Meant to Be

Cake, Partying, and the Dance

The arrival of the cake brought out a playful side of Ziva in which was one of the first times she ever showed it to anyone else other than Tony. As the cake was placed in front of husband and wife, chaos began. Tony was cutting the cake and as he was just about to cut the third slice, he felt something moist smothered on his face.
Ziva, to his disbelief, rubbed a big wad of cake from one of the slices he had passed to her. Tony looked at his bride in dismay and it took him a moment to decide how he wanted to proceed. Ziva chuckles in delight at her action.
Come on! Thought Tony. How does this woman expect me to keep my cool and not sweep her away at the next available chance that I get when no one is watching?
Tony decided to retaliate and smudge a wad of cake to her lips. The guests laughed and Tali looked at both of her parents in confusion. Tony took ahold of one of Tali's hands and said,

"Help Abba defend himself from Ima's cake attack!"

"Abba, but messy!" Tali replied oblivious to her father's request, causing both Tony and Ziva to burst out laughing.

This scene of the family cause the guests to giggle more. Surprisingly, Gibbs even laughed as well.Thankfully, for Ziva, Tony decided to take into consideration his daughters request to not make a mess.
As the newlyweds began to feed each other a shared slice of cake. Tali returned to Abby once she ate her small piece of cake and kept asking for bites from her Aunties. Gibbs ate his slice of cake while he briefly glanced over to his two best former field agents. He is proud of them for over coming their issues and he made note to make sure he spoked to them about that before the end of the evening.
Guests had finally began to spread out across the dance floor and celebrate seeing that the need of hunger was settled. Abby once again took Tali to the dance floor along with McGee, Bishop, and Palmer while Breena and Delilah talked about their current positions at work.
Gibbs realized now that it was the time to talk to the couple. He nodded his head to Tony and Tony read through his eyes that there were things that needed to be said.

"Hey Gibbs you've been pretty silent... uh not that there is anything wrong with that, I mean, what do you have on your mind?"

"Could I talk to you and Ziva alone?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure Gibbs, how about we talk over in the lobby? No one should be out there right now." Tony replied.

As Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs finally walked out into the lobby hall, Gibbs turned to look at both of his former field agents who were now like his own two children.

"I took you both out here to say that I'm proud of you."

As Ziva was about to speak, Gibbs held up his index finger and slightly raised his voice so that he would let what he had to say be known. Gibbs continued,

"I've seen the two of you struggle with the feelings you two had for each other for awhile now. I'm glad to see that even through some challenging situations you both have dealt with what you were handed better then I could have hoped." Seeing a chance in which he could ask a question, Tony stood up to the opportunity.

"Wait a minute here! You knew? The whole time... you knew that Ziva and I were taking what ever chances we could to see each other?" Tony asked rather abruptly. He hoped that Ziva wouldn't punish him later for going head to head with Gibbs by showing a slight bewildered yet aggravated response. The man was, let's face it, their mentor and a father figure to the both of them for almost all of the past decade. Ziva, to Tony's surprise, didn't jab him in his side with her elbow nonchalantly. Instead, she also waited in shock to hear her surrogate Abba's response.

"Oh I knew." Gibbs replied almost slightly amused.

"Really? How long have you? Tony questioned, trying to have the man of few words spill how he knew for quite some time, as well as the others on team Gibbs.

"That does not matter now. What does matter is we all have a fresh start. I want you both to know I am happy for you and proud of you. Should either of you ever need a hand with Tali just know I'm only a call away." Gibbs finished.

"Thank you Gibbs!" Ziva said as she took a few steps closer to him and gave him a hug.

"I mean it Ziver. You two better not hesitate to ask if you ever need anything. If you do I will head slap the both of you!" Gibbs replied.

As Ziva stepped back to her new husband, Tony thanked Gibbs as well.

"Thank you Gibbs. Just out of curiosity, you aren't mad we broke rule number 12?" Tony questioned.

"You can't help who you fall in love with Dinozzo." Gibbs said with a slight grin.

"Right!" Tony added as he glanced at his wife and they both smiled before Gibbs told them to head back in to their party and enjoy it.

An hour later an announcement was made for Tony and Ziva to step out to the dancefloor for their first dance as husband and wife.

Tony and Ziva made their way with ease seeing that the guests were told to briefly leave the floor for the couple of the hour. As they presumed their positions the music began to play. A classic jazz rolled out of the ballroom speakers and Tony began to lead.
At first, the couple was completely silent enjoying each other's closeness. Not to long after the song began did Tony look into  Ziva's beautiful chocolate eyes, did he make a remark only they could understand.

"They're playing our song sweet cheeks!" Tony said with his Dinozzo charm.

"Hmph! They are!" Ziva replied taken aback by the thought of  how far they came, once again. She began to remember the trip to Berlin. How she and Tony danced in the same fashion as the current moment, only this time they were not pretending. They weren't on a mission to avenge the murder of her father. Instead, this moment was about them, nothing could get in the way of the American-Italian and Israeli. Ziva teared up from her feeling of finally being complete and not long after Tony gazed into
his wife's eyes to see her, in what he thought was sadness.

"Hey, shhh...there's no need to be sad! What's wrong my wife?" Tony asked in almost a whisper as he gently caressed her face in attempt to wipe the fallen tears away.

"Nothing is wrong Tony I am just overly amazed by how we have come so far. I am so glad we made it and I can not believe I am your wife. I don't know what I did to deserve you." Ziva answered in complete sincerity.

"Oh Ziva my sweet Ziva... don't you ever doubt that you do not deserve my love. You are so beautiful inside and out." As Tony is speaking, Ziva looks down slightly as they dance, embarrassed by Tony's words. Tony lifts her chin up with his hand and continues, "You are a strong, independent, somewhat stubborn, determined woman." At the stubborn comment Ziva let's out a slight giggled. "I would not want you to be any other way Mrs. Dinozzo. You are everything I could ever want in a woman. The way you love Tali is undescribable and I could not be happier to be raising such a beautiful little girl with you. I love you Ziva, don't you ever doubt that!" With that last comment the tears on Ziva's face fall more and Tony kisses her in a way that almost made her faint.

When she is finally about to gain control of her mind and body at least alittle bit, she said in response, "Thank you Tony. You are amazing."

"I know I am." Tony added cockily. "However with you, I'm even more amazing."

With that Ziva laughed and the newlyweds enjoyed the rest of their dance before the finale few minutes to the song ended.

Wow! It's getting harder to come up with ideas now. I am not writing as fast as I was earlier in this story. Any suggestions? I just want to be as true to the characters as possible. Please tell me how you think I did in this chapter! As always, thank you for reading!

Sarela25