Back in the Bullpen…
"Ziva is asking Caitlin's hand in marriage?" exclaimed Ducky, the NCIS medical examiner.
"She's asking without us there?" exclaimed Abby, the NCIS forensic scientist and all around happy-go-lucky Goth.
"No and no" Tony said. "She's "attempting" to, translation it ain't gonna happen"
SLAP. Tony didn't need to look who slapped the back of his head.
"Your lack of faith is disturbing" said Gibbs with a smirk as he sat back down at his desk.
"How come I didn't hear anything about this?" Ducky demanded. He was happily married (mostly) and would've been glad to help.
"Ziva didn't want anyone to know until she actually asked Kate" McGee explained. "We only knew because of a certain stool pigeon" McGee motioned to Tony as he spoke the last sentence.
"I would've let you know, but Ziva found out and…well, you can guess" Tony said, shuddering at the thought of that day.
"Hm, I can imagine" Ducky said. "The more people who know, the easier it would be to slip up and have Kate hear from someone else"
"Yeah, at this point, it might be doing Ziva a favor to tell Kate" Kensi said.
"You want to be the brave one?" Gibbs asked.
All was silent. It may be a good thing to tell Kate for Ziva. Ziva may one day appreciate it. It was a definite, however, that Ziva wouldn't appreciate before killing the squealer. If there was one thing you need to know about Ziva, it was never to test whether she'll carry out a threat. She will.
"Well, she's probably farther than I was when I asked Hetty" Ducky said. "It took me three months to get the courage to ask her"
"Well, we'll see if she can use any tips" whispered Abby. "Look who's here"
They turned to see Kate and Ziva come from the elevator, their picnic basket in Kate's hand. They chuckled to themselves when they saw Kate and Ziva were wearing different clothes than the ones they wore when they left.
"Well, well, well" Tony said. "Why the change? Done anything interesting?" The tone he used made it obvious what Tony meant. Normally, Kate would give him a hard stare and chewed him out for his perverted thoughts. Not today.
"We had fun. That's all you need to know" Kate said.
"So fun you lost track of time?" Gibbs asked.
Kate winced and began an apology, but the smirk on Gibbs' face told her he wasn't angry. He had little trouble if they were just late for paperwork as long as they were reachable, in case of a case. Gibbs' smile told Kate she didn't miss anything.
"Did Ziva do anything special?" Kensi asked, barely containing her excitement.
"No, she was her usual romantic self, nothing out of the ordinary" Kate said.
At that, Kate turned to Ziva. She noticed Ziva looked a little glum.
"Hey, Ziva" Kate asked. "You okay? You don't look well"
"Yeah, I'm fine" Ziva lied quickly. "I just ate too much"
"Ducky, do you have anything I can borrow?" Kate asked, turning to Ducky.
After Ducky told Kate where to find the antacid, she left to get it and drop the picnic basket back in the break room fridge. Ziva sat down at her desk between Tony and McGee, who finished looking at Kate's right hand. They shook their head at Kensi. Kensi did the same. Gibbs gave Ziva a good natured "Nice going" look, while Ducky and Abby looked at her with a sad smile. Ziva began hoping they wouldn't say anything. She should've known better.
"I called the church" Tony said. "We can get a great rate if you and Kate share the wedding with my grandson Jon and his fiancée Heather"
Tony suddenly remembered Ziva's warning from earlier: "Next person who makes an "Our grandchildren will be married by the time Ziva proposes" joke will not be able to produce the children needed for grandchildren" He readied himself for a beat down. The others were similarly ready for the other shoe to drop (Abby and Ducky were told about Ziva's warning). The only two things to drop were Ziva's head into her hands and her tears falling down her cheeks.
Ziva never cried, at least not more than a tear or two. Neither Tony, McGee, Kensi, Abby, or Ducky had ever saw it. Kate and Gibbs did, thought they never told the others out of respect for Ziva. Yet, here she was, sobbing. Kensi, McGee, Tony, and even Gibbs, who didn't joke as often as the others, instantly felt sorry. They knew she dreaded hearing their taunts, no matter how good natured they were meant to be. Abby, who never made a crack about Ziva not proposing (for which Ziva would forever be grateful) looked at Tony scornfully.
Ziva herself felt like a weak idiot for breaking down like this. She couldn't help it. It wasn't Tony's remark, though Tony was still a dead man. Ziva just had it: passing up so many opportunities to ask Kate wasted, her shame for being scared. Ziva hated herself at that moment.
They're wrong Ziva thought bitterly. I'm going be married with their great-grandchildren. She then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Ducky's face. She smiled a little. She knew Ducky was above the jokes the others made.
"It took me three months until I asked Hetty for her hand in marriage" Ducky said.
"I can do better" Ziva said, her smile gone. "I will take three hundred years to ask Kate"
"Don't be so sure" Ducky said kindly. How the others can make jokes at a time like this he thought to himself. "Do you want to know a secret?"
Ziva looked up and nodded, wiping tears from her face.
"First off, do you, absolutely, positively love Caitlin?" Ducky asked.
"More than anyone or anything" Ziva said.
"And can you imagine life without her?" Ducky continued.
Ziva closed her eyes and tried to think. She opened them.
"Yes, but it is a terrible, miserable life" Ziva said. She hoped those thoughts weren't a problem, though she doubted they were. Ducky's smile told her it was okay.
"Then here's the secret" Ducky said. "Don't think. Let your heart take over, because your brain is just going to find a million things that can go wrong. That's what stopping you"
The others smiled, though Gibbs was kicking himself. He should've realized it enough to know that was Ziva's problem.
Count on Ducky being the one to figure it out. Gibbs thought.
Ziva pondered Ducky's words. That sounded like her problem. She kept thinking about what Kate would say. She mostly imagined Kate saying yes, but thoughts about her kept creeping in about Kate saying no and, on bad days, either laughing at Ziva or hating her. Ziva vowed to try Ducky's plan next chance she got. Her next chance came quickly.
Kate came back, antacid in hand, to see Ducky walking away from Ziva's desk, revealing that Ziva's been crying. Distressed, knowing Ziva wouldn't have broken down in front of the team, ran the last few steps to Ziva and touched her face. Ziva looked at her.
"Hey, what's wrong, pret…" Kate started. She didn't finish as it's hard to talk when you're being passionately kissed by your lover.
Kate was shocked. Ziva may have given quick pecks in the office, but she never full-blown-passion kissed her in the office before her. Ziva definitely wouldn't let Tony get away with the whooping. Thankfully, Abby helped with that. Ziva broke off the kiss.
"Ziva, what…" Kate stammered.
"Caitlin, please do not talk right now" Ziva told her.
Kate stared in shock as Ziva took a few breaths. Ziva wished the others weren't here…No, no, Ducky said do not think Ziva thought. Ziva just breathed and tried to empty her mind. All her hopes of Kate saying yes, her fear of Kate saying no, the reactions of the team no matter what the response was, her very real fear that she could just as easily throw up on Kate (that last one was the toughest to get rid of).
Now, it was just Ziva, her treacherous nerve, and her heaving and howling stomach. No Ziva thought. She felt her heart, full of love and a desire to be with Kate. It was beating her nerve and stomach into submission. I can do this, I can do this Ziva thought. Then she felt her nerve and stomach winning. Ziva panicked, but it gave her a new resolve. She looked at Kate. To Ziva, Kate was the only person…no, thing in the room…no, it was just Kate. Feeling her stomach doing cartwheels, Ziva just opened her mouth and hoped for the best.
"Caitlin Todd, you and I did not get along at first. Hell, I enjoyed what days there were when you did not come in. Then, I got to know you. Your heart, your personality, your inability to take crap from anyone. I saw how you cared for your friends and I wanted that. You took a chance and gave it to me and for that, I am eternally grateful. If you had not, we would not be together now, and I would not have this feeling in my heart."
Ziva kneeled to one knee. Her stomach began churning. Fail me and I will punch you myself Ziva said vehemently. Her stomach calmed down. She gulped and reached into her coat pocket.
Kate and the others were shocked. Kate was wondering why Ziva was saying all that and thought Ziva got some fatal disease. At least, that's what she thought until Ziva kneeled down. Kate nearly fainted. She knew she could be wrong, but it suspiciously looked like… The others knew right away and were just shocked and proud Ziva was finally doing it…they think. Ziva continued.
"Kate, if I had never known you, I could probably have lived a decent life. Maybe I would have even gotten married. I do know it would not be worth not knowing you. Now that I have met and fallen in love with you, I can't imagine life without you. At least, not a pleasant one. I want to spend the rest of my life with you"
Kate smiled. She loved Ziva's bluntness sometimes and she sometimes hated it: this was a love time. Kate then saw Ziva's hand leave her pocket, holding something. It suddenly made sense to Kate about why Ziva was acting different. She nearly fainted again as Ziva opened the ring box and held out the ring to Kate..
Ziva was about to faint as well. As hard as she tried, she kept thinking about Kate's answer. Her stomach and nerve were messing with her, and the confidence Ziva felt was evaporating fast. Please, not now Ziva pleaded. She tried to force the question out, but her voice failed her. Ziva panicked and looked around. She saw Kate's face…and, without even thinking, heck, not even sure she said it:
"Caitlin Todd, will you marry me?"
The room was silent. Kate was dazed and couldn't speak. Then, she smiled, tears in her eyes.
My god, just answer, please Ziva pleaded.
"Yes" was all Kate said.
Ziva couldn't remember what happened afterwards, except Kate had to help Ziva a little put the ring on Kate's finger. Ziva could barely remember congratulations from her teammates and friends, the hugs and kisses from Kate. As everything settled down and everyone got back to work (though it didn't turn out to as productive as usual) Ziva was still in a trance and thought the whole incident was a dream. It was only when night came and everyone was starting to pack up for home. Kate tapped Ziva on the shoulder. Ziva looked at the hand Kate used and saw the ring.
"Where did you get that ring?" Ziva asked in a daze.
"From you. You proposed" Kate answered.
"What was your answer again?" Ziva asked, still in her daze.
"Yes" Kate said, tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face.
Ziva pinched her hand. She felt pain. She bit her tongue. More pain. She slapped her face. Again, there was pain. Finally, she felt a Gibbs slap to the back of her head. That hurt as well. Ziva couldn't believe it. Her stomach, which had been her enemy for the past month, was light and airy, like it was hiding butterflies. Her nerve was its old self. No, it was better than ever. If it was its old self, Ziva wouldn't have jumped on her desk, shouted "SHE SAID YES!" at the top of her lungs, jumped off her desk and kissed Kate like there was no tomorrow. Ziva had won, and she got her prize: a life with Caitlin Todd.