Alas, we have reached the end. Sorry this is a couple days late. I was struggling with what to write to close out the story, and I was also very busy… (Which reminds me: HAPPY EASTER!)

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Numero 10. A nice number to end on.

Chapter 10:

~6 Months Later~

It was a peaceful Spring afternoon. Blue skies, mild weather, and birds chirping in the trees. A perfect day for a DiNozzo wedding.

Everyone that knew the couple was there. Ziva's aunt Nettie had even flown in from Israel, along with a few friends from Mossad. The chief presence at the event, however, was the NCIS family: Vance, Palmer, Ducky, Bishop, Abby, McGee, and Gibbs. Gibbs had served an important role in the ceremony, acting as the father of the bride with a genuine smile on his face.

"I would not mind having Gibbs there when I get married," Ziva had once said, and now here they were. This man had been more of a father to her than she could have ever hoped or imagined. His rightful place was at her side as she walked down the aisle to her soon-to-be husband.

Abby, of course, was the maid of honor. She led the procession toward the front of the courtyard, in which the ceremony was being held. Tali, now 9 months old, was cradled comfortably in her arms, wearing an adorable white flower girl dress, even though she was too young to fulfill the duties of a flower girl. In her place, Abby tossed flower petals onto the ground as she walked to the beat of the music.

And then there they were. Tony and Ziva, against all odds, had finally made it to the altar, or rather, the chuppah, a lovely canopy beneath which the ceremony would take place. The wedding party took their seats as the service began, with the couple smiling radiantly at each other.

Before long, it was time for the vows. Tony and Ziva had opted to write their own; it only seemed fitting to do so.

"Tony, when I returned to Israel, I thought I was doing everyone a favor by staying away. I thought that I was a danger to those around me, and that by leaving I would spare myself and others the pain of loss in the future," Ziva began, tears already sparkling in her eyes. "But, what I didn't realize was that life is not about running away from the pain…" Ziva's voice broke and she took a deep breath before continuing. "It is about enjoying the happy moments, the good moments, while they last. And I want every last minute I have in this life to be spent with you, and our daughter. I love you Tony."

As she finished, the look of pure love in Tony's eyes took her breath away. Members of the audience could be seen wiping their eyes discretely with tissues, and Tony even thought he might have seen McGee catch a stray tear with his finger.

Now it was Tony's turn. He fumbled for an index card from his pocket for a moment before he shook his head and stuffed it back in. He wouldn't be needing it. All the words he had written did not seem to do her justice.

"My ninja," Tony began, eliciting a soft chuckle from the audience. "From the moment I first saw you, I knew that you were a force to be reckoned with." A smile crossed Ziva's face as she remembered their first meeting. "For all the years I've known you, I've been trying to understand you… who you are, what makes you tick, and what you are to me. Here's what I've found out: you are a beautiful, mysterious, loving woman, and you have stolen my heart." Tony chuckled and glanced at his little daughter, still seated on her Auntie Abby's lap. "Well, you and Tali." Tony's eyes returned to Ziva, who looked absolutely stunning in her white, flowing wedding dress. "I can't imagine living without you, and I am so beyond happy that you and I got a second chance at a life together. I love you, Ziva."

There were more smiles and tears from the audience as Tony wrapped up his vows with promises to love and protect his family, echoed then by Ziva. In no time at all, they were pronounced husband and wife, and Tony was allowed to kiss the bride.

"The kiss…" Tony had once said wistfully to Ziva, on the topic of weddings. Maybe the best part of the entire ordeal. The little detail that made all the stress of planning the ceremony worth it.

With a grandiose gesture, Tony pulled Ziva to him and their lips met, sealing the deal once and for all. The audience cheered and the couple pulled apart, clasping their hands together to make their way back down the aisle.

They were showered with shouts of congratulations and well-wishes for the rest of the night, though the words went unheard for the most part; Tony and Ziva were in their own little world again.

As the festivities came to a close, Gibbs and McGee helped the newlyweds pack their car with gifts before heading on home with Tali seated sleepily in the back seat. Their new home, in a neighborhood near Grandpa Gibbs', was just right for them. From the moment they had laid eyes on it, they knew it would be the place where many memories would be made. A place that, like the office at NCIS, would be the backdrop for many of life's events to come.

Ziva did return to Gibbs' team, in a sense. Vance had her working on translations, using her expertise in many of the world's languages to their advantage. However, that job was only part-time. Whenever she was not needed as a translator, Ziva was seated in the bullpen, in a desk next to Tony's, where she could help out with all the parts of an investigation besides field work. She was still a very capable investigator, after all, and her skills in interrogation were invaluable.

When they weren't working, the DiNozzos spent their days together, watching movies, playing dress up (yes, even Tony), and occasionally using leave time to travel the world.

Tali grew up in a home filled with love and, of course, silliness. That comes with being a DiNozzo. Her family was always there for her, never missing a single one of her dance recitals once she was old enough to participate.

And every single day, even years into the future, Tony woke up with Ziva wrapped snugly in his arms, and he thought about how very lucky he was to be there, alive, surrounded by more love than he could have ever imagined. His family. His life.

And even though the road hadn't been easy at times, he wouldn't have it any other way.

And this is where we say goodbye. Or rather, see you later. While this story is at its end, you'll be happy to know that the other day I was listening to music in the car when suddenly I got a new story idea, which I plan to start shortly. Make sure you follow me (follow author) so you get an update when I post a new story. I'm pretty excited for this new one.

On the topic of this chapter, I'm sorry it was so short. I've done full-blown Tiva weddings before and they are really difficult for me to write properly and they take a long time. This weekend has been super busy, but I really wanted to wrap up this story before the new one gets started (and boy, am I anxious to get started).

I hope you liked this chapter regardless, and that you'll leave a review with your final thoughts/feelings about this story.

Also, if you are a reader that has just discovered this story months/years into the future after I have written it, I LOVE getting reviews from you too. Its like a little reminder that someone is still interested in the story that I put so much time and love into. Makes me super happy.

Anyway, thank you guys soooooo much for all your kind reviews and messages throughout this story. It was truly amazing to get the response you guys gave me, and I hope you'll continue to follow my writing in the future.

Till our next adventure in fanfiction,

~NCIS Obsession