Apologies in advance for this one being a bit shorter. Hope you still enjoy it
Tony was struggling to sleep. He was sure that the jet-lag was a factor, as well as the somewhat traumatic experience he had overseas, but he was usually a lot better at dealing with all that. No, this was something different, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He was home—finally—so he really should have been as comfortable as ever. He had his wife and daughter in close proximity for the first night in far too long, so he should have felt warm and safe. God knew he was tired to the bone, but that didn't help him shake off the inexplicable restlessness he felt.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Maybe it was the desert leaving a lasting impression on him. The bullets, the blood, the sand, the desperate fight for survival. Maybe it would take his mind a little while to catch up with everything, like part of it was still stuck in that village half a world away while the rest of his body was home. Maybe he simply had far more to live for these days, and found every near-death experience just that bit harder to get over. Hell, maybe it was just a minor case of post-traumatic stress. What did it matter?
His open eyes shifted from the dimly moonlit ceiling and back to the two people sharing his bed. He felt himself relax as he looked at Ziva's peaceful face. His chest warmed when he noticed the protective arm she had wrapped around Lia, who was lying between them with her head resting against Tony's shoulder. They were both sound asleep after what he suspected had been a tough week for them. Guilt at his direct responsibility for their recent distress burned the back of his eyes again.
He decided he needed a drink. Nothing too special, though. A glass of water sounded fine, and he'd grown to appreciate the stuff a lot more recently. Dry, hot sand can really make you crave the simple refreshments in life. He gently moved Lia's head away from his shoulder before slipping out of the covers. He felt a stab of pain from the wound on his chest, as well as Ziva's eyes looking at him as he stepped out of the bedroom. He headed down the hallway to the stairs. By the time he'd descended them, poured himself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table, he could hear his wife's footsteps behind him as she quietly approached him.
He took a sip of water, and Ziva ran a comforting hand along his shoulder as he placed the glass back down. He felt her hair brush along his neck as she leaned over him to kiss his jaw. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh in appreciation. God, he'd missed her.
''Can you not sleep?'' she asked him, now resting her chin on his shoulder.
He shook his head. ''Apparently not.''
''Do you want to talk about it?''
He took hold of her hand and lifted it to his lips. ''I'm fine. Just needed a drink.''
She ran her thumb back and forth along his knuckles. ''I am here if you need me,'' she reminded him softly, kissing his cheek again. ''For anything.''
He leaned into her, immeasurably grateful for her presence. ''I know.''
''It is good to have you home,'' she murmured against his neck. ''I was worried you might not be able to come back.''
He frowned, and tried to turn his head to look at her. ''Hey,'' he all-but whispered through his suddenly tight throat. ''I always come home to my girls. You know that.'' He grabbed hold of her hand again to try and emphasise his point, but she was already shaking her head.
''You were gone for so long. And we hadn't heard from—''
''Ziva,'' he cut in gently. ''I'm home now, like you said. Everything's okay.''
She let out a heavy sigh, and ran her hand under his shirt and along his chest. ''I know,'' she agreed eventually. ''I know. I suppose it is just a little hard to get over.'' Her hand continued its journey across his torso until it reached the bandage on his left side. He couldn't hold back the sharp intake of breath the pain forced out of him. ''Tony,'' she started in a concerned voice. ''What is this?''
He tried to be dismissive, though he knew it would be pointless. ''Just a graze.''
He could feel her look of disapproval, even without looking at her, before she stepped around the chair to face him. He didn't bother protesting as she lifted up his t-shirt to investigate. When the wound came into view her heard a small gasp escape her lips. Her expression softened as their eyes met briefly, and she placed her fingers gently around the edge of the bandage, as if testing out how much pain he was really in. It didn't hurt too badly, but he must have winced because she looked at him in admonishment.
''Just a graze?''
He conceded her point with a tilt of his head. ''Well, it was still a bullet, I guess.''
Ziva frowned at him. ''Tony…''
''It's not that bad. Honestly,'' he insisted. ''They patched it up pretty well.''
She starting exploring all the other cuts and bruises on his chest and stomach, the level of concern in her eyes seemed to increase with every shift of her pupils. ''You look like you have joined a fight club.'' She raised her gaze to him again, and he tried to send her a look of reassurance. ''Who patched you up? Have you been to the hospital?''
He shook his head. ''No. I came straight home.''
''Maybe you should be looked over by a doctor,'' she suggested with a frown.
He shrugged. ''I was. In a manner of speaking.''
Her frown only deepened at that. ''When?''
''In Afghanistan,'' he began to explain. He wasn't sure how much of his tale he was willing to tell at this point, but the look in Ziva's eyes reminded him that if he couldn't tell her, he couldn't tell anyone. ''This family took me and Dempsey in when we were on the run,'' he continued eventually, trying his best to remain calm. ''We were both beat up pretty bad.''
''And they treated your wounds?'' Ziva asked softly, before pulling out a chair taking a seat in front of him. She kept hold of his hand, though, seemingly understanding that he might need her support to retell this. Of course, she was right.
''Yeah,'' he nodded. ''There was this kid,'' he squeezed out past the lump forming in his throat. He felt his eyes burn, and squeezed Ziva's hand a little tighter. ''Riyad. He was only three or four years older than Lia. He spoke really good English, actually, which was another stroke of luck.'' He smiled briefly as he remembered the kindness he was shown when he needed it most. ''His father used to practice medicine, so Riyad convinced him to help us.''
Ziva took that all in and nodded with a small smile. ''Sounds like a good kid.''
He felt his stomach drop. ''He was.''
''Was?'' Ziva repeated in question.
''Is,'' he corrected hastily. ''He is a good kid.''
Her eyes narrowed in momentary scrutiny, but she seemed to let whatever was bothering her go fairly quickly. ''Was he the one who gave you the North Star charm?'' She asked after a few moments.
He couldn't help but smile at her intuition. ''Yeah. Riyad's grandfather used to be quite the craftsman, apparently, so he had an impressive collection of passed-down woodwork.''
She ran her thumb over his knuckles. ''It was kind of him to give it to you.''
''I know,'' he sighed.
''It shows you that the world is still full of good people.''
He nodded in agreement, and felt tears threaten to choke him again. ''But the bad people will always make them suffer,'' he murmured quietly.
His words made Ziva tilt her head to the side slightly, and her eyes narrowed again for a split second. Again, though, she didn't push him for any more details regarding the Afghan family. For that, he was grateful. ''How is Alex?'' She asked eventually.
Tony thought back to the hellish scenarios he and Dempsey had to endure together. He had never been more proud to call the man his senior field agent—or his friend, for that matter. Alex had been his rock throughout the entire experience. At times he maintained Tony's focus and belief. There was no doubt that returning home would never have been an option if it weren't for him. When it came down to the crunch, Dempsey was one hell of a fighter.
''He picked up a few small injuries,'' Tony told Ziva. ''Nothing major.''
She nodded with a look of genuine relief. ''I'm glad he was with you.''
''Me too,'' he agreed. ''I don't think I would have gotten through it without him.''
Ziva's expression softened again. The warmth in her eyes made him feel like crying, so he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm before he made a fool of himself. She got back to her feet and approached him again. When she was against his side, she leaned down to kiss him adoringly, much like she had before they went to bed. As always, the action grounded him and reminded him how much he'd missed home. He wasn't sure the reality of being back with his family had truly hit him yet, but he could still feel the relief. And the love. And gratitude.
''You should be resting, Tony.''
Her words weren't much more than a soft whisper, but he knew she was probably right. ''I know.''
She kneaded the tense muscles in his back as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. ''Come back to bed. Your daughter will be upset about the sudden lack of snuggling.''
His chest warmed at the thought of Lia's sleeping face, but the guilt he'd been battling with all night came back to haunt him. ''Do you think she's mad at me?'' His question was genuine, as was his curiosity, but Ziva still looked at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was.
Hell, hadn't he always been?
''Don't be ridiculous, Tony,'' Ziva answered reassuringly, though her tone was now a lot less gentle. ''I don't think Lia could ever be mad at you. For anything. She just missed you, and was worried about you.'' Her hands continued to work their way down his back, and he suddenly felt a lot more relaxed and—dare he say—sleepy. ''You mean the world to her. You know that.''
''She means the world to me, too.''
She chuckled quietly. ''I should hope so.''
He turned his head to meet her eyes again, and for some reason they never failed to make him feel happy. ''You both do,'' he added seriously. His stomach did a little flip at the sight of her intimate smile. Was it possible to fall in love with someone a little more every time you made them look at you like that? In that moment, he would have to say yes.
Ziva leaned down and gave him another warm kiss. ''Come back to bed,'' she repeated afterwards.
He let out a deep breath. ''Okay.''
She used one hand to retrieve his glass of water, and other one to gently pull his arm and lead him back towards the stairs. As they ascended them, he briefly thought back to the young boy, Riyad, and his father. He wasn't sure he would ever tell Ziva about what happened to them—at least, not until he'd gotten over the guilt—but he was happy he had mentioned their kindness and bravery to someone. They deserved to have recognition, even if it was just from an American stranger and his wife.
As soon as Tony and Ziva climbed back into bed, Lia snuggled up to both of them again without waking up. Tony kissed her cheek, and the tiny snore that left the little girl's mouth made both her parents smile with affection. It was that wonderful feeling that allowed Tony to feel truly comfortable for the first time that night.
He was asleep within seconds.
...
The whole family slept in the next day. In fact, it was close to midday by the time Tony opened his eyes. Even though he was alone in the bed, he could tell it hadn't been long since Lia and Ziva had got up. Their beautifully distinctive smells were still heavy in the air. He could hear the sound of his daughter's giggles echo through the house, bouncing from wall to wall as it travelled up from downstairs. It made him smile—as it so often did—and he threw back the covers and headed towards the source.
He found them in the living room, laughing and enjoying themselves as they played a game of Jenga in their pajamas. He assumed that was another birthday present, and walked over to lie down on his side next to Ziva on the carpet, only feeling a moderate amount of pain as he did so. After successfully restacking the tower, she turned to him with a bright smile. He sent her a look of part amusement, part curiosity in return. When he turned to look at his daughter, she had already managed to retrieve a block without sending the whole thing toppling, and wasn't exactly feeling shy about showing how much that delighted.
''Yes!'' Lia exclaimed, absolutely beaming. ''I got it.''
''Very good, Lia,'' Ziva praised, before leaning forward for her own go.
Tony smiled at his wife's frown of concentration, and then looked back at Lia. ''Was this a birthday present, sweetie?''
''Uh-huh,'' she nodded. ''Jimmy gave it to me.''
Ziva turned back to him after another successful turn. ''It is surprisingly good fun,'' she told him. ''And Lia is very good at it. Aren't you, tatelah?''
Lia nodded again, grinning. ''I'm the best.''
Ziva chuckled. ''You are certainly better than me.''
Lia looked at Tony with excitement. ''Daddy, you play.''
Who was he to refuse? ''All right, but I should warn you, I'm the Jenga champion.''
''No, you're not!'' Lia argued with a giggle.
Ziva snorted. ''We're going to need to see some proof of that, Tony.''
He raised an eyebrow at her challenging expression, unable to hold back the smirk her teasing eyes could always elicit from him. ''Watch and learn, my ninjas,'' he said as he raised himself into a seating position. He stuck out his finger and moved it from block to block as he eyed up his potential targets. ''The key is to aim low,'' he told them, before carefully poking a block loose from the row just above the bottom of the tower.
''So, it is just like Dodgeball, yes?'' Ziva asked dryly.
He smiled briefly. ''I have no memory of showing you that movie,'' he replied as he nudged the piece of wood slightly further out.
''You didn't. I saw it on TV once.''
''Huh,'' was all he could say about that, because his block had finally come free—even if the tower did wobble a little bit. He held it up to showcase his brilliance to his two opponents. ''Et voila!'' He said with a grin. ''I survive my turn and the tower is now weaker for you two,'' he gave Lia a wink. ''It's the stuff of champions.''
Lia narrowed her eyes, though her own smile never faltered. ''I'm the champion,'' she insisted.
''Oh yeah? We'll let gravity decide that, princess.''
Lia frowned. ''Who is Gavity?''
Ziva let out another chuckle and reached over to hit Tony's knee with the back of her hand. ''Don't listen to him, baby. Take your turn.''
Her little eyes narrowed as she scoped out her next move. After a few moments, she smiled mischievously and looked up at Tony. He stuck out his tongue at her, causing her to laugh again, before watching with great interest as she reached down to nudge her piece of choice. She had chosen the same row as Tony, but wisely stayed away from the middle block. The tower wobbled again as she managed to free it with impressive precision.
Tony frowned and looked over to Ziva, who was simply staring at the still shaky Jenga tower and waiting for it to fall. It didn't, and she gave him a brief glance, her eyes full of pride. He had no doubt who she was routing for. When he looked back at Lia, she was waving the recently freed piece with a toothy grin of victory.
''Now the tower's wobbly for Momma,'' she said happily.
Tony nodded in agreement. ''And she's a Jenga probie. This should be fun.''
Lia giggled and Ziva sent him a glare. Before he had even registered it, though, she had swiftly reached over and swiped another piece from the side of the tower. It barely even shook. He felt himself frown, and looked back to see her regarding him with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. He grunted in surprise, before catching some movement in his peripheral vision. He turned his head to see Lia now standing right next to him, leaning against his shoulder.
''Your go, Daddy,'' she reminded him, with another toothy smile.
He reached up and brushed a few loose strands of curls behind her ear. ''Get ready to be amazed.''
''Oh, lord,'' Ziva drawled.
He already had a piece in his sights. ''It wouldn't be the first time I've impressed you, Ziva,'' he shot back as he gently poked the block with his finger.
''I would not be so sure.''
He smiled at her response, but didn't let it deter him. He almost had the piece in his grasp when he saw a little arm stretch out to nudge his wrist. The tower crumbled to the ground with a noisy crash, and he could only stare at the rubble with his mouth hanging open. He heard a snort escape from Ziva as she lifted her hand to cover her mouth. When he turned to the culprit responsible for the mess, she was grinning at him with absolutely no shame.
''Liana DiNozzo, you just cheated,'' he accused.
She shook her head. ''No.''
He could still hear Ziva laughing behind him, but ignored it. ''What do you call that, then?''
''You lost,'' Lia told him.
His mouth fell open again in mock-offense. ''I did not! Someone who looked an awful lot like you pushed me.''
''Nu-uh!''
Ziva wiped at her eyes after her laughter had died down. ''Oh, you two are so alike.''
Tony looked at her, but couldn't hold back his smile. ''Except I don't cheat.''
''Daddy lost! Daddy lost!'' Lia chanted as she danced around him delightedly.
''You know what?'' Tony began.
''Daddy lost!''
''I think the punishment for cheating should be two solid minutes of tickling,'' he said thoughtfully.
She stopped abruptly in front of him. ''No!''
He raised both his hands and wiggled his fingers. ''Maybe even three minutes.''
Lia shrieked as he got to his feet and started running away from him. Ziva chuckled at them as they rushed out of the living room and down the hallway. He managed to catch Lia just before she reached the stairs, and picked her up to begin the tickle assault. He made sure he wasn't hurting her as she let out a squeal and shook in a fit of laughter. After a few moments, he showed mercy and stopped the tickling. He carried her back into the living room, where Ziva was now hunched over tidying up the Jenga set.
''Help me, Momma!'' Lia cried out breathlessly. ''It's the tickle monster!''
Tony dropped down onto the couch with her. ''No one can save you from the tickle monster.''
''My mommy can.''
He chuckled. ''Most likely,'' he conceded.
Ziva got to her feet with the game now safely back in its box. ''Now that your father is up, how about some breakfast?'' She suggested, before frowning and correcting herself. ''Or is it lunch by now? I have lost track of time.''
Tony shrugged. ''Let's just call it brunch to be safe.''
She chuckled at him. ''I like the way you think, Tony.''
''That's a first.''
Lia shifted in his lap. ''I'm really hungry.''
Come to think of it, Tony was starving, too. It felt like a long time ago since his last meal. ''Me too.''
Ziva put the Jenga box in the cupboard next to the fireplace, before turning back to them with a semi-affectionate roll of her eyes. ''Really? I have never known you two to be hungry before,'' she drawled. ''The world must have stopped spinning.''
''Your sarcasm is noted,'' Tony told her. ''I'll try not to be offended.''
Ziva chuckled softly. ''I'm not sure what we have in the kitchen. I doubt there is enough food to satisfy you DiNozzo's, though.''
Lia frowned at her. ''You're a 'Nozzo, Momma.''
''Am I?''
She giggled at her mother. ''Ken, silly.''
Ziva hummed in consideration. ''Perhaps that explains why I am so ravenous.''
Tony ran his hand up and down Lia's back. ''How about we go to the diner near the park? Then you don't have to worry about cooking anything, Ziva, and we can have whatever we want.''
Lia's face lit up in excitement. ''Bacon and pancakes?''
''Sure,'' he nodded.
''That does sound nice,'' Ziva agreed.
Lia looked at her with wide eyes. ''They do blueberry, Momma.''
Ziva raised her eyebrows. ''You like blueberry pancakes, don't you, tatelah?''
''I love them.''
Tony and Ziva both laughed at Lia's apparent enthusiasm. He couldn't resist the temptation to lean over and kiss her crown. ''Is that the plan then? Shall we dine at the diner?''
Lia clapped her hands excitedly. ''Let's go now!''
His eyes widened in amusement. ''You're still in your pajamas, sweetie.''
''So?''
''So you need to get dressed, baby,'' Ziva told her with a smile. ''We all do.'' When she approached them with an outstretched hand, Lia dropped down to the floor and took hold of it. ''And your daddy needs a shower,'' Ziva added, before waving her hand in front of her nose in exaggeration.
Lia found that immeasurably amusing, and Tony frowned at his wife's retreating form as she led their daughter out of the room. ''Hey!'' All he got was a wink as Ziva glanced back at him briefly.
''You're smelly, Daddy,'' Lia called back to him with a giggle.
''I love you guys, too.''
Despite their hygiene-related teasing, he smiled to himself as he got to his feet. It just felt so good to be back in their presence. He enjoyed nothing more than when they spent time together as a family, relaxing, playing and generally enjoying each other's company. He was looking forward to doing a lot of this over the coming weeks, seeing as he'd decided to take some time off. He knew he needed it, and he also knew Ziva and Lia needed it, too.
The guilt he'd been feeling all night had been somewhat suppressed, and the pain below his bandage felt numbed.
God, it was good to be home.
Still not sure how many chapters there's going to be. At least one more, though. Thanks for reading and for your much-welcomed support.
On a seperate note, who else is delighted to see that Jelenamichel has started another case-fic? It's literally made my year. For those of you who don't know who that is, what the hell is wrong with you?! Check out all their work now! Reading it always makes me feel so useless in comparison, because it's so damn good.
Cheers again, lovely people.