Author's note:
Hello everyone! I sincerely hope that year 2020 is treating you well so far :) I have to say that for me personally, it is fine, I just had a really lot of work to do as I had to meet several deadlines in a short span of time. But phew, we made it.
Thank you all so much for the beautiful reception of the previous chapter, it made really happy and since I didn't have the chance to thank the Guest reviewers, I am doing it now – including you, Debbie.
This chapter is sort of a filler with some domestic TIVA we terribly lacked in the real show – so I hope you will enjoy. It's also a little hint for what is to come in the future for our favourite couple.
Special thanks goes to my surrogate sister Athina for throwing me ideas here and there – the chapter I have just finished writing is YOUR doing, just wait y'all. :)
And another special thanks goes to Randy for his Beta reading services. :)
That's enough from me! Go read!
Disclaimer:
I don't own NCIS or its characters.
Christmas Meeting – Chapter 40
Life continued well for the happy couple in the following weeks. Injuries, Tony had suffered due to his recklessness, healed at breakneck speed without any further after effects for the future. The doctors often jokingly pointed out that it was due to the radiance Tony emitted because as a father-to-be and a husband-to-be, he couldn't stop smiling, his happiness supplies brimming over the edge.
It was also given by the fact that everyone around him was full of happiness and joy. Ziva had stood by his side firmly, sharing his good luck, as well as being one of the reasons for it. His family had nothing but cheerful words for them both and their happy future. One could even suffocate with the amount of sugary sweetness in his life and yet, he couldn't be more grateful for the chances and opportunities he had been provided.
None of their friends would be fooled by their pitiful attempts to hide their happiness so they chose to come out with their engagement and pregnancy announcements while he was still in the hospital. Both found it hilarious how the reactions were different, depending on what the particular person had already known, although they tried to cover that they knew anything and did their best to look surprised.
One could simply easily distinguish the fake expression of wonder and the real one – specifically Abby and Ellie failed in their attempts to cover that they already knew about the pregnancy because their shocked happy shout when they heard that even a wedding was about to happen had been strikingly dissimilar. McGee managed his part way better but only because he was too astonished with the baby announcement that he couldn't find his voice.
Gibbs congratulated them both and exchanged a laudatory nod with Ziva that made Tony pause but Ziva later assured him that he didn't have to concern himself with it. Senior, who was the only one in the room who had absolutely no previous notion about either of the life-changing things in the lives of his son and his girlfriend, was absolutely ecstatic with the news to the point that he had to sit down as his blood pressure soared way too high.
The rest of their little family offered gradually their congratulations when they got the chance to speak to them. Agreement was reached that no one would push for the wedding that would come in the reasonable time AFTER the baby was born to strip Ziva off of any prenuptial stress coming with the preparations and planning. At the moment, the delivery of the baby safely and to ensure the good health of both the baby and Ziva were the main priorities.
As for the shooting incident itself, Tony wasn't spared from the investigation but he took his responsibilities seriously and didn't try to hide or lie about the incident. He didn't exactly admit what the personal problems behind his recklessness were and how much they had played a part in his decision-making but he didn't conceal it and outright say that his decisions would have been different if it hadn't been for his personal crisis.
Maybe it was his exemplary record, his achievements under Gibbs' leadership or his personal charm, but the committee decided not to take any action in his case. His punishment in the form of the bruises had been apparently enough. The incident, however, would be recorded and added to his personal file for disposal of anyone in the charge of the decision process of his promotion.
It was a close shave but Tony took it with obvious gratefulness. He knew that such a stupid mistake could cost him his advanced career so he was glad he could always count on the support of his friends and teammates who had always have his back whenever he needed. However, due to the necessary medical leave, the process leading to his promotion had been suspended and would be renewed once he returned to work.
However, for the first time in weeks, he didn't want to go back to work, falling in love with the daily routine he had at home. In the first days, Ziva helped him as much as she could despite his protests but as his wounds healed, he started to take over the household and pampered her in return. Those days were a blissful compensation for the failure of a proposal as they enjoyed each other's company to the fullest.
But with such a care, good mood and rainbows about their heads, he was healed sooner than he liked and had to return back to his job, dutifully lowering his head against his crimes and patiently withstanding all the teasing insinuations coming his way. He deserved them, after all, and most of them eventually turned into positive displays of congratulations to his upcoming marriage and fatherhood.
In the second half of April, they planted the hawthorn tree Tony had received from Ziva a grief testament for his mother. The tree was almost at bloom, well-nurtured and taken care during those weeks it was planted in the large pot. The workers of the tree farm helped to find the right place where Tony wished the tree to have and obtain the corresponding permissions to have it planted there.
Although the planting wasn't supposed to turn into a ceremony of any kind, inviting Senior seemed as a natural thing and so he joined them. At the occasion, Senior didn't omit to emphasize that Ziva had already become a DiNozzo a long time ago and that itself had counted a lot, no matter how much he couldn't wait for the love she and his son had for each other to be sealed with wedlock.
It turned out to be very pleasant day spent as a family, honouring someone who had no longer been with them, but cherishing all the good that the father and son could recall. They also rejoiced the future coming of a new member of the family who was undoubtedly predestined to spread the famous DiNozzo charm further, together with the ninja skills inherited after the mother.
As for Ziva's pregnancy – which still was high-risk – it continued without any serious complications. Once they reached the ten-week line when she faced the miscarriage, she became a lot calmer and fearless, proudly wearing her rounding belly. They still had a long journey ahead but the risks were starting to get minimal while the chance were maximizing. It was nothing but a simple math.
Everything wasn't exceptionally perfect, of course, they had bad days and bad moment but with the mutual power of love, they overcame every single argument, every single obstacle. They actually managed to infect everyone with their lucky way of life that problems Abby and Burt had seemed to be gone, Ellie and Jake never looked more satisfied during their marriage and McGee with Delilah were definitely a promise of another upcoming wedding.
Gibbs' scars – both physical and mental – were also healing and while he maintained his usual personality, he got softer, albeit he was reluctant to admit it. Vance also seemed to be more relaxed and easy-going, Victoria Palmer was nothing but a wonderful gift to her parents and while it looked that Ducky might be overpowered by his health issues, he managed to kick their buttocks numerous times and remain the loyal pathologist of the agency.
"So... What do you think?" Tony asked Ziva breathlessly as he seized his nervous pacing around the apartment to look at his girlfriend.
It was beautiful, sunny and warm day in the middle of May and his very pregnant fiancée had just finished reading a writing exercise she had prepared for him. Her semester had ended; a couple of hours ago, she had passed her last exam – all exams passed with flying colours, of course – and she was done for this academic year. She still had the exams in Haifa to be done but due to her pregnancy, she chose to leave it for the next academic year and this wish had been granted to her.
Since she needed peace and quiet for the studying and although he had tried to provide it to her, she had sometimes been too annoyed with his presence so she had come up with an idea. The process of his promotion required a writing exercise consisting of a presented leadership problem caused by a hypothetical issue in a workplace and he was supposed to make a decisive resolution, explaining and justifying the course of his hypothetical action he would take to resolve this issue.
Considering the fact that the date of such a writing exercise was nearing, she thought a little bit of practice for him couldn't hurt. Not only to help him to engage his brain in the solving process it but also in the writing itself. The exercise demanded certain structure and certain choice of words to prove the knowledge of the terminology. And while one could give reasons for something without actually stating the point because it couldn't be recalled orally, it wasn't as easy in a writing form.
He needed to become accustomed to use the terminology in other way than just while doing the paperwork that usually consisted of forms and usage of several abbreviations. To justify and explain something required more... flowery language which was stylistically demanding. And so she prepared such a writing exercise for him so he could practice and train on the real test.
"Well..." She drawled the syllables slowly, putting down her cup of decaf coffee. She shouldn't be teasing him with her hesitancy but she couldn't resist keeping him in the nervous state for a little while. He was too damn adorable. "I think it is good. Very good."
She scanned the papers covered with his handwriting again before glancing at him. "There are some things I would do... in a different way but overall, this approach is all you. It is a very good characterization of your leadership style." She assessed with a proud smile, watching as his eyes roved all over the room, purposely avoiding the written exercise he had created.
"I know, I know..." He sighed, raking his hair nervously as if this simple exercise had just decided the future of his career. "Especially the point three is a bit controversial, it took me a while to decide whether to choose the presented opportunity or not. I mean, Gibbs would definitely..."
"No one cares what Gibbs would do, Tony." She interrupted him in a stern tone that sliced through the air like a sharp blade, leaving only coolness behind it.
It had been months since he had brought up the overplayed song of 'I-am-competent-enough-but-what-if-Gibbs-would-not-agree-with-my-methods' for the last time, despite Gibbs giving him zero reason to do so as he finally encouraged him to find his own path and not to copy someone else's style. Whatever kept Tony seducing to slip back into this mindset, Ziva never hesitated to snap him out of it and force him to return on the firm ground.
She groaned as she used the armrests to raise herself a little so she could lean closer to him, her growing belly making the task more difficult. "They are interested in your way of doing things." She educated him like a seasoned old wolf lecturing its cub. "If this is the approach you want to take, you also have to be able to successfully defend it, not to successfully undermine it."
He lowered his head in shame because he knew that she was right to berate him for his unrelenting urge to compare himself to Gibbs, no matter how many times he had promised himself not to do it again. "Right. Thanks for the reminder." He said gratefully and looked up back at her. "It's just..."
"Just because I said that I would do some things differently, it does not mean that your approach is wrong." She interjected quickly to soothe his nerves. "Remember that every problem can be approached in multiple ways. And they will come and ask questions what led you to choose this particular one. You do not need just defend the final decision you made but you also have to defend the process you underwent to reach such a conclusion."
Tony found himself staring at her with adoration in his face for the whole time. She was smarter and supportive more than anyone he had ever known, as if she knew what he needed to hear in order to regain his confidence and trust his instincts. He had nothing more to add, just to admit that – as for most of the time – she was right and he was foolish to lack the healthy amount of confidence.
Standing up, he went over to her and kissed her deeply to thank her for just being her. She chuckled happily into the kiss, reaching her arms up to embrace his head and pull him closer to her while he supported himself gently by putting one of his hands on the belly with the growing offspring they created together. So far, there had been no significant movements from the baby but as they were told, it was normal in the first pregnancy to feel anything far later.
Suddenly, a lively knock on the door roused them from their hazy and amorous lip nipping and they both turned their heads towards the noise. "Are you expecting anyone?" Tony asked Ziva suspiciously because he knew she had announced her exam achievements to all her friends.
"No, I am not." She disproved his suspicion. Yes, she had informed everyone who was willing to listen or read that her semester was finished. But she had also stressed that due to her pregnancy, she wanted nothing but rest until the end of the week and then, they could start planning some get-togethers to have a chat. She couldn't imagine anyone would disrespect her wish.
She scrambled out of the armchair to deal with the intruder who shortly knocked again, more impatiently now. Tony tried to prevented her from doing so, or at least give her a helping hand but she dismissed it with words that 'she was pregnant, not terminally ill and did not need any help to move around just yet', so he let her to push her way through the living room to the door on her own.
After she opened the door, she remained standing with her mouth agape before she accepted the warm hug and greetings of her dear friend Terri, with her fiancé David following right after her. Since the girls were inseparable, David had to give up on getting more than a peck on a cheek and slight pat on his shoulder as a welcome gesture and rather turned to surprised Tony.
"Well, look at you, mamma-to-be. You're becoming quite round!" Terri exclaimed when she stopped hugging her Israeli friend and pulled away to examine her figure.
"Hey, look who is talking!" Ziva retorted and swatted her hand away, strategically grabbing Terri's arm to point out her wilted muscles. "Someone has been neglecting the daily workout."
Terri snorted and shot a grin at David. "Who needs a daily workout when you have a fine man as your fiancé?" She snapped back playfully to the amusement of all.
In the following minutes, they all greeted warmly each other, Tony and Ziva surprised with their unexpected visit but definitely pleasantly. Terri's twittering didn't give them the space to ask about the reasons for this half-around-the-globe visit from Israel to D.C. but that would come soon enough as they sat down in the living room with hot cups of freshly grounded coffee with Ziva drinking the weaker version to decrease the amount of caffeine in her blood.
She was seated in her new favourite armchair they had purchased recently during a little makeover of the living room that included buying a new couch with armchairs and a larger coffee table for comfort of the frequent visitors. Terri sat down next to her on the couch so she could be the closest to her, David assumed his position next to her and Tony took the other armchair, ready to jump out if Ziva needed anything.
"Now if that is an engagement ring, I can't wait to see the wedding one." Terri had just complimented the beauty of the ring on Ziva's finger she had been inspecting for the last few seconds.
"You put all of us men to shame with such pampering of your bride-to-be." David complained jokingly to Tony since not every bride had the opportunity to have both engagement and wedding rings.
Tony chuckled and shrugged it off with a teasing wink in the direction of Ziva. "Actually, I do have a very selfish reason for giving her the engagement ring. She can't play the Runaway Bride* with the symbol of commitment on her finger so easily since we agreed that the wedding will take place in a reasonable amount of time after the baby is born." He explained briefly and added a cheeky smile.
"Sure, as if I could easily run away with this." Ziva retorted with a pat on her round belly. Whether she wanted it or not, the pregnancy was making the common movements more difficult, let alone letting her to run – both physically and mentally.
It was nothing but a funny teasing play between them. Tony had grown confident enough to be sure that Ziva had no escape plans to abandon him but it didn't prevent him from joking about it from time to time. Knowing him, Ziva had accustomed to it and had no reason to feel insulted or anything, using the opportunity to tease him back since she couldn't physically 'hurt' him as a punishment.
"And how even is the little..." Terri began, reaching to touch the belly and feel the growing baby beneath her hands before she paused. "Do you even know what it is? Boy or girl?"
She realized that she hadn't asked about the gender of the baby at all, being too excited over the simple fact that Ziva was going to become a mother and soon even a married woman. She didn't even bring any gifts with her since their trip to D.C. was kind of an impulsive thing, the reason for it yet to be revealed. But that was all her – quite too often she spoke before thinking.
"And have you chosen the names?" David added a question, alternatively looking between Tony and Ziva to see which one would provide the answers.
Tony nodded in Ziva's direction to explain it, taking a sip from his coffee instead of talking. "No and no." Ziva replied calmly and took Terri's hand to lead her on the place where the baby's head currently resided. "We want to be surprised."
"Pffff... She just wants to prevent me from coming up with names." Tony complained jokingly, adding an exaggerated eye-roll to stress his 'annoyance'.
Ziva chuckled in response and stuck her tongue at him cheekily. "It is a practical decision. I am certain that our child already has at least thousand different names after movie characters in your head." She accused him, knowing his dirty mind more than anybody.
"As if it was any different with you and your books." He retorted quickly, adding more fuel to their teasing, ongoing game they both loved to play until people around them started to be worried about them.
They both laughed aloud to relieve the tension that seized Terri and David to show them that none of it was meant to be serious. "The truth is... we don't care." Tony explained to them, his words approved by a curt nod from Ziva. "It doesn't make any difference for us whether the baby is a girl or a boy."
Neither of them were giving in to the typical tropes of mother-to-be wanting a girl and father-to-be wanting a boy, or the other way around with expectant mother to assure an heir to the family with boy and expectant father to raise a reflection of his wife in the daughter. They were simply okay with whatever they would eventually get. The important thing here was that their love would bear the fruits.
"Plus, I think that we both have our personal desires about the baby names." Tony remarked and smiled dreamily. "I can't wait for the fight for compromise when we will have to choose."
Despite the entire jest, he had actually picked two favourite names and so far, he hadn't changed his mind. He didn't tell a living soul, cosseting the two names in his heart to discuss them later with Ziva when the time was right. For a girl, it would be Tali – a natural choice, considering the love Ziva had for her late sister. He struggled with himself a bit with the boy's name but eventually decided that he had the right to continue the family tradition and name his son after himself.
"Indeed." Ziva affirmed with a wave of her hand. "I just want to experience this first impression thing, you know? To look at the baby and just know that it is the perfect name."
Terri smiled widely in response and settled back on the couch with David snuggling against her comfortably. "So, how do you call him or her, then?" She asked curiously, ruffling through David's hair absentmindedly.
"Miracle." Both Tony and Ziva answered in unison as the strong couple they were. The baby wasn't only the representation of their love. It was a symbol of all the hardships they had to fight through in order to get to this point. And if that in itself wasn't a miracle, then nothing else could ever be.
For a long moment, they both just lost themselves in the amorous look they sent to each other until it started to feel a bit awkward since they weren't entirely alone in the room. David cleared his throat as loudly as he could and Terri interrupted their longing eye-sex with a decisive slam against the table with her finished cup of coffee. Tony immediately jumped out to take it away and offer something else to drink.
Ziva stretched her limbs to relax her stiffed muscles that worked hard every day since she started to gain pregnancy weight and smiled at the couple on the couch. "But enough about us. What are you two doing here?" She asked them and leaned forward to reach behind her back so she could fluff a pillow up and make herself more comfortable. "Not that we are not glad to see you but your visit was not expected."
David remained silent, suddenly finding Tony's movie collection very interesting from afar as he inspected the shelves with his gaze and Terri just casually shrugged her shoulders. "Well, my semester's finished – as is yours, I guess." She replied and thanked with a nod for the glass of water Tony brought to her. "And we had a fancy to go somewhere so a little trip to D.C. to meet our friends and check up on the upcoming baby seemed like a good idea."
Ziva looked her up and down suspiciously. The words she had said sounded reasonable but she knew Terri long enough to recognize the slight differences in the tone of her voice when she was hiding something. There was some ulterior motive behind their current presence in the United States, there was no doubt about that. All that remained was to find out what it was.
"Just like that? You are dragging yourself half the world just to see us?" She asked her in a tone that hinted that she sensed a bigger picture behind this unexpected drop-in. "Surely, it is nice to have you here but I thought you would be swamped with polishing the details for your big day."
Terri chuckled in response, unaffected by the looks of suspicion and even made a cheeky gesture of casting an imaginary fishing rod into the water and winding the line back up on the reel because her fish took to the bait. "I see your detective skills are still top-notch, you ex-NCIS and ex-Mossad officer. The wedding is actually the main reason for our little trip."
Tony curiously assumed his position on the armrest of Ziva's armchair and watched as Terri and David exchanged a nod of encouragement, lacing their fingers together. "We want to get married next weekend here in D.C." Terri announced as she turned her head back towards the other couple, giggling at the stunned expressions on their faces they made right afterwards.
"Since you can't come to the wedding in Israel for obvious reasons, we decided to bring the wedding to you." She explained quickly because her own eyes started to well up with emotion the moment she saw the first tears forming in Ziva's eyes.
The Israeli wanted to ask so many questions but words failed her as the realization of the great friendship dawned on her. Any other bride in the world would probably be selfish and rightfully thinking about herself, her husband-to-be, her family and all that before a friend. But Terri thought mostly about that one person she desperately wanted to be part of the wedding but understandably couldn't and apparently decided to sacrifice everyone else.
Her gaze roved from Terri to David in order to find any comprehensible explanation for the heartfelt bond of friendship between the two women that was deeper than she could ever imagine. Hopelessly, she accepted the soothing squeezes Tony applied on her shoulder to help her to relieve some of the shock from her shoulders, still casting questioning glances in the direction of the other couple.
"I can assure you it's not an impulsive decision because we've talked about it since you told us that you wouldn't be able to come." David took over the conversation, giving the two women the time to go through as much emotion as they needed. He didn't omit to point out that the preparations had already been made and they didn't travel to the US blindly with the illusion to make arrangements on the spot without planning beforehand.
"The amount of rework put us off but in the end, we settled on doing it because... well, without you, the wedding wouldn't ever happen." He went on and planted a kiss on his fiancées cheek to show that he firmly stood behind her request to move their big day to an earlier date, as well as to a different country.
What he had implied about Ziva's merit was nothing but the truth. Her blessed interventions into their relationship made them realize what they had and why they should cherish its existence. Terri would have broken up with David multiple times, tired of him being tied up in his duties and responsibilities to his family if Ziva hadn't told her not to do so and keep fighting for their love.
And David would have never stood up to his parents if Ziva hadn't given him several reprimanding and heart-to-heart conversations, guided by her own personal experience. Both Terri and David knew that she would have never meddled in their relationship if she hadn't believed that it was worth the salvation and filled with love that could move the world if they wanted to.
"The truth my husband-to-be speaks." Terri imitated Yoda's voice and his way of speaking to ease the tension inside her chest created by the sudden emotional strain. "So, if you agree, we would marry here in D.C. with the participation of the closest to us. It'll be nice, little wedding with a private party afterwards."
Ziva still stared at her as if she went insane, not because she would denounce the idea but because she was too shocked to comprehend that her friend really did everything she could to reduce her idea of a great wedding to a significantly smaller one. Especially when she knew about all the passionate planning of the summer wedding that was supposed to take place in Israel.
"We already took care of everything – the venue, the place for the party, the flowers, the dress... All people we want to be there also agreed to do this with us." Terri went on, not being able to suffocate her urge to keep talking whenever she felt nervous because Ziva still hadn't said a word. "My mum and my brother arrive this weekend, my father is already here. David's friends fly in next week and some of them still live here as they keep working for the British embassy."
There was no mention about his parents and David shook his head slightly to sign a negative answer to the unspoken question Ziva and Tony sent mutely in his direction. He had contacted them, argued with them and eventually only reserved himself on announcing to them what he was about to do with his life whether they liked it or not. They knew about the change in plans for the wedding and they could come if they finally overcame their pride.
He had no reason to fear that they would try to stop the wedding or anything. Since he had arranged the wedding in D.C. with the help of his friends from the British Embassy, his connections were simply higher than any other acquaintances his parents might have to help them intrigue against his marriage. Although he doubted that they would ever dare, after all, their ever-so-uptight British nature allowed them to use only words in their battles, they barely took any action for real.
"If I agree..." Ziva repeated Terri's words in an unbelieving tone. It was ridiculous to think that her friend came here to ask for permission as if the wedding couldn't ever happen and the marriage could never be taken seriously without Ziva's presence. "I do not know what to say."
Her pregnancy was a joy she celebrated every single second of her life. But there were certain moments when she guiltily wished for it to be non-existent. Extreme sadness had come over her when she had announced to Terri and David that she wouldn't be able to attend their wedding in Israel due to her high-risk pregnancy, refusing to put her baby's life in danger.
Never she had thought that such a measure would be implemented and those two would cancel all their plans, moving the most important people to D.C. just to get married in front of her eyes so she wouldn't miss the best bit. The thankfulness she felt couldn't be expressed in any way she knew, words being too insufficient and gestures not telling enough.
"What about your plans for the big wedding, though?" She argued out of courtesy, knowing the amount of time and money the other couple had already spent on it. It now seemed as such a waste. "I mean, you have already chosen the venue and paid for it... It's not fair."
Terri snickered in amusement, moved by the worry Ziva kept expressing. "Oh, the big wedding is still going to happen. Everyone who was invited is still invited, we will have the ceremony but not for real because... Well, we'll already be married." She explained and nudged David to sign that it was his idea. They actually agreed to approach it a little bit untraditionally while maintaining the traditional decor and just have fun with it.
"Besides, most of the people will be there for the feast, anyway so... We'll have the small reception here in D.C. and then a big party in Israel in July." She added dreamily, loving the idea of two separate weddings with one of them being just for the effect more and more. "Not to mention it's a great opportunity to wear the wedding dress for one more time and not to feel weird about it."
At first, she pondered only renting the dress and then saying goodbye to them as she didn't see a reason why to keep the garment forever closed in her wardrobe, letting the dust to settle on it. But then her tricky fiancé took her on a long weekend trip to Milan in Italy right before her exam period to "relax, pamper herself and conserve her acquired knowledge" as he had called it.
And there, during one of her breathtaking strolls, she chanced upon a bridal shop with a newest collection of wedding dresses with one more beautiful than the other. She especially liked the colour because her complexion never really went together with bright white which was the typical colour of almost every wedding dress she had laid her eyes on. These were white but not so brightly, the tone slipping into ivory and champagne shades.
There had been no way to resist to at least try one of the robes on and soon, she had fallen in love with each of them, having a hard time to choose just one. Eventually, she had done so and bought them, her previous decision be damned. With some little adjustments to the dress after the wedding, it would make a gorgeous and unique evening wear for the countless of banquets she had sometimes to attend with her husband-to-be.
"So, what do you say?" David eyed Ziva expectantly, clasping his hands in front of him in a nervous gesture.
"What do I say?" Ziva repeated after him incredulously with the emphasis on the pronoun as if she couldn't comprehend why those two so insisted on her blessings. They had already done more than anyone she had ever met. "What you two have schemed together is absolutely insane. You should have thought about yourself first, you should have disregarded me absolutely."
She took a dramatic pause for the effect. "But I do not think I will ever be able to express my gratitude enough for what you have decided to do. I am glad that you both are so adequately crazy to pull this off and I love the thought that I can be there with you and witness the happiest moment of your lives." She said and wiped away the tears her damn hormones kept supplying her with.
Terri whooped in joy and went to hug her in delight, being careful not to hurt the baby. Tony congratulated them both and went to retrieve the bottle of non-alcoholic champagne he was keeping in his stock in the case of any celebrations. Then the two tearful women and their significant others toasted on the good health and love, chatting about the next weekend's wedding and its preparations afterwards.
"How do I look?" Terri twirled around in her wedding dress, caressing the beautiful fabric with her fingers with certain fondness.
Ziva looked her up and down, more in astonishment than with a critical eye. This woman could wear a potato sack and still look stunning but this wedding dress was another level. It was a simple one-piece and full-length robe without any excessively fluffy skirt or anything in the shades of ivory and champagne colours. Two straps over the shoulders created a nice V-neck on her bosom while her back was adorned with an oval cut.
The laced bodice covering the upper part of her body and the back was decorated with flower ornaments and pearls, the beads lovely copying her spine from her buttocks up to her neck, hiding the zip fastener. The skirt ended right below her feet and stretched out at the back in a form of little oval if arranged. When she walked, the train drew behind her like a flying dove.
From what Terri told her, she had purposely chosen dress with a hanging skirt more than the princess-like fluffy skirt because she wanted to wear a veil and didn't want it to be suffocated by the richness of the dress. The veil was of the same colour and with the same decorations like the dress but significantly longer and larger. Since her hair wasn't done yet, she didn't wear it at the moment but Ziva could get the picture how it would look like.
"Like a creamy dessert." She commented after the inspections and received an elbow jab for that from her friend, both done in a friendly manner. "Okay, all jokes aside... You look as you have been born to be a bride."
Terri's cheeks turned red under the compliment as she fidgeted around in attempt to smooth the dress and fix all the wrinkles. "Thank you." She replied uncharacteristically shyly and combed her hair for an umpteenth time to occupy them for she felt nervous as hell.
Her Israeli friend seemed to have something else to say but a decisive knock on the solid wooden door in the premises of the British Embassy in D.C. they were currently in and where the wedding was about to take place thanks to David's contacts and warm-hearted friendship with the Embassy staff, interrupted her. Both women looked at each other questioningly as if the other knew exactly who was behind the door.
"Maybe it is the hairdresser." Ziva suggested and turned on her heel to open the door slightly, shielding Terri from the eyes out of the outsiders until the ceremony itself like a dutiful bridesmaid she was.
Her gaze met with a distinguished married couple in her fifties or so. The almost silver-haired slim and tall man wore a tuxedo, the lapel of his jacket adorned with Tudor rose pin while the equally slim, yet shorter woman next to him wore a dark red ladies suit with a rich white pearl necklace around her neck, her long brown hair coiffed into an austere bun with a simple white rose ornament.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Ziva offered politely, having no idea what these two people were and why they tried to get into the office that was now used as the bride's room.
"We would like to speak to the bride." The woman announced firmly in a strong British accent and her husband next to her nodded to confirm her claim.
The tone she had used didn't leave Ziva much space to be polite enough to kick her out and since she wanted to avoid any scenes, she rather opened the door fully and let the couple in, immediately closing it behind them. Sending an apologetic gaze in Terri's direction with a shrug of her shoulders, she watched the woman jumped up out of her seat she had settled on earlier the moment she laid her eyes on the couple.
"What are you two doing here?" She snapped at them angrily, albeit trying to control the loudness of her voice. From her posture, it was clear that she held certain respect to the newcomers but she definitely couldn't forget some encounter that happened in the past. "Does David know about this?"
Ziva squirmed nervously as she sensed that the supposedly perfect day might get tainted. Putting two and two together from the scrapes of information she had previously gotten, she deduced that 'these two' were David's dreaded parents who hadn't even acknowledged the wedding invitation. And all of a sudden, they were here, standing in front of the woman their son was in love with and they despised.
"No, he doesn't. We went to talk to you first." The man replied with equally strong British accent like his wife, but adding more snobbish tone in it. "Although my guess is that his friend might already alert him since they have seen us."
Ziva glanced at the door as if she expected David barging inside at any second but nothing like that happened. But since it could have, she rather returned to her place by Terri's side to assume her role of the emotional support, as well as a swift shield to cover the bride so the groom or anyone else for that matter could see her. Terri sent her a brief nod of thanks but her gaze was locked up on the two people in front of her.
Because of the ongoing battle of minds, courtesy was cast aside and no one introduced Ziva to the parents, neither did she try to do so herself. They ignored her as if she wasn't in the room at all and for the time being, she was okay with that. An invisible person could react more promptly to an attack of both physical and verbal nature than a person who had the attention of all.
"What do you want?" Terri asked them to break some of the tension that seemed to only rise with the mute silence between them.
Her tone could be way too stern but they didn't deserve anything else. Several times she tried to win their favour and prove her worthiness. The last straw for her with which she resigned and stopped trying was when they had 'accepted' her, invited her over for a weekend and then made subtle remarks she had laughed at until she realized that they all meant to be insults, a mockery at her expense.
She could live with the parents not liking her and ignoring her. She was immune to threats and bribes. But she couldn't withstand insults and humiliation they tried to apply on her in order to bring her down. But the victory was hers as she had promptly left with her dropping the dissimulation and actually telling them what she thought with David in tow who had been more than embarrassed and ashamed of their behaviour.
David's mother stepped forward, spreading out her hands in a welcoming guest to show that she meant no harm with her presence. Both Ziva and Terri took a little step back, though, still prepared for a counterattack if needed. The older woman stopped and clasped her hands in front of her, unconsciously playing with the jewellery on her hands, betraying her nervousness despite the stoic expression on her face.
"I'll be honest." She began, assuming an upright standing position with her chest stuck out to show that although her tone was conciliatory, she still bore enough pride inside her. "You're not the woman I envisioned for my son. But he loves you and he loves you so much that he is able to go against his own family, his own blood."
She paused dramatically, letting her words sink in so Terri could realize that whatever she and her husband were doing here, they were doing it out of the love for their son and so it could be only good. "That's something I can appreciate. I wish certain someone would do the same for me when I was as young as you are." She admitted and her head slightly turned sideways to send a glance at her husband who shamefully lowered his eyes and found something very interesting on the carpet beneath him.
Terri barely dared to breathe, afraid that she might burst. She couldn't believe the words she was hearing, the sudden complaisance in the demeanour of the two people in front of her, wondering if it was only just another joke. But since David's mother had just insinuated before her that she and her husband had some sort of a secret when it came to their marriage and their relationship in general, she felt uncertain. Maybe the woman really was honest.
"Who knows, maybe it's actually my fault... Maybe I subconsciously planted it into his mind..." The older woman muttered under her breath, probably not realizing that everyone in the room could hear her.
She then turned her head back towards Terri and rubbed her hands together. "All I want to say is – there is nothing in the world I love more than my son." Her confident tone was back as if talking about David filled her with the appropriate dose of self-assurance. "If you hurt him, you hurt me. If he's happy with you, then well... I am happy with him."
Making a step forward, she smiled at the bride soberly, glad that this time, Terri stood rooted to the ground. She had no space for any other reaction, absolutely floored by the drastically different behaviour of the woman who had once called her a 'half-breed'. Ziva watched her warily but didn't make any move, either, sitting tight and interfere in the utmost situation.
The lady stretched out her hand and slight caressed Terri's face in the most affectionate fashion she could muster. "Just take care of him for me, please." Her voice was nearly plaintive at that moment as if she was about to forsake his son, not just to get him wed.
"I-I pro-omise." Terri stammered, too stunned to form the words in her throat properly. The seed of doubt was still within her, but her emotions had already been on the roller-coaster for a few days and the tension was just too hard to deal with. No wonder she actually started to believe that David's parents could reverse their opinion about her marriage to David.
David's mother squeezed her hand as if they had just sealed a pact that resulted in death if not kept and stepped away, shooting a glance at her husband to urge him to do his part. Although they both tried very much to make an impression that all of this was just accidental, it was obvious that it was actually very thoroughly planned, if not punctually scheduled visit with divided roles and constructed monologues beforehand.
"I've always been proud of my son, especially when it comes to his career choices. Not so much when it comes to women, if I am supposed to be frank but..." David's father began solemnly, moving a few steps forward to reach his wife's side. "I've never seen him being as passionate about someone as he is about you."
He gave Terri a long look as if he analysed whether she was worth of the words on his tongue or if he should hold them back. For a brief moment, he gazed at Ziva as well, impressed by her almost threatening guarding stance. "It makes you special, no matter what we two or anyone in the family think." He added sincerely and went closer to the bride just like his wife before him, taking her by her hands. "That being said, you and David have our family's blessings and we wish you the best to your marriage."
A single tear fell down Terri's cheek, struggling to find the words with which she would explain her emotions she could barely decipher, anyway. She didn't care for their blessings or recognition, she would marry David even if the Hell opened and wanted to swallow her. But she truly appreciated the effort of David's parents because she knew what amount of courage had to be mustered and how much pride had to be swallowed so they would come here and say all those things.
Commotion behind the door didn't give her much of a chance to speak, though, because in the next second, the door swung open and her husband-to-be marched into the room with a warlike expression on his face. "What in the bloody hell is going on here?!" He hissed angrily, looking his parents up and down suspiciously.
His father let go of the bride and turned around to face his son, giving Ziva the chance to step in the line of David's view to shield Terri from the inquisitive eyes. David, despite his fury, noticed the movement and nodded gratefully at Ziva because he didn't wish to break the usual custom of not seeing the bride in her wedding dress before the walk down towards the altar, as well.
"They came to the wedding to give us their blessings." Terri answered shakily but firmly. She didn't want David to doubt his parents' intensions and so she rather took the initiative by herself to explain.
The engaged couple exchanged a quick eye communication and David then folded his arms across his chest. "Really? Where did this sudden change of heart come from?" He asked his parents with a derisive tone, refusing to be intimidated by them anymore. Once he had tasted the feeling of freedom, he hadn't been willing to give it up easily.
"You are our son, David. Our only son." His mother came forward to him with a soft expression on her face. "We may not agree with your choice of a bride but we don't want to lose you, either."
David didn't move, didn't blink or didn't react in any way whatsoever. The silence that ensued was deafening and everyone in the room knew that he waited for his father to start talking, too. "Since the only way to achieve it is to respect you, your choices and your fiancée, we are doing just so." His father finally said in a reserved tone, yet gently. His son's defiance still irritated him but he understood his reasons.
In the next moment, he turned back to Terri and the following words he uttered surprised even his beloved offspring. "We both sincerely apologize for all the times you must have felt... disgraced. I hope that one day you will find a space in your heart to forgive us." He said regretfully and his wife proudly squeezed his shoulder, sending an apologetic look in the bride's direction who accepted it with a short nod.
David watched them for a moment, pondering his next actions. His parents had been officially invited so he didn't dare to kick them out. Plus, they had apparently regretted their previous behaviour and decided to put their pride aside and swallow their disapproval in order to receive their son's love. It was a forthcoming step, one he should appropriately value.
They weren't entirely bad people with twisted character, capable of nasty intrigues and grandiose schemes. It was just their social status that was sometimes too important to them, making them to look snobbish so they would have a lot of to boast in front of their equally rich friends. Unfortunately, they often assumed that their son shared their ideals and would want the same.
But he didn't and in a way, David felt sorry for that. He would love to be the perfect child for the perfect parents but life didn't work in such a way and he refused to pretend his interest when his heart wasn't in it. His parents hadn't agreed with many of his life choices but he stood his ground and they usually simply admitted that it wasn't a completely wrong decision. He was sure that they would eventually come around and get used to his marriage.
"Good." He then said after another brief eye communication with his fiancée. "Come with me because the conversation we three will have is going to be private."
He motioned for the door and his parents obeyed without any sign of a protest, following him after sending a short nod of goodbye to both women in the room, acknowledging Ziva's presence for the first time. Terri took a couple of deep breaths when the door closed to calm her erratically beating heart after the sudden emotional strain with Ziva caressing her hair to help her soothe her nerves.
And that was the only tense scene on the whole wedding ceremony, including the reception. David's parents apparently meant their words sincerely because they didn't show any kind of hostile behaviour for the rest of their visit. None of the other guests had proved to be problematic, either, and so all passed as peacefully as both of the newlyweds could have hoped.
The walk down to the altar was short, but still very emotional for the father of the bride dressed in his uniform. The vows the engaged couple wrote by themselves left most of the wedding guests in tears. The final 'I-dos' and the first kiss after entering officially the bond of marriage made people to cheer for the groom and bride loudly, followed by heartfelt and soul-stirring congratulations.
After the ceremony, the whole wedding ensemble moved to a booked restaurant with a garden where they could celebrate not only with food and drinks, but also with the first dance, tasty cake and a couple of wedding traditions Terri and David wanted to keep. The good mood was infectious and everyone was making jokes, laughing and generally celebrating the love of the two special people for them.
It was almost midnight when Tony and Ziva finally arrived back home, feeling pleasantly stupefied – not from alcohol as they both chose to abstain from such beverages (Ziva because she had to due to the pregnancy, Tony because he didn't want to drink without her and risk getting drunk) – but from the agreeable tiredness coming from the wonderful, happy day they experienced.
Over the course of the few minutes, they both showered and got ready for the bed. Tony was just lying on the covers with some cinema magazine in his hands, when Ziva came out of the bathroom and started to climb the bed with a series of loud huffs. "I feel like the baby is weighing more than a ton of bricks. I bet it ate most of the stuff instead of me." She whined, panting rapidly with the effort and energy she had to invest in order to get in the bed.
Tony finished the sentence and closed the magazine, turning on his side to caress the growing belly that wasn't exactly large but it wasn't small, either. "Well, the baby is DiNozzo. The food is the highlight of the day." He joked as he rubbed his palm over the cotton fabric of Ziva's nightdress.
"But I am getting fat because of it." She snapped, albeit not angrily. Her tone reflected more frustration than wrath as she gestured to her belly. "I worked so hard on maintaining my figure and now I have this. Now, I do not know what the pregnancy weight is and what my real weight is."
Her fiancé leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead to soothe her. "I wouldn't have you any other way." He said sincerely, looking deeply into her eyes as he caressed her cheeks with the back of his fingers.
"You are saying that just because you want me to calm down." She muttered in negation but in the same time enjoyed his comforting touch. "Or because you actually want me to get fat so no one else would ever steal me from you."
Being used to her moody grievance, he just chuckled, not taking her seriously at all. "No, I mean it. I don't mind you having a little flabby here and there." He teased her with a taking some of her body fat and pinching it painlessly.
She tried to swat his hands away but he soon changed the strategy of his so-called attack and instead of pinching, he applied tickles on the spots of her body he knew they were extremely ticklish. Even if she didn't want it, the bedroom was shortly filled with the sound of her laughter as his resourceful technique of making her feel better mercilessly worked. There was no way she could subdue belly-hurting laughter in order to beg him to stop.
Until she unnaturally gasped, her hand immediately landing on her rounding stomach with eyes widened into two large saucers. Tony paused in surprise and started to question her state, hoping that he didn't do anything wrong that could hurt the baby or make her fiancée feel sick. It wasn't the intention of his tickling and he would never forgive himself if such a silly, foolish action would cost him so much.
Instead of an answer, Ziva took his hand and placed it on her belly in the place where she currently felt the movement. This time, Tony gasped excitedly with her because the baby kicked powerfully, probably as it changed the position inside the womb. It was the first time ever the baby noticeably kicked, making its parents proud more than anyone else in the world at that very moment.
For the rest of the night until the late morning, the couple lay in the bed in several positions with all four hands on her belly, trying to feel even the slightest movement from the fruit of their mutual love. And as if the baby knew about the parents' attention, it kept on showing what a lively, energetic and active child it would soon become – to the parents' delight, of course.
The End of Chapter 40
* Runaway Bride – 1999 romcom movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere about a woman who is nervous about being married, always leaving her fiancés at the altar, running away.
Anyone interested in the look of Terri's dress - just search "Eddy K Milano Style MD294"
Well, here it is :) Hope you enjoyed yourself while reading it and thanks for stopping by! See you next time :)
