Epilogue

Gibbs was pacing the familiar halls of an unfamiliar hospital corridor. No matter where they were, all hospitals felt the same, looked the same, they even all smelled the same. This feeling, however, was nothing like the usual dread and worry that encompassed a trip to the hospital. In his experience, trips to the hospital were wrought with tension and worry with an undercurrent of hope.

This time, however, the overwhelming feeling was excitement with a little anticipation. His pacing was more to pass time than for need to burn off nervous energy. Ziva had been in the hospital since just after four the previous morning, six coffees and eight hours later they cleared the room for delivery. Two more hours and he was still waiting for news to come back.

McGee and Abby had arrived shortly after him with Ducky not far behind. Over an hour ago, Palmer had disappeared to find the cafeteria in search of a juice box and some cookies when Tony came out to ask Abby into the room with them.

Tony and Ziva wanted her to experience this with them since she had just found out she'd be going through the same thing in a few months. He had initially thought it a little odd, not only because of how private a person Ziva was, but also because this was a moment for parents. It was a private moment of joy, pain and love to be shared by the husband and wife.

As he thought over everything that had happened since that case long ago and how close his pseudo family had become after the terrorist attack on the J. Edgar Hoover building, it wasn't surprising. They had all come such a long way over that time and he couldn't be more proud of how everybody seemed to handle it.

How everything seemed to progress very naturally made him remember that familiar feeling of something that was 'meant to be' that he hadn't believed in since he lost Shannon and Kelly. It was surprising how much they had all grown over this time as marriage and babies joined the mix.

The stresses of their jobs seemed less under the newfound interpersonal connections and they grew closer in their odd little familial way. Not just emotionally, he thought as he reached the end of the hall and peaked into the nursery on the little babies wrapped in their pink and blue blankets as he thought back to when they came home from Florida.

Tony and Ziva had been in Miami far longer than expected with some minor complications in Tony's recovery. They arrived back in DC late on a Thursday night after taking three days to leisurely drive up the coast.

He had asked them to call when they got in, but they didn't head home, though he knew they had been driving for hours on the last stretch of their trip. He was surprised to find them laughing as they descended his stairs that evening, looking disheveled from the road, but otherwise in good spirits.

"Don't think that I'm not thrilled you made it back safe, but shouldn't you have headed home to get some rest?" he had asked them.

Tony gave him a grin, the full power of which Gibbs hadn't seen before he had left Tony and Ziva in Florida and flew home several weeks before. He couldn't help returning the smile as he noticed that his senior field agent no longer held a ghostly pallor and actually looked healthy in addition to being happy. "We thought we'd drop in while we're tired, hoping that you take pity on our ragged state." Tony joked and Gibbs knew there was some kind of request for a favor or something similar coming by both the seriousness behind his joking tone and the expression on both their faces.

"Well," he started, as he carefully laid out the tools he had been using and turned fully toward them. It would still take a little getting used to seeing them together as they were then, her arm around his waist, his casually over her shoulder as if it belonged there. "Get on with whatever you came to ask me, because you both look exhausted."

Instead of speaking, Ziva pulled away from Tony, her arm that had been wrapped around his back coming out to display a diamond ring on her left hand. "We will be seeing a justice of the peace next week for the legal portion and probably have a dinner party or something later on to celebrate with the team."

"You can have it here, a little barbeque or something." He had offered, knowing neither one's apartment was very well suited to having more than a couple of guests, not that his house was much better.

"That is very nice, but we will get to that in a minute." Ziva told him, sharing a brief smile with Tony before she turned slightly shy eyes his direction, "We were hoping you could be a witness to the wedding."

"Of course." He agreed immediately, but allowed himself a moment to seriously consider Ziva before he continued, "If you're really sure about this."

He watched as they exchanged a loving smile and knew that they were both misinterpreting his question. "We are very sure." Ziva responded, turning a questioning look in his direction a hint of disappointment gracing her features.

"I didn't mean about getting married, I meant about not having a real wedding. A bunch of people, with flowers and cake and everything that you dreamed of your whole life? You shouldn't rush off because you're pregnant, you may regret it someday."

Ziva actually laughed at his statement as if it were preposterous. "Gibbs," she started, her tone suddenly serious despite the levity of a moment before, "I did not dream of weddings as a girl." He felt a pang of guilt for even mentioning it when he considered the kind of childhood she had experienced. "I have no interest in a large ceremony with people I do not know very well who mean nothing to us as a couple. I do not want to even think about how many members of both our families we would not want on a guest list. I do not wish to waste money on frivolity for the sake of being frivolous." He tried to read her, but there was nothing but sincerity in her features.

"We decided that we would like our lives together to start as soon as possible." Tony added, "You know, Boss, get started on forever, right away."

They were grinning at each other and it was contagious. They really had thought this through, despite how much it would normally bother a woman for her wedding to be so basic. He knew her, and this was actually fitting. Just her close friends and a judge, simple and efficient.

"And the other thing for discussing later?" he asked and watched as their smiles faltered slightly and they exchanged a glance as if deciding who would speak first.

"We found this house. It's perfect." Tony said and the two of them alternated describing the three bedroom two bathroom house. It sounded just right for them. "The market is so bad right now that we'd be getting it at a steal and we have a little more than enough for the down payment, but there's this one potential problem."

"If it's foundation or structural, don't waste your time." He tried to interpret their reluctance, "I can look at it with you if you want."

They shared a look and then Tony broke the silence with a nervous chuckle, "It's, uh, not the house really. It's the neighborhood."

Not in the mood to talk in circles around whatever was making the both of them nervous he had finally looked the younger man straight in the eye, "Would you just spit it out already?"

Tony looked away from him a moment, his eyes darting over to meet Ziva's before he came back and caught eyes with his boss again, shoulders straight as if he had gotten courage from the brief exchange of looks with her. His words still came out in a nervous rush, "Its four houses down across the street."

It took Gibbs a moment to realize that he was talking about down the street from here. Down the street from his house and as the two waited for his reaction, he consciously kept his face blank as he contemplated the pros and cons of that thought. Not the worst option in the world and it really was a great neighborhood for raising kids. He thought it was perhaps a little selfish on his part to be excited about having them so close because then it may give him more opportunity to spend time with the growing family. He was already excited to meet the new baby and they still had half a year to get through.

When he finally spoke it wasn't the yes or no they had been expecting, "The blue one or the tan one?" there were actually three houses for sale on his block, but one was a small two bedroom, not enough room for a growing family.

"The blue one." Ziva responded, the little crinkle in her brow was endearing. Uncertainty was not a common emotion to see on her.

Gibbs nodded, "Good." He said after a moment, turning to look out the small basement window as if he could see the house, though that was impossible from this angle. "Hank Whitman lived there for almost fifty years; he took really good care of the place. That tan one has been a rental for almost the whole time I've lived here and I'd be concerned about what you might find under the surface with some of the tenants they've had."

He turned back to meet two matching shy smiles. For a couple of the strongest and most confident people he knew, this moment of quiet uncertainty and expressive shyness was something he was glad to savor.

Four weeks later they closed escrow and had Gibbs and the rest of the team there to help them move two houses to one.

They had their wedding party the same night of their house warming and while their gatherings in the past, usually at Ducky's for Thanksgiving or Christmas, had been wonderful and warm, that particular night was something special. Happiness and love was in the air for everyone to breathe and he left that night feeling ridiculously sentimental.

It had been the start of a cathartic shift in their relationships. What had been built on mutual respect and trust in the workplace morphed over time, and while nothing would ever change their pasts, their time together had helped them each heal old wounds.

He announced his plans to retire the following week to much grumbling professionally, especially from Abby, but their bonds had grown far beyond work after the deep cover assignment that almost tore their team apart. Time outside of work had become nearly as import for them all as time at work had been. He suffered a lot of pouting and purchased extra Caf-Pows, but finally Abby was placated with a standing Friday night agreement to get together for dinner.

It had quickly become a team affair and they took turns deciding the activity. Mostly they played board games he'd never heard of and talked until it was far too late.

Some days he still woke up feeling the old pains of loss and regret, but it faded more easily with the trappings of his odd little adoptive family. He was still surprised some days to feel actual happiness and contentment again. Like the day he walked Abby down the aisle and gave her to Tim.

Since losing his family he had thrown himself into his work. He never thought he could be happy unless he was at the office, chasing leads, catching bad guys. Actually deciding to retire had been a tough choice, but the days since had been far more full of the real meaning of life, full of joy and laughter, family and friends and friends that became a family.

Today was no exception as he found himself staring into a nursery waiting for news on his new grandchild.

Tony and Ziva had asked him once, not long after they bought the house, what he preferred to be called. He hadn't understood them until Tony started listing terms for a grandfather. When it clicked how much they wanted him to be a part of their family he'd been slightly shocked by the gesture and simply shrugged off the question. "Grandpa is fine if you don't think 'Gibbs' is appropriate."

As nonchalant as he had attempted the comment, the thoughtfulness of the question struck him and helped pave the way to where they were now.

He chuckled to himself as he turned from the window to head back to the waiting room. He was recalling a conversation last month with Tony as the younger man accused him of being just as excited as the expectant parents were for the baby to come. The two had decided to be surprised by the child's gender and he didn't deny the accusation, couldn't have if he wanted to, he was excited. He was looking forward to meeting the new addition and even more so finding out if they would have a charming boy or a tough little girl.

Just as he entered the waiting area, the door off the side flew open and Abby came bustling out, her normal excited energy seemed to be amplified as she skidded through the door on her platform boots.

"Oh my gosh! That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen." She started, but her being out meant there was a new baby to meet and he could go back. He didn't wait for her to finish speaking before he dropped a kiss on her head and made his way back to the room.

He knew where he was going; he had been in periodically throughout the day, just not for the actual delivery. He imagined the sight Abby must have made running down this long hall to go tell them all the news and was smiling before he even reached the room at the end.

Gibbs knocked lightly and opened the door, his smile widened as he saw the parents. Tony was sitting behind Ziva on the bed; he had obviously been there for a while to help with delivery, they were both sweaty from their efforts and Ziva was an odd combination of pale and flushed that brought him back to the day Kelly was born.

Tony had his arms wrapped around Ziva from behind, helping as she gingerly cradled their new baby, wrapped in a little pink blanket.

They looked up together when the door opened and smiled at him, eyes shining with tears of joy that somehow they were able to keep from spilling over. They were holding a miracle in their arms and he felt a little choked up himself.

"It's a girl." They said at the same moment before they shared a smile and turned their focus back to the baby in their arms.

Suddenly, Tony's head snapped back to Gibbs as if he realized something, "LJ?" he asked.

Gibbs chuckled, finally moving into the room and stepping close to the bed to get a peek at the little girl. "Palmer took him to get another cookie."

As if on cue, the sound of tiny feet stomping down the hall filtered through the still open door and grew louder. Gibbs turned toward the door as the two-year-old barreled through his brown hair a disheveled mess from the long day trying to keep busy in the hospital. Gibbs had a split second to wonder why the couple couldn't have waited until tomorrow after LJ's haircut to go off and have their new baby.

A fresh haircut would have made for very nice pictures, but he could bring him back after the barber tomorrow and get some more shots.

The toddler practically flew at them, but Gibbs was faster, his instinctual awareness of the child's movements ingrained from two years of caring for him while his parent's worked.

Gibbs swept the boy up quickly, balancing him against a hip so they could both see what all the fuss had been about with Mommy for the past several months. "Look at that, little man." Gibbs said, ruffling the boys already unruly curls, "You've got a baby sister."

"Gram-pa." LJ whined at him as he wiggled enough to free his hands and smooth down his hair. The boy got that gesture from his father, along with the deep green eyes that were attempting to cut straight through Gibbs for messing up his hair, but that glare could only have come from Ziva's half of the genes.

The rest of their makeshift family had filtered in more slowly behind LJ's excited entry. As the room filled with laughter and everyone spread out to look in on the new addition to their team, LJ's glare fell away.

The toddler snuggled more firmly into Gibbs, throwing an arm around his neck so he wouldn't fall when he dangled himself forward to get a better look at the baby. Tony adjusted himself carefully around Ziva and the new baby and reached for his son. With an arm wrapped around the boy's back he helped him stand on the bed leaning against Tony's shoulder to look down on the baby.

"Meet baby?" the boy asked, looking to his father before turning his attention back to the little pink bundle.

"Of course, sorry buddy." Tony replied with a wide smile, hugging his boy a little closer to his side. "LJ, I'd like you to meet your new baby sister, Alexis DiNozzo. AJ this is your big brother Levi DiNozzo."

"Kay." LJ responded before turning back to Gibbs, "Meet baby. Go park now?"

The room erupted in laughter again, as the boy reminded them of the promise that he could go play on the jungle gym at the park after he met the new baby. He leaned over and gave each of his parents a sloppy kiss on the cheek, well aware of needing to say bye to them before he went anywhere. Then he raised his arms impatiently towards Gibbs. "Go park." He repeated.

Gibbs scooped the boy up, but Tim moved around to take him, "Actually, you're going to have him all night. How about Palmer and I take him down to the park so he can run off some of the sugar from those cookies and we can meet up with you later?"

LJ began bouncing happily in his arms, reaching for McGee and shouting an excited, "Uncle Tim! Uncle Tim! Park." Reluctantly Gibbs let the boy go, smiling at his enthusiasm despite the fact that Gibbs knew he'd be asleep two minutes after he was buckled in the car, since it was almost three hours past his normal nap time.

"You got a car seat?" Gibbs asked as Tim gave Abby a kiss on the cheek and started for the door.

McGee turned back and nodded, "Abby figured we should have one just in case, even though our little one won't fit in it until this little guy has probably outgrown the thing."

Abby curled up on the couch looking completely exhausted as Gibbs watched Ducky, Palmer, and McGee disappeared out the door with the very excited LJ. His gaze followed them until they were out of sight and then he felt a hand lightly grasping his.

He turned back to see Ziva smiling up at him as she squeezed his hand, "Do you want to hold her?"

He wouldn't have been able to speak in that moment if he wanted to, so instead acknowledged the question with a nod.

As he got the baby situated in his arms, he couldn't help but feel just a little more sadness fall away. He had experienced this with his own little girl, holding her for the first time as she slept and her mom recovered.

He gave himself a few minutes to regain himself before he looked up from the baby and back to the parents. They were watching him with an expression of open affection that he still hadn't gotten used to after more than two years, though it didn't make him uncomfortable anymore.

"She's beautiful." He told them and then ducked his head back to looking at the baby, "Is there anything you two don't do well when you work together?"

His question was met with silence, but when he looked up they were smiling at him, tears of joy sparkling in their eyes that matched his own, completely content and happy in the presence of family.

Tony gently pulled Ziva closer to him as he responded, "Nope. Not a thing."

xoxo

A/N: Finally, the requested Epilogue. After all this time, I hope you were not disappointed. This took us a little over three years down the line and I know so entirely fluffy it's ridiculous, but after the hell I put them through, they needed it.

I don't think I'll do a third story arch. I wouldn't mind a little fluffy family time after writing 300,000 words of mostly angst in the last six months, but knowing me the fluff would pass, the kids would end up in danger somehow, and I'd be back to angst with the sadness of hurting kids, however fictional. I named them, after all, so they are a part of me. I had fun with that little bit of it.

Thanks again for going on the journey with me.