Hey

I know it's been a very long time, since I last updated and I'm so sorry. I have no excuse...

Unfortunately this is the last chapter of that story. (Read the AN at the end of the chapter to know more. I'd like your opinion.)

Enjoy it.

A year later

Today everybody was celebrating the girl's first birthday. Hope was a little older than that, and they had already celebrated her birthday only with her parents, grandparents and sister, but they decided to really celebrate both girls' birthday together. Everybody was gathered at Gibbs' house. It was the only place big enough for all of them. There was Tony, Ziva, Kate and Rick with their little girls, of course, and then there was Gibbs and Jenny, Abby, McGee and Ducky. Palmer had been invited too, but couldn't be there. Everybody from New York had come too. Alexis, Martha, Jim, Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and even Jenny were there. In the last year Tony and Ziva had gotten to know everybody in New York better and Kate and Rick in D.C. Yet, neither team (or family), had ever actually met the other.

Everybody was enjoying the party. Tali and Hope didn't really get what was going on, but liked the attention they were getting from all the adults.

Tony saw Kate sitting by herself, watching the others, so he joined her. "Hey." He said as he sat down.

She looked at him. "Hey. Can you believe it? About a year and a half ago, we didn't even know we weren't only children and today we both have each other and two big, happy and dysfunctional families that finally came together today. It's so surreal." Kate said, looking at her father who was playing with both little girls. It was so cute and she wished her mom could be there. They both wished that.

"Yeah I know. I mean look at this. Could it be any better?" He asked pointing to their guests. He looked at her to see a smile on her face, but also a bit of sadness in her eyes. He took her hand in his, "I wish she was here, too." They smiled at each other.

"We really do have amazing families, don't we?!" Kate told Tony.

"That we have." He agreed.

"They're growing up so fast." Kate said, looking back to their little girls.

After a while they went back, enjoying themselves with the others. Gibbs made steaks for everybody and they were all eating, talking and having fun.

They decided to open the presents first and then eat the cake. The girls got spoiled to say the least. They got lots of new toys and stuffed animals and everything a one year old little girl needs. Which actually isn't much, but it didn't matter. These girls were so loved by everybody, that nobody cared if they got things they didn't need. Only Abby insisted that they absolutely needed everything she had gotten them. When all the presents were exchanged and everybody was back to talking, Gibbs and Jim wanted to give them one last present. Tony and Ziva were talking with Kate and Rick in the quiet side of the backyard. They were alone so they joined them.

"We have one last thing for the girls." Jim said as they sat down. They each had a little box in their hands. Both grandfathers (Tony and Ziva had always considered Gibbs to be a second father to them) had thought of the prefect present for them a few months ago already. The parents would love it and the girls too, when they were a little older and understood the meaning of it. Gibbs gave his box to Tony and Jim gave it to Kate.

"What is it?" Kate asked after tearing the paper around it off and seeing that it was a jewelry box.

"Just open it Katie." Jim knew Kate always wanted to know what it was before opening the presents.

Tony opened his first and gasped. It was a beautiful locket attached to a silver chain. The locket had 'Talia' written on it. It was really pretty. Kate opened hers when she saw his reaction and saw the same locket, but with 'Hope' written on it.

"It's beautiful." Kate said and Tony nodded in agreement. They showed it to Ziva and Rick, who nodded too.

"Open it." Gibbs told them.

When they did so, both gasped once again. In the locket were two tiny photos. One of them was of the girls' parents and the other one, of their grandmother. Jim had found a beautiful picture of Johanna that had been taken a few weeks before she died. He then talked about it with Gibbs and they agreed that it would be their present to the girls. That way, their grandmother would always be with them.

Tony and Kate had tears in their eyes. "It's beautiful." Kate said her voice cracking.

"Thank you so much." Tony said. They all stood up and Ziva and Kate hugged Gibbs and Jim. That was the most beautiful present they could've given them. Kate knew her daughter would never get to know her grandmother and it hurt. Now, with that locket, at least she would always be with them. She'd make sure to tell her everything about Johanna when she was a few years older. With all she told Tony about her, she knew he would, too.

They stayed there a few more minutes and then Kate and Ziva went to the kitchen to get the cake. It was beautifully decorated and had both girls' names on it. They had spent until late the night before, making it together. It was perfect. When they looked out, they could see, that everybody was already sitting at the tables and Lanie and Abby each had a girl on their lap. They were all waiting for the cake.

Kate lit the candles and Tony came to hold the door open. The cake was huge and Ziva had to help Kate carry it. When they got outside, everybody started singing Happy Birthday.

The End

Voilà

That's it. That was the last chapter.

Thank you so much for the reviews and followers I got for that story. And of course, thank you all for even reading it. I had fun writing it. :)

I have a sequel that's already partly written, but I'm not sure I should publish it. Here's a quick summary. I'd like to know if anyone is interested in reading it. If not, no need for me to publish it. If I do publish it, it probably won't be for a couple of weeks...

(It takes place a few years after the end of that story) Hope and Tali are growing up so fast and Kate and Rick and Tony and Ziva stay in touch and visit each other whenever they can. One day though, somebody comes back into their lives in a weird way and will change everything...

Bye

O.