A/N: Tell me honestly, how surprised are you? Lol, you can thank my recurring back injury that loves ruining my summers.

Chapter Fourteen

"Hey." I said as I pulled Ziva aside to the partially secluded part of the stairs. "Don't worry too much about him, okay?"

"Tony." Ziva laughed as she patted my cheek. "How can I not worry? My father is trying to take Avery away from us and will do everything he can to make sure I return to Mossad. At the very least he will make sure I am not at NCIS."

"Avery's not going any where." I said as I glanced at the baby who smiled back up at me. "And neither are you."

"You do not know that." She sighed as she rested her cheek on top of Avery's hair.

"Ziva, once we get married your father cannot force you to go any where." I explained and she laughed. "Why are you laughing?"

"You really think we are going to get married, Tony?" Ziva asked as she looked at me curiously.

"Uh, yeah." I said sarcastically and obviously defensive. "What other option do you see here? And, please don't give me some line about how you don't want to get married just because it's the only way to stop your father from forcing you to return to Israel. We agreed we wanted to be a family."

"We are a family." Ziva corrected as she started to bounce Avery who was becoming unhappy.

"Exactly, so let's get married." I grinned as I stepped closer to her and kissed her softly. "Because in this family, you're the odd one out."

"And why is that?" she feigned hurt but I knew she was curious.

"You're the only one whose last name isn't DiNozzo." I smiled as I took a fussy Avery into my arms.

"I am not going to take your name, Tony." Ziva laughed as she patted my cheek.

"But you'll marry me?" I asked softly as I heard someone walk down the stairs.

"Are you asking me?" she teased. "Because if you are proposing, you better not being doing it at work."

"That's fair." I laughed nervously.

"You two," Gibbs interrupted as he came down the stairs. "Get to work."

"Yes, Gibbs." Ziva said as we both walked from our spot by the stairs back to the squad room.

"I'm going to go change him." I said as I grabbed Avery's diaper bag and headed for the men's room.

"Agent DiNozzo." Eli greeted as I opened the door and he continued to wash his hands in the sink, looking at me through the mirror.

"Director David." I responded as I shifted Avery in my arms.

"Is there a reason you brought him into the mens' room?" Eli asked as he grabbed for some paper towels.

"He needs to be changed." I said trying to sound as indifferent as possible.

"That is woman's work, is it not?" He laughed as I dried off the sink and laid a blanket down before resting Avery on top of it and keeping him stable by holding my hand over his stomach so he didn't wiggle anywhere.

"Taking care of my son is far from women's work." I growled. "Maybe if you actually gave a damn about your children you would know that."

"Yes, and you care so much that is why you abandoned my pregnant daughter for another girl?" He asked then soon left the bathroom before I could respond.

"Bastard." I growled as I removed Avery's pants and diaper. "Right, Ave?"

"Ba." He responded as he happily kicked his arms and legs.

"That's what I thought." I smiled as I fastened the new diaper and dressed him. "Better?" I asked as I settled him against my chest and grabbed the diaper bag. "I bet you're hungry."

"I packed a bottle." Ziva said as we reentered the squad room. "But I'll feed him." She said as she stood from her desk and held her arms out for Avery.

"Okay." I said as I pressed a kiss to his temple and handed him over to his mother.

"Do you want me to go warm the bottle up?" I asked as I pulled it from the diaper bag.

"No, I am going to go down to Abby's and feed him." She smiled as she gently rocked Avery who was becoming agitated again. "But thank you."

"Sure." I said as she walked away towards the elevator and I returned to my desk.

"She okay?" McGee asked as I sat at my desk.

"She will be." I said as I ran my hand over my face.

"Is she going back to Israel?" he asked and I almost snapped at him to shut up but thankfully didn't.

"No." I said while attempting to focus on my paperwork.

"Hey guys." Abby smiled as she bounced off the elevator.

"Hey Abs, where's Ziva?" I asked as Abby sat at Ziva's desk.

"In the lab, I'm just giving her some privacy." Abby said as she looked at the photos, which were new to Ziva's desk. "He is easily distracted."

"I know, I'm usually not allowed to be around while he's eating." I laughed and Abby just shook her head at me. She was probably still sour from the other day when Avery cried for me instead of wanting to be in her arms.

"This is a beautiful photo." Abby gushed as she picked the frame off the desk and looked at it closer.

"Which one?" I asked and Abby turned to photo around so I could see.

It was one of my personal favorites. A black and white portrait of Ziva and Avery. Ziva was holding Avery above her, slightly angled. Their noses were touching and Avery's hands were on the side of her face as they both grinned wildly at each other.

"He's so cute." Abby said as she picked up the next photo. "When was this?"

"Um." I started as she turned the photo so I could see it. Avery was wrapped in a hooded towel made to look like Buzz Lightyear. "Last week."

"Look at his eyes." Abby gushed. "They're so big and so green."

"Abby, is there something you needed?" Gibbs asked as he sat at his desk and Abby quickly put the photo back down.

"No," Abby smiled as she grabbed another photo and rolled the chair over towards Gibbs' desk. "Look how cute." Gibbs didn't respond but just smiled at the photo then looked back up at Abby.

"He looks like Tony now, but I think he'll turn out looking more like Ziva." Abby said as she rolled back over to the desk and put the photo down. "Don't you, McGee?"

"Nope." Tim said and I laughed. "He looks more like Tony every time I see him."

"Thank you, McGoo." I smirked.

"I didn't say it was a compliment." McGee added and Gibbs and Abby laughed.

"Are you calling my baby ugly?" Ziva hissed in a teasing manner as she stood at the cubicle wall behind McGee. He damn near jumped out of his skin.

"No, not at all." McGee stuttered as Ziva walked around the wall with a now much happier Avery in her arms.

"So you agree that he is adorable?" Ziva asked as leaned against my desk.

"Yes." McGee nodded.

"So you think I'm adorable too?" I smiled as I batted my eyelashes at my probie.

"No." McGee glared as Abby continued to laugh at his reddening face.

"But you were just saying how much Avery looked like me." I said as I stood and Ziva handed Avery to me. "So you must think I'm adorable too."

"No, not really." Tim said. "Avery's part you and Ziva. The Ziva part is what makes Avery so adorable."

"You better watch it McFlirt." I glared as I picked up Avery's blanket from his carrier and wrapped it around him. "She's mine."

"Yay." Abby squealed, startling Avery. "Sorry." She said as she noticed the baby jump and start to whimper.

"He's fine." I said as I sat back down at my desk and rubbed his back.

"But when did this happen?" Abby asked. "Like, when did you two get together?"

"We got back together last night." I said and Ziva turned and glared at me.

"You two go home," Gibbs said as he pointed to Ziva and I. "You back to your lab, and you back to work."

"But Gibbs." Abby whined as she stood from Ziva's desk and came over to me and reached for Avery.

"Abby, I would not-." Ziva warned but was cut off by Avery's piercing scream as Abby held him.

"Aw, Avery." Abby pouted as she tried to soothe my son. Avery was having none of it though and continued to scream, his little face turning red. "Fine, go back to your father."

"Thanks." I said as Avery curled into my chest and stopped screaming. I wrapped his blanket around him and stroked his hair knowing he'd fall asleep soon.

"I'm starting to think he doesn't like me." Abby sighed as she continued to watch us.

"You just have bad timing." Ziva smiled as she gathered hers and Avery's things.

"I'm pretty sure he just doesn't like you." McGee laughed and Abby punched his arm.

"Shut up."

"DiNozzo, get outta here before you cause any more trouble." Gibbs said with a hint of a smile.

"Sure thing, Boss." I said as I buckled Avery into his carrier and he started to scream again.

"He really hates this thing." I said as I followed Ziva to the elevator.

"It is our fault." She smiled as she tried to soothe the unhappy baby.

"How is that?" I asked as she searched through the diaper bag and pulled out his pacifier.

"We always hold him." She smiled and rested her head against my arm as she put the pacifier in his mouth but he spit it back out and continued to scream.

"True." I smiled as I wrapped my free arm around her shoulders and hugged her close to me as the elevator opened and we stepped into the parking garage. "That's not a bad thing."

"Only when he screams like this." Ziva sighed as she opened the car door for me and I buckled his carrier in.

"Avery." I said as Ziva walked around to get in the passenger seat. "Avery." I repeated his name as he reached his arms out for me. "Calm down." I sighed as he continued to cry. "10 more minutes at most." But he didn't understand and continued to scream. "Okay, then." I said and placed a kiss to his red forehead and hopped in drivers seat.

"He is going to scream the whole way." Ziva reminded me. "He hates the car."

"I thought babies loved car rides."

"Not our baby."