Tali & Monique, Age 13

December 3^rd, 2031; Today was Tali and Monique’s thirteenth birthday. And instead of doing the typical family gathering before doing something with their friends like they had over the years, the DiNozzo twins had opted to not do the whole family get together to spend time with their sister, brother and parents that day.  Madalyn and Asher had each driven home for their sisters’ birthday a few days before hand. When Tony woke up that morning and begrudgingly headed downstairs he stopped in the threshold of the kitchen and smiled at the sight of his wife, his daughters and his son conversing over coffee at the center island. Never would he have thought this would be his life, the thought of being happily married with four kids of his own went out of Tony’s mind after things with Wendy had gone south years ago. Of course Kate and Ziva had clearly sparked that idea in him when they each respectively came into the picture. But this was his life; Anthony DiNozzo Jr; federal agent, husband and father.

Apparently Ziva and their kids had gone out for a run around Anacostia that morning while Tony slept. Ziva had as she ran with her kids something from her past as they passed another runner who was wearing a neon fluorescent beanie. Seeing the hat made Ziva remember Lt. Roy Sanders from twenty-four years ago.  The thought of Sanders made Ziva a bit sad. Madalyn, Asher, Tali and Monique didn’t ask their mother why she had tears in her eyes as they rounded the corner that morning on their run. But that was this morning and as far as Ziva was concerned her trip down memory lane was need to know and Tony didn’t need to know.

Now Tony was watching his family from where he stood. Tony had picked up that his family was speaking in his wife’s native tongue. It tended to bug him when they did since he couldn’t understand them when they did. For Ziva it was just an added bonus.

“So what was that pause during our run this morning, Mom?” Madalyn asked.

Madalyn was always outspoken and she definitely pressed her luck just like her father.

“Classified and need to know.”

“Okay which agency?” Asher asked.

“Mossad or…?” Tali asked.

“NCIS?” Monique pressed.

“Its need to know and you four don’t need to know.” Ziva reprimanded her children.

“So that’s how we’re playing it?”

“That means it’s related to NCIS.”

“But when?”

“I think it was a particular case from twenty-four years ago, in between my birth and Ash’s; which means I was two years old at the time.” Madalyn said.

“Madalyn Lara DiNozzo!!!!” Ziva said in attempts to stop her daughter in her tracks.

Tony figured that now was as good as ever to step into the kitchen for the sake of his daughter. He’s seen how bad his wife’s temper got when she was pissed.

“It was an NCIS case and like your mother said its need to know.”

Ziva knew that Tony knew. At that point Tali and Monique got a phone call from their Aunt Monique who was down in Colombia once again. This time she couldn’t come up to the States like she had in the past. Sam had made it impossible for Monique to come up this time. Not even Jethro could get his ex to relent for a day. Jenny wasn’t lucky either. Sam was persistent when she wanted to be.

“Happy Birthday, girls.” Monique said.

“Thank-you Aunt Monique.” the girls said in unison.

“So what are you girls up to today?”

“Nothing much.” Tali said quickly.

“We’re just hanging out with Mom, Dad, Mads and Ash.” Monique said finishing her twin’s sentence.

“Enjoy your day, girls. I love you girls.”

“Love ya, Aunt Monique.” the girls said in unison as they hung up.

For the rest of the day; Tali and Monique spent time shopping with their sister and mother. Once they were done shopping with their sister and mother; the twins played a quick pick up game of two on two basketball with their brother and father while their mother made dinner. Their sister sat on the sidelines of the driveway and kept the score of the game that was going on before her. Ziva had made the girls’ favorite Italian dinner that night, chicken masala. Of course there was a birthday cake for after dinner like there had been every year for the twins’ birthday. Just as there had been one for every one of Madalyn’s birthdays and one for all of Asher’s birthday. The twins would have an ice cream cake when they celebrated their birthday with the rest of the NCIS fold a few days later. The cake before them were actually two cakes, one for each of the girls; but these cakes were specially made as well as specially retrieved. Ziva and Tony had Asher pick up his sisters’ cakes from Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, NJ on his way down from Ohio State. Tali’s cake was white pound cake with chocolate icing and white chocolate fondant. Monique’s on the other hand was straight up red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and red colored decorating icing. Both cakes had happy birthday written on them. Cakes from Carlo’s bakery on the thirteenth birthday of the reigning generation of DiNozzo children was a DiNozzo tradition.