***
The next morning, my father drills me out of bed and explains to me what the plans are for the day. Seeing as Gibbs gave them both the day of for thanksgiving my father has organised two trips to see two different houses both in Georgetown. Ziva has a prenatal appointment in the afternoon which they both insist that I have to come to. I don't mind, but there's only so much lovey dovey I can take in one day.
"This is a lovely four bed house with open plan living down stairs" the estate agent explains to us before we head inside. Truthfully it does look gorgeous…my father really is pulling out all the stops on this.
"Nice large, front lawn, equally matched with a large back yard too" she whitters on. The three of us follow her into the house, as I'm the last one in I shut the door behind us. It's actually massive inside, a lot bigger than our apartment and I always considered our apartment to be quite big.
It's cream walls and carpets make it look very neat and pristine.
"Cream carpets? Dad? That will be fun once they're toddling around!" I laugh the image of two one year olds in this neat house.
"That doesn't matter…I love it!" Ziva says gripping at my father's arm.
"Don't you want to see the rest of it?" the estate agent asks.
"Yes, but I already know this is the one!" she says starring up at my father with a twinkle in her eye.
"But we haven't seen the other one yet…the cheaper one" my father adds.
"I love this one too" I say throwing a spanner into the works.
"Lets go and look upstairs" the estate agent says.
"Good idea!" my father says pulling Ziva along with him.
"…and it's fully furnished!" the estate agent says.
"Please Tony!" Ziva says.
"Ok, I can see myself living here, we'll take it" he says, the estate agent smiles and leads him off to the kitchen to sort out the paper work, leaving Ziva to play around with the remote controlled fire place.
***
About an hour later we are back in the car again and on our way to the hospital for Ziva's 6 month check up. The whole way there they chatter about everything happily. These two people thoroughly deserve this.
"So, how is everything?" the doctor asks.
"Fine, everything is great!" Ziva smiles.
"apart from my bank balance" my father jokes.
"…we just bought a house" he explains.
"Ah! Congratulations then" the doctor says.
"Everything is looking just fine, two lovely, healthy babies…how is your morning sickness Ziva?" the doctor asks. Ziva shrugs.
"It's pretty much all gone now" she answers with a sigh of relief.
"Well, I'd strongly urge that that really start taking it easy…you're line of work isn't good for the babies" the doctor says.
"I've been making sure she doesn't do anything strenuous…" my father says helping her to her feet.
"Good, I'm sure you've got everything covered, Mr DiNozzo" the doctor says, she turns and looks at me.
"You're going to have a big age gap then" the doctor says smiling.
The three of us look at each other and choose not to mention the fact that I'm not Ziva's child too.
It suddenly becomes quite awkward.
***
We're the last people to get to Ducky's house, Gibbs, McGee, Abby and Palmer are already there.
"Hey guys!" Abby says greeting us. I am stunned by the lengths Ducky has gone to festively decorate the place.
Abby goes to hug Ziva but my father stops her.
"Be careful!" he says, Abby frowns.
"Tony, I'll be fine…you're much to protective of me" she says hugging Abby.
"I have to be…I don't want anything to happen to you or our babies" he says. Everyone 'awws' Gibbs comes over.
"Ziva, when are you thinking about maternity leave?" he asks.
"I'm fine Gibbs, as far as I'm concerned I don't see why I can't keep working right up until my due date" she says, I burst out laughing when I see Gibbs and my father's place.
"I would head slap you, but you're pregnant…please think about this seriously, Ziva" he says.
"I will" she says, "But now, we're here to celebrate" she says changing the subject.
"Dinner is served!" Ducky calls, emerging from the kitchen still in an apron that says 'what's up doc?' on the front. He ushers us all into the dinning room and sits us down to a fabulous feast.
"Wine anyone?" he says.
"I'll just have orange juice please, Ducky" Ziva says.
"So how's pregnant life, Ziva?" Abby asks.
"What? Apart from the aching back, swollen feet and weird cravings? Everything is good, thanks"
"They bought a house today" I say through a mouthful of turkey. Everyone gasps and conversation ripples around the table.
"Are you going to have a house warming party?" McGee asks.
"Slow down! We haven't moved in yet!" my father says.
"When are you going to move in?" Gibbs says.
"Hopefully before Christmas" Ziva says.
"But that's only three weeks away!" Palmer says.
"We know, we just want to do it as soon as possible, that's all" my father says.
"What about the wedding? Set a date for that yet?" Abby asks.
"We were thinking June, maybe July…" Ziva says.
"Great! A summer wedding!" Abby says gleefully.
"Oh and do you want to hear are other news!" My father says barely able to contain himself.
"What?" they ask. I smile proudly because I already know.
"What colour presents to buy or babies!" he says bursting to tell the news.
"You found out!" Gibbs asks. "I thought you were going to wait" he says.
"We were, but Tony was desperate" Ziva says.
"So?" Ducky asks. The team sat around the table in silence.
"A boy and a girl" my father says before Ziva has the chance to.
"Thought of any names?" McGee says.
"Well, we'd love to name them after you guys but there's only so many names a kid can have" My father begins.
"We thought that for the girl, Rebekah Jennifer" Ziva says.
"and for the boy, Noah Jethro" my father finishes. I notice the slight disappointment in Abby's face.
"But that's not all…we'd Abby, Timothy, Gibbs and Ducky to be God Parents" he says.
"What about me!" Palmer says jokingly. Ziva looks horrified at the thought of forgetting about him.
"You can be honorary Uncle" my father says, I hide my smirk behind a napkin, Palmer seems pleased enough.
"You want me to be a god parent!" Abby asks tears in her eyes.
"Of course!" Ziva says placing a hand on Abby's arm.
"Thank you" she says.
Several hours and bourbons later the evening draws to a close. Ziva can barely stay on her feet as tiredness overcomes her and Palmer struggled to walk in a straight line. Gibbs offers to drive him home and Abby and McGee leave together. I make a mental note to ask them about that at a later date.
***
"I never realised how much crap we actually have" I say taping up another box. I don't know how my father has managed it but it is a week before Christmas and he managed to sell the apartment-we are moving in the new house today!
Ziva is pacing back and forth, bored out of her mind because none of us will let her pick up anything.
"dad, the piano man is here!" I say noticing the stocky man at the door. Above all the madness I greet him. Everyone is here helping.
"How on earth did you get it in here in the first place" Ziva says looking at the grand piano in confusion.
"With great difficulty I recall" the man says, I shake his hand.
"Paul, it's great to see you…Ziva, this guy got my baby into the house in the first place…you go and sit down and you can watch how he does it" I say gently shoving her out of McGee's way, he doesn't see her because his vision is blocked by the many boxes he is carrying.
"I'm not a child!" she argues.
"But you are carrying two" I remind her.
"I haven't forgotten you know!" she says. Paul laughs.
"You picked a hell of a time to move out!" he says scratching his head whilst thinking of a plan.
"Don't ask me, it wasn't my idea" I say, "It's far too stressful for Ziva if you ask me" I say.
"Bethany, you're sounding like my mother!" she tells me. My father passes her and kisses her lightly on the lips.
"I'm so glad your father found happiness again, Bethany" he tells me.
"Me too…so how quickly do you think we'll be able to get it out of here?" I ask.
"Well, judging by how long it took to get it up here…you never make my life easy you know Bethany!" he laughs.
"Well, it will be on the ground floor at our new place…" I pause, he stares at me, "…I'll leave you to it" I say.
About four hours later, the apartment is an empty shell. I feel like I'm living the last ever Friends episode. This apartment has been through a lot, if these walls could talk they would have a hell of a story to tell…
It's not a long drive to our new place…well, I say our new place even though I don't really live with them anymore. The 'for sale' sign has been taken down and all our belongings are scattered on the lawn, fortunately, it hasn't started to snow yet.
The guys help us shift all our stuff inside as my piano arrives. Paul sticks his head out the window.
"Don't worry Bethany, I took extra caution!" he laughs.
"You better had…that's a Steinway!" I yell.
It's all hands on deck for the piano being moved in. But praise the lord that Paul knows what he's doing. The piano is settled perfectly into place in the lounge within an hour. I bid Paul goodbye and the first thing I rummage for while everyone piles their shoes in the porch so they don't spoil the new cream carpet. It's so weird being in a house with stairs and carpet. Our apartment was laminate flooring throughout.
"Ah, you have your priorities right!" Ducky says coming over to give me a hand.
"Nothing beats a bit of tea!" I say polishing my English accent.
"Nice accent!" he says
"I'm doing a module in music theatre…we're doing My Fair Lady" I tell him.
"I could have danced all night!" He sings.
"Very impressive!" I laugh.
***
It's Christmas Eve and there are boxes everywhere. We have unpacked most things but left it now until the new year. We decorate the tree before we head out to Gibbs' Christmas party.
"Our first Christmas together…" my father says to Ziva.
"We have had many Christmases together, Tony" she says hanging a decoration on a tree branch.
"Yeah but not as a proper couple" he says. "I love you" he says, oh god…here we go! Ziva stops what she is doing and puts her hand against my father's cheek. They kiss lovingly.
"I love you too" she replies.
"Er guys, I'm still here you know!" I say trying to sound disgusted…however it all seems very romantic.
"Sorry, Bethany" Ziva says.
"We'd better go, or we'll be late for the Christmas festivities!"
***
When we get to Gibbs' house little snow flakes are starting to fall. Gibbs' lets us in and the warm hits us welcomingly.
The party gets into full swing and I'm surprised to see Tobias Fornell and Vance and his family there as well.
"Hey Toby!" I say to Fornell, I know how much it annoys him which is why I do it.
"Bethany" he greets me, "How's New York?" he asks me
"Good, I really like it" I say, Gibbs takes me by the arm and pulls me to one side next to the piano. I don't know why he has a piano, he doesn't play.
"Will you play for me? Please?" he asks, I try to resist the look on his face but I fail.
"Play what?" I ask. He shrugs.
"Something Christmassy" he says.
"You owe me…you know when you host a party, you're suppose to deal with the entertainment" I say.
"I am, I'm putting my faith in you to do it" he says. I stick my tongue out at him as I sit down at the piano…I've never played his piano before, it's quite different to mine.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas…" I sing, formulating the smooth jazzy sound on the pearly white keys beneath my hands.
Out of the corner of my eye I see my father dancing with Ziva, as close as they can get without Ziva's bump getting in the way. They just look so good together.
I'm glad he found her.
At 10:30, I have to be a kill joy and leave early. The parish that gave me my choral scholarship in DC asked if I would sing at their midnight mass. After many goodbyes, sober and tipsy I am allowed to leave.
***
I don't get in until gone 1.30am and the house is quiet. I check to see if my father and Ziva are back from the party…I peak through the door after contemplating for several minutes whether that might be a good idea. They are both fast asleep… I shut the door and head to bed myself.
It feels like I've barely shut my eyes for a second before my father shakes me awake.
"Wakey, wakey!" He says excitedly.
"Oh god! Five more minutes!" I slur turning over.
"Nope, not on Christmas!" he says.
"Leave her alone, Tony" Ziva scolds. He ignores her and whips the duvet off my bed exposing my pyjama clad body to coldness. I curl up into a ball.
"Oh come on…I've got presents!" he says running out of the room. Admitting defeat, I sit up and get out of bed and follow him down stairs.
We exchange gifts over breakfast. My father has bought several presents for the twins which are mainly little outfits which he went uncharacteristically gooey over when we encountered them in a store.
"Oh!" Ziva gasps sucking in a deep breath.
"What is it?" my father says rushing to her side instantly.
"I don't know…oh!" she says again her hands pressed over the stomach.
"I can't be in labour…it's much too soon!" she says in distress.
"Don't worry, they're probably just kicking in excitement because it's Christmas!" I say trying to be calm. My father is just running around like a headless chicken.
"Dad, just calm down" I say.
"Tony, please, I think they were just turning" she tells him.
"I'm taking you to the hospital just in case" he says reaching for the phone.
"Tony, it's Christmas day!" She says, "It's subsided now, I promise" she says taking his hand…that seems to calm him down.
"Ok, just don't scare me like that again!" he says pressing a kiss on her forehead.
"What are the plans for today…I never asked" I ask.
"Everyone is coming here" my father tells me "So you better get a wriggle on and get dressed" he says,
"When were you going to tell me?" I ask.
"Like you said…you never asked" he says with a smile. "I'm gonna go and put the turkey on and you…miss David will stay right there and put your feet up!" he says rushing into the kitchen.
Everyone arrives within the next couple of hours baring gifts and extra food for the day. My father, give him his due, is actually capable of cooking quite a decent Christmas Dinner, he's obviously been practicing his cooking since I've been away.
We sit down at the table for a marvellous Christmas lunch…just like one huge family, minus Palmer who is at his parents house for the day. We just sit there all afternoon laughing and talking and playing charades…I'm actually very good at the game myself…it becomes a battle between myself and Ducky but unfortunately the title goes to Ducky. My father is in a semi-sulk because he didn't even make it to the final. Ziva sees to that by giving him a soft kiss which seems to cheer him up.
The day goes very quickly and it's very late in the evening when I make everyone a round of turkey and cranberry sauce sandwiches before they all depart.
This is what Christmas should be all about, spending it with your family and those who you love…I think I would go as far to say that this Christmas has been the best ever!
***