I am DYING to get to little Jordan's delivery! Sigh.

Ziva slowed as she walked past the empty apartment's bathroom, hearing Tony's hushed whisper and carefully pressed her ear to the door as she listened, "...I don't know what is going on, but I haven't heard from you since the last time I called. You fell off the radar..."

He took a deep breath and continued, "I just...I just wanted to keep you updated on Ziva and the baby. I guess I thought you'd want to be part of this, dad..."

She scurried past the door and made her way to the bedroom as she heard his phone hit the counter hard. She opened a bureau drawer and moved the clothes that were in it to the bed, where she sat and began to put them in a box, sorting out the items they no longer wore or needed. It was the last room left to pack, and she couldn't wait to have it boxed and at the house. She sighed heavily as her thoughts turned to her husband and father-in-law, but was quickly brought back to reality as she heard Tony answer the knock at the door, "Tonnnnny!"

"Ooomph! Hey Abs..."

"Where's Ziva?"

"Bedroom...I think. Hey Zi?"

She pivoted her body towards the door, collecting herself and her thoughts as she shouted, "I am in here!"

She let a soft smile play on her lips as she heard Abby's boots jog down the hallway, "Hello Abby."

"You started without me?"

"Just the one drawer."

Tony poked his head into the room, "Alright ladies, I'm gonna head over to the house. Gotta finish painting today, but listen, don't make plans for dinner. I wanna take McGee, Gibbs, and you two out for dinner when we are done...a little celebratory slash thanks for helping meal."

Ziva nodded as Abby smiled and waved. The second she heard the apartment door close, Ziva placed her hands over her face and began to cry softly. Abby sat on the edge of the bed softening her voice, "Oh my god, Ziva, what's wrong?"

Ziva buried her head in Abby's shoulder as she continued to cry, "Should I call Tony?"

Her head shook as she finally began to speak, "It is supposed to be happy, Abby...a happy time. And Tony's father..."

Abby stroked the back of her head, attempting to sooth her as she spoke, "What about him?"

"Tony wants nothing more than for his father to be part of this, or at least acknowledge the fact that we are married and having a child."

Abby nodded, and made an attempt at finishing Ziva's thoughts, "But he isn't ?"

Ziva sat up and nodded, "I overheard Tony calling him right before you got here. He left him a message. Tony sounded so...desperate and sullen. I do not know what I can do to make it right. I know he has called him at least twice now, with either a minimum response or no answer."

"Oh, Ziva. I'm so sorry."

Ziva ran her knuckle under her eyes, pushing the tears away, resting her cheek on the goth's shoulder while Abby ran her hand over the back of Ziva's head repeatedly as she spoke, "I know it's not what you are hoping for right now, but everything will work out just the way it's supposed to be. As long as you and Tony have each other, and the baby, everything will be perfect."

Ziva took a deep breath and forced a smile as she sat up, "You are right Abby. The best I can do is be there for him and support him. For now though, I need to distract myself. We have a lot of drawers and a closet to pack, yes?"

Abby smiled as she held up a men's sweater, reminiscent of something Bill Cosby would have worn in the eighties, "Please tell me this can go in the donate pile."

Ziva laughed as she nodded exaggeratedly, "Oh my god yes, but we must never speak of where it went. For some reason he loves that thing!"

With the offending item pinched between two fingers and a look of disgust, Abby tossed it into the donation pile.

XXX

Tony stood in the door frame, proudly assessing the work they had accomplished. The bright white wainscoting, with Gibbs help, was perfectly run around the room and halfway up the walls, where it met a pale silver-blue wall color, and the sunlight and shadows of the tree outside of the window played on the carpeting in the middle of the room. Gibbs was behind him as he pivoted and turned to help paint the master bedroom, "Oh, hey boss. Thanks for your help. Ziva is gonna love it. Kinda hard to believe that in just a few months there will be a crib and baby in there, huh?"

Gibbs took a swig of coffee in an attempt to hide the smile that was playing on his lips before he spoke, "I'm proud of ya Tony. You and Ziver are gonna give that kid a good life."

The corners of Tony's mouth turned up slightly as he spoke, "Guess I should help McGee."

Tony walked into the master bedroom with Gibbs close behind. McGee was edging and trimming out a window as Tony picked up the roller and began to fill in the walls with the taupe color Ziva had picked. "This is a really nice color. Very soothing - I can see why Ziva picked it."

"Thanks for your insight McDutchBoy."

Gibbs shook his head as he chuckled to himself, running painter's tape along the baseboards. That fast Tony had gone from mature father-to-be to annoying older brother to McGee. "Hey! You two wanna knock it off and get to work."

McGee smiled smugly at Tony from the ladder, but flinched as Tony taunted him, pushing the paint coated roller in his direction. McGee turned on the ladder, "Hey boss, got a question."

Tony turned quickly, rolling the paint onto the wall innocently as Gibbs turned, "Yeah Tim..."

"Never mind. Figured it out."

XXX

"DiNozzo! Your phone's ringing!"

Tony ran back into the bedroom, picking the phone up off of the top step of the ladder, "Hi Zi."

He stood nodding and smiling to no one in particular as he spoke again, "M'kay. We'll be back in a little bit and you and I can double check to make sure that is everything. Then you and Abs can follow us back before we go to dinner. That work for you two?"

He listened and grinned before speaking again, "Uh yeah...I like that plan a lot...and I love you too."

As the call was ended, Tony turned to Gibbs and McGee, "Abby and Ziva are all done. That's the last of it - just a few bedroom boxes and the bed."

Gibbs looked around the room as he spoke, "So how you wanna do this, DiNozzo?"

He was pensive for a moment before he spoke, "If it's alright with you two, I figured you and I could go in your truck to bring the last of it. McGee, would you mind staying here and just getting the painting supplies picked up before we get back with the boxes and Ziva and Abby?"

McGee smiled, "Works for me."

XXX

Gibbs carried the final box of clothes out of the apartment door while Abby walked behind him to start her car and the heater, leaving Tony and Ziva in the living room of the bare apartment. She turned to him with a frown playing on her face. Tony's hand came to her cheek as he spoke softly to her, "What's the matter sweet cheeks?"

"Please do not misunderstand me, I am very happy to be moving to our house and start this new chapter of our lives, but this apartment has been a special place."

Tony cocked his head to the side, "Whatchya mean?"

"Well, this was the first place we lived together. It is where we lived when we got engaged. It is where we started our lives together as husband and wife. It is where we made Jordan."

Tony smiled and leaned in, brushing her lips with his before he whispered into her ear, "It's been a pretty special place, but our home is going to be special too."

Ziva's arms settled on his shoulders while she ran her hands through his hair, looking into his eyes and kissing him deeply. As they broke the kiss, a giggle left her lips. "What's so funny Ziiiiivah?"

Her thumb brushed a drop of paint that had dried on his forehead as she chuckled, "The more and more I see this taupe color, the more I love it.

Tony and Ziva walked out of the door and watched as it closed on that chapter of their lives and prepared to open on a new one.

XXX

Ziva walked out of the grocery store with a small bag and climbed back into the warmth of Abby's car, "Sorry about the unexpected stop."

"It's okay. So what did you get? Pregnancy cravings strike again?"

Ziva laughed, "No, actually it is a little surprise for Tony. Something he was looking forward to."

"You two are so cute that it makes me sick, but that's okay cause I like you guys. If I didn't like you it would be a totally different story."

Minutes later they pulled in front of the house to find Gibbs truck almost empty, with the exception of the box spring and mattress. Ziva stood from the car, "Wow, they worked fast!"

Abby nodded in agreement as she spun around, assessing the neighborhood, "Ziva, this is such a cute neighborhood! I can't wait to see the house!"

"Well, come on. It's cold out here!"

Ziva walked through the door with Abby following closely behind as she placed a bag from the grocery store in the fridge. "Here Abby, you can put your coat on the counter for now, and then I can give you the tour."

They started in the basement, making their way to the porch and backyard, before moving to the kitchen, living room, and dining room. Abby stood at the bottom of the stairs as she turned to Ziva, "This house has a good mojo. I like it!"

Ziva smiled, "Let us see what the guys did today, yes?"

Abby gestured for Ziva to go first as she followed behind. "Tony, Gibbs, McGee...we are here."

Tony popped out of the master bedroom, "Hey! What took ya so long?"

"Oh, we hit a little traffic, that is all."

"Wanna see the bedroom and nursery?"

Ziva nodded as Abby bounced on her heels excitedly. Tony took his wife by the hand and walked her into the bedroom while Abby moved into the room with them, "Oh! I love it Tony! You guys did a beautiful job!"

"Gibbs and McGee were a huge help."

Ziva smiled and walked towards both men, hugging them and thanking them as Gibbs smiled, "You shouldn't be so quick to thank us. You haven't seen what happened to the nursery yet."

Panic filled Ziva's face as she walked quickly down the hall, opening the door to the nursery. Tony ran behind her stopping in the hall as he saw her standing in the middle of the room, choking back tears. He crossed the threshold and wrapped his arms around her waist as he stood behind her, facing the window and resting his chin on her shoulder. "Tony. It is perfect."

She moved her hands on top of his, bringing them down to her abdomen as they stood in the light from the window. Abby clutched her chest as she watched in the hall with McGee and Gibbs before he motioned for her and Tim to follow him downstairs as he spoke softly, "Let'em have a moment."

Ziva finally turned in his arms, "I brought a little surprise for you."

"You did?"

"Yes, but we have to go downstairs."

Ziva took him by the hand as they walked to the living room, "Wait here for just a moment."

She disappeared behind a partition in the kitchen with the bag from the fridge, returning to the group moments later with four paper cups filled with fizzing liquid, "Okay, nobody drink those yet. Would you all wait outside on the porch for just a moment longer? I will be right with you."

The group looked to Tony, who was confused as he spoke, "I guess we should all go out front?"

Ziva was not far behind them, holding a paper cup of her own and was hiding something behind her back as she began to speak, "Tony and I are so thankful for all of your help packing, helping up move, and helping prepare the bedroom and nursery. So, I would like to raise a toast to our wonderful family."

Ziva lifted the paper cup and they all followed suit, taking sips of the sparkling apple cider. She spoke again as she turned to her husband, "I know you have been waiting for this moment since we started talking about buying a house months ago, so I will allow you to do the honors."

She pulled a bottle of sparkling cider from behind her back and handed it to him. A befuddled look played on his face, as she tried to remind him, "All you have talked about the last two months was christening the house once we bought it! Now you have your chance and you are going to be shy about it?"

McGee choked on the cider as Gibbs' head rolled back, and Abby spoke while she laughed, "Well now we know why there were in such a rush to finish the master bedroom."

Ziva looked to all of their faces as she questioned, "What?"

Tony's face flushed from pink, to red, to violet as he leaned into Ziva and whispered, "Uh, I think we had a little miscommunication, Zi. By christen the house, I meant have sex in every room and on every surface possible, not breaking a bottle of champagne on it like it's a ship."

Ziva's face turned quickly, matching Tony's as her hands came over it and she muttered loudly, "Oh my god. I am mortified."

The group erupted into uncomfortable laughter. Tony took the bottle of sparkling cider and his wife to the railing as he spoke, "Abs, got your camera? This is a moment we'll certainly want immortalized."

Ziva laughed as he placed one of his and one of her hands on the neck of the bottle, breaking it on the banister of the porch as the camera flashed. The group cheered as Tony spoke again, "Alright, alright! Whose ready for dinner?"