From his seat in the front pew of Saints United Catholic Church, Tony watched the minister take the wriggling baby boy into his arms. Slowly he rises and joins his friends at the font. Today was his first day in a church since her funeral. Behind him he hears the McGee twins babble and giggle. McGee desperately tries to hush the toddlers while Delilah shifts herself in her wheelchair. Three days and she will deliver their third child via C-Section. As soon as she is recovered McGee will go in for a vasectomy. Behind them Abby and Bishop silently pray, Ducky wipes away a tear and Gibbs sits perfectly still.
"Edward Victor Palmer, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Father Barrett declared as he sprinkled water on the forehead of the Palmer's four month old son.
Thirteen months had passed since Tali and Tori died, four months prior the Palmer's had welcomed their son. Eddie was strong and healthy. He bore similarities to his sister but favored Jimmy. Where as Tori took more after Breena.
The one year anniversary was hard on Tony. He pretty much just stayed in bed all day. The new year was strange. She had been gone a year. The firsts had long since past. Now it was just another year with his daughter gone. He had moved out of Gibbs' place after four months. Right around that time Jimmy got shot in the leg at a crime scene. He ended up being OK but required a few surgeries and a few months of rehab. Tony ended up moving in with the Palmer's and helping Breena out around the house. Once Jimmy was cleared by the doctors Tony found a small apartment not far from where he lived with Tali. Just one bedroom but that's all he needed.
Pregnancy had been hard on Breena and recovery had been hard on Jimmy. Both managed to come through well. Jimmy still had a limp and required a cane for distances. Due to his new disability going to crime scenes wasn't in his best interest anymore. While in recovery he went to work for Slater's. He still visited NCIS regularly and had once been called in for a consult but he was happy to have some stability.
Another challenging day for Tony came fourteen years after Tali's death. The day his daughter would have graduated high school. Soon after his daughter's death he gave up the dream of going to that particular graduation. It was a shock to be in the bleachers that day but one of his former foster children was graduating from the same school and had insisted he come. Two years after Tali's death Tony gave up on ever having another biological child. Right around that time both the McGee's and Palmer's signed up to be foster parents. Tony figured he may as well join his friends. He had probably fifty kids over sixteen years. In most cases he had the children one to six months but he'd had a few for several years. The shortest stays were overnight and miserable for both Tony and the children. He got a handful or babies but mainly took in teenagers.
Of all those children one became an adoption. A boy who came to Tony at four. He had developed meningitis at two years old. He lost his legs and seventy percent of his hearing but he had survived. William had his struggles but he was a happy child. William first came to Tony originally as a medical foster but the birth parents decided it was easier to have another baby than it would be to have a crippled son. At first the doctors told Tony that William would face developmental delays and likely end up in a special needs school. William proved them wrong. After doing two years in a special pre-school for students with physical disabilities he was placed in a special needs kindergarten class by first grade he was in mainstream classes and by middle school he was taking all Advanced Placement. His only accommodations were seating and a special app on his school issued laptop that allowed him to follow lectures in time with the rest of his class. As opposed to having to rely on notes and lip reading. William rarely let his disabilities get in the way. The only thing keeping him from attending his former foster sister's graduation was a camping trip with his boy scout troop. At twelve William was already planning his Eagle Scout Project.
Tony never got over the loss of Tali. He carried his grief every day. As an old man he developed dementia. With William physically unable to tend to his father's needs. The Palmer's stepped up to care for Tony in his old age. Their greatest struggle was reminding Tony of Tali. For the most part they let him be and believe that William was his only child but sometimes he'd have a moment of clarity and need to talk about her. As the disease progressed Tony would talk about Tali and Ziva like they were still alive. Remembering from Victoria Mallard and later Ducky they knew better than to correct him. They just talked about her as if she were alive. Sometimes they would remember Tori as well. Really it was nice. Painful but nice.
It was pneumonia that took Tony down. He developed the infection during a harsh winter and could never recover. He fought as hard as he could but was simply not strong enough. The Palmer's had moved him to a nursing home the summer before. He suffered a bad fall and it was no longer in his best interest to be in their care. During his last day he dreamed of her last day. He was young and vibrant once again. He relived taking her to the hospital and being with her in the last hours. Once again her heart stopped. This time however it was his own heart giving out. This time he saw healthy Tali and Ziva with her whole body. They walked off together to be a family once again.
Jimmy and Breena went together. Just barely a month after Tony. Jimmy suffered a stroke driving home from a Sunday dinner at Eddie's house. The doctors said that Jimmy was gone before impact. Breena was found in the passenger seat mid scream with her hand on Jimmy's shoulder. It was later discovered she had survived the crash but died from her injuries shortly after realizing that her husband was gone. Like with Tony in their final moments they remembered their last day with Tori. They joined her as she was. Along with the unborn son Breena lost when Eddie was a year old.
A/N: I know the ending was weak but I kind of lost track of this story. Thanks to all who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. Please leave one last review.