A nurse came into the room.
"Can I take them now?"
Zoe nodded and handed Shannon and James over.
"You shouldn't stay too long, too."
She said calmly.
"I'll stay for a little while with Tony, thanks."
She used the tone which made clear that she doesn't want to argue.
The nurse left with the two newborns.
"Where does she go?"
Tony asked disappointed.
"Tony, I was lucky they gave them to me now, anyway."

Zoe could left the hospital two days later.
Abby gave her a ride to the dublex house Gibbs had bought for them.
"He already brought your things here. You won't have to do much."
Abby explained.
"What the hell is he doing?"
Zoe cried out when Abby pulled into the driveway.
She got out of the car. Gibbs was carrying a huge amount of wood into the house.
"Dad? What are you doing? I thought we agreed that we won't change much...is that your boat?"
She suddenly realized what this was about.
"He didn't get it out of the basement, so he took it apart."
McGee explained.
"And forced you to help him?"
Zoe asked pitiful and earned a nod.

A few days later Tony got home. He had to use a wheel chair but sometimes he could walk a bit. Luckily he didn't need a full time rehabilitation. He just was a bit weak on his own legs.
He got to the house where Zoe already waited for him at the front door.
He got out of the car. She ran over to him and kissed him intensely.
McGee got his wheel chair out of the trunk.
"Baby, my legs won't carry me that long."
Tony said after breaking apart for air.
"Sorry, Honey."
"So, this is our new house?"
He said while sitting down.
"Yep, you like it?"
Tony waited before he answered.
"You thought that through, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you'll be living in one house with your father."
"That's not the first time."
She answered confused.
"Actually I wanted to say, I'll live in one house with your father."
She smiled .
"Tony, this is the easiest way! When you were in the coma I had to decide what to do. And after Shannon's death, we thought it would be the best to live together. But of course I wanted privacy, and Dad, too, so we decided on this. There are two wonderful apartments! And a basement for Dad's boat. And a huge garage, for your car, Dad's , mine and the one I built."
She kissed him softly.
"It'll work!"
Tony nodded and they entered the house.
"Tony!"
Kelly ran towards him and jumped on his lap.
"Hey, sweety!"
He hugged her then looked up at Zoe.
"It will work."

The day never seemed to end. All what Zoe wanted was to get into bed with Tony. Nearly nine moths she was waiting for that. She looked one last time after their kids. God, they were the best children. She only dreamt of kids like that. They already slept nearly all night and didn't cry a lot.
She put herself near to him and started to kiss his neck. He already was fading into sleep from all the painkillers.
"Hey."
He said dreamily and pulled her closer.
"Hey."
They kissed eachother.
"You're too tired for that?"
She asked softly.
"I'm never too tired for that!"
He grinned and tried to roll her over but fell back on the matrase.
"Maybe, I really am too tired for that."
Zoe chuckled a bit.
"It's ok."
She kissed him once again and settled her head on his chest.
"Tony?"
"Mhm?"
"We have to think about how to arrange everything."
"Arrange what?"
He knew exactly that she was talking about the wedding. He was thinking about nearly nothing else the last few days.
But more than that he thought about the proposal. He wasn't satisfied with that. He wanted a ring for her. He wanted it to be romantic and special, not only a question he had made in the hospital.
He had decided to let her think he had forgot that he had asked her. Tomorror he would ask her for real. He had told it to everybody so they would back him up.
Gibbs and Abby would take the kids. He had ordered chinese food of Zoe's favourit restaurant. It was not perfect. It was not extraordinary. It was not even the way he wished he could do it. But it was the best he was able to for the next months.

Zoe opened her eyes. She heard Shannon mumple through the baby phone. She got up without waking her boyfriend and got to the twin's room. She took the little girl and carried her into the kitchen. Luckily she noticed her hungry daughter before she had started to cry.
There was a knock on the door. It wasn't that early, about nine AM, but Tony seemed to sleep for a thousand years..
It was Gibbs. He kissed the head of his granddaughter and then his daughter's cheek.
"Where's DiNozzo?"
"Shhh! He's asleep! Those painkillers are pretty heavy."
She answered softly. Ok, the apartment had four rooms, a kitchen and a big bathroomand a smaller one, but it wasn't that big that you can speak all aloud in the kitchen without waking Tony in the bedroom.
"Abby's still asleep, too. And Jay, thank God! He has his father's sleep!"
She laughed softly.
Until the kids are bigger they had turned the fourth room into a guest room. Zoe was sure that Abby would take it pretty often. She had helped her through the pregnancy, through Tony's coma and everything what came to her in the last few months.
"Yeah, you know, I think you and Tony need a bit of privacy, why don't you give me the kids tonight."
Gibbs told her innocently.
Zoe looked at him suspicious.
"What are you up to? You're not giving privacy to me and Tony without a reason!"
She asked while he started to make coffee.
"Morning!"
A cheerful Abby stood in the door. He voice was just as loud as ever.
"Shhhh! God! Why do I have to remind everybody to stay quite? I have two babies and a man on painkillers in here!"
Just like on command the door bell rang.
"Fine! Now they are all awake!"
She handed Shannon to Gibbs and started to the crying James.
A tired Tony came into the room, slighty limping.
Abby got to the door and returned with McGee.
"Morning! Bagles!"
"I'll kill you!"
Tony mumbled.
McGee looked a bit nervous but settled down on the big table.
Zoe returned with James in her arms. He had already calmed down. The moment his second child was in the room Tony was fully awake.
"Morning sunshine!"
He took the little boy and kissed Zoe good morning.
"I" she pronounced the word extremely "didn't want to wake you."
"It's ok!" he said playing with his son.
He looked up on the table.
"Hey McGee! You brought bagles! Good thought!"
"I told you when...forget it."
Tony grabbed a cup of coffee Zoe had just put down. She immediatly took it away from him.
"Not for you!"
She handed it to Gibbs.
"The doctor said you're not yet allowed to drink or eat too hot or too cold!"
"Yes, Mummy!"
He answered ironicle.
"You're lucky that I am a mother and that our children are in the room, Mister!"
"You won't start call eachother mummy and daddy, will you?"
Gibbs asked disgusted.
"I took thirteen years to call you dad! You really think I would call Tony that?"
Gibbs took a sip of the coffee.
McGee put in a huge amount of sugar and milk.
Abby and Zoe went to the children's room to change them.
"Abby, you think a guy can forget that he asked you to marry him?"
"What?"
Abby looked up from Shannon.
"You know, yesterday I wanted to talk about the wedding, but Tony didn't have a clue what I was talking about."
"Mhm, strange. Maybe you got him wrong in the hospital."
"What do you mean? Get him wrong?"
"Maybe he didn't mean marry me soon. Maybe he meant marry me some time in the future."
Zoe put her son back into his bed. She really wasn't satisfied with that answer.

6 PM

Gibbs had managed it that Zoe gave him her children at last and she and Tony were sitting at the kitchen table.
She took somehing of her meal.
"Oh, my! This I call chinese food! Where did you order it? It tasts like at the Southern Dragon."
"That's where I ordered it."
She looked surprised at him.
"They only deliver if you order at least two days before!"
Then everything was clear to her.
"You planned this! You told Gibbs and Abby to take the kids!"
He grinned childish and took her hand.
"Zoe, this isn't the way I wanted to do this, but I can't stand long enough to do something better."
He stood up and kneeled next to her. He got a little velvet box from his pocket.
Zoe started to smile.
"Zoe Emilia Jetson. Mother of my children. Love of my life. My best friend. My lover. Will you marry me?"
He opened the box. The ring was perfect. The small line of white gold, four perfectly clear diamonds on it, two small, two a bit bigger.
"Of course I will!"
She answered with tears in her eyes.
"Two for us and two for Shannon and James."
He explained the meaning of the diamonds when he slipped the ring on her finger.
They kissed eachother passionatly.
"Tonight I don't care if you're tired!"

"Ok, let's face that date!"
Zoe and Tony sat on the kitchen table when Gibbs and Abby entered. Gibbs brought the kids into their room and Abby fell next to Zoe into a chair.
"Tired?"
"Shannon was crying until three! Haven't you heard her?"
Zoe and Tony glanced at eachother. Neither of their minds were close enough to reality to hear their child through the floor.
"I see, you hadn't! And I see he asked you! Wow! That I call a ring!"
She smiled but Zoe punched her on the upper arm.
"That was for maybe he wants to marry you sometime in future!"
Tony grinned. He could imagine what this was about.
"I love your kids, but Shannon has certainly your voice!"
Gibbs said and fell into the chair next to Abby.
"We agreed on a date."
Zoe said without saying sorry or anything.
"October the eleventh."
"That's pretty soon, don't you think?"
"Well, we don't wanna wait."
"Ok."
The phone rang and Tony went to answer it before the kids would wake up.

After a few minutes he came back. He was pale and his smile was completely gone.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
Zoe asked with concern.
"My parents wants to meet you."
He said quitely.
Panic rushed through Zoe.
"Your parents?"
Abby and Gibbs changed a knowing look.
Zoe had once saw them in the hospital but had turned on her heels when she realized who they were.
"Ok, I'm sure we'll find a date before the wedding..."
"We have to come for dinner tonight."
"What? Tony, why didn't you tell them that we can't? Dad can't take the kids again."
"Mum said we should bring them."

"They'll hate me!"
Zoe and Tony were driving to the DiNozzo mansion.
"They won't hate you!"
"They will think I'm not good enough for you."
"They think of me that less, it's completely impossible there is any woman in the entire world who is not good enough for me."
Zoe shifted uncomfortly.
She looked back at her children.
"Yes, that's surely your son! He doesn't want to go there, too!"
"It's in the genes!"
Tony smiled.
"Relax, probably they will go all over me."

DiNozzo Mansion

A housemaid opened.
"Hi, Tony DiNozzo. I'm heading to my parents."
They stepped into the huge house.
"Wow!"
Zoe said. It was impressive but Zoe understood why Tony didn't like living here. Nothing in here seemed happy or colorful. No child would like living here. And especially not Tony.
They entered the living room.
"Anthony!" his mother kissed him on both cheeks.
‚Snop is writen all over her' Zoe thought.
"Anthony."
His father's tone was completely different from his mother's.
While she at least pretended to be happy to see him, he showed his son openly his disappointment.
"Mum, Dad. This is my fiancée Zoe and our children, James and Shannon. Zoe, those are my parents, Joseline and Anthony"
"Hi."
Zoe smiled and reached out her hand but didn't recieved a responce.
She looked nervous at Tony.
"Felicita! Take the children with you, please."
Joseline told the housemaid.
"You don't wanna look at them?"
Zoe asked but by the look she recieved she already regretted it.
It was clear that they neither appreciated her nor her children.
"Want something to drink?"
Tony changed a look with Zoe.
"Two white wine."
He answered.
They sat down on the sofas. They looked expensive and old but weren't comfortable at all.
"So, Zoe, you're a Cop, too?"
"Federal Agent, Dad!"
Corrected Tony.
"Yes, sir, but not at the moment."
She answered politely.
"Also at this, what was it again?"
"NCIS"
Tony answered through his teeths.
"Well, I was at the FBI but changed a short time before I became pregnant."
Now she had crossed a line. She knew it. She was pretty sure that they didn't want to talk about her pregnacy.
The dinner was unpleasant quiet but long. The atmosphere was terrible and Zoe was too pleased when the housemaid entered and asked her to feed the kids.

"You won't marry this woman, will you?"
His mother asked when she had left the room.
"Sure I will marry her! And that woman has a name, mother!"
"Where do you know that those are yours anyway."
His father was now the one crossing a line.
"If you had a look at them you wouldn't have to ask. And by the way, I trust Zoe!"
"You were in a coma for that long, she could..."
"No, she couldn't! She was there! At my bed! Every day! Those are my children! That is the woman I'll spent my life with! With or without yu, I'll marry her on october the elventh. Come if you want, I don't care!"
He stood up and went to get Zoe and the kids.
When they got to the door his father stopped him.
"This woman is not worth to become a DiNozzo. If you marry her I'll disinherit you."
"Well, then. Do it! Go to your lawyer and disinherit me! I don't need your money! This is my family! And that is everything I need!"

When Zoe opened her eyes Tony was gone for work. He had left a note on his pillow.

"Kids changed and fed. Didn't want to wake you. Be at home as soon as possible. Love you.
Tony"

She rested her head on his pillow breathing in his scent. She had changed from mothermilk to bottles a few days ago. The doctor had told her to. It was a good thing since Tony could feed them without waking her. She really needed the sleep.

There was a knock on the door.
"Yeah?"
She was used to take on cloths again before sleep by now.
"Hi, Zoe!"
Kelly looked into the room.
"Hey, Honey."
"Why are you in bed? You're sick?"
"Nah, I'm tired."
"Can I?"
"C'mon."
Kelly was very keen on physical contact the last time. Mostly it was Tony who hugged her. But sometimes Kelly wanted to Zoe. She was now more of a mother than a sister. Kelly crouled next to her in the bed and Zoe took her into her arms and closed her eyes again.
The school was off today, some kind of school internal day off.
Zoe was pretty content with everything. She hadn't talked about it with Tony, but they didn't seem to intent to have more children. At least the had actually three children. Kelly was nearly everyday there. Sure, Gibbs was her father and he had the last word but he gave Zoe aswell as Tony room to punish her or benefit her and Kelly respected the three of them equal.

Around 11 AM they drove to the supermarket. Zoe had invited them all for dinner and had planned a special meal.

At lunchtime Tony and McGee drove downtown.
"What do you want here?"
"Get a gift for Zoe!"
"In a hard ware shop?"
"Zoe is not really the jewelery type. I want to get her a new welding torch. Hers is broken."
"You don't think I can help you with that, do you?"
"Nah, we get something to eat afterwards. Needed someone to drive me here."
He was not allowed to drive yet because his right leg wasn't fully recovered yet.
"And I don't want to make Gibbs think I'm doing it for a reason."
"So you're doing it for a reason."
McGee knew Tony pretty good by now. He wasn't showing it directly but there was something he wanted to talk about.
"You know, I think Zoe could fear I'm interested in other women."
"You mean, in having an affaire?"
He sighed and nodded.
"You know, one of her friends told her she had dated me. She somehow freaked out over it. I guess she can't really believe I completely changed my life style over night."
"But you did?"
There was a bit worry in Tim's voice. He liked his friends being a couple, actually he only knew them that way. But they were that what he hoped to become with Abby some day.
"Not over night though. I had time to get used to a , relationship, and I learned. Never in my life I would ruin all I have for a night with some woman."
This comment comforted McGee. Tony looked at his partner for a moment. He had reacted exactly the way he thought he would.
He on the other hand wasn't comforted. He didn't think that Zoe would have an affaire. No, he didn't want to think that, but actually he feared it. Former, the fact that their lifes were so much alike make him comfortable since it made them equal. Now it made him fear that she hadn't changed completely deep inside.
"She wouldn't do it either."
Tim's agreement came as if was reading his mind. He smiled shortly.
"I think this would close the deal."
He took a very good welding torch.
"You don't think that's a bit expensive?"
"Don't worry about it, probie."
The use of his nickname made Tim sure everything was fine.
Tony handed a golden credit card to the cashier.
"Where did you get that? Certainly not from your salary."
"I've got a rich family, probie."
He took the back and left the store.
"I thought your parents won't give you any money."
"They don't. Oh, did I tell you? They wanted to disinherit me the last time I saw them. But I had a aunt and two uncles who really loved me!"
"They inherit you?"
"Yup."
"You won't tell me how much, will you?"
Tony stopped and faced him before he answered in a calm voice.
"About 25 Million Dollars in money and about five millions in probaty."
McGee's mouth fell open.
Tony started towards the car.
"Will you come on?"

5PM

Tony got home early. There was no case so Gibbs saw no reason to keep him any longer from his family.
"Hey Baby."
He said kissing his fiancée.
He pecked Kelly on the cheek.
"Had a good day?"
Zoe asked.
"Mhm, brought you something."
She looked curiously at him when he place the bag on the table.
"Thought you could use it."
"Occasion?"
She asked a bit suspicious.
"None."
"Bad conscience?"
"Just open it."
"You know, Tony. You don't have to buy me something everytime I'm a bit freaked out. Especially if it's not your fault."
"Zoe!"
"Ok,...Oh, wow, Tony! That surely is one of the best welding torches! Tony that's too much!"
"You said yours is broken."
"I don't want you to spent your money for..."
"It's our money. Oh by the way, we have an appointment at my lawyer tomorror morning!"
"Why?"
"My last will."
She looked surprised at him.
"Honey, go down, shower yourself and get dressed for the dinner."
"Ok, Zoe."
She waited until the apartment door closed.
"You wanna change your will?"
"Sure I wanna! You're gonna be my wife! I have to look after you and the kids if something... well I have to calculate all that."
She hated the fact that he financial was giving so much into this relationship. She had less savings, even to not millionaires.
"Oh, and here is your new credit card."
He said after opening the letters.
"You got me a credit card? Tony, why...a golden one? No, Tony, I don't wanna..."
"Just take this damned credit card. Hell, Zoe, why are you making a fuss about this?"
"Because it's your money. And don't say it's our money. God. I hate this!"
She sat down. Now it was out. He just cover her with all his money within ten minutes.
"Listen, I know you want to earn your own money. You're like me. But think about it. Even if I don't own all those money of my uncles and aunt it would still be the way that I go to work and you raise the kids, because that's the way you wanted it. But since I own this money take this card and feel free to use it."
She looked weakly at him.
"You know why I give it to you?"
She shook her head.
"Because I know that you don't buy more than necessary. But, I want that you know that can buy yourself things with it. You won't start buying things we don't need or cloths you won't wear, that wouldn't be you."
He kissed her softly.
"Can we close this issue now?"
"I want a contract."
"What?"
"A contract."
He looked confused at her.
"You know, normally I should be the one who insists in a contract."
"So, what's the problem then?"
"The problem? Not only that you even consider the possibility that this is not working out you also try to save you from getting the half of everything?"
"Well, I have to calculate all that."
Tony shook his head and left the room for a shower.
He had to clear his mind. He never had thought that anything else than death would break them apart. But obviously Zoe was thinking different. When he got into the bedroom Zoe got in, too.
"We're not finished."
"You think?"
He said angrily.
"Tony we really have to consider it. Not only about the money, but about the kids. What if we break up and don't talk or anything? You really want a fight at the jugde? What if..."
"NO IF! There are no ifs, you understand me? We won't break up! That will never happen! And if we break up, I'll make it easy! I'll kill myself, because without you and the kids right here, there is no reason for me to live!!"
They glared at eachother before he collapsed on the bed. His eyes filled with tears. His first fight with Zoe and it is about NOT breaking up.
She sat next to him and took his hand and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, micio! I didn't mean to! I really want that this works out."
"Then why do we have to fight about it? Why do we always have this discussion about money?"
"It's just the way I am. Think about it Tony. It's wierd for me, too. You know, when I was pregnant I thought about how I'm gonna make it with two kids. How we would make it with one salary. I made this deal with Dad about the house. And then you got home and I learned that you are a multi millionaire. It was, strange. It was not the Tony I fell in love with."
"I never changed only because I got money. I always was like that, since you know me!"
"Yeah, but suddenly all the label cloths were explained. And I felt, well, I didn't felt equal anymore."
"You are equal."
"Not in money. You give so much into this. But I..."
"Zoe, you didn't hook up with me because of that. I would never use it against you!"
"I know you wouldn't!"
"So, what is this all about?"
She started to laugh.
"What?"
She kept laughing unable to speak.
"Hell, Zoe, are you on drugs?"
"I don't know what this is all about!"
She relaxed and stopped laughing.
"I guess I'm looking for something what makes this less perfect."
Now he had to laugh a little too.
"Well, you can keep looking forever, gatta! You won't find something!"
He kissed her softly.

Two hours later Zoe was standing in the kitchen again.
The meal really needed attention.
She was humming quietly.
"Good mood?"
Tony smirked carrying Jay. He bend his knees so he could kiss his girl without waking his son.
"You're fine?"
"Yeah, Tony, I really am!"
She answered smiling.
"Tug him in."
She gave him a smack on the ass.
"And then get that beautiful ass back here."
She returned to the meal.
Then she felt the familiar tickle of Tony's tongue on her neck and his hands on her hips.
"Baby, there is a meal I need to finish."
"Oh, can't start this and than just...well, cook! You look too hot when you cook!"
She turned around and pecked him on the lips.
"Ok. I'll remember the next time."
She held a spoon out for him.
"Try."
He kissed her long.
"Delicious."
She smiled.
"Good, now try the sauce!"
He rolled his eyes and tried it.
"Yeah, good, but not as..."
He took the spoon and pulled her close again.
"Does everything lead up to sex with you two?"
Abby and McGee were standing in the doorway.
"No, not changing the diapers."
Zoe answered quickly.
"That would be too wierd."
Abby handed Tony a bottle of whine and the four friends sat down on the huge table in the living room.
Short time after they were joined by Gibbs, Kelly, Ducky and Jimmy.
It was a nice dinner and Zoe had nearly forgot the fight they had earlier.
She got up to answer the phone.
When she got back she somehow seemed pissed.
When everybody was in their own conversation Tony asked her.
"What's wrong?"
He put his hand on her leg but she pushed it away.
"Don't!"
She said in a warning tone.
He tried to get it out of her for more than ten minutes before she started to talk in fast italian. Everybody turned to look at her.
Gibbs knew she can talk Italian. He guessed she had learned it from her mother, since she was Italian origins, and he once heard her through the roof. On the one hand he wasn't pleased to hear her at all, but at least he didn't understand it.
"What, what did I do?"
Tony answered to what she said.
There was no need for the others to understand to know that this weren't words of love.
Tony still answered in English.
"You don't believe her, do you?...Why should I do that?"
He looked around the table then started to talk in Italian, too. But he used a very calm tone.

Translation.
"I have not slept with her!"
"Why should she lie to me, Tony?"
"I don't know! But I can assure you, I haven't slept with her!"
Zoe shook her head and got out of the room.
Followed by confused gazes of all others.
"Excuse me."
Tony got up and followed her into the bedroom.
"Zoe, could you please tell me what she said?"
He tried it in English again. But still recieved only Italian.
It was Zoe's prefered language for sex and fights. He sometimes felt lucky because he didn't think she only used it with him.
When she was really pissed off she sometimes wasn't even able to form English sentences.
"She told me you had called her. That you wanted to talk with her about two years ago."
"I haven't called her! I don't even know her last name!"
"She said you've met in a motel and..."
"Zoe, listen to me I haven't slept with this woman! I swear!"
Zoe flinched away from his touch.
She walked into the bathroom and locked it.
"Zoe! Zoe, open this damned door! HELL! Zoe! Talk to me!"
"I think we better go now."
Abby stood in the door.
Tony looked at her like a dear cought in flashlight but nodded.
No matter how much they got from their fight, his team would be sure it was his fault.
He waited until the door closed then knocked again. And talked calm again.
"Zoe? Baby? Please, come out of the bathroom.Tesoro mio, please talk to me!"
"Go away."
He could tell she was crying. He hated to see, or hear, her hurt.
"Honey, I don't know what this woman is talking about. I really haven't slept with her nor I have met her! Baby, never I would betray you!"
He heard the lock of the door before it opened and Zoe's red swollen face looked up at him.
He tried to touch her again but she pulled away.
"Honey..."
He didn't know what to say.
"You really believe her more than me?"
She looked sad at him. He had expected that she shakes her head or that she assures him that she fully trusts him. But the fact that she considered the answer shocked him.
"Zoe?"
She was searching for the right words.
"You know, I already feared you would get bored."
"I'm not bored."
"I mean I can't give you everything you got from..."
"You give me everything what I need and want!"
She wipped the tears away.
"I would never have thought you would believe her that!"
She looked up at him again. Then she walked over to the small table and threw the welding torch onto the bed.
He looked at it then at her.
"Bad conscience?"
She asked.
"That's great! I buy you a gift and you turn it against me! No, Zoe, I don't have a bad conscience."
She didn't answer to it.
"What reason do you have to believe her, besides the present I bought you? Did I come home late? Didn't I sleep with you? Did I smell after perfume or had I lipstick somewhere?"
Zoe looked uncomfortable. She really had no reason to believe Isabel.
"Can we forget it?"
Tony tried to meet her eyes.
"I think I need some space tonight."
"Space?"
This wasn't going well.
She turned and got his pyjamas and held them out for him.
"What are you doing? What does that mean?"
She nodded towards the door.
"You want me to sleep in the guest room?"
She was not meeting his eyes.
He took his pyjama and left the room.

He was turning from one side to the other.
"She'll come! Sooner or later she'll come."
He told himself.
"She can't sleep without me by her side! She was up until one AM the other night because I wasn't there. She will come! She will snuggle up to me!"
He looked at the alarm clock. Nearly midnight. He was lying here for more than three hours.
He heard Jay crying and got up.
He carried him out of the twins' room and lay down with him on his chest in the guest room.
Zoe was awake too and looked trough the door without Tony noticing her.
He spoke quietly in Italian. They had agreed on raise them with both languages.
"You know, your Mummy is angry with me. It's never too early to learn, son! Women are crazy! Everything you say is wrong."
He laughed a little.
"But she is great. She never turns my words until I said something completely different. But you know there was this woman who told her I'm not loving her the way I do. You know that's a lie, don't you?"
Jay clutched the hair on his bare chest.
Zoe nearly started to cry. This wasn't a man who betray his wife.
"Could you tell her that? Would you?"
"No need."
She said entering the door.
Tony carefully sat up.
"Get him into his bed and then come back to ours."

Tony entered the master bedroom.
Still in Italian he asked,
"So? Is the verdict acquittal?"
"Probation."
"I can live with that."
He lay down but didn't try to touch her. He wouldn't test this.
There was no need for it anyway since she crowled up to him and rested her head on his shoulder her hand on his chest.
"Could we agree on something?"
He asked carefully while stroking the back of her hand and her forearm.
"What?"
"If you have a problem with me. Anything. Talk with me and do not yell at me in Italian in front of the team or the kids. Kay?"
Zoe kissed his shoulder in agreement.
"Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about."
He kissed her forehead.
"You know, I had the same fear about you. That's why I bought you the gift."
She looked at him her chin pointing into his shoulder.
"You don't have to buy my love, Honey."
‚Nicknames are good!' Tony thought before kissing her softly.
"What convinced you to let me back in here?"
"Jay."
She answered and kissed him back.
They settled for sleep.
"Tough day!"
Zoe mumbled.
"Never let anybody destroy this!"
Tony said before fading away.

"What the hell is this all about?"
Tony and Gibbs entered the kitchen after work.
Tony was allowed to do paperwork again.
The table was full of catalogs, brochures and magazins.
"We need a church, a band, a cake and catering. I need a dress and you, Dad, Ducky and McGee need tuxes! Why nobody told me that a wedding is that much effort?"
"But we just want a small wedding!"
Tony said confused.
"A small wedding? You have to invite all your friends. I have to invite all my friends. There'll be at least about fifty people."
Tony nodded slowly.
"Ok, but for now relax a bit!"
Gibbs already had made coffee and handed one each.
"We will all help you with that!"
he said.
"Thank you!"
She sat down and looked at all the material on the table.
"I'm a field agent! I hate paperwork!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day.
Zoe just had changed Shannon and went back to the search for a catering service when the doorbell rang.
She was more than surprised when she saw Joseline DiNozzo.
"What the..."
"Can we talk?"
Before Zoe could answer Joseline entered.
"Where are my adorable grandchildren?"
Zoe looked confused but lead het into the room where both kids lay sleeping.
"Young James is just as handsome as his father! And look at those red hair of little Shannon."
"Why are you here?"
Zoe didn't even try to sound polite.
"I want to apologize for my husband the other night."
Zoe raised her eyebrows.
"Listen, there were things in the past which made the relationship between Anthony and our son difficult. He barely visits us or calls us. And I know that one word from you would be enough that he never talks to us again. On the other hand you can make him call more often. I want to clear those things."
"Mrs. DiNozzo, that is Tony's decision. I will neither tell him to call you nor not to do it. And if you excuse me now, I have a lot to do!"


Zoe was sitting quitely at the table. Abby, McGee and Gibbs were there to help them to plan the wedding.
The meeting with Tony's mother earlier that day was like a rock in her stomach.

"Zoe? Everthing ok with you?"
Tony asked when they were all gone.
"Mhm? Sure! Why're you asking?"
"You've been so silent all evening."
Zoe sighed.
"I'm just tired. Two babies and a eight year old all day are exhausting!"
"You're doing great, Honey!"
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"But there is something else!"
"No, nothing!"
She kissed him again.
She knew he would freak out if she tells him about his mother.
"You would tell me, right?"
"Sure! It's just, I'm not used to be a mother! I'm a fed agent! It's a bit like being shot sometimes. And it's not fair that I have to stay at home while you can work."
"Hey! I suggested to take a break when the kids are a year old but you said you would stay until they're six!"
"But I didn't knew how hard it is not to work! On the other hand I couldn't leave them every day! It's the best solution until they're old enough."
They kissed again. Tony's tongue explored her mouth and she knew what this kiss was leading up to.
"Bedroom" was all she could get out.
Their way there was difficult since Tony didn't want or wasn't able to break the kiss.
Once inside he pressed her against the closed door and slowly started to undress her.
His touch sent chills through her body.
"God, more!" she whispered in Italian. She alway talked Italian when they had sex and it turned Tony on even more.
He kissed his way down her body.
She wasn't looking like before her pregnancy, but while her kids were only a month old she already had a pretty flat stomach. It was more soft, not as muscular as before. But that would change. She had set herself on a small diet and worked out when the kids slept.
And the fact that she and Tony found nearly every night a way to make out helped to lose weight, too. He hadn't cared about the extra weight at all, it was her choice to get back to her old shape as fast as possible.
Once in a while women told her that she was far too good looking for someone who just had given birth to twins.
But her body had changed. Especially at points noone but Tony would ever notice. Some of her sensitive spots had completely changed position. On the night of the proposal he had spent about two hours only exploring her new sexual body.
And that was more than mind blowing. He had made her going crazy. She was pleading, asking, begging. Her nipples for example were a point he better not touch her at all whereas the line under her breasts was more than sensitive. At some points she had forgot to breath, at other points she was screaming in extacy.
Once he had sent her over the edge only by blowing softly over one of those spots.
That particular spot he had used to tease her at a dinner with her father. It was just above her knee and he kept brushing over it softly with his fingertip until she excused herself to the bathroom because she was not far from coming at her fathers dinner table.

He smiled into her stomach, where he was just kissing her, at this flashback. He was thinking of this spot for a moment but it was not the way he would go tonight.
He was already on his knees. He put her right leg over his shoulder still kissing his way down and brushed softly over her hips and ass with his left hand.
He put one hand on her stomache to hold her in place when he started.
"Oh God!"
She bit her lip. The sensation of the touch of his tongue and lips was incredible, undescribable.
Her mind was not able to form English words and Italian nicknames and words of lust and love fell out of her mouth as whisperes together with soft, quiet moans. No matter how far she was gone, she never forgot her kids sleeping next door.
He looked up at her but stayed in place.
Her head was against the door, her eyes shut. One hand searching hold on the wall the other in his hair. Her back arched towards him.
He surpressed a grin. He had never seen a women look that graceful completely lost in pleassure.
He bit her clit softly, forcing her head fall forward and back again, bouncing against the wood of the door.
She didn't care about the headache she would have the next morning. At the moment all she could feel was the finger Tony was slowly working inside.
You could think one finger is nothing when you had given birth to twins but hell, not if this man is using that finger! He knew how to drive her mad.
The first finger was soon joined by a second.
He started to kiss her thights and hips.
He took her leg off his shoulder but it didn't help her to to stand. All what kept her up where those two fingers of his.
He slowly worked his way up to her neck again, hand still in place.
When he reached her mouth her took her into a kiss full of love and lust. That was the moment he worked in a third finger, thump massaging her clit and she moaned hot into his mouth. He tasted after herself and she had always loved that.
With his free arm he picked her up and carried her to the bed. Never releasing the other hand. She weakly opened her eyes breathing heavily. It was then when she realized that he was still fully dressed.
Unfortunately he had to remove his hand when she tried to get rid of the shirt of his.
She used this opportunity to turn them around, so Tony was lying on his back and she was on top of him.
"Payback!" she smiled and bent down to kiss her lover.
Not the way he thought of but fine.
She licked down his throat and sucked hard on the sensitive skin over the pulse.
‚No chance to hide that mark in the office tomorror, DiNozzo!' he thought.
In the meantime she was kissing his chest and kept going down over his stomach. She brushed over his muscles with her hands.
He really was in a good shape. The outpatient rehabilitation forced him to work out at least a bit and since since the muscles had already been worked out it needed only a little to built them up again.
She let her tongue slip into his navel.
A groan left his throat and his back arched.
‚I know your spots, too, baby!' she thought to herself.
She started to undo his belt and then the fly of his jeans.
God! This lasted too long! He hadn't even noticed yet how much his cock was hurting under the pressure of clothing.
She worked the pants and boxers down at one time.
She got down and started to kiss his thighs. She licked his hardness once from bottom to head before she started to suck.
Blow jobs weren't a common present from her. She was good at it, hell, he still remembered the first she had given him.
It was in the toilet of the bar they had their first meeting.
He could surely tell that it was the best blow he had ever had. Followed by mind blowing sex in his apartment.
It just barely happen because he was the one who usually took care of the foreplay.
But since they were rare they were always special and sensational.
He came hard down her throat.
He looked down and the sight of her swallowing made him hard again.
He pulled her up and turned her onto her back in the same move.
He kissed her gently but still effectively.
Her legs already spread and him between them she looked waiting, needy at him.
"Fuck, Tony, C'mon!"
She pressed out when he had been bounded by her look a moment too long.
He settled himself to push inside.
"Wait! Condom!"
She suddenly remembered.
"We really need one?"
He didn't mind condoms but he minded to wait any longer right now.
She reached for the nightstand.
"I'm not back on the pill yet!"
She answered when she opened the small packet.
She rolled it on. God, wonderful, wonderful hands!
"C'mon now!"
The longing expression on her face wasn't gone a bit.
He slowly pushed into her. Hell, this was good!
"More! Please!"
He pushed further until he was inside completely.
"Fuck me, Tony, fuck me hard!"
This was new, too. She always told him what she wanted. Before they had kids next door and her father downstairs she really was chatty. But it wasn't that she talked, it was what she said. The last time she liked it harder.
"How hard?"
He teased her and moved only very slowly.
"Very hard!"
"You want me to fuck you that you can't sit? Is that what you want?"
She was too lost to answer. She just nodded and bit her lip.

James woke up at 5 that morning.
Zoe was already up when Tony opened his eyes.
One of them woke up at that time nearly every day and Zoe was fully awake only waiting who would it be so the other would stay asleep.
He heard that Shannon started to cry so he got up to help Zoe.
The moment he wanted to step a piercing pain went through his groin.
Hell, he had no idea how sitting was for Zoe but walking wasn't the best for him that's for sure.
Somehow he made it to the twins' room and took Shannon up.
Zoe was grinning at him when she saw how he was walking.
"Out of training, eh?"
"Funny! Why don't you sit down for a moment?"
He kissed her softly.
"I think that was the hardest session we ever had!"
She grinned cocky.
They called it session in front of the children. It was innocent, they even used it one time in front of McGee and he didn't realize what they were talking about.
Tony reflected her grin.
Sure it was good but it was neither the way they usually went nor would it happen often in future. It was just what Zoe needed today. A hard ride, maybe a bit of pain. She needed it as a contrast to her new job as a mother. She needed some action.
"Why is Shan crying, anyway? You think she's hungry?"
He wasn't good at that yet. Mostly Zoe was the one who got up when they were crying. He would do it more often but she said if their hungry she has to get up anyway.
"Nah, don't think so. She's crying because Jay cried."
She put her sleeping son into his bed and took a full look at Tony and Shannon.
He was singing quietly to her while he slowly swayed her back to sleep.
When they entered their own room Zoe pulled Tony into a deep, intense kiss.
"Do you know that you are the absolute perfect man?"
She kissed him again.
"And the best is that you're all mine!"
"Wow! What an amount of compliments! Where do they come from?"
"You're a great friend, boyfriend, an unbelieveble lover,"
she paused to kiss him slowly.
"and the only man I wished for be the father of my children! I just wanted to tell you that you're doing more than great."
"Gee, thanks!" he chuckled.
He didn't showed it to her but it was really good to hear that. He had feared he wouldn't support her enough.
"Can't complain about you, either."
He said teasing.
"Mhm, you can't complain? What can I do to satisfy you?"
"You know, sleeping doesn't make much sense, so what do you think of a nice..." he kissed her
"...hot..." he kissed her neck
"...shower?"
"God, yes!"

After a bit painful but nonetheless wonderful morningsex Tony got ready for work.
His aching groin felt a bit better so he wouldn't be limping a lot more than usual.
His neck on the other hand showed a very visible mark of Zoe.
Maybe, if he was very lucky, Gibbs and McGee wouldn't realize that his bad walking and the mark were connected. But he didn't even dream about the possibility that Abby wouldn't notice.
Zoe entered the room and also started to dress.
Tony tried not to look. Man, even only the sight of the naked Zoe still turned him on. He asked himself if that would ever get better.
"Hell, those damned buttons!"
His hands had started to shiver and the buttons slipped through his fingers.
Zoe smiled and helped him. She looked down and grinned on his erection.

Half a hour later they were lying in their bed.
"Now, I really have to hurry!"
He gave her a last, long kiss before he jumped out of bed.

"Zoe, those are adorable! Noone at the office will believe me that."
Two of her old collegues and another friend were there for coffee.
"Really! Who had thought you would turn up with twins when you left for the NCIS!"
Amanda continued to Lisa's comment.
"Well, actually I was already pregnant when I got there."
Zoe corrected.
"And he didn't freak out when you told him?"
Isabel was always pretty cynical. She was her only friend with a child and the father had a run before it was born.
"Isa, he was in a coma. He woke up on their birthday. I think it helped him that he had Jay in his arms."
"Or he had no chance to get away."
"C'mon Isa! Our little men killer had found the right!"
All women laughed.
"Little party in here?"
Tony entered the kitchen and kissed his fiancée.
"Tony, those are my bride maids.You know Lisa and Amanda and that's Isabel."
"Hi, there!"
"What are you doing here, baby?"
"Lunch. McGee is driving me crazy because of the tux and Abby is asking because she wants to know if something dark blue is ok, too."
Abby was, of course, her first bride maid.
"And by the way I missed you and the small ones!"
He kissed her on the cheek again and picked up James.
"Shan is sleeping all day, eh?"

About half a hour later he left the house again.
"Well, this man is yummy!"
Amanda smirked.
"Yeah, that's what I thought two years ago."
Said Isabel.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Zoe looked up at her.
"Don't you remember? I told you about this guy I dated! The one never called back..."
"He didn't seemed to know you."
Lisa said unbelievingly.
"That doesn't surprise me!"

Isabel left first. She didn't stay long after Tony'd showed up.
"I don't believe her!"
Said Lisa comforting Zoe.
"Lisa, I don't care. I know about Tony's life before me."
"You mean, you think it's true? Did she tell you about this guy?"
"Can't remember, actually I don't think so. And I think Tony wouldn't have done that to an single mother. But I really don't care! Tony has many exes and I'm fine with it! I wasn't a nun either!"
"That's more than true!"
Amanda laughed.
"And, you're not afraid, he could get, well, bored?"
"Bored? We have more sex than he had ever in his life."
"You're joking?! You have twins and still find time to sleep with eachother?"
"Time? Yeah, two or three times a day..."
Amanda and Lisa changed a look.
"What?"
"You know, too much sex isn't good for a relationship,too!"
"We don't have too much sex."
"It's just, it's not good if a relationship is based on sex."

Zoe was sitting in the living room. Some old movie on the TV but she wasn't really watching.
All day she had tried to forget the conversation with her friends. Why did everybody try to make her think something wasn't right about this relationship?
Well, yes, they had a lot of sex, but she never had thought about it as something bad.
Tony entered the apartment quietly. He saw the light and got into the room and sat next to Zoe. Kissing her softly.
"Hell, this was a day. Gibbs made me help Abby. My ears are still ringing from her music."
He smiled at her.
"Something wrong?"
Zoe shook her head.
This was stupid! She wouldn't bother him with it. But Isabel was still running through her mind.
"Did you know her?"
"Who?"
Sometimes she just forgot that he wasn't reading her mind.
"Isabel."
"Em, no, not that I'm aware of, why?"
"She said she dated you."
"Really?"
He fell silent.
"Were there really so many that you can't remember them all?"
"Are you jealous?"
"No, I just want to know whether you were dating one of my friends or not?"
"I think she mixed me up."
"Mixed you up?"
"Listen, maybe I can't list the women I slept with by name but I don't think you can say that about you, neither. And by the way, she wasn't ringing any bell. She didn't even look familiar to me! And believe me, I would at least remind her face."
Zoe didn't answer. She really couldn't remember Isabel told her about this guy. She was the only friend she had in high school. But after it their contact wasn't that good. It turned up again in the last two years. In high school Isabel was a bit odd, but she was the only one who talked to Zoe.
"Hey? Is that mood only coming from your friend?"
Tony asked.
"I wouldn't think it effect you that much! You've meet exes of me before."
"Forget it! It's not important!"
She kissed him.
He immidiatly respond to it and it turned more and more into a hot kiss. He wandered down over her jaw to her neck.
"Too much sex isn't good for a relationship."
Amanda's voice came to her head and she pushed Tony away.
"What's wrong with you tonight?"
He looked asking at her.
"Do we have too much sex?"
"What?"
Now he was confused.
"We sleep everyday with each other. Mostly more than once!"
"You are complaining about having too much sex?"
"I'm not complaining about having too much sex! Most couples don't have sex for months when they get children. And we have twins."
Tony rubbed his hands over his face.
"So you're complaining about having sex at all?"
"I'm not complaining about having sex."
"Ok, I'm officially lost!"
The confussion in his face was undescribable.
"Zoe, what is it?"
"What if we couldn't sleep with each other? What if there would be any reason why we couldn't, at all?"
"Can't think of a reason. Besides what should happen then?"
"Would you stay with me? I don't mean because of the kids, or because we're married then. I mean, would you stay because of me?"
"Of course I would! Zoe, what is going on?"
He laughed nervously.
"Tony, you think our relationship is based on sex?"
He had to think about this for a moment. He knew the answer was no. But he had to think of a good way to tell her. He knew it was really important what he would say now.
"You see, I think our relationship isn't based on sex. I think our sex is based on our relationship."
Now it was Zoe who looked confused.
He linked his hand with hers. Searching for words.
"That what we have is special. We love eachother. We trust eachother. We know what the other thinks. We know when the other needs help, a hug, a kiss, supporting words. I think our sex life is a result of that. It shows how good we are together. It's a physical way to express all that. I never, and I really mean never, had so much or so good sex in my life before. And it's getting better every time. And it's because I never felt like this before."
He kissed her softly.
"If there is any reason why we can't sleep with eachother we still would have all of that."
"But why don't we talk more?"
"What should we talk about? We are sharing one life. When I come home you tell me about the kids and I tell you about my day. What should we else talk about? Is it important for our relationship to talk about politics, besides we do that sometimes."
She started to smile.
"What gave you the thought something isn't right with us?"
"Bride maids."
She answered quietly.
He pulled her closely into a tight embrace.
"Never let anybody say that this is not good. If anybody makes you feel bad about the way we live our life, I will make them feel bad about their life! On a very physical way. Did I make myself clear?"
Zoe nodded into his chest.

Tony and Zoe woke slowly the next morning. It was unusual quiet.
When Tony went to look after the kids they weren't in their beds but there was movement in the kitchen.
"What are you doing here?"
Gibbs, Abby and McGee were doing the dishes Zoe had left the night before.
"Cleaning up."
Gibbs snapped a bit angry.
"Hope you did the same!?"
Abby asked with concern. Tony nodded.
"What was it about?"
She asked.
"Never mind."
Tony said and grabbed two coffee and went to the bedroom.
"Hey."
Zoe said when he entered. Not in her usual cheery way but not angry or anything either.
"Here!"
He handed one of the cups to her.
"Thanks. What about the kids?"
"Gibbs, Abby and McGee are there cleaning up. They took care of them."
Zoe buried her face into her free hand.
"Do they know what it was about?"
Tony shook his head sipping on his coffee.
‚Gibbs coffee' he thought and grimaced.
"It surely had looked great."
Zoe said ironically.
"Don't worry about that, hon. Every couple fights sometimes."
He watched her intensely.
"You're through with it, right?"
Zoe nodded.
"You trust me, then?"
She looked up at him.
"I'm sorry, Tony. I shouldn't have believed her in the first place. You know, I remember now why she was odd in high school. She was always obsessed with some boy. She always took the best looking and most popular. Once she was that crazy, that she thought he actually loves her but they "kept it secret"! I guess this time it happened to be you."
He nodded slowly.
"You can forgive me that I freaked out?"
"There is nothing I have to forgive you! You had all reason to freak out. Don't know how I would react. At least you listened to me and didn't throw me out at once."
He smiled to encourage her but she still looked guilty up at him.
"It's ok, babe. Really. As long as you're fine, I'm fine, too."
He kissed her and recieved a pretty happy smile.
"I'll go and help the others."
"Say thanks for me."
Zoe called after him before getting a shower.

She answered the ringing phone before anybody got out of the kitchen.
"DiNozzo?"
She already answered the phone with DiNozzo since she didn't want to use Jetson anymore.
"I think I got the wrong number. Isn't there Zoe Jetson?"
"Yeah, I'm Zoe. Who's there?"
"Ah, Zoe, sweety, here is Susan Jones."
Zoe remained silent. Who the hell is Susan Jones.
"We went to high school together, remember?"
"Ahh Susan, how are you?"
Zoe had still no idea who that was but for now the woman had started to talk.
"Who is it?"
Tony asked.
"Susan Jones I went to high school with her."
She answered with a shrug.
"So, honey, me and some of the old girls asked ouselves what you do upcoming weekend?!"
"Nothing. I'm free."
Suddenly Tony started to wave his hands and mouth "NO!"
She looked confused at him when the cheery voice of Susan came to her ear.
"Great, so you will come to the reunion?"
"Reunion?"
Tony fell onto the couch. Abby, Gibbs and McGee stood in the door and watched the scene. Unable to tell what the hell was going on in there.
"The high school reunion, honey! It's saturday, rooms are already booked so you don't have to drive late."
She told Zoe the adress and the time.
"Ok! Be there or you'll regrett it."
Susan joked.
"Yeah, sure, see you there."
She hung up still a bit in shock.
"What could I have done more than this to stop you?"
Tony asked doing again the waving and mouthing thing.
"How the hell should I know what you mean?"
"It's easy Zoe. If family members or old friends you don't remember call and ask if you're free on a particular date never make clear statements before you know why they're asking."
"I agree with Tony."
Abby said and McGee and even Gibbs nodded.
"Now we are in it. It can't be that bad."
Everybody stared at her.
"You never had a high school reunion, had you?"
Tony asked and Zoe shook afraid her head.

The next day Tony had forced her into a shopping trip with Abby and her new credit card.
They were walking through the mall for more than four hours now. Luckily the team had two days off and Abby had all time they would need.
"What about this?"
She asked Zoe.
"Yeah, maybe if my breasts wouldn't have grew after the birth."
"C'mon, you weren't a a-cup before, either."
"Yeah, but it's D now! D!"
"They'll get smaller again."
"I hope so."
"I guess Tony doesn't mind. You two doesn't seem as if you could let the hands off eachother."
Abby grinned.
Zoe returned the smile but Abby got serious.
"You wanna talk about what happened the other night?"
"Nah, it's fine. We cleared everything. It was a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding which makes you lock yourself in the bathroom and yell at him in Italian."
Zoe sighed.
"One of my friends said she had slept with him."
"Recently or longer ago?"
"Both."
"You believed her?"
"At first. But I trust Tony. He said there never was something. He said he doesn't even know her. And I believe him."
End of conversation was ringing through the last words and Abby respected that.
"Oh, my! Abby!"
Zoe stopped at a doll. It was a extremely beautiful dress.
"This is perfect!"
She tried it on.
It really was perfect. It was sage colored and ended just above the knee. It was back free, deep enough to be sexy but it didn't exposed her tattoo. The neckline lay in soft curves and let her breasts didn't seem that big. The color matched perfectly to her hair and emphasized her blue eyes.
"This is gorgeous!"
Abby said smiling brightly.
"Yeah, but something else isn't!"
Zoe answered and showed her the price-tag.
"Why do you care? You can effort it!"
"No, it's Tony's..."
"Tony told me to tell you that you don't have any limit!"
"I know he say that, but..."
"No but! He told me that if you don't buy the dress you like most, he will ask me and buy it for you!"
Zoe handed the credit card unwillingly to the cashier.

"Hey baby."
Tony kissed his fiancée. She looked annoyed at him.
He looked over to Abby.
"She found the perfect dress, it was expensive and you forced her to buy it?"
"Yep. I'll go now! I'll be here with McGee at ten tomorror. See ya!"
She left the apartment.
"You show me?"
She still looked annoyed. But she grabbed the bag and went to the bathroom.
‚Wow, she really is pissed! She doesn't dress in front of me.'
She returned and his mouth fell open.
He had a really good taste for clothings and it would have been this dress if he were ask for the perfect one for her.
He couldn't help it. He had to wrap his arms around this woman. She was the absolute beauty and she was his girl.
"You'll be the most beautiful woman in that hotel!"
He kissed her passionately.
"Everybody there will be jealous on you or me. You have two adorable children, you look great, you have a great job, once the kids are big enough. And your fiancé isn't all bad, too."
She smiled and pulled him into another kiss.
His charme was overwhelming and he hadn't showed it to her that much for quite a while.

Tony got out of the shower to answer the door.
Abby got into the apartment followed by McGee.
"I know we are a bit early, but I was all awake and couldn't wait to see your little ones!"
The words just fell out of her mouth in excitement.
"Baby, do you plan to come back to the shower soo..."
Zoe stopped in the middle of the sentence.
She had just left the shower and only a towel around her.
Abby and McGee changed a look.
"We'll get dressed now."
Tony said and pushed Zoe into the bedroom.

After two hours they sat in Tony's Mustang. Zoe was driving. Her driving style reminded him slightly on Gibbs but not as neckbreaking.
"What is it? You're so quiet?!"
Tony looked at her piercingly. She hated when he did that.
"They will all tell me how great their career is going and show me their manager husbands."
"So? You had..."
She gave him a look.
"*Have* a great career, too. And my job isn't bad either."
"Yeah, fed agent."
"So?"
"For an agency nobody knows!"
"That's not true! Many people know NCIS."
"Yeah, people from the Navy and Marine."
"Well, em, ok you got a point."

They entered the hotel. Sure it wasn't the Four Sessons but it was pretty good.
Susan welcomed Zoe as if they were best friends.
"Zoe, darling! You look so good! Where is that man of yours who I heard so much of?"
"You heard of Tony?"
"Oh, yeah!"
"From who?"
"Isabel. She arrived only a few minutes before you."
Tony reached the women. He felt like a packing mule carrying all suitcases.
Normally Zoe wouldn't need more than a bag (all those undercover work seemed to effect her packing style) but since she wanted to impress everybody she needed a good dress for the reunion, the breakfast and the drive home.
Then she needed two pairs of shoes and a lot of make up.
And he had a big suitcase himself.
"Susan, that's my fiancé Tony, Tony this is a former class mate Susan."
"Thanks for not saying old!"
Susan let them alone in the elevator.
"I still have no idea who that is!"
Zoe shrugged.
"Hey, Baby?"
She said.
"Mhm?"
She got close to him.
"What are you up to?"
He grinned knowing.
"Isabel is here."
He looked down to her.
"That kinda ruin the atmosphere!"
He said stepping a bit away to see her face.
"You're ok with it?"
She thought about what to answer.
"At the moment. Ask me again when I see her. Wouldn't be so sure that I won't kill her."
"Well, that I don't mind but wait until after the party, too many wittnesses."
Zoe grinned and pulled him close. Their noses touched when the doors opened with a ping.
"Zoe."
She looked right into Isabel's face.
"You're still with that?"
Zoe swallowed hard grabbed Tony's hand and walked past Isabel.
"Zoe, wait!"
She heard Isabel. She stopped and turned. She let go off Tony's hand before he could do something and stept up to Isabel.
The other woman was a good deal taller but Zoe had no problem with size. She was small but earned respect from everybody at the job and everywhere else.
She stepped forward and Isabel backed away until she was against the wall.
"Listen to me very closely."
Zoe looked up at her former friend.
"I don't know what you made up in your mind, but if you ever say something like that with Tony again you will never be able to imagine anything again! So, stay away from me, Tony, my kids and my house! I don't wanna see you anywhere near us! You got that?"
Isabel nodded shyly.
Zoe gave her a last warning look before getting back to Tony.
"You know, the next time I'll stop you before you nearly rip her head off!"
Tony said turning to see Isabel again.
He really have never seen her before.

They entered their room. It was quite nice and Zoe started to unpack.
"You don't unpack for one night, do you?"
"I need to get my dress out! What suit did you bring by the way?"
Normally she would have ask before he pack but since this was Tony and he had known what she would wear she was pretty sure he had something matching.
"Dark grey pin stripe of D&C. Light green shirt of Armani and the dark green tie of Senya. Fine with that?"
"Si, Amenità!"
They started to kiss again.

"We really aren't good at quickies!"
Zoe smirked when they got into the elevator.
She had to hurry with her make up and hair styling after the quicky turned out to be full sex.
"Well, does that mean we need to practise?"
He asked innocently but couldn't surpress a grin.

When they entered the room they immidiatly got glares from every side.
They looked incredible but together it was even better.
When Zoe looked around the room her belly filled with comfort. She surely was the best looking woman in the room. Many of her class mates, she recognized only a few, had grew old a lot faster than she had. She also noticed that Tony was the most attractive man in here. She looked up at him smiling brightly before they got to their table.
"Thank God for name plates! I wouldn't recognize more than ten people in here!"
She whispered.
Tony smiled at her when one of her class mates came to her.
"Zoe! You look great!"
Zoe looked at the plate discreetly.
"Lucy, you look great, too!"
‚You're a good liar'she thought.
"That's my fiancé Tony DiNozzo."
"Oh, I once met a Daniel DiNozzo."
"Yeah he's my cousin."
"World is small, eh?"
After a little small talk she excused herself.
Zoe looked at him.
"You don't have a cousin named Daniel!"
"So? It wouldn't have took longer to convince her that I haven't anything to do with him."

Pretty soon other women and men came up to them so they had no time to sit down. Tony's hand rested the whole time on the small of her back just as if it doesn't belong somewhere else and gave Zoe the feel of confort and support until he had to go to the bathroom.
It took maybe ten seconds when he was gone before about six women started to Zoe.
"God, Zoe this man is incredible."
"Thanks."
"You're engaged?"
"Yeah, we also have twins."
She showed the pictures of her kids. Soon Zoe was filled with a malicious pleasure. She was not only the most beautiful woman in this room. She also had the best life and she knew that all women were tattering behind her back because she was so damned lucky.

When Tony got back he picked up a drink for Zoe and one for himself. He scanned the room for her and saw her talking to a tall, pretty handsome man. She was chating and smiling at him. Jealousy rose in Tony and he couldn't do anything about it.
"Here."
He said and handed Zoe the drink with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hi, I'm Tony. Zoe's fiancé."
He held out his hand.
"Brad!"
The man answered and took the hand.
Tony didn't put his hand into its usual spot but wraped his arms around her waist.
Pretty soon Brad got away.
"Was that necessary?"
Zoe asked and turned to him.
"What?"
"You were marking me like a dog its territory."
"I didn't!"
She raised her eyebrows.
"Ok, maybe I did. But your mine. I can't change it."
He kissed her gentle.

After a good dinner and stupid small talk on the table Tony had found a frat brother. Zoe silently asked herself how he always managed to find one. So Tony and a few men were talking about college football and other sports and Zoe stood with their wives, fiancées and girlfriends.
Sure the reunion hadn't turned out that bad she had thought of but she suddenly knew why she never calls one of those women. She wouldn't do it even if they had been best friends in high school.
It had shown that nearly nobody, except a few who work for the marine or the navy or their wives, knew the NCIS. But since Tony was used to that it didn't effected him much. Zoe on the other hand was soon really annoyed by the question if NCIS is like CSI.
Since Zoe was there the women started to talk about other men than Tony.
"Oh, yeah, that man is yummy! He turned out to be 20."
One of the women said about the boyfriend of a class mate who was somewhere else.
"20? I thought you get into prison for that!"
Another joked.
"As Madonna said. Take a 20 year old, he doesn't know what he's doing but he does it all night."
Zoe was pretty annoyed by the talk but since she was a good actress even Tony, who managed to follow the conversation thought she thinks this guy is hot.
"That are men all women want!"
The first said.

"God, those women are crazy."
Zoe laughed as they entered their room again.
She immidiatly started to kiss Tony's neck but he pushed her softly away.
"It's late, I think we better sleep."
"C'mon, Honey! I'm not sleepy!"
"Yeah, but your drunk, you would fall asleep before we start."
"Is there someone in a bad mood?"
She had start to pick him in his stomach.
"Quit it!"
She sat down on the bed. Her good mood nearly gone.
"Why are you like that? Did I something wrong?"
"No."
"Did I drink too much?"
"No, you had fun, it's alright."
"Did I embarrass you?"
"Zoe, could you please quit it?"
"Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing. I'm tired, that's all."
"That's not all!"
"We had sex three times today, do you really need it?"
Zoe looked shocked at him.
"Need it? I want it. No, wanted it. But now I just want to know why you are so bitchy."
"I'm not bitchy."
"Tony, you are like me when I have my period."
Tony sighed.
"Did you recognize that I was the oldest man in that room. Except that sixty year old millionaire Miranda had married."
Actually Zoe hadn't noticed that. She had noticed that he was the sexiest, the most intelligent, and most charming man.
Tony lay down flat on the bed. He already was down to his boxers.
He knew he was a bit older than Zoe. In fact he was 9 years older than Zoe, since she was 28 and he was 37. But he never had felt it that much.
Zoe silently undressed and put on one of his T-shirts she had brought to sleep (actually she hadn't thought she would wear it).
She sat on the bed again.
"I haven't noticed that."
After he hadn't said anything further she thought he was maybe still waiting for an answer.
He turned his head to look at her.
"Am I really the man you wish?"
Zoe looked confused.
"Course you are."
"I mean, if there would be anything on me you could change. What would it be?"
Zoe shrugged.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
Tony asked unbelievingly.
"What about my hair? I could let them grew and get one of those perfect stylings. With wax and everything."
"I like your hair. They aren't too long so they don't annoy you but the are long enough for me to stroke through. And besides the fact that I don't like those wax stylings they wouldn't be that soft and I couldn't strike them. But I love to strike your hair."
She did it while she was talking.
"What is it, Hon? Why are you trying to change yourself?"
"Cause I can't change my age."
Suddenly Zoe knew what he was talking about. She rested her head on his chest.
"I don't want a 20 year old, Tony. You know, you really are the oldest man I ever dated but you also are the only one I stayed with for more than two weeks. You know why?"
He slowly shook his head. That was it, he was old.
"You're a man, Tony. No matter how childish you are sometimes in fact you are a man, not a boy. You know, I had enough of those boys to know that a man is better."
Tony couldn't really tell why it was better for her to have a man than a boy. Especially since when it comes to relationships he was probably worst than most of those boys.
"You know, those guys are wierd. Either they don't have any hair on the chest or they shave it."
"You like my hair?"
"I didn't actually at first."
He sighed.
"You know they were tickling. But then I liked that tickle. And besides it's a lot better when we sleep to rest a hand on those hair than on a bare chest. I don't like your hair, Tony, I love them."
He smiled softly. Ok, maybe it was not all bad to be man, not a boy.
"What about what Madonna said? You laughed at that, too."
He asked slowly.
Zoe grinned.
"I prefer my way. Madonna doesn't know it, that's why she said that about 20 years olds."
"What is your way?"
He asked curiously.
"Take a Tony DiNozzo. He knows exactly what he's doing and he's doing it all night."
"Mhm, you think I should proof that one?"

"No, no, Don't....Tony. NO!"
"Zoe, Zoe, wake up."
Tony was shaking her and her eyes snapped open wide in fear.
She looked around for a few moments.
"You had a nightmare."
He explained softly and she sighed.
He looked intensly at her, thinking about every word.
"Zoe, don't you think you should go to a councelor or something?"
Zoe looked surprised at him.
"Tony, I had one nightmare."
"Zoe, I know it's not the first. You have nearly every night one."
She had thought she was hiding it good. Everytime when she woke up from the scene in the forrest or the "job" or the day she'd found Gibbs and killed Jetson, she got up and went to the kids. But she suddenly had the feeling that it was stupid to think Tony wouldn't notice, since he was sleeping next to her.
"You know, I had that suspicion before but now it's pretty clear."
He said calmly.
"Tony, I got through a cold turkey and fifteen years with Jetson without any therapy. I can handle a few nightmares."
"Yeah but now we have kids. And maybe it would have been better to go to a therapy then, too."
He wasn't surprised that Gibbs hadn't sent her there.
"I just want you to be fine."
Zoe nodded slowly.
"Let's talk about that when we're at home."
Tony nodded and they went back to sleep.

"No, McGee."
"Yes, Abby!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Hey guys!"
Zoe and Tony entered the apartment where Abby and McGee were arguing about something. They immidiatly stopped when the other two came in.
"How was the reunion?"
Abby asked innocently.
"Quite good. What are you up to?"
Tony asked suspicious.
"You know there was a call from the church."
McGee answered.
"So?"
"They told us that you can have the church on october the eighteenth."
"Oh, that's great news!"
Zoe said cheered up and made a note into her PDA. She was still using it even she wasn't working.
"Something else?"
Tony asked.
"Well, we thought you are going to marry on the eleventh."
"Yeah we are."
"Yeah, and we,"
he got a glare from Abby.
"I wanted to ask what you need the church for a week later."
Tony and Zoe now changed glares.
"Ok, we wanted to talk to you about it anyway so, sit down."
Abby and McGee were nervous. What was coming now.
"Since I'm catholic we decided to christenize them. And..."
he looked up at Zoe who stood beside his chair.
"We wanted to ask you two, Ducky and Jimmy to become godfathers and godmother."
She finished for him.
"That's great!" McGee beamed.
"You ask Jimmy?"
"Have to."
Answered Tony and Zoe smacked him on his head.
"Jimmy is a good friend since Tony was in the hospital. He was often there!"
"We want you all as close to family for them as possible."
Tony continued.


The next day seemed to last forever. All Tony wanted was to get home to Zoe and the kids.
When he entered the apartment at 4 PM the kids lay in their beds, neither sleeping, nor crying and Zoe had fell asleep over the laundry.
He softly shook her.
"Hey Honey."
She slowly opened her eyes.
"Hey baby."
She turned on the bed and looked up at her.
"Will you come down to me, or do I have to get you?"
Tony got onto the bed on his hand and knees.
She looked sleepy at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hi, Baby!"
They kissed. When they broke for air Tony rested his forehead against hers.
"You're hot honey."
"Thanks!"
She chuckled.
"No, I mean your forehead!"
He put a hand on it then on her cheeks.
"You're running a fever."
"I'm not!"
She sat up and put her own hand on her forehead.
"See, I'm not."
"Hon, you don't feel it but believe me!"
He got into the bathroom and took the thermometer.
"Under your tongue."
"Tony, I really..."
"Humor me, baby."
She opened her mouth and took it under her tongue.
"You know..."
"Don't speak!"
After a minute he took it out.
"Ok, that's it! I'm calling your doctor."
"No, Tony, I'm fine."
"Your running a high grade fever. I'll call your doc right now! And you stay in bed!"
"Tony, I'm really ok!"
"You fell asleep over the laundry!"
"I have twin babies!"
She tried to get up but everything was spinning around her and Tony could only catch her before hitting the floor.
"See? You stay in bed, I'm calling the doc!"

After half a hour the doctor came out of the bedroom and talked to Tony.
"Well, Mr. DiNozzo. She's running a high fever, her stomach is very sensitive for touch and after quite a while she admitted that she had thrown up. Her skin is slightly yellow."
"So, what does that mean?"
"I think it could be yellow fever or pyelitis. Anyway we have to move her to the hospital and check her properly."
"Ok, I'll get her there."
"Oh, no Mr.DiNozzo. We'll call the ambulance since she can't sit without nausea."
"Ok. But I'll come with you."

While the doctor made a call Tony made Gibbs watch the kids. He promised to call as soon he knew more and then drove with Zoe to the hospital.

Tony sat annoyed in the waiting area. As much the doctor understood that Tony came with them in the ambulance he didn't let Tony stay while the examinations. He started to pace up and down the room when Abby, McGee, Kelly and Gibbs with the kids arrived.
"They're in there for a hour now! What the hell are they doing?"
Tony silently talked to Gibbs while rocking his daughter.
"Calm down, Tony! She's gonna be fine."
Just then the doc entered the room. He wanted to talk to Tony privately and since Kelly was in the room Tony and Gibbs followed him out of the room.
"Please, sit down."
He offered the men eats in front of his desk.
"As I suspected Mr.DiNozzo, Zoe has a pyelitis. It seems that she has it for some time already."
The voice of the doctor was calm but Tony could hear the worry.
"What does that mean?"
"Well, normally, when we recognize it early it's no problem. We can get it under control with antibiotics. But since she has it for maybe two weeks it's getting too heavy for those. Her kidneys start to suffer. More over we recognized that her immune system isn't as strong as normal, well it never was and now everything effects her. Even a small cold could turn into a pneumonia."
"You're trying to say that it could be that she..."
"It's possible, Mr.DiNozzo."
Tony sighed deeply. She can't die right now, not on this way.
"We are doing our best."
"Is it infectious?"
Gibbs asked.
"No, I don't think so. Only by intense physical contact. That's why I think it's the best if we test you, too, Mr. DiNozzo."
Tony nodded slowly.
"Thank you!"
Gibbs shook hands with the doc and somehow brought Tony back into the waiting area.
He explained everything to the other adults, Ducky has shown up lately and tried to comfort Tony before he was called for his examination.

Tony sat at her bed. He had his feet in slipper and they rested on her bed next to her hip. He was dressed in a hospital PJ. His eyes were focused on her face. He had get everybody that crazy that they gave him a room with her together.
He had an infection but not as heavy as Zoe and was on antibiotics, actually he wouldn't have to stay but he didn't want to leave Zoe.
She had a lot of heavy meds in so she slept nearly all day.
But right now she opened her eyes slowly.
"Hey, Honey."
Her voice was raspy.
"Hey."
"You're sick, hon?"
She looked sleepy at him. The infusion was running slowly, the monitors on her side making quiet sounds.
"Little infection, nothing major."
"Got it from me?"
He nodded.
"Tony, I need you to know something..."
"No, Zoe, don't."
"Tony, it's about my will..."
"Zoe, you don't have to tell me that."
She tried a smile but failed.
"The doc told me, Tony. He told me about my condition. And to be honest, it's not getting better."
"I know, but it will change!"
He remembered the time he had to stay in isolation because of the plaque two years ago. Now he understood how Kate had felt.
"Tony, why are you here?"
"I'm sick, too."
Zoe slowly shook her head.
"I know you! You're not that sick that you have to stay. I see it in your eyes."
"No, Zoe, I have an infection and I'm on antibiotics."
"Yeah, but you don't need to be here!"
Tony knew that to talk was a huge exhaustion at the moment so he didn't want to argue with her.
"Rest a bit honey."
He said calming sitting up to stroke her forehead. She still had fever but it got down a bit by the drugs.
"Baby about the will..."
"Zoe, please..."
"It's because of the kids."
Tony looked at her eyes. He hadn't thought about the kids.
"Since we aren't married I have to put in that you'll get them."
"You haven't changed it?"
"Didn't got to it yet. Please make my lawyer come by tomorror."
"Zoe, there's no need..."
"Tony!"
They stared at eachother for a few moments.
"Ok, I'll give him a call tomorror."
In that moment a nurse got into the room.
"Mr.DiNozzo, You really should get into your own bed now!"
"I'll stay where I am!"
He barked at the young woman.
"Give us a few minutes."
Zoe said nicely.
"Tony, don't bark at the staff! She's not the one to blame."
He took her hand.
"I will not lose you, ok? You will not die!"
"I will, some day."
"Yeah, some day, but not now. And not as a Jetson! Did I make myself clear?"
Zoe nodded.
He kissed her softly. No tongue but love filled her.
He rested his head against her burning forehead and she drifted into sleep again.

Tony had to go two days later. Gibbs had to get some work done and couldn't watch the kids and Zoe had forced him to go.
Her condition was getting worse and he hated it to leave her there.
When he stepped into the hospital a week later the doctor awaited him in front of her room.
"Mr.DiNozzo, could I have a word with you?"
Tony slowly followed him into his office, knowing that this didn't mean anything good.
"It's not getting better, right?"
"I'm afraid, no."
Tony nodded slowly.
"How are the chances?"
The doctor looked onto the tabletop.
"That bad, eh?"
Tony asked pressing out a false laugh.
"Mr.DiNozzo, I'm sorry but I don't think she'll make it."
That was it. That was the moment. Tony's heart didn't only sank into his feet it seemed to implode in his chest.
"Zoe, will...? How long?"
"Maybe two weeks, maybe a month."
Tony shook his head and got up.
She can't die, not here not now.
"I want to take her home."
"Mr. DiNozzo I don't think..."
"You said she'll die. You said she'll have maybe a month, maybe less. So why shouldn't I take her home? What could be worse than that?"
"Mr.DiNozzo it'll be better for her..."
"No, doc! It's not better for her. Maybe it would make her to stay a week longer but... I don't want her to die in a hospital. We have twins you know. She would love to see them. To spent some time with them. And to spent some time with her sister and her friends. To sleep in her bed. I want to make that time good for her."

"Hey Big Z!"
"Hey, sweety."
Tony pushed Zoe's wheelchair to the house. Then he carried her up and put her on the couch.
Kelly immidiatly started to tell her everything from her school and her friends since she couldn't visit Zoe for more than a week.
Zoe smiled sleepy.
"Hey sweety let Zoe rest a little."
Gibbs said after half a hour. He knew that Tony hadn't told her about her condition yet.
When they left Tony said he wanted to get her something to drink.
"I'm dying, right?"
She said before he had left the room. He turned and sat on the floor facing her.
"Tony, tell me the truth!"
His eyes started to get watery.
"Yeah, you're going to die."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"How did you know?"
"You got me out of the hospital before I was recovered."
Tears start to fall down his cheek and she reached out for his hand.
"I'm not going anywhere, Tony, remember? Even if I die, I'm still here!"
He didn't want to deal with that.
"Thank you for getting me out."
She whispered.
"You're welcome. I just wished it would have been different."
"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you wait too long to get to a doctor. At least I learned something."
The sound of her laugh made him smile.
"Don't wanna lose you."
"And I don't wanna go. You know, if I had one last wish. I wished I would have married you. Just to be Mrs. DiNozzo. At least for one night."
Tony looked up at her.
"We can arrange that."
"What?"
"We could make the priest come over and all our friends, just the team and marry. I don't want you to die as a Jetson!"
Zoe started to cry.
"Honey?"
"You would really do that?"
"Yeah, honey, I would!"

"Ok, Sweety, you're ready?"
Abby asked.
Zoe had insisted to walk at least from the bedroom to the living room. She also was wearing her dress. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It was sleeveless and had a nice neckline. It was all soft and silky.
Zoe nodded the soft curls of her hair lying on her shoulders.
Abby helped her up and leaded her into the living room.
"Friends and family, we have gathered to ..."

Tony had prepared a speech. Zoe had one, too, but she wasn't able to talk. The pain in her kidneys drove her insane.
Everybody in the room was crying except the priest. Gibbs had explained to Kelly that Zoe wouldn't make it for long and she hadn't stopped crying all day.
"Zoe, you are the love of my life. You once said you will never go away and I still believe you. You gave me a reason to stand up every day and I'm not only talking about our kids."
He looked down on his cards.
"To hell with those."
He said and threw them away. He took her hands.
"Zoe, I love you. I don't want you to leave. This is supposed to be a happy day but it isn't. All I want is to spent my life with you. It is not fair that we have to take the words until death tear us apart that serious."
He wanted to say more but the tears overwhelmed him. Zoe cupped his face and kissed him.
"Could you come to the end, father?"

Tony and Zoe lay in their bed.
"Tony?"
"Yes, Mrs.DiNozzo?"
He asked joking.
"You think we could...well..."
He looked intensely at her.
"You want to..."
"Tony, would you...make love to me? One last time?"

That night they made love. It was all soft and sensitive. Tony didn't want to push her too far. It was intense to him. This was more than probably the last time he would be that close to her. In the end they were both crying again.

Tony woke up early. Zoe's head on his chest. It was cold. It was not the normal coolness of her head without fever it was completely cold. "Zoe? Zoe? Honey? Micio?"
His voice was quiet but started to rise from a whisper to a yell.
"Zoe! Wake up! Honey! Please! Don't die! Wake up! WAKE UP! DESTARSI!"