Hello, everyone! I am soooooo sorry that it has been over a month since I last updated. I got fiftyshadeswritergal to help me edit, but then I forgot that I had not posted! Thank you for your patience! I finished my last exam yesterday so now I should be able to write a little more often! :D

Thanks to all who reviewed on the last chapter - Troubled-Angel-26, Hetwaszoietsals, HannaBananas13, his-red-head, MissShephardGibbs, Loads of Randomness, DS2010, Hawk, S, Patti Lipscomb, Fan, didodado, Suzy Q1068, Sarai, KrisShannon, and Guest. :D I appreciate your patience and hope that you are able to enjoy this one and the next which should be coming within a week. :)

Enjoy!

...

"Are you sure that you will be fine? Because I could ..."

"We're fine!" Abby insisted.

"Fwine!" Ziva echoed from Abby's arms. She had rainbow and ice cream rub-on tattoos on her cheek and her sheet of glittery stickers clasped tightly in her hands. She looked over Abby's shoulder at a bag of surprises that the Goth auntie had brought. A stuffed puppy was peeking out. He looked very exciting to the two year old. A container of fluffy pink and blue candy - which Auntie Abby had whispered was "cotton candy" and "don't tell Mama" - was hidden in the bag as well and Ziva wanted another taste. That tiny bit that Abby had sneaked her already was not enough.

"Give Mama a kiss and say 'night night!'" Abby coaxed.

"Oh, maybe I shouldn't go," Jenny worried.

"Night night!" Ziva chirped, distracted as she noticed sparkly gems on Abby's collar and began to trace them with her tiny finger.

"This might be a bad idea," Jenny continued to worry, leaning over and kissing Ziva's forehead.

"Just go! Ziva'll be fine. I'll take good care of her. And you need to have a night off from being a mommy," Abby encouraged.

"I can't take a night off of being a mother! I'm all that she has. I'm being irresponsible. I knew it! I should stay with her."

"All moms take a night off every now and then. You're a wonderful mommy to Ziva."

"But if I was wonderful I would not be leaving her to go have a night out!"

Abby sighed.

Thankfully knock on the door interrupted the cycle of doubts.

"There's Mama's date!" Abby cheerfully announced to Ziva.

"He is not a date," Jenny protested weakly, giving Abby a stern look to quiet down as she opened the door. Abby just grinned, smug with victory as Gibbs stepped inside.

"Abs."

"Hi, Gibbs!"

Ziva reached her arms out, excited to see her friend. Gibbs smiled and took the baby.

"Hey, Ziver," he said, tickling her tummy and kissing the top of her head. Ziva returned the kiss before he handed her, wiggling, back to Abby.

"Mitter Dibbs! Pway!" Ziva demanded. Gibbs shook his head gently.

"Not tonight, Ziver. Mama and I are going out."

"Out where?" Abby asked, brimming with visible curiousity. Gibbs just smirked and shook his head, a little more firmly this time.

"Need to know, Abs."

"What if I need to know?"

"She's right! There could be an emergency!" Jenny gasped. "Jethro, this is a bad..."

"We have cell phones and Abby knows our numbers by heart - don't ya, Abs?"

"Sure do!"

"Then have a good night, girls. Jen and I'll be back around 10:00."

"But that is too late. If Ziva won't settle that will be much too late to have to put her to bed."

"I'll make sure she goes to bed!" Abby protested. "I'm great at this. Trust me, Director. If I can handle a lab FULL of chemicals and evidence, a toddler is a vacation!"

Jenny took a deep breath and then her shoulders slumped in defeat. "All right. I will be back around 10:00. Call me..."

"...if I need you. Yes, I will. Now go have fun!" Abby coaxed. "Come on, Ziva, blow kissies to Mama and Mr. Gibbs. Do it like this. Oh, good girl! Those are big kisses!"

Jenny gave the toddler - who was happily copying Abby's demonstration on blowing kisses - a final kiss and then Jethro swooped her off to their first date night in a decade.

...

"Hurry up, Kate, or we'll be late to the restaurant!" Tony hollered.

"You said that we had an hour until our reservation!" Kate yelled back from where she was still getting ready in the bathroom.

Tony slumped. He just wanted her to hurry up so that he could kiss his beautiful fiancee. And it didn't help that although he was fairly certain that she would like the ring hidden away in his pocket, he really wouldn't know until he presented it to her at dinner. Because as nice as this secret engagement was, he was bursting with pride! He needed to tell the whole world how much he loved this special woman. He needed to show her that he loved her more than anything, even his check book. He had spared no expense for the ring while trying to stay within the boundaries of what she would like.

Oh, he could not wait until he could see it on Kate's beautiful hand and - even better - see that particular shine in her eyes that she always got when most touched and happy. When he was the one putting that look into her eyes, she was the most gorgeous woman on earth.

...

"So, what should we do first, Ziva?" Abby asked the toddler who was looking at the closed door with wide, confused eyes. Her lower lip trembled a little.

"Mama?" she asked as she pointed to the door.

"No, Auntie Abby's here to play with you! Mama has to go ... help Mr. Gibbs! You like helping, right? Helping's good! And I'm helping Mama by helping you have fun, so you can help everyone in this situation by having a fun time. Do you think that you can do that?"

Ziva blinked in confusion. Abby smiled and continued with her line of encouragement.

"You can? Great! What a wonderful helper! I'm so lucky to have you helping me tonight!"

Ziva was now even more thoroughly confused but Abby was right about one thing - she loved being a helper. And if she was correct, somewhere in that jumble of words was also the word "fun". Crying for Mama could wait for a bit.

"Yummy?" she asked, pointing to the bag hiding the cotton candy.

"Oh, you want some more candy? What a good idea! See? You're already being such a good helper!" Abby encouraged as she set the tot down on the sofa and retrieved the container of pure sugar. She took off the lid. "Now, pink or blue?"

"Pink an bwue!"

"Good idea! I like that attitude. I think that I'll join you if you don't mind? Then maybe we'll go get some supper."

...

I hope that you enjoy! I will be posting again soon!

Lots of love! MM