Sorry for not publishing in a loooong time, I've been super busy with school, exams and other things, I hope you understand. I'm going to try my best to publish more regularly in the future. Anyway here's chapter 4, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4

Ziva stood in front of the mirror in Tonys hotel room. She was wearing a long-sleeved evening dress that almost reached down to her feet.

" I don't know, don't you think it's a little too fancy? I don't think I look good in this."

She said, while inspecting her body critically. Tony, who was wearing a black suit and tie almost choked on the sip of water he just took.

" you won't think it's too fancy once you'll find out where we're going and just for the record, I think this is the best you've ever looked like. Not that you don't look good normally, for god sake no you look fabulous every day, even after you spent hours stuck in an elevator or on a stake out you still look like an actual angel. Not one of those Victoria's Secret angels, I mean like an actual angel. Well anyway, maybe it's just because I've never allowed myself to look at you like that before. God I'm only making it worse. What I'm trying to say is that you look absolutely flawless and that if there wasn't a toddler sleeping on that bed I'd throw - "

" Okay thank you DiNozzo, I think I get what you're saying."

Ziva interrupted him and burst out laughing as silently as possible, because Tali was taking an afternoon nap after the very exhausting trip to the park.

" DiNozzo? So formal now, are we?"

Tony teased back and walked over to the mirror to cuddle Ziva from the back. She leaned her head back and rested it on his shoulder, interlocking her hands with his, laying on her hips.

" It just feels so strange, knowing that this is just temporary. I mean we had so much time together the past years and we didn't make the most of it. All this time I just took you being there for me, us being kind of a thing, for granted and now when I think of having to leave you I -

I don't think I can take this Tony."

Ziva whispered, her voice now serious with a slight melancholic undertone. Tony watched her in the mirror, she suddenly looked tired and pale.

" We made the best of what we could. Don't you remember those glances nobody else in the room noticed? those quick but intimate touches that lasted less than a second but calmed at least me down instantly? The tiny little lies we told to protect one another ? The many times I violated protocol because I couldn't keep my feelings as hidden as I wanted them to be? I think that was pretty much all we could've done, and to be honest, I loved every moment I've had with you so far. And yes this right now may feel temporary but what we feel for each other is going to last forever. I promise you, after all this is over, we'll make up for all of these moments we haven't had as an actual couple and as parents yet and most importantly, I wanna make up for these times I wanted to kiss you but ended up not doing it."

Tony said and smiled at the thought of them having a little apartment in the heart of Paris, living together as a happy little family.

Ziva stepped out of the taxi, lifting her black dress gently so it wouldn't touch the rather dusty floor. For a moment she was pulled back to an undercover op she had with the team and Michelle Lee a couple of years ago, when they were trying to investigate a VIP night club. Ziva did not know exactly where she was, she had to promise Tony not to look out the window the whole ride, but she had a vague idea of what he could've planned. She didn't know if she could take it in if it actually was what she thought it was.

" ta-daa"

Tony stepped out of her view and there it was: The Cairo opera house.

Ziva felt a sudden pain in her chest area and her eyes started filling up with tears. She could not explain all the emotions she felt, there were too many at once. She felt so grateful for Tony and at the same time she missed her sister and the thought of having to leave Tony and Tali hurt even more. She was overwhelmed by the fact that Tony still knew, he remembered a detail she told him years ago. Unsure what to say or do she just stood there, staring into his green eyes in which she could literally see her daughter in.

" thank you."

She whispered and softly squeezed his hand, resisting the urge to kiss him, because kissing in publicly in Egypt wasn't really something anyone would want to do, especially if they didn't want any attention.

Tony smiled and glanced in Talis direction, silently asking Ziva if she wanted to carry their daughter. Ziva nodded thankfully, even though Tali still knew who Ziva was, she acted distanced from her daughter. She knew that Tony would be the parent to be with her at least for the next few months, maybe even years and she also didn't want to get too attached to her daughter, as far as that was even possible. She picked up Tali while Tony paid the cab driver and together they walked towards the white majestic building.

The opera was beautiful, they were sitting on the podium, waiting for the show to start and Ziva felt like she was constantly switching between her memory and the present. Her brain was unable to feel that many emotions at once, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she looked over Tali to interlock glances with Tony. At that moment she knew that she had to do and give everything to protect these two, Tony and Tali were her reason to carry on. Until that moment she wasn't fully aware of hoe capable she was and how many sacrifices she could take for her family. She had lost her Tali once before and she would never, ever lose her again.

Zivas mind was still foggy when they arrived at Tonys hotel after a long but beautiful opera performance. She knew that staying at one place with Tony and Tali would put them into danger but Adam reassured her that he was still tracking the people trying to hurt her and her family.

Ziva kissed sleeping Talis forehead, tucking her into the heavy blankets. Tony was standing next to the window, watching them closely and smiled as Ziva turned towards him.

" come I want to show you something."

He whispered in her ear and took her hand, leading her out of the hotel room.

" wait - Tony, we can't leave Tali alone, it's too dangerous."

Ziva said, feeling her paranoia and anxiety coming up.

" We're not going far, she'll be fine and if she needs anything, we can hear her."

Tony reached for his phone and showed Ziva a baby monitoring app on his phone. She smiled, of course she wouldn't just let their daughter be alone at night. Ziva squeezed his hand and Tony led her towards the staircase. They walked up two floors and Ziva was kind of expecting what Tony had in mind, but when she stepped out on the flat roof of the hotel she was stunned. The flickering lights of the city and their reflection in the light gave a more beautiful picture of Cairo than she had ever experienced.

" you know I met Jenny here."

Ziva said, lost in thoughts about all the times she had already visited the city. It felt so different now and her Mossad operations seemed so far away like they could've happened in another life.

" It's funny, isn't it ? If I wouldn't had saved Jennys life here years back I would've never joined NCIS and we wouldn't be here together now."

She could feel Tony moving closer to her as she spoke, close enough for her to feel his breath in her neck.

" Well I'm very glad you saved her then, I couldn't imagine not being here with you right now. I can't even think of what I would be doing with my life if I hadn't met you. "

He said while

Ziva softly slang her arms around his neck and pressed her head against his chest.

" Do you think she still loved him?"

" who?"

" Jenny. I keep on thinking, if Gibbs rules kept us apart for all of that time, maybe they kept Jenny and Gibbs apart too."

" Maybe he made the rule because of her. I wonder what happened between them."

" I guess we'll never know."

Tony said, gazing over the city while holding Ziva in his arms. They just stood there for a while, feeling how close they were to each other, both trying to memorize that feeling for when they weren't there for each other anymore. Out of no where Tony distanced himself a bit, so he could look into Zivas eyes.

" marry me Ziva."

He said, his voice clear and strong but also vulnerable and full of love.

" what?"

Was the only thing Ziva could answer, her heart was racing just as her emotions. She wasn't sure if she understood right, did he really ask her to marry him?

" marry me. I know that right now this, you and me isn't your first priority but what if we look at it as a promise? A reason for you to go on when you feel like you can't go on anymore because if you really want to fight against those people, these moments will come. I promise you that I'll love you endlessly forever and I wont stop waiting for you, no matter how long it's going to take you to come back to me. I want to spend my entire life with you. Just you, me and Tali. And of course maybe a sibling if you want to. We can buy a loft in an old Parisian house, eat croissants every day and visit Abby on weekends. How does that sound to you?"

He softly spoke and took her hand in his. Ziva was overwhelmed. No one ever told her something nice and yet honest like that. She felt emotions she didn't know she could feel.

" yes! Of course I'll marry you. There's nothing in the world I would love more. I want to live in paris with you and eat croissants and visit Abby and just be with you. Being with you and our daughter is the only thing I need to be happy. "

She said, shaking. She took a short break, took a deep breath and felt how she started tearing up but instead of trying to hide them, she just happily accepted the fact that she was crying for the first time in her life.

" I love you, Tony"

She finally said and kissed him.

—

Ahhh this is all way too overwhelming, I miss them so much and i really hope they finally got their happy ending.

Let me know if you liked it :)