After a disastrous event at a funeral that takes place sometime in May 2008, Tiva and McGee are sent on a month-long vacation to give them time to heal. A few surprises await them, and they encounter a situation that could very well mean the end of their careers. Will they be able to save their careers? How will their lives intertwine?
Chapter 7 Universe Approval
Ziva stirred awake from her nap, having headed straight to bed after her flight in earlier in the day. She realized that she could hear the sound of distant laughter, and turned over in the bed and looked out through the open French doors leading out to the balcony, and saw Tony standing at the railing of the deck, phone in his hand. She smiled as she sat up in the bed and listened to the sounds of Tony ribbing with someone on the phone. After a few moments, she got up from the bed and walked through the doorway soundlessly, barefoot, feeling the fresh breeze blow across her face. She paused and leaned on the doorframe and watched as Tony talked on the phone in a low tone, and laughing occasionally at the other person. She chuckled to herself and pushed herself off the doorway and slowly walked up to Tony, rubbing her belly, which was just now starting to show the slightest hint of roundness. As she walked up toward Tony, she tilted her head and said softly, "Hi Tony, having fun on the phone?"
Tony yelped and slammed the phone down into his chest and turned around quickly, then realized Ziva was standing in front of him. "Scared me," he said, letting out a breath. He smiled at Ziva and nodded and held his hand out to Ziva, looking her up and down, taking in her beauty, dressed in a camisole and panties. His eyes got drawn in by her beauty, and it took a couple of moments before his mouth moved again. "Did you rest well from the flight?"
Ziva walked closer toward Tony with a smile. "Yes, I needed that rest. I was having a good rest until I heard a lot of ribbing and laughter. Was that McGee that you were wracking on the phone?" Ziva ribbed Tony, smiling at him, tilting her head at him.
"Oh yeah, definitely. You know me, always wracking McSpacey's mind whenever I get the chance," Tony said. He raised the phone up to his ear, and said "Hey, I gotta go," before hanging the phone up. He smiled a bit guiltily at Ziva and said, "I didn't realize I was being, uh, a bit loud, with my laughing on the phone." He tilted his head to Ziva, his eyes screwing up into a bit of a puzzled expression. "How'd you know who I was talking to, anyways?"
Ziva chuckled at Tony, "There is only one person that I hear you talk in that style, and that's McGee." She shook her head at Tony as she walked up next to him and patted him on the shoulder and held him close to him as she looked out over the ocean, taking in the fresh feel and scent of the St. John's Island sea breeze.
Tony chuckled and shook his head at Ziva, then looked out over the ocean in the same direction as Ziva. "Alright, you got me. Yeah, he's a bit bummed that the space launch that he'd been wanting to watch live got bumped out to the end of this month. At least I got him to go and catch some museums in the area, maybe the ones out at NASA." he shrugged and tilted his head, a more hopeful look on his face. "That way his whole trip isn't shot."
"That's good. Did he have a chance to see his family before going down to Florida right?" Ziva wondered as she looked up at Tony. "I think I remember him saying something to that effect."
Tony walked over to the nearby chair and sat in it, breathing out a satisfied sigh. "Oh yeah, he mentioned that he saw his family the other day before he took off from New York headed down to Florida. I think he got into Florida late last night," he said, holding his hands out and then putting them back down on his lap. "Spent the day waiting for the launch and watching the count down clock and then, nothing. Bumped. So, tomorrow, he's hitting the museums." He leaned back in his chair and looked out over the ocean, smelling the ocean breeze. "What a nice, relaxing day for this," he muttered to himself.
Ziva smiled at Tony as she walked over to her chair and pulled it up close and sat in it. "That's good to hear that McGee gets to at least enjoy what time he has off so far. I always felt a brief change of scenery would do him good. Just like for the both of us." She looked at Tony, her eyes speaking volumes of what she wanted to say, but couldn't out loud.
Tony scoffed lightly and nodded. "Oh yeah, after all those months, then bam. Now it's been, what, two weeks since we buried Director Shepherd?" He stopped himself, rubbing the back of his head, his mind flashing back to the day of the funeral, how Gibbs had slapped the back of his head twice there. He brought his hand back to his nose and smelled it, and then smiled. "No more smell of Gibbs' hand. I can breathe easy now, for a while," he said. He shook his head once and clicked his tongue. "Not sure if we'll have a job after we come back, considering he tried to fire us."
Ziva reached out and took Tony's hand and squeezed it, smiling at Tony, looking at him, deep into his eyes. She shared the same flashback as Tony, and sighed. "It's sad how Gibbs have lost his mind. Ever since that explosion, I think he's gotten worse, and now Jenny's death. He's angry, blames us for Jenny's death. I think he's had a hard time with being able to grieve," she said softly to Tony. She shook her head and said in a whisper, "It's a good thing that Director Vance overruled Gibbs on the spot. I'm just not sure what he will say when we get back and see him in the office at the end of this vacation."
Tony looked back at Ziva, his eyes giving her that knowing look. "It's like he bottles it all up inside," he said, drawing his hands toward himself, closing. "Holds it in tight, won't let go. Doesn't know how to let it out without it blowing up in his face. Not to mention he's such a control freak with everything." He let out a derisive chuckle.
Ziva nodded her head slowly in agreement. "Oh yeah. It's like everything stacked up on top of each other, and no cleaning out. The explosion in one of the previous missions, and now Director Shephard's death. Gibbs did not take things very well, especially after that explosion. Misses his wife and daughter, has not let go." Her hands clenched tight against her chest, as if all the memories were being held on tight.
"Oh yeah." Tony nodded to Ziva, letting out a sigh. "Still, why would Gibbs blame us for Jenny's death? That's the part I don't get." He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Good thing his buddy Mike Franks was there before it got out of hand."
Ziva nodded, a small smile on her lips, "Well, it didn't help that you held my hand, and then said something to comfort me, and Gibbs had to be right there, and got all up in a twist about this Rule twelve thing," she said in an undertone, throwing her hands up in the air and twisting them around, as if creating a whirlwind. She let out a breath and said, "And, like you said, blaming us for Director Shephard's death. You remember what he said about how we were together and he couldn't be with her?"
Tony let out a small chuckle. "Oh, yeah, I remember. It sounded a lot like he's got a healthy helping of jealousy mixed in there with all that guilt and not grieving," he said as he churned his hands around in the air, "all mixing up and stewing around in his mind there. He's angry that we have something together that he can't, for some reason."
"Yeah, we shall see what the future holds for us when we show up in Vance's office when we get back to DC eventually. Vance did say something to us that there will be some potental changes for us, but it was nice of him to give us this paid time off for a few weeks to recharge," Ziva said as she nodded at Tony, resigned to the fact that the consquences of Gibbs' actions could very well come back to haunt them, still, when they did return to DC.
Tony looked at Ziva and smiled. "Yeah, it did help us to be able to put all things work-related in the jar for the time being. Let's worry about that when we get back. We've got two weeks, it can wait. For right now, we shall enjoy this wonderful evening together, and a few more romantic evenings after that," he said as he scooted closer to Ziva and held her hands. He winked at Ziva. "Lots more to see on this island besides the beach-side view."
Ziva had a sudden impression that Tony was up to something, and she sat back, looking at Tony. She smiled up at him a bit seductively, then tilted her head at him. "I can't argue with the view, they're postcard beautiful. This is the most perfect getaway for us to spend some quality time together," she said, studying Tony's features, watching as he scanned up and down slowly with his eyes. "I can see your eyes undressing me," she whispered enticingly.
Tony chuckled and slowly shook his head as he held Ziva's hand. "I cant help it, I'm just glad to be here with you, holding your hand." Tony paused to smile at Ziva, then waved his other hand in air, "I'm glad that my Dad had these tickets to the resort and gave 'em to us. He paused, and looked at Ziva, reflecting on his trip with Ziva to New York to see Tony's father.
Ziva looked at Tony, who appeared to be deep in thought, and smiled. "New York was a nice getaway. But this one here, is better. Less noise, less hustle and bustle. We're here less than twenty-four hours and I'm already feeling relaxed." She stood up and walked over to the railing and swept her arm out over the horizon, and continued, smiling at Tony. "Postcards don't do this place justice, don't you agree?"
Tony smiled and nodded to Ziva as he got up and followed her and leaned against the railing. He thought to himself, 'Just wait, it's about to get even more special for you tonight,' Out loud, he said, "Couldn't think of a better place to take you than here," as he reached out and caressed Ziva's hand, and took in a deep breath, breathing in the tang of the ocean air, and Ziva's intoxicating smell. He slowly moved behind Ziva, caressing her hand, then her belly. He glanced down, and then whispered, "How long has it been now?"
Ziva put a hand on Tony's and continued to caress her belly as she glanced down toward her belly. She nodded, and said, "Yes, next week it'll be 3 months. They said one more month before I get all the energy that I had back." She smiled at Tony as she cradled Tony's hand under her belly, then glanced up at Tony. "Sorry if I'm being slow today, it seem's all my energy has been zapped away," she said as she let out a small chuckle.
Tony chuckled lightly and squeezed Ziva's hand gently, shaking his head slightly. "No, you're perfectly fine. I've got everything handled. We'll just stay in tonight, get some rest. Don't even have to cook dinner because I've got room service handling all that," he said, smiling at her, winking an eye at her. "Gonna be a real nice dinner, because I know you're eating for two now."
Ziva let out a chuckle. "Aw, you're so good to me," she said in a half, whisper, snuggling up closer to Tony, as she looked out over the ocean, up into the sky, seeing the stars twinkle in the sky overhead.
Just then, the doorbell sounded. "Oops, that'll be them with the food," he said as he gently disengaged himself from Ziva, then guided her to the patio table and chair. "Here, have a seat, he said as he held the chair out for her.
"Oh, thank you," Ziva said as she sat down and smiled at Tony. She was sure he had something up his sleeve, but decided to go with the flow, because this was the most perfect night she has ever experienced.
Tony flashed a grin at Ziva and held up a finger as the doorbell rang yet again. "I'll be back," he said as he turned and walked into the resort.
Ziva nodded at Tony, and said, "I'll be waiting." A few moments later, she could hear the waiters set up the food service inside the resort, then leave a few moments later. She wondered what kind of food was going to be brought out, but she didn't have to wait very long.
Tony stepped out, this time pushing a cart laden with covered dishes. He flashed a smile at Ziva as his now-open shirt flapped in the wind. "Dinner's served, milady," he said as he reached the table and leaned over and kissed Ziva on her lips. He set the silverware on the table, then set Ziva's dish in front of her, smiling at her, as he uncovered the dish. "Thought we'd try some of the local Caribbean cuisine, and I figured you might like some jerk chicken, and a side of rice pilaf and steamed vegetables," he said.
"Oh this is getting better and better," Ziva said as she smiled, looking at her food, then up at Tony. "This looks divine." She reached up and patted Tony's arm. "And what will you be having?"
Tony chuckled as he set his plate down on the table across from Ziva. "And for me," he said as he lifted the cover off his plate, "I'll be having some of their grilled steak with a side of potatoes and vegetables." He then reached out for the salad bowls and set them in front of them. "And we can't forget a bit of salad either."
Ziva chuckled at Tony. "No, we can't. Those look divine, I can't wait to enjoy this food," she said as she picked up her fork.
Eventually, after they had eaten their meal, Tony looked at Ziva across the table, smiling at her. "Delicious meal, wouldn't you say?" he asked as he put his plate on the cart, then took Ziva's empty plate and set it on top of his.
Ziva nodded and smiled. "It was wonderful. Is the room service this good? It feels like I've stepped into a dream," she said. "This is one vacation I will never forget, and I am very glad to spend it with you. There is no other person that I would rather spend the time here with, than you." She reached out and squeezed Tony's hand.
Tony returned the squeeze, then let go. "I'll take this cart back in, 'cuz I got something to show you," he said as he got up. "I'll be back in a second, I wanna get this cart out of the way." He wheeled the cart away.
Ziva smiled and nodded as she watched Tony take the cart away. She wondered what Tony had to show her. In her mind, she recounted the past events, the little things she had noticed between Tony and his dad, the whispered exchanges between the two, wondering about the connection between the trip to New York and the trip out here. But before she could come to a conclusion, she heard a small sound and looked up.
Tony walked back outside, topless, wearing just a pair of shorts, and a smile on his face. He held up a small object in his hand, shaking it briefly. "Here it is," he said as he knelt in front of Ziva, looking her directly, taking in her beauty. He cleared his throat and held out the small object, and said, "Ziva David, I love you with all I am and will be. You are my soulmate forever. Will you marry me?" As he popped the question, he slowly opened the heart-shaped box, revealing a solitaire diamond engagement ring. Right when he asked the question, a shooting star left a bright trail of sparks across the sky, causing the both of them to gasp and look upwards.
Ziva gasped gently as her attention returned to the ring, and, tears of joy and surprise started running down her cheeks as she reached out and ran a finger across the diamond setting. She jumped up and hugged Tony tightly. "You are my love and soulmate forever. Yes, yes, yes! I'll marry you!" she squealed in delight at his asking her to be his forever soulmate.
After a moment of hugging each other in joy with a full on kiss, Tony broke for air, holding onto the ring box as he stepped back and looked at Ziva. "Let's see how this ring fits," he said as he took the ring out of the box. He reached out for Ziva's hand, and slowly slid the ring onto Ziva's ring finger. He let out a small gasp of surprise. "Wow, it fits just perfectly," he whispered to Ziva. "Like it was meant for you,"
"Oh, wow, it's beautiful," Ziva breathed out as she held her finger up, looking at the diamond setting, the light refracting in the diamond, shooting sparks of rainbow within the diamond. "Was this why you and your father went shopping that day?"
Tony chuckled lightly. "Shopping, no. When you were in the other room doing something, I got the chance to ask my Dad for his blessing. You should've seen the way my dad's face lit up. He told me to wait a few seconds and went to a safe that I never even knew he had, and got this out for me. My mother's ring."
"Wow, this is so beauitful, Tony!" Ziva said, smiling at Tony.
"And your father kept this ring all these years?" She looked at the ring, a smile still on her face, as she quickly wiped away the tears of joy from her eyes. "I can sense her presence here with us. A peaceful feeping," she whispered to Tony as she admired the ring from all angles.
"Oh yeah, I think she would've loved to meet you as well. I'm sure she would approve this," Tony said. He paused, looking at the ring on Ziva's hand as she admired the ring. He let out a small chuckle to himself, shaking his head. "I cant stop seeing how lovely this ring fits on your finger." He paused yet again, taking a closer look at Ziva's hands. "Have you been letting your nails grow out these days?" he asked, pointing to her fingernails.
Ziva glanced at her nails, then looked up at Tony, smiling at him. "Oh yeah, since we have not been working few weeks, my nails haven't been taking a beating from the casework out in the field. So I thought, why not let 'em grow out a bit."
Tony nodded and smiled. "Might wanna register those as lethal weapons as well, not just your hands," he said, then clawed at the air, letting out a small yowl, like a cat yowling. "With your ninja moves, I wouldn't wanna be the bad guy on the receiving end of those."
"Mreow!" Ziva clawed her hand in midair, mimicing Tony, smiling at him. "I could do that, but I think I have a better idea than that," she said huskily as she reached up and gently scruffed Tony's chest with her nails.
"Ooh, now we're talking," Tony's eyebrows shot up and a slow grin formed on his lips as he felt Ziva's fingernails running across his chest, causing his senses to tingle with excitement. "Now that feels nice," he whispered to Ziva.
Ziva nodded as she moved to sit astride Tony's lap and put her arms around Tony's shoulders, then with her ring hand, caressed Tony's chest. "We could sit out here and enjoy the stars in the sky, the sound of the ocean waves on the beach." She nodded toward the ocean. "The air feels great, coming off the ocean, doesn't it?"
Tony encircled his arms around Ziva as he held her close to him. "Sky's beautiful up there. But nothing outshines your beauty," he said as he looked at Ziva, trailing a finger across her arm, then taking her ring hand and holding it up to his lips and placing a long kiss on top of the ring. "Sure, there's a million diamonds up there in the sky, but this diamond, the one I hold right here," he said, patting Ziva on her lap, "is the one I want to have forever."
Ziva smiled at Tony as she adjusted herself to allow themselves to be more comfortable, as she could feel Tony respond to her touch, and knew he was ready to show his love to her, and somehow it just felt right to her. She whispered to Tony, "And I want you as my rock in my life."
He wordlessly pulled her closer to him and kissed her full-on, showing her how much he loved her. After a few moments of kissing, he broke for air, and started to say something, but just then, the sky lit up with the trails of multiple shooting stars streaking across the sky, cutting Tony off.
Ziva's face shot up to the sky, and she let out a gasp of surprise and amazement at the sight of the shooting stars as she looked up. She looked back at Tony and breathed out, "Wow, did you see that? That happened right after we stopped kissing."
Tony looked up at the sky, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I saw that, too. I wonder if it'll happen again," he said, then leaned in for another full-on kiss.
After a few moments, Ziva broke for air, and looked at Tony, smiling at him. "I've got an idea," she said as she held out a hand to Tony. "Since it doesn't look like more shooting stars are coming, we could always watch for more tomorrow night."
Tony reached up and took Ziva's hand and got up from his chair and stepped up closer to Ziva. He smiled at her as he glanced up at the sky, then back at her. "Yeah, there's always another night," he said to her. He put his arm around Ziva's shoulders and started slowly walking toward the resort. "Why don't we head on inside and enjoy the rest of the night together in bed?"
Ziva let out a small chuckle as she snuggled up in Tony's arms and walked with Tony back into the resort. "Bed does sound good… so we can continue where we left off here," she whispered to Tony.
Tony chuckled to Ziva and said, "Sounds like a splendid idea." He flashed a smile at Ziva, then scooped her up in his arms.
"Whoa!" Ziva exclaimed as she got scooped up, then let out a squealish giggle. She reached up and held Tony's cheek, and then kissed him full on.
After a couple of moments, Tony broke for air and said breathlessly, "Let's go on inside." He carried her into the resort and into the bedroom.
A few days later, under a beauitful clear evening sky, Tony found himself standing on the open-air stage that had been hastily set up, yet tastefully decorated in the resort courtyard, butterflies fluttering around in his stomach as he nervously waited for the moment to happen. The moment that he had only dreamed about in the past was nearly at hand, as he nervously looked around, noticing his father sitting in the front row, smiling up at him, a camera in one hand. He saw his father use his free hand to tap the ring finger on his camera hand, his eyes questioning him. Tony glanced over at McGee and whispered
"Ready for the big moment?" McGee's voice caused Tony to twist his head to look at McGee, who was smiling at him.
Tony nodded, his mouth dry, a smile on his lips. "Yeah. You got the rings on you?" he asked, prodding McGee gently in his side. He was nervous on the inside, because he wanted everything to go off just right. He just had to be sure.
McGee looked Tony in the eye. "Yes, for the eighth time, I have them on me," McGee whispered to him, patting him on his back. "I know you're a little nervous, but don't worry. Everything's under control, and it'll happen before you know it."
"Alright," Tony said, clearing his throat slightly, straightening the tie he had managed to rustle up from a local store. "Thanks, bro," he said after a moment, glancing up at McGee, then looking at his father, smiling at nodding at him.
Senior smiled and nodded at Tony slowly, a nod of approval, and held up the A-OK sign as he winked to Tony. He mouthed the words, "Go get 'em, Tony," to Tony. He got up from his chair and held up his finger, nodding at Tony, again mouthing the words, "I'll be back in a sec," then walked out of the room.
Tony blinked, then looked at McGee and whispered, "Hope he doesn't take that long. I've got the feeling that it's gonna start any time soon." He turned to look at the small audience, then at the beach that lay at the foot of the courtyard a short distance away.
Just then, as if on cue with what Tony had said, the pianist started playing the wedding march, and McGee gently elbowed Tony. "Hey, speak of the devil. Looks like it's starting," he whispered to Tony and stood looking at the wedding procession, looking at the small crowd of locals who had gathered at the small wedding ceremony.
Tony cleared his throat and stood up a bit straighter, and watched as Delilah slowly walked up the aisle, tossing rose petals out onto the aisle, a smile on her face. As she finished walking up the aisle, she stood on the bridesmaids' side, flashing a smile to McGee.
As the next few bars of the music swelled into the air, Ziva walked down the aisle, escorted by Senior, who was beaming with pride at Tony. Ziva smiled radiantly at Tony, her cheeks bright red with emotion and joy, as she gracefully walked down the aisle, the diamond on her engagement ring sparkling brightly under the party lights that had been strung around the courtyard.
"Wow, she looks beautiful," Tony whispered to McGee, as he looked at Ziva, who was wearing a simple, yet elegant wedding dress, her hair up in a bun, with streaks of hair flowing down her cheek, her head ringed with small bouquets of flowers.
McGee leaned slightly to Tony and whispered, "You're a lucky man, bro. Glad we got to spend the last few days here, helping with the arrangements." He nodded slightly to Delilah and added, "She's been a big help with Ziva as well."
As Ziva approached Tony, he hastily whispered to McGee, "Thanks, bro." He quickly stood up straight and looked at Ziva, a big smile on his lips, as Ziva looked at him, a radiant smile on her face.
The clergy stood up and walked to the podium at the center of the stage and cleared his throat as the music ended, and opened his bible to a page he had marked. "Friends, family, and loved ones, we come together today, in the sight of the divine and of you as witnesses to join Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David in marriage. We gather around them now in this wonderful place, and we look on with love and hope as these two begin their new life together as one," he said. He looked at Tony and Ziva, and said, "You may now hold your hands."
Tony and Ziva held each others' hands, as they smiled. They heard the clergy speak, but were hardly listening to the words as they stared each other in the face, their eyes speaking in volumes of love and joy and ectasy about this moment that is taking place, the feel of their hands causing their senses to jangle. Almost before they knew it, they heard the clergy ask the question. "Tony DiNozzo, do you take Ziva David to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you honor and cherish her; love, trust, and commit to her, through joy and pain, sickness and health, and whatever life may throw at you both?"
Tony cleared his throat and said, "I do," smiling at Ziva. At that very moment, a shooting star streaked soundlessly through the sky, a fleeting thing in the corner of their eyes.
Before Ziva could respond, the clergy asked, "Ziva David, do you take Tony DiNozzo to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you honor and cherish him; love, trust, and commit to him, through joy and pain, sickness and health, and whatever life may throw at you both?"
Ziva licked her lips, and smiled at Tony, and nodded. "I do," she said, and at the very moment, yet another shooting star streaked across the sky.
The clergy looked at Tony and Ziva and smiled, nodding once. He then looked out at the audience, and said, "Now, at this time, Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David will exchange rings. The wedding ring is a symbol of binding. A symbol of attachment and of belonging." He held up a finger and quickly added, "Not of possession, but of partnership." He looked back at the couple and held out a hand to Tony and Ziva. "You may now exchange your rings," he said.
Tony quickly turned to McGee and held out his hand and whispered, "Got the ring?"
McGee smiled and held the ring out to Tony, and said, "Here it is, bro."
Tony turned back to Ziva and took her hand and gently slid the ring on her finger. As he did so, he looked at her and smiled, and said, "Ziva David, I love you, and will always love you forever and more."
Ziva turned to Delilah and took the wedding band from her, mouthing the words, "Thank you," to Delilah. She turned back to Tony and took his hand. As she slid the ring on his finger, she said, "Tony DiNozzo, I love you, and will always love you. My love for you knows no bounds, and I will always love you forever and more."
The clergy smiled as he closed his Bible, and held out his hands to Tony and Ziva. "I now pronouce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
Tony smiled and whispered, "The moment I've been waiting for," as he leaned to kiss Ziva, passionately, causing the audience to applaud and shout hoots of approval and congratulations.
McGee put two fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle of delight, then clapped his hands and said, "You did it, bro!"
Tony and Ziva looked sharply to McGee, smiles on their faces, and they both patted McGee on his shoulders, and pulled him in for a group hug. "Couldn't have done it without you," Tony said. "Really appreciated you coming out the last few days, with Delilah, and helping with the arrangements."
"Anything for my friend," McGee said, then laughed. "Wait'll everybody hear the news when we get back. They won't believe it."
Ziva laughed as she broke from the hug and stepped back, holding McGee by his arm for a moment. "I'm sure they'll be thrown off guard when they find out back at DC," she said. She let go of McGee's arm and turned to Delilah and taking her hand and squeezing in a grip of appreciation. "I'm really grateful to have you come out with McGee. It helps having another woman here, helping me with my part in the wedding," she said.
Delilah nodded and patted Ziva's hand, smiling at Ziva. "This whole thing turned out beautiful. I couldn't have asked for a better result, and this couldn't have happened to a better person than you," she said. "And on a beautiful evening like this, out in the open air."
Just then, there was a flash of light, startling the group and causing them to turn. Smiles formed on their faces as they realized it was Senior taking pictures. "Just perfect!" Senior's voice boomed out as he held the camera up for a split second, then lowered it and smiled at them. "Just wanted some pictures for the album. Your mother would be proud of you, if she was still around," he said to Tony, in a softer voice, the smile fading from his mouth slightly.
Tony took a small step and patted his father on the shoulder, smiling back at Senior. "Dad, it's been really good to see you here too, for the last few days as well. And thanks for walking Ziva down the aisle. It means a lot to me," he said.
Senior chuckled lightly. "Was her idea, but I gladly accepted." He pointed to Ziva.
Ziva turned at Senior's words and nodded and smiled. "I wanted to surprise you, make it special for you," she said. She reached out and held Tony's hand, and glanced at Senior, then back to Tony. "I really appreciated your father's company as he walked me down the aisle."
McGee patted Tony on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Hard part's over now. You ready for the feast and dance now?" He let out a small chuckle.
Tony turned to face McGee and chuckled, a smile on his face. "Oh yeah, I can smell the food from over here. The food's gotta be the best part of any wedding," he said
Ziva took Tony's hand and smiled at him. "I think the dancing is the most beautiful part. We should do it," she said, her eyes gleaming at Tony.
"Dancing, now there's something I would love more than anything to do right now, and that is to have my first dance with you as husband and wife, Ziva DiNozzo," Tony said in a half-whisper as he encircled her shoulders with one arm and started to walk with her, smiling at her.
Ziva walked with Tony to the nearby reception area, followed by McGee, Delilah, and Senior, where they enjoyed the rest of the evening. Sometime in the middle of all the fun and festivities, Tony and Ziva disappeared off into the resort, to enjoy the rest of their wedding night, together.
~`~~,~Tiva~`~,~
After the long flight from St. John's Island to Tel Aviv, and the short drive afterward to the Olive Grove homestead, Ziva and Tony found themselves being escorted into the grand living room by the servants in charge of the residence. "Don't worry about your bags," one of them whispered to Tony and Ziva. "They will be taken up to your room and will be waiting for you. Right this way," one of the servants said as he held out a hand toward the entrance.
Tony stood looking out over the great expanse of land, and then the massive drive-through entrance-way. "Wow," he muttered to himself as he followed the servant into the building. His attention was immediately drawn to a huge painting framed up on the wall of the great foyer. Awed, he marveled at the painting, then jumped slightly at Ziva's soft touch on his shoulder. He glanced at Ziva, then up at the painting, pointing at it. "Oh Ziva, that's such a beautiful painting. That gazebo we passed by earlier, is that the same one in the picture? Who painted that?" Tony whispered his question to Ziva.
Ziva pointed her finger at the painting and nodded. "Yes that's the same gazebo. It was a gift that my aunt Nettie made for my grandparents many years ago. The gazebo has been there for all these years, kept in good shape, throughout the generations in our family. I've always loved that gazebo. My sister and I would always play hide and seek there when we was kids." She leaned her head on Tony's shoulder, a soft smile on her lips as she remembered the good times that she and her sister had in the gazebo.
"Ahh, very nice," Tony started to say, but before he could continue, he was interrupted by an older woman walking briskly into the room.
"Shalom, my Zivah!" the wizened lady rushed by Tony, making a beeline for Ziva, holding out her arms wide, a smile on her face. "Long time no see," she said in Hebrew.
Ziva smiled and returned the hug. "Shalom, Nettie! It's good to see you again," she replied in Hebrew as she stepped back and looked at her aunt, holding her shoulders. "It's been far too long since I've seen you last."
Nettie nodded as she folded her hands together, with a smile, "It is always good to see you here." Nettie said to Ziva in Hebrew, then glanced at Tony, giving him the once-over, then looked back at Ziva, a slightly puzzled look on her face. "And who is this fella here?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips.
Ziva opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, a confident voice of a man who sounded like he had the world by his hands entered the room. "Ah, look who is here! It's good to see you again, Ziva!" the older man said in Hebrew as he walked up Ziva.
Ziva turned and smiled to the older figure as she opened her arms for a hug. "Oh hi Schmeil! It's good to see you again," she said in Hebrew.
"Oh it is always good to see you too." Schmeil replied, then glanced over to Tony, then looked back to Ziva, and nodded once. "This the fellow you were telling me about all these years?" he asked, a smile on his lips.
"Oh yeah." Ziva let out a small giggle, her cheeks blushing slightly. She leaned over and grabbed Tony's hand and brought him over to her side, then held up a hand toward Tony. "Schmeil, this is Anthony DiNozzo, Anthony, Schmeil." She then turned to Nettie, and introduced Tony to her, this time in English. "Anthony, this is my aunt Nettie."
Tony reached out to shake hands. "Hi, pleased to meet you. Call me Tony, please. Everybody knows me by that name, anyway," he said, smiling at them. "It's nice meeting you both Nettie, and Schmeil," Tony said.
"You did fine," Ziva whispered to Tony, her eyes flashed looks of assurance and comfort to Tony as she reached out and grasped Tony's hand briefly.
"Alright, do they speak English?" Tony whispered back to Ziva, an eyebrow raising in question as he looked sidelong at Schmeil and Nettie.
Ziva smiled and nodded to Tony, and held up her finger and thumb an inch apart from each other. "A little. Their English isn't all there -" She was cut off by the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by a serious-looking man dressed in a crisp business suit walking into the room and stopping in the middle of the room, looking at Ziva.
"Shalom, my darling Zivah!" The man bellowed in a joyful voice at the sight of Ziva, then he stepped over and hugged Ziva tightly, a smile on his face, then stepped back and kissed her on both cheeks. "Shalom, my daughter," he said again as he clapped his hands. "It's good to see you again."
Ziva stepped back from the hug and smiled at her father as she clasped her hands in front of her. "And it's always good to see, not just hear your voice on the phone, Abba." she said, "after all this time of not being in contact."
"Ah, you know, work," Eli waved a hand at Ziva, scowling for just an instant. "It keeps me busy. But all's been good lately, and I happened to have a bit of free time to see you." He turned and looked at Ziva and smiled at her. "But enough about work. How have things been with you?"
Ziva let out a sigh, wiping the imaginary sweat off her brow. "Long story. I couldn't tell you much on the phone, and that's why I – we – came out here," she said, glancing at Tony, then back to Eli. "I wanted to personally let you know how things have been with us. Especially me," she said, swallowing a lump in her throat. She wanted to be clear with her father, transparent with her intentions, her actions. What had happened the last few months, leading up to the recent days, all of it.
Eli stood there, giving Ziva a hard look, studying her expressions, noticing that she had something on her finger that sparkled, but didn't catch it immediately. He tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked more closely at Ziva's finger. He pointed to her finger. "Ah, what do I see here? New ring?" His eyebrows rose, a surprised look on his face.
Ziva nodded, holding her hand up, showing the bright diamond setting in her ring, a smile on her face. "Yes, Abba, I got married a few days ago," she said.
Eli turned and looked at Tony, a bit of glower on his face. "To this person?" he asked, holding a hand out to him, as he looked back to Ziva, a mixture of disappointment and anger on his face. "He's not someone I would expect you to marry," he growled at Ziva.
Ziva tilted her head and let out an exasperated sigh. "Why would you say that, Abba?" She was not expecting this kind of reaction from her father, and wondered about his reasons as she studied his scowlish expression, trying to understand why he was so against Tony.
Eli shot a hand out toward Tony. "He's a – what's the word the Americans use? A player. That kind of person I will not tolerate marrying my daughter!" He held a finger in the air and shook his head slowly. "I expected better from you, I wanted you to marry according to our customs!"
"Customs? A player?" Ziva recoiled. "Why does that matter? What makes you say that about - ?" she spluttered a bit, "about my husband?"
Eli let out an exasperated sigh as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a photo. "I didn't want to show you this, but I had to," he said as he handed the photo to Ziva, his voice sounding like gravel.
Ziva grabbed the photo out of her father's fingers, looking him in the eye as she slowly turned the photo and brought it up to her view, reading his unchanging expression, resolute in his beliefs. She let out a small sigh as she looked at the photo. When she saw who was in the photo, she slowly raised her eyes and looked at Tony. "Tony? That's… Jeanne Benoit?" She held the photo in the air toward Tony, then handed the photo to Tony.
"Alright, let's see it," Tony let out a sigh as he took the photo and gave it a glance. Instantly, it brought back memories that he never wished to remember again. In the photo, it showed Tony in bed, naked with another woman, and they were going at it. The photo appeared to have been taking from another building, from the angle of it. He let out an exasperated groan and tossed the photo away from him, causing it to fly past Eli. "I never want to see another picture of that zilla, ever again. That woman really made my job difficult. Tried to trap me into… yeugh!" He said as he shuddered at the image that was etched into his mind, as if he loathed the memory of the woman being so pushy and so demanding of him. "I would appreciate it if nobody ever brought her up again, ever."
Ziva scoffed at her father, shaking her head indignantly. "And you were spying on him the whole time, just like you were spying on me? Did you know about our trip to St. John's Island as well?" She threw up her hands in the air. "When can I expect some privacy in my life for once?" she screeched that last question at Eli.
Surprised at her sudden fury, and seeing the fire in Ziva's eyes, Eli held up his hands toward her, nodding in surrender. His voice was much more subdued, gravelly. "I only want the best for my daughter, and what I have seen in him caused me to believe that he was a player and that he was not the right man for you." He let out a sigh, slumping his shoulders. "I… didn't realize that it was part of the job."
Ziva nodded, at Eli, then pointed to the photo. "I knew about it, and why – it doesn't matter anymore. He was only doing what he had to do. But with us, it's different. We love and care about each other. I just can't explain it, how I feel about him," she said, raising her hands up in the air, shrugging her shoulders, shaking her head, her eyebrows frowning a bit. "And that's not all. The main reason why we wanted to tell you in person the reason why we got married," she paused to swallow the lump that that formed in her throat as she placed her hands on her abdomen, cradling it. "I'm pregnant."
Eli looked like a brick wall had just smacked him in the face as he looked at Ziva, his mouth hanging open in surprise. You could have heard a pin drop in the room in the silence that followed for a few long moments. Finally, he tilted his head, pointing a finger to Ziva. "You… what? What did you just say?"
Ziva gulped, a hard lump forming in her throat. "I'm expecting a child, Abba. That's why when I found out, we made the decision to get married," she said softly.
Tony cleared his throat slightly, slowly raising a finger in the air. "That's why we wanted to talk to you. I wanted to ask for your blessing here, now. I know that we didn't have the chance to ask you, considering the situation that we went through recently." He let out a soft sigh, shaking his head. "I feel like it's only the right thing to ask the father of my bride, even after I've married her in St. John's Island."
Eli stood there, taking in Tony's words, trying to process what he had just heard. He let out a sigh as he looked up at the both of them, considering what Tony and Ziva had just said. He took a couple of steps up to Tony and appraised him closely, his eyes scowling a bit. "And do you think you have the ability to be the man that I expect you to be to my daughter?" he asked, looking intently at Tony as he held his hand up to Ziva.
Tony nodded. "I've done my best to be there every time she has needed me. I've known her since before NCIS. Maybe not well at first, but as time passed, we got to know each other more. Maybe a little too much for Gibbs's liking," he said, chuckling a bit at the last part.
Eli let out a short chuckle. "I've only heard rumors about over there. Your Director Vance has only mentioned something in passing to me, hinting that I might want to make a bit of time for you two, just not sure when. And now, here you stand before me. And that was very kind of him, allowing you to have some time off from work."
Ziva nodded. "Yes. Gibbs had a bad time after Director Shephard's death. I believe that he has never been the same since he was injured in the line of duty. Has a hard time letting go of his grief. He got on our case about our relationship at work, among a bunch of other things." She shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head. "I think it has something to do with what he sees in us," she said.
"Ah, yes, I've heard about that, so sad." Eli shook his head, scowling his face in a sad expression. He quickly changed his expression back to a more genial expression, still showing a touch of seriousness. "Everything's alright now, I assume?"
Tony shrugged. "The time off's been a real help. We had a bit of time to visit my dad, and then went down to St. John's Island. Beautiful place, I've gotta tell you," he said, doing the chef's kiss expression. "Top notch resort, you have the whole beach to yourself, basically. And, well, let me tell you, when I found out I was gonna be a Daddy, things escalated really fast, and before I knew it, I'm married to a Mrs. DiNozzo, formerly known as Ms. David." He let out a sigh, tilting his head, shrugging his shoulders and holding his hands out in the air. "And now that I know that I'm gonna be a daddy, I wanna be the man that you have always expected for Ziva to have. I know my past may not have been stellar, but I've always been there for Ziva."
Eli scowled at Tony, tilting his head. He took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh. This was something totally unexpected for him. Even his people hadn't known about this little detail about his daughter expecting a child. He let out a sigh as he put his glasses back on, considering what Tony had said. He had heard the sincerity in Tony's voice, and he looked up at Tony, sizing him up, realizing that he had mis-estimated Tony in a big way. After a long pause, he smiled and stepped up to Tony. He clapped Tony on his shoulder hard enough to cause him to stumble slightly. "Welcome to the family… son," he said as he grabbed Tony by the shoulders and brought him close and kissed him on both cheeks.
"Ulp!" Tony was totally caught off guard by the gesture. "Uhh, thanks, I think?" he said, straightening his shirt and tie, glancing at Ziva, his eyes full of questions.
Ziva chuckled at Tony's surprised look. "It's all good. Our custom," she said. "When a man asks for the woman's hand and the father accepts, he welcomes the suitor into the family like so."
Tony nodded and smiled. "I figured as much. Just didn't quite expect it, is all." He turned to Eli and said, "Thanks again for talking with us about all of this."
"Not a problem, son," Eli smiled at Tony. He turned to Ziva and smiled, holding a finger in the air. "I have something I want to show you. Wait here," he said, then left the room. He returned moments later holding a small object in his hand, followed by Schmiel, who was beaming at Ziva.
Schmiel said to Ziva in Hebrew as he reached out and grasped Ziva's hands with both of his, "Your father told me the news, and I congratulate you."
Ziva smiled and bowed her head to Schmiel, and replied in Hebrew, "Thanks so much. It means a lot to me."
"Now, Ziva," Eli said as he smiled, gently holding up the item he had been holding in his hand until now. "This was your Ima's necklace, the one she always wore." He sighed as he placed it gently in Ziva's hands. "The day your Ima died… well, she wasn't wearing the necklace that day. I've held onto this, the last piece of her that remains. I want you to have it now." He closed Ziva's hands over the necklace and patted them gently.
Ziva gasped as she saw the necklace and recognized the charm that hung from the necklace, the gold finish flashing in the light. She took the necklace in her hand as she looked up at her father's face, seeing the mixture of sadness and happiness within his eyes. "I've always wondered about that necklace. I thought that we would never see that necklace again," she said softly as she ran a finger over the charm. She then reached up and hugged her father tightly. "Thank you so much, Abba! This means a lot to me."
Eli hugged Ziva back, then stepped back and smiled at Ziva. "I brought Schmeil back in this room because I feel it's right to make it official, our way." He turned to Tony and smiled, nodding once. "I'm sure you won't mind. It'll be quick. Just a little ceremony."
Tony glanced at Schmeil, then back at Eli, a smile on his face. "Sure, why not. Let's get it settled, have the ceremony." He looked at Ziva, and then added, "I'll do anything for her."
Eli burst into a smile and clapped his hands once. "That's settled, then." He turned to Schmeil "Let us make a plan to have this small ceremony, just the family. Out here tonight, the gazebo, maybe?" he asked Schmeil.
Later that evening, after Tony and Ziva had a small ceremony ordained by Shmeil while Eli witnessed the proceedings, the couple walked the olive grove grounds, enjoying the cool breeze that wafted through the olive groves. "Smells different over here. Fragrant." Tony wafted the air under his nose. "This olive smell, the different herbs and spices in the area, nothing like it in the States," he said.
Ziva let out a small chuckle as she looked up at the sky, the Milky Way galaxy belt slowly inching its way across the sky. She nodded at Tony as she returned her gaze to him and said, "Better than the city smell back home?"
Tony chuckled at Ziva. "Quieter, too." He tilted his head to Ziva, a question mark on his face. "Your dad like that all the time?"
"He is the director of Mossad, after all." Ziva smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "He means well. I think he'll come around, eventually. He's already welcomed you into the family."
Tony nodded. "Well, I think he's seen how sincere I am about being there for you, how I made the right decision once we found out." He reached up and put a hand on Ziva's cheek and smiled at her. "Now, I wonder how my new wife would like to just enjoy the night out here, looking at the sky?" He looked up at the sky. "All those stars, and you don't get to see this in the city."
Ziva smiled and nodded. "It's one of the things I've missed about here, the night sky. Watching the moon, Jupiters, Mars," she said, pointing her finger at the various objects in the sky. "Even the occasional pass of the ISS." She reached up and held Tony's hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth in her hand, walking closer to Tony. "Feels good to be with you out here. Feels peaceful out here."
Just then, a shooting star streaked across the sky. Tony let out a gasp, and turned to look at Ziva. "Did you see that?"
Ziva looked at Tony and nodded, her eyes wide in surprise. "Yes! I saw it also in St. Johns, remember? Right when we said our 'I do's'?" She grasped Tony's hand, smiling a bit at him.
Tony slowly nodded. "Yeah, I remember, the moment I said 'I do', a shooting star. Same with you. It's like the universe meant for us to be together, and is approving of it," he whispered to Ziva.
Ziva nodded as she snuggled up to Tony, marvelling at the night sky. "I wonder about it all," she breathed out. Just then, she suddenly felt drained, and her head spun just a bit. "Ooh, I'm tired all of a sudden," she whispered to Tony, quivering a bit in his arms as he held her.
Tony put a hand on her head and stroked her hair back comfortingly. "Yeah, rest sounds like a good idea. We've got to be back to work by Monday. Long flight back," he said as he slowly turned and guided Ziva back to the residence.
"Mm," Ziva walked with Tony, snuggled up at his side back to the cottage. "Thank you for everything," she whispered. "For talking with my Abba."
Tony nodded. "Im glad it went well enough with him," he said. "He seems to be reasonable about everything, at the end of it all."
~`~~,~Tiva~`~,~
Very early on Monday morning, Tony, Ziva, and McGee sat in the anteroom outside Director Vance's office, contemplating the past events that had led up to this point. Ziva nervously spun the ring around on her finger, her mind going over the past, trying to make sense of the potential ramifications of the events that occurred at Director Shephard's funeral, the trip to St. John's Island, the trip to Israel meant to her. Especially her pregnancy, how it would potentially have an effect on her job performance. She flashed a glance to Tony, who sat next to her, holding her hand in reassurance.
Tony saw the look in Ziva's eyes, and smiled slightly, nodding subtly toward her. His hand squeezed hers comfortingly, then he whispered to her, "Everything'll be okay. I'm sure we'll be fine." Yet, he had his own internal doubts, and flashbacks of Gibbs' hand smacking the back of his head was still a bit fresh to him. He let go of Ziva's hand and reached up and rubbed the back of his head, still feeling the sting in his memory.
"I'm almost positive you'll be fine," McGee said to Tony. "I don't think you'll be losing your job. Gibbs had no right to do that, and Vance knew -" He was interrupted by the sound of the door to Vance's office opening.
Vance stepped through the door partway and grinned at the three of them. "Good morning to you all. How was your vacation?" he asked, smiling at them.
"Hi Director Vance." Ziva was the first to reply. "It was wonderful. I'm sure you'll want to hear all about it," she said, smiling at Director Vance. Her face was radiant as she smiled at Vance, with newfound joy that she had experienced on the vacation.
Tony added, "It really helped us clear our minds. Re-examine ourselves, find ourselves again. And now, I think we're ready for things. Only, I have this distinct feeling that things'll be different now."
Vance nodded once and smiled at Tony and Ziva. "I'd love to hear all about it, and your vacation as well, McGee. Let's come on into my office and we'll go over some things that's come up," he said before he held the door open and waved the trio into the office.
"Sure thing," Tony nodded as he got up and walked toward the office. He let out a sigh, and a crooked grin grew on his lips. "It's a real doozy, I'll tell you," he said quietly as he passed Vance.
Vance let out a perfunctory chuckle and took his toothpick out of his mouth. "I'm sure it was. I'm glad to see you still in one piece," he said, patting Tony on his back once.
Ziva followed closely behind, smiling at Vance, cradling her belly, which was now by this time becoming more apparent that she was expectant, the ring flashing on her finger.
Vance had noticed that, and an eyebrow shot up, and he tilted his head at Ziva. "I'm sure you have a lot to tell me, by the looks of things," he muttered softly to Ziva. "You've gotten my attention now."
McGee smiled as he walked into the room and stood by the conference table. "My vacation was pretty decent," he said. "Couldn't get to see the launch, they postponed it." He shrugged. "Still, I got to see my folks."
Vance let the door close behind him and walked to the head of the conference table and leaned on the chair, looking at McGee, then Tony and Ziva, and smiled at them. "That's good that you had a good vacation. Now, let's all have a seat," he said as he pulled the chair out from the table and sat in it.
The trio followed suit. "Feels kind of weird to be back. It doesn't feel like a month went by," Tony said as he adjusted himself in the chair, a small smile on his face.
Vance chuckled. "I know the feeling. You go on a vacation, it's never enough. It's over almost as soon as it's begun," he said as he grabbed the remote and flipped the monitor off. "Enough of the news for now." He set the remote down on the table and cleared his throat. "I understand we didn't have that much chance to have a good talk with you before you all went off on your trips. But I felt it was only appropriate after Director Jenny's funeral, that you all had some time off."
Tony smiled and nodded at Director Vance. "That's much appreciated. Clear out the cobwebs, you know." He waved his hands about his head. "Rejuvenate ourselves, lay out on the beach, enjoy the sound of the ocean," he said, smiling at Vance.
Vance smiled briefly at Tony. "I get the picture. Now, as you may all be aware of by now, there are some things to go over, but first, I would like to hear how your trip went, Tony," Vance said, looking at Tony.
Tony held up his left hand, the ring obvious on his finger, then looked at Ziva and smiled, then took her hand. That action alone spoke volumes to Vance, and he saw and understood instantly the meaning.
Vance's eyebrows rose in surprise and he took his toothpick out of his mouth yet again. "Went and got hitched together, eh? I'll be damned," he said, shaking his head, a surprised smile forming on his lips. "No wonder Director Eli sounded so excited on the phone last night." He sat back in his chair and looked at them, beaming at them. "Well, congratulations, you two!"
"There's more," Ziva said, a nervous smile on her lips. "The reason why we got married is because I found out that I'm pregnant."
Vance's mouth hung open in surprise, before he quickly regained his composure. "Pregnant? Well, all, well, I'll be!" he exclaimed as he got up out of his chair and walked over to Tony and grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. "Well, congratulations on your marriage!" He turned to Ziva and shook her hands, beaming at her. "And congratulations on your expecting a baby." He nodded once.
"Yeah, about that," Tony said, a bit of concern in his voice. "How's that going to affect us here? I mean, you heard Gibbs at the funeral. His Rule 12 thing."
"And my job here?" Ziva quickly added to Tony's question. "Now that I know I'm expecting a child, I'm not sure what I would be able to do, if I am not to go out into the field," she voiced her concerns.
Vance held up his hands and shook his head. "One thing at a time. Before Director Shephard passed away, she told me everything that has happened. About the mistreatment that Gibbs did to you three. That, plus what I saw at the funeral, is bad enough. But - While there's a lot that's been said, that's still not enough evidence to terminate Gibbs, since it happened off the job, what I saw." Vance held out his hands. "He is on thin ice, now, though."
Tony sat back in his chair, looking at Director Vance. "So, what now, Director? If he's not fired for almost causing me brain damage, he's still in charge of things?"
Before Vance could answer, the door burst open and Gibbs walked into the room. He stopped short at the sight of Tony, Ziva, and McGee, and took a deep breath. "What're they here for?" he asked Vance as he held his hand out to them.
Vance quickly stood up the moment the door opened, and he snapped his fingers once and pointed to an empty seat. "Have a seat, Gibbs," he said, his voice a tone of authority.
Gibbs let out a sigh of disgust, and pulled the chair and and plunked himself into the chair. "I'm here now," he said to Vance.
Vance heard the tone in Gibbs' voice, and his eyebrow shot up once. Yet he ignored it and cleared his throat. "I believe it's time now to inform you all of what my decisions will be going forth from this time," he said. He fixed Gibbs with a stern stare. "Effective immediately, you're no longer in charge of the team. Instead, you'll be restricted to your desk while you continue your psychological sessions, your counseling sessions, all the other training I've assigned you to."
Gibbs quickly got up out of his chair and jabbed his finger to them. "But they were my best people! Why am I losing them? Am I gonna be fired?"
Vance got up out of his chair, matching Gibbs' speed, and held up his hand. "I've said this before, and I'm going to say it again. You're not fired, at this time." He shifted his hand and pointed a finger to Tony, Ziva, and McGee. "And for the record, they're not fired, either. I make the final decision here. Now sit down," he commanded to Gibbs.
Tony breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know," he whispered to himself.
Gibbs shot a hard look at Tony, fuming inside, then looked back at Vance as he slowly sat down. "But what about them and Rule Twelve? You know the policy here!" he bellowed as he leaned forward in the chair.
Vance leaned on the back of his chair, giving Gibbs a steely-eyed stare. "I make the decisions around here," he repeated. "Now, you're dismissed at this time."
Gibbs sat in his chair, in shock that he had been dismissed so abruptly by the Director. He still fumed that Tony, Ziva and McGee were still going to be working for NCIS, while he could no longer do the job he loved doing the most. The idea of being shackled to his desk pushing paperwork rankled at him. He didn't want to admit to himself, that he really needed to have some counselling to deal with his anger towards his people, but he realized he had no choice as he looked at Vance staring him down. He let out a sigh as he got up out of his chair. "Alright. You're the boss," he said as he stepped out of the room, letting the door close on its own.
Vance let out a breath. "That went better than I expected," he muttered to himself as he sat down. "Now, on to business. As you are all aware, you're no longer on Gibbs' team. Instead, you work for me now." His deep bass voice reached their ears as he moved a stack of folders closer to him and pulled out one. "McGee, this one's for you," he said as he slid the folder across the table toward McGee.
Mcgee stopped the folder, and turned it around and flipped it open. He perused the first couple of pages, then looked up at Director Vance. "Cyber security? That part I get, but also a liaison for the intelligence analysis department?" He flipped another page and read the first few lines, then closed the folder and looked at Vance. "I'm being reassigned?"
Vance nodded once and smiled. "On the record, you're leading the cyber security department. But officially, you report directly to me, and you'll be working the computer side of things. I'm giving you more security clearances."
McGee's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he tilted his head and pointed his finger to the folder. "That means I get a raise in there somewhere?"
Vance laughed. "Of course you do. I've recognized your skill, and they are beyond exemplary. I've not seen anyone better at tracking down people like you were with those terrorist cells in different states."
"Wow, so if I'm not working in the bullpen anymore, where's my office?" Mcgee asked Vance.
Vance smiled at McGee. "Unfortunately you won't have a window view in your office. It's downstairs, and your cyber security team is expecting you. But be aware, you won't be there all the time. You will be asked to travel, a lot. Just do your job, then report to me."
Mcgee looked at Tony and Ziva, then back at Vance. "As long I have a way to work with Tony and Ziva, I'm all for it. Sign me up," he said as he grabbed a pen, smiling at Vance.
"Good." Vance nodded once and smiled at McGee, then took out another folder, this one considerably thicker than the one McGee just got, and slid it toward Tony. "And you. Since I now understand that you have a growing family to take care of, you'll be able to work from home, reporting to me. You'll be doing intelligence analysis. No more investigative work anymore.
"Oh, that's nice of you," Tony said. "How's that going to work again?"
Vance smiled at Tony. "I knew you'd ask that question. Yes, you report to me, but I'll make sure McGee works with you and Ziva and gets you the information you need in order for you to do your jobs."
Ziva tilted her head to Vance. "And what about me? Do I do more of the same as what Tony's doing?"
Vance nodded once. "Working from home. No field work anymore, especially when you have a child to raise. I'm just planning ahead, you realize." He slid another folder toward Ziva. "Your work will overlap Tony's, and most of the same information that McGee provides will be relevant."
Tony looked at Ziva, questioning with his eyes, should I take it? Her eyes flashed back strong messages of affirmation, and he caught the message. He turned to Vance and smiled. "Sounds like a nice deal. How are we gonna set things up so all this will work, almost like MTAC?"
Vance chuckled. "I'll leave that to McGee to help you out. In the meantime, I had an interesting proposal from Director Eli David. He requested – no, demanded, that you'll be working for the Mossad, as a liaison, in addition to your assignment that I have just given you."
Tony blinked at Vance, not sure that he heard correctly. After a short moment, he pointed a finger to himself, an eyebrow raising in disbelief. "Me? Working for the intelligence apparatus of Israel?"
Ziva chuckled and patted Tony on his arm. "I should've warned you about my Abba. That's the welcome he intended for you," she said, a smile on her face.
McGee chuckled at Tony's surprised look on his face. "Bet you didn't expect that, did you?"
"Oh, shut up," Tony said under his breath to McGee, batting the air in front of McGee. "How would I have known?" He shook his head in disbelief. "If that's Eli's wish, then so be it. I'll work with him and you, juggling the intelligence balls, trying to keep them all in the air at the same time?"
Vance smirked at Tony's remark. "That's about the sum of it. Be grateful that he has also asked the same of Ziva. She remains an officer of the Mossad, and he has named you an officer, by extension."
Tony let out a chuckle as he slowly shook his head. "That sly old bastard roped me into the Mossad, did he?"
Ziva laughed at Tony. "That's how my Abba is for you," she said simply as she patted Tony on his back.
Vance chuckled. "He's a shrewd one indeed. That's why I've grown to respect him. From now on, you two," he said, pointing to Tony and Ziva, "will be our reliable sources for the intelligence analysis data flowing between the US and Israel."
Tony tilted his head, and nodded slowly, understanding coming to his mind. "Ah, so I'm not working with Gibbs anymore, but reporting directly to… two people? You and Director David?" he asked.
Vance shook his head to Tony. "Officially, you report directly to me. But whatever data you have for us, he will also have. I'll be sure to share that information with Director David. Anything I hear from him, you'll be the first to know."
"Oh, okay, that's more like what I was thinking it was gonna be like," Tony said, as he sat back in his chair and patted the folder in front of him. "Let's see how we can get this done,"
Ziva nodded. "I think I can work with this arrangement. Of course, if I talk to my father directly first, I'll also make sure you are aware of it," she interjected.
"That's settled, then," Vance said, smiling at them. "You're all free to go, now." He waved them toward the door.
"Thanks," McGee said as he got up from his chair. He held up the folder, then tucked it under his arm and said, "It'll be different from working in the bullpen, but I'm looking forward to the change in scenery."
Tony chuckled and clapped his hands on McGee's shoulder. "Hey, at least you'll be the cool guy on the block when you're down there in the dungeon," he said, laughing at McGee as he started to follow McGee out.
"Oh, you boys!" Ziva said, chuckling as she shook her head and got up from her chair and collected her folder.
Vance suddenly remembered something and held up a finger in the air. "Ziva? I have something else for you." Vance quickly strode over to his desk and pulled out a large folder and handed it to Ziva. "This was left by the executor of Director Shephard's estate. That's her will and testament. I haven't had the chance to look it over, and thought that you should be the one," he said. He stepped back and nodded once and smiled at her. "Suffice to say, she thought very highly of you."
Surprise on her face, Ziva reached for the folder. "A will to me?" she asked as she looked at the folder, pondering as she read the fancy script writing on the title of the paper in the folder. She closed the folder, and looked back up to Vance. "Thank you. I didn't realize how much she had thought of me," she said as she held the folder close to her chest.
Vance nodded. "Go home, read over the folders, and see what's in there. I have a feeling that you'll be set for a very long time, if not your life," he said as he held out a hand to the folder.
Tony looked at Ziva, then put a hand on her shoulder. "That's a hefty folder, all right," he muttered to her, then held his hand out for the folder. "I'll take that for you," he said to Ziva as he took her folders and put them in his go-bag.
Ziva let Tony take the folders from her and smiled up at him. "Thanks, Tony. I forgot to bring mine this morning," she said.
Tony chuckled at Ziva. "Getting that mommy brain again? No worries, I'm here for you," he joshed with Ziva.
Vance chuckled. "Go on, get some rest. Read those folders when you have a chance," he said, waving Tony and Ziva to the door.
Shortly thereafter, Tony, McGee, and Ziva walked down the stairs and passed the large window in the front of the bullpen. They noticed Gibbs at his desk working on some paperwork, grumbling at the computer, which always seemed to be just as temperamental as Gibbs was. Suddenly Gibbs sensed their presence and his head rose up and tracked them as they walked toward the elevator. Wordlessly, they stepped onto the elevator as soon as the doors opened.
'Wow, what a morning," Ziva said as soon as the doors closed and the elevator started to move. "So, are we ready for the new journey together?" Ziva smiled as she looked at Tony, then at McGee, putting both of her arms on their shoulders.
Tony put a hand on Ziva's shoulder. "Ain't nobody better that I'd go through the journey with than you, Ziva," he said. He then looked at McGee and clapped him on his shoulder with his other hand. "And you as well."
McGee smiled as he put his hands on their shoulders. "I'm glad we get to countiue on this new journey together, as friends and coworkers," he said as he put a fist in the air in front of Tony and Ziva.
"And we got each other's backs, right?" Ziva put her hand on McGee's fist hand.
Tony placed his hand on top of Ziva's and smiled. "They better watch out for the three musketeers. We're ready to conquer the world on our journey," he said as he spread his arm wide.
"Let's go and get 'em!" McGee launched his fist into the air in front of them, as if lifting off a rocket. The trio chuckled at each other as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open to the first floor.
A/N: Here ends this prequel. Keep an eye out for a new mega-story arc to come, which follows the journey of the DiNozzos and McGee as they face new challenges and have new events happening within their lives.