Retraction: I take back my previous authors note. It could well be EJ who Tony is investigating. I'm sorry if I angered you. The response was much more virile than before. Sorry!

Also, I have no idea what people say at weddings so I watched a couple of TV weddings but this might be completely off.

Tony's mouth stretched so wide that he thought it would break through his skin, Wallace and Gromit style. He had Ziva in some beautiful dresses over the years but none could surpass this one. Perhaps it was just the significance of the dress, or perhaps it was the new way that he was looking at her. For once, he was allowed to 'google' her. And, any pictures that he put up could not be taken down. He was allowed to do the things that he had had to do in secret for the rest of his life now.

Ziva held her breath as Abby walked forward, not daring to imagine the look on Tony's face. She caught a glimpse of his sleeve peeking out from behind Abby and she shut her eyes tightly. Gibbs noticed this, and squeezed her arm reassuringly. Eli kept his eyes focused on the front, probably disgusted at the lack of Rabbi. Abby moved forward enough to give the bride a full view of her groom. Gibbs nudged her and her eyes popped open.

Tony grinned at Ziva as she approached him. He held out his arm and let out the breath he had been holding when she took it. They were really doing this. He took the bottom of her veil in his hand and drew a deep breath, preparing himself for seeing his bride's face, before lifting it up. He grinned at her. She returned a shy smile. Obviously, she had been as nervous as him. She stepped up and moved next to him, her hip just touching his. He glanced past her, seeing Eli move off to his seat, surrounded by Israelis dressed in black with concealed guns. Gibbs, instead, moved across to stand next to Tony, leaving only Family Gibbs at the front, together.

Ziva stepped up next to Tony, her mind blank at the sight of him. After a week of agonising separation, they were going to be joined forever. She beamed, scanning her friends at the front. The people she cared about most were surrounding her, supporting her, and the man she loved more than herself was holding her hand beside her. Nobody could ruin this.

'Mr DiNozzo, Miss David,' the registrar said, bringing all attention off the couple.

'Not for much longer,' Tony muttered.

Ziva's face lit up at the idea and she squirmed beside him.

They turned to the front, tearing their eyes off each other.

'Marriage is an important thing; it binds people together for eternity. They must promise to look after each other and trust each other for the rest of their lives.'

Ziva glanced at Tony out of the corner of her eye. With anyone else, she would be having second thoughts at the mere mention of trust. But, with Tony, she had no qualms. She trusted him with her own life, she trusted him with his life. And, she was definitely ready to look after him for the rest of their lives. She had his back; she always had.

'Marriage requires a deeper love than any other partnership. It requires you to be willing to give up your life to share it with another.'

Tony smiled to himself. They had both proved to each other that they were more than willing to give up their lives for each other, metaphorically and literally. He couldn't live without her; he had found that out a long time ago. Being without her was like a rift had split his heart in two. His love for Ziva went deeper than he had ever imagined possible.

'To make a marriage work, there must be communication. You must open up your hearts to the other and let the in, fully revealing your darkest secrets.'

Ziva smiled lazily. Tony had a way of worming secrets out of her. It would almost be a shame to waste those secrets by offering her thoughts to him. But, she didn't want to have any more secrets. Secrets were what had pulled them apart before. She vowed never to let anything drive a wedge between them and she fully intended to keep that promise.

'Let others share in your happiness. Live your life with the person you love most, surrounded by the people who you care for the most.'

Tony shifted closer to his bride. In a few minutes, she would be his wife. They were together, encircled by everyone they loved. And, this was how it was going to be for the rest of their lives, they had wasted enough years.

'A wedding is just one day but it signifies the beginning of the rest of your life. Having someone you trust and share everything with is a blessing. By joining yourselves, you are accepting that blessing and holding onto it.'

Ziva nodded, feeling the meaning of the words. Every day, she thanked God for allowing her to leave her old family and be embraced by her new one. For so long, she had been taunted by the happiness of others. Love had been something for others; reality for the lucky few, an unattainable mirage for her. But Tony wasn't a mirage. She had walked slowly towards him, wary to throw herself at him and fall straight through. Finally, she had reached him and stuck a petrified finger into the image, only to find that he was completely real. This was real and she accepted it with all her heart.

'Do you, Anthony DiNozzo, take Ziva David to be your wife?'

'I do.' Tony did not hesitate. Not only did he know what the answer was, but he did not need to take a breath. He was impatiently waiting for Ziva to be declared his wife. It couldn't come soon enough. Things had always been thrown their way but being married would build a wall around them, protecting them from her father, their job, and anything else which tried to break them down.

'Do you, Ziva David, take Anthony DiNozzo to be your husband?'

'I do.' No frills, no giggling. The quicker the formalities were over, the sooner they could be officially married. They had waited patiently for six years but, now that the time had actually arrived, they needed it to be done so that nothing else could come between them. Their love was strong but it had been strayed from its course so many times that it still seemed fragile and unsteady on its feet. Marriage would be transplant it needed to continue its life with no more problems.

'Exchange rings.'

They lingered a second before turning round, feeling the electricity coursing through them before they broke the circuit and turned to their respective best friend.

Abby's cheeks were damp with tears as she handed Ziva the ring. Ziva took it, squeezing Abby's hand excitedly. In a couple of seconds, their love would be official.

McGee held out the ring. Tony took it, nodding gratefully at McGee's silent reassurance.

They turned back round, facing each other. Two sets of eyes bored into each other, two hands reached out and tentatively touched, two rings were slid onto two fingers: two people gave themselves to each other.

The vows were silent. They felt no need to share their innermost feelings with a room full of people, many of which were nameless bodyguards. They would express their love for each other in words later, while they lay panting on the bed side-by-side. For now, their sentiments were shown by a quick smile and a lingering gaze.

'I now pronounce you husband and wife.'

Tony's heart leapt. They were finally untouchable. Six years of dancing round each other had catalysed this happiness. He held onto the moment with all his strength. The woman standing next to him was his. And he was hers.

Ziva clenched her jaw, not wanting her head to explode in ecstasy. All the waiting was over. They had broken down all the walls built between them by themselves and by others, and were finally tethered together.

'You may kiss the bride.'

He did. Lips kept separated for a week jerked together with a ferocious passion. Tongues tied for six years, holding back the three words they longed to say clashed in a fiery duel. Hands clean from the other's sweat clutched at suit material and satin.

Eventually, seeing that the windows were about to steam up, McGee poked Tony in the back. Slowly, Tony pulled away.

'Mrs DiNozzo,' he murmured.

She grinned. 'Mr and Mrs DiNozzo,' she corrected.

Tony took her hand and lifted it above their heads. 'We're married,' he cried triumphantly.

The majority of the congregation laughed, Tony's friends and family. The handful of Ziva's guests either smiled politely or, in the case of Director Eli David, stared stonily ahead. Tony sought his father's face in the crowd. Tony DiNozzo Snr looked distinctively proud of his son.

Ah, they're finally married. Reception, consummation, honeymoon...