"So…how did it happen?" Abby asked propping herself on the counter. "Was it super romantic? I'm sure it was super romantic being Tony. Did he have roses? Champagne?"
Ziva chuckled and opened the bottle of wine. "Actually, it was very romantic, but not like that romantic. He said that he wanted to marry me, grow old with me, raise Daniela and Jacob, have more kids…" She sighed. "It was very Tony."
"And very you." Abby commented with a smile.
"Very me." Ziva gave a small smile and looked down at the ring on her finger.
"That ring is AH-MAZ-ING." Abby cooed, grabbing her hand and staring at the ring. "I can't believe TONY picked that out."
Shrugging, Ziva smiled. "He is actually better at things like that then he lets on." She poured the wine into four glasses. "He can braid hair…but do not let Tony let you know that I told you."
"TONY can braid?" Abby giggled.
"Very well actually." Ziva handed two glasses to Abby. "He will not tell me where he learned how to do it, but he has braided Daniela's hair many times."
"Good to know." Abby grinned and carried the glasses into the living room.
"What were you girls laughing about in there?" Tony asked, placing a kiss on Ziva's cheek before he grabbed a glass from her hand.
McGee smiled silently at Abby and opened his arm for her to settle into. "I think a toast is in order." He raised his wine glass. "To new beginnings." McGee said with a smile.
"To new beginnings." They echoed.
#
"We should head home." McGee mumbled, looking t his watch.
"You should, but you aren't." Tony shook his head. "I'll pull out the sofa bed and get some bedding."
"But we didn't bring any clothes…" Abby argued.
"You two drank too much." Tony replied. "I'm sure we have SOMETHING here that you guys can wear." He yanked the bottom of the couch and it folded out into a bed. "I'll be right back."
Ziva replaced Tony with an armful of bedding and pillows. "Here you go."
Abby smiled. "Thanks Ziva, you don't have to."
"Yes we do. I do not want to set an example of allowing our friends to drink and drive. Plus, I am sure that Daniela and Jacob would love for you to come out for breakfast with us and then to the science centre." Ziva smiled and pulled the fitted sheet on the bed, followed by the other sheet and then the blankets. Tony returned with some clothes.
"These should fit you guys." He tossed them on the bed. "See you in the morning." Taking Ziva's hand he led her to the bedroom and shut the door. A few seconds later he opened it back up. "Hey, if either Jake or Dani get up in the middle of the night, shoo them into our room."
McGee nodded numbly. Tony gave him a smile and shut the door to the bedroom again.
"The joy of having kids…you don't get to have any ever again." Abby said with a laugh as she folded up her clothes and slipped into the clothes that Tony had leant her. The shorts were too short, obviously Ziva's and the shirt was obviously Tony's. McGee slid into the bed beside her. "But I think that I could handle having kids…with the right man."
McGee blushed. "Good night Abby."
.
Crying. Everyone was crying. She pressed her face up against the window, watching as they got smaller and smaller, until she finally couldn't see them anymore. They were gone. Again. She had no family, no nothing. They wanted Jacob, they wanted someone small and young. They didn't want her. No one wanted her. They were taking her away, away to somewhere else. An orphanage is what David called it. It's where kids who weren't wanted were sent to. That's where she was going. A tear flowed down her cheek.
Daniela jerked awake, tears running down her face. She looked at the clock that was on the nightstand separating her bed and Jacob's. 5:27. She knew it was too early for anyone to be awake, but she couldn't shake the nightmare. Taking her ipod and book out of her backpack and wrapping herself in a blanket she padded out into the main room. She saw McGee and Abby on the pullout couch and went towards the patio door. The cool morning air stung her face where the tears still remained. She leaned forward on the railing, watching the morning commuters leave their buildings. Her music pounded in her ears, fitting her mood. She leaned back on the patio chair and closed her eyes…
#
Ziva opened her eyes and pried her arm free from Tony's grip. 6:55am. She knew that Daniela and Jacob would be waking up soon and ready for breakfast. She decided to forgo her morning run and dragged herself out of bed.
She shut the door quietly and walked around the sofa bed where McGee was still sleeping. Abby was standing, her back to Ziva, wearing her jeans from last night and the shirt that Tony had leant her.
"Abby?"
Abby spun around and placed a finger to her lips and pointed to the patio door. A small bundle sat on the patio, a familiar blue blanket wrapped around.
"How long has she been out there?"
"Since I've been awake." Abby looked at Ziva. "Her foster brother…he was saying that you guys don't want them anymore. She was talking about how they don't want older kids…just younger kids like Jacob."
Ziva pulled her hair into a haphazard ponytail and opened the door. The girl didn't flinch. Slowly Ziva placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. Daniela looked up sleepily, her eyes swollen and red.
"Morning." Ziva said quietly, squatting down beside the chair.
Daniela pulled her earbuds out and stared at Ziva. "Morning." She mumbled quietly.
"What are you doing out here? It is very cold."
Daniela shrugged. "Thinking." She pulled the blanket over her head so that only her eyes were visible. "How much money do you make for taking care of us?"
"We do not get any money." Ziva sat on the arm of the chair. "Who told you that?"
"David said that people get paid to take care of kids with no families. So you must get paid. Why else would you do it?"
Ziva sighed and pulled Daniela close. "We do not get paid anything. We are doing this because we love you." She kissed the top of her head. "Do not believe anyone if they say otherwise."
Daniela nodded slowly.
"Are you hungry?"
"A little."
"Well you are in luck. Abby and I are going to make strawberry puff pancakes…" Ziva grinned. "And you can help!"
"Okay." Daniela followed Ziva inside and sat at the counter, watching intently as Abby cracked eggs into a bowl. "Can I help?"
Abby passed the bowl to Daniela. "Sure thing. If you want you can mix this for me."
Ziva gave Abby a smile of relief and thanks as the girl frowned and started her job. Soon they were surrounded by a cloud of flour and laughter. McGee opened his eyes and yawned.
"What're you guys doing?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Makin' breakfast." Daniela replied ducking a fistful of flour from Ziva.
"It LOOKS like you're making a mess in the kitchen." Tony said, standing in the doorway of the bedroom.
Daniela smiled, her hands full of flour. "No. Cooking."
Tony ran his hands through his dishevelled hair and stared at the three females in the kitchen and then at McGee. "Couldn't keep down the fort McGee?"
"I just woke up too." He sat up and looked at the mess. "That's actually kind of incredible. It looks like a tornado stormed through here."
Ziva shrugged. "We are having fun, right ladies?"
Abby grinned, her hands covered in flour. She sat down on the bed and placed her hands on McGee's chest, leaving floury handprints.
"Hey!" McGee squealed before Abby pressed a soft kiss on his lips.
"Child in the room!" Tony coughed, walking over and slapping McGee on the back of the head.
Daniela shrugged. "I do not mind. I like it."
Walking over to Ziva, Tony gave her a kiss. "Do you mind that?"
The small girl smiled. "No. That's what Mummy's and Daddy's are supposed to do."
A high pitched squeal announced Jacob's presence. He ran into the room and made a flying leap onto McGee and Abby.
"And there ends our Hallmark moment." Tony said with a sigh. He waited for Abby to get off the bed before he flopped on and tackled McGee and Jacob.
"Good to know that they NEVER grow out of it." Abby said rolling her eyes.
#
"So how was Israel?" Abby asked taking a swallow of her Caf-Pow, watching McGee push Jacob on the swing.
Ziva shrugged. "It was what it was." She sat down on the empty bench and watched as Tony helped Daniela up onto the play structure.
"That bad?"
"Well I am back here, so that is good." She took a sip of her tea. "I just want to move on with my life. I want the American dream."
"The white picket fence, the kids, the dog in the backyard?" Abby fought back a smile.
"It all."
"Do you know what that makes you, Ziva David?"
The former Mossad assassin shook her head, bracing herself for the admission of weakness.
"Just like the rest of us."
Ziva smiled. "So this is what it feels like to be…normal."
"As normal as we can ever get." Abby grinned as Jacob jumped off the swing, arms flailing, landing deftly in the sand. "He's going to break an arm."
"Probably. But I would like to point out that it is your boyfriend that is supposed to be looking after him."
"Your fiancée is supposed to be looking after Daniela and I see that she is hanging upside down on the play structure." Abby retorted. "So…how do you think Gibbs is going to take the news?"
"I don't even want to think about it."
"Hey, Gibbs wants us to be happy, and I'm sure he love the idea. He loves the kids too you know." Abby sighed. "He's great with kids."
"He is."
"Better than those two." Abby said, draping her arm over the shoulder of her best friend. "Should we go and rescue them?"
Ziva cocked an eyebrow as she watched Daniela squirt free from Tony and climb higher on the play structure before sliding down the fireman's pole and running around. "Probably." She glanced at her watch. "We also have to tell Gibbs…Jenny…and the kids about…"
"Tell us what?" Daniela asked, throwing herself onto the bench between them. "Are we trading Jacob for a pony? Can I name it CandyCane?"
"You're all sweaty." Abby commented, opening a bottle of water for the girl.
"I was running away from Papa, but he is pretty slow." She said with a grin, climbing onto the back of the bench as Tony approached. "It is because he is too BIG!"
"Are you calling me fat, little girl?" Tony asked with a grin.
"Fluffy." Daniela replied giggling. "What did you want to tell us?"
McGee jogged up with a sand covered Jacob on his shoulder. "Tony, your kid was eating sand."
Tony shrugged. "Won't kill him…will it?"
"What were you going to TELL US?" Daniela demanded standing on the back of the bench. "You are IGNORANTING ME!"
"Ignoring you." McGee corrected.
"Whatever." She looked back at Tony and Ziva. "What IS it?"
"Well…Tony and I…we are going to get married. We are engaged."
Daniela frowned. "You are not already married?"
"Nope." Tony kissed the top of Ziva's head. "But we're going to change that…"
"Isn't engorged a bad thing?" Daniela asked, sitting down on the back of the bench.
Tony scooped her up in his arms. "Engaged is a fancy way to say we're planning on getting married. And we want you and Jacob to be in the wedding."
"I am NOT marrying my brother." Daniela said, pushing Jacob off the bench and taking his place.
Ziva laughed. "Hopefully it will not take this long to explain it to Gibbs."
Shrugging, Tony grinned. "You never know. I don't think he understands it. I mean, he was married four times…"
.