Two in quick succession. Eh? What's the world coming to?
Liana DiNozzo's fourth birthday should have been a day of celebration. It should have been full of picture-taking, present-opening, family-gathering and general joyfulness. After all, the day that the precious bundle of joy entered Tony and Ziva's world was supposed to be remembered with fond nostalgia every year for the rest of their lives. And, although had Ziva planned on making the day as special as possible for her daughter, her own experience had been far from it. There was a little less of a sparkle in Lia's eyes whenever she received a new toy or item of clothing. She would always turn and look to her mother, and excited grin on her little face, but it was obvious that something was missing, and every warm smile Ziva gave her in return did nothing to relieve the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach.
It was really someone that was missing.
There was still no word from Gibbs, even after the two teams had solved the case and tracked down the culprits. As it turned out, the contractor group stumble across a goldmine as they started work on building a new school in Afghanistan. A literal goldmine. With people generally being greedy creatures, this led to a collective plan to illegally cash in on the discovery. Unfortunately for one of the marines that was part of the team, his moral compass got in the way, and his threat to report the incident to the proper authorities led to him being killed off. When NCIS came into the picture, they went into hiding. Their attack on Tony and Alex was an act of desperation, as far as the Team Gibbs-Team DiNozzo collaboration could tell, and now they were working on the assumption that the two agents were being held hostage.
Mainly because that was the best-case scenario.
It had been days since that information had been relayed to Gibbs himself, and the lack of contact since then was starting to make everyone a little bit edgy. That was why Abby and McGee kept infrequently sending soft looks of sympathy and worry when they knew Lia wasn't looking. This made the general atmosphere of Lia's birthday far less relaxing than it should have been. The birthday girl was busy showing Ducky her new plastic tea set at the far end of the living room when Ziva felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. The depth of her thoughts caused the action to startle her a little bit.
''Sorry,'' Jess said quietly. ''I got you some tea.''
Ziva gave her a half-smile as she took the mug from her. ''Oh, thank you.''
''Don't mention it.''
Jess perched herself on the arm of the couch, and Ziva looked over to her daughter again with a sigh. ''They have tea parties where you come from, right, Ducky?'' She heard Lia ask enthusiastically. ''Did you and your friends do it lots?'' She handed the old Brit a plastic mug, along with its own little plate, and he smiled and nodded in thanks—him being the polite man that he was.
''Yes, indeed. I've had plenty of tea parties in my time,'' he told her in that special, wise tone of his. ''When I was a little lad—not much older than you, in fact—I used to join my mother on her daily visits to the neighbours. They would talk and drink tea for hours.''
Lia always showed keen interest in Ducky's stories, which never failed to amuse Ziva. ''What did they talk about?''
Ducky chuckled. ''Anything, and everything, my dear.''
Lia's smile grew. ''My mommy likes tea, too.''
''Yes,'' he acknowledged with a nod. ''Your mother and I have shared many pots of it over the years.''
''When you worked with her?''
Ducky made an impressed face. ''That's right. But she still visits me for the occasional brew.''
Lia looked over to Ziva. ''Momma's got tea right now.''
Ziva smiled at her with unfiltered affection. ''I just wanted to join in, tatelah.''
Lia's eyes widened slightly, and she held out a mug in offering. ''You can play, too.''
Jess' hand went to her chest. ''Aww.''
Ziva's heart warmed. ''Thank you, baby, but I need to put the dinner on in a second.''
''Is it pizza?'' Lia asked, her face lighting up.
''Of course. I would have nothing else for your birthday.''
Her smile grew. ''The 'Nozzo special?''
''Yes,'' Ziva confirmed. ''And it is as meaty and unhealthy as ever.''
Lia clapped her hands together and let out a delighted squeal. As everyone laughed at her reaction, McGee turned to Ziva with a knowing look. ''She her father's daughter all right,'' he told her from the other couch. ''I've seen that look on Tony's face a million times. What is it with DiNozzos and pizza?''
Ziva shrugged. ''I have never been sure.''
''Maybe it's the Italian roots?'' Jess suggested.
''Perhaps,'' Ziva considered with a frown. ''Or maybe he has simply had so much take-out over the years that pizza has become an integral part of his life.'' She glanced over at Ducky and Lia again. ''It seems to have embedded itself into his genes.''
Abby leant forward from the other side of McGee. ''I think it's adorable.''
He rolled his eyes. ''Of course you do.''
''What?'' Abby defended. ''It's so awesome to see her become more and more like her mom and dad. Don't you think, McGee?'' She hit his arm with the back of her hand to add emphasis. ''It's a miniature version of Tony and Ziva. It can't get much cuter.''
''I know,'' he assured her. ''You marvel at the concept every time you see her.''
She crossed her arms with a huff. ''Sorry, Mr Grumpy. I just find it cool.''
McGee sighed to himself. ''Me too. Honestly. But, I'm just dreading the day that Lia starts making up McNicknames.''
Ziva chuckled. ''It is probably only a matter of time.''
''The McNicknames?'' Jess asked with a frown.
''Yeah,'' McGee nodded. ''You know how it always sounds like he's reading from the McDonalds menu when he talks to me?''
Jess tilted her head in consideration. ''Oh yeah. Come to think of it, he did call you McFlurry the other week.'' Her smile suggested she found it amusing, though. ''And then there's McGoo, which he calls you a lot.''
Abby and Ziva both gave him a nostalgic smile. ''He rarely calls Tim by his real name,'' Abby told Jess.
''So you always know it's serious when he does,'' Ziva added.
Jess nodded in understanding. ''Yeah. I think Kyle has the same problem with him.''
''It's Tony's way of showing that he cares.'' Abby insisted, before gesturing at Ziva. ''Right? He used to drive you nuts all the time, but he's loved you since, like, forever.'' She gave Jess a serious look. ''Tell Kyle that, honestly, he shouldn't worry about it. It's only a problem if Tony shows no interest at all.''
McGee seemed to grudgingly agree. ''It's true. He used to make life hell for me, but he's as good a friend as you can ever have.''
''And you miss him when he's not around.'' Abby inserted, before realisation seemed to dawn on her face and she had to close her eyes in shame.
Ziva's heart fell slightly, and she was suddenly hit—for probably the thousandth time—by how much she did miss Tony. This brief discussion about his mannerisms and general way with people reminded her of exactly what had been painfully lacking in her life recently. It had been far too long since she saw that mischievous smile and that teasing glint in his hazel eyes. She could tell that everyone else was missing him, too, but they weren't exactly in the same boat as her. McGee and Abby were very close to Tony, and his team respected and relied on him enough to feel a real void when he was absent, but it was her and Lia that simply needed him. The sudden silence enveloping them was thick, and she wished that they could easily fall back into their effortless chatter again. It fast became clear that this would not happen, however.
''I'm sorry,'' Abby said with a wavering voice, and it was suddenly apparent that tears had begun to gather in the corners of her eyes. ''I'm going to get some air.'' She got to her feet and left the room with a telling sniffle. It took approximately two seconds before McGee gave the two women an apologetic look and followed her with a sigh. From the other side of the room, Lia looked at the door with a small frown, before Ducky successfully regained her attention.
''The down side of wearing your heart on your sleeve, huh?'' Jess murmured to Ziva.
Ziva looked at Lia and felt her own eyes start to burn. ''Yes.''
''I just wish there was something I could do.''
She looked at Jess with soft admonishment. ''You have already done plenty. You all have.''
Jess face twisted slightly. ''I still feel kind of helpless, you know?'' Something in Ziva's expression must have shifted, though, because she suddenly made a face marred with embarrassment. ''Oh, my god. What am I talking about? Of course you know. I'm so sorry.''
Ziva's face softened. ''Don't be sorry. It is fine.''
That didn't stop Jess from sending her a look far more tender than Ziva was used to. ''How have you been sleeping?''
Ziva thought about dismissing the question, or even lying, but she knew Jess was far too perceptive to be fooled that easily. The truth was that her sleeping pattern had been shambolically sporadic. If it wasn't nightmares waking her up every night, it was her troubled daughter. She decided that it wasn't worth going into too much detail, but also that she should probably still be honest. ''Not very well.'' She answered eventually.
Jess leaned over and wrapped her arm around Ziva's shoulder. ''You poor thing.'' Ziva leaned into the comforting embrace, even if she did feel embarrassed at being so weak. ''It might not help,'' Jess told her. ''But I have this feeling—kind of like a Gibbs Gut feeling—that everything's going to work out.''
Ziva appreciated the attempt at reassurance, even if it didn't really help all that much. ''I hope you're right.''
''I usually am.''
Ziva smiled as Jess released her from the one armed hug. ''Well, you learned from the best.''
''You mean Gibbs?'' Jess asked with a frown. ''Or you?''
''Gibbs, of course.''
Jess shrugged. ''You've taught me a lot, too,'' she argued gently. ''So has McGee. Hell, everyone at NCIS has taught me a lot. You're all the best as far as I'm concerned.'' Ziva's eyes dropped to the floor as she found herself feeling oddly flattered by Jess' words. ''I think I've told you this before,'' she continued, ''but I find it incredible how much you guys have been through together. I mean, you've stuck together through thick and thin. You're not all on the same team anymore, but you kind of are.'' She frowned at herself. ''I don't know if that makes sense.''
Ziva often had similar thoughts. ''When you work with Gibbs and his team for long enough, it becomes more of a family than anything else.''
''An unbreakable family.''
Ziva scoffed inwardly. ''Lord knows we've come close to breaking enough times.''
''But, from what I hear, you always come back from it,'' Jess reminded her. ''That's why I think this will all work out.''
Ziva let her friend's words sink in. She supposed that, yes, there were numerous occasions where she thought she might never see any of her surrogate American family ever again. But she always came through it. There were even more times when her partnership with Tony seemed to have come to a catastrophic end, between him being blown up and her reactions to his supposed jealousy. But it always ended up back in the same place. A happier place, where she had a truly loving family, a man she could trust more than anyone, and real purpose in life. That wouldn't all necessarily change if Tony didn't come home, (God forbid), but it would mean she'd have lost the one man who had never failed to claw his way back into her heart. Now, of course, he was more or less part of her very essence, so he would never have to fight for her love again. He would always have it.
She just wished he was home so she could remind him of that.
...
Hours later, when the guests had left and the DiNozzo Special had been eaten, Ziva sat on the couch with Lia. They'd decided to have a special birthday movie night to mark the occasion, and Lia seemed happy enough to lay back and relax after her busy day of being pampered. In fact, Ziva could tell that her little princess was growing more and more sleepy by the minute. The way her eyes drooped as she leaned her head against Ziva's side was a dead giveaway, but there was no point in suggesting an early night. Lia DiNozzo always wanted to see the end of the film. Perhaps it was simply because children loved happy endings. Maybe it was because they only believed in happy endings. Either way, Ziva knew that Lia always had her fingers crossed for the heroes of the story. A feeling she, herself, knew all too well.
''Did you enjoy your birthday, Lia?'' Ziva asked softly, trying her best to keep both their minds off the empty space on the couch. She felt the tired birthday girl nod against her.
''Mhmm.''
Ziva leaned down to kiss her head. ''You got lots of nice new things, yes?''
Another nod. ''Yes.''
''Do you like the movie Uncle McGee got you?''
Lia let out a heavy sigh. ''No.''
Ziva's eyebrows raised. ''No?''
''I don't like movie night without Daddy.''
Her voice sounded so small and sad that Ziva felt it rip a hole in her chest. So much for keeping her mind off Tony. It turned out that they'd both been having the same problem, and no amount of animated happiness from the TV screen was enough to change it. She wrapped her arm around Lia and gave her a gentle squeeze, feeling otherwise powerless. How was she supposed to brighten her daughter's smiles when she couldn't lift her own spirits? Sometimes she wondered if her naturally gloomy attitude was unhealthy for Lia.
''I know,'' she agreed in whisper. ''I miss him, too.''
Lia burrowed herself further into her mother's embrace, but before any further confessions could be made, Ziva's cell phone started buzzing from the coffee table in front of her. She frowned as she reached over to retrieve the device. Who could be calling at this time? She could only think of a few people, one of which was…
Gibbs.
Her stomach flipped. She wasn't sure her old boss' name had ever caused her to react like this before. She felt excitement, dread, nausea and panic all at the same time. She'd been waiting for this call for what felt like forever, but now that it had finally came she wasn't sure if she wanted to answer or not. She had to. Of course she had to, but she wasn't sure she could handle bad news very well in her current state of exhaustion. It would probably cause her to completely break down and stop breathing, which would be no good to her or Lia.
On the other hand, though, what if it was good news?
The prospect of that alone was enough to snap her out of her petrified shock. ''I have to take this, Lia. I will be right back.''
She gently shifted the little girl into a comfortable position against the cushions, before getting to her feet and taking the ringing phone into the hallway. Her legs felt weak, and her heart was on the verge of exploding, but she pressed the green 'accept call' button after a few more seconds of silent composure. She couldn't find her voice when it was time to greet the man on the other end of the line, but he never was one for pleasantries, anyway.
''Ziva?''
She swallowed hard. ''Gibbs…''
''Got something that belongs to you.''
Her heart stopped, and raced, and stopped, and raced as her hand came to her mouth. She felt herself sob quietly into the phone as relief flooded every cell in her body. She was vaguely aware of the tears, too, but she was too busy trying to ground herself enough to form words. Her head filled with so many questions that her brain physically hurt, and she fell back against the wall, needing something solid to support her because she felt dizzy suddenly. It was as if the relief had given her an almighty head rush. It all felt too surreal, if she was honest, and she half expected to wake up alone in her bed at any second. Her dreams had been cruel lately, after all, but would they ever be this cruel?
''You okay?''
Ziva took a shaky breath. ''Tony?''
''Alive. Dempsey, too.''
She felt a huge weight lift from her chest. ''How…'' was all she could manage.
Gibbs got it, though. Like always. ''A little shaken up, but they'll both be fine.''
''Where are you?''
''Just landed in Bethesda.''
She was grabbing her car keys before she was even aware of it, and it was only then that she realised there were headlights shining through window on the front door. It was the dark silhouette appearing on the other side of the glass that made her stop in her tracks, though, because she would recognize that figure anywhere. Her hand started shaking by her ear, and she could practically see the smirk on Gibbs' face as he spoke his next words.
''He should be home any second now.''
Ziva closed her eyes. ''I don't know how to thank—''
''You don't have to,'' he assured her. ''It's my birthday present to Lia.''
''Gibbs—''
He was in no mood for gratitude, apparently. ''Make sure he rests.''
And with that, he hung up. Ziva was vaguely aware of the sound of his tyres screeching as he pulled away from their drive, but her mind shifted to the more urgent matter: opening the door. And she did so—albeit shakily. And on the other side, there he stood. The much-loved husband and father. The adored team leader, and the man who seemed to light up the lives of everyone around him. Already, the house felt warmer, brighter, more like home again.
Their eyes locked, and he looked so exhausted, but so alive. Her hand came to her mouth again as he stepped gingerly into the hallway. There were bruises and cuts across his face, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. Ziva felt another quiet sob wrack her body as she reached out to run her fingers over his jaw. It felt like something should have been said then, but neither of them seemed to need that. Instead, they did what they were always good at, and let their actions speak loudest. She threw her arms around him and felt his body tense slightly—probably through pain—before his arms came around her with equal urgency.
And just like that, her world was back to the way it should be. No more worry, no more pain, no more feeling sick every time she looked at the other side of the bed. He was home. Safe and sound. The feeling of him surrounding her brought a fresh batch of tears to her eyes, but this time she didn't feel embarrassed. This time there was no one around to judge her or look at her like she was a grieving widow. It was just him, and he was the only person who she didn't mind seeing her like this. Hell, he was the only one who could make her feel like this.
Well, maybe not the only one. ''Momma?''
She heard Lia's voice coming from the living room just as she pulled back from the hug. She gave Tony a soft kiss, before stepping to the side, shutting the front door, and turning to face the doorway where their daughter was most certainly about to appear from. And sure enough, quiet little footsteps echoed through the house and her curly hair could be seen poking out to look at them. Ziva's throat grew impossibly tight as she saw Lia's face light up in sheer surprise.
''Daddy?!''
Ziva felt a laugh escape her mouth as Lia let out a hysteric shriek and started running towards them. A look up at Tony's face told her all she needed to know. It crumbled as he squatted down to Lia's level and absorbed the forceful, flying hug from her. The slight wince of pain was clear, but not as clear as the tears in his eyes as he buried his face into Lia's shoulder and hugged her back as tight as he could. Ziva placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and felt it shudder slightly, as he started rocking back and forth. She had rarely seen him so emotional, but she supposed this was a reunion like no other. This small family needed each other. It was as simple as that. With any less than three, it struggled to cope. But now Tony was home.
Now they were whole again.
They stayed silent for a few moments, with nothing but the occasional sniffle being heard in the DiNozzo household. Ziva let herself feel relaxed—truly relaxed—for the first time in far too long, and ran a hand through Lia's curls as she leaned down to kiss Tony on the cheek. She was fairly certain Lia would be more than willing to cling on to her father all night, and probably for the rest of the week. And she couldn't blame her, really, because she kind of felt the same.
''You were gone for a really, really long time.'' Lia murmured against Tony's neck.
He met Ziva's eyes again, and she could see the emotion swirling in his. ''I know. I'm so sorry, Liana-banana.'' His voice sounded thin, and it signified the exhaustion and pain he was clearly feeling.
''You made Momma cry.''
He closed his eyes and grabbed hold of Ziva's hand. ''I'm sorry,'' he repeated.
Lia pulled back from the hug with a pout. ''You can never go away on a big plane again.''
His face softened even more as he looked at her. ''I don't plan to, Princess. Not for a long time.''
Once she was satisfied that he was being honest, Lia threw her arms around him again. ''I missed you.''
''I missed you, too,'' he returned with a waver in his voice. ''So much.''
Lia looked at him again, before frowning at the state of him. ''You hurt your face, Daddy,'' she pointed out for first time. His eyes closed again as she ran her fingertips over the largest of the cuts. ''Does it hurt?''
The concern in her little eyes made Ziva smile with pride, and Tony seemed to be showcasing a similar feeling with his own expression. ''Not anymore, sweetie,'' he assured her softly. ''Seeing you has stopped all the pain.'' His voice suggested otherwise, but Ziva suspected Lia couldn't tell. ''It hurt more not seeing you and your mom for so long. I was gone a lot longer than I expected.''
Lia looked down at his chest sadly. ''You missed my birthday.''
Tony kissed her forehead. ''It's not over yet,'' he reminded her. ''So there's still time for me to give you your present.''
Ziva looked at him with wide eyes. ''Tony, you cannot possibly have found the time.''
''It isn't much, but I think you'll like it. Come on, I'll show you in the living room.''
He picked up Lia and carried her through the house, never letting go of Ziva's hand as he did so. When they reached the couch, he placed Lia down on the cushions and gave her another kiss on the cheek. Ziva noticed the pained wince on his face as she sat down next to her daughter, but let it slide for now. After another wince, he reached into his pocket and produced a familiar bracelet. Ziva was very surprised to see it, and so was Lia, if her gasp was anything to go by.
''My Gibbs bracelet,'' she said delightedly. ''It worked!'' She looked up at her mother with wide eyes. ''Momma, it worked! It kept him safe!''
''Yes. It must be a magical bracelet, tatelah.''
Tony fiddled around with the wooden charms attached to it, and then seemingly found what he was looking for. ''There,'' he said, showing the newest addition to Lia. ''I found a little star to put on it. Pretty cool, huh?'' He looked at Lia with a smile, though it lacked the effortlessness of his usual grins. ''It's the North Star, so it will always lead you home.''
Lia took the bracelet and looked at it in amazement. ''It's really pretty,'' she said happily.
Tony let out a breath Ziva hadn't realised he'd been holding. ''I thought so.''
Ziva reached over to test the smoothness of the wooden star. ''Where did you get this, Tony?''
''It's a long story.''
Ziva looked up at him. ''I am anxious to hear it.''
His face softened considerably. ''You will. Just not right now. I don't really want to think about it right now.''
Her heart squeezed with sympathy. ''Okay.''
Lia let out a long yawn as she put the bracelet on her wrist. It was far too big, no doubt created for her to use when she was older, but that didn't seem to bother her. She got to her feet and lifted her arms up to her father. He needed no further invitation to pick her up and hold her against his chest. Ziva got up to join them, and felt an overwhelming surge of relief again as she wrapped arm around Tony's waist. His shoulder had always felt comfortable enough for her head, and so that's where she rested it.
''I think it's bed time, little lion,'' Tony whispered to Lia after kissing her cheek. ''Hmm? You must've had a busy day.''
''She has had a very busy day,'' Ziva told him softly.
This time it was Ziva who Tony kissed. ''I think we all need to tuck ourselves in,'' he suggested.
''No,'' Lia objected weakly.
His attention went back to her. ''No?''
''I wanna stay with Daddy.''
He gave Ziva a fleeting look of affection that melted her bones. ''I want to stay with you, too, princess.'' He told her softly. ''How about you sleep in the big bed with me and mommy? We have some serious snuggling to catch up on.'' He looked to Ziva for approval, and she let her smile do all the talking.
That suggestion seemed to be far more appealing to Lia. ''Okay.''
He lifted her hand to his mouth for a brief kiss. ''Happy birthday. Sorry I missed most of it.''
Lia smiled below her drooping eyelids, and that was enough of a signal for Tony to start carrying her back out into the hallway and towards the stairs. Ziva turned off the TV and DVD player, before leaving the darkened living room and following them. As they reached the foot of the stairs, Ziva tapped on Tony's shoulder. His face melted when he turned his head to look at her, and there were still tears in his eyes, which was how she knew his mind was still all over the place, too. She needed to show him he was truly home, though, and she could think of no better way than this. So, with warmth spreading through her chest, she stretched up to give him a long, lingering kiss. And maybe it was her way of showing herself he was truly home as well, because she finally felt the last of the ice in the pit of her stomach disappear.
He rested his forehead against hers, as their daughter buried her face further into his shoulder. ''I love you,'' Ziva whispered.
''I love you, too.''
She reached over to thread her fingers through his hair. ''Don't ever do this to me again,'' she pleaded.
He kissed her cheek. ''I won't. I promise.''
Finally succumbing to her sleep-deprivation, she flicked off the light switch in the hall and held her husband's hand as she led her family up the stairs. Her family. The one that was back together, in full. She wasn't sure it had sunk in yet, really, but she knew it would do eventually. She also knew that she would finally be able to enjoy a peaceful and uninterrupted slumber for the first time in days and days. Her bed was full again. Her home was full again. Her daughter's smile would be full again. She suspected she would sleep like a log. And, although it briefly occured to her that she and Lia never finished the movie, she knew the little four-year-old wouldn't mind this time.
She still got her happy ending.
There you go, I told you a happy reunion might be happening soo. Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for the next chapter. Or two. I haven't decided yet. It will be wrapped up fairly soon, though. Cheers, peops.