A/N: Jumping forward in time a bit since I have decided to wrap this story up in one or two more chapters. Sorry if some things repeat or it jumps around. I had to cobble together a few versions of this chapter. I had several warring ideas and nothing was getting written. Warning: This chapter contains a fairly long speech from a judge, with a lot of legal speak in it. Sorry, but this is what happens when you work in the legal field AND watch a lot of legal dramas on tv! I am not relying on any specific laws or legal precedent. I'm just going with my gut on this one.
Now, where were we…
Tony thought this day would never arrive. Fifteen months to the day since he arrived back in DC to a less than warm welcome, he was sitting in a courtroom waiting to hear a decision from a highly respected family law judge that was bound to have a profound impact on his life.
Balancing a new job and a new relationship hadn't been easy, but Tony managed it without losing his mind. Having Gibbs by his side and his old NCIS family on his six made everything so much easier.
Senior reported that Tali had been bouncing with excitement the entire flight from Paris to D.C. She was so excited to see Tony at the airport, she ran as fast as she could and launched herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wouldn't let go. Ziva had not once received such a greeting; Tali was always reserved and hesitant around her.
Tony's lunch meeting with Ziva has been an unmitigated disaster. He wanted to discuss what was best for Tali. She wasn't there to negotiate. She showed up with a list of demands and pronouncements about Tony and his "sordid lifestyle". Tony surmised she was still in shock and upset about the thought of him in a relationship with Gibbs. The nagging question was why?
She made it clear that she wanted nothing from him. Not once had Ziva declared that she loved him or wanted to build a life with him. No, Ziva enjoyed her freedom and seemed content to continue as they had for the past year. Tony got up to leave when it became clear that Ziva only wanted him around as a full time babysitter while she was off to God knows where, God only knows what, with no promise to return. He left Ziva defiant with one final statement.
"Jesus Christ, Ziva. Do you care about anyone or anything? Tali, your own flesh and blood, doesn't even know you. She's scared and confused. You show up every few months for a few days, then leave again. Now she is coming here, to live with me. My dad and I are the only constant people in her life. Here she can grow up normal and go to school and take ballet lessons or whatever she wants to do. I'm going to be looking into local Hebrew schools. I don't want to take her heritage or religion or any of that away from her. So even with that, you still think you can be a better parent than me?" Tony questioned.
Ziva jumped up so that she was toe to toe with Tony.
"How dare you try to turn my own daughter against me! I am her mother. You are nothing to her. I will be taking her with me when I go back to Israel, and there is nothing you can do to stop me," Ziva growled.
Tony shouldered past her.
"Yeah, I guess we'll see you in court then."
While his friends took over working on Ziva, Tony had the unenviable job of sorting things out with his father. As expected, Senior was initially shocked to the core by the news that his only son and would-be heir was involved with another man. If Tony had fallen for anyone else he might have been more accepting, but that Gibbs would now be a full-time part of his life was tough to take.
"Dad, this means this trip back here to DC is permanent, for all of us. Between my new job and Gibbs, I need to be here. I mean, Tali and I are staying here. I still have my condo. I'd like you to stay, too. I mean, Tali adores you and I could still use your help, but I'll understand if Paris is more your style now," Tony said.
Senior and Gibbs may have reached a tentative understanding years ago, but that was Gibbs pointing out that Tony was a "damn good agent" and "he has my complete trust". It was more of a professional declaration than one of friendship or anything more. Senior knew Tony thought of his team like family, but he never suspected that Tony saw Gibbs as anything but a friend, mentor and his boss.
"Junior, I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it. That little girl needs both of us. We can all live at your place until I find a place of my own. I may have been a lousy father to you when you were growing up, but I'm not going to make those mistakes again," Senior murmured.
Senior made himself right at home in Tony's condo. With a lot up in the air, it was a perfect temporary solution having Senior and Tali move into his condo. Tony was happy to surrender his bed to Senior. How much trouble could he get in with a single bed and a little kid down the hall? Tony was more than happy to camp out on his comfy, deep cushioned couch. He'd lost track of how many times he had fallen off to a good night's sleep while watching one of his beloved movies.
A smaller spare room that Tony had used for a home office was easily converted into a bedroom for Tali. Tony let her pick out all of the furniture and appointments. Gibbs did a masterful job of giving the room a fresh coat of pale lavender paint. Tali liked her new room, but she preferred staying at Gibbs' house. That's where Tony usually was, after all, but not wanting her grampy to get lonely, Tali spent weeknights at home with him. That gave her weekends to be spoiled rotten by Gibbs and Tony.
Tali didn't need much convincing, and saw the move to D.C. as a great big adventure. She just wanted to be wherever Tony was. Tali came to instantly adore Gibbs. Where Gibbs would normally snap at any adult trying his patience, he had an abundance of patience for Tali. Yep, Tony figured she would have Gibbs wrapped around her finger in no time. It didn't hurt that she also had de facto aunts and uncles standing by to cater to her every whim.
Tony fit in perfectly on his team with the US Marshals Service. They brought down a huge child sex trafficking ring working up and down the east coast. The case lasted an exhausting four months, and Tony had played a pivotal role in reuniting a dozen victimized children with their parents. He went above and beyond by following up to make sure the young victims were getting therapy and that the families had all the support and resources they needed. Helping people has always been his reason for getting into law enforcement in the first place. Dealing with traumatized boys and girls ranging in age from eight to sixteen strengthened Tony's resolve to do everything in his power to keep Tali with him so she would be safe.
He got nowhere trying to reason with Ziva. Abby tried. Ducky tried. Even Gibbs tried, but she would not bend to reason. Ziva didn't care that Tali was happy with her new life with her extended family. She had not only one, but two "really cool" bedrooms to call her own.
While living in Paris Tony and Senior had fought repeatedly about Ziva and how they could become a tight little family. Senior thought Tony needed to try harder to try and develop feelings for her. Tony landed a serious body blow when he snapped at his dad.
"I'm not like you, Dad. I can't just fake it and play family to keep up appearances in social circles like you did."
"Junior, that's not fair. I loved you and your mother," Senior shot back.
"Uh huh. But you loved your business, and all the money and prestige more. We were just props. But nevermind, I'm nothing like you. Even though DNA doesn't back me up, that little girl is my daughter and I want to do what's best and what makes her happy."
It took months for Senior to finally come around, but once he saw how truly happy Tony was he relented. Tony was thriving personally and professionally and he exuded a confidence that Senior had never before seen. He was aware of the damage his years of neglect when Tony was younger had done and he was prepared to atone for his mistakes. The year spent living in Paris helping to care for and raise Tali was a start. Senior continued to help in any way he could when he and Tali joined Tony in D.C.
He may not have said it often enough, if at all, but Senior was proud of his son. It had taken years for him to understand what "being a cop" meant to Tony. Stories from his years in law enforcement going all the way back to his days as a beat cop showed just how much he genuinely set out to help people. His respect for the work grew when it became clear how many times he had put his life on the line for his friends, his family, and his country.
Tony recounting how many times Gibbs had been blown up or shot and how many times he had nearly lost him brought home how deeply Tony cared for the man. It wasn't one sided. Gibbs retold his own horror story of being terrified of losing Tony when he contracted pneumonic plague. "I may have played it cool. As his boss I needed him to obey me and not die. But in reality, he looked like complete shit and I was pretty sure we - I - was going to lose him. I've never been so scared in my whole life", Gibbs confessed. Senior gaped and Tony teared up at the confession.
Gibbs wanted Tony and Tali to both move in and live with him full time. He offered up Kelly's old room without hesitation and gave Tony nearly unfettered permission to redecorate and update his house. He knew it would give Tony something to focus on other than all of the personal drama. Gibbs maintained veto power but he never needed to wield it. Tony knew him too well and made it clear that he never wanted to change anything about him. He selected muted colors throughout the house and all furniture selections were about comfort and function.
Tony couldn't have felt more honored that Gibbs would open up his home to Tali and let her tread on sacred ground once occupied by Kelly.
"I still have a bunch of Kelly's toys that Amira used to play with and a bunch of other stuff up in the attic. Or, we can get her all new stuff, whatever she wants. I want her and you to both feel at home here."
Tali was thrilled to know she had a big sister, even if she was only there in spirit. She managed to break through Gibbs' gruff exterior and protective walls to get him to tell her stories about Shannon and Kelly. Gibbs was nearly brought to tears when Tali confessed that she wished she had a mother like Shannon.
Kelly may be forever eight years old and only alive in stories, but Tali still had two other stand-in big sisters. Amira Landry, now 13, helps out and plays the role of big sister. When Mike Franks died, Layla moved to DC. After a few years she married Hill staffer, Steven Landry, who adopted Amira. Emily Fornell, who has always had a close relationship with her Uncle Gibbs, has also been a source of sisterly influence and stability in Tali's life. There are just some things you don't want to talk to your dad about, and no one knew that better than Emily Fornell. Add in "silly Aunt Abby", and Tali was all set.
Tony loved having free reign to bring Gibbs' house out of its minimalist state and turn it into a warm and welcoming home. The only thing he didn't have to shop for was a bed for the master bedroom. After years of ribbing from pretty much everyone, Gibbs had finally caved in and bought a new one. It was a top of the line model. The salesman had tried to dazzle him by touting the benefits of memory foam or regaling him with the latest findings in sleep science. Annoyed after about three minutes, Gibbs broke down and bought a king sized bed that had some kind of "goofy cooling gel or something in it. I spent about a month's salary on the damn thing!" Tony was stunned that he had actually graduated from the lumpy old couch.
Weeks turned into months and Tony had for all intents and purposes officially moved in with Gibbs. It was more out of necessity than rushing to make a statement or announcement about their relationship. Tony still spent a respectable number of nights at his condo to keep up appearances, not that he and Gibbs were fooling anyone.
"Um, duh Tony! Remember, we told you about you and Gibbs before you were, you know, you and Gibbs," Abby reasoned. Tony nodded. It was hard to argue with that.
Living with Gibbs meant that Tony got to hang out on the basement stairs any time he wanted to watch Gibbs while he worked on his latest woodworking project. There was something mesmerizing about it. The rasp of the plane as it cut away curls of wood and the sanding block smoothing out tiny imperfections was soothing. Tony couldn't help but admire how sweat accentuated the play of muscles under the thin t-shirt clinging to Gibbs' well-toned arms and torso, or the look of total concentration on his face when he carved intricate details. It was as if all of the stress washed away to reveal the true Gibbs underneath the gruff exterior he wore so well. Tony liked the revelation a lot!
They were also learning to talk, really talk, about important stuff like feelings, and it was bringing them closer than either of them had imagined. Best of all, it gave him respite from Senior and his often overbearing presence. Senior was a work in progress, but he was slowly coming around to accepting that Tony was falling in love with his male boss. It wasn't what Senior ever envisioned for his only son and heir, but he could not deny that unlike Ziva, Gibbs would happily lay down his life for Tony.
The shift in their relationship had been delightfully gradual. There was no pressure as they tried to figure things out. Everyone they cared about knew where they stood and no one demanded any grand gestures. Neither of them was big on public displays of affection, but out of the view of prying eyes they could relax and just be together.
Gibbs had remained steadfast in his support of Tony, but was it due to feelings of love or guilt? Yes, Gibbs was attracted to Tony and cared a great deal for him; he always had, maybe a little too much at times. Gibbs protested that Tony could do so much better. He had more than a decade on him, was still living up to the second 'b' in his name, and was generally cranky and closed off. Tony protested that all of those things were plusses as far as he was concerned.
He did feel guilty about driving Tony away after the whole Calling debacle. Being fawned over during his convalescence had been hard to take. He had been left raw and vulnerable, which left him wrong-footed and doubting himself. It was his job to look out for and protect his team. They weren't supposed to be worrying about him and holding his hand.
Tony had never wanted for admirers, male or female, and he was at ease with both. Gibbs had been his ideal from the first time he laid eyes on him after tackling him in that dirty, dusty alley in Baltimore. Sure Gibbs punched him in the face and Tony pulled his gun in response and called him a dirtbag, but looking back it was a weird kind of foreplay for them.
There had been no rush to move things past a little good old fashioned making out on the couch, or in the basement when the opportunity presented itself. Gibbs repeatedly assured Tony that they would know when the time was right to take that next giant step. One night after getting home from a barbecue at Ellie's house, everything changed. At Tony's request, Abby decided she needed to play aunt and have Tali over for a girl's night.
"Tony. I'm old. I'm damaged. I'm a complete failure when it comes to relationships. You know all of this," Gibbs said to cap off their hundredth disagreement about why Tony thought they were perfect for each other.
Tony sauntered across the living room until he was toe to toe with Gibbs. Unable to help himself, he carded his fingers through Gibbs' longer than normal baby soft hair. Gibbs' arms came up and circled Tony's waist.
"Gibbs, for God's sake, look at you! Gorgeous silver hair, piercing blue eyes, and don't even get me started on your body and your ass. I mean, damn … you are the whole package," Tony commented, adding a naughty little smirk.
Gibbs rolled those piercing blue eyes and tried to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. He would never let on to Tony how often he snuck off to the NCIS gym to work out to keep in shape for him. He cocked his head in response to the shy smile leveled at him.
"Besides, you put up with me and all of my crap. God knows there's plenty of that! Gibbs, I am the king of personal drama, and you know this too. But here we are. Despite all of the heavy bullshit I've put you through, you're still standing by me. I don't know why, and I don't know if I could if the situation was reversed. Bottom line; you're the one I need and the one I want. No one else on this planet gets me like you do. You always have. And I'm probably the only person who can handle you when you're uncaffeinated. We both have our faults and hangups, but who else but us can deal with them? Now, will you stop trying to talk me out of loving you already? Tali is doing a sleepover at her Aunt Abby's tonight, so whaddya say we take advantage of having the house to ourselves? I can think of all kinds of naughty stuff we can do," Tony suggested, with waggling eyebrows.
Gibbs flashed his patented half smirk. He pulled Tony in dangerously close and spoke directly into his ear. Tony shivered in response. That was the night everything changed.
Now here they sat waiting for one man to render a decision that would affect all of their lives.
Tony wished he knew how Gibbs could sit there so calm and quiet. It had to be a throwback to his sniper training and experience. Tony was a mass of nerves and took to uncharacteristic fidgeting and tugging at the necktie that felt like it was strangling him.
"DiNozzo, will you relax already," Gibbs admonished in a hushed whisper as he pulled Tony's hand down from fumbling with his tie for the umpteenth time. "We will deal with whatever the judge decides. Driving yourself crazy is not going to help".
Tony huffed.
"How can you just sit there? I'm losing my damn mind over here," Tony retorted quietly.
"Practice. Lots of practice, now stop fidgeting. This will all be over soon, then we can go home," Gibbs purred in his ear.
To Tony's left sat a five-year old picture of innocence. Tali was dressed as a pastel version of her Goth Aunt. Abby had clearly taken Tali shopping for a new outfit at Hot Topic if the sparkly purple leggings, white sweatshirt with pink, purple, blue and yellow birds on it, and a new pair of white high top tennis shoes were any indication. Tony surmised the outfit was from their kid-friendly ponies and unicorns collection. Tony and Gibbs both thought a dress was more suitable for this particular occasion, but Tali balked. She was too much of a tomboy for anything frilly or lacy. The only girlish accoutrements were the hot pink hair ribbons tying up her long high ponytails.
The heavy wooden doors at the back of the room opened. Tony, Tali and Gibbs turned to see Ziva enter with a pair of lawyers in tow. Tali curled into Tony's side. Tony's attorney sat at a table at the front of the courtroom with his assistant along with Tali's guardian ad litem, the attorney appointed by the Court to represent her. Ziva's attorneys took their seats at another nearby table. She sat in the front row of seats behind them, alone. Dressed in all black with her hair pulled back, she looked drawn and fierce and ready for battle. Her only acknowledgment of Tony's presence was an icy glare in his direction.
"Great, she's still pissed," Tony murmured.
Tali smiled up at Tony and leaned against him while Gibbs gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"How are you all holding up?" a deep voice asked.
While watching Ziva's entrance, Gibbs had not noticed Leon Vance taking a seat next to him.
Tony let out a sigh of relief. Gibbs shook Vance's hand.
"Tali and I are doing fine, but DiNozzo here is a wreck," Gibbs answered with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I can understand that. I'm not a big fan of courtrooms or judges myself," Vance replied.
Leon Vance had come through with a sterling evaluation of Tony not only in his capacity as an NCIS Special Agent, but as the good man he hated to admit he had become. Vance had even managed to procure affidavits of support from Assistant Director Nash and Sec Nav Martinez. As much as Tony drove Vance crazy over the years with his effective but often juvenile antics, the level of respect Tony received from other agents and high level people outside of NCIS could not be ignored. The folder full of letters of support was proof enough.
Through pleadings filed by her attorneys, Ziva had been adamant that she would be taking Tali home to Israel once her latest mission was complete. But Tony's lawyer argued that the mission never ended; it just went on the road to a new city somewhere on the globe. They never knew where Ziva was or when they could expect her to return. She bounced all over the world on an endless quest to right some wrong no one to which no one had knowledge.
Tali was confused, and that is what really made Tony mad. How could Ziva claim to love and care about Tali when she would up and leave at a second's notice despite Tali's cries and pleas for her to stay. When Ziva showed up, she acted like she had only been on an overnight business trip when in truth she would often be gone for weeks or months at a time. Ziva managed to assuage her guilt or put on parental airs by bringing back a gift from her "travels". Then, in a matter of days, she was gone again. It broke Tony's heart wide open and he was always the one left to cradle the bereaved child and make repeated promises he hoped he could one day keep. Tony's fear and Tali's sorrow was all in his sworn narrative affidavit. He hoped that it swayed the judge. He could only imagine what Ziva had to say in her defense.
Court was called to order. Everyone stood as the Honorable Judge Alton P. Schneider took his seat and gaveled the proceedings into session. A nervous silence fell over the spacious, wood paneled room. The only audible sound was the Court Reporter tapping away on the keys of her steno keyboard as she recorded Judge Schneider's ruling.
Judge Schneider took a drink of water and cleared his throat.
"I have heard from the parties involved - Ms. David, Mr. DiNozzo and Miss Tali. I have read the detailed reports prepared by NCIS Director Leon Vance, who was Mr. DiNozzo and Ms. David's boss for several years. I have spoken at length with Special Agent Gibbs, their direct supervisor, as well as some of their colleagues who worked with both of them. Finally, I have carefully reviewed reports and spoken with Ms. Collins and Mr. Marks, both very experienced social workers from Children and Family Services, who have kept close watch on Miss Tali, the current situation with her living arrangements, and I have given careful consideration to their recommendations going forward.
It is always the focus of this Court to do what is in the best interest of every child brought before it. I give little weight to the needs of the parents, especially when those needs or wants run counter to the objectives of the Court to ensure that a child's safety and well-being come first. It is of utmost importance that a child be placed in the care of someone with the same goals.
This case, like many before it, is complicated. First of all there is the question of paternity. We have the name of the possible biological father, but we do not have his DNA for testing, nor do we know where he is. Until he comes under this Court's jurisdiction or submits to a DNA test, we will not definitively know.
That brings us to the issue of citizenship. The minor child was born in Israel to a mother who is a naturalized US citizen. When Ms. David became a US citizen; she renounced her Israeli citizenship, but somehow still holds an Israeli passport. I don't need to relitigate Ms. David's upbringing and training as an agent of Mossad, but suffice to say that she is alive and well and still involved with Israeli defense forces in an international capacity. This Court does not find that conducive to a stable or secure home life.
Two years ago Ms. David and the minor child were nearly killed when the home they were living in was bombed by a suspected terrorist group. This led to what I consider to be a fraud committed against Mr. DiNozzo. The minor child was brought to the US and presented to Mr. DiNozzo as his daughter, with best wishes but little in the way of an explanation. Until that moment, Mr. DiNozzo had no prior knowledge of fathering the child, who was kept a secret from him for over three years. Mr. DiNozzo left his job, his friends, and his home to do what he thought would be best for his new young daughter. With the assistance of his father, Mr. DiNozzo packed up his life and moved to Paris and together they raised the child as best as they could. As you know, Ms. David was not killed. Her death was a ruse, which brought with it more questions for which there have been few answers.
That brings us to the here and now. I have in my possession letters, affidavits and reports, from numerous individuals who know this situation and the parties intimately. Also, friends, family, colleagues, and professionals trusted to observe Ms. Tali's adjustment to her current arrangement.
At this time Mr. DiNozzo and Ms. David have a shared-care arrangement. Even though Mr. DiNozzo is not related to Tali by blood, he has been a father to her in every way that matters. Mr. DiNozzo, with the support of a close knit group of people, was awarded temporary physical custody. Ms. David has supervised visitation rights and maintains primary parental rights under the authority of this Court. Mr. DiNozzo and Ms. David have been equally responsible for all financial costs associated with the child's care and maintenance for the past two years.
Nothing has changed since our last status conference three months ago, so I am prepared to make my final ruling on this matter. I am aware that no matter what decisions are handed down here today, there will be some left unhappy by my ruling. As I stated previously, however, my only concern is doing what is best for the child.
Ms. Tali is a smart, charming, happy and healthy five-year old. I understand she just had a birthday, so let me offer a belated Happy Birthday. Ms. Tali is very bright and an inquisitive child. She has an apparent thirst for knowledge and loves spending time at any number of our fair city's museums. She is perfecting her English while maintaining proficiency in speaking Hebrew and French. I have very high hopes that she will excel in school and in anything she chooses to do in life.
Mr. DiNozzo, with the support of his father, his network of friends and professional connections, continues to encourage and support Tali. I have a report that she has done very well in preschool at the Early Childhood Learning Center in Alexandria. Her teachers report that she is an inquisitive and a very bright child. She speaks Hebrew very well and is learning to read Hebrew at an accelerated pace.
I truly believe that Ms. David loves Tali and wants what is best for her. I support her wanting to see her child raised in the Jewish faith as she was, and I understand that Mr. DiNozzo has encouraged this as well. As a practicing Jew myself I fully understand Ms. David's love and support of the State of Israel. However, I remain troubled by her continued work for Mossad and for Israel's defense in general. In the Middle East, it is not easy to separate one's homeland - family, religious upbringing and roots - from the government and military powers. The heightened state of conflict in the Middle East means danger is around every corner - literally. I cannot in good faith send an innocent child into an area so fraught with danger.
This is a complex issue due to the fact that Ms. Tali was born in Israel to an American citizen mother, and I can only presume an Israeli father. By law, Ms. Tali holds dual citizenship. Is that enough to give this Court jurisdiction over her and this matter? After consulting with several legal experts in this area of law, I believe it does. Until we know the undisputed identity of Tali's biological father and he comes forward and chooses to assert his parental rights, this Court must rely on current US law to determine custody. This matter will be held open by the Court for a term of five years. If Ms. Tali's father does not make himself known to this Court or assert his parental rights within that term, this case will be closed and all rulings made today will remain in full force and effect and bind all parties involved.
Therefore, having said all of that, this Court finds that the best interests of the minor child, Tali Hannah David-DiNozzo, would best be served by awarding permanent legal and physical custody to … Mr. DiNozzo. This Court further finds that Mr. DiNozzo is in a position to make the best decisions directly affecting Tali's medical care, education, and all other care and maintenance issues. It is my hope that Mr. DiNozzo will consult with Ms. David on such decisions and reach an agreement, but at the end of the day Mr. DiNozzo will have the final authority where Tali is concerned.
Ms. David will continue to have supervised visitation rights. She will be released from the current shared-care agreement and will no longer be financially responsible for any child related expenses. I may be willing to include unsupervised visits if it is so recommended by the case workers and agreed to by Mr. DiNozzo. Children and Family Services will continue to follow up and keep me apprised of any changes or concerns they have about this custody arrangement. The only restriction on unsupervised visits is that they would have to take place here in the District of Columbia, at a location acceptable to all parties involved. Ms. David will not be permitted to remove Tali from this Court's jurisdiction or take her out of the state or country without express order of this Court.
Any pending motions or objections to this ruling shall be filed with my clerk no later than the end of business next Tuesday. With that, the Court is adjourned."
With one sharp bang of the gavel, it was over and Tony could breathe.
Ziva jumped from her seat and shouted out a loud protest. Judge Schneider left without further comment, escorted by his Bailiff. A beaming Gibbs hugged Tony, who exhaled for the first time since the judge had started speaking. Vance patted both men on the shoulders and offered his most sincere congratulations. Tali hung onto the stuffed giraffe she carried with her everywhere, swung her feet, and looked generally bored. Two rows behind, a cheering section consisting of Abby, McGee, Ducky, Palmer and Ellie traded hugs and high-fives. Abby dabbed tears of joy from the corners of her eyes with a hanky she nicked from McGee's jacket pocket. Up front, both sets of counsel snapped shut their briefcases. Their jobs were done. Tony's attorney stopped to shake his hand on his way out of the courtroom.
"Thanks, Bill. I owe you big," Tony said.
Attorney Bill Maxwell smiled at his client.
"Just pay your bill. That will be thanks enough," the attorney replied. "Glad we got the ruling you all wanted. Congratulations!"
After a round of congratulatory hugs and handshakes, Tony picked up Tali and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. Across the room, Ziva stood stoically and watched.
"Aba, I wanna go home now. Can we?" Tali asked.
Tony sat back down and put her down on the bench next to him.
"Home? Which home?" Tony knew it was a loaded question since there were a couple from which to choose.
Tali smiled up at Tony.
"Gibbsy's house. We're having a party, right?" Tali questioned.
Tony beamed. Yes, he had told her that morning before court that they could have a party. A wave of relief washed over Tony that it was a promise he would not have to break.
"I want to show Aunty Abby my new room and all of my big sister's stuff Gibbsy gave me," Tali said. She pulled Tony toward the door only to be intercepted by Gibbs and Abby.
"Hey, where are you running off to?" Gibbs teased.
"Aba said we can have the party at our house. Let's go!"
Gibbs knelt down to her level. "Our house". He loved the sound of that.
"Tell you what. Why don't you and Abby go to our house and we will be there in a few minutes. We have to do some boring grown up talk first. Okay? You can get the party started," Gibb offered, winking at Abby.
Tali grabbed Abby's hand. "Yeah! We can start the party! Come on everybody," Tali invited the group of well-wishers. McGee, Ducky, and Palmer followed them out.