There you go. This is where I wanted to end this story all along, even two and a half years ago when I started it: April 23rd.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and reviews and a shout-out to all of you who read and will read this story, especially to those who stuck around until the end. If I managed to keep you here, way to go out of this with a smile.

I hope, like we all do, that some aspect of it might have held meaning beyond what it meant, for me, to write it. And as this is also my retirement chapter from fanfiction: So long! Farewell! - Coginom

Epilogue
In the Midst of Time

Friday, April 23rd 2021

Ziva couldn't say for sure how she had felt on this very day ten years ago. There were a few things she knew for certain, though. She knew that she had just rebounded from a pregnancy scare. She knew that, despite being terrified of the idea still, Tony's unflinching confidence in their abilities as parents had settled her down and opened her up to the idea of children in the long run. She knew that Tony had promised her that they would last.

And they had. For the past ten years they had made it last just like they had told Gibbs they would on that April 23rd early in the morning in the middle of the bullpen. They had told him that they were going to make it work. They had. All the little tumbles and grander plunges along the way could not obscure the fact that they really had.

Ziva was fairly certain that she had been more nervous at this time exactly ten years ago than she was now. Because she wasn't nervous at all. There was nothing to be nervous about. There were things she had no control over, like the CD with their music getting lost or Tali and Liora messing up their dresses at one point or even unpredictably heavy sandstorms in the pre-spring Northeast. But those things didn't actually matter. There were things she could control, though, such as her own words, her promises and her feeling happy about this day. Those things were going to happen, no matter what. And then there were things she trusted would happen: Tony's words, his promises and his happiness. There was nothing left to worry about for today.

She was perched on the couch in the living room. It was still fairly dark outside. Tony and she had fallen asleep halfway through a bad horror movie he had chosen at around ten before midnight in lack of a more endearing selection. Since she had been practically lying on top of him with her body wedged comfortably between Tony and the backrest and her head supported by his chest, they had woken each other up three hours later with muscle cramps and slapping injuries they were inflicting upon each other. Tony hadn't even suggested she relocate to their bedroom. Instead, they had rearranged themselves on the couch, each using one armrest as a pillow and their feet entangled beneath the covers. When she had woken up half an hour ago, Tony looked as if he hadn't even once shifted in his pose.

Ziva had stretched and cautiously crawled forward, reclaiming her initial position against his body. Tony had stirred, but not woken. In the past ten years she had grown so accustomed to having him close beside her, so familiar was she with the arms that wrapped around her and the lips that landed soft, quiet kisses on her face in semi-consciousness. His Rota days had only reinforced that fact.

Her eyes dropped to his torso and she reached out a hand, tracing her forefinger diligently and in concentric circles over the side where the bullet had not hit the other day. All that time her touch kept a safe distance of a good two inches from where she knew the actual bruise was. Such, rapt in contemplation, she took uncharacteristically long to even notice that Tony was smiling at her through the weary slits that were his eyes.

"What're you thinking?", he whispered, dipping his head a little to the side to get a better look at her face.

Her movement stopped, but she didn't look up. "That some promises cannot be made", she said simply.

Ziva felt his chest heave with a small sigh before he cupped her hand in his and led it up to his mouth for a kiss. "But others can", he assured her, a soft smile settling on his face. "C'mere."

She followed the direction of his nod and crawled further up, tipping her body a little to fully melt into him, her face right next to his as she felt his arms close tightly around her. Tony breathed a kiss against her forehead. She ran a hand through his hair, her fingers coming to rest at the base of his neck.

It had still been early when she had last looked at the clock and they weren't in a hurry today. With this thought lying easy on her mind, Ziva had almost allowed herself to drift back to sleep. However, she was yanked back to wakefulness when Tony suddenly shifted his weight to his right and away from her. She looked up to find him reaching for the remote that was sitting on the coffee table. She frowned at him.

Tony offered her a sheepish smile. "I just wanna check the weather", he defended, finally managing to slip the device into his hand.

Ziva watched as the TV came to life in color and Tony started to flip through the channels. Her eyebrows lifted in a silent sigh and so did her body as she got up. In the corner of his eye Tony saw her head for the kitchen, sitting up when he reached the weather channel. He studied the mute maps for a few moments before switching it off again and following her, a smile on his face.

"Looks like Abby made a deal with the weather fairy. Apparently, we're in for late spring weather today. Now what- Ziva?" Tony stopped himself, his smile promptly fading. Ziva was hunched over her cell phone, scowling at the screen. "What's wrong?", he asked worriedly, stepping up to her at once.

Ziva shook her head, unnecessarily waving her phone at him. "Nothing." She cast away his concern with a brief smile. "A message from my father."

"What's it say?"

"It is a Jewish prayer", she explained quietly. "It is traditionally read at weddings."

Tony knitted his eyebrows together. "You told him?"

"No", Ziva declared simply. She clicked away the message and discarded her phone on the kitchen table, going over to lean against the counter and eye him pensively. "It is funny, yes? That the drama proves easier to share than the happiness?"

Maybe her mother and father really had talked about more than plain formalities yesterday. Maybe Vance had told him. Maybe Eli's resources were in fact endless. It didn't matter. Her father had never openly offered her his blessing for what she had with Tony and after years of craving nothing more than his approval, Ziva had learned to acknowledge his silent acceptance of her choices.

Tony smiled at her. He hadn't said a word to Senior about April 23rd either. That thought hadn't even occurred to him until now. Maybe, with Ziva's help, DiNozzo Junior and Senior could launch another one of their attempts at a relationship. Maybe, yes. But today was something he would share with his father only from a distance. Senior would have been hardly capable of appreciating this day for what it truly was - and if Tony wanted anything to be the theme of today, it was appreciation.

"I'll take the kids to school", Tony offered. "You can start on pampering yourself and after, Eliana and I-"

"It will not be necessary to account for me in your plans today, Tony", Eliana cut in from where she had just appeared in the doorway.

"Boker tov", Ziva greeted, receiving Eliana's nod.

"Why's that?", Tony asked.

At that moment there was an audible knock at the door. Ziva and Tony shared a puzzled glance across the kitchen tiling. Whoever that was, at least they were considerate enough to spare their kids an early wake-up call by way of the doorbell.

"That is why", Eliana replied with a smile.

Together they headed to the foyer and opened their front door to find McGee standing there, a slender wave falling from his arm. He didn't look as though he had been awake for too long. His hair was unnaturally tousled, his jacket hanging a bit askew and the smile on his face only managed to underline the faint shadow under his eyes.

"Eliana is with us today", he announced casually.

"Good morning, for starters", Tony countered and beckoned him inside, but McGee declined with a small jolt of his head.

"What do you mean?", Ziva asked, alternating her questioning gaze between her friend and her mother, who appeared completely unperturbed by the announcement.

"She can get ready at our place and we'll take her to Ducky's with us", he elaborated. "And Gibbs will pick up the kids from school later."

Tony gave a laugh, the gratitude that shone through his eyes betraying the disbelief that rang along with it. He glanced back at Ziva and it was only then that they noticed the small bag in Eliana's hands.

"Tim, that's really not-"

"Today's about the two of you", he quickly cut Tony off. "Make it about the two of you, will you?"

McGee nodded towards Eliana and she passed them by with a knowing smile. "I will see you later then", she bowed out, snapping the door shut behind them.

Tony and Ziva were left in utter silence for a moment while, as quick an exit as it had been, they allowed realization to slowly sink in: They had just been granted an entire morning and a bit of an afternoon completely to themselves.

"Well, if that is so", Ziva purred, stepping closer to Tony and tracing her fingertips down his chest. "We will take the kids to school together and then…"

She trailed off on the last word, her eyes landing on his lips. Tony recognized the seductive glint in them, enjoying the promises they held. He let his eyes rake down her body while he used the back of his hand to brush some intrusive loose strands of hair from her face. Ziva lifted her gaze only once, her eyes narrowing briefly as they touched down on his, but with a smacking pat on his cheek she jauntily turned on her heels and walked away from him.

A groan escaped his lips and he slipped a glance down the front of his body. "Don't just leave me hanging here", he called after her.

"Use your imagination", she suggested in a low voice as he followed her into the living room.

He puffed out a few scattered laughs. "Oh…", he hummed, "That would involve a hot tub, wet bodies, all kinds of wet bodies..."

She placed a foot pointedly on the lowest step and turned her head, smirking at him. "I think that can be arranged, mon petit pois."

By the time they had dropped the kids off at their respective schools, Tony had pinpointed the second theme of the day: promises. Because they were making a lot of them just to get David and Tali to first get dressed, then leave the apartment and eventually get out of the car. They were promising a fun day at school, time flying by, a party they were not going to be late for because of school and, apparently, also a cake seeing as Tali told Ziva she was looking forward to it on their way into class.

On top of that Tony had asked for promises of soapy-spongy-sexy time more often than he had ever thought he would by the time they were arriving at Ducky's in the early afternoon. They stepped through the massive gate with their hands entwined and clothes bags slung over their shoulders. They were greeted by Ducky himself, who was donning one of his best dark suits, white dress shirt and a properly light-yellow bow tie.

"Right on schedule", Ducky boasted, ushering them inside. "Anthony, you take the guestroom down the hall."

Tony arched his neck around the doorframe to his right to provide himself with a visual to the directions Ducky was indicating with his hand. He nodded and turned back to Ziva. "See you later?"

Ziva stretched a little and covered his smile in a departing kiss. "Will I even recognize you?", she asked playfully, her eyes narrowed.

"Just follow the love", he murmured, going back to her lips for a last peck.

Ziva watched her partner vanish behind the carved frames and embroiled tapestry. "And I?", she asked, eyeing Ducky curiously.

"You, my dear", Ducky stepped up to her and linked an arm around hers, leading her towards the marble staircase, "You take the salon. It was my mother's favorite room in this house, did I ever tell you that?"

Ziva shook her head vaguely. She couldn't remember ever having spent too much time in any of the rooms on the upper floor of Ducky's mansion, actually. Most of the guestrooms were on the ground floor, as was the dining hall, the kitchen and the grand parlor where they usually celebrated their Christmases together. Ducky pushed a door open to their left beyond the upper landing and Ziva stepped into a room that appeared, at least on first glance, to be covered on all sides in red satin. The furniture was emitting an oily glow in the afternoon sun that streamed in through big bay windows. It had a balcony hidden behind sheer white curtains and, she realized stepping closer, the room was looking out upon the front yard.

"No, you did not", Ziva replied quietly to his earlier question, her eyes still roaming around in awe. "But I can imagine."

Ducky offered her a gracious smile, giving her a few more moments to savor her surroundings. He waited until she had chosen one of the older lounge chairs to discard her bag on. Then he stepped up to her once more.

"As you might have guessed", he started, indicating the windows, "The festivities will take place in the back yard."

Ziva nodded. She reached out and took his hands in hers. "Thank you, Ducky. For all of this."

He knew it was no use to cordially dismiss her gratitude for the umpteenth time. "Everyone needs a fairytale to believe in, Ziva", he said. "Today, Tony and you are sharing yours with us. In my old days, I shall do well to be grateful that I can be a part of it."

"This is hardly a fairytale, Ducky", Ziva laughed, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Oh, it most certainly is, my dear", Ducky countered and squeezed her hands. "Have you ever read a fairytale scant of hardship, struggles or a taxing quest for valor?"

Ziva dipped her head to the side and thought back to all the stories she had read as a child and all the stories she had read to her children. She slowly shook her head.

Ducky smiled. "In default thereof society would not have adopted the fairytale as a metaphor for magic and love and goodness prevails", he went on. "Fairytales can be terribly real, Ziva, as real as the love for which they stand in."

There was a knock on the door. Ziva felt momentarily robbed of words, her eyes still fixed on Ducky's. "Come in", she called out eventually and quietly.

"Hey Ziva, I was just-", McGee broke off when he saw Ducky and Ziva standing there. "This is becoming a bad habit. I'm sorry, I'll come back later if I'm-"

"No, it's quite alright, Timothy", Ducky assured him, stepping away from Ziva with a last smile. "I said all that was still meant to be said."

Ziva returned his smile and nodded. "Thank you."

"I will see you in a little while", Ducky promised, patting McGee's shoulder on his way out.

Ziva reached up two fingers to her face and pinched the moisture at the corner of her eye, finally shifting her focus to McGee. "You were saying?"

He chuckled slightly. "I just wanted to say that I'm here now", he explained. "So is Eliana by the way. And I'll be out back setting things up."

"Which means I am not to leave here until I am told to do so", Ziva deduced lightly, flashing him a knowing smile.

He smirked. "Pretty much."

"I will be good then", she promised.

"Good." He turned to leave, but stopped himself at the door. "You look your part, Ziva", he remarked with a congratulatory nod.

"I am not ready yet", she dismissed his comment. "I am not even wearing my dress."

"Nah, I have experience with this, you know", McGee insisted. "And it's never the dress or the hair or the makeup."

Ziva offered him an almost bashful smile and McGee felt instantly reminded of that day in the bullpen, when she had flaunted her passport picture with all the bashful pride she had ever been willing to muster. He was just about to leave again, when it was Ziva who called him back this time.

"Tim?"

"Yes?"

He watched her reach into her purse and hand him a small, black box. "Can you give this to Tony?", she requested. "He insists we do not see each other before."

"Old backdoor romantic", he quipped, taking the box with a knowing smile. "You got it."

"Thank you."

When McGee entered the room Ducky had directed him to, he could not help but linger in the doorway, the knob still clasped in his hand. They really had come a long way. The man who was standing at the body-length mirror on the other side of the room certainly wasn't the man anymore who he had met seventeen years ago. Tony's waistcoat was still unbuttoned, his dress shirt looked disheveled around the edges and he was fumbling with the knot in his tie, jasmine-colored just like Ziva's dress. The cliché wasn't lost on McGee and he couldn't keep from chuckling as he finally stepped inside.

He was promptly met by Tony's glare. He crept quietly across the carpeted floor, passing the carved humidor on his left and the big king-sized bed on his right, and slipped the box Ziva had given him into his pocket before he reached out his hand. Wiggling his fingers demonstratively in front of Tony's face where the latter had left but a small crack between his body and the reflective surface of the mirror, Tony eventually relented with a sigh and took a few steps back. He dipped his head back and craned his neck, his arms falling limply to his sides.

McGee inspected the skewed triangle and nodded. "You're missing a fold."

Tony couldn't help but laugh at that. "There's first times for everything", he remarked.

He remained still while McGee untangled the knot Tony had tied about ten times already with always the same askew result and only turned back to the mirror when McGee gave him the go-ahead with a curt nod.

"McGoo marks of perfect", Tony observed, pushing the perfect triangle back against his collar, leaving a trademark dimple. "Thanks, Tim."

"You're welcome." McGee watched from behind as Tony finally proceeded to finish off his attire. "Ziva gave me something for you."

Tony whipped around to find his friend holding up a jewelry box just big enough for the smaller variety of items. He smoothed a hand down the row of buttons on his chest before accepting it into his hand. He tapped a forefinger lightly against it.

"Did she say what it was?", he asked. McGee shook his head. "Say anything?"

"Just to give it to you."

Tony nodded and snapped the lid open to reveal a ring with a plump golden hoop, offset by a flat bezel. He gently lifted it from the hook inside the box and up to his face. The edges of his mouth tugged his smile upwards and into a wide grin.

"What is this?", McGee asked, his eyes narrowing. "Reverse proposal?"

"No", Tony replied absently, spinning the ring around in his fingers. "That's what happens when Ziva has a long talk with someone."

"It's not from Ziva?"

"It's the DiNozzo signet ring", Tony explained, showing McGee the engraving on the bezel. "It's handed down through generations. My dad never came through, though."

McGee cocked his head to the side. "Looks like he did now."

Tony snorted, discarding the box on the high-backed chair to his left. "It does, doesn't it?", he said and finally decided to slip it on. He balled his hand to a fist, studying the result.

"Does it fit?", McGee inquired, already knowing the answer.

Tony nodded slowly. "Like it always should've."

"Better late than never, right?", McGee commented and his pointed smile made Tony laugh out loud.

Gibbs pressed a finger against his lips outside the door to the salon. He could have guessed that Ducky would put Ziva up in that room, of all places. He gently pushed down the handle and slid the door open when it yielded to his grip, waving them inside. He should not have bothered with the stealthy antics, however, because as soon as the crack in the door was wide enough, Tali and David both squeezed through and barreled towards their mother. Ziva was perched on an upholstered bench in front of the dresser mirror, working on her makeup, when she was tackled from both sides by her kids. Tali latched onto her right, tightly hugging her waist, while David took to her right. He briefly wrapped his arms around her neck and planted a kiss on her cheek before pulling back with a smile.

"They wanted to see you", Gibbs said, casually tipping his head to the side.

"Did they?", Ziva retorted with a laugh, pressing a kiss to their foreheads. "You did?"

Tali nodded against her, lifting her head enough to show off her grin. "We gotta show you something, mommy."

Ziva's eyes narrowed and she alternated her curious gaze between the kids and Gibbs, who sported a giveaway smirk. "The big project, yes?"

"Yep", David confirmed, his chest puffed out by pride. "Uncle Gibbs said we're in charge."

"In charge of what, tateleh?"

"Of the surprise, mommy", Tali clarified as she raised a palm to her mother's cheek as if wanting to console her for her ignorance. "And Deed and a I 'cided we wanna show you."

Ziva chuckled. "Well, let's go then", she urged and got up, ready to abandon her prepping endeavors for now.

At the door, however, they were relegated to a sudden stop by Gibbs, standing firm in the doorframe. Ziva eyed his lopsided smile with trained suspicion, chuckling once again at the way his eyes were fixed so intently on her.

"What?", she asked.

"This", he observed and waved a hand into her direction. She had an arm slung around one kid on each side, Tali's little fingers entwined with hers atop the little girl's shoulders. "Good practice for later."

Ziva narrowed her eyes. "Practice for what?"

"The second surprise, mommy", Tali exclaimed and Ziva looked down to meet her eager gaze.

"Uncle Gibbs said we're in charge of taking you to dad too", David added explanatorily from her other side. "Like your guards."

She gave a small laugh. "Gibbs?"

A soft hum slipped past his lips. "Thought they'd make better company walking you up to Tony, 's all."

"And you-"

"I'll be there waiting, don't worry", he went on, finally stepping aside to Ziva's understanding nod.

When they arrived in the backyard, marching through high glass double doors, Ziva's eyes blocked out all else in favor of the towering canopy at the far end of the yard, beyond the flower beds, the cherry orchard and the pebble footpath that sectioned the lawn into symmetric patches. The kids instantly broke from her hold and each grabbed one of her hands, pulling her towards the chuppah and telling her of its name and designation along the way as if she didn't know exactly what it was, what it stood for and how she had hardly ever indulged in the thought of ever standing underneath one.

Ziva traced the carvings and ornamentation with her fingertips, feeling Tali's and David's intent gazes that followed her movements expectantly. She carefully avoided straying too far towards the center and just kept studying the poles Gibbs had obviously dedicated so many working hours to. She found nothing imbued with distinct religious meaning, at least the religions she and Tony had been brought up in. Gibbs had opted for nature symbols, long-winding designs and etchings. Glancing up, they had stretched a simple white cloth over the pole tops.

"It is beautiful", Ziva whispered, her eyes still lingering on the cloth and blinking against the gentle rays of sun that filtered through.

"We helped make it", David declared proudly.

"I know", Ziva said, smiling at him gratefully. She kneeled down on the grass and opened her arms, embracing them both into her for a bear hug. Tilting her head to both sides, she pressed a kiss against their temples. "Thank you very, very much."

Tali pulled back, her hands still linked around Ziva's neck, and offered her mother a satisfied grin. "We kept it a secret too", she boasted.

Ziva laughed, tapping the five-year-old's nose. "That was the hardest part, yes?", she inquired playfully.

"Oh yes", Tali agreed, nodding emphatically.

"There you are!", Abby called out suddenly as she came up to them with Liora clasping her hand. "Time to get ready, my little munchkins."

"But we still gotta show daddy the chuppah", Tali objected, her face set in dutiful seriousness.

"I know, I know. Uncle Gibbs told me", Abby assured her quickly and pointed over her shoulder towards the mansion, where Gibbs supposedly was. "And who's to argue with Uncle Gibbs, right?"

David nodded his head. "Well, he's the boss."

"That's right." Abby nodded, sharing a knowing look with Ziva. "Where d'you think you're going?"

Ziva had just straightened back up and was on the verge of leading the kids back inside. Her eyebrows shot up. "To get my children ready?", she suggested tentatively.

Abby cocked her head to the side and vaguely shook her head. "And who gets you ready while you're at it?", she asked, motioning at the combination of jeans and a burgundy longsleeve shirt Ziva had yet to replace with her dress.

"I can-"

"You won't", Abby cut in lightly. She beckoned Tali and David over to her, but they didn't budge. Instead, their eyes automatically snapped back up at their mother and so Abby added, "McGee said Tony's ready. He'll take over."

Ziva pursed her lips, but nodded nonetheless. She turned to David and Tali and nudged them along to follow their aunt. "See you later, my guards", she called after them and they both threw wide smiles back at her. She watched them head up to the patio and vanish inside, until she heard grass-cushioned treads approaching from behind her.

"I'm proud of you, Ziver", Gibbs said, stepping up beside her and following her gaze.

"Gibbs", Ziva breathed. She slightly tipped her head forward and eyed him from the side, a smile playing on her lips.

He nodded. "Both of you."

"You told Tony that?", she asked in a low voice, knowing that Tony might have gone to see their former boss and mentor one of these days. She had a feeling.

Gibbs offered her a crooked smile. "He knows."

Ziva nodded and then let her gaze once again drift back to the ornamented poles of the chuppah. "Thank you", she said, her voice weighted down by emotion.

"You deserve it. Everything", Gibbs declared, fixing his blazing blue eyes on her. "Never think you don't."

Without another word Ziva took a step to her right and slowly wrapped her arms around the man who had served as more of a father to her over the years than her own father had. Yes, there were no substitutes, and Eli was a part of her life no matter what. But in that embrace, when Gibbs linked his hands against her back next to a chuppah he had built for her and the man she loved, it was Gibbs who proffered all the parental pride, the sense of accomplishment and appreciation that Ziva wanted to feel on this day.

Tony's smile widened to a grin. He was crouching before David, buttoning up the dress shirt they had just decided would be best left untucked and helping the little boy into his jacket. In the meantime he watched his daughter through the corner of his eye, twirling and spinning around in front of the mirror to get a good, comprehensive look at herself in the dress that was apparently 'just like mommy's'. They had even taken out five minutes of prep time just to compare the color of Tony's tie with that of her dress, concluding that the match was close enough to count.

Tony reached up on the dresser for the two handkerchiefs they had bought yesterday. He spread them out on his thigh and started to fold them into tiny 'houses', the way he had been taught at boarding school a long time ago and had always made himself remember. He chuckled inwardly at the merry irony of his cloth-folding associations and what he knew about chuppahs and what they meant. Then he gently slipped the handkerchief into the outer breast pocket of David's jacket and handed his son the second one to do the same for him. Tony smiled at the little boy's focused expression as he did so, his lips pressed into a thin line in a way that reminded him so much of Ziva.

Patting David's shoulder, he got up and led the eight-year-old over to join Tali at the mirror. "What d'you say? Do we look presentable?", he asked playfully, surveying their collective appearance.

Tali nodded her head vigorously, rolling her eyes up at Tony's reflection. "Now we just need mommy and we're perfect", she observed.

"Well said, princess", Tony laughed, running a hand down his daughter's hair. Abby had dropped in earlier to brush them into wide, gentle locks of a much more subdued kind than her usually wild curls.

"Are we ready?", David asked.

"Almost. But before we do this…", Tony said, once again crouching down and turning his kids around to face him. "You guys… You should know that your mom and I- This is for you as well, okay? This is not just something your mom and I do for us. This-" He drew a sweeping circle into the air above their heads. "It's about family."

"We know, daddy", Tali confirmed sweetly, palming his chest. "You love us."

"And we'll always be a family", David added, remembering their conversation from the other day.

Tony laughed. "Come here, you." He beckoned them over and enfolded them into his arms, chuckling lightly when Tali brushed a kiss against his neck. When he pulled back, he proffered both of his palms for a couple of 'go team!' high-fives.

"Off you go. Find your mom."

After they had taken a wrong left in the corridor leading to the guestrooms and followed up with a few more wrong turns, Tali and David had found themselves in the kitchen and nowhere near the hall, or the staircase, or their mom for that matter. Thankfully, Jimmy had been right there, reheating a bottle for his less than complacent son, and had rerouted them, so that they skidded to a halt at the foot of the grand staircase just as Ziva was coming down.

"There are my two escorts", she called out, smiling brightly at them. Noticing their synchronously furrowed brows, however, she corrected herself quickly. "I am sorry. My guards."

"You're so pretty, mommy", Tali gushed, smoothing a hand reverently over Ziva's dress.

Ziva carefully hoisted her ankle-long dress up around her knee and squatted down. "Thank you, tateleh", she said, kissing her daughter's cheek. "So are you. Like a real princess, yes?"

Tali leaned into her and nodded, regaled by her mother's praise.

"And you look just like your dad, my love", Ziva enthused, trailing her fingertips along David's perfectly kempt hairline. Her son's proud grin, every inch innate DiNozzo, just served to reinforce her statement.

Straightening back up, Ziva held out her arms to them. "Shall we?"

David and Tali nodded in unison, each slipping a hand into hers. Together they walked into the parlor and out on the patio, where they instantly shushed the stream of voices into silence with their appearance. Taking a beat, Ziva let her gaze brush across the scene. A few stray chairs had been added as a prelude to the chuppah where Tony was waiting for her, hands folded in front of his body, looking almost anxious. They shared a small smile across the stretch of lawn that yet separated them.

Palmer, with his arms around his daughter, and Breena, their son perched on her hip, were standing to the left. It was Jimmy's wide grin, the one that managed to drive his glasses even further up the bridge of his nose, that elicited the first chuckle in Ziva. The second one was triggered by Liora being lifted onto McGee's shoulders, one of her little hands snugly clutched around his neck, while she used her free arm to wave at them excitedly. They were standing to the right. Abby beside them had her hands tightly clasped together and her forefingers pressed to her chin in what Ziva guessed was an attempt not to start crying.

Eliana poised near them, right next to Gibbs, and Ziva briefly caught her mother's smile before she gave in to Tali's tug on her arm and they recommenced their march across the yard. Tony watched Ziva, flanked by their children, as his family stepped ever closer. He felt like someone was gripping his heart, firmly, balled in a fist, and it momentarily sucked all air from his lungs. It was not until Ziva stopped half a foot away from him that he took a deep, steadying breath.

Ziva bent down and planted a gentle kiss on each of her children's hands, still cupped in hers. "Thank you", she whispered and they smiled proudly at her, knowing that they had done their job.

On Abby's cue David and Tali took a stand by their Aunt's and Uncle's side and Gibbs took their place, stepping up to Ziva. He placed his hands on her shoulders and tipped his head forward, kissing her on the cheek. Before he drew back, however, he whispered something into her ear. His voice echoed with the words from twelve years ago in the interrogation room, and Ziva's eyes suddenly filled with tears just as they had done then. She nodded her head as he let go of her, one of his palms lingering on her shoulder until she had taken her place across from Tony and their fingers naturally entwined.

"You made it", Tony quipped, his words only meant for her.

"Never gone", Ziva retorted, basking in the smile she elicited.

Ducky, who had taken it upon himself to moderate their little gathering, cleared his throat. "Tony and Ziva have chosen to stand before us today as their witnesses to the promises they want to make to each other", he announced, opening his arms, "As to their family."

They smiled at him.

"Tony, if you would like to start."

Tony looked for encouragement in Ziva's eyes and found their amber color doing just that. He felt the tip of her thumb as it ran in a gentle line along the side of his hand and he finally reached into his pocket, slipping out a crumbled piece of paper. He let go of her for the second it took to unfold it, before reclaiming one of her hands as soon as he had accomplished that task.

Tony chuckled at his own nervousness. "I wrote this a long time ago, so bear with me here."

Ziva squeezed his hand.

"I tried to live without you, Ziva- Well no, that's not really true", he started in a low voice, smiling into her eyes. "I never tried very hard. And I know now that I can't."

His eyes dropped to his writing, landing aptly on his next few words for he knew exactly where to find them. "I know now that it's not about saving and being saved. It's not about keeping score. It's about staying put and being the best we can be for each other. I promise I'll never leave you. I'll never leave our family."

He looked up at her. "Because I really can't", he declared, grasping her free hand once more and smothering the paper in the midst of their hold. "I ran away for a long time, and you didn't just stop me, you pulled me back and drove me against a wall. The more I tried to back away, I just dug myself deeper. Until I realized that the only way out was going forward, with you."

Ziva's mouth gaped upon Tony's last two words, spoken in a delicate breath, and the smile on her face lifted up the small pearls of moisture in the corner of her eyes.

Ducky gave her a few moments before summoning her response. "Ziva?"

"Tony", she breathed and she could feel him squeeze her hand as she had his. "Growing up, I was taught not to want this. All my life, I forced myself not to want this. I fought, with hands and feet and fists and guns drawn."

Her lips parted without a sound, one side of her smile digging deeply into her features. Her eyes fell onto his knowing smile. "My life unraveled and you waited for me to put the pieces back together. You gave me a choice. And when I did, I chose you. I chose life with you."

She lifted her gaze up to his eyes once again. "I promise to choose you every day", she declared. "Long ago, I longed for something permanent. Something that could not be taken, altered or changed. But that… That has changed. Because we are not permanent. We are not constant. We are not in the same place all the time. I will choose you over and over again, because I want to change and to grow, all our life, together with you."

A beat passed. The breaths they released in unison were audible and they drove matching grins onto their faces. Grins they decidedly caught with a lingering kiss. Tony cupped her face in his hands as Ziva's arms linked at the base of his neck, chuckling against each other to the sound of their family's enthusiastic clapping.

Ziva stood by the tables where they had just been treated to a lavish feast. Ducky had just left her claiming a need to tend to his hosting responsibilities, so she let her eyes sway across the yard. All the kids had gathered around Gibbs and Palmer near the undersized partition wall that fenced off the patio. It looked as though the men were explaining some kind of game and the kids nodded their heads in all-around agreement. Then her eyes fell on Eliana, who was hovering around a hedge a little ways down the lawn, near the orchard. She was standing alone. Ziva pursed her lips. Frankly, if available, the kids' preferences were clear.

Ziva tore her eyes away and let them wander to the other side of the yard, a bright smile settling on her face when she met Tony's stare from across the lawn. He was talking to McGee and Abby. He offered her a smile in return, but soon moved his head and the glass in his hand a little to the side, indicating her right. When Ziva followed his sign with her eyes, she found her mother taking small steps towards her.

Eliana smiled at the radiance that glistened so evidently in her daughter's brown eyes. "I knew that wide-eyed child was not entirely lost", she remarked. Ziva just nodded in return, once again drifting off as she watched Gibbs catch a ball that Tali was tossing at him. "I would gladly take credit for anything that I have seen here today. But I know it is entirely you who made it happen."

Ziva shook her head. "There is much more to it than that."

Eliana nodded and followed her stare into silence.

"What are you going to do now?", Ziva asked eventually, lifting her glass to her lips just to decide that she really didn't want to take a sip. She lowered her arm, fixing her mother expectantly in turn.

"I have not been to Israel a free woman in over thirty years", Eliana replied vaguely. Ziva merely nodded. At the very least she could understand that distant yearning for their homeland. "Eli gave me a choice. Return to my old identity or create a new one."

Ziva chuckled slightly. "I am sure he can arrange that, yes."

"I have not decided yet", Eliana added quickly, and once again Ziva reduced her opinion to a slender nod. Beyond that, however, she could feel Eliana search for her eyes. "What do- What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Ziva's eyebrows rose.

"Yes."

Ziva's gaze briefly dropped to the sparkling dots scurrying to the surface of the champagne in her hand. She remained silent for a while. "I believe…", she started, releasing a small breath. "Whatever you do, try to start over. If there is one thing I have learned, then that it can be well worth it to shed parts of yourself that you cannot longer carry around with you."

"So, you would be fine with it?", she asked quietly. "Even if it meant that Eliana David would cease to exist?"

Ziva shook her head. "That is not the point. The point is owning your choices", she said. "And you always existed. You will always exist. You just were not here for a lot of it."

Eliana stepped in front of her daughter, fixing her with a stare. "I need to know that you can understand", she educed, putting every fiber of former restraint into the determination gleaming in her eyes now. "Before anything I just- I need to know."

Ziva inhaled deeply and the edges of her mouth curled upwards in a smile. "I do. Of course I understand. The mother in me understands. I look at my daughter and my son and I understand", she declared softly. "But the daughter in me… She can never completely forgive you. And you know that she never will."

Eliana's mouth opened, but before she had a chance to generate a sound, Tali skidded to a halt in front of them. Both women's focus promptly shifted and they turned to the little girl. A few tears had struck wet trails across the five-year-old's cheeks, a sniffle escaping her lips as she rolled her eyes up at her mother.

"Mommy, I h-hurt my knee", Tali croaked.

Ziva discarded her glass on the table and crouched down in front of her daughter, a reassuring smile on her face. Her hands quickly went to her daughter's face, wiping at the tears that still threatened to fall from the Tali's deep brown eyes.

"Which one, tateleh?", she asked gently.

Tali raised her right leg and slid back her dress, showing off a small cut that stretched an inch across the side of her knee. Ziva inspected the wound and quickly ruled her daughter's tearstained face more of a response to shock and a bit of dramatics than actual pain.

"Need a fix?" Tony's voice emerged out of nowhere as he turned up beside them.

A knowing smile arched across his face as he held out one of Tali's more treasured princess-y band-aids. Thankfully, one of them always had a few of those in stock wherever they went. Ziva chuckled, her fingers grazing Tony's hand lovingly as she accepted the small piece of a fix from him. She skillfully turned Tali into her, allowing the little girl to perch on her thigh while she reached around her daughter and tended to the unfortunate cut.

For reassurance's sake Ziva planted a kiss on the tip of her finger and then placed her finger onto the injury, now hidden behind Snow White's smile. She tilted her head and brushed a few fallen locks from Tali's face. "All better now."

Tali eyed the band-aid closely, then looked back up into her mother's eyes. She threw her hands around Ziva's neck at once, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, mommy."

"How'd you get this anyway?", Tony asked, squatting down next to Ziva and regarding his daughter probingly.

The five-year-old sighed and rested her head against her mother's shoulder while Ziva absently started to caress her arm. Tali pointed over to where Gibbs and David seemed to have gone on to playing some variation of Hide and Seek together with Liora, Jimmy and his kids.

"That's outrageous!", Tony exclaimed, the wide-eyed expression on his face causing their little girl to giggle. He didn't waste another beat to scoop Tali up into his arms, holding his free arm out like a spear, ready to charge. "What d'ya say Don Daddy and Princess Tali go get their…revenge?" He drew the last word out in the deepest, most guttural grumble he could muster, eliciting not only more giggling from his daughter, but also a hearty nod.

Ziva watched father and daughter gallop off into the distance of Ducky's backyard as she straightened back up, smoothing out her dress. Eliana, having stood back, caught the reappearance of a radiant smile on her daughter's face.

"Everybody needs a mother, Ziva", Eliana insisted after a moment, speaking softly.

"Yes, they do. You and your grandson seem to agree on that", Ziva said, reclaiming her glass of champagne. She cocked her head to the side. "This is what every child should have, yes? Parents to take care of them."

Eliana nodded approvingly. "Yes. And you should-"

"You do not understand", Ziva stopped her, the smile on her face persisting. "Growing up I had more than just a grazed knee. But I had no mother to take care of me then, because my mother is dead. And she has been for over thirty years."

Ziva's words ricocheted in Eliana's ears. "You will never need a mother", Eliana reiterated to herself.

Ziva shook her head. "That is not what I said", she countered softly. "I just had to learn to live without one."

Eliana gulped down the last sip of her water, put away her glass and leaned against the table.

"I have made my life about my family. It is them who I want to make proud", Ziva mused, cutting into Eliana's pensive stare. Ziva lifted her gaze to the three most important people in her life as they laughed and chased each other around. "Everyone else I measure up to how they fit with them. With us."

It finally dawned on Eliana what her daughter was trying to say. She nodded vaguely. "What about a good friend?"

"One can never have too many good friends", Ziva declared with a gentle nod. "They often become like family, yes?"

"Yes." Eliana nodded. "Then it is what we shall try."

Mother and daughter shared a smile that was only broken when Tony reappeared at their side, instantly taking a hold of Ziva's free hand.

"Drink up, sweet cheeks", he urged, motioning at her champagne. "I need to whisk you away."

Ziva narrowed her eyes, holding her glass aloft between them. "I hope you do not need me to be drunk for this", she quipped.

"I'd rather you be very sober, actually", Tony retorted.

Ziva laughed and passed her glass to Eliana, when her mother offered a hand. "Thank you", she murmured, and Ziva nodded, smiling, before giving in to Tony eagerly tugging at her arm.

He led her a little ways into the orchard where he remembered a squat stone bench to be hidden. The bench was not entirely obscured from view and they were looking directly upon the patio, but it offered enough privacy, for which they were both grateful right now. They lowered themselves onto the bench, meeting in a kiss.

"Thank you for all that you said", Ziva declared, her hand resting against his cheek.

Tony shook his head and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, producing the small case he had smuggled into his bag earlier at the apartment when Ziva had been distracted by looking for the car keys he had hidden in the kitchen. "Thank you", he replied, handing it to her.

"Tony, we agreed", she chided, cupping the case in her hands. "No presents."

"You made me one", he countered, showing off the back of his hand and the signet ring sitting on his finger.

Ziva traced the engraving on the ring. She hadn't actually looked at it when she had received the package from Senior. "That is different. This rightfully belongs to you."

He smiled at her perfect logic and moved to kiss her forehead. "And this belongs to you", he insisted, tapping the case's velveteen mantle. "Open it."

Sighing, Ziva finally gave in and snapped it open, revealing a bracelet sprinkled alternately with white and red stones. "It is beautiful, Tony", she gushed, blinking. "You should not have-"

"I like to think it's the ups and downs", he stopped her, reaching over and lifting it out so she could get a better a look at it. He nodded at her hand. "May I?"

Ziva nodded and put out her arm, allowing him to fasten the bracelet around her wrist. She studied it reverently in the rays breaking through the leaves around them, a smile coming along on her face. "It is perfect", she concluded.

Tony grinned, obviously proud of making the right choice. He leaned forward again and captured her lips before swinging his leg over the bench and drawing her into him. Ziva rested her head against his shoulder and aligned her back with his body, melting into the arms he wrapped around her. She placed her hands on top of his, softly caressing them with her thumbs.

"Is there anything missing today?", she asked quietly after a beat of silence.

"You mean something we could work on?", he returned smugly, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

Ziva smiled against his familiar touch. "Would you have maybe liked for someone to be here, someone who is not or cannot be?", she went on.

Tony frowned. "I'm thinking you already had an answer before you asked the question", he retorted flatly. Ziva just raised her eyebrows in response and Tony let a sigh drop from his lips. "I like to think she's watching."

"Yes?", she asked and he nodded. "And would she approve?"

Tony laughed. "I think, over the years, she would have fluctuated in her approval", he mused, pulling her closer into him.

Ziva chuckled. "You think?"

"She was kinda protective of me, as far as I remember", he went on, cocking his head to the side. "And admittedly, she was a bit crazy. She'd probably have gone through calling you the names of more or less flattering movie characters."

"And what character do you think she would mete out to me now?", Ziva asked, sincerely curious, as she absently stroked his thigh.

"She'd probably stick with Ziva", he said. "She'd love you for making me write my own screenplay. My own story."

Ziva turned in his arms only to find his eyes gleaming back at her, fully sincere. She dipped her head forward for a kiss. "I love you, Tony."

"I love you", he said, smoothing his finger over her lips. "So, is this the happy ending to our story?"

"I do not believe in happy endings."

"I know. That's why I ask."

"Why does anything have to end at all?", she countered, frowning. "Can it not be our middle?"

Tony smiled at her, realizing just how far they had come. "Happy middle? Apart from being an obvious cliché, but the middle's still just the measly little stretch stuck between the beginning and the end, isn't it?"

"You are right. It is a thankless part." Ziva smirked. "So what is it that we have?"

"To be continued, whatever happens?"

"Whatever happens." She leaned over for another kiss, speaking against him, "I like the sound of that."

"Speaking of sounds…", he said as they pulled back, both not oblivious to their children calling out for them.

They cast their eyes towards the patio and found Tali running towards them, holding her dress up at the knee the way she had seen her mother do all day, even if hers didn't even reach much below her knee at all. Ziva's eyes flickered to Tony and they shared a smile. David trailed behind her, slower, more considerate in his treads. Ziva had caught her son watching them from afar. She wondered if he would ever stop needing these moments and reassurances that they were there and steady and around; or if he would be much like his father in this regard. But he looked so big, so grown-up with his black jacket and the loose white shirt and the black, grown-up shoes he had shown off to her ever so proudly the other day.

On this day, maybe more so than on any other day, she was looking forward to the kind of people she could see her children becoming. She was looking forward to the artist she saw budding in David; the sensitive, generous and mindful over-thinker that filled her heart with almost painful knots of love whenever he got a chance to inquire about somebody's feelings. To mind feelings was a gift that she could give her child; words instead of guns and fists were another.

She was looking forward to the horse-riding ballerina, the drama group starlet, the panda-hat-and-rainbow-skirt toting whirlwind, the track-running movie buff and all the other potential sides of her daughter that she could see vying for precedence within her; the expressive, innocent and emotive mile-a-minute-talker that made the world come to a halt to be keenly re-evaluated whenever she rolled her dark, wide eyes up at you. If Tali just retained her truest self, then Ziva would have all the proof, all the reassurance, that she had granted her children different, all so different.

"Uncle Ducky wants to make a toast", David informed them as soon as they arrived at their parents. "Aunt Abby said to get you."

"I donno why, though", Tali threw in skeptically, shaking her head. "We just had lunch."

"He wants to say something, Tali", David corrected, raising his eyebrows at his sister.

Tali scowled. "With toast?"

Ziva smiled, running a hand through her daughter's remarkably complacent locks. "Be patient, tateleh. You will see", she promised.

Together, all four of them, they went back along the small footpath leading up to the yard. Ziva felt Tali let go of her hand to skip ahead. She nodded at David, who looked back at them before following his sister, soon barreling after her. Tony, beside her, ran his thumb in repeated lines over the knuckles of her hand: up and down, down and up, up and down. Even if at times it felt as though her life was just a series of not-quite moments, she somehow always managed to go on, get back up, try again. They did, and always would, together.

Reading her thoughts through the eyes she lifted up to meet his, Tony squeezed her hand. A moment of silence as they caught each other's smiles.

"Mommy, Uncle Ducky says he gots no toast."

When the voices came crashing in, and the laughter followed, they knew they were back among family again.

As it should be.

THE END - …the ides of time… - THE END