Chapter 3: Can't Sleep
Tony tiptoed into the house at 0015. Gibbs was asleep on the sofa in the family room and as far as he knew, Tali and Anthony were asleep in their rooms. Tony was exhausted but he was still too keyed up to sleep. After spending most of the day at the hospital with Ziva in labor, his new daughters had made their appearance at 2213 and 2235. He had cut the cords for both babies and then held each of the twins. Ziva was wiped out from labor and she had been zonked when he left the hospital. Rivka Abigail had preceded her sister Elizabeth Shannon by twenty two minutes. The babies had sandy brown hair with curls already evident. They looked very much like older sister Tali and the pictures Tony had seen of baby Ziva. He pulled up the picture of Ziva holding both babies that he had texted to the family earlier.
In the master bedroom, he quickly stripped to his boxers and then completed his bedtime routine. He came out of the bathroom and looked over at the two bassinettes awaiting their occupants. The two removable carrier parts of the infant car seats were sitting next to the beds. The bases were already in the family van in the two middle row seats. They had moved Tali's and Anthony's car seats to the third row and installed the bases last weekend in anticipation of the twins' arrival. Anthony had taken to the rear seat readily on Sunday when they went to the McGee house for the weekly family dinner. Tali had been indifferent to the change in seating.
Tony lay down on the bed and looked at the picture of Ziva with the twins one more time before turning the bedside lamp off. He lay in the darkened room staring towards the ceiling. Father of four, he thought about that they had doubled the number of kids that they have. Life was about to get crazier in their household with two infants. He reached his arm towards Ziva's side of the bed without thinking.
He rolled on his side and hugged her pillow to his chest, burying his face into the pillow and inhaling her scent. He missed her presence next to him, the feel of her body against his. This was the second night since September 2016 that he had not had her in bed with him at night. The first time had been the night Anthony was born, when she had slept in the birthing center bed and he had fallen asleep on the sofa bed in the birthing suite once Anthony had arrived.
This time, she was in a totally different building, miles away from him. Tony hoped she stayed asleep, knowing that she too would be missing his touch if she were awake. He finally fell into a fitful sleep at some point.
At 0700, Tali and Anthony woke up their Abba, despite being warned by Grandpa to let him sleep. Tony hugged his two older kids and picked up his phone to show them the picture of their baby sisters.
"Are we going to see them today, Abba?" Tali asked.
"Yes, I will be bringing them and Ima home later today. Let's go get some breakfast," Tony replied. He led the kids to the kitchen where Gibbs was making pancakes and sausage. Anthony sat down at the breakfast nook table and started eating as soon as his Grandpa put a plate in front of him.
Tony put the kids' orange juice at their places and poured a cup of coffee for himself. Gibbs set a third plate on the table and motioned to Tony to sit and eat.
As Gibbs brought his own plate and coffee to the table, Tony showed him the picture on his phone. "Rivka Abigail and Elizabeth Shannon," Tony watched Gibbs' reaction to the names.
Gibbs smiled at his son, "Honored that you named her after Shannon. What time you going to get them?"
Tony swallowed the bite of pancakes, "Figured I'd head over about 0900 and wait with Ziva for their discharge. You okay with staying with Tali and Anthony?"
"Yep." Gibbs put a forkful of pancakes into his mouth and nodded. "Always okay with spending time with my grandkids!"
Anthony held up his plate for more food; Tony took the plate and added two pancakes and another sausage link and handed it back to his son. "Toda, Abba," Anthony grinned as his father helped him pour syrup on everything.
"Abba, what about school?" Tali asked.
"You get to stay home today, Tals. It's a special day." Tony pulled his oldest into a hug. "That okay with you?"
Tali grinned, "Yes, Abba! I can't wait to see Ima and the babies!" Tali was excited to have new sisters. She had told everyone in her kindergarten class that she would be getting not one but TWO new sisters.
As Tony showered and dressed for the day, Gibbs cleaned up the kitchen and sent the two older DiNozzo children to get dressed. Tony dressed and grabbed the two car seats. He put on his coat and took the carriers out to the van, securing each one in its base. He looked at the four car seats in the back of the minivan. He and Ziva had the family that they had planned; four kids, a house and most of all, each other. He was happy with his life as a family man, something that he hadn't thought possible just four short years ago. 2016 had been a year of great changes in his life; ultimately all for the better. It had also been the year of four months of personal hell with only Tali to keep him going while he waited to confirm what his heart believed.
Tony shook his head to ground himself; back to happier thoughts. He had a wife and two new babies to bring home. He walked back inside the house and hugged Anthony and Tali, "Be good for Grandpa, and I will see you sometime around eleven."
"Okay, Abba," both replied before going off to the playroom and their toys.
"I'll text you when we leave," Tony told Gibbs. "Thanks for staying with the kids."
Gibbs nodded, "See you later," as Tony headed towards the door.
At the hospital, Tony carried the two infant seats into the hospital and went to Ziva's room. When he entered, she had both girls nursing and smiled up at her soulmate. "Boker tov, Tony." He leaned in and brushed his lips on hers.
"Double duty there?" he grinned at her.
"Seemed easier than trying to do one at a time," Ziva grinned back. She handed Rivka to her Abba for burping and put Elizabeth on her shoulder, patting her back gently. "I just need to figure out how to burp them at the same time!"
"I missed you next to me last night; couldn't sleep," Tony said as he patted Rivka's back.
"Sorry, I slept like a rock," Ziva responded. "I guess I was tired."
"Well, I would think so after all the work to get these two birthed!" Tony shifted Rivka to his arm and cradled her as she slept. "They are so beautiful, Zi. Anthony and Tali are excited to meet them."
"And I am ready to go home!" Ziva exclaimed as her doctor walked in to the room.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo. Everything looks good to go; any questions for me?" Dr. Garcia asked. Both parents shook their heads to the negative. "You two have been down this road before, so I will sign your discharge papers. Once the pediatrician signs off on the girls, you are set to go."
"Thanks!" Tony placed Rivka in a carrier and then took Elizabeth from her Ima. "Go get dressed, Zi; I'll let you know if the pediatrician comes in." Ziva nodded and took her bag to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get her clothes on. She came out of the bathroom in a comfortable pair of track pants and a zip front hoodie three minutes before the pediatrician entered the room.
He checked the girls over and told the parents that they were good to go. "The discharge orders should be at the nurses' station in fifteen minutes at the latest. We'll get an orderly up here with a wheelchair as soon as possible. I'll see you in a week at the office!"
Ziva packed her go bag as they waited. A nurse's assistant came in the door with the wheelchair and Tony picked up the two carriers. "Let's go home!"
Tony had barely shut the engine off in the driveway when Tali and Anthony came running out the front door followed by Gibbs. Both kids hugged their Ima and walked by her side as she headed to the house. Tony handed Gibbs a baby and then took the other infant and Ziva's bag. The family went into the house with kids chatting excitedly about their new sisters. Once in the family room, Ziva had Tali and Anthony sit on the sofa. She and Tony handed each of them a twin. "Tali, you have Rivka, and Anthony you have Elizabeth."
Tali looked at her baby sister, "Hi, Rivka; I'm your big sister Tali." She grinned when Rivka opened her eyes and looked at her.
Anthony grinned at the baby in his arms, his Abba helping him hold her. "Hi, Beth. You are little." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you baby Beth." Tony snapped a picture with his phone as Ziva wiped a tear from her eye.
"I hadn't thought about using a nickname, but Beth fits her, doesn't it?" Tony grinned at Ziva. The babies started fussing and Tony helped Ziva take them to the master bedroom to nurse. She nursed them together again and he returned to help her burp and change them.
The family of six spent the rest of the day quietly. Gibbs stayed for dinner and then left for his house after being reassured by Ziva that she and Tony would be fine with the four kids by themselves. Tony got the older two ready for bed and then settled in for the night. He headed to the master bedroom where Ziva was nursing Beth while Rivka had fallen back to sleep after nursing. She settled Beth back into the bassinette. She and Tony moved to their bed and lay down, cuddling.
Tony placed a gentle kiss on Ziva's lips, and wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled into his side with her head over his heart. "Mmmm, I think I will sleep tonight," Tony whispered. "I have you to hold again."
"Sleep now; they will be awake again soon enough," Ziva murmured. "Ani ohevet otcha, Tony. Laila tov."
Tony sighed, "Laila tov, Zi. Ani ohev otach." He smiled as he drifted off to sleep, his ninja where she belonged, in his arms…
A/N Two more chapters to go, but will be posting them after Christmas. (Three Christmas stories coming soon!)