Chapter 52, Epilogue: 12 November 2068

Life got in the way and we couldn't get all five of us to travel to Israel together until July 2068. On what would have been Abba's one hundredth birthday, Anthony, Rivka, Beth, LJ and I put the urn with their ashes into a small vault that was placed in the olive grove at the spot Ima and Abba called their "special place." It was just the five DiNozzo children, no spouses, no children, no grandchildren. While the decision was not made easily, we all felt the need to put Ima and Abba in their final Earthly resting place together, just the five of us.

We placed the urn into the vault and stayed silent for about ten minutes, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I thought back to the story Ima had told me about this spot, and Abba confirmed. They both believed that I had been conceived here.

I remembered playing in the olive grove with my siblings when we came to Israel for a two month vacation when I was nine. We stayed at the Haifa house, but came over here one afternoon. Ima and Abba had been very quiet on the drive over from Haifa. While we ran and played among the olive trees, Ima and Abba stayed at this spot. I remembered watching them by peeking through the trees. They had put their arms around each other and pressed their foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes. They stayed that way for, what seemed to me at the time, a VERY long time. When they finally moved, it was to place a hand on the other's face. Abba looked as though he was wiping tears off Ima's face. What really surprised me was that Ima made a similar gesture, and it looked as though she wiped tears off Abba's face. Then they both moved slightly and locked lips into a long, passionate kiss. I felt as though I was intruding on a very intense, very private moment between them, and went to find my brothers and sisters. In retrospect, I had witnessed one of their "TIVA-land" moments.

Anthony broke the silence by joking with me, "Hey sis, do you feel like you have come back to your ROOTS?" He smirked at me, and I regretted telling him the story Ima and Abba had told me. The other three looked at me and at Anthony questioningly. "Do you tell the story or do I?" He grinned at me.

I sighed, the carrot had been put out there, and my siblings would not let go of it until the story was told. "When I was here with Ima and Abba, back in 2059, they told me a story about this place, this very spot. Ima and I had been talking about life in general and then somehow got on the topic of places that trigger memories. She and I walked out here together, while she told me the story of the summer of 2013. She mentioned that both she and Abba believed that I was conceived on the night they made love right here under the stars.

"Abba had followed us out here, and he confirmed the story, and then mentioned that he and Ima ate dinner on their anniversary right at this very spot, with a picnic basket and a blanket spread on the ground. Most years, Ima made olive chicken, Abba's favorite. Most years, the 'dessert' was a repeat of that night in 2013.

"But that isn't the whole story. It was here that Abba tried to get Ima to come back to DC after they left NCIS the first time. Ima had a box with a list in it, her "I Will" list of dreams she wanted to achieve. The original was written when she was a child; the newest version written shortly after I was born. It was buried here at this spot until Abba dug it up in 2016. It has to be somewhere in one of the houses; both Ima and Abba said that Abba had dug it up and brought it to Paris when he and I went there to find Ima.

"In the memories that Ima had written on her computer, she also mentioned that they renewed their vows to each other on their anniversary when they were here on that day. Every year they were here, they renewed the vows. Every year!"

I could tell the other four were mulling over my words and the story Ima and Abba had told me. LJ broke the silence, "Do you think we could put some sort of marker here? Maybe with their definition of soul mates and their names and dates they lived?"

"I like that idea," Beth smiled. "LJ, do you think you could design something?" LJ nodded, and I could tell he was already doing just that in his mind.

~TIVA~

Unfortunately, none of us could stay past the long weekend; family, home, work, and responsibilities called us back to DC. On the flight home LJ had shown us the design he sketched for the memorial. Everyone gave him the thumbs up. LJ found a stone cutter near Tel Aviv to make the design we wanted.

~TIVA~

Uncle Tim passed in his sleep on 15 October 2068, one month shy of his ninety first birthday. The last of the Gibbs kids had passed, marking the end of an era. Katie and John found four large tote boxes of pictures, flash drives, and notes in Uncle Tim's handwriting about the NCIS years and how he helped Abba in the search for Ima in 2016. He also had some pictures and videos of me, with Abba, and then with Abba and Ima from the year in Paris. From his notes, I learned just how strong the bond was of the brothers, Abba and Uncle Tim.

A day after Uncle Tim's funeral, LJ had an email from the stone mason in Tel Aviv. The marker was complete and ready for delivery. LJ arranged to have it placed in the olive grove, giving the precise measurements to the spot where we wanted it to be placed.

Ima's birthday is on another long weekend this year, so we arranged a trip for as many family members as could come to fly to Tel Aviv and visit the marker on Ima's birthday. LJ and Savannah, Beth and Charles, Rivka and John, Anthony and Katie, Chaim and I plus Levi, Anthony (IV), Noah and Adam flew to Tel Aviv on 9 November.

We are all staying in the farmhouse. We have just returned from the marker and dedicating it to Ima and Abba's memory. The stone mason had used a laser to put the portrait of Ima and Abba in the "TIVA-land" pose on the stone. Their definition of soul mates was etched on the other side with the dates each lived. Walking to the marker, we were animated and chatting, full of anticipation at seeing the beautiful marker itself instead of a picture. Coming back to the house, everyone was silent, reflecting on the lives of our parents, or grandparents, and the special bond that they had.

Writing this story of my Ima and Abba and the love they shared has been cathartic for me. It has helped me grieve for my parents and, at the same time, given me insight into the truly special, wonderful, beautiful, and unique bond they shared. Their love transcends time, space, and life itself.

I love you Ima; I love you Abba. See you on the flip side!

Tali's note: 25 December 2068. Anthony has been reading this story of Ima and Abba. He, Anthony (IV), and I have a book deal with Uncle Tim's publisher to turn this story, the original 'Soul Mates' documentary and the in-progress follow up documentary into a book, maybe two books. I hope we can honor the love of Ima and Abba, as well as keep their memory alive for the generations to follow.

A/N Thanks to all who have followed, favorited, left comments and just read the chapters. While this story is now completed, I have plenty more TIVA stories written and in progress. I will be expanding and adding to the "You Complete Me" universe.