AN: I would just like to say Thank You to all my readers and for those giving such wonderful and amazing reviews that are heartfelt and make me smile and laugh and give insight as to what you really are enjoying about this story. With the posting of this chapter, I will have now passed the 500,000 word count. By the time I post the last chapter, the word count will be more than Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and I'm pretty proud of that, now that it's been pointed out for comparison with Harry Potter as well, just how much was written. And I did it all, in LESS then 60 days (2 short months.) Considering, I wrote most of it while logging hours of flight time, or late nights at home and still managed to maintain my life, family, job and strive to give you timely updates, yes, I am proud. This has definitely been a labor of love. I hope you enjoy what is left of the ride! I know some people are annoyed by the fact I do not edit before I post, and there are grammatical errors here and there, but really to me, I'd rather worry about the content of my story than the structure of my sentences. It messes with my muse and just stops the creative flow. So thank you, to those of you who could bare it and still enjoy the story even when my rapid firing brain throws in a 'there instead of a their' or a 'than instead of a then.' And yes, I DO know the differences. It's not that I'm too lazy to edit, it's that I'm too busy if I also want to post in a timely fashion and I figure, you'd rather have updates more quickly! And NO... this is NOT the last chapter! LOL -Wild
"What?" Liat gasped with face paling and barely breathing to hear him say such a thing out loud. "You want to resign?"
Tony and Ziva's faces were wearing stunned expressions as well.
Malachi was slowly coming to this decision already on his own, but especially after last night and hearing what the four year old child of Rurik had said about the importance of being a real daddy and then cemented his decision to resign when he heard Liat's one fear holding her back from having a life with him, was her fear that he'd become like her father as the Director and end up hurting her or Eden in the future.
"I want a family… my family, more than I want to be the Director of Mossad, Liat." He looked only at her right now across the distance. "I want to be a part of your life and our daughters without you being afraid of who I will become or what I will do in the future."
"I won't make you choose." Liat shook her head with new tears in her eyes looking down and wrapping her arms around her baby belly, stroking it softly for comfort feeling the baby start moving wildly with the increase in her mother's heart rate from listening to Malachi. She didn't want him to regret it later if he gave up this position just for her.
"You aren't making me choose. I am choosing this. Being Director means nothing to me anymore without you. It's not worth the sacrifices I'd be making." His eyes flashed to Ziva with a small smile and understanding fully now, why she had come to the same conclusions and turned down the job. "You are afraid of me in that position because of what Director David did…your father." He corrected himself, swallowing hard and still getting used to that concept.
"I understand now why that scares you about our future. Especially when, the first weeks I assumed the role of Director I was already abusing my authority with you of a personal nature. I am sorry. I don't know what else to say other than… I am not that same man anymore. Too much has happened." He sighed deeply thinking about how much he really had changed in the last few months. "I don't know what kind of a man I will be in the future. But I don't want to become the monster your father became either. I don't want to hurt you or our child ever! So the safest thing for me to do is to just resign. Give up the position and power and remove the threat of what may happen." He paused and took a deep breath, lowering his voice, "Even if you choose not to make a life with me, Liat. I still very much want to be a part of our child's life. I want to be her father, not just in name but really be her daddy in all the ways that matter." His eyes flashed to Julia, "Your children taught me that. Thank you. I never knew how badly I want to be the man my child looks up to and counts on, until I spent twenty minutes with Rurik while he was brushing his hair and putting lotion on." He smiled with a soft laugh. "He is wise beyond his years." Julia smiled at him with new tears in her owns eyes and Malachi looked back to Liat. "So even if you do not want to make a life with me, I want to be a part of Eden's life… And if what is stopping that from becoming a reality, is my being the Director of Mossad, then I will resign. It's not even a question for me anymore about what I would be losing with the job. The job means nothing in comparison to my own child."
Liat's tears slid silently down her cheeks to hear what Malachi had to say, and to hear, that he too had a conversation with Rurik much like she had with Lara about the importance of fathers that had really touched something inside of them both. She wasn't sure what to do in the moment with so much on the table, so much at stake for the future. "Malachi, I don't know…" She cried softly shaking her head feeling overwhelmed with amazement and love and fear and excitement all at once.
A long silence fell over the room as Malachi and Liat just stare at each other and the others stare at them.
"If I may," Julia began quietly with a small smile, "Before you make this decision with finality, speak with you about The Council and its future and what roles you may all have in it. It may change how you feel about the position as Director, or it may not," She shrugged softly with a smile, "But I would like to give you as much information as possible before deciding forever."
"What do you mean? How would this change knowing more about The Council?" Liat asked wiping at the falling tears and looking earnestly at Julia and trusting her judgment, especially given what she'd been through in her life having the same aversion and fear of people in control over your life as Malachi would have as Director of Mossad.
"Well, if Ziva accepts her seat on The Council for the Middle East," Julia flashed a small smile at Ziva, "Technically, Ziva would be your supreme boss Malachi. She would be overseeing everything you were up to and the two of you would end up working together in certain matters. There is a system of Checks and Balances in place now throughout the whole of The Council, to prevent the abuses of power in the past from happening again. Not that you would," She looked at Malachi, "But if you did, start to go down the path that Director Eli David went, you would be checked almost immediately. And if Ziva didn't catch it," Her eyes flickered with golden flares with a resolute tone, "I would." She looked him directly in the eye.
"We need someone like you, Malachi, who has had this evolution, this re-evaluation of what is really important in your life, to be sitting in such a position of power. You are now much less likely to abuse your authority given what you've been through in the past few months." Her eyes flashed to Ziva, "And the same holds true for you, Ziva. Once you've passed through the fires of hell, you are never the same again. You look at the world in a different way and that is exactly what it needed to be able to hold such a position of power without abusing it."
She took a slow deep breath, "That is why I am hoping that by the time I am finished with this conversation today, you will consider accepting the positions before you. We are building the foundation of the future that our children will be leading. I would rather have this responsibility than to trust it with anyone else given what I know in my life of abuse of authority."
Julia looked intently at both Ziva and Liat, "There is the potential for the future right now where our children all work together as we are now, to build on what we set before them. If Ziva accepts her seat as the heir to the Middle East, and Liat," She flashed her eyes to her, "Accepts her position as Number Two," Julia smiled at seeing the stunned faces, only learning of the great importance of the Number Two's this morning from the children and how Julia's sisters worked with her as someone she trusted with the responsibility. "And Malachi stays as Director of Mossad, we are the ones creating the new mold and legacy which we will leave our children to inherit from us and if done correctly," She smiled, "They will still be able to have their own lives and loves and freedoms along with their senses of duty and responsibility. This is truly a team effort, with everyone working together no matter what branch of The Council you fall under."
"I don't want to leave my new home. I don't want to give up being an American or the job I love at NCIS." Ziva answered her quietly thinking that it all sounded as amazing as it was terrifying, except this one part. "I've worked so hard for my life, I can't give it up now."
"You won't have to, Ziva." Julia smiled warmly, "That is the best part about us making a new beginning. We make the rules now as the new Council, the one that fits modern times. I believe, that it is good that you and I and our children will have these mixed cultural backgrounds and places we call 'home' because it lead to further understanding in our leadership roles of how to make our world more cohesive and peaceful if we can relate to each other's lives and situations. This is the way it was originally intended to be, The Council. A world government that looked out for everyone as the steady guiding hand; not giving its loyalties to just one country or region of the world. It is because your children, just like mine, will be raised with these two diverse backgrounds and cultures and exposures that they will succeed in keeping the unity in working as the new Council together when it is their time. They will have learned from us, how to do it."
Julia paused with a smile and a deep sigh, "There is also another option to consider. If you do not wish to accept your position as heir to the Middle Eastern seat on The Council, you may pass it along to your sister, Liat."
"And then Liat would be my superior, overseeing me as Director and making sure I keep in line?" Malachi asked with slanted eyebrow and a slight smile at the idea that she would be his 'boss' instead. A role reversal from right now.
Liat's eyes widened considerably looking horrified to Ziva. She did not want this position at all. "I do not think that would be a wise decision. I am not as good as Ziva would be in dealing with the international politics of the situations. She has much more experience in being, how shall we say, diplomatic? Than I do." Up until recently, she was a simple assassin and that was not diplomatic at all. "Ziva has learned so much from Agent Gibbs and from everything that she has lived through. She is the best one for the job. I would be open to hearing more about working with her as her Number Two, but not the seat holder."
Liat shook her head, "Sorry, Ziva, I just…you were born for this, not me. I'm good at helping you, not leading you." And it was true, she realized. They had done so much to protect each other of the last six months, but she had repeatedly looked to Ziva for guidance and she imagined that would carry on throughout the rest of their' lives as she trusted her.
"As the Number Two, you would still have authority over the Director of Mossad, Liat. You have to report to Ziva in the seat as she is 'your' superior in the position, but you would be able to keep whomever…" Julia's eyes flashed to Malachi and then back again with a small smile, "is in that position, in line." She knew that Liat's biggest concern for not being with Malachi was the idea he may end up like she and Ziva's father. "With you and Ziva both looking out for Malachi and having such an active role with the three of you all working together, I would think it would be much more difficult for things to go down the wrong path again. I believe that the three of you can do this or I wouldn't even be sitting here discussing it with you now, if I didn't have faith in you." She smiled softly at them.
"Checks and balances…" Ziva repeated with a sigh looking at both Malachi and Liat, knowing that was Liat's biggest concern as well. If Liat was able to oversea Malachi's work as Director, it may change her viewpoint entirely.
"Yes, and as I said, even outside your own branch, The Council as a whole now has checks and balances in place to keep everyone in line." Julia repeated. "And as you are most vividly aware," Her tone changed again to low and lethal sound, "I have no problem getting rid of those who are evil and striving to do harm. If people step out of line, I will confront the issue head on."
Images of Julia incinerating Bodnar in front of them rapidly flashed through Ziva and Malachi's minds, while the blasting inferno she left in her wake bolted through Liat and Tony's. All four nodded and swallowed hard, knowing Julia meant it.
"And what if none of us wants to do this?" Ziva asked quietly needing to know that option as well.
"Well, it is an option but not one you will like. Malachi will be free to resign, if he still wishes without much fanfare. It will be drastically different though, for you and Liat and your children." Julia answered her honestly, "Those who are left in the old guard will continue to hunt you down and kill you one by one until the last of your bloodline is gone. Only then can a new bloodline take over your seat in their eyes." She sighed heavily, "I can try to keep them away but as you know," Her eyes flashed to Liat as the proof of her statement, "That doesn't always ensure there won't be any fallout. There will always be those evil idiots out there that believe that they can change things back to the way they were. Their numbers will dwindle and decay in time, but the threat is still very real right now. I'm working constantly to hunt them down but it takes time. There are millions of them and one of me. Thankfully, I have more help now and our numbers are growing and outnumbering those who wish to do harm." She smiled at Katherine and then to them again, "I would be honored to work with all of you in furthering our joint effort to make this world a better place for all of our children."
"So really, the only way for Ziva and Liat to survive this, and our daughters, is for one of them to take control over this seat?" Tony finally spoke after listening intently. His elbows rested on his knees and his fingers were at a point nervously tapping against each other before his face while he asked the question. "At least and not be hunted for the rest of their lives?"
"Yes." Julia answered bluntly. "This was the compromise I had to come to as well. And I realized I'd rather be the hunter in this scenario than the one constantly being hunted. I have had enough of that in my lifetime already. We are free to live our lives as we see fit now by assuming this responsibility. You would have the same." She paused looking at Tony and then Ziva and Malachi and Liat, "Why did all of you join NCIS or Mossad to begin with?" She already knew this answer, but she wanted them to think about it and say it out loud.
"I wanted to be one of the good guys." Tony answered quietly. "To help people. To right the wrongs and get justice." He paused as all of them were nodding in agreement with him, "To make a difference in the world." He added quietly while Julia's smile grew and her eyebrow raise slightly.
"With this opportunity, you all have the chance to do that magnified by billions, as there are only thirteen seats on The Council, representing the billions of people on this planet." Julia answered softly and speaking slowly, "This was not the life I ever wanted." She shook her head softly and looked down to the now sleeping baby in her arms, "But this is the life that I was meant for. It is my curse and it is my gift, all in one. This is the life that I've been given and I am going to make the most of it. I'm choosing to see the positive that can come from this situation now, and not taking this opportunity at a second chance for granted; to leave this world hopefully a better place for my children than the one I was born into."
Her eyes were filling with unshed tears as she looked at the baby in her arms and gently brushed her finger lightly over their delicate skin. "If you'd like to do the same, I encourage you to hear out what we have to say about how all of this would work moving forward, and then take a little time to think about it and get back to me. Unfortunately, you cannot take long. Your safety will continue to be an issue the longer you wait." Her eyes looked up to hold with Ziva's.
"Okay, Julia." Ziva nodded softly reaching for Tony's hand, "We will hear you out."
They spent the next couple of hours listening intently to both Julia and Katherine as they explained The Council in great detail, the history, the present and their hopes for the future. When they were finished, each of the four who were still learning about it felt a great deal more at ease with the situation and were encouraged by Julia and Katherine both, to take the next week, think and talk it over amongst themselves and then get back to her by next Sunday with an answer. Ziva was the one she needed an answer from most right now, the other two still had time to think about it, unless Ziva declined and then Liat would need to answer immediately as well.
They hadn't long to ponder it before Jack, William and the children arrived back at the house and it was time for the baseball adventure. The rest of Team Gibbs had met them at the Stadium and everyone had a blast on the hot summer day spending time together in a fun way for a change and with the kids, enjoying the Box Seats and ballpark food and air condition when needed it and soaking up as much of the 'calm' as they could get.
Malachi was scheduled to fly back to Tel-Aviv mid-morning of the next day and he and Liat still had a great deal to talk about before then. They decided to return to Tony's apartment together in the very late afternoon while Tony and Ziva returned to the Ninja Pad, needing to discuss many things together about their future as well. Julia informed them that she would be remaining in the D.C. area for the next week spending time with the children, as long as Kelsi didn't go into labor, at which point she would be going to New York but would still be available for any comments, questions or concerns they may wish to discuss with her.
Ziva was the first through the apartment door and walked straight towards the bathroom with an urgency having spent the last hour and a half in gridlock traffic as everyone else was crossing the city with an accident blocking up the Beltway.
Tony collapsed face first into the sofa with a loud groan. "Ah, this feels nice." He smiled rolling his face to the side and letting his arm fall off the side onto the floor. He was thoroughly exhausted. Yesterday, he'd worn himself out by making love with Ziva all morning and afternoon before they had to babysit, thinking, the kids would be in bed by 9:00 P.M. they could go to bed early too and have plenty of time to rest before they woke early and this day started anew. He couldn't' have been more wrong.
The night was mostly sleepless with trying to keep the small children from leaping and falling off the bed in their sleep all the while getting kicked in every imaginable body part exposed. Somehow, he'd caught Rurik's foot last night right before it landed in his delicate parts or Baby Girl DiNozzo may have ended up an only child.
They'd had a long morning with first breakfast and then their meeting with Katherine and Julia and an incredibly fun yet, long afternoon at the baseball game where the sun and muggy heat of D.C. in July sucked whatever energy he had left right out of him. His lower calf muscle in his leg was now starting to cramp from all the peddle action in the car changing back and forth constantly between the gas and brake, gas and brake.
Tony wasn't about to complain to Ziva though. He saw the nervous leg bounce in the car as she tried to occupy her mind and then the pained expression on her face the further into traffic they were stuck with no where to pull over inside the District for her to use a Restroom by the time it was urgent. She was pained over their baby girl sitting on her bladder and he wasn't about to be big baby himself and complain to her, about how tired he was or that his leg hurt from driving.
Ziva came out of the bathroom and saw him lying with eyes closed and a contented smile on his face, clearly exhausted from the way he was half laying of the couch and smiled. He was so cute in his baseball jersey and khaki shorts today matching Julia's boys with their red hats, giant foam fingers and popcorn that her heart actually ached with excitement for the future and adding more children to their own family before their first was even born. Family fun outings were even more fun than she'd remembered as a child watching the excitement and joy of innocence splash across their tiny faces.
She saw the sudden flash of pain across his face and then extension of his leg as he tried flexing his toes back and forth several times, clearly with a muscle ache. "Are you okay, Tony?" She asked coming around the corner and sliding her hand up his calf as it was extended in the air.
"I'm fine." He opened his eyes sleepily to look at her with a smile. "Just a small muscle cramp. It's nothing. How are you? Feeling better now?"
"Much." Ziva answered with a relieved smile of her own and sat on the tiny sliver of couch that was left for her to sit on beside him. "You're probably dehydrated." She ran her fingers down his now very tan face from sitting in the sun all afternoon even with a baseball hat and sunscreen on. "You didn't sleep well last night and haven't drank much water today."
"You monitor my water intake? Aww, Ziva David, that is so sweet of you." He teased with a smile running his hand up and down her arm making her smile and shake her head.
"Tony, I'm serious." She smiled at him, "It was hot today and you weren't drinking much water. And no, beer doesn't count." She laughed softly thinking about the few of those he'd had too. "In fact, it makes dehydration worse."
"Look at you, all motherly and doting. 24 hours with the children of The Phoenix and Ziva David has become June Cleaver." He smiled more widely rolling back on his side to look at her more.
"Who is June Cleaver?" Ziva narrowed her eyebrows at him with a curious smile, not minding his mentioning at all of her mothering and doting as she was feeling much more comfortable with those terms now after being with the children.
"She was one of the greatest Mom's in the history of television. She doted on her children and husband and vacuumed in a dress, high heels and pearls." Tony answered her and started a deep giggle of his own when he saw Ziva's eyebrow raise slowly the further he went into the description.
"The only part of that description that sounds anything like me, Tony, is the woman's last name…Cleaver. To me, that is a useful tool for hacking through bone." She answered with a steely tone and the same raised eyebrow, causing Tony to break into laughter.
"And there goes the doting mother, out the window to the Badass Ninja Warrior." Tony shook his head still laughing and then pulled Ziva down closer to kiss her lips. "I love you. Thank you for making me laugh." He continued to chuckle.
"I love you, too." Ziva ran her fingers down his face again with a smile, "Thanks for making me smile."
"That was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" He asked her with a smile thinking about their adventures in babysitting. "I had no idea how much fun little children could actually be. Usually my only interactions with them are hearing them screaming on airplanes or throwing tantrums in the stores. They are actually very entertaining and fun to be around!" He marveled shaking his head still in awe. "That was a lot of fun."
"Even though you didn't get much sleep last night?" Ziva asked with a small smile, loving to hear Tony's excitement over such a thing.
"Yes. Which surprises me. I'm exhausted, really but I don't care because the fun was so worth it." Tony smiled up at her. "You were amazing with them. I can't wait to see you with our baby girl." He looked up at Ziva's beautiful tan face with big curls dangling out of control from where they'd escaped her lose ponytail. "You also look incredibly sexy in your baseball jersey, I might add. The whole sweaty, sunscreen and smell of the ballpark suits you, Ziva David. We should go more often."
"We should. It was a great deal of fun." Ziva smiled back playing with Tony's fingers.
"Its kind of ridiculous that we don't go more often given we work right next to the stadium." Tony chuckled shaking his head, "We could just walk over after work some nights and catch a game. McGee would like that. He appreciates baseball the way I do. Gibbs too. And you of course." He laughed softly remembering the first conversation he'd ever had with Ziva about baseball when she'd saved him from a bomb blast at a Little League Park and was surprised as hell when she knew how to throw the ball and played catch with Gibbs.
Ziva sighed deeply with a pained smile, "One good thing my father taught me." She added looking away and thinking of the times when she was little that they'd played catch.
Tony saw the immediate flash of sadness race through her beautiful brown eyes and felt his heart skip a beat as well. "Hey…" he called to her gently when she went quiet and still wasn't looking at him. "What do you say to a lovely, deep, warm, soothing…bubble bath?" He quirked his eyebrow at her knowing how much she loved those these days.
"I think it sounds like heaven. But only if you join me." Ziva smiled at him that he was being so sweet and thoughtful. She also knew that the tub soaking would likely do Tony some good as well with his sore muscles that were cramping.
"Sounds like a plan, Stan." He smiled leaning up to kiss her lips.
"Stan?" Ziva asked with quirked eyebrows helping to pull him up off the sofa, "Who is Stan, Tony?"
"Just another one of those ridiculous American rhyming sayings that plague your beautiful Israeli understanding." He laughed softly and kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "My beautiful Israeli."
"I'm American now, Tony." She smiled laughing softly against his chest and enjoying the quiet moment of just holding each other in the warm embrace.
"My beautiful Israeli-American." Tony corrected himself with a smile, using the same tone and felt Ziva laugh against his chest. "Ani ohev otach, Ziva David." He pulled back kissing her properly and cupping her face. "I'm so excited about our future together."
"I am excited, too." She smiled and kissed him quickly once more. "We have much to talk about." She sighed thinking about what they'd discussed today with Julia and Katherine as well as their wedding plans, housing plans and finally naming their baby.
"Yes we do." Tony kissed the top of her head that smelled like fresh air, the ballpark and sunshine making him smile.
"I will grab you a bottle of water." Ziva kissed his lips again, unable to get enough whenever she had the chance.
"And I will run our bath." Tony smiled kissing her again as well.
"Ahh, this is nice." Tony sighed contentedly as he lay back with arms outstretched in the warm soapy tub and Ziva climbed in to sit in front of him, facing the other direction so they could look at each other to have these conversations without getting distracted by their naked bodily contact and getting nothing accomplished on their agenda.
"Yes, it is." Ziva agreed with a smiled on her face fluttering her fingers through the water scraping bubbles away in the mountain before her so that she could look at Tony. "So what are we going to discuss first? Wedding, baby name, our home or accepting my position within The Council?" She asked with a soft smile listing all the things they needed answers to soon.
"I vote that we save your potential involvement in the matters of solving world peace until last." Tony smiled softly when he felt Ziva's foot graze over and past his outer thigh as she stretched her limbs out over his. "How about the wedding?"
"Okay, the wedding." Ziva smiled and shaking her head slightly, "That still doesn't seem quite real to me yet. Our wedding."
"Me neither." Tony smiled with a soft laugh.
"This is why we should elope." Ziva smiled more widely and laughed softly with him.
"Abby would kill us and you know it." Tony shook his head softly, "Beside, I'm kind of growing fond of the idea of having a wedding now. I want to share the day with those who helped make it possible." His voice was low and quiet though he spoke with a smile and reached down to pick up Ziva's foot, massaging it under the deep water, remembering her saying that her feet hurt already from swelling in her shoes in the hot temperatures today.
"That feels wonderful, please don't stop." She sighed contentedly and made Tony laugh softly. "I like the idea of a wedding for the same reasons too. Honestly, I think I wanted to elope before because I did not want to have to deal with the tradition of the father walking the bride down the aisle and giving her away." Her mind flashed to how conflicted she felt about including or not including her father. She felt he had no right to give her away after what he'd done by leaving her in the desert, but she also couldn't help the want to have him at her wedding and she knew that he would never agree to come if he weren't allowed to give her away. His ego would never have stood for it.
"Ah," Tony nodded in understanding and finally, it made sense to him why she would want to elope. "My reasons were similar." He admitted. "Given my relationship with my father at the time and not really having any other close family I felt like my side of the church would be completely empty." He shrugged with a smile and scoffed, "But boy would we have save on the catering costs with no additional mouths to feed." He tried to make a joke and laugh but it fell flat and Ziva just smiled at him, understanding the feeling as well.
"Lucky for us, we share the same family now." She smiled thinking about the family that she and Tony had created for themselves over the years, separately and together. "Those are the only people I want at our wedding anyway."
"Okay, so who is on this invitation list. You first." Tony smiled wanting to have fun with it.
"Gibbs." Ziva smiled.
"Of course, Leroy Jethro Gibbs must be there." Tony chuckled, "He needs to be there to see I followed through on my promise."
"What promise?" Ziva asked with quirked eyebrow sinking further down into the water and running her hands over her own baby bump.
"That I was going to marry you if I started dating you and that you were more than a casual fling." He smiled remembering the day he spoke with Gibbs in the courtyard. "It was just after I punched Mal." He chuckled thinking of how far they'd come now in the last six months. "We were talking about the Rules of Engagement and Gibbs said that what you and I have is rare and once in a lifetime." Tony smiled thinking of how true that statement felt and how special it really was. "He said it was pretty clear that what we have is good and Rule#5 says never waste good… and that after I'd already lost you twice," Tony swallowed hard still not liking to think about that, hearing that Ziva was dead, "That I'd better take Rule #8 pretty serious too, and never take anything for granted. I promised him, I wouldn't. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Ziva and will never take you or our relationship now for granted."
Ziva leaned forward with a smile and unshed tears in her eyes and beckoned him closer with her own come-hither finger like a siren calling to him and when he met her in the middle of the tub, she reached up with one hand cupping his face and kissed him deeply. "And you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I promise that I, will never take you or our relationship for granted."
Tony smiled from ear to ear as they sat back again looking at each other across the span of the tub. "I think we should add that to our marriage vows. I like those promises."
"I think that is a wonderful idea, Tony." Ziva smiled, "Perfect, considering we have learned so much about ourselves and each other through Gibbs and his Rules over the years."
"Agreed." Tony smiled.
"I'm going to ask Gibbs if he will walk me down the aisle." Ziva added quietly with a sigh and nervous breath as her eyes flashed to Tony. "He is my father now in every sense of the word. I can't imagine anyone else I would rather have give me away to you, than the person who is responsible for bringing us together in the first place."
"I think," Tony swallowed the emotional lump in his throat seeing Ziva blinking back tears with a smile, "That we will finally see Leroy Jethro Gibbs cry tears of joy, when you ask him." He knew that was going to be true. He'd only ever seen Gibbs really cry once and that was when they were standing over Ziva's body on the tarmac in Israel, believing she'd been killed. This was going to have an equally emotional impact on the man given his history with Ziva. "He will be incredibly honored, proud and happy to walk you down the aisle, Ziva. You are his daughter in everyway. The man loves you to pieces. We all know you are his favorite." He winked at her causing her to laugh as she wiped away the tears and brought some lightness back to the situation.
"Next person… McGee! Our third Musketeer." He couldn't imagine not having him at the wedding. "I'm going to ask him to be my Best Man." He announced with a smile and stunned Ziva whose mouth fell open slightly, "He is my very best friend outside of you." He admitted with a shy smile and pride in his eyes, "He's my little McBeaver! My wingman. My voice of reason when I needed a good smack in the head about how I really felt for you and what the hell was I doing by not jumping at all these second chances being thrown our way." He laughed softly shaking his head, "Tim is just as much responsible for our getting together finally, as Gibbs. They both gave me Pep Talks that led to my finally coming clean with you about how I felt. I want him to be standing beside me when I finally make you my wife." He smiled lovingly at her, "He's our brother. Can't get married without Probie up there with me. It would just feel incomplete as he's been there since the beginning."
"I agree." Ziva smiled and felt more tears welling in her eyes with happiness and pregnancy hormones on overdrive. "Abby too, of course. I would love for her to be a bridesmaid."
"Me too." Tony started giggling softly picking up Ziva's other foot and starting to work his massage magic, "Imagining Abs in a bridesmaid gown and matching dog collar, is just too fun."
Ziva started giggling at the image as well, "Liat, of course. I can't get married without my sister now." She wiped at the new silently falling tears, "I'm going to ask her to be my Maid of Honor."
"I think that sounds perfect." Tony smiled at the idea. "And Mal. I'm going to ask him to be a Groomsmen."
"Really?" Ziva's eyes widened slightly with a small smile given her history with Malachi and Tony's for that matter. She was pleased that Tony seemed to have moved past it.
"Yes, really. I know it's shocking but we've become pretty good friends over the course of the last several months. The bond of fellowship, what can I say? Where else can an Elf and a Dwarf become friends but through a long and arduous journey through hell and back again." Tony laughed softly thinking about The Lord of the Rings but clearly the entire notion was lost on Ziva. "It's from The Lord of the Rings, Ziva. Have you never seen that movie either?"
"No, but I have read the book." She smiled at him pleased with herself and making him laugh.
"I'd also like to ask Asa given that we've become pretty close as well over the last six months but now with things changing between Liat and Mal, I don't know if I should." Tony narrowed his brows, concerned about the repercussions that might have. "I don't want to make any of them uncomfortable or hurt anyone by enduring each others presence just for my sake of wanting him there. Asa's such a good guy, he wouldn't tell me no even if it breaks his heart to stand up there and look at Liat while we say our own wedding vows knowing she broke off their engagement."
Ziva just continued to stare at Tony with a soft smile on her face and love and awe in her eyes at what he was saying. He was thinking about what he wanted but with those actions, the repercussions on others and she couldn't be more proud of how much he'd grown and matured in the last year, but the last six months especially. She wanted to tell him of how proud she was of him in this moment but didn't want to make him feel self-conscious and so she simply smiled and listened.
"What do you think?" He asked when she hadn't said anything for a long moment.
"I think, that its very kind of you to consider their feelings. I too, would like Asa to be a part of our day given we would not be having it without his during the last mission and I feel as though he's become a good friend. But," She sighed with a smile, "It may be too much for him and Liat if she chooses Malachi, and so perhaps, we should wait to ask him to be a part of our day, until we know more about Liat's decision and then go from there."
"Good plan. See, you always have these wonderful little ideas, Ziva David and I just love you all the more for it." Tony smiled and laughed softly.
"E.J." Ziva was next to offer a name, "I would also like to ask her to be a Bridesmaid as long as you're okay with that." She asked quietly with a soft smile knowing their was history there as well between E.J. and Tony.
"I think it's perfect and fitting, honestly. She was also one to 'light my fire' so to speak, and make me realize how much I really did want a life with you and that you really were the perfect one for me…" He smiled at the memory, "and I was all set to tell you so after her Pep Talk if only the Evil C. hadn't called." Tony's scowled thinking about the man who still hadn't reappeared on the 'ray-dar' since they'd returned from Iran with Liat.
"Let's not talk about him, okay?" Ziva asked scowling as well, "I do not want him associated with this memory we are making right now."
"Of course. I'm sorry for bringing him up." Tony shook his head and then smiled, "Okay, so E.J. and then get ready for this one," His smile widened even further, "The Autopsy Gremlin!" He laughed softly, "Palmer had to be a Groomsmen."
"Yes, he does." Ziva smiled nodding and laughing as well thinking about the young, loveable and bumbling man who always brought laughter to the job site and their dinner parties. "Breena, as a Bridesmaid too." She smiled thinking of the woman she'd grown closer to in the time since Palmer had married her.
"Ducky." Tony sighed with a big smile. "And Schmeil!" He laughed softly, "Sorry, it was your turn."
"Actually, I was thinking… since we are bringing two faiths together in this marriage and ceremony, what do you think of the idea of Ducky and Schmeil both, being the ones to actually perform the ceremony and marry us?" Ziva asked with a shy smile having thought about this for some time. The men who were like her grandfathers, marrying her to the man she loved sounded heavenly to her to be surrounded so completely by family.
"Can they do that?" Tony asked with a smile, already liking the idea too.
"I think they must get a certificate or something but it sounds fairly easy from what I have read." Ziva smiled happily.
"You looked into it already?" Tony asked with a smile and excitement that she was already researching these things for their wedding.
"Of course." She smiled, "I am excited to marry you, Tony." She laughed softly shaking her head, "I'm just better at hiding it I guess."
"Well stop hiding it, woman! Let me see that excitement." Tony smiled widely and laughed.
"I am very excited, Tony. I just didn't want to be 'too excited' around Liat given what she's been through and understanding my happiness would be like salt in her wounds." She added quietly with a small smile, "No matter how happy she is for us, her situation left unresolved is still heartbreaking for her."
"I know." Tony sighed with a small smile and realizing why Ziva was containing her joy and remembering that was why he was too. "I understand perfectly. Let us hope, she finds her own love and joy soon!"
"I think she is." Ziva nodded softly with a smile remembering what Liat had told her this morning about making love with Malachi and in doing so, fixing what was broken in side of her from her time in captivity and before.
"My dad, of course." Tony smiled and it grew wider, "Ziva, do you realize that at this point there will be only two people sitting down to watch our wedding while everyone else is standing up with us? My dad and Gibbs. I guess we each get one guest for each side of the aisle." He shook his head chuckling softly.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Ziva waved her finger back and forth with a smile, "Fornell. He must come as well. I've come to love that dear sweet, gruff man." She laughed thinking about all the months they'd spent together at Gibbs house while she recovered from her gunshot wound.
"Ah, Fornell. Of course, must include the man who originally tried to pin a murder on me." Tony smiled sarcastically and then laughed, enjoying the man's company now too. "Agent Abigail Borlin is also a must. She too threw a match into the fire that got me moving towards you last fall." Tony chuckled thinking about her as well and laughing at the woman who was fast becoming a dear friend.
"Absolutely." Ziva nodded sharply with a smile, already adoring her friend and couldn't imagine not having her there.
"Can I ask Gibbs to be a Groomsmen, too? Even if he's also the Father of the Bride? Or is there some rule against that?" Tony pondered with a knit eyebrow, "Because I'd really like him to stand up there with me, with us, as well."
"I do not think there is a rule against that, no. And even if there were, I do not care. I agree, he should be standing up with us." Ziva smiled, "He walks me down the aisle, gives me away to you, and then stands beside you as you marry me."
"Perfect." Tony smiled already in love with their wedding and the image they were creating with the people they loved in it and sharing it with them. "But now we have uneven numbers with my having one more Groomsmen than you Bridesmaids." He realized the pairings would be off.
"Not quite." Ziva shook her head softly with new tears in her eyes and a slow smile forming, "There is one person that I feel must be a part of this day, Tony…that we owe everything in our future too. Saving our baby, healing our wounds, saving Liat, setting me free from Illan…and saving your life, by giving her own…" The tears rolled down her cheek as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Julia." Tony exhaled softly with a smile and feeling the same way.
"I would like to ask her to stand up with us as well, as without her help…none of this would be possible right now." Ziva answered wiping at the new fallen tears with a soft smile, having met Julia not that long ago and already feeling the bonds of sisterhood with her after everything they'd been through together.
"I agree." Tony nodded softly with a new smile, "We owe her everything right now." He felt his own tears welling thinking about all she had done for them, and especially him in helping him to let go of the hurts of the past, forgive his failures and move forward into embracing his future and life without regrets.
"Good." Ziva smiled that they agreed, "So of course that means, Jack and the children will come." She smiled delighted by that fact. "What about making them our flower girls and ring bearers?" She asked with a slanted brow and smile, "Lara was upset she couldn't marry you but perhaps, if she was the flower girl in our wedding, she would be just as happy?" She laughed softly, "You are after all, her Beast."
Tony laughed shaking his head, "I love that idea. Though I think Kristoff would rather be a Junior Groomsman as he is nine years old now and too mature for being a ring bearer." He smiled thinking of the little guy who had held him mature and grow so much in the past few weeks.
"I think it sounds perfect." Ziva smiled, "And I'd also like to ask Katherine and William," She paused feeling new tears again and trying to blink them back, "For without her, believing us worthy and passing us along to meet with Julia, none of this would have happened either."
"A lot of people, helped to get us where we are." Tony smiled softly realizing how true that really was. "I'm sold! Now let's get married!" He laughed softly, "When? Where?"
"I have no idea about that part." Ziva shook her head with wide-eyes and a smile.
"I do." Tony gave her a mischievous grin, "The when at least…"
"Okay, when?" Ziva asked with a curious smile to see the look in his eyes.
"September 20th, 2013." Tony answered with a smile watching one grow on her face as well, "The 8th Anniversary of the first day we met."
"That's not that far away, Tony. Just nine weeks." Ziva smiled loving the idea but thinking that was incredibly quickly to plan a wedding, especially while pregnant.
"With so many people wanting to help make this happen quickly, Ziva, I think this is plenty of time." Tony smiled, "I think it's perfect. It falls on Friday Night."
"You do realize, that in nine weeks, I will be even bigger than Liat is now?" Ziva raised her eyebrows with a smile and small laugh, realizing that now for the first time herself too. "I never imagined getting married while that pregnant."
"I think you're going to be breathtakingly beautiful, and quite frankly, the idea of your baby belly growing and growing only has me all the more excited and thinking everyday you can't possibly be anymore beautiful…and then you surprise me, because you are." Tony smiled lifting her foot from the water and kissing its sole, imagining Ziva with a belly even bigger than Liat's right now and the idea made him warm and tingly.
Ziva laughed shaking her head, "You are kissing my feet, Tony. I could never have imagine the first day we met, you would one day be kissing my feet."
"Neither could I." Tony laughed thinking back to then as well and shaking his head. "Licking your toes, maybe." He winked at her and then laughed again thinking about what he'd been conjuring in his mind when Ziva had returned from Israel to start work at NCIS and they'd first talked about what was in that magazine they'd both read and it lit his fantasies into action about her.
"Okay, now where?" Ziva asked with a raised eyebrow, "If we get married in September, where will we have this wedding?"
"Leave that to me. I have an idea." Tony smiled and winked again with full confidence, "I have friends in high places these days." He laughed and then remembered, "Oh shoot! One more person I promised we'd invite to the wedding. Secretary Jarvis. Was part of the condition when he helped me your proposal and the opera." Tony laughed that their big boss was actually a big old soft romantic.
"Okay," Ziva smiled and then it fell slightly with a bit of tension, "What about Directors Craig and Vance?" She asked, really liking the former now that they'd gotten to know him and he'd helped them tremendously, a big romantic as well. But still finding their way about the second.
"I'm sold on the first suggestion," Tony answered agreeing for the same reasons that Ziva had about Director Craig now, "But still undecided about the second." He had been cordial enough at Ziva's place in Israel and at his birthday party with Vance, but he was still insanely angry at the man for telling Gibbs to let them kill Ziva, and not just let them, but stand back and let them. He knew the man was insane with grief at the time, but he was having a hard time letting it go. Slowly, but surely he hoped it would fade.
"Tony, if Jack could forgive you for acting without thinking over the idea of losing the one you love," Ziva began softly knowing this was a touchy subject, "and nearly costing him the woman he loved in turn with Julia almost dying… can't you forgive Vance for doing the same?" She asked and saw Tony's eyes widen and then narrow and then widen again as he thought about it and their situations. "The man was acting without thinking over actually 'losing' the one he loved, Tony. He was reacting emotionally over losing the one he loved… surely, you can empathize now, that people sometimes do things to put others in harms way, without thinking through clearly the repercussions of such actions."
Tony was quiet a long moment in listening to Ziva and hearing what she had said. He'd never re-evaluated what had happened with Vance since their return with Liat from Iran, and what had happened between he and Julia. In a case of role reversal, Tony was the one who had become Vance and in his blinding emotional state, made a decision and acted without thinking that nearly killed Julia. Vance had done the same in his grief over losing Jackie that had nearly killed Ziva. He would be the world's biggest hypocrite for using this 'one' point of view and stance against Vance by not forgiving him in his moments of insanity when Tony had done the same and Julia had forgiven him as had Jack. Even Ziva had forgiven Vance and she was the one he said to let die.
"Okay." Tony answered with a soft nod, "I understand and I will speak with him."
"Thank you." Ziva answered him with a small smile, "I don't want to start our new life together still carrying around the hurts of our past."
"I don't want to either." Tony smiled softly back at her. "Our future is much to bright for that."
"It is." Ziva smiled running her hands over her baby belly and thinking of what a beautiful future it was. "So now what? Naming our baby or talking about a home?"
"Naming our baby." Tony smiled from ear to ear. "I just love saying that and hearing that …'our baby." It was a dream come true for Tony. "Please do something for me…When you get 'that' pregnant, put that yellow shirt on again that says Bun in the Oven and let me take a picture of you again? So I can hang the real pregnant Ziva next to my dream pregnant Ziva?" He asked with a raging smile, "It's my dream coming true."
"Yes, for you. I will." She smiled from ear to ear to hear him say that.
"Thank you." He smiled, "Now your wish is my command."
"I want to give our baby a name that is part of your heritage, something meaningful." Ziva answered with a smile and raised eyebrow running her hands over her belly again under the water. "Something Italian." She laughed softly.
"Okay," Tony smiled more widely, "But I want to give our baby a name that is part of your heritage, and something meaningful." He laughed softly that they'd both been thinking the same thing.
"So why don't we combine them? She needs both a first and middle name, why not one of each?" Ziva asked with a smile liking this idea.
"One Hebrew and the other Italian. Wow!" Tony laughed softly shaking his head, "She's going to have quite the name and it will be completely perfect and representative of who we are." He laughed again thinking about the fiery dynamic that was their relationship. "Okay, how about I choose something in Hebrew and you choose something in Italian?" He'd already been searching for the perfect Hebrew name and believed he had found the exact right one.
"Okay, and whatever we each say will be part of her name?" Ziva asked with heart pounding fast feeling like this was a game of roulette with both choosing a name that they felt was important and not knowing what the other would be choosing.
"Yes." Tony answered with a growing smile feeling the same excitement and anxiety over getting this right. "So Ladies first. What name in Italian do you want to be part of her name?"
Ziva took a deep breath palming her baby belly beneath the bubbles and looked into Tony's beautiful green eyes, hoping he was going to approve. "I would like to name her after your mother." She answered quickly but quietly and with love and softness in her voice as she smiled. Ziva know how much Tony's mother meant to him, and losing her as a child had changed everything about his life. "I'd like that part of her name be Bella, as I know that is the nickname your mother went by most." Ziva couldn't stop the tears from welling in her eyes watching Tony's reaction.
Tony was breathless with unshed tears as well, stunned into silence by Ziva's suggestion and that it be the very personal nickname, the loving name that he associated most with his mother. Not Isabella as was her name, but Bella. "Beautiful…Bella." He smiled at the meaning and his smile only grew more wide as he realized something, "Okay. I love it. Thank you." He swallowed hard unable to contain his excitement now. "But I would like that to be her middle name, if that is okay…because I'd really like to have our little girl, sharing an extraordinary Hebrew name like her mother, especially if the poor girl is going to be saddled with a very Italian last name of DiNozzo." He laughed softly, "As are you."
"Okay," Ziva smiled laughing softly with him at the idea of both mother and daughter having Hebrew first names with Tony's very Italian surname. "So what will her first name be, Tony?" She asked with baited breath and pounding heart realizing that in this moment, they were naming their child forever and she was leaving it up to him.
"Your… mother's middle name." He smiled more widely with unshed tears in his eyes with excitement at naming their baby.
"Sarai…" Ziva gasped softly with tears rolling freely now to hear that he'd wanted to name their baby after her mother as she had his.
"Yes." Tony beamed with raging pride, "It's absolutely perfect and beautiful and suits our daughter."
Ziva smiled laughing softly and shaking her head, "It means princess."
"I know!" Tony laughed with a raging smile, "I told you, she is Daddy's princess. I figured at least this way, I won't annoy you by calling her princess all the time, I will just call her Sarai and know it means princess and then we can both be happy." He smiled with excitement that it was perfect to him, "Sarai Bella."
"Beautiful princess." Ziva smiled speaking quietly and shaking her head slowly in aw and thinking about Lara's serious face last night when she told her that the baby should be named, beautiful princess as it suited her. "Do you remember what I told you last night about what Lara wanted to name the baby?" She asked Tony with amused and bewildered eyes.
"I know!" Tony nodded with a smile, "I can't believe it either! She was right!" He laughed, "I had no idea that you were thinking of the name Bella."
"And I had no idea you were thinking of Sarai." Ziva smiled and shaking her head that neither she or Tony had any idea last night that together, their chosen names for their baby girl would end up being exactly as Lara had said, beautiful princess. "Well, what do you think baby girl?" Ziva looked down while feeling her baby belly and Tony leaned forward with a smile to put his hands on her belly with her, wanting to share in this moment of officially naming her. "How do you like Sarai Bella?"
They both felt it, with eyes flashing immediately to each other's and holding fast before feeling it again. The tiny, thump thump against their skin and hands of their baby girl responding with her very first kicks.
"She just kicked." Ziva cried softly and instantly in full-blown tears. "Did you feel that?" She asked Tony still in aw.
"I did." Tony was paling considerably and then smiled when they felt it again. "She likes her name." He smiled more widely leaning in and kissing Ziva softly with tears silently streaming down both of their cheeks and hands on Ziva's belly. "It rolls right off the tongue, Sarai Bella DiNozzo." He said her name with a distinctly Italian accent and then kissed his fingers again with a smile of joy.
"It's perfect." Ziva had to agree hearing the way it sounded coming from Tony's lips and with it rolling so smoothly and beautifully off his tongue.
"I can just imagine our Christmas/Hanukkah cards now… announcing our beautiful little Christ-makkah blessing." He laughed softly with excitement in his eyes and voice and thinking of the future. "Tony, Ziva and Sarai Bella DiNozzo."
AN: For those who would like to know, Sarai is pronounced "Sah-RYE" :)