So, after my calling for suggestions/ideas/requests last chapter, I had several people ask for Ziva's reaction to Tony Jr's deployment, and hence, this chapter was born. Personally, I imagine there'd be plenty of these 'moments' for her, but I was hoping to capture just one of them.

As always, read, enjoy, and review! (:

Choices

" Ziva? You home?"

There was silence in the house as Tony shut the front door behind him, the click of the lock echoing in the hallway.

" Sweet-cheeks?"

Nothing. He kicked off his shoes, ditched his gym bag at the door to the laundry room, and peered into the kitchen; empty. After checking each room, and finding no hint of his wife, he climbed the stairs, and silently peered into the master bedroom.

Ziva was sat cross-legged on the bed, in a pair of sweats and one of his tees, hair falling loosely about her shoulders, still damp from showering. In front of her was a large spread of photographs, and it became obvious to Tony that his wife was silently crying, fingers pressed to her lips as she took in memories in front of her.

" Zi?"

His voice startled her, and she quickly attempted to regain some composure, dabbing furiously at her eyes, and gathering the photos into a hasty pile.

" I-I didn't hear you get home."

Tony was silent, leaning on the door frame, arms folded, and eyes fixed on her. Ziva glanced at him, before waving a hand at the pictures sprawled on the bed.

" I was looking for a towel, at the back of the closet. The photo wallet fell out and...and I couldn't help myself..."

She stopped herself, another tear or two finding their way down her cheeks, and laughed meekly.

" Sorry. Just having... a moment."

Tony smiled softly, crossing the room to sit and join her on the bed. Ziva instantly shuffled to him, her back pressed against his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder, as broad arms encircled her, and soft lips brushed her cheek.

" A moment, hm?"

She gestured to the photos, and as Tony looked, her mood became much clearer. An infant Tony Junior, with a wide gummy smile, reaching for his mother; Tony, asleep on his father's chest, passed out in front of the TV; Ziva and the baby, laughing together, as she cradled him. A sudden swell of nostalgia hit Tony like a truck, and a deft chuckle left his lips.

" It's been a long time since he was that size. Remember the days when he couldn't talk back?"

Ziva laughed gently, wiping at her cheeks.

" Of course I do. I remember it all. Particularly that one incident that involved him peeing down your shirt..."

Tony scrunched his nose up in disgust, making his wife laugh all the more.

" How could I forget?" He brushed several of the photos aside with one hand, looking at those below. " He was such a happy baby. Look how young we look! Not a single grey hair for me! I told you it was the kids that did it."

They both laughed, before falling silent, Ziva gently shuffling through several more of the photos, lips pressed together. Tony, sensing her mood shift and tension, leant down to nuzzle at her neck, leaving a soft trail of kisses.

" What's bothering you, sweetheart?"

His wife let out a sigh, leaning further into him, and titled her head to look at him, eyes swimming with unspoken words, and emotion.

" I thought we worked... to make this world a safer place to live. To keep our children safe, and out of harm's way, to try and put a stop to at least some of the monsters prowling the streets out there."

Tony nodded, thumbs drawing circles on her stomach, staying silent to let her continue.

" So why..."

She looked back down at the photographs, throat clenching, and struggling to finish.

" So why is my baby... my own son... flying half way across the world to fight in a war, when he has every opportunity to stay here, with his family, go to college, live a normal life? Didn't we do enough? Didn't we always work to keep them safe, to take the, the...the swak, so they could live a peaceful, happy life, free from violence and bloodshed?"

" Flak, Zee-vah. The word you're looking for is flak. Although some of us did take a swak..." He shivered at the memory. "As for you and I, we've taken plenty of it. Haven't they grown up knowing a stable, loving home? More than your or I could say we had."

" That is not my point, Tony." She gave him a pointed look, descending into a rant. "We agreed when we married that we'd give them that. No, this different. Have we forced him into this? By being agents, by having the forces in our lives? Does he feel he has to do this, to prove himself? Or is it to be 'cool'? So he can have a gun? He could be a cop. He could work for NCIS. He could work for the CI-"

" Don't you dare say CIA." Tony glowered at her, catching her hand. " After Trent Kort, and let's not forget, C-I-Ray himself, I'd have to disown him. I think you're over thinking this." He brought her hand to his lips, before Ziva snatched it away, giving him a disbelieving look.

" Overthinking this? Tony, our son is going to WAR. Abroad. With the Marines. Fighting against whoever, real combat...harah...What if something happens. To him? He's thousands of miles away from home. What if...what if the worst happens? What if he becomes another body on Palmer's table?"

" Then they will bring him home, to us, here, with full colours. He will have died protecting his family, friends and his country. And if he ends up at NCIS, then he is in the best of hands..."

" You make it sound so simple. Men, you don't understand. I'm his mother. He might be a man, and a soldier, to you, but to me..." She tapped the nearest photo of him with her free hand. " He's still that baby."

Tony laughed, earning him another dirty look from his wife, who pulled away from him.

" I fail to see how this is funny in the slightest."

" Ziva..." He reached down, and retrieved his wallet from his pocket, expertly sifting past the credit cards and business cards, until he pulled a small wad of photos from a a tucked away nook. Ziva peered over, as he shuffled through them, before picking one out, and holding it in front of her. On it, a rather more youthful looking Tony, still slightly red-eyed, with his arm around a tired, but beaming Ziva, holding a tiny, wide-eyed baby. Ziva couldn't help but smile, and gave her husband a somewhat apologetic guilty look. Tony smirked, looking at the picture himself, smirk fading to a wider smile, before he shuffled it back into the pile

" Everyday, I could swear this was yesterday. I sometimes find myself wondering who the tall young man making a sandwich in the kitchen and winding his sister up, is. I keep expecting to find that chubby infant, or the little boy who wants to play ball, or even the grouchy teenager, raiding the fridge and speaking in grunts. But he's grown now Ziva. Grown into a very handsome, very intelligent, witty young man." He gave his wife a gentle poke, kissing her forehead. " We did good, hon. We gave him a home where he could make whatever choice he wanted, and gave him the best start we could. Now, this is his choice, this is what he wants to do with himself. We both know he'll be an outstanding Marine. It's our job now to stand behind him, instead of beside him, support him, love him, and look on proudly.

Ziva leant into him, resting her head on his chest, gently twirling a strand of her hair.

" I am proud, Tony. Very proud, of all three of them. I know he'll be brilliant... I just want him to come home. He has so much still ahead of him. Finding the right girl, getting married, having children..."

Tony scoffed, wrapping his arms around her once more, and pulling her into his lap fully.

" Give the boy a little time. He has years to do all that, let him have a little fun first. He and Gibbs can 'oorah' til the day is done. Next thing we know, Tony'll be building a boat in the basement, and running on coffee."

Ziva rolled her eyes, digging an elbow into her husband's ribs, earning her a pained grunt.

" There will be no boat-building in this basement, we are not encouraging that. He can get his own house if he wishes to do so. One Gibbs is quite enough, thank you very much. No, he can come home, and 'oorah' as much as he wants. As long as he's home."

" What happened to my wild, fearless, kimbo-slicing, trained assasin Ziva David?"

Tony tickled her side, nipping at her neck softly. Ziva squirmed, but laughed, tapping his lips with a finger.

" She fell in love, and became a mother. She's still here just...dormant, for now. Soon to be awoken, the next time Dornegett bumps into me with a hot coffee..."

Tony snorted with laughter, the mental images of his wife's revenge on the hapless agent providing golden entertainment.

" Ah, my fiesty little ninja, you've been that way since day one."

Ziva shot him a teasing grin.

" You mean when I walked in to you having daydreams about Kate, in a Catholic school girl's uniforms?"

Tony visibly flushed, ears going red, before returning her grin.

" I was talking more about... 'under covers' mission. Covert ops."

Ziva laughed, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, taking on a rather sultry air, as she placed her legs on either side of his..

" Ah, but of course~ How could I even think of forgetting? And to think, we were having so much fun until Gibbs and Jenny gatecrashed our little party."

" Were we? I think, personally, I need reminding, it was such a long time ago..."

Ziva giggled softly as he pulled her in for a kiss, soft lips pulling at hers, 5 o'clock shadow gently scraping against her chin. Her fingers weaved into his hair, as he hands found her hips, softly caressing. God, she could get lost in those lips. Suddenly, she was back in that hotel room, so many years ago, before children, before marriage, still wild from her days in Israel, Tony, naked above her - until the slam of the front door, and bickering between Abi and Tim brought her crashing back to earth, and caused both of them to pull apart with a sigh. Tony let out a disgruntled huff, straightening up, and swinging his legs off of the bed.

" Bloody kids."

Ziva laughed softly, leaning over to kiss his cheek gently, before gathering the photos, and heading back towards the closet with them.

" They were our choice, remember?"