A Tiva Surprise - A Sequel
Chapter One: Announcements
by Taygeta
Author's Note:It's been awhile since I've picked up the "Tiva" series, but I was so inspired by the lovely scene in "Shell Shock Pt. 1" (do I have to even say which scene?!) that I felt it was my duty to add on another story to my own Tiva series. This can be read as a standalone, but will spoil my original Tiva story somewhat.
Author's Note II:For those just tuning in, check out my profile for the order of the Tiva series.
Disclaimer:These characters are not mine.
Dedication: For those who loved the original "Tiva" fanfiction and all your encouraging comments.
There really wasn't much Ziva could do about this point.
Ziva was a problem solver. She liked efficiency and cutting to the chase. Not to say she wasn't highly qualified for long term undercover missions - she had done plenty of those. Those missions were solutions to problems and patience was what was required. But when it came down to it and things were straightforward, Ziva knew what to do.
When she felt his hand unconsciously rest on her stomach, she knew what she had to do.
"I'm pregnant," she announced.
It was 5 am. The sun wasn't quite out yet, but its days were already getting limited with the coming of fall colors and the suggestion of winter in the clouds. This coming winter was a reminder that it was almost two years since they began.
The bed shifted. His hand didn't move from her stomach as he looked at her.
She felt relief, finding her right hand automatically moving toward where his laid. It had been two years, but given so many other circumstances of her life, the fear that it could all end like some wonderful dream always lingered somewhere. Especially now.
Tony Dinozzo eyes widened, his eyes taking her in. Five seconds ago, he didn't think there was anything in the world that could make this woman beside him more beautiful than he already believed. He was completely, utterly wrong.
His eyes glanced down briefly at her stomach area, his fingers lightly dancing on the surface of his T-shirt that she liked to sleep in, before he returned his gaze to her eyes.
"Are you sure?"
She gave him a small smile, the kind that seemed to hold back a happiness too overwhelming to express, and nodded.
"I went to the doctor to be sure. I didn't want to tell you unless..." she began to explain but found herself caught up in his kiss. Then she found herself caught up in his arms, his body pressed against hers.
Coming up for air, she felt his forehead pressed against hers. He was so familiar now, but there was always this rush. She knew now that perhaps it had been there long before they had found their way to each other, maybe even from the very beginning.
With his arms around her, she felt his head resting on top her hair.
"Are you happy?" she asked.
"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "Oh, I think this goes beyond that, Ziva."
She felt herself nod instinctually and snuggled in closer to him, letting her guard down in a way she could only do when she was with him. She felt a safety she didn't often want to admit to, but in her heart she did. Perhaps she needed his closeness because she knew what was coming next.
"But you know what this means don't you?" he said, his breath warming the top of her head.
She nodded, "I know."
"So...how are we going to do it?"
She shook her head, "I don't know."
"Should we talk about this later?"
She nodded, "Let's just...enjoy right now. While we have it."
And so they did, basking in the overwhelming happiness of future possibilities, forgetting for a moment the hurdle they would have to overcome soon enough.
For nearly two years, Ziva and Tony had been seeing each other. There was a minor fiasco in the beginning where everyone found out briefly, but in an effort to keep "Tiva" (as their relationshipper team had called them) to, well, themselves...they had pretended that it wasn't true. For added measure, they had loudly and publicly gotten on each other's nerves to diffuse any belief that they would ever work out.
But here they were, still often getting on each other's nerves, but just very truly in love with each other.
For the rest of the team, nothing seemed to have changed. They bickered and mentioned seeing other people that were more fiction than factual stories.
"Oh probie, if you could see the blond bombshell I saw at the bar the other day..." Tony might say to McGee, leaving out the part where he had been at the bar with Ziva.
Ziva would mention a few guys here or there that seemed steady for a few weeks, but simply "did not work out". These guys were usually the first names of male leads from movies that she and Tony had seen recently.
If Ziva and Tony were being truthful, they had earnestly meant to tell their NCIS team, but it was just so nice being together without anyone probing or any potential issues from Human Resources that the white lies just kept on going.
They knew it had to end eventually, but they hadn't exactly planned on this being the way or having waited so long.
"So when are we going tell them?" asked Tony, a few days later, once again at Ziva's apartment. It was a weekend, their general break from hiding their relationship from everyone else.
Tony grabbed a piece of hot toast from the toaster oven, dancing it on his hands at the heat.
Ziva shook her head as he always did this. She once berated him about this habit, but she soon realized that he had been doing this since he was kid and it wasn't likely that anything she said was going to change him. She found herself smiling, a momentary vision of their little boy or little girl copying him.
"Soon...before I start looking like a cow or whatever large fat animal American women compare themselves to in this state," she sighed.
"Walrus? Whale?" He supplied, knowing he was walking on a fine and dangerous line with a woman who could kill him without leaving forensic evidence. Oddly, Tony found this game quite charming. Then again, he found her more than just charming.
She glowered.
He placed a plate with toast and jam in front of her and kissed her forehead. "Beautiful?"
Her death stare receded a bit as she nibbled on her toast, "Do we tell people one at a time? Or do we tell people as a big group?"
Tony leaned back in his chair, thoughtfully, "Well if we tell the team in a group we could diffuse the situation by layering on the bundle of amazing Ziva David and Tony Dinozzo DNA you are carrying."
She laughed, "True."
He added, "But at the same time, we might also increase our likelihood of being killed by a mob of people before we get to that announcement."
"Well I mean, given the circumstances, we could always lead with my pregnancy announcement and then get into the grippy situation of who the father is."
Tony laughed, "I think you mean sticky situation and...is that how you see me?"
"Well..." Ziva began. "If it was a random stranger no one knew, the announcement would be less complicated."
"Thank you," he replied dryly.
"But not quite as wonderful," she added.
"Nice save, David," he said, resting his hand on hers as it rested on the table. "Very nice." They sat in silence for awhile until Tony began this next suggestion, "We could also just tell each person individually. Y'know, making sure they feel important and not like we've lied to them for two years."
She nodded, "True. But do we want to tell them it's been two years? Should we aim for one year?"
"Ziva David, are you suggesting we introduce our future child into this world on a bed of lies?" asked Tony.
Ziva hesitated, wondering how she might feel if anyone of her teammates had revealed something similar to what they were about to say, and said, "Yes."
Tony nodded, "Yeah...let's go with a vague...'We've been seeing each for some time.'"
"Vague...vague is good!"
Settling into this idea, they continued to eat breakfast.
"Tony, will you feel relieved?" asked Ziva.
"About what? What do you mean?"
"About us...finally everyone knowing. I mean, it might get complicated with work and everything, but beyond those details - about our friends finally knowing - do you think you will feel relief?"
"I think...I haven't really wanted to tell the world about you and me. But there are so many times I've wanted to tell the world how much I care about you, how much I love you. Instead I have these stupid conversations about girls I didn't even talk to with McGee and making up pretend dates when I really stayed home with you. It'll be a relief not to have this pretend me that still hasn't found what he's looking for, when I have - and she's sitting right here and I already spent enough time before all this not realizing that."
Ziva found herself standing up and reaching out for him. She sat on his lap, enveloped in the warmth of his embrace.
She said softly in his ear, "I don't know if I'm going to feel relief or be overwhelmed. All I know is that I love you and we can get through anything together."
"Even the potential love/hate outcry of some of our closest friends?" he asked.
"Maybe even that." She paused, "I hope."
***
End of Chapter One! If you haven't guessed, each chapter will be telling different characters the Tiva Surprise! news. I welcome your feedback!