Tony looked at Eli David bleeding on the floor dying slowly. Tony was struggling with himself. Did he call for help? Or did he let Eli die? Tony was still thinking when the main power source finally returned. Tony knew it was a sign of what was the right thing to do. Tony pressed the call button and a nurse came in. She saw Eli David's body before Tony even had time to say anything.
Everything happened in a whirlwind. Eli was whisked out of the room and into surgery to save his life but it was unsuccessful. The hospital called Metro PD about the stabbing. NCIS was contacted because one of their agents was involved. The storm circulating around Tony was much like the Nor'easter raining down on the city. After Metro took Tony's statement he sat in the room alone, quietly contemplating if he had a future with Ziva. He flashed back to how angry Ziva was when he had killed Michael Rivkin. He could only imagine how she would feel about him killing Eli.
Ziva walked into the room once Tony was alone. She closed the door behind him. "Hi, how are you feeling?" "Have the doctors taken a look at you?" She winced seeing the bruises that Tony had suffered in his fight with Eli. Ziva walked over to his bed and let the guard rail down. She gently eased herself into the bed with Tony. "I am so sorry that this happened to you…" "He kidnapped me…and came after you…because he blamed you for me leaving Israel…for me leaving him." "He was too blind to see that I abandoned him because of him." Ziva lightly touched the bruises on his face. "I am so sorry." She leaned in and gently kissed his lips and then rested her forehead against his.
Tony felt a smile appear on his lips. "I was…so worried that…you would hate me for what I did to your father." "I wish I could say that…I wasn't intending to kill him." "But in that moment. I wanted him dead." "Not just for what he had done to me." "But for taking you away from me."
"I could never hate you Tony." "He came here and attacked you…knowing that you were paralyzed. He was counting on you not being able to fight back." "That is a coward…I don't even recognize the man he has become. Or maybe it is the man he always was." "He used his children…as assets." "We were little more than…instruments." "You had to kill him. I know that." "I am glad that he is dead." "We don't have to worry about ever laying eyes on him again." said Ziva.
Tony's reached over and lightly ran his thumb over her cheek. "Did he do that to you?" asked Tony looking at the marks on her face.
Ziva shook her head no. "No, he sent a team into my apartment to get me." "I fought with them and was rewarded with battle scars." "When they forced their way into the apartment…I felt like all the air in the room had been sucked out." "I felt like a caged animal and even though I recognized them…I fought as if my life depended on it.'
"Ziva, I am sorry that you had to go through that…..everything else that you have been through…" "No one should have to feel that sort of pain and violation." "Especially, when your own father has a hand in it." said Tony.
"This is one nightmare that I can put behind me…" "I am going to focus on you and our life together." She said "We have a long life ahead of us." "A happy life." said Ziva with a small smile. "Do you want children?" asked Ziva almost out of the blue.
Tony said "Sure, I wouldn't mind a little DiNozzo or two running around. I never really thought about children until that time the sperm bank contacted me and for a minute I thought I might have a child out there somewhere that needed me. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I found out that wasn't the case. How many children would you want?" He paused and said "Wait…do you have something to tell me?"
Ziva laughed and said "No, I am not pregnant Tony." "I was just thinking about it this morning when Abby told me about her being pregnant." "For so long I never thought that I would have children." "Assassins don't really have families." "You to travel around far and wide for work…you don't have a family because there is too much to lose." "I don't want that life anymore." "I want to be a NCIS agent married to my husband…." "I want a family." "Maybe not right away but definitely in the future." "I want to give our child a normal life…not the childhood that I had…or the one that you had." "I had not really thought about how many children…but one or two sounds nice." "Gibbs told me that when you are better…we are going to help him repair his house…" She laughed softly.
Tony smiled and said "I like the sound of that." "I do have some news…" "I don't know what it means yet…" "But…I feel all the way down to my knees now." "So there is hope that…maybe I can still make a full recovery." "I may just be able to help Gibbs repair his house."
"But that means that you are getting better Tony! That is amazing." said Ziva hugging him. "I still want to get married today." "I don't want my father to destroy all of our plans." "I want you to be my husband today." "Not tomorrow or the next day…but tonight." said Ziva. "I am not going to let Eli David…control my life…or my happiness anymore." "This is the start of a new life for me…for us."
"I would love to marry you tonight Ziva. But I don't know how we would be able to find someone to perform the ceremony tonight." "We can get married tomorrow." said Tony lightly caressing her cheek.
Ziva smiled looking into his eyes. "Tonight…" "I will just find a way to make it happen." She kissed him and said "I will be back okay." "I am going to go and tell Gibbs about how well you are doing now." She kissed him again and then got out of the bed. "I love you." said Ziva slipping out of the room.
"I love you too Ziva…" said Tony watching her.
Ziva went to the waiting room where everyone was sitting. "Abby how are you and the baby?" asked Ziva concerned.
"We are doing great Ziva." "We have a clean bill of health." "And I am having a deCafPow to reward our good health." said Abby with a smile. "How is Tony?"
"Tony is doing good…he has regained sensation all the way to his knees." "So maybe in a few days he might be able to feel both of his legs again." "He's in good spirits too…" "I know today has been a long day for everyone…" "And I've asked so much of all of you already…" "But I really want to marry Tony tonight…" "I know we can't get a justice of the peace here this late...but there has got to be an alternative." "I don't want this day to end without making Tony my husband."
Leon Vance said "Well, if you are sure that this is what you want I can call a friend of mine and wake him up." "He owes me a favor." "But if you are going to do it…it will have to be right now." "I will be pulling a very angry judge out of his warm bed and into a storm…"
Ziva said "I would not ask if this wasn't…so very important…" "I will owe you for this Director Vance."
Leon said "Alright, I will go and wake up a judge." Leon walked off to make the call.
Ziva said "McGee…Abby. It would mean a lot to me and Tony if you'd be our witnesses for the wedding." "Tony suggested it and I think it is a great idea."
Abby spoke up before McGee could. "We would love to Ziva!" "I am so happy for the two of you. I've been thinking there was something going on since you and Tony came back from Paris." "But you two didn't budge an inch on telling us what was going on." "If Gibbs hadn't gone missing we still wouldn't have known." "You guys are perfect for one another." said Abby.
Ziva chuckled at her enthusiasm. "We were waiting to tell everyone about us…we knew that there would be changes and neither of us wanted to be split up." "We wanted to be there to watch one another's backs…"
"A secret romance is romantic." said Abby with a smile. She looked over at McGee who had a Cheshire grin on his face.
Leon Vance returned to the waiting room. "The judge should be here in 30 minutes." "He isn't happy but…he will perform the ceremony." "You and DiNozzo will be getting married tonight." said Leon.
"Thank you Director." said Ziva. Ziva looked over at Gibbs. Ziva walked over and had a seat next to Gibbs. "I was hoping that you would stand in place for my father…"
Gibbs was sitting quietly in the waiting room. Something about Eli David's death bothered him. Eli had left the safe house with other men. Where were those other men now? Gibbs was stunned out of his thoughts when Ziva started talking to him. He gave her a smile. "I'd like to do that."
"Thank you Gibbs." "For everything." said Ziva. "I am going to go spend time with Tony before the judge arrives." Ziva headed back down the hall to Tony's room.
Mike Franks arrived at the hospital after Gibbs had called to tell him about the ceremony. Mike sat next to Gibbs in the waiting room. "What is going through your head Probie? I know that look."
"Something just isn't sitting right with me." "Eli David and two other men left that safe house to get supplies." "The men we arrested named one of those men as Amit Hadar." "Amit was Michael Rivkin's handler in D.C." "You know Rivkin is the one DiNozzo killed…" "Eli came to the hospital to kill Tony…and failed." "But where were the other two men that should have been with him?" "There is something going on…" "I want to get a look at Eli David's body."
Mike Franks said "Well, I don't belong to any government agency anymore…so if I get caught sneaking into the morgue…what is the harm." "What are they going to do? Send me back to my shack in Mexico?" asked Mike. "I'll go and I'll be back in time for the ceremony." Mike got up and walked away. He was using a cane because of being shot in the leg.
The time passed by and the irate judge finally arrived at the hospital. He talked privately with Leon first before walking down to Tony's room. Leon, Gibbs, Ducky, Abby, and McGee followed him down to the room and filed in behind him. The Judge introduced himself to Tony and Ziva. "I am Judge Benson."
Ziva was sitting in Tony's bed with him. Ziva said "I am Ziva David and this is Anthony DiNozzo." "We just want to thank you for coming here tonight to conduct our ceremony."
Tony said "We really appreciate it your honor."
Judge Benson offered a smile and said "It is no problem. Now Leon owes me one." "So are we ready to get started?"
Ziva nodded and said "We are ready." "Our two witnesses are here. Abigail Sciuto and Timothy McGee."
Gibbs took his place next to Ziva.
The Judge said "Alright then we can start." "We are gathered here today to join Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David in matrimony. These two people have come before us today with the intent of becoming one. They were so dedicated to becoming one…that they dragged me out of bed at 11:00 at night…" "That is bravery and love." "Do you Anthony DiNozzo take Ziva David to be your lawfully wedded wife for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?"
Tony said "I do." He took the simple white gold wedding band and slipped it onto Ziva's finger.
"And do you Ziva David take Anthony DiNozzo to be your lawfully wedded husband for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?" asked Judge Benson.
"I do." said Ziva slipping a matching band on Tony.
Judge Benson said "Well, by the powers granted to me by the Commonwealth of Virginia. I now pronounce you husband and wife." "You may kiss the bride."
Tony gently grabbed Ziva's face and kissed her passionately. "I love you Mrs. DiNozzo."
"I love you too Mr. DiNozzo." said Ziva with a smile.
Everyone in the room clapped and laughed. Tony and Ziva signed their marriage license and then Abby and McGee signed as witnesses.
Ziva smiled and said "We did it…and before midnight." "I told you that you would be my husband today." She smiled and kissed Tony again.
Mike Franks walked into the room having missed the ceremony but the look on his face was grim. "Eli David's body is gone…" "It's not in the morgue…" "It's just….gone."
Everyone in the room froze and looked around at one another.
"I stabbed him in the chest." "I am sure that I punctured his lung…you don't walk away from that." said Tony. But he was starting to second guess himself.
"Dead bodies don't move on their own…." "Either he wasn't dead or he had some help leaving this hospital." said Gibbs.