Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.

Tony was lying on the bed, watching Ziva put laundry away. She had been sorting out laundry for the past few days, taking stock of what they had, and what needed to be bought. Tony and Ziva were planning a road trip to Wilmington, North Carolina.

Tony was especially looking forward to it. The MCRT current case load have been a bit heavy over the past few weeks. Long hours and lots of paperwork meant that Tony wasn't getting home until after Tali had gone to bed some nights. Ziva had occasionally been asleep when Tony got home. It had been hard going. He missed his little bean and wife. A week in Wilmington with the family was exactly what was needed.

'Are you going to help me or stare at me?' asked Ziva.

'I thought you didn't like it when I helped' replied Tony.

'Tony.'

'Fine.' Tony got up and went over to the drawers, with zero idea as to how he was actually going to help. It wasn't like they were packing yet. Rummaging in the drawer, Tony spotted something that made him smile. He pulled it out and smiled coyly.

'Remember this?' he asked, showing the bikini to Ziva, who chuckled. 'You wore this in LA.'

'Yes, I did' replied Ziva, taking it from him.

'Why don't you bring it with you to Wilmington?' asked Tony, trying to sound casual and completely failing at the same time.

'Because Tony, it does not exactly scream family vacation.'

'No, it doesn't.' Ziva grinned at the tone of his voice.

'Besides, it does not fit anymore. My body has changed quite a bit since then.' Ziva looked at her husband. He had a cheeky grin across his face. 'I know that look Tony. I do not know why you want to see me in it again. You have seen what is underneath it. Many times, I might add.'

'Yes, I have' said Tony, the grin still on his face. They paused for a moment, thinking back to seven years ago, before so much changed between them.

'What do you think Jenny would make of this? You and me married, with a kid?' asked Tony, a little more sombre. Ziva smiled.

'I think she would be happy.'

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A commotion in the break room made Ziva look up from her work. She could hear the TV getting louder as someone turned up the volume. Going over to investigate, Ziva made her way to see the TV. It was a news report. A bomb had gone off in McLean and someone had died. As the camera panned around the scene, Ziva spotted a NCIS evidence truck parked nearby.

'Hey' said Meg, another admin assistant at Education Restart. 'Didn't you used to work for NCIS? Doesn't your husband still work there?' Ziva nodded slowly, trying to force her mind away from the possibility that Tony or another member of Team Gibbs was hurt.

Her phone in her back pocket buzzed. She pulled it out and saw that it was a text from Tony.

I'm OK. We're all OK. Teen boy died. Ziva let out a sigh of relief that Team Gibbs were alive, but quickly felt sad about the boy who died. Meg turned to look at her.

'Tony's OK' said Ziva quietly. Meg smiled and both women turned back to the TV.

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Ziva laughed as Tali looked at her reflection in the mirror. Ziva had bought some baby sunglasses and a sunhat for Tali, for their trip to Wilmington. The hat and sunglasses Ziva had used for Tali the previous year were now too small for her, given that Tali was now nearly one.

However, Ziva was now unsure if the trip was going to happen at all. With the bombing on a bus, and the pressure that the MCRT now found themselves under, it was starting to look less likely that Tony would be able to take time off at the beginning of June.

Ziva was disappointed that their vacation might be cancelled. Both Tony and Ziva had been looking forward to it. When they went away last summer, Tali had been so small, and Ziva was still recovering from childbirth. This was going to be their first proper family vacation, a sort of tradition that Tony and Ziva wanted to start.

But the moment that Ziva felt disappointed, she automatically felt guilty for doing so. Someone had died. A sixteen-year-old boy had felt like his only option was to kill himself. When Tony had told her about Bradley Simick, Ziva automatically thought of the boy's mother; how grief stricken the woman must be right now. Ziva didn't know what she would do if something happened to Tali.

'Eem-a.' Tali was trying to get her mother's attention.

'Yes motek?' Ziva clambered down to join Tali on the floor. Tali took off her hat and put it on Ziva's head. It, of course, fell off. Tali giggled. Ziva put the hat back on her own head, where it promptly fell off again. Tali giggled again, and crawled into Ziva's lap. Ziva hugged Tali tightly and kissed the top of her head.

'I love you motek' said Ziva quietly to her daughter.

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Ziva's phone once again buzzed. She picked it up quickly, afraid it would wake Tali, who was having a nap.

'Hey Abby' said Ziva. 'Everything OK?'

'No' said Abby, a very sombre tone to her voice. Ziva's instincts flew up. It couldn't be Tony. Gibbs would tell her in person, so what had happened?

'Abby, tell me. What has happened?'

'It's Dorney' said Abby, sniffing. She had been crying since Ellie had told her. 'There was a bombing in Cairo, at the hotel Interpol had their think tank. Dorney didn't make it.' Ziva sank onto the sofa.

'Oh, Abby' she said quietly. 'You alright?' Ziva asked after a while.

'Not really. I'm just glad that McGee was not there.'

'Wait, where was Tim?'

'On a ship in the Atlantic. He was escorting a member of The Calling.'

Ziva felt tears begin to well up. She had not really known Dorneget when they worked together, unlike Tim and Tony. But when they had worked together, Ziva found Ned to be kind, intelligent and enthusiastic about his job. Ziva's mind wandered to when Jenny died, to when Mike Franks died, to when she buried her father in Israel.

'Keep me updated Abby. I do not want to distract you all, but please keep me updated.' Ziva was worried that something would happen to another friend, or even her husband.

'Will do Ziva. Will do.'

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Ziva walked up the path, pushing Tali in the stroller. Tony was waiting by the coffee cart, like he said he would. He pulled her into a tight hug, and bent down to pick Tali up.

'How are you?' asked Ziva. She was glad that she was able to see him in person.

'As good as can be expected' Tony replied, glad to have Tali in his arms. He seemed so sad, but like he said, it was expected given what had happened. 'He was just a boy, Zi. A kid, no older than sixteen. It should never had happened.' Tony placed a kiss on Tali's forehead. The three of them sat down on a bench. 'Thanks for bringing her.'

'Of course. When's your flight?'

'Two hours. Iraq here we come.'

'Please be careful, Tony' said Ziva, quietly. She rested her head on his shoulder, Tony's arm around her, as they sat on the bench. 'Please come home.' She said it so quietly, that it was barely a whisper, but Tony heard her. He kissed Ziva's head.

This was not the first time Tony had to travel for the work since their relationship began or even since Tali was born. He had gone to New Orleans on a bioterrorism case, gone to LA after a prisoner escaped custody, not to mention Tony's flying visits to Marseille and the Kola Peninsula. But there was something about this case that was nagging at both Tony and Ziva's guts. That something was going to happen but they didn't know what.

'I'll come home, Zi. I promise'

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Ziva was in bed, reading when her phone buzzed. Looking her clock, it read 10.15pm. She picked up the phone and saw that Tony was calling.

'Hey' she answered, trying to sound cheery instead of worried.

'Hey Zi.' Tony's voice made Ziva worry immediately.

'What has happened Tony?'

'It's Gibbs. He was shot.'

'What?'

'He was shot, Zi. Luke Harris, the boy he was trying to help, shot him.'

'Where?'

'One to the leg and one to the chest. Hit his head as well. We're on the USS Daniel Webster. Gibbs is in surgery now.'

'I am glad you called.'

'Me too. I like hearing you voice.' Tony went quiet for far too long.

'Tony, what is it? Tell me.'

'I didn't have his six, Zi. I got distracted by Budd. Budd knew what was going to happen and knew that he needed to distracted me. I got played.'

'Tony this is not your fault. You did not know that the boy was going shoot Gibbs. No one could have predicted this.'

'You sound like Joanna.'

'She is right. This is not your fault.'

'Thanks, Zi. I'll be home soon.'

'I love you. So does Tali.'

'I love you too. Both of you.'

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Tony stepped off the elevator and walked tiredly over to his desk. Ellie and Tim were in the bullpen.

'Tony' said Ellie, getting up and hugging him. 'You OK?'

'Yeah, I am Ellie. Thanks.'

'Tony' said Tim. 'There's someone waiting in the breakroom for you.' Tony walked around the corner and saw Ziva chatting with Abby, Tali on her lap. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them.

'Dada' said Tali, happily. Ziva and Abby looked over and saw Tony standing with a big smile on his face. Tony walked over to them, gave Ziva a kiss, taking Tali from her.

'How are you?' asked Abby.

'I'm OK Abs. Just tired.' He bounced Tali on his knee, Tali giggling. God, he had missed that sound.

'How is Gibbs?' asked Ziva. Tony had escorted Gibbs back to the US after a successful surgery. Any links to The Calling and Daniel Budd had dried up in Iraq. The shooting had caused too much law enforcement and military attention. Any leads that might have been for Joanna Teague and Tony to follow had gone. Once Gibbs had been cleared to fly, he and Tony returned home, Gibbs having a short stay in Walter Reid Hospital as he recovered some more.

'Tired. Grumpy. Hates the fact that he has to stay in hospital but deep down knows that it's the best place for him.' Abby and Ziva chuckled.

'Sounds likes Gibbs' said Abby quietly.

'I don't think he would mind a visit though' suggested Tony. He knew that Abby would jump at the chance.

'I'll go see him tonight' she said, smiling. She bounced off to her lab, her pigtails swaying. Ziva turned to her husband.

'How are you really?' she asked.

'I'm fine Zi. Tired and I missed you and Tali like mad. But we'll get Daniel Budd soon. We've had worse situations.' Ziva nodded. That was definitely true. 'I think we're going to have to cancel the trip though Zi. With Gibbs out of action for the next few months, and Budd making the most wanted wall, and Dorneget's death, I think time off for vacation is going to be rare.'

'Unfortunately, I was thinking the same thing Tony. I know it is disappointing, but we can postpone, and Tali's too young to really understand why we are not going.' Ziva placed her head on Tony's shoulder as he draped his arm over her.

'Told you I would come home Zi.'

I've never been to Wilmington but it looks really nice and I want to visit one day.

Really enjoying season 16 at the moment as well. Some good story lines.

Life is about to very busy for me, so I cannot promise to post every other day like I have been doing, but once I've written a chapter, I will most likely post it (almost) straightaway.

Hope you enjoyed reading!