So I had a harder time with this chapter than the others, would love some feedback on what you think. I have some good stuff planned for the next one. I'm thinking One more chapter and I should have it wrapped up. Hopefully you enjoy:)

Gibbs approached his team trying to ignore the urge to go into the room with Ziva.

Tony watched Gibbs swallow deeply and glance from him to McGee and almost smiled. He'd never thought he'd see a nervous Gibbs.

"Boss the scene is cleared up evidence tagged and bagged although it's pretty open and shut. The knife he used on Ziva was the same from the other women, or at least it looks that way. The video was clean so he can't pretend he didn't attack her."

Gibbs clenched and unclenched his fists, simply nodding as Tony spoke. Abby stood between him and McGee looking tearful but despite his desire to comfort her he couldn't speak yet.

McGee picked up where Tony left off. "We got what we needed boss but it's a good thing he didn't say much in the way of a confession The last half of the audio had some sort of issue lost most of it." McGee grinned enough to make Abby cock her head.

Gibbs wanted to reprimand McGee, knew that he should but found he could only nod in thanks. Already he was breaking more rules just to keep her in his life.

"Gibbs?" Abby looked at him questioningly

"Ziva should be fine, they're going to fix up the wound in her shoulder down here. From the sounds of it if they get to it quick enough she should be good as new." Gibbs hardly recognized his own voice it was gruff and far too full of emotion for his liking. Stepping back he nodded toward Tony indicating he should follow him. They all deserved an explanation, but he couldn't bring himself to give one like he gave a report in the bull pen.

Tony followed Gibbs over to a coffee machine and waited while his boss ordered up coffee for them both. They both grimaced at the first sip, both watching the room Ziva was in.

"It wasn't planned Dinozzo." Gibbs swallowed the bitter brew; half tempted to throw it out but was grateful for something to do with his hands.

Tony grinned slightly behind his cup. "I never imagined it was boss." Tony watched Gibbs and had to fight hard not to laugh. A flustered Gibbs was something you didn't see every day.

Gibbs caught Tony's silent laughter. "What the hell is so damn funny DiNozzo?"

"You're not in the principal's office Gibbs, it's just me here." Tony took another sip of his coffee and saw Gibbs cock his head.

"Rule number twelve Tony, blew that one all to hell."

Tony did laugh then just enough to make McGee and Abby look over briefly. "Your rules boss not mine, and I gotta tell you I doubt I could have refused if it had been me she wanted instead of you. You of all people deserve a chance at some good. If she's your good are you really gonna let rules stand in your way? I threw away a whole lot with that line of thinking Gibbs and you can't go back." Tony finished the last of his coffee, and ignoring the surprised look on Gibbs' face squeezed his shoulder in support. "Gonna head back to the office, get some work done. Keep us posted on how she's doing k?"

Gibbs found he could only nod as Tony walked away. Given more time to think about it he would have been shocked by what had just happened but before he could give it much thought the ER doc came out of Ziva's room and his focus shifted.

Ziva was tired, it didn't surprise her, shoulder surgery and blood loss would do that to anyone. Still it annoyed her to be cooped up in a hospital bed. Gibbs had insisted on a private room even if she would only be here for a few hours. Remembering that argument she smiled.

"They want to keep you for a day or so."

Ziva shook her head. "No, I want to go home."

"Ain't gonna happen Ziva." Gibbs' tone made it clear she wouldn't win the argument.

"I can not stay here for days Gibbs, I will go…" she bit her lip willing him to understand "crazy"

Gibbs saw the desperation in her eyes, knew what it was like to feel caged and sighed. "Till morning then."

Ziva knew it was the best she was going to get and nodded. "Can you stay?"

Gibbs understood what it cost her to ask him. "Yeah."

So she was here in her room, ignoring the pain her arm waiting for him to return. Work called him and after taking her official statement he'd had no choice but to return to NCIS. She could have slept but despite her fatigue sleep refused to find her. Abby had visited for a short while and then she too had needed to get back to work. Glancing at the clock she realized that considering it was nearing 2 am it was likely even Abby was sleeping. It struck her then she was bored. She almost laughed she hadn't realized she could get bored.

She was still chuckling to herself when a nurse walked in. Subtly her hand slipped under the pillow at her side and curled around the knife Gibbs had left her, whispering "Rule nine."

"Surprised to see you laughing, considering you must be hurting, young lady."

The nurse a round older woman with brown hair checked her vitals and the various machines monitoring her. Writing something on the clipboard she held she eyed Ziva like a mother hen.

Ziva tried for a smile, "I am fine, the pain is not so bad." Ziva didn't say there was no way in hell she was take something that would knock her out in a place full of strangers so instead she offered another smile.

The nurse watched her patient closely and double checked her vitals. She wouldn't have believed her if not for the vitals to back her up. Her blood pressure and pulse were slightly elevated but nothing alarming, certainly not what she would have expected for someone who'd just undergone shoulder surgery and was refusing pain meds.

"You know hun we have pain meds that wouldn't hurt the baby, especially this early."

Ziva heard the sudden beeping of a machine even as she felt her heart thudding in her chest. Her breathing quickened as well as her mind tried to make sense of what the nurse was saying. "What?"

The nurse stopped her scribbling on the clipboard abruptly when her patient obviously became alarmed. Uh-oh. Looking down at the chart she double checked the lab work before speaking. "Sorry I thought you knew."

Ziva sat up straighter wincing at the pulling and slice of pain in her shoulder. "Well obviously I did not, are you saying I am…" for some reason she couldn't get the word out. Slicing a man's throat she could do, saying a simple word made her a mess she almost laughed out loud again.

The nurse grinned to herself "Again I'm sorry I thought you knew, yes you're pregnant."

Ziva felt the shock hit her first, a sense of joy and then she laughed despite how much it hurt she laughed. Gibbs was one to get what he wanted and apparently in this it was no different. Catching her breath she saw the nurse grinning at her. "Sorry," It's all she could get out before she started laughing again.

That's how Gibbs found her, gently clutching her shoulder, laughing while the nurse looked on. He looked at the nurse and she only shrugged, unable or unwilling to share what Ziva was laughing at.

Ziva sobered when she saw Gibbs watching her, he'd been home at some point. He'd showered his hair was still slightly damp, fresh jeans and black sweatshirt were different from before and free of her bloodstains. For a moment he just watched her and then glanced over at the nurse.

The nurse was no fool nor was she so blind she couldn't see what was going on between the two in the room. Grabbing her stuff she left shutting the door behind her.

Gibbs pulled the almost-recliner closer to her bed and lowered himself into it. Grasping her hand he leaned in and touched his lips to hers. "Didn't mean to be gone so long."

Ziva felt him rest his head against her side as he leaned over from the chair. "Work is work Gibbs do not worry about it." Her mind was still reeling from the news the nurse had given her. It shouldn't have surprised her. Since that first night she and Gibbs had spent every moment they could together. She would have been more surprised if she hadn't ended up pregnant; still she wondered how he would react.

"Ziva? What's wrong?" Gibbs watched a flood of emotions cross her face, they went by so quickly he couldn't read them.

Ziva wasn't sure how to answer him, the words stuck in her throat. Instead she took his hand and gently guided it to the still-flat plane of her stomach. She let it rest there, and caught his eyes with her own.

Gibbs was a damn smart man and it took only a second for him to catch what she was telling him. Pressing gently into the warmth of her stomach even covered as it was by the scratchy cotton of her hospital gown, he stroked her flesh gently. He couldn't help the smile that broke through, the relief on her face told him she hadn't been sure how he would react.

"This is good Ziva, doesn't matter that it happened fast, it's right." Gibbs leaned in closer, never moving his hand. "You're tired Ziva, sleep I'll stay here with you."

Ziva felt his head lay against her side, let herself nestle in closer to him and the rest of her questions slipped away. Closing her eyes she drifted off to the feel of Gibbs' hand cradling her stomach.

Gibbs hadn't realized he'd drifted off when a shuffle of feet woke him, opening his eyes he found Ducky watching him from the doorway to Ziva's room. He stood abruptly, trying to disengage himself from Ziva's touch but her hand linked with his wouldn't let go or he was still too asleep to make it happen.

Ducky wondered what Gibbs would do if he knew that he'd been standing there for the past few minutes. He hadn't meant to intrude, hadn't meant to interrupt something so private it was close to six am and he'd simply wanted to visit Ziva before he started work. He wouldn't have been surprised if you'd told him Gibbs would be here, what had surprised him, stopped him still in his tracks was the intimacy he'd come upon. Gibbs had been half lying in Ziva's hospital bed, one had gently pressed against her belly, the other tangled in her hair, their heads pressed gently together. When Gibbs had stood up even in her sleep Ziva's hand had reached for him. Gibbs still held onto her even as he stared him down. Ducky tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. When Ziva had come to him about the possibility of a pregnancy he would never have suspected Gibbs but now that he thought about certain things he should have.

Gibbs saw Ducky fighting back laughter and rubbed his face. "What's so damn funny Duck?"

Ducky fought back a chuckle with a cough. "You, acting much like a teenager just caught by a parent."

It was Gibbs turn to grin and then quickly frown. "I'd say the potential consequences are much worse than a grounding Ducky."

Ducky shrugged "Who am I going to tell."

"I wouldn't ask you to lie Ducky, McGee and Tony already know, at least some of it."

"I didn't say I would lie Jethro but unless outright asked I have no reason to volunteer any information. For now let that be enough." Ducky came the rest of the way in the room and sat in the chair opposite Gibbs, who had finally settled enough to sit back down.

"Thank you Ducky."

Both men looked over to Ziva who they hadn't noticed was awake.

Ziva straightened herself in the bed. "We would not want you to ever lie for, us" her eyes flickered to Gibbs feeling strange at saying that word in front of anyone. She blushed but felt reassured when he grasped her hand and squeezed.

Ducky stayed for a short while longer making small talk, ensuring for himself that Ziva was ok. When he was ready to leave Gibbs walked him out.

"I'm going to take her home and then I'll be in, might be a little late."

Ducky smiled suspecting there would more than a few late mornings ahead for Gibbs. "Gibbs, you'll find a way to make things work, even when people do find out."

Gibbs watched Ducky walk away and hoped he was right, losing Ziva wasn't an option.