"Excuse me is there a Tony out here?" A nurse called into the waiting room.
"Yeah, is something wrong?" Tony asked anxiously.
"You should follow me." The nurse instructed before leading him into the examination room.
"Oh my gosh Ziva are you alright?" He asked anxiously as soon as he saw the look of pain on her face.
She shook her head as she reached for his hand. "Tony please call someone… anyone." She begged.
"You're in labor aren't you?" Tony asked in realization. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Suggestion…" Caitlin said with a smirk. "Get her, to the hospital."
"You're going to run into a slight problem there." The doctor informed them as she came back in. "Caitlin's going to need to be here for at least another two hours to get her infection taken care of. Your problem comes in because she's only thirteen, you can't leave her here alone."
"Wait… so you're telling me I can't leave?" Ziva asked in disbelief.
"Well… one of you can. But the other one's going to have to stay here with Caitlin." The doctor explained carefully.
"Give me your phone Tony." Caitlin directed.
"Why?" Tony asked curiously as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"I'm calling Gibbs." She said as she punched in the number.
"DiNozzo?" Gibbs questioned.
"No it's Katie." Caitlin said quietly. "I'm at my pediatrician with Tony and Ziva, but I need you to come."
"Katie what's going on?"Gibbs asked keeping his voice level.
"I got a piercing and it got infected. I didn't want to tell Dad about it so I went over to Tony and Ziva's. They brought me to my doctor and… Ziva's in labor. They can't leave me here without an adult…" Caitlin said as quickly as she could.
"Alright Caitlin, calm down." Gibbs said evenly. "I can be there in twenty minutes. Help Ziva hang in there." He instructed before hanging up the phone.
Caitlin sighed in relief. "Gibbs is coming to stay with me."
Ziva clenched her teeth together. "Honey can you make another phone call for me?" Caitlin nodded vigorously. "I need you to call your mom and tell her I'm having the baby."
Caitlin once again took the phone from Tony's hand and dialed yet another number. "Mom?" Caitlin asked as soon as the ringing stopped.
"Did everything go alright at the doctor's honey?" Abby asked sounding exhausted.
"I'm still there… but that's not why I'm calling." Caitlin said nervously.
"What's wrong sweetheart?"
"Ziva's having the baby." Caitlin blurted out.
Abby immediately sounded awake. "Tell her I'm on my way!" She said before hanging up the phone.
"Mom says she's coming." Caitlin said as she passed back the phone. "Are you okay Ziva?"
Ziva nodded. "I've been through seven different military training camps… My pain threshold is pretty high." She said with a small smile.
Tony looked at her in disbelief. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"No… Tony I'm not sure about anything right now." Ziva said sounding frustrated. "I just need to hold it together…"
"You'll do fine." Tony promised gently, and for the first time in months he pressed his lips to hers.
"I'm looking for Caitlin Mcgee." Gibbs said hurriedly as soon as he arrived at the receptionist's desk.
"I can't tell you whether or not one of our patients is in right now." The receptionist replied without even looking up.
"Caitlin called me and asked me to come stay with her so that the adults with her can leave." Gibbs said quietly not to attract attention to himself.
"Sir it doesn't really matter why you're looking for her." The receptionist replied sounding annoyed.
"Okay I tried to give it to you without getting mad, but I'm here for my granddaughter so that my daughter can go to the hospital since she happens to be in labor." Gibbs said through his clenched jaw.
"Oh you're Leroy Jethro Gibbs!" The receptionist replied.
"It's just Gibbs." He replied angrily. "Can you please tell me what room they're in?"
"If you go back through that door it's the third one on the right." She replied as she watched him hurry through the door.
"Ziva?" Gibbs asked as soon as he went through the door to find her sitting alone in a plastic chair.
"Hi Gibbs." Ziva replied through quick breaths.
Gibbs quickly offered her his hand to cling onto. "Where's DiNozzo?"
"He went back with Caitlin, she's getting her piercing cleaned." Ziva replied quietly. "Don't get mad at him, I asked him to go with her. She's terrified."
"Zivers don't worry about it." Gibbs said gently. "Are you doing alright?"
Ziva looked at him for a moment before she broke down. "No Gibbs! I'm not doing okay! A child is trying to make its way out of my body and I don't think it's going to fit!"
Gibbs couldn't help but smirk. "Ziva it's going to be fine."
Ziva shook her head violently. "Gibbs I need to get this over with." She whimpered.
"Alright Ziva. Do you want me to take you to the hospital now, or do you want to wait for DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked carefully.
Ziva sniffed. "I don't know! I don't want to just sit here in this plastic chair waiting for my water to break, but I don't want to go without Tony!"
"Do you want to wait it out with me for a little bit?" Gibbs suggested. "I'll sit here with you until you make a decision."
Ziva nodded as she wiped her eyes. "Thanks Gibbs." She said as she buried her head in her hands.
"Did you call Abby?" Gibbs asked gently.
"I had Caitlin call her." Ziva sniffed. "Abby's coming, she'll probably be here in a few minutes."
"A few minutes? She's been that close?" Gibbs asked curiously.
"She went to the nuns." Ziva said before tightening her grip on his hand. "Owowowowow."
"Breathe through it Ziva." Gibbs said quietly. "Everything's fine, you're doing great."
She shook her head as the tears came through. "Take me." She whimpered.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Gibbs said in shock.
"I don't want to… but something feels wrong." Ziva admitted. "Since this morning I've just felt like something was wrong."
"Did you tell DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked immediately.
"No… There was so much going on… I knew the 'practice' contractions I was having weren't really practice. But with Abby needing my help, I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone." Ziva admitted.
"Well is there something other than the contractions that's wrong?" Gibbs asked anxiously.
Ziva sighed. "My gut… I don't know why… But I can feel something's wrong. I need to get to a doctor so I know there's nothing wrong with the baby."
Gibbs was about to stand up when Abby came bursting through the door. "Ziva! Are you okay?"
"NO!" She shouted back.
"Oh Zi… I know it hurts but you're fine." Abby tried to comfort her.
Ziva shook her head. "That's just it Abby… I don't think everything's okay. Something feels wrong, other than the pain… It just feels wrong."
"Gibbs take her to the hospital." Abby ordered immediately. "If she doesn't feel right… It's not that I think something has to be wrong… But… Gibbs!"
Gibbs couldn't help but smile. "Abby, I'll take Ziva. You should wait here and send Tony our way."
"Abby!" Ziva protested. "I need Abby…"
"I'll be there for the birth Zi. I'll come with Tony in just a little bit." Abby assured her.
"Please hurry." Ziva whimpered as Gibbs and Abby helped her out of her chair.
It was around ten o'clock that evening that Tim wandered into autopsy with Anastasia. "Ducky have you seen Caitlin… Or anyone for that matter?"
"Timothy?" Ducky asked startled before noticing Anastasia. Hello dear. What are you and your father up to?
Caitlin's missing… Along with Mom, Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs. Anastasia signed back as she fell into Ducky's desk chair in exhaustion.
Ducky gave Tim a glance before turning back to Anastasia. Stacey why don't you go grab a snack from the break room. He suggested. Anastasia nodded before rushing out to the elevator.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Tim asked frustratedly.
Ducky looked at him in surprise. "I've been down here working on an autopsy today… but there can't be that much I've missed."
Tim sighed in defeat. "I don't know what's wrong with me… But somehow in less than twenty-four hours Abby wants a divorce and Caitlin's managed to vanish off the face of the Earth."
Ducky's eyes widened. "Tim… What happened between you and Abby?"He asked in concern.
"I don't know!" Tim admitted. "She's been hiding something from me for weeks. I got frustrated… lost my temper…"
"What… did you do?" Ducky asked in disbelief.
"I accused her of cheating on me." Tim admitted. "I thought… I thought she spent the night with another man… But she was really over at Tony and Ziva's."
Ducky shook his head. "I have never been so unhappy that everyone asks me for advice." He muttered under his breath.
"Excuse me?"
"Timothy… You're speaking with me in confidence that I won't tell anyone." Ducky said simply.
"Yes… but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Abigail… Talks to me as well. I know what's bothering her, but if I told you then I'd be breaking her confidence." Ducky said regretfully.
Tim looked at him in disbelief. "You know what she's hiding from me?"
"Timothy it's not my place to say…" Ducky replied. "Abby will tell you when she's ready."
"How do you know she's ever going to be ready?" Tim asked angrily, though the anger was more toward himself.
"She'll tell you Tim." Ducky assured him gently. "But I am worried about what you said about Caitlin being missing."
"I'm not too worried about her… She wouldn't do anything stupid." Tim said surely, for a moment before breaking down. "She would… wouldn't she?"
"Tim do you trust her?" Ducky asked gently.
"Of course I do…" Tim tried. "No… I don't. I can't trust anyone right now."He said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Between whatever's going on with me and Abby… and…never mind." He shook his head.
"Tim something's bothering you." Ducky said.
"No… nothing's bothering me. Don't worry about it." Tim lied immediately.
Ducky shook his head. "I wasn't asking you, I was telling you."
"You remember when Ryan kidnapped Abby?" Tim asked quietly.
"Of course I do…" Ducky started.
"I can't… get the idea out of my head of what he might have done to her… I should have been there with her… She was sick anyway. I left her alone because I didn't want to take care of my sick wife… And she's never been the same since." Tim spilled.
"You can't dwell on something that happened so long ago." Ducky advised. "Abby needs you now."
"I just wish she'd tell me what she needs from me!" Tim complained.
Ducky sighed, not knowing what to do at this point. "Timothy, I would tell you… But it would break Abigail's trust in me. The trust of my friends is something I value very highly."
"I value my marriage very highly!" Tim argued.
"I never said that you didn't Timothy." Ducky calmed him. "You really need to speak with Abigail about your marital problems."
"What am I supposed to say?" Tim asked exasperatedly. "Hey Honey! I just wanted to know why you're all of a sudden hiding things from me and treating me like a disposable picnic spoon!"
"That would not be what I suggest…" Ducky replied awkwardly.
"What could be so important to Abby that she wouldn't tell me about it?" Tim asked in alarm. "She tells me almost everything that's bothering her… It's one of the things we always talked about… Now when I'm with her she's practically silent."
Ducky sighed realizing he was going to have to reveal at least one thing before Tim would give it a rest. "She has a lot to think about right now Timothy. She's going through a lot of changes right now…"
"Oh my gosh…" Tim looked at him in disbelief. "Is she going through menopause?" He asked nervously.
Ducky pinched the bridge of his nose as he took in a deep breath. "No Timothy… not even close…"
"OW!" Ziva squeaked through her white lips.
"It's almost over…" Gibbs said gently. "Almost there Zi…"
"Almost isn't good enough!" Ziva protested as she clung onto his hand just a bit tighter.
Gibbs couldn't help but smile. He watched as the monitor quickly slowed. "There you go Ziva… It's over. Do you need anything?"
"Other than my best friend and… and Tony, nope I'm good." She replied sarcastically.
"Do you want me to call again?" Gibbs asked with a smirk.
Ziva looked at him sheepishly before nodding.
Gibbs pulled out his phone and punched in the number for the fifth time that hour.
"Gibbs we're on our way." Abby said immediately.
"How's Caitlin?" Gibbs asked in relief.
Abby sighed. "She's… in pain…. But in less pain than she was before it got cleaned."
"Alright… not to pressure you or anything… But when are you getting here?" Gibbs asked desperately.
"Awww… Gibbs can't handle Ziva in labor?" Abby asked with a giggle.
"I think she broke my hand!" Gibbs whispered back.
Abby laughed. "Alright… we're gonna be there in about ten minutes."
"Good." Gibbs said in relief.
"Good?"
"She's not supposed to have her next contraction for at least twenty minutes."
"So what were you saying about everyone else being missing?" Ducky asked after awhile.
"No one's answering their phones… I checked everyone's houses but no one's home." Tim said sounding annoyed.
Ducky was about to speak when Tim's phone started ringing. "Hello?"
"Tim it's Tony!" A panicked voice came through the phone.
"Where are you?"
"I'm on my way to the hospital with Abby… I really have to go, but Abby wanted you to know!" Tony said quickly before hanging up.
Tim stared blankly at the wall for several moments before Ducky spoke up. "Is everything alright?" He asked carefully.
Tim looked at him with pain in his eyes. "Tony's on his way to the hospital with Abby." He said in disbelief.
Ducky shook his head. "No… she was fine this morning…I checked."
"Why were you checking to make sure Abby's okay?" Tim asked, suddenly angry.
Ducky sighed. "I really shouldn't tell you…"
"She's on her way to the hospital!" Tim protested. "It's a little late for anyone to be telling me what's wrong!"
Ducky shook his head once again. "I… I can't… Abby doesn't want you to know."
"Hos-pit-al!" Tim insisted.
"Timothy…" Ducky said before cracking under the pressure. "She's pregnant." He winced.
Tim froze. "No…If anything happened to her or… NO!"
"Timothy calm down… She must be fine, Tony would have said something if anything were really wrong." Ducky tried to calm him.
"He said he's on his way to the hospital… I'm pretty sure that means something's wrong!" Tim said before quickly getting up. "I have to get there…"
"Let me drive you." Ducky insisted immediately. "You're not driving in this condition."
Tim nodded before they both headed for the elevator.
Tim ran into the hospital waiting room and was surprised to see Abby sitting in a hard plastic chair. "Abby are you alright?" Tim questioned out of breath.
"Tim?" Abby asked in surprise. "I'm fine… Why?"
"Tony called and said you guys were on your way to the hospital…" Tim started before coming to his senses. "Wait… You're fine?"
Abby smiled lightly as she nodded. "I'm fine."
Tim looked at her for a moment. "I thought… Abby Ducky told me."
Abby looked at him in disbelief before standing up and heading toward the parking lot.
"Abby wait!" Tim protested as Ducky came in from parking his car, nearly running into Abby as she passed through the door.
"Is she alright?" Ducky asked quickly.
"She's apparently fine… So I'm not sure why she's here…" Tim said sounding frustrated. "But she's mad because I know about the baby…"
"You told her you know?" Ducky asked in disbelief.
"I didn't mean to… it just sort of came out." Tim said sadly. "Now I don't know what to do about this…"
"Dad?" Caitlin asked in surprise. "Who called you?"
"Tony… What's going on honey?" Tim asked quickly knowing his daughter would give him an answer.
"Ziva's in labor… I'm supposed to be getting mom, Ziva needs her." Caitlin said distractedly.
Tim's eyes widened in realization. "So…nothing's wrong with Abby…"
"Well… she's not here! And let me tell you Ziva's getting pretty close… If mom's not here I'm not going back there… She'll rip my head off." Caitlin said with wide eyes.
Tim closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "I'll go get your mom… Tell Ziva she's on her way."
Caitlin shook her head vigorously. "No way am I goin' back there without mom."
"All right… give me five minutes." Tim said before sprinting into the parking garage. He was sprinting down the aisles of cars when he found her leaned up against a cement column. "Abs?"
"Go away!" Abby sniffed. "And tell Ducky I never want to see him again!"
"Abby I know we have to talk through this." Tim said gently. "But I'm here to get you for Ziva."
Abby's eyes widened. "Is she alright?"
"It sounds like she's getting ready to push…" Tim said quietly.
"DAD!" Caitlin shouted into the garage. "DAD!"
"Katie we're over here!" Tim called back. "What's the matter?"
Caitlin looked at her mom in surprise before looking back to her dad. "Tony passed out… and Ziva's pushing." She said out of breath.
Abby immediately jumped up. "Tim… I'll talk to you later." She said quietly before heading back into the hospital.
"Ziva?" Abby asked gently as she pulled on a smock and mask.
"WHERE WERE YOU?" She screamed back through heavy breaths.
Abby shook her head. "That's not important… Are you okay?"
"Yeah… hardly hurts at all…" Ziva lied through her teeth.
Abby couldn't help but laugh. "Zi I've done it twice… it hurts you don't need to fake this."
"I know…" Ziva choked out. "Give me your hand… now!" She ordered
"Alright Ziva on this next contraction I need you to push." Her doctor requested.
Ziva nodded before tightening her grip on both Abby and Gibbs's hands. "I'm ready… I think…" Ziva replied
"Ziva?" Tony asked quickly as he came into the delivery room.
"If you pass out one more time…" Ziva began to threaten.
"I'm set Zi." Tony replied before taking Gibbs's hand's place. "You ready to have a baby Ninja Chick?"
Ziva nodded slowly. "Let's do this hairy-butt."
Author's Note: Hey Guys! I've gotten a lot of great reviews on this story as well as the series as a whole! Happy Independence Day (yesterday) to those of you in the US. If you're not in the US… I hope you had a great Monday! PLEASE REVIEW!
