On July 27th, Ziva looked at herself nervously from the reflection of the city hall's bathroom mirror. She had a small white dress on, that she was desperately trying to straighten out. Tony came out of the bathroom and sighed.
"Fly", she said quickly, after gazing at him quickly.
"What?" he looked baffled in his tuxedo, that was more party casual than marriage serious.
"Fly. Open", she said and pointed at his crotch. He smirked and closed the zipper. He cleared his throat and walked closer to Ziva.
"You okay?" he asked and moved a tress of her hair back behind her ear.
"This dress has not been straightened out. It is wrinkled", she said and sighed.
"You look beautiful, as always", he smiled and kissed her, "Are you ready to be my wife?"
"I do not think anyone is", she remarked and giggled.
"You're mean, maybe you'd like to marry yourself", he said and crossed his arms to his chest.
Ziva smiled and wrapped her arms around his husband-to-be and kissed his lips, "No, I think I rather marry you".
"Good choice", Tony nodded approvingly and kissed her.
She released her arms from around him and turned towards the mirror, "This is the ladies room, by the way. And you are not suppose to see me before the ceremony".
"I think we have broken so many marriage rules already, so I choose not to care about them", he shrugged, "And I think this bathroom is unisex".
"Uni- what?"
"Unisex. For both genders".
"Ah", she realized, "Makes sense".
Ziva sighed and gathered her hair into her hands. She made a tight bun of them, "Have you heard from Gibbs?"
"No", Tony admitted and looked at his shoes, "Haven't heard anything from any of them even though we sent the invitations".
"Oh", Ziva said and tried to gather the run away tresses of her hair into the bun, but failed. She tried again but it didn't help. She decided to let her hair just be free.
"So", she said and turned to Tony, "How do I look?"
Tony smiled and looked at her with adoration in his eyes, "Breath taking".
"Are we ready?"
"Aren't we gonna wait for Gibbs and the rest?" Tony asked quietly. He didn't like to admit it to himself but he wanted them to come and be part of the happiest day of his life. He wanted to see the looks on their faces when he'd finally say I do and marry the love of his life.
"Gibbs says he accepts this but he is busy, as are all of them", Ziva said and took Tony's hand in hers, "We should not count on them coming here at all. But we do not need them, it's us that are getting married, not them".
"That's right", he agreed but looked disappointed.
"Tony, this is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives", she encouraged, "Do not look so sad. Cheer up".
"I'm sorry. Let's go", he said and left the bathroom with her "I can't wait to marry you".
They opened the city hall doors and looked at each others. He smiled to her and she took a deep breath, saying that this was it – the beginning of their new lives together.
"Let's go", he said and took a step forward.
"Wait", someone said. Tony and Ziva looked behind them.
"You really thought we wouldn't come and witness this day?" Gibbs said and smiled. Abby, Ellie, Morrison and McGee smiled behind him. Abby looked like she was about to rip apart from the excitement she was trying to conceal.
Ziva placed a hand over her mouth to cover a whimper of gratefulness and sentiment.
"I can't believe this! This is the best day ever! I knew it! I freaking knew it! I knew you'd to get together eventually! He was a such a wreck when you left, Ziva! I saw him cry more than once and he was really not himself. He was a true train wreck! I'm so glad that you're two are getting married! That is like the greatest thing ever! Right? RIGHT?!" Abby chirped and attacked to hug Tony and Ziva.
"More than once?" Ziva asked while Abby hung from both of their necks.
"Abby really needs to learn to shut up", Tony whispered and looked grumpy.
"Cute", Ziva commented.
"Not really. You ruined me", he disagreed.
"Maybe you should marry yourself, then", she added and made him shake his head in amusement.
"Not very likely", he said.
"I am so happy for the both of you! I knew this day would eventually come! This is so great! I can't believe this! Oh god! I am so excited!" Abby cheered and finally let go of them both.
"Thank you, Abby", Ziva said.
"Let's go, before the time we booked, runs out", Tony said and took Ziva's hand in his.
"No", Gibbs approved.
Tony let go of Ziva. He raised his eyebrow at Gibbs, "What? Why not?"
"You go ahead. That's my job", he pointed Ziva's hand. Tony understood what he meant and walked at the other end of the room.
"This isn't exactly a church", Gibbs said and reached his hand to Ziva, who took a firm grip of it. She looked happy.
"This is, however, an apology from my behavior", Gibbs said, "I'm proud of you, Ziver".
Ziva nodded and swallowed her tears, "Thank you".
Gibbs told the others to take a seat at the few chairs in the room. After they were gone to their seats, Gibbs and Ziva began to take steps towards Tony, who was waiting for them.
"I hope you nothing but happiness", Gibbs said.
"I know", she said, "And thank you for coming".
"I wouldn't have missed this for a thing", he said.
When they reached Tony, Gibbs turned to Ziva and kissed her forehead, "Now there is more than death in your you get everything you've dreamed of".
Ziva hugged Gibbs and uttered a silent thank you in his ear.
Tony and Ziva joined their hands and turned to look at the minister who joined them in marriage as husband and wife. They were supposed to have vows but neither of them had any idea what to say so they decided to skip that part. Instead they kissed each other while their former co-workers cheered and whistled, or at least Abby did.
"I counted to million about million times, while waiting for you. I was a fool and I run away. I thought I did the right thing, but I was wrong. But now...", Ziva looked deep into his eyes and caressed his cheek. "You took me back home, back to you. You kissed me and told me you loved me. You asked me to marry me. We married and happy and I finally feel whole".
Tony kissed her, "I can't live without you".
Ziva pressed against his body and kissed him back, "I love you".
"My wife", he tasted the word in his mouth between the kisses. He enjoyed the taste.
"Will you two cut it out or get a room?" Ellie commented from her seat, making a disgusted face.
"Agreed," McGee said.
"Let them celebrate!" Morrison said. Everyone turned to look at him, "What? I like weddings!"
Tony and Ziva looked at each others and shrugged.
"Let's go out and have a drink in honor of the happy couple!" Abby suggested.
"I have bourbon at my place", Gibbs said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him. He stood up, groaned and pointed at the door, "Coming or not?"
"Wait for us", Tony said and grabbed his wife's hand.
Gibbs' place hadn't changed a bit. Tony and Ziva sat on his living room couch and wondered should they buy Gibbs a new TV, with colors in it.
She felt happy and he kept smiling like an idiot. She kissed his cheek and he held her hand tight.
Abby and Ellie were talking about marriage while McGee was talking to Gibbs and Morrison about the same subject. Gibbs refused to comment on his failed marriages and especially to give any marriage advice to anyone.
"I'm gonna get a beer. You want anything?" Tony asked and stood up.
Ziva shook her head, "No, but could you ask Gibbs to come to sit with me?"
Tony kissed her cheek and nodded. On his way to the fridge, he said to Gibbs to talk to Ziva. He looked at the woman on the couch and then walked to her.
"What's on your mind?" he asked and took a sip of his beer, while sitting next to her.
"I wanted to thank you, for being so calm and acceptive. And for keeping the phone call matter as a secret", she said, looking at her husband talking to McGee and Morrison. He seemed happy and carefree for change. Sure they had their issues at times and living in the suburbs sure took it's toll on them. It wasn't always happy but every morning, they were glad to wake up next to each other and no one else.
"Have you told him yet?" he asked.
"No", she shook her head, "I have not found a way to bring it up".
"You should find one soon. Better late than never – unless it's too late".
"Gibbs..."
"Just saying. He'll be happy about it".
"I am not so sure".
"How come? You haven't even told him. Bring it up and then you'll see his reaction".
Ziva looked at Gibbs, "You seem confident about him".
"I've seen him at his best and his worst", he looked back at her, "Trust me. He'll be happy about it".
Ziva smiled and watched him stood up.
"Gibbs, wait".
He turned to her, "I know, Ziva... And I'm happy for you both".
She smiled and nodded.
Tony noticed Gibbs leaving, so he returned to his wife. He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her, "What were you chatting about?"
"Tony.. Do you remember that phone call I had in the middle of the night right before you proposed to me?" she asked and looked at her husband.
He nodded and remembered the night when she had been curled up on a couch, crying.
"What did I tell you the phone call was about?"
"You talking to Gibbs".
"But about what, exactly?"
"Acceptance".
"Anything else?"
"No? But I'm guessing that's the wrong answer".
"Tony", she said and smiled. Her eyes glistened. She took his hands in his.
He furrowed his brows, "What's wrong?"
"It was actually me who called Gibbs that night. It is true that I received his acceptance but it was just not about you and me or our lives. It was about... well, this..."
With those words, Ziva moved Tony's hands on her stomach.
"I realized that night, that I was pregnant", she said and smiled with tears in her eyes, "You are going to be a father".
Tony stood completely still, barely even breathing. He tried to grasp the concept of a child living within her wife. He swallowed his tears but failed miserably. They fell down his cheek as he blankly stared at her stomach. He couldn't believe it. Was it really real?
My wife is pregnant, he thought all over again in his mind.
"Are you alright?" Ziva asked.
Slowly, Tony lifted his tear stained gaze into his wife's eyes and smiled widely, "I... I'm gonna be a father..."
She nodded, "Yes".
Tony started to laugh, "I'm gonna be a father!"
Everybody turned to look at him in sudden silence.
"I'm gonna be a father!" Tony yelled and captured Ziva in his arms. We wrapped himself all over her and laughed. There were no words of joy to explain his happiness. The bliss, the ecstatic feeling that washed over him all over again. He was going to be a father to a child of his own. His wife would become a mother. The suburbia life wouldn't be a so quiet and uneventful with a child running around and bringing another kind of purpose in his life.
"You're pregnant?" Abby asked and before Ziva managed to answer, she started to jump up and down and then ran to hug her.
"I'm gonna be a godmother!" she screamed and then stopped, "Right, Ziva?"
"Right, of course", she promised and smiled at her enthusiasm, when she began to jump around again.
"This is great! Such good news! I'm so happy for you", Morrison added, almost tearing up.
Everybody turned to look at him.
"What? I like babies and weddings! What's the big deal?" he shrugged and focused back on his beer.
Ellie and Abby asked questions from Ziva while McGee congratulated Tony. Morrison drank his beer in silence and smiled.
Gibbs sat on the kitchen chair and looked at his team with former and current agents. He wondered where would his own life lead him, now that his knee was aching and his hair was turning more and more gray. Tony and Ziva seemed happy being newly-weds and up-coming parents. Morrison and Ellie seemed to be adjusting better than he thought. Abby had a handle on herself again. McGee was still struggling under pressure but Gibbs was sure that time would show his true abilities and strength. He'd do just fine.
Gibbs took a sip of his beer and did something he hadn't done properly after Ziva left to Israel... He smiled - and purely out of happiness. He had finally found peace in change.
So, here we are. It's been fun to dive back into the NCIS life. I haven't really watched the show since Cote left. I'm not abandoning it, but I gotta admit, I miss her lots. BUT, anyways. Here's another fic for you guys! Comments are love btw, thank you :) Hope you at least tried to enjoy it as much as I loved writing it :)
- L