A/N: I need to do a reader's poll. For the chapter where Ziva finally gets to see Tony's letters to her (don't get your hopes up yet, it's in the last 4 chapters) I'm planning to put in many letters that were referenced but never shown in the previous installments. How many is too many? Pick a number between 5 and 25 (yes, there are that many that are potentials, between a couple lines to a couple paragraphs long). I'd hate for you guys to get bored since y'all have been waiting so long for that moment to happen. Let me know! And as always, thanks so much for reading, reviewing, and never giving up on this story! Love you all! ~Aliyah
Ziva was gone from their bed when Tony woke up just before Chaya and he wondered again how she managed to get out of his arms without waking him. Must be those dang ninja skills, he mused, hearing the front door close and then Ziva's footsteps on the stairs. Yawning, he got up and shuffled down the hall to the nursery, leaning against the doorframe to watch his wife and daughter together.
"Mornin' beautiful."
She looked up with a smile. "To whom are you referring?"
Tony opened his mouth and then eyed her suspiciously. "That's a trick question."
Ziva laughed lightly. "Perhaps. And your answer?"
He moved closer and kissed her, then leaned down to press his lips to Chaya's forehead. "Both of course." Tony toyed with Chaya's soft curls. "I can't wait to see what she looks like when she gets older."
A shadow passed over Ziva's face. She wanted to say Chaya would look a little like both of them, but it would be a lie. So she said nothing and Tony let the silence rest. Work kept them busy all day and as per their new schedule, Tony stayed until after Chaya's last feeding and then went home, an hour later than a few weeks ago, to spend time with her before putting the baby to bed.
Ziva left for Ops shortly after seven pm, when Gibbs deemed that they'd been at their desks long enough. Duke was working with an injured Marine when she arrived, so Ziva headed for the punching bag. With very little warm up, she attacked and soon her entire focus narrowed to the swinging black bag as emotions welled up and ran over, finding their release in every hit, jab and kick.
Duke made his rounds, always keeping an eye on the woman who didn't know when to quit. Finally he ended up in her line of vision and raised an eyebrow in interest. "I always fight my punching bag like it's threatening my life too."
Ziva dropped her hands. "There is nothing stopping me from going hard now."
"No," he agreed, "but that looks like a different kind of intensity." He leaned against the wall. "What demons are you fighting tonight David?"
She blew a piece of hair out of her face. "Only ones inside."
Duke nodded knowingly. "Who's winning?"
His quiet words made her sigh. "I guess I will find out when I get home."
Because she seemed to need it, Duke set her up with a couple of his best guys for sparring sessions. Ziva was careful not to completely shatter their egos, but when two hundred and fifty pound SEALs and special forces soldiers were taken down by a woman less than half their size and weight, it still made an impression. They were good sports about it and gave her a run for her money, but after that Duke led her to an empty studio in back and they worked through some ju jitsu moves until her time was up. It didn't escape the owner's notice that she was staying two hours now, but he'd seen her like this before and knew he had to let Ziva run her course. Something would break sooner or later, of that he was confident.
NCIS
Ziva showered at the gym and came home to a quiet house. Wandering upstairs, she checked on her daughter and found Tony watching a movie in their room. He smiled and paused it, but his smile faded as he took in her appearance. "Are you trying to tell me something?" The rejection stung, but Tony tried not to let it show.
She bit her lip. "Yes. I have been thinking about this all day and..." Ziva took a breath. "I am willing to try again, what we were doing last night."
He knew what it took for her to come to him with the offer, could only imagine how she'd struggled with herself over the issue, and he was thankful that she was trying to be brave. Tony walked around the bed to stand in front of her and Ziva held up her hands. "You have to let me undress myself."
Knowing he'd be okay with anything as long as they could call this progress, Tony took a step back and started undoing his pants and Ziva turned away to shed her clothes. They slowed by the time they reached their underwear and Tony looked at his wife to see what she was doing. Last night had been simpler because they were already naked beneath their towels. Ziva met his eyes and held his gaze as she slowly pushed her panties down and unhooked her bra. He swallowed hard and waited until she crawled under the covers before following suit and joining her. They'd barely kissed before his body reacted and Tony shifted away, embarrassed. She touched his face.
"There is probably something wrong if that does not happen when you have a naked woman in your bed," Ziva commented lightly, guiding his mouth back to hers.
That could have been an awkward moment, Ziva could have let it push her away, but he was so glad she was taking the attitude she was. Maybe, just maybe, it meant they were one step closer.
NCIS
Saturday dawned bright and sunny after two days of rain and Tony and Ziva were not motivated to do anything. But it was too nice to stay inside, so Tony spread a blanket under the maple tree, covered it with pillows, books and baby toys, and went inside to help Ziva make a picnic lunch. Then he carried the basket and she brought Chaya and they all got comfortable. Since it was so hot outside, Ziva undressed Chaya down to her diaper and the little girl was quite happy with that arrangement, kicking her feet and waving her hands. With her parents' full attention focused on her, Chaya squealed and giggled and smiled, reaching for toys and shaking the rattle Gibbs had made her with great delight.
Then came the moment she was laying on her tummy and kicked her legs just the right way, and all of a sudden she was on her back, looking just a bit startled before she grinned up at them, showing off her toothless gums. Tony and Ziva stared at each other. "Did she just-" he started and Ziva blinked.
"I think so."
Just in case it was a random fluke, Tony picked up his baby and laid her carefully on her stomach again. Chaya made a noise of displeasure and slapped the blanket with her hands, then kicked her legs and again just turned herself over. He scooped her up and peppered her cheeks with kisses while Chaya giggled. "You rolled over, good job princess! Oh, you're going to be dangerous as soon as you can move a little more than that."
Ziva lifted the baby into her arms and cuddled her. "What a big girl you are Chaya! I do not know if we are ready for all of these changes."
Chaya nuzzled her chest and Ziva frowned, but positioned her to breastfeed while Tony watched, checking the time. "That wasn't three hours."
She seemed unconcerned. "Mandy mentioned she might nurse more often when it is hot out. Chaya is too little for water, so when she is thirsty she still needs my milk."
The baby made a contented happy noise and Tony laughed, leaning down to kiss her head. Several comments that could've been made about her proximity to Ziva and how he wished he could touch her with that much freedom passed through his brain, but Tony kept them to himself. "Enjoy it while you can munchkin. I have a feeling sippy cups just won't be as much fun."
Ziva gave him a 'really?' look and he shrugged innocently, laying back on the blanket to soak in the sunshine.
When Chaya finally fell asleep, Ziva leaned back on a stack of pillows and picked up the second book in a new series she'd started, while Tony found a magazine that looked interesting and stretched out on his stomach, his fingers idly wandering over her feet as she turned pages. The day passed peacefully and it was late afternoon before they finally packed everything up and headed back inside, smiling and happy. These moments were meant to be cherished.
NCIS
(Note: I have read that the Reflecting Pool isn't really all the nice up close, something about dirty water and the smell? But for the sake of this scene, let's pretend it's all clean and clear and fresh and beautiful the way it will hopefully be when they'd finished the reconstruction, okay? Thanks.)
Gibbs and Celeste spent Saturday wandering around DC and touring the most famous memorials. "Les," he'd groused at the beginning, "you've seen all these before."
Celeste reached for his hand. "I've never seen them with you," she replied and his mood changed on a dime.
They walked around hand in hand, sharing quiet conversation as they explored the different monuments. At lunch he bought them hot dogs from a street vendor and later Celeste wanted to try a gelato, even if nothing compared to what she'd actually had in Italy. The couple sat on a bench and people watched while they ate their dessert and finally Gibbs and Celeste ended up sitting on the edge of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, leaning back on their hands, with one foot each in the water and admiring the view.
"This is probably not allowed," Celeste commented smiling.
Gibbs made a noise in his throat. "It is 'til someone makes us move."
She bumped his shoulder gently. "Thanks for coming today."
"I like spending time with you Les," he answered.
Celeste pulled one knee up and regarded him with happiness in her gaze. "I know, ditto. Dinner at my place? Then you can work on the toys if you want or go home to your boat. Jenna really will throttle me if I don't make some serious project on the book this week." She'd been spending a lot of time with his family lately and work had been put off for another time. Her boss was losing her patience.
"Kicking me out already?"
She rolled her eyes. "Trying to save you from a slow death by boredom, actually, but if you want to stay that's fine. I just have to ignore you."
He leaned over and kissed her. "I could make that a challenge."
"Then I really will make you leave," Celeste warned. "Lexie and I will be fine by ourselves for one night, I guess."
Gibbs lay back and laced his fingers together behind his head, thinking that love must have something to do with wanting to be with someone even if they were doing something that didn't include you.
NCIS
A week after the disaster of a fight that left McGee with a nasty hangover and Abby trying to make up for mistaken assumptions, the couple celebrated their nine month anniversary. They'd made up from last week and were slowly returning to their easy familiarity with each other. It was still taking awhile for the memory of Abby's angry accusations to fade, but tonight at least Tim wanted things to be the way they were. Which included making love to her for the first time since last week.
Pregnancy required a little more creativity when it came to positions, but Abby had never been shy about trying new things and Tim just wanted to be close to her, whatever that took. With less than seven weeks left in her third trimester, Abby was finding sex almost uncomfortable and sometimes things had to be done much more slowly and gently than before. But in the end the result was still two tired, sweaty, content people.
Tim pulled Abby close, still breathing hard and nuzzled her neck. Abby sighed happily. "I missed you that way," she whispered, turning her head to kiss his arm. "I never realized how normal it is for you to touch me until you stopped."
He pressed his lips to her shoulder. "That's the longest we've gone without since you were sick."
She rolled over to look at her husband. "Are you still mad at me Timmy?"
McGee sighed, combing his fingers through her damp hair. "I'm not mad Abby, I just wish I could forget how it hurt, knowing what you thought, what you'd assumed, and then hearing you tell me to leave."
Abby smothered him with a kiss, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry. I won't ever say it again."
He swallowed and moved his hands to her belly. "Please don't." The baby kicked at his touch and Tim smiled, leaning down to kiss the spot. "Soon Baby Beta. We're really looking forward to meeting you."
Abby caressed the smooth, hard bump. "I can't believe there's less than two months to go."
Tim met her eyes. "Are you scared?"
"Yup," she responded without hesitation. "A puppy I know how to take care of. A baby, not so much."
"We'll figure it out together," Tim promised, getting comfortable to sleep.
Abby slid her fingers through his and shifted onto her side, hoping that things would finally be back to normal again.
NCIS
Tony and Ziva hopped in the shower after dinner and a movie, pleasantly relaxed following a day of doing nothing but spending time outside being a family. Unlike some of their other joint showers, this time wasn't so much about getting clean as it was wanting to be close and alone. Tony pulled Ziva under the warm spray and kissed her with water running over them. Ziva laughed and leaned her head back, exposing her throat. He took advantage of the moment and dragged his lips down her neck, flicking his tongue over her collarbone.
Ziva pulled back and looked at him, smiling coyly. "Anthony DiNozzo, are you trying to seduce me?"
Falling back on old habits to hide his deep desire to be doing just that, Tony reached for a movie quote and grinned at her. "Why? Are you seducable?"
Shaking her head slowly, her eyes telling him she remembered the film that moment came from, Ziva leaned into him and bit his earlobe gently. "Not yet," she breathed. But not saying no meant someday, and because she didn't elaborate, Tony could hope that someday was soon.
They touched and kissed and stared into each other's eyes as hands slid slowly over bodies that responded whether they wanted to or not. Then, while Ziva's lips were locked on his in a deep kiss, her fingers trailed over his chest, down his stomach and finally lower. Tony jerked when he felt the first tentative brushes of her hand against a part of him that up until now she had not been able to touch.
Staying very still, Tony let Ziva explore and tried to keep her distracted with kisses so she wouldn't think too much about what she was doing. His body was wound tight and he ached for release from the tension, but for now this was more important. At last though she did find a rhythm and used her hands to bring him pleasure for the first time.
Ziva washed herself while Tony leaned against the wall and recovered, and he took over to do her hair, pushing it back to kiss her neck. "Thank you," he whispered. They finished and got out to dry and dress for bed and Tony assumed that spending time in bed naked might be too much after the 'more' they'd experienced in the shower, but was glad when Ziva still felt okay to curl up in his arms.
She kissed his cheek and spoke quietly into his ear. "I am trying Tony," before settling down to sleep. He smiled against her hair, so very proud of her for making so much effort. They both deserved for things to get better.
NCIS
After making several phone calls on Sunday afternoon, Tony and Ziva managed to set up reservations at a restaurant for later that evening, and get all of their guests to agree to come. The last thing needed was someone to watch their daughter. "No," Tony shook his head. "Ziva, Jimmy should always be a last resort. I mean, he's a good guy but he's still learning how to hold her properly. I wouldn't be able to relax if we left him alone with Chaya." Ziva sighed and he shrugged. "What about Tami and Matt? Two against one is better odds."
She chewed on her lip. "I am not comfortable with that idea. I like Tami but I do not know Matt well enough. And it may seem an odd request when we have never spent time with just them or had them over to our house."
Tony scraped his fingers through his hair. "We're running out of options Zi." Then a light went on and he smiled, reaching for the phone. "I got it. You're going to love this idea babe."
The phone was already ringing and when the person on the other end answered, he grinned. "Hey Nonna, how's it going?" Tony managed to look sheepish about whatever she said. "Yeah, I know it's been awhile, I'm sorry. I never realized how fast time moved until I got married, had a kid and was still working. But I'd like to remedy that today."
He listened and nodded. "Well, if you don't have any plans, Ziva and I would love to have you over, but I was also wondering..." Tony hesitated. "Would you be interested in babysitting tonight? We're going out for dinner with some members of our team and we're way too distracted if C is around." He chuckled and his expression brightened. "Yes that means you get the angel all to yourself for a couple hours. You can even put her to bed." Grace said something in response and Tony looked at Ziva. "We're looking forward to seeing you too. Thanks so much Grace, come over as soon as you're ready. Okay, bye."
Hanging up, he sighed in relief. "I just gave away our afternoon, that okay?"
Ziva bent forward to kiss his cheek. "Very okay. It has been too long since I saw Grace last. That was a very good idea Tony."
"Thank you." He bowed dramatically, then sat back. "Now what?"
Ziva stood suddenly and went to the kitchen. "I think I will put together a bunch of cinnamon buns. I have not made them in ages and they are good to serve to company."
Tony came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, dropping a kiss on her shoulder. "Grace isn't company, she's family. And it's 'batch', not bunch."
She looked at him. "I could have meant either." Ziva elbowed her husband and moved away. "Go watch a movie, you are in my space."
Tony frowned. "I could stir something."
She rolled her eyes. "Do you not ever get tired of being around me so much?"
Taking that very seriously, he turned her around and stared into her eyes. "You're my best friend Ziva, my other half, every good thing in my life. How could I get tired of that?"
Ziva pressed her lips to his. "I think I will keep you. Find a movie, I will let you know when I need an assistant."
Saluting, Tony began perusing his movie collection and put in an old favourite before Ziva requested his help. By the time she was cutting the rolled up, brown sugar and cinnamon covered dough, Grace arrived and he let her in. She barely set her things down and then pulled Tony close for a hug. Ziva was next, dusting off her hands and holding the older woman close.
"Hello Grace, welcome. I am glad you could come."
"It looks like I came at the right time," Grace commented, aiming her gaze at the counter.
Ziva went back to what she was doing. "I hope you like them." The tray was soon ready to go in the oven and Tony volunteered to do dishes so she and Grace could visit, but Grace insisted on helping.
"If I'm going to enjoy the fruits of your labour, the least I can do is be a part of the clean up."
There was no arguing with this lady and between the three of them, the kitchen was put to rights and Grace was able to catch up on all their news. The commotion hadn't woken the baby, but the clock did and promptly at 1530, Chaya started squirming and fussing. Ziva dried her hands and lifted her daughter up, kissing her soft cheek.
"Shalom achat yafa sheli, are you ready for Ima?" Hello my beautiful one. She settled on the couch and began nursing with no hesitation, though she did smile when Tony brought her a receiving blanket.
Grace and Tony chose seats near mother and baby and spent Chaya's feeding time chatting about life in general. When Chaya was ready to be burped, Grace held out her arms and Tony's expression dropped when Ziva gave the baby to their friend. Grace laughed lightly. "You get her all the time Anthony, I think it's my turn."
Tony had gotten the cinnamon buns out of the oven when Chaya woke up and now Ziva went and got two for each of them to enjoy. Chaya was good for Grace and the woman kept the baby on her shoulder even after she burped, with the little girl lifting her head up to look around. When Tony and Ziva left the room to get changed for going out, Grace reached into her bag for the books she'd brought, reading in a gentle voice until Chaya's eyelids started closing. Then she returned the infant to her bassinet and settled back in the chair with the slipper she was knitting.
The parents returned and checked on Chaya, kissing her head lightly before looking at Grace. "Bottles are in the fridge, she'll probably be hungry again at six," Tony began.
"Her blankets are in the crib and I laid out a sleeper and diaper things for later." Ziva's brow furrowed. "Is there anything we forgot?"
Grace stood and shooed them toward the door. "I think we'll be just fine. And if I have any questions, I know how to use the phone."
Ziva chuckled. "I am sorry if we seem untrusting. You are just our first babysitter outside the team."
The older woman's face creased into a smile. "Well, I'm honoured, but you are going to be late for your outing."
They nodded and Tony grinned at her. "Right. Thanks Grace, we'll see you in a couple hours." Slipping his hand around Ziva's he squeezed lightly and they headed out.
Gibbs and Celeste were already at the restaurant, standing off to the side, and the four of them continued to wait until Abby and McGee showed up a few minutes late. Abby's face was flushed but she looked very nice in a black and white maternity dress. At thirty-three weeks her bump was still smaller than she'd expected, but impossible to hide, so she tried to show it off in the best light possible.
A waiter showed the group to their table, a round corner booth for privacy, and they all gave their drink orders and took menus. "How much are you springing for Tony?" McGee asked teasingly.
His friend's eyes were serious. "Get whatever you like, you guys deserve it."
The conversation drifted to their weekend and Abby started sharing Sammy stories, but soon had to abandon talking to concentrate on making a decision. At least she closed her menu. "The baby can't make up his mind, so we're having dessert first."
None of the others dared to laugh, uncertain about how stable Abby's mood was. But McGee chuckled quietly, Tony hid a smirk and Ziva's eyes danced with amusement, though she averted her gaze to hide it. When their server returned with drinks they were ready to order. She raised an eyebrow, looking confused at Abby's choice, but Tony and Ziva distracted her, hoping to smooth over any questions she was planning on asking as they would not be appreciated.
Finally they were alone and Ziva smiled, making eye contact with each person in turn. "I want to thank you all for the work you put into my present. From distraction," she shared a look with Celeste and Abby, "to all the heavy lifting, I have slowly been learning about all you did to make this possible." She leaned into her husband. "I wish there was more I could say, thank you seems so inadequate for something that was so much work. I love it very much."
"It was our pleasure Ziva," Celeste said, confirmed when Abby nodded."
"DiNozzo's idea," Gibbs continued.
McGee shrugged. "We like to see you happy Ziva. It was worth the work and the time."
"We're family," Abby finished. "I'm glad we get the chance to be here for each other, no matter what it is."
Ziva merely smiled, out of words and still unsure how to take their kindness. Sometimes she still didn't feel like she deserved it. The moment was saved when appetizers began arriving and not long after that, steaming plates of food appeared in front of them. All except Abby, who dug into her mile high, double chocolate brownie, still warm and topped with a swirl of whipped cream. With great reluctance, she offered for everyone to try a bite but no more, which they did, and they were all wise enough not to ask for a second taste.
Laughter and shared memories encompassed most of the meal and at the end the guys got coffee and the ladies tea, and the two remaining couples shared a raspberry cheesecake - Celeste's favourite, and Tony's choice - apple crumble. Thoroughly stuffed, they all leaned back against the padded booth.
"We should do this more often!" Abby exclaimed happily.
Tony folded the bill and reached for his wallet. "We'll all be broke if we do."
She rolled her eyes. "It doesn't have to be expensive, but more stuff as a group. Dinner at each other's houses, team barbeques like Independence Day, more movie and board game nights or days like that first one after Ziva came back." Abby's gaze sharpened to a glare. "We need to see each other more than just at work."
"I think that's a good idea," Celeste agreed. "And assuming I'm invited, I'll enjoy getting to know you all a little better."
All eyes slowly shifted to Abby, who sat chewing on her lip and regarding Celeste seriously. "Yeah," she said eventually, "you're invited."
An inaudible sigh of relief traveled around the table and Gibbs nodded at her.
"I like your plan Abs," Tony grinned. "But we're going to have to talk about chick movies vs. guy movies. I can only handle so much of The Princess Bride."
She shot him a dirty look and didn't reply, but the decision was unanimous. They parted ways soon after and Tony held the door open for Ziva. "That was fun."
Sliding her arm around his waist, she matched his strides. "I am glad we could treat them. They definitely merited the extravagance."
His hand warmed her bare shoulder. "Yeah, but we're going to have to start being more careful with our money after this." Ziva looked at him in concern and he shrugged. "Until I can pay off the supplies for the basement, things might be kinda tight, and we should be saving as much as possible. I love being able to use comp time, but it is in place of being paid."
Ziva slowed to a stop when they reached the car and faced him. "I can cash in some of my comp time, if that would help." She hadn't really thought that much about money since they got married. Before that she was pinching pennies with what she made and saving because she had been thinking she was going to raise the baby herself. But then Tony stepped in and she'd let him handle things, without even worrying about what their finances looked like. It wasn't fair to expect him to carry that burden alone.
He kissed her forehead. "Thanks Ziva, but of the two of us, I have more and you're Chaya's mom, it's going to be you she needs when she's sick or teething or growing. You need to keep your comp time for her."
Ziva ran her fingers softly down his cheek. "In a few years then, we will trade." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned in for a hug. "I have a feeling that as soon as she can talk, Chaya's favourite person will always be her daddy."
When they returned home Grace was watching re-runs of Matlock and Murder She Wrote. She smiled as they walked in. "Have a good time?"
"We did," Ziva smiled. "How was Chaya?"
Grace beamed. "She was such a good girl. We made a bit of a mess with her last bottle, so I gave her a bath. I expected fussing but she was happy as a clam. After a little rocking and a bedtime story, she was headed to dreamland. You two are doing a good job with her."
Tony sighed. "That's a relief, because we're just winging this parent thing."
The older lady chuckled. "So is everyone else. There are no experts except people who don't have children."
It was getting late, so Grace gathered her things and they hugged her goodbye, saying thank you once again. "A couple hours spent with a three month old? There's no easier way to make me happy." She winked. "Have a nice night."
Once they were alone, Tony pulled Ziva into his arms and rubbed his nose on hers. "Too much to ask to fall asleep naked with you?"
Ziva's gaze was thoughtful. "Maybe not fall asleep, but I will lay with you."
He brushed his lips over hers. "I'll take it."
They climbed the stairs, peeked into the nursery and undressed in their room. Ziva felt a little nervous this time, wondering if Tony would expect a repeat of last night. But it seemed that all he wanted was to kiss and touch her, holding her close to his body. So Ziva let go of her concerns and concentrated on her husband. Her lips left his and traveled to his jaw, down his neck one kiss at a time, and onto his shoulders. She moved her hands over his back, exploring the toned muscles and smooth skin before working her fingers into his hair and giving into his insistence of meeting her mouth with his.
Since she'd touched him in the shower, Tony had been thinking and decided it was time to test her reactions. Not that he would touch her intimately yet, but he wanted to see how close she's let him get. Drawing one hand down her leg, Tony slipped it between her knees and began gently caressing her inner thigh. Ziva's ministrations stopped and she barely breathed while he moved further up. He'd barely gotten halfway when suddenly she slapped his hand away and wrapped the sheet around herself tightly, moving to the edge of the bed.
"Ziva," he said softly, "honey, can you hear me?" She nodded, but when he reached for her, she practically cowered and Tony couldn't take it anymore. He jumped out of bed and roughly pulled on his boxers, frustrated beyond belief in more ways than one. "Dang it Ziva!" he yelled. "I don't know how to make this better."
Ziva stood up and reached for the midnight blue dressing gown she loved, pulling it tightly around herself. "Maybe you cannot," she said softly and Tony gaped at her, his anger gone in an instant and replaced by desperation.
"Don't give up Zi, please," he begged, wondering if she'd finally had enough.
She shook her head, finally looking at him. "I am not. But some things you cannot fix or make better. You have to let them hurt because they do hurt and they may hurt for a long time. It is unfair, but it is true."
Tony rubbed his face, breathing out hard. "So what can I do?"
She hesitated. "Maybe you can just hold me. Not in bed, not naked, not under the covers, but fully clothed and sitting up somewhere." Without waiting for an answer, she slipped out of the silk covering and started putting on pyjama pants and a long sleeved shirt.
Following her lead, Tony grabbed sweatpants and the nearest t-shirt, dragging them on quickly. Then he approached his wife, who looked small and unsure standing in the center of their room. He didn't really breathe again until she accepted his touch, didn't draw a full breath until he had his arms wrapped around her, holding her against him.
Ziva clung to her husband, needing his love now to show her it hadn't changed, even if they still couldn't get physical with each other yet. Eventually Tony led her out to the couch downstairs in the livingroom and Ziva sat so close she was practically in his lap. For half an hour he didn't let go once. After it had been quiet for awhile, Tony started reminiscing, telling Ziva stories about pranks he'd pulled on McGee, the time he and Kate threatened to burn Gibbs' boat, and what things were like when he first joined NCIS and found himself on Gibbs' team.
When Chaya cried unexpectedly, she hadn't had a late feeding in weeks, Ziva hurried to get her, bringing their daughter downstairs. She handed the baby to Tony before pulling up her shirt, exposing the white nursing bra that unhooked in the middle. She glanced over at him, then took a breath and opened the left side so Chaya could nurse. Tony expertly handed the little girl over in the correct position, and Ziva slid close to his side, placing her hand over his and letting him help Chaya latch on. Tony put his arm around her shoulders and kept his other hand on his baby's back. Holding both his girls was his favourite thing to do.
Loving how Ziva still trusted him, he kissed her head and watched Chaya eat, confident that one way or the other, they would make it through. Like always, he would just have to be patient for a little bit longer. That was something he'd had a lot of practice doing in the last several months, hopefully he could keep it up. For both their sakes, he had to try.