By the end of the week the team had solved their most stressing case. The daughter of the dead marine was found alive, but she was starved and had bluing bruises on her face. Gibbs had been on the edge throughout the week, do one thing wrong and his wrath would have been poured out on the poor soul; in this case poor Chris.

Tony walked through the doors to his apartment and flopped down on to the couch exhausted from the case that they had just solved; shoes still on and the bag still in hand. The team had hardly had any sleep; they would leave work late and get to work early. He had barley had enough time to spend with his little girl. Ziva walked out to the living room from the kitchen; Tali in hand. She glanced at the wall clock; 14:15.

"Why are you home so early? Did you piss Gibbs off?" Ziva wasn't aware of the case they working on, if she had she wouldn't have been stupid enough to ask that question.

"I'm not stupid enough to piss him off when we are working a case involving kids, sweetcheeks. We just closed the case." He sighed. He kicked his shoes off, dropped his bag on the floor before lying down on the sofa, cradling the cushion between his shoulder and neck.

"Kids?" Ziva asked as Tali started to suck on her fingers. She kicked her legs out in joy as her mother placed a little kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah, little girl kidnapped from the crime scene. Found her in an empty warehouse starved and bruised" he said his eyes closed. He opened them again smiling at Ziva "How's my little cupcake doing?"

"Well, less crying. I think it was because she knew you would come home at some point during the day" Ziva said. "Tony"

"Hmm"

"Go to bed and take your little cupcake with you" he grinned before getting off the couch and taking Tali form her mother's arms.

"She hasn't slept yet?"

"No. I just fed and changed her" Tony disappeared into their bedroom. No wonder Tony had been working non-stop for the past week, Gibbs usually gave it high priority with kids. She missed Tony over the past week; normally when he returned from work they would feed, change and put Tali to bed before curling up on the couch. They shared long and loving kisses, he would pepper her neck with kisses and the movies playing in the background would be all but forgotten. They both agreed the this was most intimate they could get; it was like before Tali came along minus the sex since she had only just given birth, it was out of the question.

It was just after four, Tony and Tali were still asleep giving her much needed time to catch up on reading. She was interrupted from the world of vampires and werewolves, suggested by Tony, when the doorbell rang. She sighed unhappily so much for me-time; she dropped Eclipse on the coffee table before going to open the door. She stood there utterly astounded at her guests.

"Shalom Ziva" said the first of her three guests the other two stood next to her smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Ziva asked.

"Look Ziva, we came here as your friends not as your father's protégé. Can we come in?" Ziva moved aside, letting the three come in. Her voice was sincere and kind, it wasn't so hard to fake that. But Ziva had known the three women long enough to know that they would never lie to her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked more kindly towards the three women who were sitting on the couch.

"We came to see how you were Ziva"

"Rachael, you came with Elon and Chaya just to see how I was" Ziva asked crossing her arms. The woman in question sighed and looked at the others before answering Ziva.

"No. When Officer Gidon returned from Somalia, I asked him where you were and he said with her fate. We heard rumours that you had yet to contact the head from Somalia and so I asked the director where you were. He said that…that you were dead" Rachael did anything and everything from looking at Ziva.

"He told you I was dead? How did you find me" she asked taking a seat on the single recliner.

"Rachael is now under Officer Gidon's unit, he came to America shortly after she was reassigned and Chaya found out that he had come to take you back. That is how we found out you were alive" Elon said.

Ziva was silent before she spoke again "Thank you…for remembering me" she said almost close to tears. She took a deep breath and smiled "Tea?" the women smiled and nodded. Ziva walked into the kitchen followed by her friends.

"So this is your new home?" Chaya asked as she saw opportunity to speak.

"It is." Ziva said as she switched the kettle on. The women spoke about anything and everything but over tea but Mossad, Ziva missed all the action but that didn't matter because she had a daughter and boyfriend who she loved very much.

Tony walked into the kitchen still dressed in his white work shirt and trousers. The women were covered by the partition wall that divided the kitchen and the living room; he only saw Ziva standing at the sink. He walked forward smiling, without warning he captured her lips with his. All three women's eyebrows rose in unison.

Rachael cleared her throat making Tony freeze. He turned around slowly to see three women standing there with smiles on their faces. They looked similar, all looked like Ziva but not as beautiful; enough to be Ziva's sisters. He smiled awkwardly.

"Hi" he said before turning to look at Ziva who was smirking. "Women of Mossad" he whispered, Ziva's nod darkened his features.

"My friends Tony, they are not here to take me away" she said just loud enough for him to hear as she caressed his cheek. He smiled before turning to look at the three women.

"Hi, Tony…Tony Dinozzo" he said shaking each of their hands. Ziva took in the look on their faces, the mouths were slightly open and there was a gleam in their eyes and she knew them well enough to say that they were undressing him with their eyes.

"Stop undressing him with your eyes girls…he is taken" Tony's eyes widened as the women laughed shamelessly, not even trying to deny Ziva's accusation.

"I'm going to go and check on Tali" Tony said, the women shared a look before turning to look at Ziva as Tony disappeared from the kitchen.

Ziva grinned before adding "Our daughter" the women smiled at Ziva.

"Daughter…really, the woman who said she was never getting married or having kids is now a mother" Rachael said unable to believe the words she was hearing.

"Well…seeing him…you can't blame me" the women shared a laugh.

"How old is she?" Chaya asked.

"Four weeks" Ziva said.

"Is he going to marry you?" Elon continued with the questions.

"He has asked me but I said no…not yet"

"But WHY? I would jump at the chance to marry that hottie" Elon said ever so seriously making Ziva laugh.

"For reasons that he understands" was all Ziva said. The women continued their small chatter when Tony walked in changed with a baby in his hand. Rachael, Elon and Chaya smiled when Ziva took the baby from Tony. "You want to carry her?" Rachael smiled and took little Tali from her arms.

"Is she not adorable" Rachael asked the other two, who crowded around her too see the baby. Ziva watched as they walked into the living room and settled on the couch.

"Why are they here Zee?" Tony asked just above a whisper.

"They are here to see me Tony, nothing more…they would never lie to me, they owe me too much" she said smiling, and stood on her toes to kiss him lightly. She took his hands in hers and walked into the living room.

"Did Director David send you here?" Tony asked; he wasn't so sure about the three women. Ziva sighed angrily as Rachael walked towards him.

"You do not trust us? We are not here drag Ziva back to Tel Aviv…if were here for that, she would be with us already" now she was standing nose to nose with Tony, trying to intimidate him. Tony laughed.

"If you are trying to use some Mossad ninja trick on me to intimidate me…trust me, its not gonna work" Rachael furrowed her eyebrows and turned to look at Ziva.

"Ninja trick?"

"Do not ask" Ziva said shaking her head. Rachael sighed.

"Listen Tony I understand your lack of trust in us, but what her father did was unacceptable. We have been her friends for a very long time. We would never turn our backs on Ziva"

Tony barked a bitter laugh "Is that why NCIS had to get her out of that camp…because you would never turn your backs on Ziva"

"Tony…" Ziva said warningly.

"We tried, without the support of the Mossad clearing team we would have been captured too. They were under strict orders from the director not to take on any course correction. Would you put your life on the line to save her?" this surprised Ziva, Rachael was now trying hold down her anger.

"Like I said NCIS had to do your job…meaning me, putting my life on the line to save hers. I would do it any day. Now run back to your director and tell him to get out of our lives." Ziva looked at Rachael, her features showed defeat.

"Director David sent you did he not?" Ziva asked. Elon and Chaya looked at their feet in shame; Ziva took Tali out of Elon's arms as Rachael stood her ground.

"No…he-

"ENOUGH of your lies Rachael, is this the thanks I get for saving your families. Leave and tell your director to fuck off" Ziva said the last few words with pure anger and hatred towards her friends and her so called father.

The three women had nothing more to say, Rachael led the way to the door before opening and disappearing through the doors followed by Chaya. Elon turned to look at Ziva with her family; Elon would never have that chance. "I am truly sorry Ziva!" she whispered before she followed the others.

Ziva handed Tony their daughter and her pacifier before marching off angrily towards their room and slamming the door. Tony jumped, and Tali began to whimper and he was sure that it was going to turn into a holler.

"They sure pi…made her angry didn't they?" he said, being careful not to use derogatory; which was little too late after what Ziva had said; with his daughter before placing the pacifier in her mouth who sucked at it with delight. "Let's go tell mommy that she doesn't have to worry because she's got you and daddy to love her very much." Tali just stared at him blankly.

He knocked once before entering to see her, curled up on the bed, tears staining her beautiful face. He gently placed Tali in the crib leaving her with a soft toy before making his way beside Ziva, wrapping his arms around her waist, which had gone down a lot since the last time he had wrapped her in his embrace; last week.

"Ziva"

"Have I gone so weak that I cannot tell a friend from a foe Tony?" Ziva asked still facing the wall.

"No, you trusted them with your life and they misused that trust sweet cheeks. You are still the strongest woman I know baby, you always will be" Ziva finally turned to see his face and smiled.

"I will never judge your gut feeling again!" she said before kissing him lightly. Tony smiled.

"You didn't, you trusted your friends of Mossad a little too much" Ziva snuggled against him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"You covered Tali's ears when you swore right?" he asked as he winced a little, Ziva chuckled.

"I'm not so sure, but if you call me 'baby' again…you will not be able to have babies!" she mumbled. Tony swallowed as he stared at her, who smiled mischievously. "I missed you!" she mumbled before starting up a full on make out session, forgetting everything that had happened just moments ago. Just when Tony flipped Ziva on to her back, Tali began her scheduled cry. Ziva groaned and looked at the bedside clock.

"She is hungry Tony…again" she said pushing him off her; Tony could only comply. Ziva got off the bed and brought Tali back to bed. "I'm sorry I swore my angel, it was not meant for your ears" Tali suckled at her mother's breasts hungrily. Tony looked at her and smiled, "Stop looking Tony…you are making me uncomfortable".

"I'm going to make dinner, join me when you are done" Tony disappeared through the doors.

"I cannot wait to be his wife" she said to their daughter, Tali kept on suckling at her mother. "Hmm…yes, I did not think you would care as long as you got what you wanted" she said as she tapped the tip of Tali's nose.

Please Review…