Epilogue: This Love Was Meant to Be

Fifteen Years Later

"Alana, would you please find out what is taking your brother and sister so long?" Ziva addressed her oldest child, who had recently hit her moody teenage years and much preferred to spend her days wrapped in her phone than with her family.

"Andy, Ava, hurry up!" The teenager shouted up the stairs, instantly putting her earbuds back in and going to sit down on the sofa. Ziva sighed, exasperated, and finished putting her earring in before taking the stairs herself in search of their other two children, who were, as usual, taking absolutely forever to get ready.

They were getting ready to head to Tony's dance studio, where his colleagues were throwing him a retirement party. Tony had gone early to help set everything up, leaving Ziva to get the kids ready and meet him there. It had been a very successful career for him since starting with the company all those years ago, but unfortunately, dancing was not a long-term endeavor, and Tony was much older than most dancers.

He often joked that he was having a lot of trouble keeping up on the floor now, although Ziva knew that he would miss it terribly. He'd done extremely well competing internationally, and although he wouldn't need to, Tony was staying on as a teacher and choreographer while retiring from the competition scene. He just wasn't ready to let it go completely. Not yet. Probably not ever.

Peeking into Andy's room, Ziva noted the ten-year old crouched down on the ground, playing with his tablet. "Andrew DiNozzo," she warned sternly, and his head snapped up from his game, "We are going to be late. Put that game away and get downstairs."

"Just one more level," he complained, and Ziva reached over and took the tablet from him. "Mom!"

"You can play later. Now where is your sister?"

"I dunno, I heard her yelling about something downstairs," the child shrugged, annoyed at having lost his progress in his game.

"Your other sister," Ziva responded with a sigh. Andy was his father's son, with the same rugged features and the same smartass mouth.

He shrugged again, and before Ziva could say another word, he ran past her and down the stairs, where she could hear him as he sat down next to Alana and started hassling her, asking, "Who you texting? Who you texting?" which resulted in a chorus of annoyed rebuffs from his older sister.

Shaking her head, Ziva made her way to Ava's room, finding that their youngest child was not there. "Ava?" she called, hearing only silence. Damn it, she thought to herself, this is not the time to be playing hide and seek. She peeked her head into the bathroom, finding that the girl was not in there, either. "Ava," she warned, more sternly, but heard no response.

She peeked her head into Alana's room, finding that Ava was not in there, either. At least Alana will not freak out at her sister playing around in there, she thought, then walked down the hallway and into the bedroom she shared with Tony. "Ava," she called again, and she heard the water in their en-suite bathroom run for just a second before turning off, her eyes narrowing as she rounded the corner and caught Ava in the bathroom, lipstick all over her face.

"I'm pretty, mama!" she cried triumphantly, and it took all of Ziva's restraint not to bury her head in her hands.

"You are extremely pretty, little lamb, but let me just fix that up a little, okay? Then you will be the prettiest, by far." She gathered the six year old in her arms, lifting her up and sitting her on the counter just beside the sink.

"Nuh-uh, mommy, you are the prettiest!" she giggled, handing Ziva the lipstick she had been playing with. Ziva tousled her daughter's hair, planting a kiss on the crown of her head, and then crouched down, grabbing a wet wipe and working on erasing the errant lipstick marks on her daughter's face. She would let her keep some on her lips, but the marks on her cheeks had to go.

"Mom! Aunt Tali and Uncle Seth are here!" Andy's voice bellowed from downstairs, and Ziva groaned inwardly. We are going to be late.

She leaned her head out of the bathroom, one hand holding Ava on the sink so she wouldn't fall, and shouted, "We'll be down in a minute!" She crouched back down and finished wiping the lipstick marks off of her daughter's face, then dabbed at her lips, so as to lighten the color a little bit. There was no need for her six year old to walk into a party with bright red lips, after all.

Ziva lifted Ava off the counter and set her down, giving her a little push and saying, "Run downstairs and see your aunt and uncle, sweetheart, and I'll be down in a minute, okay?"

"'kay!" the little girl shrieked, running forward and out of the room, shouting for her aunt the entire way.

Ziva took one final glance in the mirror, satisfied that she was ready to go and turning the light off before heading out of the room, running down the stairs to greet her sister and brother-in-law.

"May I have this dance?" Tony said dashingly, holding out his hand with an exaggerated flair.

Putting her hand in his and standing up, Ziva let Tony sweep her into his arms, but not without protesting, "I do not know … among all of these professional dancers? I am sure to look rather amateur," with a teasing smirk.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her lightly on the neck. Ziva shivered, leaning into the embrace as he led her in a simple waltz, allowing some of the other dancers in the room to show off their moves. Tony only wanted to show off Ziva.

The company held this fundraiser gala every September, and all of the dancers, their significant others, and several benefactors came every year to enjoy some great food, an auction, and – naturally – plenty of dancing. Tony had introduced Ziva to his new dance partner, a petite woman from Argentina named Mari, and as per tradition, she'd had to steal Tony away for just one dance, a simple exhibition number the entire company took part in, to rather thunderous applause.

After that, however, Tony had had eyes only for Ziva, with whom he'd been living for the past few months since leaving Vandenberg's. Eli had made no attempt to find her, and Ziva had found a job as a secretary for the time being, deciding to take a bit of time and decide what it was she wanted to do with her life.

Tony's arm tightened around Ziva's back as he spun her around the floor, and she laughed at the way he sang along with the music. "I have to tell you something," she said with a smile, and he raised his eyebrow with a smirk.

"That's funny, because I have something for you, too," came the response, and she cocked her head to the side.

"You first," she said, but he shook his head.

"No, you. I insist."

Glancing around momentarily, unsure if she wanted to be overheard when she told him, she leaned forward and said quietly into his ear, "Tony, I am pregnant." His arms left the traditional dancing frame and wrapped tightly around her, pulling her into a tight hug and spinning her around. He could not have been more thrilled.

He set her down and stepped away for a moment, running a hand through his hair. "I … wow," he began, a huge grin spreading across his face, mirroring Ziva's, adding, "That's incredible!"

"Your turn," she prodded as she felt his hand graze her stomach ever so slightly, his face beaming in awe. "You had something to tell me?"

"More like ask," he countered, then knelt down in front of her, holding out a tiny diamond ring. Ziva looked down at the ring, and then at his face, and then back at the ring.

"Tony," she gasped, her hands finding her face as some of the other people in attendance stopped to look at the scene before them.

"Ziva … marry me?" Hopeful eyes stared up at her, the ring still pinched between his thumb and forefinger. She held her left hand out, and allowed him to slide it on her finger.

"Yes!" she cried, then pulled him up off the ground and into her arms, kissing him hungrily, paying no attention to the sounds of the crowd cheering around them.

Despite Ziva's worry, they were not late to the party, and arrived at just five minutes before five, when the party was scheduled to start. Tony greeted them as they arrived, leaning in to kiss Ziva and whisper in her ear, "You look stunning."

Nearly fifteen years of marriage, and he still made her blush like a schoolgirl.

People would start arriving soon, though, so Tony told the kids to go sit down at the table with their aunt and uncle while Tony and Ziva waited near the entrance to greet guests, thanking them all for coming and joking about memories they'd shared at various points in their lives. Tony and Ziva stood side by side, their arms circling around each other at regular intervals, only breaking apart to give hugs to incoming guests.

Tim arrived with his wife, Delilah, who was very pregnant with their first child. "It's a boy!" she cried, as she gave Tim a squeeze, and Tony clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations. Tony and Ziva had attended the wedding a few years ago, but they hadn't seen each other in a few months, and it was wonderful to see that he was so happy.

"Wow, your kids have grown up so much," Tim remarked, leaning forward to give Ziva a hug. "How old are they now?"

"Alana is fourteen now, she starts high school in the fall. Can you believe it?" She said, a smile on her face as she shook her head, incredulously. Time had flown. "Andy is ten, and Ava is six." Ziva pulled out her phone and found a photograph, turning it to face Tim. "She just graduated from Kindergarten. Look at her proud face!"

Motherhood suited Ziva, and Tim smiled at how happy the DiNozzo family was. They'd gotten married only a few months after running off from Vandenberg's, and they'd wasted no time starting their family. Tony deserved this happiness, after having worked so long at the resort. He didn't know all of Ziva's history, but no doubt, she deserved her bit of happiness, as well. They suited each other.

Tim leaned in to hug Ziva, giving her a tight squeeze and trying to stop his eyes from welling up with tears. "Shall we?" he asked his wife, indicating that they should go and find a place to sit down. She nodded, and they worked their way through the growing crowd, stopping along the way to talk to other mutual acquaintances.

"I didn't know he had it in him," Tony joked after Tim and Delilah walked away, and Ziva smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Behave," she teased, a glint in her eye as she looked at him with a smirk on her face.

He wiggled his head, feigning offense, but said, "Okay," in a mock sarcastic tone. What a dork, she thought, then leaned in to kiss him. But at least he's my dork.

"I am going to get another drink, would you like one?" she asked, taking the final sip of her champagne and setting the glass down on the table behind her.

"Please," he replied, and leaned over, kissing her lightly on the mouth as she stepped away and toward the bar. She navigated through the people and tables in the way, checked on the kids, and then grabbed another two drinks to bring back to where Tony was undoubtedly chatting with more incoming guests.

Settling back in beside him and handing him his drink, turning to give him another short kiss, she noticed who Tony was talking to.

"Hello, Mandy," Ziva said with a smile, leaning in to hug her, and then leaning to hug her long-time girlfriend, Bev. "It is so good to see you both."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Mandy replied, adding, "Your husband likes to keep busy, that's for sure."

"Well, I should have a little more time to hang out now, seeing as this is my retirement party," he joked, and Mandy reached out to give him a light punch.

Catching the sight of something glinting on her hand, Ziva caught Mandy by the arm and held it up, looking at Mandy, then to Bev, and back to Mandy again, asking, "Is that what I think it is?"

"It is," Mandy confirmed, beaming.

"We're finally getting married," added Bev, wrapping her arm around Mandy with a smile.

"When were you going to tell me?" asked Tony, raising his hands from his sides and feigning offense. Mandy narrowed her eyes at him, and Ziva looked at him incredulously.

"Did she not just say that you are always busy?"

"Okay, okay," he said, a huge grin spreading on his face. He pulled Mandy into a tight hug, saying "Congratulations, Mand."

"Do you have a date?" Ziva asked the pair, and Bev shook her head as Mandy stepped back from Tony.

"Not yet," Bev began, "but we'll let you know, of course."

"I am so happy for you both," Ziva responded, a huge smile spreading across her face. Ziva and Mandy had become friends not long after she'd run off with Tony all those years ago, and Mandy had let go of all of her resentment toward Ziva for the broken leg. She'd explained that she was worried about Tony and initially blamed Ziva for ruining his chance at success, but once the audition had gone well and Tony had been offered the job, Mandy forgave Ziva for everything.

Mandy was practically Tony's little sister, one who had always wanted what was best for him, and she quickly realized that Ziva was, in fact, best for him.

It seemed as though there were not many more people to greet at the entrance, and Tony put his hand at the small of Ziva's back to lead her to their table, where any latecomers could find them. It was nearly time for the catering service to bring out dinner, and Tony caught sight of Tim's eye and pointed toward the kitchen, earning him an eye roll from across the room. "Stop it," Ziva admonished him, but she hid a slight smile behind her hand as she sat down at their table.

Ziva's eyes fell to an empty seat next to Tali's, where Rivka would have been seated, if she had not passed away suddenly nearly three months ago. It would have been her first trip back to the United States after that summer at Vandenberg's, and she had been excited to meet her grandchildren and see her daughter after so many years. Ziva's heart felt heavy, wishing she could have seen her mother one last time. Ziva had flown overseas and gone to the service, disguising herself by wearing a headscarf and sunglasses, but she couldn't grieve openly, the way she had wanted to, nor could she reach out to her sister for support. It had been hard, but Ziva refused to stay away despite the risk of her father seeing her and creating a scene.

Once Eli eventually passed, Ziva had decided, she would not even attempt to attend his funeral. Some wounds would never close.

Maintaining the relationship with her mother hadn't been easy, not with Eli's directive that Ziva be cut off entirely. Tali had had to write to her in secret, using a friend's address in order to receive her letters, and Eli had kept an eye on their phone records until Tali had moved out, as well. Stubborn old mule, Ziva thought, trying not to dwell on her anger, which, at this point, came and went rather infrequently. But Tali had refused to be deterred, sneaking around behind Eli's back to maintain their relationship and to help Rivka write to Ziva, for which Ziva would always be grateful. Still, losing her mother so suddenly hurt, and she would always be angry at her father for making it so she would never see Rivka again.

Tony noted his wife's quiet gaze and leaned over, wrapping his arm around her waist. "You okay?" he asked quietly, so as not to draw attention to themselves.

"I am fine, Tony," she responded earnestly, and resolved not to let her sadness about her mother cloud the occasion. There would be other days more suited for grief and sadness, but not today. As the servers made their way around the room, setting down dishes for people to enjoy, she turned to Tony and gave him a kiss, leaning her forehead against his and adding, "I love you."

Sensing that Ziva wasn't entirely fine but choosing to let it go, he gave her shoulder a squeeze before letting go of her, responding, "I love you too," before picking up his knife and cutting the meat on his plate.

"Ziva DiNozzo," the voice boomed over the speaker system, and Ziva stepped across the stage to where the Dean was waiting with a handshake and a "diploma." The real one would probably arrive in the mail in a few weeks.

"Ma-ma-ma-MOMMY!" Alana shrieked from the crowd, resulting in laughter from the various people in attendance, and Ziva turned to find the five-year-old standing on her father's lap and blew a kiss in their direction. There would be time for celebration later, but there were several other graduates to walk yet.

Stepping down off the stage, she followed the others who had come before her, stopping to have a photograph taken – one that would, undoubtedly, be ridiculously expensive to purchase – and then found her way back to her seat, tuning out the sounds of other names being called, to varied cheers from the audience.

She'd finally done it, after taking over a year to soul-search and figure out what it was she wanted to do, and Tony had supported her every step of the way, even as they juggled school, work, Alana, and later, Andy, who was nearing his first birthday. She'd had to take an exam three days after he was born, but it had been worth it now, to hear her name called as she walked across the stage.

Ziva flipped through the program again, locating her major – Women's Studies – and found her name, printed right there in black and white. Now that she had her degree, she could work as a Victim's Advocate and help women suffering from domestic and sexual abuse. Once she'd realized that standing up to her father had been her first step toward empowerment, it had been an easy decision to help other women achieve that for themselves. She couldn't wait to make a difference in the lives of women and young girls, and the shelter she'd worked at during her internship had already offered her a full-time position.

The other graduates around her stood up, and she followed suit, realizing that she had zoned out for all of the ending part of the ceremony. As "Pomp and Circumstance" began to play, she followed the procession out of the theater, smiling as she watched people in front of her throwing their graduation caps in the air, hugging each other, and carrying on in celebration. She suspected many of the younger students would have quite the party.

"Mommy!" a little voice called, and almost without warning, two chubby hands circled around her. Ziva leaned down and picked Alana up with an "oof," causing the girl to giggle. Tony was not far behind, walking slowly with Andy fast asleep on his shoulder.

"Congratulations, graduate," he smiled, slowly stepping toward her and taking her into his arms, careful not to jostle Andy awake. Brushing the tassel of her graduation cap out of the way, he kissed her on the cheek.

She blushed, although no one was paying her – or her family – any mind. Many other graduates were celebrating with their families, as well. "Shall we go?" she asked, anxious to get home and take the graduation gown off, run a hot bath, and then play with her children – and her husband – for the first time as a college graduate.

She set Alana down, saying, "You are getting heavy, pumpkin," and took her hand, following behind Tony, who had already started to walk toward the parking lot. As she squeezed her daughter's hand, her heart swelled with pride at the fact that she had a beautiful family, a college degree, and a future full of promise.

"Now there's one more person I need to thank in all this, and that's my wife, Ziva. Stand up, honey." She stood up next to him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist as she leaned toward him into the kiss he planted on her forehead. "Some of you know that fifteen years ago, I trained Ziva to dance with me for an audition that landed me in this very company after she – accidentally – broke my original partner's leg. Ever since then, she's been with me, through thick and thin, supporting my dancing and even taking a turn around the floor with me from time to time." He paused, and Ziva smiled, thinking briefly of the weekly beginner classes they'd taken together not long after Ava was born. Tony had acted like he'd never taken a dance lesson in his life and completely baffled the studio director with his talent, until he'd finally confessed who he was.

"So as today is a party celebrating my retirement, I decided that it would only be fitting if my final dance as a professional was with the person who got me here, doing the dance that started it all. Honey?" He nodded toward the dance floor, and Ziva took her place on the other side of the room. They'd practiced for several weeks, finding that their old routine came back to them easily even after all this time, and they were ready to show it off one final time.

Tony handed the microphone to the deejay and took his place on the dance floor, throwing a grin in Ziva's direction. She returned the smile, nothing but love in her eyes. The music started, and Ziva stepped toward him, letting him take her hand and spin her into the dance.

It was as if no time had passed at all, and they were still young. Although they'd spent time rehearsing again like old times, all of that seemed to wash away as the music played behind them and their family and friends sat by, cheering them on.

All these years, and she still felt a tingle in her arms whenever he pulled her close, her breath still caught in her throat as he gazed into her eyes and led her around the floor. Even with all eyes upon them, Ziva still felt as though she was the only person in Tony's world when she was in his arms, and as he spun her away from him and back into his arms, executing their difficult footwork sequence with ease, she felt as though they were engaging in their own special and intimate form of foreplay as they moved in tandem.

Finally, they stepped apart, executing the short portion of the dance they'd do separately, and when the music began to swell Tony turned to Ziva expectantly and she took her prep and stepped into his waiting arms and over his head, beaming with pride as he spun her around the room before setting her down, catching her expertly and gazing deeply into her eyes as she returned to the frame, letting him guide her through the remainder of the dance, completing one last turn sequence, and stepping back toward him and into the ending pose.

The room erupted in cheers and several loud whistles, and Ziva felt her face flush as she looked at Tony, who took her hand and led her in a humble bow, then pulled her toward him and into a tight hug, whispering, "Thank you for sharing this with me," and she knew he was not only talking about this dance.

She tightened her arms around him, feeling tears welling up in her eyes as she responded, "I wouldn't have wanted to share my life with anyone else," and kissing him lightly on the neck.

Pulling apart slightly, Tony turned to the deejay, motioning for him to start playing more music, then beckoned toward the crowd as a fun, lighthearted song began to boom through the speakers. Tony wrapped his arms around Ziva's waist and spun her so her back was to him, pulling her close and rocking her back and forth to the music as their friends began to spill onto the floor, moving to the beat.

The party atmosphere began to swell around them, and Ziva watched as people she loved celebrated throughout the room. Tali and Seth were wrapped around each other, swaying to the music and laughing at some inside joke. They lived together in Israel, but they came to visit at several times a year, and had taken time off especially for this occasion.

Alana was chatting with the son of one of Tony's colleagues, a cute boy who had apparently caught her interest, while Andy and Ava were darting in between dancers and taking turns chasing after one another, caught in some sort of game of tag with some of the other children in attendance.

Mandy and Bev had started a miniature Congo line, and Ziva watched with interest as Delilah coaxed Tim out of his seat to join in, smiling as she noted that whatever foot everyone else was on, Tim was on the opposite.

Tony noted her gaze, and laughed in her ear, murmuring, "He's absolutely hopeless, isn't he? But at least everyone's having fun."

She turned her head toward him, noting that he had leaned forward so that their faces were only inches apart. "Are you having fun?" she asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Every day for the rest of my life," he answered, leaning down to place his lips on hers. Sighing, Ziva leaned back into him and into the kiss, parting her mouth and allowing him entrance, a long, slow embrace. Breaking apart for just a moment, she turned to face him so she could kiss him properly, wrapping her arms around his neck and diving in, his arms pulling her tightly against him, kissing her like it was the first time, the last time, and every time in between.

"So there's one final thing I want to do for the party," Tony began, lowering his voice, as they sat at their dining room table, where all of their plans were laid out before them.

"And that is?" she asked, turning her head and leaning toward him, sensing he wanted to keep this plan quiet, despite the fact that all of the kids had gone to bed hours ago.

"I think we should perform the dance. The audition dance. One last time," he responded, reaching over and taking her hand in his. They'd danced rather casually together throughout the years, performing at exhibitions from time to time, but nothing terribly difficult since the audition piece.

Ziva's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you crazy? You cannot lift me, Tony, I probably weigh a ton after all this time!"

"Okay first of all, you do not weigh a ton, not even close. And second of all, try me," he said, standing up and leading her by the hand to the back door, inviting her outside with him.

"Why are we going outside?" she asked, though she continued to follow him.

"I want you to try the lift again. I'll show you that we can still do it, even after all these years."

"And if we fall? The kids-" he interrupted her.

"Will be fine, because we won't fall. I promise. Just try it," he said, opening up the back door and leading her into the yard, where they would have plenty of space – mostly overhead – to practice the lift.

"Okay, Tony, I will try it," she said, sounding doubtful, but she backed away from him, getting the right distance between them, took her prep step, and ran toward him, finding that despite his age and her added weight, he could still lift her with ease, and although she yelped with surprise as he picked her up, she found that he could, in fact, still do it.

He let her back down from the lift the same way he always had, and she fell easily into his arms, breathlessly looking into his eyes, which were shining with pride. "All these years later, and we still have it," he beamed, and Ziva closed the gap between them, kissing him hungrily under the night sky.

This is it, you guys, the conclusion to this story. I hope it has been everything you've all hoped for, and then some. Thank you all for your lovely reviews, so many of you have been with this story from the beginning and it makes me so happy to see your comments. This has been my first purely AU fic and it has turned out better than I could have hoped. I'm so, so happy that so many of you came along on this ride with me.

(Also, if I may indulge in a headcanon about my own fic for a moment – I believe that they actually got pregnant during that second smut scene, the one in Chapter 6.)

Until next time. ~Julia