same room as her parents, and so Ziva would get her settled into the big bed for daytime naps and in her own bed at night.

It wasn't ideal, but it was the best they could do with the space they had. Two months from now, Tali would have her own room. The thought of actually owning the house made Ziva giddy. Purple, she thought, I'll decorate Tali's room with purple, and maybe a complimentary blue.

"Sing?" Tali asked weakly as Ziva laid her down, and Ziva sat at the edge of the bed, her hand on Tali's back as she began to sing a familiar Hebrew lullaby.

In the living room, Tony smiled as he heard the sound of her voice wafting through the apartment. What a beautiful transformation in Ziva, he mused, that she had stepped so flawlessly into motherhood. The fact that Tali was his and that she was growing and learning new things every day was amazing, as well, but he just couldn't get over how maternal Ziva was. He longed for the chance to see her with a baby, to experience that with her, but for now, he was content to let her be Tali's mother. Her Ima.

Ziva slid out of the bedroom, leaving the door cracked open slightly. Tali was evidently asleep.

"You're such a wonderful mother," Tony said, catching her eye as she came back into the room. She blushed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, but chose not to respond, instead sitting down on the couch sideways, bending one knee inward so that the bottom of her foot was touching her thigh.

She reached over and grabbed his bottle of soda from the table, opening it up and taking a sip of it before leaning to put it back, but Tony intercepted her and took it so he could take a swig of it himself. He replaced the lid and set it down before leaning back into the seat. Something else occurred to him, and he had to ask her about it. "You didn't correct the real estate agent."

"Huh?" She asked, having obviously forgotten about the agent's mistake.

"When she called you 'Mrs. DiNozzo,' you didn't correct her," was the explanation. He hadn't asked a question, but Ziva knew that he was waiting for a response.

She shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal about it. "What would have been the point? It was an honest mistake, one that is easy to make."

"Maybe it doesn't have to be a mistake," he said quietly, and Ziva's heart jumped into her throat, stealing her breath from her. He couldn't really mean … she closed her eyes briefly, just long enough to take a deep breath and compose her thoughts, and when she opened them again, he held a box in his hands.

A velvety box. A jewelry box.

A ring box.

"Tony?" She practically choked on his name. If he was really asking, oh god the answer was absolutely yes, but she hoped that he was not toying with her emotions, that this was real. She met his gaze, searching, before turning her attention back to the box in his hand.

"Open it, Ziva," he said softly, and with shaking hands, she reached over and popped it open, revealing a simple, beautiful diamond ring on a platinum band. Simple, elegant, and real.

"Tony," she gasped again, unable to really say anything else. Her mind was racing as she looked from the ring to him and back again, unable to hear anything over the pounding of her heart, the way her nerves were racing as she waited for him to speak, to just ask her already.

"Ziva, I … I wanted to say some things, but … god, you know how much I love you already, right?" She nodded, urging him to continue. "So I'm just gonna …" he slid off the couch, wanting to do this the right way. "Ziva, will you marry me?"

Tears sprang into her eyes as she nodded vigorously, barely trusting her voice, but she owed him at least that much. "Yes," she breathed, not caring how much her voice carried the distinct lilt of longing, of need. She had wanted this desperately, and now it was right before her, the only man she'd ever wanted offering her one of the few things she had left to want. He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger, and she slid off of the couch and into his arms for a kiss, circling her arms around his neck and embracing him passionately. "I love you," she breathed between kisses, and her heart soared when he said it back, as it had every time before and would for every day to come.


"Happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang as they crowded around the table, and Ziva encouraged Tali to blow out the lone candle on the cake, a colorful "2" that she should have little trouble blowing out. Ziva had demonstrated before the party, and Tali was a pro, blowing out the candle, to the applause of everyone in attendance.

Senior was there, of course, standing next to Tony, and Gibbs stood on the opposite side of Ziva. McGee was there as well, though sadly Delilah was still out of the country and unable to make it. Abby had come, bearing a mountain of gifts and earning a stern, "You shouldn't have," from Ziva. Next to her stood Ellie, as she was someone that Tony had enjoyed working alongside, and then Jimmy and Breena, and their daughter Victoria, who wasn't quite old enough to appreciate the proceedings. Ducky had also come by, though he'd promised not to stay too long.

Tali had loved seeing Victoria, patting her and saying, "baby," and giving her light kisses. Victoria wasn't walking yet, but she would crawl around the house, following Tali around. Tony had joked to Jimmy that their daughters might be great friends someday, and Jimmy had responded that it looked like they already were.

This hadn't been the first time most of the team had seen Ziva again, as they'd gone as a family to meet with many of them individually. Tony had called McGee first, inviting him to come over for some "guy time," as he'd put it, and he'd surprised his former colleague when Ziva turned around on the sofa, causing Tim to nearly faint on the spot. When he had finally recovered from the shock, he'd hugged Ziva for a long time, tears running down his cheeks as he told her, for the second time in his life, that he was so glad she was alive.

Tony had instructed Tim to share the news with the rest of the folks at NCIS, and soon their phone had started ringing off the hook. They made plans to meet up with everyone on their own time, refusing to have a huge welcome party. Tony had even introduced Ziva to Ellie, and Ziva had taken an instant liking to the younger agent, offering to show her how to kick the boys' butts.

Deciding to have a party for Tali's birthday had seemed like perfect timing. They'd been home for a month at that point, and it seemed like the perfect time to celebrate their family.

Their family. Ziva looked down at the ring she now wore on her finger and smiled inwardly. She still could not believe they were here, like this. They hadn't made a big announcement about their engagement because this was Tali's day, but she hadn't exactly been hiding the ring on her finger, so if someone noticed, they'd say something, but if not, they'd just announce it some other time. Since they'd come back together, Tony and Ziva had made the decision that they would keep their relationship as simple as possible, and with as little fuss as they could manage.

So they quietly kept it to themselves as they cut the cake, doling out slices to each of the family members. "This is delicious," Abby said with her mouth full as soon as she took a bite, and the rest of the room nodded in agreement.

"-ibbs!" Tali shouted from below the stoic team leader, and Gibbs looked down, offering her a smile as he set his paper plate down on the nearby counter. "Up!"

"All right, birthday girl," he said, bending down to scoop her up.

"Tali!" she said, proud of herself for finally knowing that birthday girl meant her. Gibbs doted on Tali. He tried not to overstep too much since Senior was really her grandparent, but Ziva had insisted that it was quite all right if Gibbs wanted to play the role of another grandfather. He'd eventually agreed, finally letting the little girl who had charmed everyone at NCIS a month and a half ago into his heart. He missed having Tony and Ziva on the team, but they had a much more important job to do now, and he didn't begrudge them for wanting to do it. Gibbs hadn't been sure if he really wanted Tali to call him Grandpa though, so he let Tali decide, and soon he simply became "-ibbs."

Gibbs carried Tali around the room, and she pointed to all of the people she knew. "Ima. -Immy. Beena. Babby. Unca Tim! Ducky. Elwie. Abba. Vitora. -Ibbs!" She struggled to pronounce some of their names properly, but she'd learned who everyone was easily, since she'd met all of them individually.

"Well done, Tali!" Ziva praised, and as soon as she heard her mother's voice, she wanted no one else. She reached for her, stretching her arms out and away from Gibbs, and Ziva looked at him apologetically.

"No need to worry about it, Ziver," he said, handing her over. "She just wants her mother."

"She is not lacking for love, though," Ziva observed, and Gibbs nodded in agreement. All of these people who had come to her party would always be a part of her life, just as they had been a part of the lives of her parents. While Tony, Ziva, and Tali made up their own small family unit, they had quite the extended family in NCIS.

Ziva carried Tali to the living room and Tony gathered everyone together so that they could open presents. There was a pretty good stack of them, especially considering the size of their group. Ziva sat on the floor and gathered Tali into her lap, and Tony sat behind her on the couch, her back resting between his knees. Ziva grabbed the first present, showing Tali how to open them.

One present was all it took, and soon Tali had torn through every present in the room, leaving a whirlwind of chaos in her wake. The living room was covered in wrapping paper, and toys were strewn everywhere. Ziva had wanted to keep track of who had given what, but Tali had made sure that was impossible. Tony had gotten the whole thing on video, and he'd had to try hard to suppress his laughter at what he would later call Tornado Tali.

Ziva pulled Tali back to sit down on her lap again. "What do you say to people when they give you things?"

Tali stared at her, saying nothing because she was still too young to really understand the concept of gratitude or why it was necessary to say thank you. Still, it wasn't too early to start teaching her the words, so Ziva prompted her that way. "Say thank you," she prodded, and Tali stared at her silently as she reached for one of her new toys, a doll that talked if you pressed buttons on her belly.

"Tali, say thank you," Ziva repeated, but Tali ignored her. She'd had a busy night, and there was no use pestering her, so Ziva shrugged, looked around the room, and said it herself. "Thank you all for everything. We are so glad you could come." Tony slid down from the couch, sitting beside Ziva and wrapping his arm around her, gathering her close.

Victoria was growing cranky, and so Jimmy and Breena circulated the room, saying goodbye to everyone for the night. Ducky had left before presents were even opened, and slowly, everyone else started to filter out, leaving only Senior to help them clean up.

"Dad, you don't have to stay. We've got this," Tony said, trying to push him out the door. It wasn't that he didn't want his father around, but he didn't feel like Senior needed to exert himself cleaning up after other people.

"Nonsense, Junior, you're probably both itching to get to bed too, and the faster you get this cleaned up, the sooner you can get some rest. Let me help you."

Tony didn't feel like arguing anymore, and so he and Senior set about picking up the mess of wrapping paper that Tali had made. Ziva had gotten Tali changed into her pajamas and was now singing to her softly, her voice carrying from behind the partition that they'd put up. Soon, the mess was cleaned up and Ziva's singing stopped, indicating that Tali was asleep for the night. Ziva emerged from Tali's temporary room to find that the living room was nearly spotless. She plopped down on the couch with a sigh.

"When were you planning on telling everyone about that new piece of jewelry?" Senior asked, sitting down across from Ziva and looking at his son pointedly.

"Whenever someone noticed," Tony shrugged, and he put his arm around Ziva. "I only just asked her today, so it was kind of nice to keep it to ourselves for a little bit."

"Well it's about time, Junior, now that granddaughter of mine can have a proper family."

"We have always been a family," Ziva supplied, leaning her head on Tony's shoulder. And it was true, they had been. From the moment they'd met up in Paris, they'd been a unit. Maybe a unit that wasn't quite in sync yet, but a unit nonetheless. Marriage would only make it official.

"I'm glad," Senior said, smiling at the two lovebirds. He was tired, and he could tell that they were tired, and so he allowed Tony to see him out of the apartment. Ziva was already in the bedroom changing into a t-shirt and shorts by the time Tony came back in the room, and by the time he came out of the bathroom from brushing his teeth, she was already in bed. Their bed. The bed they had chosen together, as a unit, as a family.

Tony slid in beside her, gathering her in his arms. "We have a two-year-old," she murmured, a small smile spreading on her face.

He leaned in and kissed her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close, and despite being very tired, she felt the heat building between them, as it always had. "We could have another," he breathed against her neck, and she shuddered against him, his words causing her to melt.

"Let's wait until after we are married first," she breathed, pulling away slightly and leaning her head against his shoulder, kissing him there.

"That's not a no," he teased, and Tony lifted her chin so she was looking at him, a grin on his face. "We could always just get married tomorrow."

"Why don't we talk about it then?" she said with a yawn, leaning back against him. "It's not as though there is any rush."

"Tomorrow then," he breathed, running his fingers through her hair. Tomorrow he would convince her that they should just get a marriage license and get it taken care of. Now that she had agreed to be his wife, he just wanted it to be official. Sure, they had the rest of their lives, but why wait? "I love you," he added, kissing the top of her head.

"Love you too." Her voice was sleepy, her words slurred against his skin. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep, and Tony's last thought before he finally drifted off was that feeling that he and Ziva were finally right where they belonged.


Well, that was the end of this story. As much as you have all loved it (and I have, as well), I never intended this to be any longer than it is, and updating every day is - simply put - exhausting. I want to thank all of you who have tweeted me, messaged me on tumblr, reblogged screaming in the tags, or left me a fave, follow, or review here. All of the support has been amazing and is absolutely appreciated.

Many of my future oneshots may exist in this very universe, so don't feel as though this is ending. It's just the beginning.