Chapter 17: Touching

Touching had made her feel beautiful. She felt like a real woman. Ziva hadn't even realized she felt like half the woman she was before she was captured in Somalia. She only knew that she missed something within herself that she felt she would never regain. However, Tony's lovemaking brought back the vivacious woman she once was. The woman she had longed to be for such a long time.

Touching had made him feel manly. He knew that he had felt like less a man since the shooting. However, his feelings had been hid behind the façade of jokes and quips. Now he felt like he was everything that Ziva needed and desired. Tony had made love to her more than once that night and many nights after. Touching had made them closer but being completely intimate had connected them like he had never experienced.

Neither had loved so intensely.

Abby smiled at Ziva as she twisted gingerly into her lab. Her mind was sharp as usual. However, the serious Ziva had been replaced with a Ziva that had a light, happier side to her. A side that Tony had seen more than once but not enough. Now Ziva was letting the world see there was more to her than the former Mossad assassin.

McGee noticed Tony had began to put his little nicknames into their conversations. McProbie One Konobie was his favorites. Therefore, when Tony used it during just the right time, McGee pretended to be perturbed but smiled secretly to himself.

Gibbs was back to giving the wheelchair bound Tony smacks to the back of his head due to off the wall comments about movies. He noticed the flirtatiousness between Ziva and Tony when they thought no one was looking. It was something deeper than he had ever expected from either of his agents. For some reason that made Gibbs smile.

Touching. Abby had always been the touching type. Now Ziva was eager to join her in the friendly embraces. It made them both smile.

Touching. Tony always enjoyed Gibbs smacks to the head. Gibb's famous head slaps felt like a way to show that Gibbs cared. Tony had missed being treated like Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo by his boss. It seemed since the shooting that Gibbs walked on eggshells around Tony. The pity was gone and the slaps were back. This made Tony smile.

It only felt natural for Tony to have his friends join him for lunch to reveal his plans. Abby squealed. Ducky rambled on about some story that somehow connected to the moment. McGee and Palmer shook Tony's hand and wished him luck. Gibbs stood back trying to go unnoticed. But he was touched by Tony's information.

Ziva was the only one left out of loop. She would find out soon.

McGee and Palmer agreed to help Tony all they could with his plan. Abby would help pick out the ring. She knew her and Ziva's tastes were different. Therefore, she went with what she knew of Ziva with her suggestions to Tony.

Tony smiled as he touched Abby's hand. "Thanks, Abs."

It would be months before the plan would be executed. Tony had wanted the moment to be perfect.

Time had came. Tony was ready. He only hoped that Ziva was.

The bullpen was quiet. Ziva was studying the screen before her waiting for McGee to upload the information on the present case. Abby, Palmer and Ducky went unnoticed by her as they hid in the back ground waiting.

Gibbs crossed his arms in pretend anger. "Any time, Elf Lord."

"Ummm. Trying, Boss." McGee feigned incompetence.

Tony wheeled to be beside Ziva. "Come on McGoogle."

"Trying, Tony." McGee smiled behind Ziva's back. "Here it is, Boss."

Gibbs swallowed waiting for the words to come across the screen.

"Marry Me, Ziva."

It was simple. Nothing big or prolonged. Just a simple statement that scrolled on the screen. No long drawn out quotes from movies. Nothing but a black screen with white text. So there it was in black and white.

Ziva blinked a few times in shock. Then she turned to Tony. The grand finale was about to happen. Tony pushed up from his wheelchair. At first, he was wobbly. However, he stood with the ring held out. A small diamond but a perfect one. Ziva never noticed the diamond.

All she noticed was that Tony stood.

Finally, the shock wore off. She allowed tears to flow in front of others. She never hid them. She smiled as she allowed Tony to place the ring on her finger.

Kneeling on one knee was so over rated in this situation. For Tony standing was grander than any other proposal he could have planned. He stood due to the help of friends, McGee and Palmer, working with him. He stood due to looking at the ring in anticipation that Abby helped pick out. He stood due to Ducky checking his legs out often to make sure he was not straining too often. He stood due to wanting to stand before his future bride.

"You had me at hello." that was Ziva's answer. Everyone laughed in joy at her quoting the famous line from Jerry McQuire to answer Tony.

They kissed before Tony sat back down. Claps resounded around the room. Except for Gibbs, who had made himself hidden, for he stood as well.

Only he stood with tear filled eyes. Because he felt it all so touching.

Author's note: One more chapter for this one. It will be more of a prologue due a small jump in the future. I've enjoyed the feedback very much.