#Red looking into that Childrens Magazine doing a puzzle and getting so into it gosh that IS literally my husband

[allmyandroids]

raymond reddington being the sillest guy ever before he goes into someone's office to threaten them ✨️

[indestinatus]

Something Blue (part 3/15)

Please read it in AO3, this fic has soundtracks.

Summary: Now that Ziva is safe and can return to her family… Tony doesn’t waste any time. She’ll need to have something blue to go along with a white wedding gown.

“Dad, Dad, can I go by the window?”

“But I also want to go by the window…”

Johnny raced to his place, jumping on the seat with a loud ‘thump’, casting a knowing smile to his sister, blue eyes mischievous. He stuck out his tongue and looked to the window. He had won the fight this time, just as usual when it involved physical advantage. He was faster than his sister, but when it came to vocabulary and expressing oneself, she was almost scary for a three years old.

“But Dad,” said Morgan, pulling her father’s shirt down, watery eyes revealing either the hurt she felt or the plan to win his heart over, “I want to see the ground.”

She stopped where she stood, planting her feet on the ground and looking up to her dad with big puzzling eyes. People started to complain down the line why they all had to stop, grunting and asking what was going on. “It’s a child,” one of them said, as if this was reason enough to understand the delay. A flight attendee asked them to please move forward quickly and to not obstruct the way.

“Well, Morgan, we will be up in the air, so the ground will be very far below,” said McGee, raising her daughter to his arms as tears started to trace her cheeks, which made onlookers stare longer at the scene, “besides, the middle seat… means you can… hmmm…”

“You can stand closer to your mum and she’ll give you more snacks,” stated Delilah assuringly, eyebrows raised to McGee in a questioning look.

“Yes, yes, more snacks,” he said smiling to his wife, muttering a soundless ‘thank you’ as Morgan started to babble to her brother about her win.

McGee buckled up the seatbelts of the twins and sighed, thinking all was settled. A moment later, John was pulling the window cover up and down loudly and he had to interfere, asking him to leave it alone or else he’ll break it. “And what will we do if you break a window of a plane, John?” he added.

He sank in his seat by the aisle, opposite to Delilah who was now shamelessly laughing at his own struggles.

“Gosh, do you think these two will be able to pull this off?” asked Breena, hair in a ponytail and sunglasses on her head, “when Jimmy told me the guys would take care of the children on this trip and the women were obliged to relax, I just burst out laughing.”

“You know, I have no idea,” answered Delilah with a big grin, eyes twinkling with the thought, “but at this point, I really don’t care.”

“Oh, calm down, you ladies,” added Palmer with a smile, “Victoria here told me,” he gestured to his daughter who was holding his hand, “that it was Tali’s idea…”

“Mermaids and then a princess makeover!” exclaimed Victoria, her pigtails swinging as she jumped excitedly.

“And Tony assured me the island had a bunch of activities for kids,” said Jimmy looking at her.

He was carrying not one, but two backpacks, one at his front and one in his back, along with tour group leader flag which read “NCIS scouts” and a yellow whistle around his neck.

“Yeah, good luck with that,” said Breena with a playful smile as she put her travel pillow around her neck and her sunglasses down, already going to sleep even though the boarding was still on.

“No, no, I’m not scared of planes,” Torres told Bishop as he put her suitcase on the compartment above her seat, “it’s just… they’re creepy, okay? If you think about it, it’s hundreds of people and tons of luggage just suspended in the air, I mean, just floating around with nothing holding it. Clouds? They’re not solid, man.”

“What are you talking about, Nick?” asked Ellie, visibly laughing at him, “It’s a flight. One flight. How many millions of flights there are in a day?”

He sat down at the middle seat, taking out the safety card and flipping it back and forth, quickly putting it back where he found it with a stern face.

“If the oxygen masks fall,” Nick declared as she sat down at the aisle seat, “don’t expect me to help the one sitting next to me, Eleanor Bishop.”

“Noted,” Ellie responded with a laugh, “so why don’t we… talk to ease your nerves for the time being?”

He looked at her with narrowing eyes, pondering if she was joking or laughing at him, but nodded all the same.

“Okay. What do you want to talk about?”

Ellie faced him uncertainly, her eyes darting from the seat in front of her to the people passing by to get to their places. She coughed lightly and started to fidget with her hands. Nick glanced at them, noticing the gesture, but quickly raised his eyes to her face again, making sure he didn’t make her more uncomfortable.

“So did you… did you have the chance to ask that girl you’re seeing… at the gym… as-your-plus-one?” the words came out briskly as if she suddenly had to catch her breath.

Ellie lifted her head when she noticed Nick didn’t answer right away. He was already staring at her, chest going up and down as he breathed with difficulty.

“No,” Nick blurted, “No, I didn’t have the chance… you know, work.”

Ellie nodded with a puzzled look. She wasn’t certain what work had to do with any of it, they were going on vacation for the next few days.

“And you-”

“No, I gave up,” she interrupted, shaking her head, “this party is for Tony and Ziva, not for matchmaking. Besides, I don’t have the energy right now for that kind of stuff.”

“Hmmm,” Nick said, eyebrows furrowing, “let’s make a deal, then,” he sighed.

“What kind of deal?”

“We can be the each other’s plus-one,” he told her carefully, the words coming out slowly, “and then no one will bother you.”

“Hmmm,” Ellie answered, not noticing she had just mimicked him from moments ago, “Okay. Deal.”

They shook hands, looking into each other’s eyes for a second too long. They withdrew quickly.

“As soon as all your admirers lay eyes on my toned body at a greek crystal blue beach,” Nick said as he flexed his muscles, “they’re gonna run to the mainland.”

Ellie huffed a laugh as redness started to grow from her neck to her cheeks and her ears started to feel warm.

“Eleanor Bishop, is that you?” a voice came from the seat at the other side of the aisle.

It belonged to a man in his mid-thirties, bright blue eyes, short spiky brown hair. Broadly built. Took out all the space of his chair, legs tightened by the chair in front of him. Handsome. Really handsome.

“Phew,” she said, now the color of beetroot, “do I know you…?”

“I’m Richard,” he said, stretching his hand to shake hers, “Richard Wayne, from high school? We used to study together.”

“RICHARD WAYNE, OH MY GOD,” Ellie shook his hand vigorously, “wow, you’ve changed.”

“And you didn’t. Not a thing,” he cast a dazzling smile her way “I’m here for a wedding.”

“You are? How convenient-”

“Hey, Bishop, hey,” Torres started to punch her forearm, trying to get a better look at the stranger, but she kept moving in front of him to block his view.

“-Tony and Ziva’s wedding?”

“Yeah, in fact,” Richard answered with a puzzled look as he tried to understand what Nick was trying to do, “I used to help Tony when he needed something back from Baltimore PD. I’m a cop now, he taught me all I know when I was younger…” Nick continued trying to push Ellie away repeatedly, “you going to the wedding as well? Wow, that’s a coincidence. Bride or groom?”

“Both- HEY!”

Nick managed to push the button that declined her chair, and now that Ellie was almost at a 180-degree angle, he stretched himself on top of her to hold his hand for the stranger.

“Nick Torres, her plus-one,” he said with his chin up, chest inflated, “and yeah, both. Both bride AND groom. WE are close friends to them.”

“Oh, I see,” the man huffed a laugh, raising his eyebrows as he looked at Ellie, “well, nice to see you, Eleanor.”

“You too,” she blurted out as she raised her chair to the normal angle.

“I hope I see you at the ceremony.”

“Yeah yeah, have a nice flight,” Nick said loudly, his tone muffling whatever Ellie had said. She punched his shoulder but he didn’t even flinch, just looked at her with a scowl.

“Too late for that, Bishop. A deal is a deal.”

“Humpf.”

“Are you going to help the guys with the kids as well, Gibbs?” asked Jack Sloane to the man sitting next to her while she browsed a fashion magazine.

Gibbs straightened up in his chair, opening one of his eyes to look at her with a grin.

“They’re all kids to me,” he replied.

°°°

“You look a bit worn out in this picture. Hair sticking out to every direction, dark circles under your eyes…”

Seagulls sang their summer melody over his head, flying from the cliffs to the wooden stakes which held the pier bridge. The crystal water reflected the sky perfectly, the rays of sunshine scattered through the light waves. The air smelled of saltwater and orange juice, with a faint touch of dried fish. Children ran at the pier with kites on their hands, feet making the wood tremble with their movement. Colors were splashed on every surface, from light blue to bright yellow and shiny pink, in clothes hanged in small shops and the various drinks at the hands of tourists and villagers.

The sun warmed his skin but the wind made it pleasant.

“What do you mean by worn out, bro?” asked Nick to customs officer sitting in the booth by the pier with his passport in hand.

The man lifted his head and his scowl deepened. He was bald and had tanned skin, a beard with flakes of white framing his face.

“Hmmm… it appears you’re worn out in real life too,” he declared as he pressed a stamp in Nick’s passport loudly, dark eyes staring at him inquisitively.

“Wait, what the-”

“NEEEXT.”

“Good morning,” said Jack happily, putting her passport on the booth’s counter.

The man looked at the document and then back at her. One, two, three times.

“Is everything alright?” she asked with an eyebrow raised.

“You cut your hair.”

“Yeah…” answered Sloane as she touched the ends of her hair lightly, “it’s easier to maintain now.”

The man scowled and then shrugged, handing her passport back with a new stamp on it, “I prefer it shorter.”

“Oh, thank-”

“NEEEXT.”

Gibbs approached the booth and took out his sunglasses, handing his passport to the man without saying a word. The officer straightened in his chair, fixing his tie in its place. He looked at the document and then back at Gibbs gravely.

“Where are you going, Leroy Jethro Gibbs?”

Gibbs’ eyes narrowed slightly, “to the boat. There’s a wedding on the island.”

“Hmmm, I see.”

The customs official kept flipping his passport, counting all the stamps on each page, taking his time.

“Is there anyone accompanying you, sir?”

Gibbs coughed softly and blinked a few times. He looked at Sloane, who was waiting for him just beside the boat which would take them to their accommodations. She waved to him. He smiled.

“Yes. Yes, I think there is.”

The officer pressed a stamp at the passport, but just as Gibbs tried to grab it, his hands wouldn’t let it go.

“You… You think?”

“I know.”

“Hmmm,” muttered the officer just as he released the document.

Gibbs opened up a rare smile as he walked towards the group, ticket in hand. He heard a commotion and turned back for a moment.

The officer was bending forward on the counter, half of his body visible out of the booth.

“IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, I’LL BE FIRST IN LINE-”

Gibbs was laughing out loud when he held out his arm for Jack to hold.

“He’s a bit weird for an officer, don’t you think?” she asked.

“At my age, nothing is weird anymore,” he replied with a smile.

They stepped into the boat together, the wind tousling their hair and the sun kissing their skin.

“Agent Gibbs,” a voice came from the man deck, loud and reverberating.

Anthony DiNozzo Senior was waving at them, a charming smile displayed for the group. He carried a glass filled with a substance very similar to whiskey and on his other arm laid a young woman wearing a bikini, blonde hair dancing in the wind. He gave her a slight nod and she quickly found somewhere else to be. Senior opened up his welcoming arms to invite everyone to the main deck, his eyes twinkling.

“How very nice to see you all.”

“Not agent, just Jethro for the weekend, Mr. DiNozzo,” said Gibbs.

“Oh, call me Senior then, Jethro,” They gave each other a brief hug, patting each other’s back, “and who is this beauty by your side?”

He looked at Sloane curiously, raising her hand to his lips to kiss it lightly.

“Jack Sloane,” Gibbs answered facing her, not Senior, “this is Tony’s father.”

“Nice to meet you,” she shook his hand.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Senior said with a charming smirk, “oh, don’t worry, Jethro,” he squeezed his shoulder slightly, “I won’t go near her, she’s all yours. For now,” he added with a laugh.

“But why do you think-”

“YOU’RE HEEEEEERE!!! YOU’RE ACTUALLY HEEEEEERE!!!”

The air in his lungs was compressed harshly and Gibbs felt his body leaning backward at once, being pushed by someone who came running to meet him.

She hugged him very tightly.

“Abbs, hey, Abbs,” he said softly, caressing her hair, “I’m not going anywhere. Too… tight…”

“Oh, sorry, Gibbs, I just can’t believe you’re here it feels like a dream come true after all these weeks looking at your picture on my phone it’s just everyone’s here and I’m-”

“Abby. Breathe.”

“Yeah. Breathe. Important,” she breathed in and out, in and out until she started to relax and the world slowed down.

Gibbs held her shoulders throughout the process, eyes darting from her face to her outfit. She wore a skeleton swimsuit with a long wide piece of dark purple cloth tied at her waist. Four buns were displayed symmetrically on her hair, red sunglasses up her head. It was if the years hadn’t passed at all.

“I’ve missed you, Abbs,” he kissed her cheek.

“I’ve missed you more.”

“Aunt Abby is here!” exclaimed Morgan trying to get down her stroller. Her brother was sleeping soundly, arms around a fuzzy shark toy. She held her hands out towards Abby and looked to her mother asking her soundlessly to let her go.

“Heeeey, Morgie,” Delilah helped Abby raised the girl in her arms, “where’s the best hug in the world?”

“I like your bikini.”

“That’s very kind, thank you very much.”

“Abby…” McGee sighed heavily, quickly opening a big joyful smile as he stopped pushing the twins’ stroller, “only Tony and Ziva to get everyone in the same place.”

“Oh, McGee,” Abby gave him a side hug with her free arm, “I’ve missed you so.”

They smiled widely until their faces start to hurt, but the joy of the moment made it irrelevant.

“Nick Torres. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to stay at the pier.”

“And why’s that, Ellie Bishop?”

“We’re going by boat. And you,” she pushed her index finger on his chest, “said that you wouldn’t even step inside a boat again.”

“It was a SHIP, this is almost a cruise,” he grabbed a sparkly drink of a waitress passing by, “besides, can’t you see?”

“I fairly certain we all can see, Nick,” added Kasie, hands shading her eyes from the sun as she laughed at her own words. The sun up in the sky was relentless. A light orange cloth around her afro hair complimented her in the summer scenario. It was as if she belonged to the colors and energy of the trip.

“That’s exactly what I mean, Kasie,” Nick flexed his arms, visible from the white tank top he was wearing, and sat on a deck chair, sipping his new drink, “it’s Nick Torres. On a sun lounger. With a drink in his hands, translucent seawater by his feet and a prospering opportunity of a couple of days of paradise.”

“You’re talking in the third person, creep,” Ellie replied, “and this Tony and Ziva’s wedding, don’t mess it up.”

He stood up and got closer to her until they were sharing the same air. Bishop stopped breathing altogether, but her eyes didn’t leave his.

“How long ago since you let yourself truly relax on your last vacation, agent Bishop?” Nick asked.

She huffed a laugh, eyes raising from his lips to his big dark eyes, “touché,” was all Ellie replied.

“I’m- I’m gonna find some refreshments,” said Kasie awkwardly, “want something, Ellie?”

A loud horn sounded across the boat and the passengers started to swing at a slow pace. Seagulls flew overhead and the midday sun was up in the clear blue sky. Children waved from the pier, kites forgotten by their feet. A man started to sing loudly a vibrant song in Spanish, followed by a whole band picking up their instruments one by one, guitars, bongos and tambourines. His voice was clear and powerful, resonating on all parts of the main deck. Everyone started to cheer everywhere, clapping with the song.

“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” asked Jimmy with a glass raised, eyes searching the team among the other passengers, “may this weekend be as close to perfect as it can be, may us be happy in our stay and may the family welcome with opened arms the new, but old in a way, couple. To Tony and Ziva.”

“To Tony and Ziva!” everyone exclaimed.

Victoria climbed on his shoulders and smiled up to the seagulls in the sky, her little sunglasses slipping from her head.

“My lady,” Jimmy said as he handed her the whistle around his neck.

She blew it with all her strength, receiving smiles and loud cheers in return.

“Victoria just started our very first vacation as an NCIS family. To us!”

“To us!” everyone clinked their glasses.