A lot happened in the month following Rubyjane's arrival and Onyx Clarkson's death.

Rubyjane was crestfallen to learn of Onyx's death because he had been her father and the last person biologically related to her, but mostly because she was convinced that she was going to be alone. Once Abby convinced her that she still wanted her and loved her enough to want to be her mother for good and adopt her, the little girl was as right as rain afterwards. To Abby's great surprise, Rubyjane was very happy to learn about the baby and started to dote on Abby's belly whenever she could; after the kidnapping, Abby had been expecting Rubyjane to be angry and clingy, but on the contrary, she was quite happy. When Abby thought about it later, she realized that Rubyjane was, reinventing herself. She wasn't going to stand in the way of that.

Abby and McGee also got together in an official capacity, and once they finally got over themselves, they felt like this was the way that things were meant to be: they were together, and genuinely in love. McGee also agreed to help Abby formally adopt Rubyjane and the baby, although it didn't take much persuasion because he loved them as much as Abby did. He also loved genuinely loved being with her, and she felt the same way about him. Nobody brought up marriage, but it wouldn't be unwelcome. For the time being, they were companions, and they were happy.

Another new pair of companions in the NCIS' Major Critical Response Team was Tony and Ziva. After their night together, they decided to become a couple, although they were keeping things exclusively on the down-low. Ziva was very happy with Tony and very in love with him.

She'd even known for a few days that she was pregnant, but she just hadn't had a chance to tell him yet because things had been a little fast-paced at NCIS HQ.


A young couple from a nearby base had been killed in a robbery, and their children taken by the robbers. The case ended as well as could be expected and had even been solved in record time, but even still, when it was over, everybody took to distracting themselves with holiday plans because they were fast approaching Christmas Day.

Ziva looked around the empty bullpen at all of the Christmas decorations. They were everywhere she looked: cards and snow globes on desks, banners that bore 'Happy Holidays' on the cubicles. Special Agent Bello, whose desk was on the other side of the bullpen even had a banner that said 'Happy Kwanzaa' on his own cubicle. There was also a Christmas tree near the big frosted picture window overlooking the river. She, Gibbs, and the director had decorated the tree together one night, like a family, after everyone else had gone home. Being with the two of them reminded her of life with her own parents, back when things had still been good and she had been drawn into her father's world.

Ziva was indifferent about Christmas because she didn't grow up celebrating it, but at the office, she still partook in Christmas parties and activities because she wasn't heartless.

Ziva also had a battery-operated menorah on her desk, complete with candles to slide into the candle-holders, one for each night of the holiday. Even out on her adventures with Jenny, out in the jungles or desolate, war-torn cities, if they were out during December, Ziva always managed to find something to give Jenny for Christmas. In return, even if it was a small trinket, Jenny also managed to find something for Ziva during at least one night of Hanukkah.

And normally, she would go home to Israel to be with her father since she had always been her daddy's girl, but this year, he was going to be a keynote speaker at a conference in Sydney. The conference was mandatory for him because he had several speaking engagements there, and it also lasted the entire length of Hanukkah. Had Ziva's father's visit to Australia not been for work, she would have tagged along. Up until the year that Ziva's mother and sister both died, the Davids had vacationed there every year.

At any rate, Ziva was feeling distracted, so it was a good idea that she had elected to not make a trans-Atlantic flight.

Today, she had discovered that she was pregnant, and while she had so far been blessed with morning sickness that wasn't horrible, it could only just be classified as 'mild.' A baby was very much desired, and it filled her with joy every time she thought about the new life that was incubating in her womb. There just hadn't been any time to tell Tony yet.

"Anyone home?"

Ziva was jarred from her thoughts when Tony sat on the edge of her desk.

"Hello, handsome." she greeted him.

"You okay?"

Ziva sighed and sat back in her chair. "Tony, Brynn and Maddox's parents died needlessly tonight, and in front of them. At least I made sure they were held and knew that they were wanted and loved… but their combined age is not even five."

"Ziva, Brynn and Maddox knew that you wanted them and loved them—even if it was just for awhile—and they knew it from the time you found them, all the way until you handed them off to their aunt and uncle. So Brynn is two, and Maddox just turned one, and they won't remember their parents, but you saw as well as I did how happy their aunt and uncle were to see them tonight. They're going to adopt them, love them, and raise them. Brynn and Maddox will be fine."

"You are correct." she changed her tune and smiled at him. "Why are you here?"

"Well, the director and Gibbs are going away for Christmas to Gibbs' home town, Abby is bringing Rubyjane and McGee to New Orleans because she wants them to meet her Louisiana family, Ducky will be spending time with his mom, and even dear little Autopsy Gremlin is going back to Michigan for the holidays."

"What of your plans, Tony?"

"Ten whole days in Honolulu, Hawaii—I made the plans awhile ago. Do you have plans?"

"Normally, I would go visit my father in Tel Aviv and we would spend Hanukkah together."

"But…?"

"He is to be in Sydney for the entire length of Hanukkah, and the trip is strictly for work. Otherwise, I would have gone. There is no point in being in the same place as my father if his mind is other places. I learned that the hard way as a child."

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Tony said, "Have you ever been alone during the holidays before?"

"No."

"Would you like to come to Hawaii with me? All expenses paid?"

Ziva sat back up and smiled again, interested. "Really?"

"Really." he confirmed. "What do you say?"

"I say yes."


"Here we are, babe." Tony slid his card key into the key slot and opened it for her. "We have the private ground corner suite, overlooking Hibiscus Bay, and it's all ours for the next ten days. What do you think?"

The room was decorated in a very beautiful Hawaiian theme, all the way down to the furniture, and it was neither too tacky, nor too over-the-top fancy, either. Ziva was very pleased, especially because she'd never been to Hawaii before. Even the weather outside was very beautiful, as shown by the warm sunlight, the sound of the waves coming up on the beach outside, and the warm breeze blowing in through the open window.

"I really like it, Tony." she told him as she sat down on the bed. "I really do."

By this point, the bellhop who had pushed their luggage trolley had unloaded everything and made a quiet exit after being given a generous tip from Tony, shutting the door behind him. After setting his carry-on luggage aside, he saw Ziva on the bed, leaning back on her hands and breathing heavily; the baby had been making her stomach feel topsy-turvy during the plane ride, but ever since they'd landed and made it from the airport to the hotel, she'd felt as right as rain again. At the moment, she just wanted Tony's attention for part of a plan that she'd concocted.

Not suspecting anything, Tony sat beside his girlfriend and gave her a backrub. "Are you alright? I know you slept on the plane, but do you want to sleep a little bit longer?"

"It has passed." Ziva sat up and kissed Tony on the cheek. "I am fine, my love."

She patted his hand.

"Go on and go to the bathroom and change, or whatever. I am fine."

"Are you sure?"

Ziva gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "Positive."

Tony gave her a peck on the cheek and hurried off to the bathroom—he really had to go.

Chuckling, Ziva changed out of her traveling clothes to reveal a bright orange bikini top and a matching bottom. As part of her plan, she'd changed into her bathing suit and put her traveling clothes over it before they'd left for the airport.

Acting quickly, Ziva extracted a tiny pair of green converse shoes from a side pocket in her carry-on bag and laid back, propped up against the pillows. She set the shoes on her middle, which, now that it was bared, had a visible curve it. It had a slight curve, but that curve was definitely a baby curve, and she was proud of it.

"Come, come, my tiny love." Ziva spoke softly as she caressed the sides of her middle gently. "Let us see how long it takes for abba to put the pieces together about you."

Ziva didn't have long to wait.

Tony emerged from the bathroom and cast his bag aside. He was barefoot, but dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. He even had a pair of Aviator sunglasses tucked into the front of his hair. Had Ziva not known how much the man loved Hawaii (or seen his ridiculously extensive collection of Hawaiian shirts), she would have laughed, but Tony looked so happy that Ziva felt her heart filling with joy.

"Were you wearing that under your clothes this whole time?" Tony asked.

"Yes. What do you think? Orange is a color I do not often wear."

Tony sat next to her and planted a trail of kisses from her lips, down her throat, and across her collarbone before he sat back up and raked his eyes appreciatively over her beautiful body.

"I think it's a hot color on you, but I don't think that those shoes are for you or me."

"You are correct—they are for the addition who is due to join us in late summer."

It took a moment for Ziva's words to sink in, but when he got it, he lit up. "You're pregnant, Z? We did it?"

"Uh-huh." she put the shoes on her bedside table and sat up. "What do you think?"

"I think that this is the best news that you've ever given me," Tony gave her a rather smoldering kiss, but on the lips this time. "Although I also think that we might have to delay going outside to explore for just a little while. Any problems with that?"

Now, Tony was gently kissing Ziva all over the top half of her body. He was taking his time, but it was very clear what he was initiating.

Ziva's reply was punctuated by her own soft sighs and moans induced by her lover's featherlight touches.

"I have zero objections, my love." she told him.

And so they celebrated the beginnings of their new family.