Tony walked through the gate of the metro station, and slid his metrocard into his pocket. It was the first full week of September, and Tony found himself rolling up his shirtsleeves when outside, while also taking a jacket with him when he left home each morning, because the mornings had a chill on them of late.
His backpack bounced on his back, Tony was too cool to use both straps, and he walked out of the station, feeling good that he had walked to and from the station every day since starting work.
It had only been two days, but Tony still metaphorically patted himself on the back. The minute it got cold, Tony knew that they would finally get a second car, and he would drive less than a mile just to park his car and get on the train.
Tony cut through the car park, weaving through the cars that were set to be parked for many more hours, because their owners had much more demanding jobs.
He reached the grass verge and moved onto the sidewalk. The sidewalk was busy with the afternoon rush. One little girl was wearing a tutu and scooting down the street, while her caregiver pushed a stroller down the street, and tried to keep a dog under control.
Tony watched as the dog pushed ahead, and wondered if Ziva and Tali had already taken Lucy for a walk. During that last hazy week of summer between getting Lucy and Tali starting at her new school, the family had gotten into the habit of taking Lucy for her afternoon walk all together.
He liked the idea of it becoming part of their daily routine, at least until the weather changed. He liked the idea of holding Ziva's hand and asking her about her day, as Tali ran ahead with Lucy.
He turned the corner onto their quiet street, and watched as one of their older neighbours walked down the street pulling along her shopping trolley. A pair of young men, perhaps high school students, ran past Tony with sweat stains on their t-shirts, and then stopped to talk to the lady. The older lady wrapped her arms around the boys and the three of them chatted.
Tony caught sight of his little house, and felt a smile move across his face. After a long day, and a boring commute, he was coming home.
In a few moments, Tali would wrap her arms around him and give him a play by play of her school day, and Tony would listen with open ears, while trying to keep Tali's new friends straight.
Was Sarah the one who liked rainbows like Tali did? Or was that Maya.
All the fears that he and Ziva had carried through the summer had been unfounded when Tali started at the new school. Between Labor Day and Rosh Hasanah Tali was only starting her second week, but she already had playdates organised and many new friends.
With Tony's new job, Ziva had suddenly been forced to take on the role of Tali's social secretary solo.
Tony stopped directly opposite his house, and like George Bailey tried to peer in. Through the gauzy privacy curtains Ziva had brought, he could only see the outlines of his family. Lucy was on the armchair looking bored, Tali was skidding between the dining area and living room, and he caught sight of Ziva moving between the kitchen and the dining room.
You're a lucky man, DiNozzo, he thought to himself.
So damn lucky.
He turned back from his family for just a moment, to take a photo of the McHouse, which was currently undergoing a renovation in preparation for the McFamily to move in.
A renovation that, like so many, was going over budget and over time. Tim had asked Tony to take a photo of the progress.
He sent off the photo to Tim, as promised, and suggested that maybe the family would move in time for Easter.
Tim's only response was an angry emoji.
Then he crossed the road, picking his keys from his pocket, and feeling the bounce in his step.
He was going home, to his family. The last time he had a job he usually went home alone to an empty apartment. Even if someone did come over, it was never for long.
Lucy jumped off her place on the armchair before Tony had even put his key in the door.
"Daddy," Tali's voice carried through the door. "Daddy's home."
Tony opened the door, and Lucy bobbed up next to him. She got up two legs and jumped on him. Tali came and wrapped her arms around him.
They had only been in each other's lives for a couple of weeks, and Lucy had not been so sure about him, but now they were fast friends. Lucy loved cuddling up with Tony when they watched movies.
"Easy girl," Tony said, as he stroked her down. "Why don't you hang with Tali while I take my shoes off."
Tali stepped back and took Lucy's collar to direct her. They moved but not too far, they took their place near the shoe rack they had brought the other week after Tony had nearly fallen over Tali's sandals, when he sleepily made his way down the stairs to start breakfast. Despite their best intentions, they were not the type of family who took shoes upstairs every night.
Tony hung his keys on the designated hook, on top of his backpack. Next to Tali's bright pink backpack.
"How was your day, Small Fry?" he asked, as he opened the coat closet and hung up the jacket he had not needed.
He looked down at the floor of the closet, his weekend job was to somehow get the shoe rack into the closet.
"Good," Tali said. "We did crafts, and Maya wants me to come to her house."
Tony opened his backpack and rooted around for his reusable coffee cup, and lunchbox.
Then Ziva appeared, a tea towel over her shoulder, and a comforting hand on Lucy.
"She has been invited to two birthday parties," Ziva said, "On the same day."
Tony stepped forward, and placed a kiss on Ziva's cheek.
He could swear black and blue that she still tasted like salt water, even though their all too brief visit to the sea had been the weekend before Tali started school.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he stood awkwardly holding his lunch box. The leftovers Ziva had packed for him had been eaten up.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hi," he said.
For just a moment it was only her. No kid. No dog. No dinner in the oven. No lunchbox in his hands .Just him and her.
Then the dog farted. A potent fart that caused all the humans to cough.
"Eww," Tali cried out.
Ziva's face scrunched up.
"Well Lucy," Tony said, "You certainly know how to clear a room."
Ziva turned on her feet, and walked toward the kitchen laughing to herself.
Tali looked up the stairs.
"Why don't you go wash up?" he suggested. "Then you can show me what you did at school."
Tali looked back at the dog, and then up the stairs.
"Come on Lucy," she commanded, as Lucy followed behind.
Tony walked into the living room, and through to the kitchen. He dumped his lunchbox and cup on the counter. The dishwasher hummed. On one of the dining room chairs there was a basket of clean washing.
"Do you think it's something she is eating?" he asked, "Do we need to change her food?"
Ziva appeared from behind the fridge door with some tomatoes, and closed the door.
"I think Tali might have shared her after school snack with Lucy," Ziva announced, "And it seems that Lucy's tummy does not do so well with cream cheese and carrots."
Tony felt a laugh ripple through him. Ziva joined him.
"Well at least Tali isn't trying to eat the dogs food," Tony said.
Ziva moved around the island, so that they were standing in front of each other. This time Tony placed his hands on her hips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
For just a moment it would be quiet. For just a moment it would be just them.
"How was your day?" they both said at once.
He felt a smile dawn over his face, and took in her dark eyes.
You're so damn lucky, DiNozzo.
"You first," she said.
"It was good," he said. "I really think that it is the place for me."
Tony had sat opposite a man who had been a cop for Metro P.D, but now had a bullet in his knee and wasn't made for desk work. The two of them had shared stories of their craziest cases, and found that they had a few cases in common.
DC could be such a small town sometimes.
Tony and the retired cop had talked about different career avenues, and in the end the former cop had expressed interest in joining a coding course.
As Tony handed over his contact details, and made arrangements to check in with the guy, the younger man had admitted that he had been struggling with his injury but talking with Tony had given him hope. His life wasn't over yet.
Tony was doing good in the world.
"So, there was less admin than yesterday?" Ziva asked.
"Yep," Tony said. "I actually got to talk to some clients today."
Ziva smiled. A full bloom of a smile.
"I mentioned to Darryl that we celebrated Rosh Hashanah yesterday, and he asked me if I wanted Yom Kippur off," Tony said. "Jamie's wife celebrates Diwali, so he always takes that off. So, it would only be fair that I get to take off my wife's holidays."
He would get Yom Kippur off, but would have to work the week after Christmas, as the non profit saw an increase in walk-ins, after Christmas jobs ended and other people decided they wanted to make changes in their lives.
It was a fair trade.
Tony had worked nearly every Christmas, when he was a cop, and could remember the stress that the season brought.
"It is not your holiday," Ziva said. "You do not have to do that."
"I know," he replied, "But it is yours, and Tali will be off school. I know Yom Kippur is a big deal, if I'm home you can go to services, if you want too. I can look after Tali"
Ziva squirmed.
In Paris she had talked about going to services again, not every week, but when she wanted to. But between the lockdowns, and some anti-Semitic graffiti, she had backed out. She did not know a congregation well enough to slip into zoom services.
But, here it would be different. She could go back to a synagogue she had been before.
"Maybe," Ziva said. "If you can get the time off it would be nice to have you here."
Tony nodded.
"I'll talk to Darryl tomorrow," Tony said. "You know I don't really remember you going to services when we both worked at NCIS."
Ziva looked away from him.
She had been more quiet about her faith when they all worked together. Hanukkah would get a mention merely because of its proximity to Christmas, and once she brought cookies into work for Purim, but other than that she kept her religious life private.
"There was always a bad guy to catch," she said, "And, I know it is a cliche but since having Tali I feel more pulled to some of the traditions and things I grew up with. Seeing things through her eyes has renewed things for me."
Tony nodded.
He too found himself reaching and reconfiguring traditions now that they had Tali. Christmas was a big deal now. There were so many movies that he had seen again for the first time through Tali's eyes.
"Do they think I am your wife?" she asked. "At your job."
Tony still had a bare finger, but only for another two weeks.
"Yeah," he said. "I didn't see the point in correcting them. In two weeks it'll be moot."
Ziva looked at him, and a smile crossed her face.
"It will," she purred.
"I figure we're too enmeshed for you to pull a runaway bride," he said.
Tony had already had a runaway bride, but things had worked out in the end.
He knew himself now, he knew that at the first whiff of trouble with Wendy, the first hard day, he would have been looking for an exit strategy.
With Ziva, he took her hand, even when she tried to push him away, and they faced the waves together.
"The wedding is a formality, yes?" she said. "No, not just a formality, but a celebration, of how far we have come."
And, boy did they deserve a celebration.
They had finally gotten to this point.
Finally.
"It's gonna be a great party," he said.
His arms ached from holding her, but he wouldn't let go.
"Speaking of parties, Talis has been invited to two, right?" he asked. "On the same day."
"Not just any day," Ziva said, "A very special day."
Tony felt a laugh roll through him.
"Well aren't we just the worst parents for daring to get married one on of the bigger days on our daughter's social calendar," he said, as they started to separate.
Ziva smiled.
"Thankfully," she said delicately, "She understands her prior commitment. I said we could organise some play dates next month."
Ziva stepped back, and took her space behind the kitchen counter, and started to chop vegetables.
"We have also been invited to an interfaith families play date," Ziva reported. "It is on the second Sunday of October.."
Tali's Jewish school, chosen for its small class sizes and proximity to the house, had a surprising number of interfaith families, who were connected on social media.
"I'd like to go to that," he said.
Ziva chopped the tomatoes in half, and put them in the salad.
"Well look at us being all suburban," Tony said.
"It is good, no?" she said, as she placed a cucumber on the chopping board and started chopping.
Her knife work had always been impressive.
"Yeah," he said. "It is."
They would be the type of people who took leftovers for lunch, and went to play dates in the neighbourhood.
So normal.
"So, how was your day?" he asked. "It was the first day that you were home alone."
Ziva's chopping got faster.
"I am not Lucy," she said, her eyes on the chopping board, "I can be home alone."
"You know what I mean," he said.
Tali was settled into school now, and he had his job.
And, Ziva had the house, and empty days.
"In fact I am quite good at being by myself," she continued. She was not angry, but baiting him. "I score high on introversion."
He wondered when she had done a personality test, was it part of her father's training, or something she did for therapy.
"But, yes it was strange," she said, giving him something, "The house was very quiet when I came home."
That was something he had found weird when he dropped Tali off at nursery for the first time. For someone so little she made a lot of noise.
"But, I actually was not home that much today," Ziva said, as she put the cucumber in the salad.
It was Wednesday, which was therapy day.
"How was your session?" he asked.
"Good," she said, "I am glad I decided to go back."
It had only been a few weeks since her mental health had reached a crisis point, after sleep broken by terror, and a panic that lingered, Ziva had decided to make changes.
She took a higher dose of her anti-anxiety medication, was back in weekly therapy, and had a list of goals tapped on her closet door.
Tony liked to think that he helped too. That he was her safe place to land.
He knew Lucy definitely helped, Lucy was someone to take on those brutal early morning runs. Lucy tended to sniff out if her humans were unhappy and demand snuggles.
The dog could not be refused.
"We talked about the beach trip we took," Ziva said. "I really enjoyed that trip."
The trip had been taken the weekend before Tali started school. The beach house, despite being miles from the beach had cost an arm and a leg, because of how late Tony had booked.
Every dollar had been worth it, when he saw how Ziva relaxed when she took her first whiff of sea air.
Tali had loved it too, racing into the ocean as soon as she was allowed, with Lucy following behind her. Lucy had loved the water too.
He knew the memories of that beach trip would sustain him during a cold winter and frustrating metro delays.
"It was a good trip," he said.
He would always remember Tali's giggle, when Lucy shook herself dry. He would remember standing on the deck with Ziva, after Tali went to bed, the two of them huddled together, and the way it all felt so right. He would remember watching Ziva and Tali play in the water.
"We could do it again," he said, "It wasn't that bad a drive we could probably do it in a day. Then when it gets cold we can keep driving south until it's warm enough."
Ziva smiled a full beam of a smile.
It had been a good summer, who could blame Tony for wanting to drag it out for as long as he could.
His legs were still getting used to wearing long pants again after wearing shorts every day for three months straight.
"If we do it all the time it will not be special," she reminded him, "But, I would like us to travel more."
He and Ziva were staying at a local winery for a sort of honeymoon the weekend after the wedding, but that was only an hour away from home and Tali.
"We could do that," he said. "Leave it to me."
He had Tali's school breaks on his calendar, and thirty minutes each way on the metro to kill. He could plan amazing trips for his girls.
They could go North to the ski fields. Ziva liked skiing, and his Dad would happily look after Lucy for the weekend. Tali was big enough to learn how to ski now.
Or they could pack up the car, and drive through the night to go south, eventually finding somewhere warm enough.
There were all the cities they could visit. He knew Ziva would like the history of Boston, and Tali wanted to go to New York.
"I would like that," she said, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
She stepped around the kitchen island.
"I wanted to show you something," Ziva said, pulling her phone from her pocket.
He watched as unlocked her phone, and he caught just a glimpse of her phone screen. Tali in a sun hat, sunglasses and wearing a big smile.
She opened her email application and an email.
Then she thrust her phone in his face.
"Dear Ziva David," he read. "Thank you for your application to Montgomery College. This will be reviewed by our enrollment team, and we will be in touch to discuss the start of your education journey at Montgomery college."
Tony handed her phone back to her, and looked at her with a huge smile.
"You did it," he whispered.
The application had been started the week before, but Ziva had been holding back on pulling the trigger. She had not been ready.
"Yes," Ziva said, "It was time. I want this, I am going to fight for this."
He placed a kiss on her forehead.
"I am proud of you," he said.
"It is community college," she said, "They pretty much have to take me."
"Maybe," he said, "But, this is just the start. If you find something you like you can get some credits and transfer to a four year school. We're pretty close to the University of Maryland, and if they ever finish the purple line you won't even have to drive. Who knows you might even go onto a masters."
"You have really thought about this," Ziva said.
"Well I did like dating co-Ed's," he joked.
Ziva smirked.
"You will be married to one by the time I start," Ziva declared. "I may take a couple of the intense classes to get started, but I would start properly after the winter holidays."
He had read the college website inside and out, and knew some of the classes were offered as online block classes over a period of weeks rather than over a semester.
"Are you excited?" he asked.
She had wanted this for so long.
"A little scared," she admitted, "It has been such a long time since I have been in a classroom, but yes I am excited."
"You're gonna be amazing," he declared. "They aren't gonna know what hit them."
She shook her head.
"It is like you said, a start," Ziva said, "And, it is not the only new start I am making."
"What else have you been doing today?" he asked.
"I have signed up for a volunteer job," she announced. "It is just a few hours a week, but it will get me out of the house."
"What will you be doing?" he asked.
"There is a English as a second language conversation group at the library," she reported, "I am going to assist with it, be one of the facilitators."
"So you're gonna teach all these poor people your bad habits," he declared. "There are gonna be a bunch of people calling porcupines, porcu-swines."
She smiled at the memory. One of their first together.
"My English is actually very good," she replied, "And, much better than your French."
The passable French he had developed during those years in Paris was slipping away from him bit by bit. He and Ziva had talked about maybe going to Paris for the Olympics, and Tony knew that without practice, his French would be non existent by then.
"So teaching," he said, "Do you think that's something you might want to do?"
Ziva shrugged.
"Not children," she said. "I do not have the patience for that."
He would disagree with her on that. She could be so patient with Tali, but it was so different when it was your own.
"What about adults?" he asked. "English as a second language and things like that."
Ziva gave him a non-commital shrug.
"Maybe," she said. "I am not pursuing a particular career path, I want to see what happens after I start classes."
A whole new world had opened up for her, she would be silly to pick a path without knowing all the different journeys she could take.
"It's exciting," he said. "Who knows what you'll be doing in five years."
There was a crash from upstairs and both parents' eyes darted to the ceiling.
"Lucy no!" Tali cried out, her voice carrying down the stairs.
"I better investigate that," he declared.
"Daddy," Tali called down the stairs. "Ima."
"Coming," Tony said, as he moved toward the stairs.
He then stopped and turned back to Ziva. No one was crying so Tony could be spared for a few more seconds.
"Has Lucy been for her afternoon walk yet?" he asked.
"She and Tali threw a ball around in the yard," Ziva said, "But, no walk."
"Maybe we can all take her for a walk after dinner," he said. "I liked when we did that last week."
Ziva smiled.
"I would like that too," she replied.
"Maybe we could make it a routine," he said, "At least until it gets too cold. Nothing too strenuous, just a little walk around the block. All of us together."
Tali could take her scooter and rush ahead. He and Ziva could walk hand in hand, with his other hand on Lucy's leash. If they made good time, they might be able to stop in the park for a little bit, to soak in the last dregs of summer.
"Look at us being all suburban," Ziva declared using his words.
Tali appeared on the stairs. Her face red, and an urgent energy radiating off her. Seven year olds did not carry stress well.
"Daddy," Tali said. "Lucy made a mess."
Tony followed Tali up the stairs and toward the main bathroom where Lucy was.
You're so lucky DiNozzo, he thought to himself.
So damn lucky.
A/N:
I don't own a thing.
This fic originally was planned to be fourteen chapters, and then that blew out to sixteen chapters, and now it is back fourteen chapters. That makes this chapter the second to last one.
Pacing is always something I struggle with in longer fics, especially when there was such a short time frame covered in the fic. One day I will find a happy medium.
The next chapter will be the wedding. It should be up in the next two weeks. I bought a home late last year and the move is taking up a lot of mental space and writing time.
Thank you all dear readers for your kind words in whatever form.
