Seven years later
He drove out of town, heading towards the island ferry. Kate had moved her family out to the island as Ari's condition had reached the point where he had had to give up his job at the garden centre.
Gibbs had been a witness at Kate and Ari's wedding. Between them Gibbs and Vance had found a way that Kate could be more office based, increasing her work as a profiler and taking a backseat so she would be free to care for her husband when he needed her.
Their daughter was born some seven months after her parents wedding, and Ari found a new joy in watching his child grow. It was after Tali's birth that Ari agreed to being placed on the transplant register.
Two years after moving to the island, finally a donor match had been found.
Now Ari was coming home for the first time since the operation, and Gibbs was taking a week to help Kate.
For the first time since the news that a donor had been found, Caitlyn Haswari allowed herself a small dream of the future. That her beloved husband would see his child become an adult, walk her down the aisle, dance with her on her wedding day.
His hand gently closed over hers. "My Caitlyn…" his voice, warm, gentle, still the man she loved. Kate turned, and pulled him into her embrace.
" I love you." She whispered.
He nodded, resting his forehead against hers, he held her close, permitting himself a very small dream of a golden future with his Caitlyn, and his beautiful little girl.
He would take a cocktail of drugs every day for the rest of his life, but it was worth it to have his time with his loved ones. His wife and daughter, his sister… they could heal together.
He pulled up outside the small house, and got out of the car. High above him he could hear the sound of birds, the marshes away to his left curving gently round, the beach just feet away.
"Uncle Gibbs!" He turned, she was racing towards him down the path. He pulled the gate open and she leapt into his arms.
"Tali." He scooped her up, pushed her unruly dark brown hair back a little as her arms wound around his neck. She put her head down on his shoulder.
"Daddy's coming home." He smiled, he could hear the love in her voice.
"I know."
"Then he's never going away again, ever… he's going to stay with us forever and ever."
Gibbs hugged his six year old god-daughter tightly, inexplicably feeling something very like a lump in his throat. Haswari had done something right. Something to atone for his past sins.
Kate pulled on to the tiny ferry and braked.
"Home." Ari's quiet voice held a hint of tears, and she took his hand and squeezed.
"Tali can't wait, Ziva was going to come with me, but she decided to give us this time together."
He raised his hand and kissed hers gently. "We have all the time in the world now."
"Gibbs and Ducky are there too."
"Family."
She smiled at that. Gibbs and Ducky had both warmed to Ari as they spent more time together.
The tricky part was Ziva. Brother and sister had had their ups and downs. Ari's illness had been difficult for Ziva to cope with or understand. Seeing him in the hospital immediately after the transplant had nearly broken the fierce young woman.
Even now, Kate was not too sure of Ziva's response.
She pulled up in front of their home, noting that Gibbs and Ducky were already present, and Ziva.
Ari pushed the car door open and got to his feet. Kate let him have the moment. He stepped forward and pushed the gate open.
"DADDY!" Tali launched herself down the steps, along the path. Ari crouched down as she flung herself into his arms, her own round his neck.
Ari crushed his daughter against his body, ignoring the slight pain and stiffness in his joints. Picking her up was beyond him, but he could hold her and he hung on tight as she leaned into him, burying her face against his neck.
After dinner, Ari moved to the back veranda and lay down on the sun lounger, Tali climbed up to lie beside him. He gathered her against him and drifted a little.
She lay still beside him, her little hand gently tracing the top part of the great scar that marred his skin, running from the top of his chest almost to his waist. Knowing that they had cut her daddy right open to take away his poorly heart and lungs, and give him new ones. He was there with her, and that was all that mattered to Tali. Having her daddy back.
A footstep. Ari turned his head a little not wanting to disturb his daughter.
"I had my doubts, but I'm glad you did it." Ziva pulled up a small chair and sat down next to them. "I want you to be around for a long time to come."
He could hear the break in her voice, and in the fading light he could not be certain if she was crying, but he reached for her hand.
"I could not leave you, or Caitlyn and Tali."
As the light faded they stayed like that and Ari felt the peace of his home sink in. He had a future. He would see his daughter grow. And grow old with his Caitlyn, surrounded by his family. And that was all that mattered now.