Hey all.

Last chapter.

Enjoy.

xoxElle

9 months later, Tony and Ziva had brought a house, not that far away from Gibbs and Jenny's house, for them and Matthew. Abby and McGee had gotten engaged and in the 9 short months had broken up twice, gotten married, moved into a large house and were trying to fill it with children.

"Hey buddy" Tony said walking into Matthews room early one morning as Ziva stayed sleeping in their bedroom across the hall "It's wake up time"

Matthew opened his eyes and stared up at his father, making a babbling noise as he was picked up.

Tony changed him, got him dressed and took him downstairs to the kitchen where he put Matthew in his high chair and started cooking breakfast.

Half way through cooking pancakes, he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist and a kiss being pressed to his bare shoulder.

"Good morning" Ziva murmured against his skin before walking over to Matthew and kissing the top of his head of almost black hair "Is Papa making you breakfast?" She said picking him up out of his seat and settling him on her hip and kissing his cheek.

Matthew grinned at his mother and giggled as he swung the toy in his hand around. Tony smiled at the two before frowning slightly.

"Today's the day" He said quietly.

"Yes. It is" She said looking at Matthew as he played with her hair. "Tony. It does not matter what the results are"

"I know" He said quickly. She knew he was trying to get off that subject quickly. She nodded and put Matthew back down and went over to Tony and kissed him.

"Do not worry" She murmured.

He shook his head and turned back to the pancakes "I'm not" He said.

"I am going to have a shower" She said before walking quietly out of the room.

Tony's head dropped and he went over to Matthew, pulling him out of his seat and sitting him on the edge of the table in front of him. He stared at the young boy and he played with the toy car in his hands.

Ziva watched from the doorway with a frown on her face, watching as Tony stared intently at Matthew. She sighed softly before turning around and walking up the stairs. Abby would be running the DNA test today to see if Tony was the father of Matthew or if it was Dane, who had been sentenced to 8 years jail, which were too less in her opinion.

She already knew who Matthew's real father was. She didn't need a test.

They all stood in Abby's lab later that day looking at the plasma as Abby ran the test. Ziva holding Matthew on her hip as Tony gripped her shoulder, the others all standing around them.

Ziva took a breath "I do not wish to know" She said quickly before turning and walking out of the lab with Matthew. Everyone just stared after her.

"Do you still want me to do the test Tony?" Abby asked softly. Tony's eyes snapped to her and he nodded before turning back to the plasma.

Abby nodded and clicked a few more buttons before two pictures came up on the screen. One of baby Matthew and the other of Dane.

Positive match.

"I'm sorry Tony" Abby said softly. Quickly running to him and engulfing him in a hug. He just stood still, staring at the plasma.

He found her sitting in the stairwell with Matthew clutched to her chest asleep. He sat down next to her and put a hand on her thigh.

"You knew he was Dane's didn't you?" Tony whispered to her. She looked sideways at him and nodded.

"Yes. He looks vaguely like him" She said quietly.

Tony brought his hand up to her chin show she would look at him "He's still my son" He said. He could see the weight get lifted off her shoulders as he said that, so he leaned forward and kissed her.

"I am going to see Dane at the jail today" She said 15 minutes later. They were still sitting in the stairwell, but Tony was leaning against the wall with Ziva's back against his chest. Matthew was asleep with his head on Ziva's shoulder; Tony's hand resting gently on his back as he whispered in Ziva's other ear.

"Alright" He said.

"Are you ok with that?" She asked.

"I guess. Are you going to tell him Matthew's his?" He asked. She nodded against his cheek.

"Would you like to come?"

Tony shook his head "I might kill the bastard" He said with a laugh, which made Matthew open his eyes and begin to cry. Instead of holding onto his mother, he reached out to Tony, who grinned and took him in his arms and stood.

"Sorry buddy" Tony said bouncing him slightly. Matthew immediately settled and smiled at him.

"You see Tony. You are his father. No test can say that is not true" She said. Tony made a silly face at Matthew who started giggling.

"I am not taking him with me today" Ziva said as the three made their way down the stairs.

"Gonna spend the day with Daddy?" Tony said to Matthew, swinging him up and putting him on his shoulders. Ziva sent him a glare and he took Matthew off his shoulder and settled him in his arms again.

"I am going now" Ziva said when they reached the door that would lead them to the Bullpen. Ziva put a hand on his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

"I love you" He whispered.

"I love you too" She whispered back before kissing Matthew's cheek "Goodbye"

"Bye" Tony said before pushing the door open and walking down the hall and into the Bullpen with a grin.

Ziva walked into the prison interview room, seeing a table, a chair on both side, and Dane standing awkwardly in an orange jumpsuit off to the side.

"Hey Ziva" He said when she entered the room, he sat down in the chair across from where she had already sat down and smiled slightly "You look good" He said.

"We ran the DNA test today" She said simply. Dane sat up straighter and looked at her questionaly "The baby is yours" She said.

"Is it a boy or a girl? What's their name?" He asked quickly after he got over the shock.

"He is called Matthew Damien DiNozzo" She said standing up and making her way towards the door. She heard Dane stand and his chair hit the floor.

"My son has his last name?" He said angrily. Ziva turned around and glared at him.

"He is not your son. Matthew has his father's last name" She said "You will never be his father" She said before walking out the door and slamming it shut.

Later that night, Matthew slept peacefully across the hall as Tony and Ziva laid facing each other in their bed, with tangled limbs and covered in sweat. Tony kissed her quickly before rolling slightly and getting something out of his bed side draw and rolling back. He smiled and put the small ring box on Ziva's hip.

She looked at the box with wide eyes and then at Tony.

"We're already practically married. Why not make it official?" He said with a grin, getting his mother's engagement ring out and putting it on Ziva's finger. She let out a laugh and rolled on top of him, her lips fused to his and her hands running through his hair.

"Yes" She murmured.

They were interrupted by a cry from the next room, making them both chuckle.

"I think someone wants to congratulate us" Tony said getting out of the bed with her and putting his boxers on, Ziva slipping his shirt on.

"Or he would like his father to change his diaper" She said.

Tony smirked "That too"

Once Matthew had been changed and put back to bed, Tony and Ziva got back into their bed. She took his hand and put it on her bare stomach and smirked at him. She laughed as the realization crossed his face.

"You're not serious" He said. She cocked her head to the side and gave him a look. "You are?"

"Would I lie to you?" She said. He quickly flipped them so he was on top of her and kissing her.

"Yes you would" He murmured "But I hope not about this"

"It is a day of surprises, is it not?" She said when he looked down at her.

"I don't think I could handle anymore" He said with a grin. She smirked "There aren't any more are there?"

"No Tony" She chuckled, pulling him back down into the sheets.

Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human. Maybe, we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate.

And that's it.

Hope you enjoyed this fic.

Review!

xoxElle