Thank you so much for the warm welcome back. I will be wrapping up this story and I haven't decided how I will proceed after that. I may do little vignettes showing significant moments in the lives of my little families. Don't you want to see Karina's first date? I do, but I can't keep long stories going until we finally have her grow up. Five stories in and she hasn't turned three yet, LOL. Anyway, this story will be moving very quickly from this point on, fair warning. I looked through my other chapters and realized several have the same chapter title. So much for creativity…
Back on the plane, Tony looked lovingly over at his slumbering soul mate. Her face was calm and serene and he knew that a heavy burden had been lifted. "Sweet dreams, Ziva." Tony lightly kissed his wife's temple, and gently laid his head against hers, smiling in anticipation of seeing their children and family again.
He had never truly realized the burden that Eli David and Mossad had been until it had finally disappeared for good. No more would the specter of Mossad hang over their heads and Tony's heart lightened as he realized that they could all finally move on and forward with their lives in a way they had never truly been able to before.
Usual Disclaimer: I only own the characters I own
Chapter Twenty-Nine: "Home"
"No, I think it needs to go a little bit more to the left." Ziva pointed with her finger as Tony and Gibbs looked at each other in exasperation. This was the tenth time Ziva had made them move the beautiful handcrafted crib that would be the sleeping place for baby girl DiNozzo when she grew out of the cradle that would be nestled in her parent's bedroom once Gibbs completed it by carving her name.
The new ensuite over the garage was finally completed, the last coat of paint brushed onto the walls, curtains and wall hangings installed. Karina was thrilled by her pink, yellow and purple room, decorated with princesses and castles, her latest favorite thing. Ziva had thought she would have ballerinas everywhere but the soon to be three year old had crossed her arms and told her Mommy she wanted princesses because she was a princess, Grandpa told her so! The nursery was a complementary pink and peach, with little flowers and dragonflies adding whimsy.
"So, have Lily and Sean settled in ok?" Tony took a sip of the water Ziva had given the men as they rested after their labors. Gibbs cracked his neck to get the kinks out, rubbing at the sore muscles. Two furniture moves in less than three weeks had taken its toll, but Gibbs was too proud to complain: too loudly that is.
Once Tony and Ziva had returned from laying her father to rest, they were surprised to see that the neighbors behind them had put their home up for sale. Tony was secretly pleased, as he didn't get along with the younger couple who played loud music at all hours but were constantly complaining to Ziva about Bridget barking at some leaf or something.
He knew they were afraid of him, but for some reason found Ziva to be approachable. He often thought about inviting them over to show them Ziva's knife collection but she had always just rolled her eyes at him. "We need to be on good terms with our neighbors, Tony. If they think I am harmless, let them have their false sense of security." Tony had laughed at that, and so he bit his tongue and tried to ignore them as much as possible. Privately he was a bit miffed at their failure to see what a great guy he was, but he finally considered it to be their loss.
An idea formed into Tony's head with the news of the sale and he quickly discussed it with Ziva. At first she thought he was being ludicrous, trying to control who their neighbors were, or would be in the future. But when he pointed out the advantages of having a ready-made place for visitors to stay, especially since their own home was now or would be soon maxed out of capacity, she saw his point and relented.
And so Tony and Ziva were now the owners of the small home that backed up to their yard. Tony didn't care for the way it had been decorated, but those were cosmetic changes. It was identical to Gibbs' home, complete with the unfinished basement. The sale went quickly through their lawyer, being sold to a holding company that had once belonged to Eli David but now was owned by Ziva DiNozzo. Tony thought if their neighbors realized that they were buying the house they might not go through with the sale.
However, once Tony and Ziva began to look into fixing up the place, they came upon a different idea: they would rent the house to Lily and Sean. It would give them a place close to work and more importantly to Mimi, close to the family. Gibbs had taken them aside to discuss the logistics of this surprise offer.
"They need to learn responsibility, Tony. Handing them a great house right off the bat is not exactly sending the message that they need to earn their way in the world, you know?" Gibbs was just as happy as Mimi was to know that Lily would be in a safe neighborhood and literally just around the block. In fact, the house was almost directly across for Tim and Abby's home.
"I don't want you to be running over there to fix the hot water heater, or AC, or when the roof leaks; the job of the landlord is 24/7." Gibbs had argued; making sure Tony and Ziva knew what they could be getting into. Tony just rolled his eyes.
"Yeah…right. First of all, both Lily and Sean have high pressure jobs with a lot of responsibility so I think you can tick that off of their "to do" list. Second, you know you'll be over there to fix every little thing, whether it's this house or some rat-shack rental in PG county." Tony grinned as he commented on "Gibbs the Dad", but he turned serious for a few moments. "And to be clear, Ziva and I don't expect you to be the one to fix our house. We know we have to keep it up and keep an eye on anything Lily and Sean would like to do on their own. We're giving them the option to do what they want, within reason. Frankly, I'd rather have someone I know and trust living behind me, Ziva and the kids."
That ended Gibbs argument, although truth be told it was half-hearted. He and Mimi were thrilled by the offer of the house, grateful that Tony and Ziva were willing to share their good fortune. Lily and Sean had moved in the first week of November, and now with Thanksgiving in just a few days, Gibbs was tired.
For the first time, Thanksgiving was going to be a shared experience; with four homes within one block of each other, the idea of a progressive Thanksgiving dinner began to take shape. Growing up in the south, Mimi had taken part in many progressive dinners and always found them to be fun. Her mother had shared with her that by dividing the food responsibility everyone could enjoy being together without one person being burdened with the cooking and clean-up.
The idea was discussed and everyone agreed it sounded great. Finally in her own home, Lily insisted on having the main course; Gibbs and Mimi would start the ball rolling with appetizers, salad and soup at Tim and Abby's, and then dessert at Tony and Ziva's. The grand finale would be the unveiling of the completed bedrooms along with the reveal of baby girl DiNozzo's name.
Tony and Ziva had decided that they would make the announcement of what they had decided to name their daughter at Thanksgiving rather than wait until her birth. It was a change in tradition, but the names they had selected had special meaning to them and they saw no reason to keep it secret.
Gibbs gave the room one last glance before he responded to Tony's question of how Lily and Sean were settling into the rented house. "Yeah, they are loving life right now: great jobs, a great home and great parents. What more could you ask for?" Tony and Ziva laughed at that. Gibbs started to add more commentary but his phone buzzed indicating he had a new message.
"Please tell me that text is not from Lily saying some huge pipe broke or something like that." Tony was only half serious. Gibbs smirked at Tony's worry.
"Lucky break, no pun intended. It's from Abby, telling me I need to rush over to their home to see something Rufus has done." Rufus was the "new" four month old puppy now a part of the McGee family. It was with heavy hearts that Tim and Abby finally made the decision to ease Jethro over the Rainbow Bridge. He had a long, happy life and had been dearly loved. But even Tim could see that the old German Shepherd was suffering. He was sure Abby would fight him, but she was the one to finally bring it up. Of'course she had to have a memorial service for him
Will and Belle were confused by his absence but in less than a week, they had stopped asking about "Jefro". That saddened Abby, but she also understood that the mind of a two and a half year old child didn't process things the way adults did.
Abby had always had dogs as a young girl and insisted to Tim that they needed to get a new dog right away. Tim was resistant at first: Jethro had just left them and he wanted to mourn a bit more, and he wasn't exactly looking forward to a new puppy with all of the training it involved. It took him two weeks to cave to Abby's pleading and they dutifully piled into the car and went to Kyle's shop to pick out a rescue dog.
Rufus was a twelve week old Spaniel mixed with…something. He was a lovely golden color and sweet tempered. Abby instantly fell in love with him, and the kids were excited by his licking and cuddling. Tim sighed and bowed to the inevitable and Rufus went home with them.
Tony rolled his eyes at Abby's text. "Maybe his teeth have fallen out and they don't need to worry about him chewing their furniture to pieces anymore." Ziva lightly slapped his arm but smiled at his comment. Rufus was a cutie but he was a chewer. Even Abby was hard pressed to be thrilled over their new family member when she found suspicious teeth marks on the legs of her coffee table. Rufus looked innocent and pure when Abby pointed out the offense to him. A box full of new chew toys made their appearance and they had help to occupy the pup for a while.
Gibbs just shrugged. "It's always hard to tell with Abby. This could be good or bad, but I guess I better do as ordered." He groaned as he got to his feet from the plump easy chair he had been occupying and took his leave. Tony put his arm around Ziva, looking in satisfaction at the completed bedroom.
"Are you happy, Ziva?" Ziva looked at her husband with a practiced eye. She noted a few gray hairs that had not been there when they first met, the laugh crinkles around his eyes were a bit more pronounced but the same easy going grin and irreverent personality were still there. The hazel green eyes that held her attention when she stared at him while "slouching provocatively" in what she didn't know at the time was McGee's chair; those eyes mesmerized her still. She leaned in and kissed her husband of three years, her partner of ten years; the love of her life.
"Yes, Tony. I am very happy. You do not ever need to doubt that." Ziva whispered into his ear, her warm breath tickling his neck. He nuzzled her close, wrapping his other arm around her and held her close.
"Can you believe we did this? You and me, after everything we've been through. We have two great kids, one more on the way; a wonderful home, loving friends and family. I can't think of anything else we need." Tony rested his chin on Ziva's head and looked about the nursery, caressing her large pregnant belly.
"No, I am quite content with the life you and I have made for ourselves and our children." She paused briefly, a sudden catch in her voice that caused Tony to look at her closely.
"Why do I sense a 'but' in there?" Tony wasn't overly worried, but he wondered what Ziva was thinking about, clearly with some emotional overtones. She looked at him, her gaze piercing his soul. His shoulders slumped a bit, but he smiled in encouragement. He knew this day would come, he just didn't expect it quite this soon. But with their third child due the end of January, maybe the timing was fortuitous after all. "You're letting go of the badge, aren't you Sweetheart." Tony pulled Ziva closer into his arms and kissed her forehead.
"You aren't disappointed?" She murmured into his chest, wrapping her arms around him in comfort. The events with her father during the past year had only strengthened her growing discomfort with the violent nature of their profession. It was different when she was single and with no obligations to anyone but herself. But now, with a husband and 2.7 children, not to mention a dog, Ziva's priorities had changed.
She had already made the transition out of field work, taking over as Head of Intelligence Analysis. It had kept her out of harm's way but still allowed her to keep her finger on the pulse of the action. She had never felt like she was losing her skills and found to her surprise that she actually enjoyed this aspect of their work. But it was still mired in the ugliness that often pervaded their lives, and she had to work very hard to keep it away from her home and her children. She was tired; tired of constantly fighting second nature to grab a gun and go with Tony to some dangerous crime scene.
They looked up as Karina marched into the room, shouting "Grickery and the gragon!" Tony shook his head as he took in his daughter's creative ensemble: pink cowboy boots, a blue sparkly tutu, a purple crown, bright yellow flower shaped sunglasses, topped off by the toddler waving a silver and gold wand with a large star at the end…and no top to cover her little belly and chest. Tony hid his chuckle behind his hand, not wanting the princess/fairy/cowgirl to think he was making fun of her.
"Who is this "Grickery" person again?" Ziva asked as Karina hugged her knees and looked up at her grinning. Tony bent down to pick her up, covering her faces in loud, smacking kisses.
"When we were gone, Gibbs had "Hercules and the Dragon" playing on his TV. A favorite of Jackson's it would seem. He said our Karina girl danced around for days talking about "Grickery and the Gragon". Tony kissed his daughter again. "Just her version of Hercules. It's kind of cute, actually."
"Yes, it is." Ziva agreed, stroking the long curls about Karina's face. "I think you need to take a nap, little one, yes? It is long past time." She took Karina from Tony and carried her into her new bedroom. They hadn't let her sleep there at night just yet, deciding it would be best to get her used to the new room- and being alone at night- with daytime naps. So far, Karina had adjusted very well to her new surroundings.
Tony watched his two girls from the doorway, leaning slightly against the frame with his hands in his pockets and a very large grin on his face. Ziva undressed their daughter, chuckling at her little girl and complementing her fashion choices. But it was November and Ziva didn't like her not having a shirt on. Finally dressed to Ziva's satisfaction, she kissed her forehead and sat with her on the bed and sang a Hebrew lullaby.
Tony was mesmerized by her voice, enchanted as he watched his daughters eyes grow heavy. Jack was already ensconced in his own crib, napping per the routine they tried very hard to keep to. The steady click clack of doggy claws made Tony look behind him as Bridget decided to leave her own nap in Tony and Ziva's bedroom and join Karina for hers. With a small groan, she laid herself down at the foot of the bed and was soon snoring.
Thanksgiving, 2015- Tony and Ziva's home
"That's it: I'm officially going to explode." Jackson Gibbs announced as he pushed the dessert plate away from him. Ziva patted his shoulder and stooped to kiss his cheek.
"We will still love you even if we have to roll you around like a beach ball." Jackson laughed heartily at that. Ziva reached around to collect the remainder of the empty dessert plates.
"Here Ziva, let me do that. Take it easy, you've outdone yourself as usual." Mimi rose from her chair and swatted softly at Ziva's outstretched hand. The Thanksgiving progressive dinner was proclaimed by all to be a huge success and talks were already underway planning next year's celebration. Mimi had been justifiably proud of Lily's first turkey dinner. She only helped around the fringes she said, trying to stay out of Lily's way but available should the need arise. Lily had blushed at the praise and Sean was beaming with pride. Sean's parents were also in attendance and gave knowing looks to their son, which he didn't fail to understand.
Abby entertained everyone with the continuing tales of Rufus. The big rush for Gibbs to go over there the other day was because the puppy had finally relieved himself outdoors. Gibbs rolled his eyes, but he couldn't tell Abby he didn't really care where the dog did his business. Tim took him aside and apologized profusely but Gibbs just waved him off. Abby and the twins' excitement over the puppy was entertaining all on its own and Gibbs allowed Abby her little eccentricities.
After everyone had enjoyed some after dinner coffee, Tony stood and cleared his throat. "Ziva and I would like to share with you the grand opening of our new addition over the garage, where Karina and our new little one will be sleeping. And…" He paused and smiled at Ziva, who smiled back and gave his chest a loving pat. "And…we are going to share with you the name we selected for our daughter." Gasps of surprise and delight came from the women, Abby clapping her hands happily.
"Well, that's good. It will give me some time to carve the name this time." Gibbs offered semi-sarcastically. They knew he was joking and his crooked smile gave away his interest in what Tony and Ziva were about to reveal. Tony bowed and waved his hand forward, indicating everyone should proceed up the stairs
Karina showed Mimi and Lily her new bedding and very proudly wore her crown as she pranced around her new bedroom as Drew sat on the plush carpet clapping his hands in excitement and Will and Belle rummage through her toy chest. The bathroom was neutral but splashes of color showed in the towels, shower curtain and bath mats. Karina's favorite bubble bath and bath toys were already lined up for use. The nursery drew oohs and aahs from Lily and Abby while McGee and Andrew Fuller, Sean's father admired the workmanship of the crib.
"Of'course, Ayva will be sleeping in our bedroom for quite a while before she is big enough to be in the crib." Ziva said so softly that at first the others didn't catch the importance of her words.
"Wait! Did you say Ayva? Is that her name?" Mimi was the first to catch on, smiling in delight of the selection.
"That's so beautiful!" Abby clutch her hands to her heart. "Does it mean anything?" The others all gave Ziva and Tony their rapt attention.
"I do not know." Ziva admitted. "Tony and I decided that our daughter would share a part of each of our names: 'Ay' for Anthony and 'va' for Ziva." Tony came up behind Ziva and placed his hands on her shoulders. She sighed wistfully and patted one of his hands.
"And for Ayva's middle name, we are naming her after Tony's mother." Tony reached over and took the off the cover that had been concealing the wall art over the crib. There, in colorful letters adorned by dragonflies was the baby's name spelled out for all to see:
"Ayva Margaret".
Hope you enjoyed this installment. I did say that things would be moving quickly now. I had the name picked out a year and a half ago when I first thought of Tony and Ziva having another baby. The name of Tony's mother has never been revealed as far as I know, and I also know that some fanfic writers have given her a name on their own. In my stories, it has always been Margaret, and she was called Meg by Sr. My dad always used to tell me how I got so excited by "Grickery and the gragon." I have no memory of this, so I must have been quite young. He got such a kick out of it, so of'course Karina had to do this also. Thanks again for your wonderful support.
