The Final Part

The thing that drew Tony out of his deep sleep, the thing that brought him to the surface was a faint, but persistent tapping on his nose. Tony was confused. When had that become Ziva's thing? He couldn't say he was fond of it.

He cracked an eye and then realized that she was snuggled behind him, snoring like a drunken sailor. It seemed that the culprit of the nose tapping was a lot smaller than her ninja mother and when Tony opened his eyes, she let out a small squeal.

"Abba!"

Tony tussled her hair and then pulled her onto the bed. "Ima's sleeping," he whispered and pressed his finger to her lips.

She giggled before saying, "Shhhh."

"That's right," he whispered back.

She cuddled into him for a brief moment and Tony basked in the perfection of the instance. Here was his daughter – his smart and intuitive and beautiful daughter, curled into his side and her mother – he stole a glance over his shoulder again, Ziva was face planted into a pillow behind him, her hand curled around his bicep. This was everything he was never sure that he absolutely wanted.

But Tali, being a spawn of Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David, did not stay still for long. And soon she wiggled and giggled and broke free of his grasp, tumbling to her bare feet on the hard wood floor.

Tony sighed, it seemed that he was getting up. He threw one more look over his shoulder at Ziva before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and scooping Tali off of the ground.

"Should we make Ima something to eat?" he asked, carrying her down the stairs.

"Eat!" she exclaimed.

He was halfway through almost burning a skillet of scramble eggs when he heard her pad into the kitchen. "It heats up quite fast," she advised.

"Yeah," Tony groaned. "I noticed."

Ziva sat down at the dark wood kitchen table and picked up one of the crayons that Tali was scribbling with. She leaned close to her and whispered something in her ear. Tali turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Tony turned the stove off and slipped the eggs onto three plates. Turning back to his girls, he set them on the table. "Here we go," he announced.

"Wow, what did Abba make?" Ziva asked.

"Eggs!" Tali announced. "Scambled eggs."

"That's right," Ziva nodded. "Scrambled." She enunciated the word.

"How did you sleep?" Tony asked.

"I did not even know you had gotten up," Ziva said. She forked some of her eggs. "So… well I think."

"Good." Said Tony. "This little rascal," he jokingly glared at Tali, "came into the room around an hour ago. Tried to get her to snuggle with us, but she had other ideas."

"Yes," Ziva hummed. "She does wake up quite happy."

"As her mother seems to have done this morning." Tony observed and he raised his eyebrows at her in what felt like a moment that turned back time to when their bullpen banter and borderline-unprofessional flirting were as common as the sailors they were often trying to avenge.

"Well," Ziva cleared her throat. "I am just…very happy we talked yesterday…and last night."

"Me too." He breathed and his hand slid across the table to cover hers.

"You two," she smiled at Tali and wiped a stray crumb from the side of her mouth, "Are the most important things in my life. All I want…is for us to be together."

"Me too." He squeezed her hand.

She squeezed back and then leaned across the table, reaching her hand up to cup his cheek. She kissed him once, delicately, nervously. But he kissed her back, matched her own pressure and then prodded for more. And when she finally leaned back, he saw the sparkle in her eye. She kissed him again and this time it was long and languid and every time she went to pull away, he pulled her back for more.

If Tali hadn't been sitting next to them, he wasn't sure that they would have ever stopped. But after Ziva side glanced the little girl to her right, Tony drew himself in and after one last, more chaste and restrained touch of her lips, went back to his eggs.

It took them both a moment or two to collect themselves, but after several sips of coffee, Tony cleared his throat. "So what is the plan for today?" he asked.

"What is your plan?" she retorted. The waggle of her eyebrows did little to prevent him from wanting to reach back across the table, but he settled for biting his lip and shaking his head at her. Oh his Ziva was coming back to him.

"Plan was to find you." He reminded her. "Didn't plan past that. Well," he paused. "Kiss you." He said. "Accomplished both aspects."

"Yes, you did." She said.

"So…"

"So…I was thinking that we could walk down to the lighthouse…spend some…family time," she tested out the phase, unsure of whether it was too much too soon for him.

"Family time would be nice." He said and he leaned over once again and kissed her. "We've been family for a while, don't you think?" He stayed close and whispered in her ear.

A single tear slid down the side of the cheek. "Yes," she breathed. She ran a hand down his neck. "I love you," she said. "I love you so much, Tony."

Tony kissed the side of her hand as it lay on his neck. "I love you, too, Ziva." He said. "We're going to do it this time. We are."

She nodded. "We are."

"But…um…speaking of family…there are two calls that I really should make… If it's okay with you."

She nodded, though he knew it unsettled her. "I will clean up and get Miss Tali ready."

He descended halfway down the old wooden stairs to the beach, before sinking down and pulling out his phone. He used to be afraid of telling people things about Ziva. Where's Ziva? Have you talked to Ziva? Are you going to go see her? He was always letting himself and others down when he answered those questions. He didn't know where she was. He hadn't talked to her. He didn't know if he was ever going to see again. But it was different this time. Ziva was here. He had found her. They talked, they'd knocked all the walls back down and they were going to rebuild themselves.

And so he was happy. He was relieved to make the calls.

It rang twice and then that familiar and expectant voice popped up on the other end of the line. "Junior," he asked. "Is that you?"

"Me, Dad." Tony responded. And he couldn't help but smile at the old man's familiar voice.

"Where are you?" He asked. "How's Tali? Man, I miss that kid."

Tony laughed. "I…um…I'm sure she misses you too, Dad…though she's a little…enamored by the reemergence of her mother, currently."

"Ziva?" Senior asked and Tony could hear him gasp.

"Yeah…" Tony exhaled. "Good ole, confusing, charming, beautiful, living, breathing Ziva."

"Oh Junior," Senior's voice cracked. "I am so happy for you."

"Thanks, Dad. Me too."

"Are you on your way home?"

"Not quite," Tony answered. He shifted on the step. "But…um…we'll get you to your granddaughter soon. One way or another."

"I can't wait to see her." Senior responded and Tony could hear his ear-to-ear smile. "All of you."

He'd been staring at the sea, watching the waves roll in and out, letting it soothe all the thoughts racing through his mind, for half a dozen minutes when Ziva came down the stairs, Tali on her hip and sat down next to him. "Are we interrupting?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Course not." He tussled Tali's hair and then stroked the side of Ziva's arm. She linked her fingers with him.

"I have to call McGee." He said. "He's…you know…solid and I needed that. He needs to know."

"I … I would like to speak to him as well."

Tony nodded and squeezed her hand.

McGee picked up on the first ring. "Tony," He breathed, "I was getting worried."

"Easy, McPanic." Tony chuckled and he knew that the nickname and the laugh would clue McGee in to at least something. "Someone wants to talk to you."

He looked at Ziva and she nodded and so he handed her the phone and watched as she delicately held it to her ear. "McGee," she breathed. "I…I…Hello."

They sat so close that Tony could hear McGee on the other end of the phone. "I have never been so happy to hear a voice." McGee said.

Her head fell against Tony's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. This was everything she had made herself so afraid of. "I am so sorry for it all, McGee."

"Ziva…you're forgiven."

"Will you tell the others?" she asked.

"Not just another partner, right?"

"Yes," she smiled at the thought of their conversation from what now felt like a lifetime ago and a tear streaked down her cheek. "I will…see you soon," she said.

"I will look forward to it."

She handed Tony the phone and he held it against his ear. "We're all good, Tim." He said. "Me and Tali and Ziva."

"Couldn't have dreamed it better, Tony."

"You're telling me."

Tony and McGee shared a few more brief words, with Tony promising to keep him appraised of their plans before he hung up the phone and turned to Ziva. His left arm was still slung around her back.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded and pressed her eyes shut several times. Taking a deep breath, she shifted Tali onto his lap and then pushed herself up from the step and walked back towards the house.

Tony waited a moment or two, knowing Ziva needed just a second to herself before following after her.

She turned back to him and swiped at her eyes. "Tony, I'm fine," she said. "I just…"

"What did McGee say to you?" He shut the gate to the stairs and approached her on the back patio.

She rolled her shoulders and sat down on the stone step. "He hoped to see me soon."

Tony reached down and tucked a piece of tear strained hair behind her ear. "Why did that make you so upset?"

She pursed her lips. "I am just scared to go back."

The words sent an icy fear down his back. Here it was. This was all going to fall apart again. Ziva couldn't do it. She couldn't stop from running. His grip on Tali tightened and he asked her why she was afraid. He asked her what she was afraid of.

"Gibbs. Abby. Just everything."

"I'd be there." He reminded her. He sat he and Tali down next her.

"I know," she smiled. "Tony, I am still…I still do not know what I am doing. Tali put so much on hold. Sure, I figured out some demons, but some of them are still there."

He nodded, unable to say anything.

"But the biggest thing that she has taught me," Ziva adoringly stroked her hair. "Is that I do not want to be alone." And her voice cracked. "I don't ever want to go back to that place where I thought that depriving me and you of…of this…was for the best."

"Okay…" he said.

"So I'm scared," she said. "But…you'll be there," she shrugged. "Right?"

"I'll be there."

She settled her head against his shoulder and watched as Tali played with the Star of David necklace. They sat in silence, Ziva reaching to lace her fingers through his.

"This rental period ends at the end of next week." She said several minutes later.

He turned his head to look at her. "You were sure we'd find you?"

"You have a good track record." She shrugged. "And I would have just led you somewhere else. I was thinking Switzerland."

"I would have enjoyed Switzerland," he said. "Maybe we should go there."

"It would be our first family vacation," Ziva observed and the thought seemed to excite her. She went silent for a moment. "But I think I want to go home first."

"Where's home?" He asked.

"I am not sure," Ziva admitted. "The farmhouse is gone. Being there with Tali was home. Now," she went on, "I'm not sure. But I think seeing Tali's grandfather would be a good start."

"You want to go to New York?" He was surprised. "See my Dad?"

"Would that be okay?" she asked.

Tony released a thousand watt DiNozzo grin. "I think he'd like that."

And that just might be the Phoof to my Tony/Ziva writing. ~Caro