Okay, I will admit, I did play with Ziva's idea myself for a minute. But, like Tony, I did some research and decided I didn't want them to spend too much time in London and there would be issues to have it done all legal and proper. If I am wrong in thinking, oh well.
But I will promise, faithful readers, that I will eventually write a Tony/Ziva wedding story. I'm gathering idea right now, but it won't be for a while. And I am kind of dragging this story out, and a wedding would only make it worse.
When they had first met, Ziva was not exactly a fan of what Tony tended to call "fun." It most often seemed juvenile and obnoxious. The idea of continuing frat parties well after graduating university, pranking colleagues (well, only McGee really, and she indulged in that from time to time), and everything movies, movies, movies, it would give her headaches. But now, she had to admit, she enjoyed his ideas of fun and was ever-grateful when he suggested them.
Which was why, when he had come up with the idea of doing a stopover before they headed back to DC, she had kissed him. It had been stressful, meeting with Director Elbaz. She would never be comfortable in the presence of her late father's mistress, no matter the reason.
"So, where do you want to go?" he asked her after he made the suggestion.
Her first instinct was to say Paris, but she thought that, when it got out that they had returned to that city, it would only add to Abby's incorrect theory. So, she took a few minutes playing the options in her head. Then, she got a wild thought, one that she kept to herself for the time being. "London," was her answer.
"Done," he had said. The next morning, they landed at Heathrow and she made a few calls, getting them a room at the at the Egerton House Hotel, pricey but not as showy. She had transferred monies from her father's accounts before leaving for London, so she decided to treat. "So, does that mean you're my sugar mamma?" Tony had asked as they were brought to their suite.
"Oh, you would like that, wouldn't you? Be careful, your Senior is showing," she had laughed.
His face scrunched up as if he'd smelled something bad. "Oh, sorry, forget I even mentioned it," he said quickly. They unpacked, even though they didn't figure they'd be there that long. "So, what do you want to do now? Shopping? Fine dining? Whatever you wish, you shall have."
She turned to him suddenly, a gleam in her eyes. "Let's get married!"
He stopped dead at the suggestion.
Ziva blinked, fear creeping up once again. He had proposed to her only a few days ago. Had he changed his mind? Did he mean it as a joke? A thousand situations ran through her mind, none of them good.
He must have seen the look on her face. "No, no, it's not what you're thinking!" he said quickly, trying to soothe her. "It's just...Ziva I would love to marry you, right here, right now. Hell, when you suggested London, I even googled it to see how it could be done. It's just...we don't have the proper documentation and the only way we could get it would mean-"
"Alerting everyone back home and then dealing with probably a great deal of annoyance that we went ahead and got married without any of them there." She shuddered to think of those reactions, Abby's especially. That made her tamp down her worry. She shook her head. "No, you are right. It's just…"
"Orli?" Again, it went to prove how well he knew here.
"It has never been easy being in her company. But being with her in my father's office, it set my nerves on edge. Especially after her trying to explain her actions from when she was younger," Ziva said.
"Yeah, it pissed me off too," he admitted. "Those were some big brass ones to dredge that up to you."
"And remembering my father's infidelity, I guess, I reacted to the memory by my...suggestion," she said, trying to apologize.
"Ziva, it's not your fault. I get it, I know where all that came from," he whispered, taking her chin in his fingers and angling her head up to his. Then he gave her a sideways look. "Have you been thinking about our wedding?"
A smile returned to her face. "Thinking about it, dreaming about it. I know the things that I want definitely."
"Good!" Tony jumped up, pointing to her like she was a student who answered the question correctly. He ran around the suite until he found a notepad and pen. "That's good. Look, if we can't get married here, we can at least start to plan it here. Okay, so, what's the first thing you want for it."
Ziva let out a sigh. She knew what it was, but she was afraid she would disappoint him, especially when he looked like a kid with a new toy. Finally, she gave him the answer. "I want to not be a whale walking down the aisle."
He smiled at her, getting what she meant. "Okay, so no to the maternity wedding dress. That'll work for me. Don't want Tali to possibly pop out and join us too soon." That was the first time he had referred to the baby by her name. It made her heart flutter so much, she lost her train of thought. He went on, though. "So, let's say, for the sake of argument, we wait until she's, what, one? She can kind of be a part of it. She probably won't be walking so she won't be the flower girl, but gives us plenty of time to plan it. What else?"
She thought about her next request very carefully. It went back a few years, to Gibbs' basement. Her, having just been rescued and practically begging to rejoin NCIS and Gibbs, hurt, angry that he had been played by Eli, set up to trust her. She had cried, cried because he was right, she had betrayed him. Him, the man who she thought of as her father, more than Eli ever was. "I want Gibbs to walk me down the aisle."
Tony stilled at that, putting down his pen and pad. He knew why she wanted that particular aspect. He nodded a few times, then fell into his default personality. "That'll work. I had thought of him, briefly, as my best man, but really, I can't see him giving a really good speech. Or throwing a killer bachelor party. Okay, so Gibbs as father of the bride, and I want Timmy as best man."
"Are you sure you want a 'killer' bachelor party? Remember that one you all were investigating after Somalia." She had a smirk on her face, enjoying, for once, teasing him. "Abby, as maid of honor, of course. And I am sure she would enjoy planning a hen party." Ziva added. "I do not even know who else could be that anyway. Maybe Kayla, she's too old for flower girl but…"
"Junior bridesmaid, I think is the technical term," he supplied. "Locations? Honeymoon? Wait, I'll plan that. I got an idea about it already."
"Oh, where were you thinking?" But Tony shook his head. Ziva decided it was a question to revisit later. "About locations, that I have no idea. We can put it off, right? Investigate it further?"
"Well, we are investigators. It's what we do." It looked like he couldn't keep the smile off his face as the continued to discuss it.
Then a thought occurred to her. "Where did you parents get married, by the way? I know talking about your mother is often painful, but I am curious."
"St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. It was apparently some show. My dad's Italian side, all loud and boisterous, and my mom's much more staid, very British side. Ask my dad, he has some stories from what I heard from other family members," Tony told her. "And yours?"
"My parents got married at a registrar's office. Not much fanfare," she said. "I think Aunt Nettie told me once they were all caught off guard when he came to see her with my mother." Of course, Ziva knew the reason it had been so surprising, but she didn't think Tony would understand it. Very few people knew and even less amongst their friends. She would tell Tony, in time, but not right now, Ziva decided.
When she finished, Tony got up and went to his carry-on. He pulled out an envelope, the same one Orli tried to give her in Tel Aviv. "As I was leaving, Orli insisted I take this. You can read it when you're ready, or I can throw it out. Your call."
Ziva stared at it, afraid of what it might say. At the same time, she did want to read it, hear her father's words one last time. But she shook her head. "Not now, but, I promise you that before we do get married, before Tali is born, I will read it."
"Then, until then, I'll hold on to it. You just let me know when you want it." He returned the letter to the pocket he had kept it in and moved over to her, putting his arms around her.
She was comforted by him and felt safe. At long last, away from all the horror and darkness surrounding her, she felt safe.
