12:00
The elevator doors opened. But the elevator was empty.
Well, this was a shock! All the Omicrons looked at the empty elevator before returning the waiting gazes back to Tony. He just smiled.
"As I was saying before being so cruelly interrupted, Jo knew about my sentimental life not from my, but from her daughter. Yes ladies and getledudes, Jo does have a daughter. Kane, wondered who the little girl from the pic in my wallet is?"
His hand slips in his pocket and takes out a little something. One flip jump in the air and he landed in front of one stunned Talisa. He kneeled in front of her and brought up the little something. It was a black box.
"Talisa, you've been there for me all the times. We shared pain but we also shared joy. You and only you are my fail-safe and the only one I wish to grow old near. I told you and I tell you again: I love you with all my heart. I feel is the time for me to make the most daring step from my entire life. You know me, you know my weak and strong points; that's why I must ask you: would you give me the honor of becoming my wife?"
You could hear a pin drop in the quietness dropped over the bullpen. Abby, who just arrived, stood there and her eyes got bigger and bigger by the second. Gibbs froze, with the coffee halfway to his mouth. McGee was almost ready to choke with his Nutter Butter. But the most pained expression was on Ziva's face. She looked like she was slapped. Turmoil on raw emotions was raging in her. There he was, a man who gave her everything without asking anything in exchange and she rewarded him only with pain and grief. Now he was halfway gone from her life. She wanted to yell, to jump forward and say he was hers. But something in her mind stopped her. A little voice was whispering in her inner ears: "Just let him be, Ziva. You are not worthy of him. You don't deserve him. He fought the pain you immersed him into and now he's free. He deserves it."
The Omicrons, almost all of them, were standing there, dumbstruck. What the hell was that? Did their Team Leader just asked Talisa to be his wife? Did Tony manage to keep that secret for so long? Kane was the first to recover and was the first to see the tears glittering in Talisa's eyes. He was also the first one to hear her answer.
"Took you long enough. Yes Tony, you know I do. But I have to warn you. You know me and you know what I can do. Just keep remembering this".
Maya eyed DiNozzo with predator eyes.
"DiNozzo, hurt her and you'll pray for a quick death."
"My dear Maya", said Tony while slipping the ring on his fiancée finger, "you don't have to worry about this. Your threats are nothing compared to those of my future mother-in-law. Isn't that so, Mother Hen?"
All eyes darted towards Jo. She had a sad smile on her lips.
"I'm just sorry that Robert is not here, to see our little daughter all grown up. And you have your wish granted. The "Hen" is off".
Tony stood and embraced her fiancée. Then his eyes sparkled green.
"Hereby, I decided to create a liaison with the NCIS. The Omicron will nominate one agent to work at NCIS and to help build a bridge between our two agencies. Any of you know who this mystery agent is?"
All in the bullpen were holding their breath. A liaison agent to work here? In the NCIS building? DiNozzo grinned.
"The cards were made long ago. I want to introduce you the liaison, Omicron special field agent Jimmy Palmer."
And that eerie silence appeared for the last time over the bullpen.