Tony looked out the car window, as Ziva turned off the interstate, he had only been up to this semi-rural corner of Virginia a handful of times, often when a Marine or Petty Officer was found in the middle of nowhere. There had been a time, in the year after the three of them walked out of that dusty cell, where Ziva had driven them out here for a case. She'd known the way, and barely had to consult the map.
It all made sense now.
Ziva leaned forward, and turned off the maps app on her phone.
"I know the way from here," she announced. "That robot voice is annoying."
Tony leaned forward and turned up the air conditioning. Sweat pooled at the back of the deck, he wasn't sure if it was because of the heat, or a case of nerves.
Odette had friends deep in the shadows.
Odette's home also housed a lot of skeletons.
Ziva had offered to let him see the cabin, when they packed up her journals to take them home. The cabin that had been her only safe place during their years apart. The cabin contained more than enough secrets.
Tony wasn't sure if he wanted to let the shadows come into the light.
"How much longer?" Tali asked from the backseat. She tugged at the seatbelt.
Tony looked to Ziva. This was her rodeo.
"Twenty minutes, or so," Ziva said. "Traffic is a little unpredictable here."
They reached a junction, and watched as SUV's, minivans and the odd pick-up truck moved through the roadway.
There were probably people who commuted from here to DC everyday, Tony felt a prick of anxiety just thinking of such a lengthy commute, and all that could go wrong trying to get in and out of the beltway.
His new job was on the same metro line as their house, and Tony was entertaining the idea of taking the train to work, at least until they got a second car, or they saw their first snow.
Paris with its easy public transport had spoilt him.
"We've been in the car for ages," Tali whined. "Forever and ever."
"It's been twenty-five minutes," Tony reasoned, knowing it was futile to try and reason with a hungry Tali. "We were in the car longer when Uncle Jimmy picked us up from the airport."
Through the grapevine, Tony had heard there had been a rather intense drawing of straws to see who would get to pick up the three of them from the airport. The winner was the one who got to pick the little family up.
Everyone was so excited to see them.
They had come home to so much love.
"I was asleep then," Tali retorted.
Tony remembered the journey from the airport to the Air BnB near the house, he remembered Tali sitting in Tori's booster seat, and her little snores filling the car.
Jimmy had talked a mile a minute, wanting to organise a play date between the two girls, and talking about all the great parks near the new house.
Tony had looked at Ziva through the rear view mirror. Ziva's hand on Tali's as Tali slept, and that soft smile on her tired face.
We're home, she had said with a nod. We made the right choice.
"We are nearly there," Ziva offered. "And, when we get there you can play with Odette's dog."
Ziva braked harshly, and Tony held on tightly to the dessert box on his lap. Ziva had wanted to make something for the desert, but in the ten days since they had landed at Dulles, their days had run away from them. They had spent a lot of time at the empty new house, painting rooms and organising the replacing of the deck. In the end they visited a local bakery that specialised in French style pastries.
They did not exactly compare to the real thing, but looked good behind the glass.
"Couldn't we have taken the train?" Tali asked. "I like the train."
Tali liked that she could get up during a train journey and wasn't constrained by the car seat.
Tony and Ziva shared a look.
"The trains here aren't like they are in Paris," Tony said. "But, they're much better here than they are in other places."
Tali frowned. She was such a city child, used to walking or scooting everywhere, and getting on a train or tram when they had to go far away.
"So, we're going to have to take the car everywhere?" Tali asked, folding her arms over her chest. "I hate the car."
The suburbs were going to be tough landing for their little city kid.
Tony reminded himself that even if they stayed in Paris, they would have had to have moved further out. Their apartment really had not been meant for three.
Their modest house felt glacial in comparison, especially when it was empty.
Still, he wondered if they should have spent twice as much money on a townhouse in the northwest of DC, not far from where Ziva used to live, which would be more city-like for Tali.
"Not everywhere," Ziva said, trying to soften the blow, "But. more than we did in Paris."
"I hate it here," Tali announced.
"You don't hate it here," Tony said, "You're just adjusting, we're all adjusting. It's a big change."
"I do," Tali said, as her face formed a pout.
Seven going on seventeen.
Ziva turned into a much quieter road, and Tony noticed that the houses were getting further apart, and he saw a sign encouraging motorists to check for horses.
He looked back at a sulking Tali in the backseat, and Ziva had been talking about doing something fun over the weekend, to give Tali a break from all the moving. They were so close to Rock Creek park now.
"Why is Ima driving?" Tali asked. "She never drove in France."
That was not strictly true, but Tony saw no point in correcting her.
"Daddy does not know where we are going," Ziva said. "So, it made sense for me to drive."
Tali's mouth dropped open for a second, Tony could see her trying to make sense of the information she had been given.
Some of the adults she met were just Ima's friends, some were just Daddy's, but most of them were both of their friends.
"Odette was a big help to Ima," Tony said. "She helped Ima come home to us."
Tali nodded again. That slow nod she always did, when they talked about the time Ziva wasn't with them.
"And, she has a dog," Tali asked.
"Yes," Ziva said. "She adopted a dog during the shelter in place order. Remember she sent the pictures."
A smile crossed Tali's face.
"Can we get a dog?" Tali asked. "We have a backyard now."
Ziva's phone started to ring, and Tony picked it up when he saw Odette's caller ID. They had said they would be there ten minutes ago, and Ziva was almost never late.
"Saved by the bell," he murmured, as he took the call.
Fifteen minutes after the phone call, the car pulled up into Odette's driveway. Ziva got out of the car, and moved toward Odette. Tony rushed out of the car to release Tali from her seatbelt jail. He watched as Odette walked up the driveway.
She looked every bit the innocent old lady. An innocent old lady with more contacts than Ziva and Gibbs combined.
Tali jumped out of the SUV, and moved straight toward the dog.
"Tali, do not be rude," Ziva warned. "Remember you have to ask before you touch someone's dog."
Odette stood a few feet from them, and took them all in. The dog took her place behind Odette.
"Oh Ziva," Odette said, as she moved toward Ziva, and wrapped her arms around Ziva. "I am so glad to see you, all of you."
Ziva hugged Odette tighter.
"Thank you," Ziva whispered, just loud enough for Tony to hear. "I am glad you get to meet everyone."
Tony swallowed thickly and watched as Odette and Ziva separated.
"And, you must be Tali?" Odette said, as took in Tali. Her messy girls. The tan lines on her feet. "Your Ima told me so much about you. I am so glad to meet you."
Tali looked down at her feet. Tali could not say the same. Odette was just another grown-up her parents knew, and her parents knew so many grown-ups.
"Nice to meet you," Tali said, remembering her manners.
"Your Ima told me you like dogs," Odette said softly.
Tali nodded.
"Sierra really likes people," Odette said, pointing to the dog next to her. The dog's ears pricked up, after hearing her name. "I hope you're ready to tire her out."
"Can I pet her?" Tali asked. "Please."
Ziva beamed, and crouched next to Tali.
"Of course," Odette said. "She doesn't like loud noises, but she loves being petted."
Tali's hand reached for the dog, and the dog was receptive to her touch.
Ziva offered her hand to the dog, and Tony suspected that both of his girls would start dropping hints for them to get a dog.
It was like Tali said, they had a backyard now.
Odette moved toward him, with a smile on her face.
"And, you must be Tony," Odette said.
"The one and only," Tony said.
"Ziva's told me a lot about you," Odette said.
"All good, I hope," Tony said.
Odette chuckled.
"She's told me what I need to know," she joked. "I am so glad the three of you are here."
"Me too," Tony said, as he looked around toward the cabin at the end of the property. He turned back to Odette. "I've been wanting to thank you for a long time, but thank you doesn't seem like enough."
Thank you would never feel like enough. Not to all the people who helped Ziva come back to them.
When they had visited DC over Tali's spring break, the focus had been on getting all the ducks in the row for their move, but they had still made time to stop in at the Navy Yard, with pizza.
Those pumpkin walls carried so many memories.
In the squadroom, Tony had finally met Kasie and Nick face to face. He had given all of them, old friends and new friends, hugs and thanked all of them.
We were just doing our job, Nick had said as he slapped Tony's back, leaning into the man hug.
Tony was on the other side of the job now, and knew it was never just a job.
Odette reached out him with open arms.
Tony leaned into the hug. It felt so good to hug indiscriminately again.
"Thank you is more than enough," Odette whispered. "Knowing that the three of you are all together, and have worked it all out makes me so glad."
I was so worried that too much time had passed, Ziva had admitted during one of their late night talks during the lockdown. That I had hurt you too many times.
"Still," Tony said. "Thank you. Thank you for being there for Ziva and being a safe place for Ziva to land."
Their hug broke apart, and Odette looked toward Tali playing with the dog. Those two were fast friends.
Ziva looked at him, and at his empty hands. Then she looked toward the car. The bakery box was on the roof of the SUV.
"I will go and rescue the desert," she announced.
Odette chuckled.
"There's one person I'll never get to thank," Tony said softly.
Odette looked toward Tali playing with the dog. This was one of those conversations that needed a bit of distance.
"He would be so glad to see this," Odette said. "The three of you all together, it makes it all worth it."
He had told Ziva the same thing in those early days, I'd do this a hundred more times, as long as we'd get to be together at the end.
"Ziva's still making peace with everything that had to happen for her to come back to us," he said.
Ziva had lit a candle for Adam on the anniversary of his death. Once Tali had gone to bed, he and Ziva had snuggled on the couch, and she had shared stories.
Tony turned toward the car, and watched as Ziva walked toward them with the desert box.
"I told Ziva to only bring the three of you," Odette said. "I have enough food for all of us."
"DiNozzo's don't turn up empty handed," Tony said.
"She's not a DiNozzo yet," Odette declared.
Tony thought of the envelope addressed to Odette, that was in the glove box.
"We're working on that," Tony said.
Ziva walked past them, up onto the porch, and through a door. Tony was reminded then that Ziva knew this house well, very well.
"You know, now that we've finally met," Tony started. "I've got a ton of questions."
"Let me guess," Odette said. "You want to hear some stories about my younger days."
Tony's face flashed red, was he that transparent.
"I have lots of stories," Odette said. "But, if I told you them, I'd have to kill you."
Ziva stepped through the back door, carrying a tray with lemon water in a pitcher and four glasses.
"Can you at least tell me how you and Ziva met?" Tony asked. "Ziva's never told me that."
Tony and Odette moved toward the porch. Tony quickly checked on Tali, who was happily playing with the dog. The dog followed all of Tali's instructions, and sat when Tali told her too.
"She could tell you that," Ziva said, as she poured the water into glasses. "But, she would still have to kill you."
Odette filled a water bowl for the dog. Ziva walked off the porch and toward Tali. Her sandals clapped on the wooden steps.
"A guy can't catch a break with the two of you," Tony said.
Odette sipped on some water.
"I won't tell you the whole story," Odette said, "But, I will give you a clue."
Tony took his glass, and sipped on the water. It was cool and refreshing. It was so good to drink something with an obscene amount of ice. The French were so much more restrained.
"I'll take anything at this point," he said.
"Red hair," Odette said, as Ziva led Tali and the dog to the porch.
It took a few seconds for Tony to click.
Jenny Shepard.
Now, he only had more questions.
Tony took Ziva's hand, as they walked toward the cabin. Tali was busy playing with Sierra on the lawn, and Odette was fine to keep an eye on both of them.
Tony's stomach had been stuffed, and ached a little. Odette had put on a grand feast for the three of them, most of it cooked on the grill.
Tony wanted a grill for their deck.
He also wanted Odette's potato salad recipe, but that was a family secret that she would never reveal.
"Do you think Tali meant what she said in the car?" Ziva asked, as soon as they were out of earshot from Tali. "About hating it here."
Tony looked back at Tali, who was doing tricks with the dog.
"I don't think she hates it here," he said. "It's like I said, it's a big change, for all of us."
He knew it was less of a change for him, but it had been a change nonetheless. Relationships needed to be rebuilt, and like so many difficult things, it took time.
"I suppose," Ziva said.
"I think she's had enough of all the admin and errands we're doing," Tony said, "Maybe we can do something exciting this weekend, we've ticked everything off the to-do list, right?"
The to-do list had been formed over their last few weeks in Paris, listing all the things that needed to be done before the furniture arrived. They had ticked off most of the big things like getting a car, and getting the back deck rebuilt, but little things kept getting added to the list. The en-suite drain was clogged, the grass in the yard needed treatment, and the garage needed pest treatment.
No matter how many walks to the park Senior took Tali on, this summer wasn't the most exciting for a seven year old.
"Something that does not involve too much driving, yes?" Ziva said.
Tony chuckled.
They reached the front door of the cabin, and Tony felt his gut churn.
"So, here it is?" he said, as Ziva reached for a key from her pocket.
"It is probably not exactly how I left it," she said. "Ellie has been using it."
When the cabin had first been discovered during the Morgan Burke case, McGee had taken some photos of the cabin and sent them to Tony. Tony had spent many a late night, studying the photos looking for a sign from Ziva, a message only he would understand.
At that point he just needed to know she was okay, or as okay as she possibly could be.
During those lonely days, one side of his brain was reserved for his worries about Ziva, and the other worrying for Tali.
Ziva opened the door, and let out some dust, and Tony took it all in. The sofa bed that Ziva had probably used too many times, the locked cupboard that he suspected held an arsenal of weapons, and the boxes that contained Ziva's journals.
The journals were why they were here. The plan was to take the journals with them. Ziva wasn't ready to destroy the journals, but wanted them to be close. There was a storage room in their basement, which would be the journal's new home.
The journals would be available for Tali one day, when she had the inevitable questions for her mother. So much would need to be explained one day.
Ziva eyes flirted around the cabin.
"You okay?" he asked.
Ziva sighed and wrapped her arm over her torso. Her left hand touched her right elbow. Something she did when the anxiety bubbled up.
"This place," Ziva said softly, "It brings up a lot of things. It was not so long ago that this cabin was the only place I truly felt safe."
Tony moved across the cabin, so that they were close enough to touch. He snaked his arm around her shoulders, and felt her soften.
"Thank you for showing me this," he whispered.
This had been a promise made during one of the many conversations they had in their first year back together, as they made sense of all that had led them to this point.
One day I will take you to the cabin, Ziva said one night in bed, I think it will help.
"I do not think I can stay in here much longer," she admitted. Tony could see the back of Ziva's neck getting red, a sign of the panic rising. "I think I will go back to Tali, you take as long as you need."
"I can do this later," he offered. "If it's too much."
Ziva shook her head. A few curls had fallen out of her lazy ponytail, and framed her face.
"No," Ziva said. "I think you seeing this will help both of us."
They had made a deal that Tony could have read her journals in the cabin before they took them home.
"Okay," he said, "I won't be long."
Ziva leaned forward and bopped Tony's nose, before walking out of the cabin.
Tony took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa bed. It creaked under his weight.
A sadness came over him.
Ziva had been so alone for so long.
Even though they were together now, Tony wanted to reach into the past and make it better.
Tony got up from the sofa bed, and walked toward the boxes of journals. He recognised Ellie's handwriting on the box, and lifted the lid. He tried to ignore the discomfort he had knowing that Ellie had read every single word, and theoretically knew the woman Tony was going to marry better than Tony did,
Tony picked up the first journal, and noticed there was a piece of fabric among the notebooks. Tony picked it up, and saw it was an OSU hoodie.
One of his OSU hoodies.
The OSU hoodie that he had lent Ziva when they discovered they would be sharing a hotel room in Paris. Ziva got cold when she slept. She had never returned it to him.
Tony picked it up, and held it to his face. It smelt musty.
He could imagine Ziva hiding out in this little cabin wrapped in his hoodie, needing him to be close.
The sadness washed over him again. There had been so much pain.
Yet, here they were on the other side of it.
Tony placed the hoodie on the desk, and Tony started to rifle through the box, and picked up one of the journals.
The first journal was in Hebrew, from Ziva's early days in the team.
Tony picked up another one, and found this was in English. It was dated from the summer when Gibbs was in Mexico.
These movie nights are so easy. I know Tony is coming here for comfort, but I find myself looking forward to these Tuesday's together.
He is a good team leader, I wish he would realise that.
That summer came back to him. Ziva's Silver Spring apartment, with that huge plant in her doorway. The piano behind her dining table, she had never explained to him how exactly she had come to have it in her home.
Those nights where they fell into bed, and then pretended nothing had happened the next day, as they took photos at crime scenes.
Tony closed the journal and slid it into the box.
He picked up another one, and opened the book in the middle. This one was dated during the Port to Port killer case.
Ray is a good man. He is nice. He understands my work. But, it does not feel right. Maybe this is all I should expect, after all I have done.
Tony's heart broke again.
They had wasted so much time.
If only he had manned up, and told her how he felt.
Tony flicked through the journal backwards, catching glimpses of Ziva's words.
There is always another monster. Each one we fight seems to take a little more from me.
Tony sucked in a deep breath. His chest ached.
He wanted to reach back in time and hold Ziva close. To protect her from everything.
Tony slid the journal into the box, and ran his hands over his face.
He walked toward the doorway of the cabin, he could hear Tali's giggles.
"Ima, Ima," Tali cried out. "Look at what Sierra can do. Sierra up!. She's so smart."
"She is," Ziva said. "She likes you."
Tony would have to listen to his girls gushing over the dog that whole ride home.
Tony stepped back into the cabin, and back to the boxes. He decided he would look at just one more before, joining his family.
Tony plucked out another journal, and saw the date, a few weeks before her father died.
We are so close. I feel these lingering moments. Every time, I think I know everything about him, he surprises me.
Yet, still I feel I do not deserve him.
He deserves someone who is easy.
I will never make his life easy.
Tony closed the journal, and looked up at the ceiling.
His life did not make sense without her.
A shadow filled the cabin, and Tony turned to see who was joining him.
Ziva stood in the doorway, she moved her sunglasses up onto her forehead. There were grass stains on her pants, the pants she had in three colours and wore like a uniform in the warmer months.
"I wanted to see if you needed help," Ziva said, as she stepped into the cabin. "The boxes are heavy."
The weight wasn't just physical.
Tony moved toward her, and they met in the middle of the room. He wrapped his arms around her. He needed to hold her close.
"Did you read them?" he asked.
He noticed the redness in her eyes.
"A little," he said. "It's a lot."
Ziva looked away from him, and toward the box on the desk.
"Yes," she said. "You must know I never meant for them to be read. They were just me making sense of things."
There had been so much to make sense of.
"I know," he said. "I do need to know one thing."
"What would you like to know?" she purred.
"Did you really think you didn't deserve me?" he asked.
Ziva stepped back, breaking their embrace.
"Sometimes I still think like that," Ziva said. "I thought like that a lot when I first came home. I know it is not the case. It is just something I have to work through."
She was using her therapy terms again.
"I used to think that," Tony said. "When I thought you were dating someone-"
"You were jealous," Ziva interrupted, reaching for her earrings. Her nervous habit.
"Well yeah," he said, "But, I also thought that anyone Ziva dates needs to be amazing. She deserves the best."
Ziva laughed. Her curls bounced.
"I have the best man," she said, as she cupped his face. "It just took me a long time to realise he was right in front of me."
Tony placed a soft kiss on Ziva's lips. It broke quickly, and Ziva looked into his eyes.
"I think we have about twenty minutes before Tali becomes insufferable," Ziva said. Tali had managed to eat two deserts after their feast, the French pastries and the pie that Odette had made. That sugar high was about to lead to a spectacular crash. "We should put these in the car."
Tony patted the envelope poking out of his shirt pocket and walked toward the yard. Tali was still playing with the dog, but the dog was tired. She laid flat on the grass, as Tali tried to get the dog to roll over.
"It has been a lovely evening," Ziva said to Odette, as they sat on the porch. "When we set up the house, we should have you over."
"I'll have to bring the dog or Tali will never forgive me," Odette joked.
"She wants a dog," Ziva said. "Maybe, it is something we can look into when we are more settled. Next year she will be eight. Eight is a good age to learn responsibility."
Eight was going to be a hard age for Tali's parents.
Tony's world had fallen apart at eight.
Eight had been that last birthday Kelly Gibbs' got to have.
Eight was halfway through Tali's namesakes too short life.
Tony stepped onto the porch, and took the seat next to Ziva. Odette smiled at him.
"Did it help?" Odette asked, as she looked toward the cabin.
"It did," Tony said softly. "It helped me make sense of some things."
Ziva reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
"I'm going to paint it," Odette said. "Ellie keeps referring to it as Ziva's cabin, she's having a hard time seeing it as hers. A room of her own."
Just like when Ellie first took over the desk, and she felt too small for her boots.
"I think that is good," Ziva said, "A fresh start."
Tony turned to Ziva.
"Have you given Tali the ten minute warning?' he asked.
Tali did better when she was warned that her fun was going to end.
"Yes," Ziva said, "She is not happy."
"She's exhausted Sierra," Odettte said. "We're supposed to be living out our retirements here. It's been a lot of excitement for her."
"For both of them," Ziva said, as she looked out at Tali playing with the dog.
Tony plucked the envelope from his pocket, and slid it across to Odette.
"What is this?" Odette asked.
"Open it," Ziva commanded.
Odette opened the envelope carefully and slid out a card.
"A wedding invitation," Odette said, as she exclaimed the card. "You two have been busy."
"Well according to our daughter we have been engaged forever," Tony said, "And, a lot of people will say it took us long enough."
Odette studied the invitation, it was one Tony had made from a picture Tali had drawn of her parents getting married, he had scanned the picture and overlapped it with details of the ceremony that was to take place in their backyard.
"It is just something small," Ziva said, as Odette studied the invitation. "In our yard, and after the high holidays. We wanted to do something before it gets too cold. It will be very casual. We should probably extend the invitation to Sierra too. I know Tali would like that, and the other children we have invited would probably like that."
Tony could easily see Tali, Tori and the McTwins crowded around the dog in their best clothes, trying to get the dog to do tricks, while the grown ups toasted the happy couple.
"You're the second person we've given an invite to," Tony said. "We want to do it in person. We only got the Rabbi on board yesterday."
Odette smiled, and Tony could see her eyes were glassy.
Senior had done the same when they had given him, his invite, as the three grown-ups stood in the kitchen of the new house and decided whether Senior was staying for dinner. Senior lived so far away, if he stayed for dinner Tony would have to drive him home. But, none of them wanted their evening to end. It had been so long since Tali and Senior had gotten to hang out.
Senior had been so happy as he held the little piece of card.
"You really want me there," Odette said softly.
"Yes," Ziva said, "You helped me get back to my family, and you should be part of this celebration."
Odette smiled, a wide grin.
"Well count me and Sierra in," Odette said.
Ziva got up and wrapped her arms around Odette.
Tony checked his watch, and looked at Tali who was lying next to the dog on the grass, and telling the dog all about her little life.
For a second Tony could see a similar scene playing out in their little backyard, with another dog. Their dog.
Ziva stood up and looked at Tali.
"We better get going," Ziva said, sadness creeping into her voice.
These summer nights were always over too quickly.
"Do you wanna be the worst parent ever, or shall I take the honour?" he asked.
Ziva looked at him, with an eyebrow raised.
"Best of three?" she asked, as she balled her hand into a fist.
"Paper, scissors, rock," Tony said, as he did the same.
Odette raised her eyebrow, and a slight smile crossed her face as she realised what the two of them were doing.
Her rock beat his scissors. Then his paper beat her rock. Then her scissors beat his paper.
He stepped down onto the grass, feeling the late evening sun on his shoulders. The dog had fallen asleep resting her head on her paws.
"Daddy says, I'll like it here," Tali stage whispered to the dog. "I hope he's right."
Tony felt his heart heave. They just needed to give this move time.
He turned back and watched as Ziva and Odette hugged again.
"Come on Small Fry, we've gotta go," Tony said.
The dog woke with the noise. She looked around the lawn, and quickly settled back into sleep.
"Five more minutes, Daddy," Tali whined. "Please."
Tony shook his head, but sat down next to her ignoring the twinge in his back.
The sun was streaming in from behind the tall trees. It was lovely here.
"Look at the cloud," Tali said pointing to the sky.
Tony leaned back, and laid down on the grass. It tickled the bare skin of his forearms. Tali moved slightly and placed her head on his chest.
A warmth spread through him. The same warmth that always came whenever he held Tali close. It was the pure love that all of the parenting books promised.
The cloud Tali was pointing out passed above them.
Tony looked out at Tali's long legs, poking out from her dress. Tali had gotten so tall in the last year. Tony could hardly believe that the tiny toddler he'd met in Vance's office was the same person as the energetic kid in front of him.
"Dad," Tali started, she had started to use Dad over Daddy in the last few months, another reminder that she was getting older.
Tony wanted to stop time, right there. He wanted them to lay in the evening sun forever.
"Yes," he said.
"Can we get a dog?" Tali asked. "I promise I'll help look after it."
Tony chuckled to himself. She hadn't even waited until they were back in the car.
"Maybe," he said. "We'd have to talk to Ima, we make decisions as a family now."
"Ima wants a dog," Tali declared.
Odette whistled, and the dog rushed up and ran toward the porch.
Tony heard the crunch of grass under sandals, and quickly Ziva was standing above them, blocking the sun.
"If we do not go now," Ziva said, her suntanned arms on her hips. "We will never go."
That didn't sound too bad, maybe the three of them could lay in the sun forever. Not getting older. Not moving. Just laying there.
Tali jumped up, the dog was gone now, she was ready to go.
Ziva offered her hand to Tony, but he refused, pressing his hands into the grass, and pulling himself up.
"Ima," Tali said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Daddy says we can get a dog."
Tony stood up, and took his place between his girls. One hand held Ziva, and the other held Tali.
They were his family. He wanted them close.
"Did he?" Ziva asked.
"I said maybe," Tony corrected, as they walked toward the car, where Odette and the dog were waiting for one last hug.
Just one more.
"Maybe means yes," Tali said, still bouncing. "Especially when Daddy says it."
Ziva threw her head back and laughed. Her curls bounced. Tony laughed a little too.
His daughter had him wrapped around her little finger, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
A/N: I don't own a thing.
Thank you so much for all the kind reviews, tweets and faves. I am so behind on review replies (when am I not), but please know I appreciate every single kind word.
This will probably be the longest chapter in the fic. There's lots of little threads that will be picked up later.
The perfectionist in me doesn't love how Odette turned out in this chapter, but we know so little about her, it's hard to get her voice.
Also thank you to Misspatchesmom and Libs1709 on twitter who helped me work out where Odette is supposed to be living in the wider DC area.
Next chapter should be up next week, and we'll see things from Ziva's point of view.
