Author's Notes: Gosh! 7 reviews overnight...I am one very proud and happy writer!!! Thanks so much to everyone! losingmymind2, M E Wofford, Tivalover, bomber6, Immirose and my two anonymous reviewers. All your comments about Tony and Nathan made me smile, thanks. It's good to know what my readers like and enjoy as it helps. Also I know a few of you are hanging out for some more Tiva, and physical contact...which was weird timing cuz there is somecoming very soon. I ensure you all...major Tiva is approaching and their tension/attraction is increasing. But I am still establishing things with Tony/Nathan so yeah...had to give them a share of the attention. Anyhow, this chapter is very based around that. Enough from me, Enjoy!!

Also, I do not own any movies you may or may not recognize in this fic.


Chapter eleven: A day with Tony

Nathan cried for several minutes until he finally sniffled and calmed down. Tony put him down and saw that he was still sad.

'Hey, how about you help me wash up and then we'll watch a movie?' he offered.

'We watched all our movies' Nathan remembered, looking over at their rental movie pile on the coffee table.

'Not the ones I brought' Tony winked. 'Come on' he said and Nathan grabbed a chair to reach better. 'I wash, you dry?' he offered and Nathan nodded.

--

'What is the movie called?' Nathan wondered as he followed Tony up to the bedroom where his bag was, he simply refused to leave his side and was gripping his shirt as well.

'Brother Bear' Tony replied. 'It's animation'

'What's that?' Nathan asked.

'Made by computer or drawings' Tony said and knew it didn't sound like much to Nathan but he'd like it once he saw it. 'I have the second one too, just in case' he added and they went back downstairs. Tony had grabbed them on his way out from his apartment the day before when he had packed his bag. He didn't know what Nathan would like but since he'd never really seen movies before then Tony felt he had to start him off with some more "family" movies without very high ratings. He hadn't mentioned it before because it only occurred to him the shame he would feel if anyone even found out that he owned these types of movies.

'This was made by computer?' Nathan was surprised as the movie started. 'Abby said computers were good, but…cool'

Tony smiled as Nathan settled comfortably with Toby bear and watched the movie, forgetting all about his mother not being there.


After the first movie, Tony got up to make them some sandwiches for lunch and decided that they would eat them on the couch and then watched the second movie.

'I liked that movie' Nathan said as he bit into his sandwich. 'The animal with the horns were funny'

'The Moose' Tony said but didn't correct him on the "horns" part. 'Yeah, Rutt and Tuke were pretty good' he nodded.

Nathan continued to eat in silence but then looked up at Tony. 'What if you and mama can't protect me?' he asked, his voice sounding small and forced.

'That will never happen' Tony replied confidently, how someone was able to take Ziva's son away from her to begin with was still lost on him, knowing how trained and scary she was. He couldn't even take her stapler without almost being killed.

'But what if it does?' Nathan continued.

'It won't' Tony said. 'Zi-your mom and I are best friends and I'm a bit scared of her, no one messes with your mom. What happened five years ago is different to now. No one is taking you away, no one is even going to touch you' Tony said. 'Now eat up, we've got another movie to watch'

Nathan ate the last of his sandwich quickly as he was looking forward to the second movie.


The credits had hardly started when both boys looked over alertly at the door as it unlocked and Ziva came back inside with a bag.

'Mama!' Nathan yelled and ran over to her, almost knocking her backwards as he threw his arms around her.

Tony watched the pair and could really see the bond they had. He had never been able to really imagine Ziva as a mother, maybe a few times when he wondered but as he watched Ziva hugging Nathan upon her return, he could see it very clearly. Ziva made a great mother; she cared so much for Nathan and took good care of him. It was strange to see Ziva so caring and warm because of the Mossad front she put up at work and it put her in a whole new light. It actually made Tony feel better, not less calm around her because making her mad would switch her from caring to scary in seconds, but it meant that she wasn't just letting her real self show around Nathan but she let it show around him too. After four years of partnership, friendship, paperclip threats and other tendencies, Ziva was finally letting him in. Not enough for him to get his hopes up, but enough that he realized how truly unique she was and it made him want her even more.

'Shalom, my love' Ziva kissed Nathan's cheek. 'Did you boys behave yourselves?' she asked.

'Yeah, we watched brother bear one and two!' Nathan grinned.

'I do not know what that is' Ziva replied. 'A movie?'

'You would be correct, Zee-vah' Tony smirked and she cast him a glare before turning back to Nathan.

'Are you hungry?'

'No, Tony made lunch' Nathan replied as she straightened up.

'Did you touch anything you were not supposed to?' Ziva asked, but mainly to Tony as she knew him too well and she was aware that he had snooped around his first night here.

'No' Nathan replied and Ziva raised an eyebrow.

'Would you tell me if you did?' Ziva then asked and Nathan grinned.

'No' he replied again and tried to hold back a laugh.

Ziva nodded proudly and took off her jacket and headed into the kitchen to check supplies as it was now getting closer to dinner time. Nathan had missed her and would not leave her alone. He grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the living room to show her the DVD cases and tell her all about the movies and what he and Tony had done all day.

Tony smiled as he watched them and decided to cook dinner for them since Ziva was going to be busy and he wanted to see if Ziva liked his cooking as much as he liked hers, they both enjoyed spending time in the kitchen…something he noticed they had in common.

'Tony' Ziva finally noticed what he was doing. 'You made breakfast; I am not having you-'

'There's a new Italian recipe I want to try out' Tony lied, knowing she hated it when he tried to help or did something for her. 'Besides, Nathan has so much to tell you'

Ziva's eyes narrowed at him but Tony had turned his back to her again. While she thought many choice words about his constant helping, she looked at her son to see he indeed was not done with his story. But she was not done with Tony.

'You do not have to help me with everything' she reasoned but he continued working and ignored her. 'I am very capable of cooking dinner myself'

'I know' he shrugged. 'I'm not doing this because you can't or because you need help, I have seen you take out some pretty nasty bad guys without a weapon…I'm doing this because I want to'

Ziva frowned at him but Nathan's tugging on her shirt was annoying so she turned her attention back to her son and let Tony make dinner.


'What would you give it out of ten?' Tony asked Nathan as they ate their dinner.

'Eight' Nathan nodded after some thinking. 'Mama's is still better' he added and Ziva grinned broadly at Tony. 'What did you do today, mama?' Nathan then wondered.

'Well…' Ziva thought for a moment. 'I went to NCIS and spoke with Gibbs. There were some other people there and we were mostly just talking' she shrugged and took another bite of her food while Tony watched her, knowing there was more to the meeting than that.

'Sounds boring' Nathan shrugged.

'Oh, yes' Ziva nodded with a smile.

--

While Ziva headed upstairs to give Nathan his bath, Tony wasn't sure what to do so he washed up and then sat in front of the TV for a while.

Ziva had bought some books on her way home and had given them to Nathan to read while he sat on their bed, not quite ready to sleep yet. She said she was getting ready for bed but actually went downstairs to talk to Tony, scowling dangerously as she noticed the washing up was done.

'I was bored!' he added quickly as she rounded on him. After he was sure she was just sitting on the couch next to him, Tony spoke again. 'How was today, really?'

'Bad' Ziva sighed. 'My father was not happy. The FBI told me to take leave, Gibbs of course defended me' she frowned. 'Just because I have a child does not mean I cannot do my job'

'And…?' Tony asked, wondering if they had convinced her to take leave but doubted it.

'It was my choice' she shrugged. 'I said no' Ziva then glanced at him. 'Thank you for watching Nathan, he seemed to enjoy it'

'It was a bit rough at first' Tony admitted. 'What is he doing now?' he then wondered, noticing that Nathan was still upstairs and did not think he could sleep without someone in the room with him.

'Reading' Ziva replied. 'Whoever kidnapped him had made sure he could read, speak English and Hebrew…they kept him alive for five years, I do not know why' she frowned and stood up. 'I am going to have a shower, could you stay with Nathan?'

Tony nodded and watched her headed back upstairs before doing the same.

--

'Hey, Nathan' Tony poked his head into the bedroom and the boy looked up at him in interest. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed in his blue pajamas that had little skateboards printed on them. There was a pile of books around him but he cleaned them up once Tony sat on the bed.

'Tony, how long have you and mama been friends?' he wondered.

'About fours years' Tony replied, wondering what brought on this conversation.

'If she got hurt, would you save her?' Nathan asked.

'Of course, but it is very hard to hurt her' Tony said, now getting a little worried.

'What is someone made her cry?' Nathan continued with the strange questions.

'Do you know anyone that would make her cry?' Tony redirected the question at him.

Nathan said nothing as he grabbed Toby bear from the end of the bed and crawled under the covers to wait for his mother to come back.

--

'Your turn, Tony' Ziva said as she walked into the room. As Tony walked past he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room, lowering his voice.

'Nathan was asking what would happen if someone hurt you or made you cry' He said, feeling that she should know.

'I would shoot them before that happened' Ziva replied simply but understood his concern. 'I will talk to him' she said and went back into the room while Tony headed to the bathroom for a shower.

He had taken a little bit longer than usual because his hair was starting to get icky and he had to wash it. But as he walked into the bedroom he saw that Nathan had fallen asleep with his mother, both of them were asleep and he did not want to disturb them. Tony wanted to climb into bed with them as he always felt so wanted and warm when he felt in the bed with them but not tonight, they had a rough day and he wasn't going to wake them while they were having a nightmare-free sleep.

Tony sighed as he lay on the couch with some spare blankets and a pillow. He stared at the dark ceiling and felt disappointed as his stay with Ziva and Nathan could not remain forever. He was their friend, not part of their family. And tomorrow…well, tomorrow they had to go back to NCIS and then things were bound to change.


Author's Notes: There y'all go...please review and let me know whatcha think. you know the drill, the more/longer reviews the faster I update :)