AN: Glad everyone is enjoying the 'fluff!' I promise, before the end, there will be alone fluffiness for TIVA, just be patient as we're getting there and wrapping things up! The characters are still on their journey's here and those moments between them are 'earned.' Made all the more special as they mature and evolve and mean something rather then just good 'ol fashion sex. When I write love scenes, I want them to mean something. So hang in there, the next time TIVA gets it on, it will have meaning as it did the first time! And last chapter with Malachi and Liat! This Chapter is a mixed bag of emotions on this crazy roller coaster. You have been warned! Happy Easter/ Passover :) Song for this Chapter is "Sorrow" by High Violet. -Wild
When the morning came and Liat's eyes fluttered open she began to remember what had happened the night before. Her breathing picked up speed, as did her heart beat lying on her side with nervousness and slowly rolled over to look at Malachi behind her. She gasped when his side of the bed was empty and tears began to well instantly in her eyes that he was gone.
Her hand brushed over the empty rustled sheets and felt her baby girl kicking, awake and alert as well now rolling around inside of her. She hadn't the time to contemplate why Malachi had left before she'd awoken before hearing a sound in the kitchen, the sharp banging of metal and Liat sat upright immediately in bed. A distinct Hebrew curse followed the sound and she gasped realizing he was still in the apartment.
Quietly, she pulled herself out of bed and reached for her discarded pajamas thrown aside on the floor. Softly tiptoeing down the hallway she paused when she saw him in the kitchen, cooking. "What are you doing?" She asked quietly and Malachi jumped a little to see her so caught up in his cooking.
"Making you breakfast." He answered with a sheepish smile while flipping a pancake, "Or at least trying to."
Slowly, Liat walked into the kitchen with widening eyes as Malachi had never before made her breakfast or any meal for that matter. To see his elaborate efforts now were mindboggling.
"You, are making breakfast for me?" She asked still stunned seeing the already high stack of pancakes, waffles, both fried and scrambled eggs and several mangled carcasses of oranges as he'd squeezed about two dozen to get her one glass of orange juice. She couldn't help but laugh softly when he cursed again at burning his finger trying to flip another pancake.
"Well the pregnancy book said, that you need to eat well-balanced meals and breakfast is especially important for both you and Eden so I'm trying my best to be of some use and at least cook you breakfast." He rambled on slightly frazzled that he was some how getting it wrong already. He worried about both Liat and his daughter's nutrition and health after months in captivity during critical stages of development. Even if the doctors had assured Liat that the baby was perfectly healthy, he still thought Liat looked too thin as the baby had sapped everything out of her while a prisoner.
Liat was moved to tears to hear Malachi ramble on in the way that he had, clearly nervous and trying. And especially, in hearing him reference their child for the first time by name instead of saying 'the baby.'
"Malachi, that is a very sweet gesture. But this is more food then I will be able to eat in a week." She smiled softly at him blinking back the tears, "I hope you plan to eat some with me?" She asked hesitantly, still unsure of where she stood this morning on their relationship or where he did either. Right now, avoidance of any declaration seemed to be the best option regarding what had happened the night before.
"Of course," Malachi smiled softly and flipped the last pancake, "I just wanted to give you options. Do better than the creamed pastry and cup of coffee or tea I have always given you in the past." He felt slightly ashamed about that now. In all the nights' they'd spent together having sex throughout their partnership, he never once gave her a real breakfast in the morning or had bothered to cook for her at all. He wasn't that great of a cook but he never even made the effort before.
"It's very thoughtful. Thank you." She answered quietly and wrapped her arms around her chest, "I need to use the restroom and I will be right back. This baby likes using my bladder as a trampoline in the morning." She smiled softly getting a smile out of him at the visual and retreated quickly into the hallway once more.
As soon as both were in separate rooms, each took a deep breath and blew it out steadily trying to calm their nerves at this morning's first interaction after last night.
Malachi was relieved she didn't seem to recoil away from him at first sight and Liat found herself equally relieved that he hadn't left, he was still there.
"Where did this food come from?" Liat asked when both sat down to eat, "This place has been empty for a long time." She swallowed hard thinking about how long it had been from what Ziva and Tony had told her, the day she went missing months ago.
"I asked one of my guards to go to Corner Market and pick up a list of things." Malachi answered quietly thinking about the reason why this place had been empty for so long as well and still in disbelief that Liat was actually in front of him again after so long without her. He saw the immediate narrowing of Liat's eyebrows as she looked down at her plate and knew what she was thinking. "I didn't intentionally abuse my authority with them to do personal favors, it's just… I didn't want to leave you. In case you woke while I was gone, I didn't' want you to think I'd left you again." He added quietly and looked down in shame, moving a scrambled egg around on his plate thinking about the morning after the first time they'd made love and he'd just left her with a kiss to her forehead and that was it. "I asked them if they'd be willing to go for me. I didn't make it an order."
Liat froze for a moment hearing what he'd said. He knew her concerns about abusing his authority as the Director over those below him and he'd made a concentrated effort not to do so again. The fact that he'd asked them, instead of ordered was significant as well as his reasoning for it. He didn't want her to wake up again and feel as though he'd left her once more in the morning after a night spent making love.
"Thank you." She looked up speaking quietly, "I appreciate the gesture. Both of them." She added softly acknowledging his attempts in both things to change the way things had been between them in the past.
"I understand fully that what happened between us last night may not change things between us, Liat," Malachi forged on quietly needing to say this having thought about it since he woke and stare at her beautiful sleeping profile for an hour before he got out of bed, "But I want to reassure you, that I do love you. That doesn't change in the light of morning. I am here for whatever you need and I am not going anywhere. I will wait for however long you need and I won't push. I won't kiss or touch you again unless you ask." He added quietly looking intently into her eyes and giving her complete control. "I don't want you to feel pressured around me. I am sorry I made you feel that way in London." He sighed softly, "I was just overwhelmed to have you back again after being terrified of losing you forever. As long as you and Eden are safe, and happy…that is all that matters. Even if that is not with me." His voice was near a whisper at the end and he looked back down into his eggs, hoping that wouldn't be the case but knowing now in his heart that as long as they were alive and safe, he could handle anything, even being alone.
Liat had new tears in her eyes hearing him speak and felt a sense of relief wash over her that he wasn't expecting anything to change in the morning and had given her back the control. The tears in her eyes had come at hearing him say that he'd come to the conclusion that as long as she and their daughter were safe and happy, it was all that mattered to him. Quietly she reached across the table and squeezed his hand causing him to look up at her.
"Thank you." She said again holding his gaze. "I do not know what last night meant, Malachi…but thank you." Her voice choked slightly at what he'd done for her in helping her last night heal another wound in her soul from her time in captivity as well as waking to find him still there. "I just need time. One step at a time." She sighed pulling her hand away and going back to her breakfast.
"Take all the time you need." He answered quietly, "I meant what I said, Liat. I will be whatever you need." He smiled softly, "Let's just enjoy the time we're spending together and see where it leads us? Okay?"
Liat nodded with a soft smile, liking the idea of simply enjoying their time together without the pressure of having to know exactly what it meant.
"There is something I have for you." She remembered quietly, taking a swig of her orange juice and standing, "I will be right back."
Malachi watched in fascination as she disappeared into the bedroom again and emerged minutes later with a small stack of photos that she set beside him as she came to sit down at the table again.
"These were taken yesterday at my ultrasound." She smiled softly at seeing her beautiful baby again in the images and sharing them with Malachi seeing the awe in his face as he looked at them.
"These are incredible, Liat." Malachi marveled in disbelief at seeing how perfectly formed his baby already was and sucking on her fingers and waving, "She's beautiful…just beautiful." He smiled with eyes getting a little teary, "She has your nose."
"That's what E.J. said, too." Liat smiled proudly stabbing a piece of strawberry from her fruit salad. "But she definitely has your ears." She reached across the table and found the one image that showed their baby's ear perfectly, "See." She smiled more widely at being able to share this with him.
Malachi gasped with a small smile and chuckle shaking his head in continued awe at seeing both of their features together in this one perfect little baby. "She is absolutely perfect." He set the images down carefully as though they were glass and couldn't tear his eyes away as he kept eating, sharing glances up at Liat as he stare at Eden's sweet face.
"You really like the name then?" Liat asked nervously fingering her hair over her ear, suddenly worried in this moment now that he may not like it and she wasn't sure what that meant in how she felt towards him and their situation.
"I love her name. It's perfect and beautiful and," He paused smiling, "It suits her well." Malachi glanced down at the image of her beautiful little face and smiled again, "She is a brilliant new beginning."
Liat's smile grew seeing he really did like the name from the look in his eyes.
"So Liat, do you have any plans for today?" Malachi asked with a soft smile staring at her beautiful face across the way. "Because if you're free, I'd love to spend the day with you."
Ziva's eyes were wide as she sat down again on her breakfast stool, gently placing her phone beside her plate with a concerned brow warring with the smile tugging at her lips.
"Is she okay?" Tony asked looking at the strange expression on Ziva's face across from him. They'd been eating breakfast when Ziva's phone had rung with Caller ID saying it was Liat. Both had been worried about how she would handle the night away for the first time since being back and especially alone with Malachi.
"She's… okay," Ziva answered slowly with the smile and the concerned brow only growing deeper, "She asked if we wouldn't mind if she skipped her plans with us this afternoon and instead, met with us later to go over to Julia's…plus one."
"Plus one?" Tony asked with brows knitting as well, "You mean Mal?" He realized and his eyebrows shot up. "She wants him to come with us for Adventures in Babysitting?"
"Yes," Ziva smiled with raised eyebrows of her own, still smiling, "Apparently, things must be going well if they are spending the day together now too."
"This is a good sign?" Tony smiled softly feeling his heart skip a beat with hope for Liat and Malachi to find their way.
"This is a good sign." Ziva answered him with a growing smile, "She seemed completely calm on the phone, almost like…"
"Like what?" Tony asked quietly.
"Like she was before." Ziva answered quietly with a sad smile thinking about what Liat had been like before she'd been taken away. "I think I even heard a smile in her tone when I said I would see her later and to enjoy her day."
"Well good." Tony's smile grew, "This is good!"
"I wonder what happened between them last night." Ziva picked up the toast on her plate with one slanted eyebrow and a coy grin, "Something obviously."
"Well, magical things happen in my apartment." Tony smiled taking a bite of his own toast with a boastful smile thinking about all the wonderful memories he and Ziva had already made there, including their baby. "It's the Sanctuary for Love." He mimicked Barry White's deep soulful voice making Ziva laugh.
"You know what this means don't you, Tony?" Ziva asked with dark eyes flashing to his. Moments alone had been few and far between in the last two months and she was ready to seize every opportunity they had available.
"What does this mean?" He gulped seeing the heated look in her eyes and knowing exactly what that meant now.
"It means, we have the whole apartment to ourselves today and I think we should finish breakfast…and go back to bed." She smiled fingering a grape seductively into her mouth having Tony's full attention.
Tony rapidly put down his toast and stood, pulling her up from her chair, swooping her up into his arms with a sound kiss, "I declare, breakfast is over." He smiled and kissed her while she laughed and he carried her towards the bedroom.
"I cannot believe we're spending the night." Tony shook his head driving along with Ziva in the passenger seat and Malachi and Liat in the back. They were looking for the entrance to Julia's estate in McLean, Virginia just outside D.C. and his palms were already sweating thinking about it.
"Well, it only makes sense, Tony." Ziva smiled over at him, amused to see him so nervous, "If we are meeting again tomorrow to discuss the business of Mossad and The Council, why not just spend the night instead of driving home late? And then having to turn around and come back again in the morning?"
When Ziva had called Julia to ask if it were all right that Malachi join them in babysitting this evening, she was the one to make the suggestion having all parties together in one place. And when Julia had made the suggestion, Ziva had countered with the offer to watch the children overnight then, giving Jack and Julia a whole night to themselves. The idea of being responsible for Julia's children overnight had Tony in a panic.
"Yes, but this is her house, Ziva! We are all staying under the same roof and in her house responsible all night for her precious children!" Tony wiped his brow that he was sure had sweat on it pulling off onto a driveway where he stopped before a giant black iron set of gates. Tony hit the call button and then waved at the security cameras with a nervous smile. The gates immediately began to open for them.
"There are four highly trained, highly capable people in this car, Tony; responsible for six children. The odds are in our favor. Relax. This was your idea, remember?" She teased him with a soft laugh.
"Not overnight!" Tony gasped with fear at doing something to Julia's children when left alone with them for that length of time when he'd already caused the woman enough grief. "These are, in her own words, 'most precious gifts!' And she's trusting us with them overnight!"
"It will be okay, I promise." Ziva smiled softly speaking in a motherly tone and laying her hand on his upper thigh across the seat, "Take a breath."
Tony took several deep breaths as he drove up the beautiful cobblestone driveway, lined with trees that arched high above them covering them in brilliant green leaves like a tunnel. When they emerged some distance into the property a massive home stood before them that was obviously new, but done in the traditional old Colonial style way that was so typical of this area of the country; beautiful red brick at his base, white siding, dark blue shutters, a red door and a massive wrap around porch with beautiful white colonnades. It was the storybook house of the proverbial American Dream.
"Wow." Tony gasped pulling into the top of the horseshoe driveway and stopped their SUV just before the steps leading up the porch and to the front door.
Jack was sitting on the porch swing with Lena and smiled waving at them as they exited the car, moving to stand and come greet them.
Across an enormous swath of green lawn the sounds of children's laughter could be heard as Kristoff, Lara and Rurik played in a beautiful wooden play structure and waved excitedly at seeing the guests had arrived.
"Did you find the place okay?" Jack asked with a smile greeting them all on the porch at the top of the stairs. Lena was tucked into the crook of his arm and smiling widely pushing her long dark hair out of her eyes. Jack greeted them all with handshakes and kisses to Liat and Ziva's cheeks.
"No problem at all." Tony answered shaking his head and hoping it wasn't too slimy with the perspiration on his palm. "It's a beautiful property." He smiled looking around, "With all the maple trees, it must really be something in the fall."
"That it is." Jack smiled waving them inside as the three older kids came giggling and screeching in excitement across the lawn. "They are very excited that you will be their babysitters tonight. Julia told them first thing this morning at breakfast and they haven't quit asking her all day if it was time yet." He chuckled as did they. "Thanks so much for doing this."
"It's our pleasure." Ziva smiled back, honestly excited seeing the smiles on the children's faces as they came closer and were screaming out 'Lady Ziva.'
"I just hope we don't mess it up." Tony smiled nervously and Jack clapped him on the back with a smile.
"There are four of you and six of them. The odds are in your favor… just don't let them see your fear." Jack winked and then laughed at Tony's expression. "And don't worry, Grandma is just a phone call away and Julia will be keeping her eye on them as well. Relax and have fun. They are a lot of fun. I promise."
Kristoff was the first to make it up the steps and smiled widely at them but especially at seeing Tony. "Hey Tony!" He greeted him warmly.
"Hey Kristoff," Tony smiled feeling more relaxed already seeing his baby helper so eager to see him. "How's it going, Buddy?" He extended his hand in a high-five shake and then ruffled his hair.
"Good." Kristoff smiled, "Much better now that Mama's awake again." He smiled happily. "It's nice you guys are going to watch us so Jack can take her out for her birthday." He smiled at Jack and then back at them.
"It's her birthday?" Ziva asked immediately surprised and sharing looks with the rest of her group at not knowing.
Jack smiled more widely, "Not today but on Tuesday it is. I can't really take her out to celebrate mid-week as Katherine is the one that usually watches the kids for us when we're here and she has a meeting with the President that night that can't be moved as its with various Middle Eastern Leaders about the evolving situation that began when Katherine was still Secretary of State. Kelsi went home to New York as her baby is due in just a couple of weeks and Annika, who is one of Julia's other sisters helps us most of the time as our constant live-in family caregiver but considering how much she's had to help with the kids while Julia was down and recovering, Julia sent her on a vacation." He laughed softly, "Rurik and Lara wore her out."
"We had no idea it was her birthday. We should have sang to her last night with Tony!" Ziva answered feeling badly they didn't know.
"No," Jack shook his head, "She didn't want you to know! It was Tony's night and she wanted it to be about his birthday, not hers." He smiled softly, "We are just very thankful that you're giving us tonight and overnight," he paused, "To celebrate."
"Lady Ziva!" Rurik squealed running up the steps with Lara right behind and wrapping their arms tightly around Ziva's legs. "You're here!"
"I'm here." Ziva smiled widely looking down at the two small children latched onto her legs with raging smiles of their own.
"We're going to have so much fun!" Lara bounced with giggling laughter. "We've been waiting forever for you to get here!"
"Yes," Rurik smiled, "Forever!"
"Hello Tony," Lara smiled batting her long dark lashes at him.
"Hello Lara." Tony smiled more widely at the sight before him. Two small children latched onto Ziva's legs while she sported her own tiny baby belly was a dream come to life in his eyes.
"Hello pretty new stranger lady," Rurik beamed with his own brilliant blue eyes and long lashes staring at Liat. "Who are you?"
Liat couldn't help but laugh softly at how he'd addressed her and his mix of both formal and blunt. "My name is Liat," She bent down so that she was eye level with them and held her hand out to shake his, "Ziva is my big sister." Her eyes flashed up to Ziva's with pride and amusement at the darling children before her.
"Oooh," Lara smiled more widely stepping away from Ziva's leg to run her hand down Liat's long blonde hair, "I didn't know that Lady Ziva had a sister!" She giggled, "You are very, very pretty too!"
"Thank you." Liat smiled shyly, "I think you are very pretty as well, Lara."
"You're going to have a baby too?" Lara bounced excitedly seeing Liat's baby belly.
"I am." Liat stood with a smile looking down at her.
"Mama just had two!" Rurik held up two fingers, "How many do you have in there?" He asked and everyone laughed softly.
"Only one." Liat answered with a smile, "A girl. Her name is Eden."
"Oooh," Lara smiled again with awe, "That is a very pretty name. Is she named after The Garden of Eden?" She asked and stunned everyone that a four year old would know such a thing.
"Actually, yes. She is." Liat smiled with a curious brow, "How did you know that?"
"I know lots of things. I'm very smart." Lara beamed with the pride of a four year old, "I have a super brain like Mama and I remember everything."
Their eyes all flashed to Jack and he confirmed it nodding with a soft smile. "She will never forget anything you tell her. Keep that in mind." He chuckled and saw their eyes widen, "All three of them." He waved his hand around the older trio before them.
"And who are you?" Rurik asked Malachi with a smile wondering about the other stranger at his house.
"My name is Malachi." Malachi followed Liat's lead and kneeled down to eye level to greet them as she had. "Nice to meet you." He extended his hand to Rurik who only let go of Ziva's leg with one hand to shake.
"Nice to meet you too, sir." Rurik added with a big smile and everyone laughed again. "Are you Lady Ziva's brother?" He asked wondering given the other stranger had been her sister.
Malachi chuckled, "No. I'm not Lady Ziva's brother. I am…a friend." He answered not sure what else to call himself just yet.
"Oooh," Lara nodded with a smile and eyes flashing back to Liat's, "Are you the one my Mama went to save from the very bad guys?" She asked bluntly with wide dark eyes.
"Lara!" Kristoff chided her immediately with nervous eyes flashing to Liat in apology, "You aren't supposed to ask people things like that!"
"What? It's not bad! Mama said she had to leave us for a little while to help save a beautiful lady name Liat and I am just asking if it's the same one!" Lara fired back with furrowed brows at Kristoff and then turned her gaze back to Liat. "Mama has to fight lots of bad guys to help save people. I was just wondering if you were one of them is all. I am sorry if it upsets you." She cast her eyes downward and stared at the ground.
"It is okay," Liat knelt again in front of her and tilted Lara's chin up with her fingers and a small teary smile, "Yes, I am the Liat your Mama helped save from the very bad guys." She paused swallowing her emotions, "Your Mama is very special."
"I am glad she saved you." Lara smiled more radiantly. "She only saves the good guys! So you must be a good guy! Especially if she trusts you enough to stay with us overnight! She only ever lets Grandma or her sisters do that!"
Liat, Tony, Ziva and Malachi all held their breath with eyes flashing to Jack for confirmation of that statement and in disbelief.
"It's true." Jack nodded quietly with a soft smile. "This is the very first time since Julia has gotten the children back that she's letting anyone other then myself, Katherine, William and her sisters watch the children at all…let alone over night. A very big step for her." He was speaking quietly and holding all their gazes as he swept over their faces, "You must have done something right in her eyes, that she is trusting you this much." He smiled softly, "I never thought this day would come."
"Oh God," Tony gasped with wide eyes feeling a million times more nervous than before. He couldn't even follow one direction from Julia that had led to her near death, and now she was trusting him with her children…for the first time since the end of the war and she'd gotten them back.
"Don't worry, Tony." Jack smiled softly seeing his paling face, "I think she knows now, you will not let her down." He nodded looking Tony in the eye and sharing a mutual understanding.
"I won't." Tony answered quietly and knowing that was true. He was going to do everything in his power to prove to Julia she was right to put such faith in him and give him a second chance. "We won't let either of you down."
"Don't worry. She's written everything down about their routines, already made dinner and breakfast for tomorrow. You just have to reheat it. Kristoff is an excellent helper with all of them," Jack smiled down proudly at him and earned a smile in return, "And Rurik and Lara love to help with Lena and the new babies. If you have any questions, just ask the children. They won't be shy about telling you 'exactly how Mama does it." He repeated in an exaggerated voice that earned another round of chuckling from the adults imagining how many times he must have heard that phrase himself.
"Where is Julia?" Ziva asked with a smile, anxious to see her again and still reeling from the fact that she was alive and back again. The images of her lifeless bleeding body were going to take some time to stop flashing through her mind as the first images conjured with thoughts of Julia.
"She is upstairs getting ready and should be down any minute." Jack smiled leading them into the house.
For as spectacular as the home really was, they were all smiling to see how very much of a 'home' it really was. Not just something beautiful to look at, but it was very much lived in by a family with small children. Instead of hiding away all things associated with children that many homes of this nature would do, Julia had made this a very child friendly place. Signs of children were everywhere from bookshelf's to bins of toys, and child's drawings taped up on elegant cupboards in the kitchen. Every thing was in its place; neat and tidy but easily accessible for the children at all times. She hadn't contained them to just a single playroom; this was very much 'their' house too.
"I love that this is so child friendly." Ziva smiled softly as they walked through the immense space and stood in the heart of the home upon entering the wide open floor plans; the kitchen that was immaculate and massive.
Tony beamed from ear to ear in hearing Ziva say such a thing for the first time and could see the excited gleam in her eyes looking around. He remembered then, what the amazing mansion she had grown up in Israel looked like… a work of art. A perfect museum except for each child's room that was their own to decorate. She had grown up in a mansion as well only she had been contained as a child to certain quarters and her statement to him that first night in that house rang through his mind once more…'her parents had money, she did not.' To Ziva, growing up, it had been her home but she was never allowed to embrace the whole place with such freedom as Julia's children had in theirs.
"When we were having the house built, Julia insisted that this be a 'home' more then anything for the children. It was the first house that we were all going to be living in together as a family." Jack smiled looking around as the rest of them did. "It was just before Christmas when we first moved in. Katherine had this place lit up like a wonderland. It was breathtaking and we still come back here every year for Christmas as tradition now."
"It is beautiful." Ziva smiled softly liking that idea and eyes flashing to Tony's. "I'd love to have a home like this one day for our children to grow up in." She added quietly.
"Me too." Liat added just as amazed. This was truly like out of a fairytale for her having spent the majority of her life in small apartments, especially after her family had been killed. Space like this that felt so welcoming and 'real' was like stepping into a 'hug' she decided running her hand over her belly. She would love to give her child the home she never had. If only she could afford it.
"Well it's a wonderful area." Jack smiled looking between them both with a wink, "You should all move into the neighborhood."
"Maybe, we will." Tony smiled softly with eyes glancing over at Ziva having the same thoughts as she in that moment, picturing a different childhood then his own. He'd grown up in a mansion as well but after his mother died, it was empty and more museum-like, as was Ziva's. Lonely but this house, was filled with obvious signs of life and love.
"Hello." Julia smiled radiantly coming into the kitchen looking amazingly beautiful in a black evening dress with two tiny newborns lying on against her chest, with one on each arm. "Welcome."
"Hello," Ziva smiled back and kissed her cheeks over the sleeping babies, "You look as beautiful as ever. Happy Birthday! We cannot believe you did not tell us!" She ran her hand softly over the soft dark hair of Rafe who was markedly different in his coloring, versus the already blonde Jillian.
"I would have shared my cake." Tony offered with a smile quietly, loving the way Ziva's eyes lit up at seeing the babies in Julia's arms.
"You deserved your own party, but I appreciate the offer. And I can't thank you enough for tonight." Julia smiled at them all.
"It is our pleasure, honestly." Ziva smiled with fingers itching to hold a baby, "Can I hold one?" She finally asked.
"Of course." Julia laughed softly, "You will be holding them a lot this evening, I'm sure." She carefully passed Rafe to Ziva as the nearest baby, "They are so sweet and cuddly at this stage I hate putting them down."
"She carries them everywhere if possible." Jack added with a smile to confirm her statement and a tease.
"What can I say? I don't like being away from my babies. They grow up too quickly as is." She smiled softly with eyes falling on Kristoff who smiled shyly back at her.
"He is so beautiful." Ziva marveled at the tiny baby in her arms with his jet-black hair in a tiny natural Mohawk down the middle of his head and long dark eyes lashes. "He sleeps like an angel."
"Well that's not surprising, considering his mother is one." Tony added quietly with a soft smile looking from the baby in Ziva's arms to Julia. "He is beautiful." He smiled getting to see him for the first time. Jillian had been the only one they had seen at the ranch and during their stay in London.
"Thank you. He looks like his Daddy." Julia smiled proudly and grabbed Jack's tie, pulling him in for a kiss with a smile as both of them, laid a soft hand over Jillian's back still nestled against Julia's chest.
"May I?" Liat asked nervously wanting to hold Jillian, feeling the same itch to hold the newborn that Ziva was feeling.
"Of course." Julia smiled gently passing her sweet baby over to Liat.
"She is so tiny." Liat spoke softly with a raging smile standing beside Ziva and looking over the babies in their arms, "I can't believe how perfect and little they both are."
"It won't be long and Eden will be here and yet unnamed baby girl DiNozzo." Julia smiled curling into Jack's side. "I hope you enjoy the practice." She winked at them all. "I am going to miss them terribly so please forgive me for checking in frequently."
"We'll take good care of them, I promise." Tony answered her resolutely with a soft voice and intense eyes. "I promise." He vowed again and Julia nodded softly that he understood the leap of faith she was taking on Tony again.
"I'm sure you will." Julia smiled with tears welling in her eyes and leaned forward kissing Rafe's head first whispering 'I love you, forever and always' into his ear and then did the same with Jillian in Liat's arms. "I am just going to miss them terribly." She reached for Lena's face in Jack's arms kissing her cheeks and neck repeatedly making the tiny girl giggle and then repeated the same mantra of 'I love you, forever and always' to her and each of the other children.
When she finished with Kristoff she held his face gently in her hands and smiled looking deeply into his big blue eyes, "I will come back. I promise." She assured him and he nodded softly, taking a step in and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist before Julia knelt down to hug him and he wrapped his arms around her neck.
It was an especially heartbreaking exchange for Tony, remembering his own mother saying things like that to him and seeing first hand, the fear in both Julia and Kristoff's eyes in saying goodbye, even temporarily. His heart was heavy yet again for being the one that nearly ended her life and separated them forever.
"I love you, Mama. To the moon and back, more than all the stars in the heavens and grains of sand on earth…" Kristoff began to recite and waited.
"Forever and always." Julia finished with a smile as did Kristoff and the others became aware that this was clearly something of a 'thing' between them. "I'll see you in the morning after breakfast. Have a good time and behave, please."
"We will, Mama! Don't worry!" Rurik smiled hugging and kissing Julia's hip as he wrapped his arms around her again and made the others laugh that he'd just pick any place to kiss her. "Have a good time with Daddy! And behave." His comment had everyone laughing and him smiling brightly.
"We will." Julia smiled down at them, "I love you all, My Little Loves. I will see you in the morning." She rapidly kissed each little head all over again as they made their way towards the door.
Jack began his own goodbye ritual hugging and kissing each child and setting Lena down to hold, Kristoff's hand. He reached the next moment for Julia's hand as it was clear to them all, she was nervous about leaving. "They will be okay." He whispered quietly in her ear as they stepped out onto the porch. "You left everything written down and if they have any questions they will call."
"I know." Julia sighed deeply with a smile and more tears welling, "I just…it's hard to let go."
"I know." Jack kissed her temple with a small smile, "Let's go. Thank you, again." He smiled at them all as they stood waving on the porch.
"Have fun." Ziva smiled widely cradling the baby in her arms.
"You too." Julia waved softly, "And please call should you need anything at anytime, even in the middle of the night."
"We'll be fine, but we will call if need be." Ziva tried to reassure her with a smile.
They all waved as they drove away and then stepped back into the house.
Malachi and Tony both were absolutely awestruck with the image of Ziva and Liat cradling such tiny babies in their arms and imagining that 'this' would be the image in their lives soon on a permanent basis. It was incredible to them, how easily both Liat and Ziva had adapted to these babies, in the way they held them and soothed them as if second nature.
"Beautiful." Malachi smiled speaking quietly as the two women began moving about the kitchen preparing to reheat dinner for everyone.
"Absolutely." Tony agreed with a widening smile. "I can get used to this."
"Absolutely." Malachi agreed this time with that statement and his heart pounded hoping that he and Liat would find a way back to each other and make a real family for their child. Give her a happy home and family like the one that Jack and Julia were making for their children. That it was still possible, given everything they had been through gave hope to Malachi that he and Liat would be able to as well.
"So what are we having for dinner?" Ziva asked as the four older children scrambled into what must have been their own seats at the kitchen island with Kristoff helping Lena into hers.'
"Mama made Vegetarian Lasagna!" Lara shouted with glee pumping her tiny fist into the air.
"She made it special just for Liat because Mama said that Liat is a vegetarian." Rurik smiled at Liat with a flirty grin.
"And only eats eggs as a meat protein." Lara added and Rurik nodded in-sync with her.
"How does she know that?" Liat asked Ziva quietly with widening eyes that Julia knew such details having only met the woman last night.
"She knows everything about everyone, because Mama sees everything with her super powers." Rurik added an enchanted voice as if telling a secret and then turned his hands upside down with fingers making circles like a superhero mask that he put over his eyes.
"Is that true?" Liat asked Ziva again with amazement.
"Yes." Ziva laughed softly remembering her own reaction to realizing that for the first time with Julia.
"She also made gnocchi! And we helped!" Lara smiled with pride and again Rurik nodded his head in-sync with her own head bobbing.
"Well I'm sure it will be delicious." Ziva smiled with soft laughter seeing that now all three children were bobbing their heads as Lena had copied her two older siblings movements.
"It will be. Mama is an amazing cook." Rurik replied confidently and then whispered, "But we're not supposed to say she is better then Aunty Anni 'cuz Aunty Anni gets mad and says she is the best!" He giggled and the rest of them did as well.
"Aunty Anni makes the best biscuits though!" Rurik nodded enthusiastically and all children agreed. "She's the best baker in our whole family now, 'cuz she learned from the best!"
"And who was that?" Liat asked with a constant smile on her face enchanted by these children.
Malachi, Tony and Ziva all took note of how at ease she was and smiling surrounded by them and the way she was gently swaying the baby in her arms without thought.
"Aunty Anni learned to cook and bake from Nana Maria, Nana Lena and Nana Marna." Kristoff answered with a soft shy smile, "In Sweden where she grew up."
"Ah," Liat nodded with a soft smile still filing in the pieces of this fami'y that the others already knew. "And who are they exactly?"
"Nana Maria is Mama's other Mama," Kristoff answered and Liat nodded remembering Ziva telling her that Julia was a designer baby with three genetic mothers so this didn't surprise her.
"And Nana Lena is our Daddy Mikael's Mama." Rurik smiled.
"And Nana Marna was Aunty Anni's Nanny who helped raise her since she was born, since Nana Maria was a super spy!" Lara emphasized the last with glee and giggled pumping her tiny fist again. "Like Mama."
"And now Aunty Anni is helping Mama to raise us!" Rurik smiled with his own giggle.
"And where are they now? Still in Sweden?" Liat asked and immediately all children's faces slightly.
"They all died in the war." Kristoff answered quietly and then smiled softly seeing Liat's eyes widen and immediate feelings of guilt for asking. "It's okay, don't feel badly for asking. We talk about them all the time. We lost a lot of family in the war." He shrugged, "Mama says that is how you keep someone alive in your heart, is that you keep talking about them and your favorite memories of them." And once again, all the smiles returned to each child who nodded and beamed with pride.
Liat thought about what he said and felt an instant wave of guilt wash over her and pain that she never spoke about her family, except a few rare occasions with Malachi, Asa and Ziva.
"I lost my family in a war too." She spoke quietly, "I miss them all the time."
Ziva's eyes flashed to her and then quickly over to Tony and Malachi knowing that Liat rarely spoke of this to anyone and surprised the children were able to get her to speak about them.
"We do too." Kristoff smiled softly at Liat as Tony helped Ziva slid the food into the oven for reheating when they heard the ding that it was ready.
"And sometimes when we miss them a lot, we just lay in Mama's bed snuggling and everybody has a good cry." Lara nodded.
"And when Mama is really sad and cries by herself in missing them, we just give her big hugs and kisses and smiles and then leave her be, 'cuz Grandma says that sometimes Mama just needs to cry and not be strong for everyone all the time." Rurik added quietly leaning his little face into his palm with elbow on the counter.
"That it's okay for her heart to cry as it's missing so many pieces." Lara added again with a head nod.
Tony's mind instantly flashed back to what Henry had said about Julia's heart being 'as delicate as a butterfly's wings' and what Katherine had said previously on the ranch about how strong Julia is for everyone else all the time but that she is still human and feels deeply for her losses.
"And how many pieces are missing?" Liat asked quietly with a voice choked full of emotion hearing these details about her beautiful angel savior for the first time and imagining the same woman so fragile inside from all the missing pieces.
"A lot." Rurik nodded already scooting off his stool and reaching or Liat's hand, "Come on, I'll show you."
"Show me what?" Liat asked following him as he led her by the hand through the kitchen and everyone else followed with Malachi picking up Lena off the chair to follow, curious as to where Rurik was taking them.
*Sorrow (repeat until the end)
"The Wall of Remembrance and all the missing pieces of Mama's heart that are waiting for her in Heaven now." Rurik answered with a soft smile tugging on Liat's hand with excitement to show her.
Ziva and Tony's hearts both lurched sharing an immediate look at remembering the wall of Remembrance at the Holocaust Museum with so many tragic deaths.
"Are we supposed to be seeing this?" Ziva asked as Lara had taken her hand leading her as well and looked rapidly back and forth between the other adults, not wanting to intrude on Julia's personal space.
"Yeah, it's okay." Kristoff nodded with a soft sad smile of his own, "It's in the Main Hallway next to the big family room." He led them around the massive wooden staircase that wound its way around from the kitchen and small family room. "Mama said she doesn't want them hidden in our home because they are our family and because of their sacrifices, we are free. And we honor them every day by loving each other and living life to the fullest."
Ziva and Liat already had tears in their eyes just hearing him speak, and hadn't even seen the wall yet.
"Here!" Rurik announced with a wide smile when they all rounded the corner. "The missing pieces of Mama's heart."
A beautiful collection of several different sized framed photos in varying degrees of gold and silver completely covered the massive wall with twenty-foot ceilings from top to bottom. Smiling faces staring back at them in casual poses and portraits of both children and adults, alike.
"These are all the members of your family that died in the war?" Ziva asked with tears already welling as she glanced over the many faces.
"Yes," Kristoff nodded, "There were many, many more that died helping us and their names are carved into the angel statue at the ranch. But these are our family who died. The pieces of Mama's heart." He added quietly looking over them as well. "My brothers and sisters, Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and cousins."
"And Daddy!" Rurik smiled jumping forward and pointing up to one larger framed photo in silver.
"This is your father?" Ziva asked the twins looking at the gorgeous dark haired man in the photo with electric blue eyes. "This is Mikael?" She asked glancing back towards Tony and the others in awe at seeing him and reading his name beautifully engraved into the main frame. Glancing quickly around, she saw that a name was engraved on each larger frame naming the person in the photos.
"Yep!" Lara smiled, "That's Daddy Mikael."
"He's very handsome." Liat agreed with Ziva's assessment of the man's stunning good looks.
"And this was his Mama, Nana Lena!" Lara smiled pointing out another face to match the name of a stunningly beautiful brunette.
"And Grand-Mama Marie." Rurik pointed out another and everyone gasped softly to see the first photos of the woman who had been thought to have died so long ago when the rest of the Imperial Family had been murdered. Several smaller photos surrounded each larger one show many ages and stages of each person's life.
"And Nana Maria!" Lara pointed out again smiling, "She looks like Princess Grace Kelly everyone says."
"My God, she does." Tony marveled at one of Julia's mothers' having a near identical appearance to the late beautiful actress.
"And Grandma Kristin." Kristoff pointed out another gorgeous blonde who looked like a young Julie Andrews.
"It's like the wall of incredibly beautiful people." Tony smiled with a soft gasp shaking his head at the gorgeous faces before him and then swallowed hard at how they'd all come together having been subjected to Breeding Program that none of them were willing participants.
"This is Mama and Aunty Anni sister, Casey. Her real name is Cassiopeia because she was named for the Gods as a project like Mama as The Phoenix." Lara pointed out yet another stunningly beautiful blonde woman with piercing blue eyes and their hearts pounded at hearing a little of her story. "She and Aunty Anni were twins! Like Rurik and I! And Aunty Casey was taken away when they were born to be raised as a super spy like Nana Maria and Mama."
Liat swallowed hard finding her mouth incredibly dry looking at the woman's face and hearing the same story that was her own. She wondered how many others were out there like them, who had all shared the same fate as twins being separated for this program.
Tony was thinking the same thing as he looked at Liat and then to the woman on the wall, also a twin chosen for the project and then down to Lara, whom Jack had told them had been taken from Julia for the same purpose. He shook his head in sadness and disgust at how many lives were stolen in the name of the greater good.
"What about all of the children?" Malachi asked finding his voice and swallowing hard holding the tiny girl in his arms and looking at a sea of other small faces before him.
"They are our brothers, sisters and cousins." Rurik answered him, "Alexa was Aunty Anni's." He pointed to a beautiful blonde little girl who appeared in the main photo to be age seven. "And the twins Teya and Tora, and Alexei were Aunty Casey's." He pointed out two tiny blonde girls who looked around four in their last photo and of a boy, who appeared to be around eleven or twelve years of age with dark hair, deep dimpled cheeks and gorgeous blue eyes that matched his mother's and sisters. "They were our cousins."
"And all the rest?" Ziva asked with the feeling of dread coming over her still seeing another twenty-four unexplained faces on the wall staring back at her that she could easily pick out Julia's features in their faces.
"Our brothers and sisters." Kristoff answered her quietly. "All Mama's babies they took from her. All the missing pieces of her heart." He added in a near whisper fidgeting where he stood and clearly distressed by this concept.
They all gasped quietly in horror with new tears looking at each child's face with the oldest being, maybe ten or eleven, they guessed from his photo and the youngest a newborn baby boy.
Tony, Ziva and Malachi's hearts seized in thinking about Julia explaining to them about how fertile she was even now from all the years of being harvested before and here was the heart-wrenching proof before their eyes. The many glittering stones on her Mother's Locket now making more sense at the realization that with these six children before them now, Julia had lost another twenty-four making thirty children total she had been a biological mother to.
"And they are all gone now?" Ziva asked with heart breaking over and over with each tiny face she landed on of smiling, beautiful children.
Kristoff nodded solemnly, "We are what is left."
Silent tears rolled down all of the adult's faces as they stare at Julia's Wall of Remembrance and the missing pieces of her heart, as the children had said. Her husband, two of her mothers, her mother-in-law, her sister and twenty-four of her children were just some of the faces on the wall before them now. The overwhelming and staggering amount of life lost was unbearable and they had no idea how Julia was able to keep going and function, let alone find a way to keep living with love enough to spare and not only give to those of her family left, but also to strangers, like themselves who were in need and she came to their aid.
Tony remembered what Julia had said to him the night before, standing alone with her on the balcony about why it was she decided to help them, even in knowing that she may die. She had said, that there was a time that no one would help her, and that good people stood by allowing evil to prevail because no one had the courage to do the right thing. That she could never allow that to happen again if she had the power to help and she understood Ziva's need when no one else would help them. Tears finally slid down his cheeks in realizing now, what she was speaking of in never standing by and letting evil prevail again.
Ziva was thinking much the same thing as Tony and heard Katherine's words echoing in her heart and mind. That, 'Julia had already fought the battles and won them where The Council was concerned so that Ziva didn't have to.
Julia may have been blessed with the most extraordinary abilities known to man, but the amount of personal loss she suffered was incomprehensible for any one person to have to endure.
The sound of the oven buzzer broke them all out of their thoughts.
"The lasagna!" Lara shouted with a smile and glee and Rurik and Lena cheered with her bringing smiles to each of the adult's faces with their innocence in the face of such great tragedy before them.
Ziva held the baby in her arms more tightly, wiping quietly at her tears and saw Liat doing the same. Both taking comfort in the tiny babies in their arms, unable to imagine now, being pregnant themselves, how emotionally devastating it would be to lose a single child and ever survive, let alone that many.
Tony glanced at Ziva and their eyes held for a long moment, following the children back into the kitchen. Julia, Henry, Katherine…had all said to them at one time or another in the past month, to cherish what they had together and never take it for granted. This statement had hit home given what they'd already been through together in defeating Bodnar, but was cemented into both of their souls just now in standing before that wall and seeing so many innocent faces lost to tragedy.
Jack's comment about 'never thinking this day would come' and the look of fear on Julia's face as they left were all the more reasonable now given what they'd learned about her losses in life and fear of letting go.
"And she's trusting us with her 'most precious gifts?" Tony whispered with disbelief, fear and awe looking at the children racing ahead of them and to the baby in Ziva's arms as he came to stand beside her; the four adults lingering in the back still processing what they'd just learned.
"I think that's the point, Tony." Ziva swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back new tears, glancing down at the baby in her arms and then back to Tony to explain. "The most terrifying thing in the world for you, was to lose me and she asked you to trust her with my safety. The most terrifying thing for Julia, is to lose her children and she's now trusting you…us, with their safety."
"But I failed her! And she nearly died giving her life for me!" Tony shook his head with a slight panic at the magnitude of what this night really meant and not realizing it before what Julia was doing.
"She's giving you a second chance to get it right." Ziva sniffled back more tears looking at the sleeping baby in her arms, "By trusting you now, with the most precious and important things in her life."
"She's giving you the chance to redeem yourself." Malachi added softly with no judgment, just understanding in Julia's actions and glanced from Tony to Liat, realizing Liat was doing the same with him right now. Giving him a chance to redeem himself with a second chance, and the most precious thing in her life with their child.
"But why?" Tony gasped quietly shaking his head.
"Maybe its not about you redeeming yourself to her, Tony. Maybe, she's giving you the chance to redeem yourself…to you." Liat answered quietly and glanced sideway towards Malachi thinking of how this also applied to him.
"To learn from your mistakes, forgive yourself and move forward knowing you are capable of getting it right." Ziva added agreeing with Liat and nodding softly, thankful that Julia was giving Tony this opportunity, knowing how guilty he felt for failing her before and nearly destroying her life.
Tony was quiet for a long moment as he thought about what each of them was saying. He realized now, after his conversation with Julia last night and what she'd said tonight as they were leaving about 'letting go,' that this was as much of a test for her in 'letting go' and placing trust in others to care for her most precious gifts in life: her children; as it was for Tony in accepting the incredible responsibility of holding others lives in his hands and being forced to think about potential consequences should he fail. His place and Julia's positions now reversed from what it had been during their mission.
"Then by God," Tony finally spoke quietly with resolution in his voice, "I am going to get it right this time and not fail her."
AN: I've been getting a lot of questions about this now so I hope to clarify. How was it possible for Julia to have 30 biological children? I tried to allude to it above with Tony remembering what they'd learned about the Genetics Program of The Council. But I realize, a lot of information has come along the way so hope this helps! Julia was given fertility hormones to boost her egg production as part of this human genetics breeding program. Her eggs were then continuously harvested, or removed, and then fertilized in lab and placed into Council Surrogates who would carry the children to term. Considering that 15-20 eggs are normally removed at one time, and Julia was enduring this for 10 years, 30 children is not that many. She likely has many more out there even that she's never found or aware of given the numbers. So no, she did not 'give birth' to all 30 of these children. She was forbidden to have/carry her own children as a spy in this program but that does not make them any less hers. That is a much bigger story! Kristoff, Rurik and Lara are all hers, with her THEN husbands and yet, she was still not allowed to carry them. Not until she was 'free' from The Council, with the birth of Lena. Some of those children on that Wall of Remembrance, she DID give birth to and they were killed. But again, that's another story. Hope this helps to jog the memory and if not, more will be spoken about this in upcoming chapters as Ziva talks about a similar fate in the Genetics Program if not for Julia shutting it down. Remember way back at the beginning of Book Two when Ray was explaining the Genetics Program? If not, you may want to go back and refresh! ;) - Wild