Miss me? It's been a while, but here's chapter four. All stand disclaimers apply, but Jaime is my own! Chapter five is in the works, and I adore my beta Oxymoronic Alliteration. That is all.
Wednesday.
Wednesdays meant Tango Lessons.
Tango Lessons with Ziva.
Timothy Tim smiled; Wednesday was easily his favorite day of the week. If the team didn't catch a case they were out of the office by 1900, leaving just enough time to get to Rosetta Stone. After the lesson came dinner with Ziva. Uninterrupted time with Ziva was always a good thing in Tim's book. This week, however, would be very different.
Lessons had passed in a flurry of twists, turns and flared skirts, and, per usual, was followed by dinner. This week found Tim and Ziva opting for Indian, Ziva having claiming she was craving curry. Halfway through dinner, Tim's phone rang. Frowning, he pulled it from his jacket pocket. Checking the caller id, Tim's frown deepened.
"Sorry, I have to take this," Tim said, looking up at Ziva.
Ziva nodded, concerned by the serious look on her boyfriend's face. She hopped it wasn't a call out.
"Danielle? What's wrong?" Tim answered his phone, forgoing a more standard greeting. Bowing his head, to try and hear better, Tim frowned as the person on the other line spoke to him.
"Oh, Dani, I'm so sorry. Wait, what?" Tim paused, listening to the other person on the phone. "Are you sure?"
The hesitancy in Tim's voice caught Ziva's attention. Looking over at Tim in worry, Ziva waited impatiently to be let in on what was going on.
"Yeah, ok. No, I'm sure. I promise Dani, it's not any trouble. When do I need to get him? Tonight? You ok to drive? Alright. Yeah, see you soon." Hanging up with a sigh, Tim ran a hand through his hair.
"Is everything ok, Tim?" Ziva asked quietly.
"Huh? Oh yeah; well kind of. Let's get out of here; I'll explain on the way." Tim stood, leaving enough money on the table to cover the meal they had mostly finished.
Ziva stood as well, confusion clearly written on her face. "Of course, Motek." Taking Tim's hand in hers in an attempt to reassure him in some way, Ziva followed Tim out to the parking lot.
Neither spoke as they made their way to Ziva's car. Ziva noticed that Tim's grip on her hand was tighter than normal, but said nothing. It was only after the pair reaches Tim's apartment that Ziva called attention to her boyfriend's silence.
"What is the matter, Motek?" Ziva asked.
"Do you remember when we lost Agent Cassidy and her team?" Tim asked after a short pause.
"Yes, of course. It was supposed to be us working that weekend." Ziva nodded, silently recalling the case.
"One of Cassidy's agents, Jim Nelson, was a good friend of mine and newly married. Two months." Tim shook his head sadly. "I wouldn't have survived FLETC without him. His wife called me about a week after the funeral, and told me she had just found out she was pregnant. Danielle was terrified, to say the least especially after everything that had just happened. Guess she and Jim had talked about kids, but wanted to wait a while. I felt responsible, I guess, and offered to help anyway I could. Dani ended up naming me Jaime's godfather." Tim smiled a little, pride in his voice.
"What does that have to do with Agent Nelson's wife calling you?" Ziva asked, unable to follow Tim's train of thought.
"Jim's mom took Jim's death really hard. She passed this morning. Dani asked me to take Jaime for the rest of the week, so she can go help plan the funeral."
"Oh, I see," Ziva said, unsure how to process the news. Tim taking care of a child? Could he?
"You don't mind do you Ziva?" Tim asked suddenly "I know we have plans for the weekend, but would you mind Jaime coming with us? I didn't think to ask. I'm so sorry. He won't be any trouble, I promise. If not I can probably get Abby or Sarah to watch him for a bit..."
"Tim!" Ziva cut in, with a small smile. She was still getting used to Tim's non-geek speak rambles. "Jaime is more than welcome to join us. It will probably be a welcome distraction for him."
Tim sighed in relief, before leaning over to kiss Ziva "Thanks Ziva; you're the best. Can I ask one more favor?"
"Of course, Motek."
"Can we use your car to get Jaime? Mine isn't exactly child friendly, nor does it have the space for his car seat. Assuming you want to come with me, that is."
"Of course I will go with you. I want to meet your Jaime."
"You'll love him. He's a real sweet kid," Tim said as they exited Ziva's car. "You still have some clothes here; did you want to change?"
"Yes, please." Ziva nodded, taking Tim's offered hand, silently thinking how Tim sounded like a proud Papa when he spoke of Jaime. Pressing a quick kiss to Ziva's knuckles in thanks, Tim led Ziva up to his apartment.
Half an hour later they were back on the road. Tim used the trip to tell Ziva more about Jaime. It seemed that for all his three and a half years of age Jaime already had a very strong personality.
"It's funny; the only major difference between Jaime and Jim is that Jaime's all about baseball while Jim was a basketball guy." Tim chuckled and shook his head "Other than that Jaime's a carbon copy."
"Carbon copy?" Ziva asked.
"Looks just like Jim. Has the same mannerisms, likes, dislikes. That kind of stuff," Tim explained.
"Is that a good thing?"
"Sometimes," Tim said slowly. "That way it feels like we haven't lost Jim. Other times all I think is about how unfair it is that Jim's missing out on his son's whole life."
Ziva smiled sympathetically, squeezing Tim's hand in silent support.
Pulling up to the Nelson house, Tim smiled at Ziva. "You ready?"
"Yes." Ziva nodded, killing the engine.
"Alright, just a warning though; Jaime can be pretty rambunctious, and I haven't seen him in a month." Tim grinned, almost apologetically.
"I am sure we will manage, Motek." Ziva responded with a grin of her own.
"Uncle Tim!"
Stepping out of the Ziva's Mini, Tim smiled as a small form came barreling towards him. "Hey, Buddy!" Tim smiled, bending to pick up the young boy. "Wow, you're getting big again."
"I know! Mommy says I'm gonna be big as a tree soon. Can I really, Uncle Tim?"
"Maybe. Would you like to be as big as a tree?" Tim laughed as the boy shook his head. "Hey, Bud, I want you to meet someone, ok?"
Looking over Tim's shoulder, Jaime watched Ziva come closer, taking Tim's hand as she did so.
"Jaime, this is Ziva. Can you say hi for me?"
Burying his head against Tim's shoulder, Jaime peeked out shyly. "Hi, Zee-vah."
"Hello, Jaime. It is nice to meet you. Your Uncle Tim has told me a lot about you."
Jaime looked up at Tim. "Really, Uncle Tim?"
"Sure have." Tim nodded solemnly. "You can always tell her more though."
"I can do that," Jaime said, seriously.
"I'm sure you will, but first let's go check in with your Mom." Shifting the boy to his hip, Tim offered his hand once more to Ziva.
Taking his hand, Ziva couldn't help but notice the picture Tim made with Jaime. Tim had certainly come a long way from having never held a baby. He would make a great father some day. At that, Ziva's mind was suddenly racing a million miles a minute. Tim as a father? Why was she even thinking about that? It was not as if she and Tim had discussed children; they had only been together a few months. Nor was it something Ziva herself had ever though much on; life in Mossad had not allowed for it. Still, she could not deny that the image of Tim with their child was heartwarming.
Following Tim into the house, Ziva took in the signs of child life. Toys were scattered across the floor, and a cartoon was playing on the TV. The juice box and fruit snacks on the coffee table completed the picture.
"Dani?" Tim called setting Jaime down by some of his toys.
"Right here," Dani called, walking in from the kitchen.
"Hey. You doing ok?" Tim asked hugging the other woman.
"Yeah. We knew it was coming, but still it's sad."
Tim nodded "Yeah. I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend though. Danielle this is Ziva. Ziva, Dani."
"Oh, so this is the famous Ziva. It's nice to finally meet you. Tim talks about you all the time." Dani grinned, shaking Ziva's hand.
"And that's my cue. Jaime, let's go pack, buddy." Tim excused himself, blushing.
"All his clothes are already laid out on his bed. Bag's in the closet; jacket, too," Danielle called after him.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ziva asked.
"Oh no, I'm just finishing up the dinner dishes, then packing myself up."
"Allow me. You go ahead and pack. I'm sure a few moments to yourself would be welcome as well."
"You're a doll." Dani smiled. "I can see why Tim likes you so much." Kissing Ziva's cheek in thanks, Dani slipped down the hall to her room.
Forty minutes later Jaime was saying his final good bye before heading back to Silver Springs. Chattering about how excited he was to see where his Uncle Tim worked, Jaime was going non-stop.
"Hey, Buddy, I wanted to ask you something," Tim said calling the boy's attention back to him. "Besides seeing where Ziva and I work, did you want to do anything else?"
"Park with Jet'ro!" Jaime said after a moment.
"Ok, we can do that too, but me and Ziva were thinking of going to the beach. We were going to have a picnic and spend the whole day there. Would you like that instead?"
"Yeah, beach!" Jaime cheered eyes wide in excitement.
Ziva laughed softly at Jaime's excitement. "Do you enjoy the beach Jaime?" she asked, looking at him with the rearview mirror.
"Yeah, last time me and Uncle Tim went, he came back all red. Mommy said he looked like a lobster."
Ziva laughed at Jaime's memory as Tim blushed.
"So it's settled. Beach on Saturday. We could leave Friday after work and spend the night." Tim suggested.
"That would be lovely, Motek." Ziva smiled.
Friday had finally come and with no new case for the team Tim and Ziva were free to leave early for the beach, Jaime in tow. Knowing the drive would take a few hours, Ziva had stockpiled snacks and drinks. Jaime, who had been counting down the minutes, was having trouble sitting still in his seat. Watching Ziva fuss over Jaime from the driver's seat, Tim smiled; this was going to be quite the trip.
Upon finally reaching the hotel where Tim had booked them a room, Jaime was struggling to get out his seat the moment the car stopped.
"Jaime, you must slow down. We do not want you to get hurt do we?" Ziva said, releasing the boy from his seat.
Jaime shook his head. "No Zee-vah."
"Good boy. Now will you walk yourself or shall I carry you?" Ziva asked with a smile, shouldering her bag.
"Up. Peace." Jaime said holding out his arms.
Nodding, Ziva picked the boy up as Tim grabbed his and Jaime's bags.
"So, I was thinking after we get checked in maybe heading down to the beach for a walk. It's too late to swim, but the pier is still open. Sounded nice." Tim shrugged.
"It sounds lovely, Motek." Ziva smiled, taking his hand as they walked to the hotel office.
After settling into the room, Tim and Ziva led Jaime down to the pier. The large wooden structure enthralled the boy, who could make out some of the waves crashing beneath them.
"The ocean's not gonna knock us over is it, Uncle Tim?" Jaime asked as the trio reached the end of said pier.
"Nope." Picking Jaime up, Tim settled him on his hip. "See how high up we are? And how big all those poles supporting the pier are? We're safe, I promise."
"Otay." Jaime said eyeing the structure carefully.
"Jaime, what would you say to some ice cream before we head back to the room?" Ziva asked attempting to distract the youngster.
"Ice cream?" Jaime perked.
"If Uncle Tim will let us." Ziva nodded, shooting Tim a teasing smile. She knew her boyfriend was able to resist ice cream almost as well as any three year old boy.
With a smile, Tim easily agreed to ice cream. After walking along the pier a bit longer with ice cream in hand, Tim insisted on heading back to the room, claiming they would need to be well rested for tomorrow's adventure.
The following day dawned sunny and clear. Waking early, Tim set about prepping for the day's festivities. After packing a picnic lunch in a cooler, Tim packed towels and sun screen into a large bag before placing everything by the large beach umbrella next to the door. Finally, Tim set up breakfast before going to wake Ziva and Jaime. Deciding to wake his girlfriend first, Tim grinned as he slid back into bed behind Ziva. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, Tim placed soft kisses on Ziva's neck.
"Zee-vah. Wake up." Keeping his voice light Tim tried to rouse Ziva gently. "Ziva, come on wake up. We've only got a few minutes before Jaime wakes up too."
"Tim?" Ziva asked finally, turning in his arms.
"Good morning." Tim smiled kissing Ziva.
"What was that for?" Ziva asked slowly pulling away. "Not that I mind morning kisses."
"Just wanted to get in a proper kiss before Jaime wakes up, demanding the beach." Tim grinned, pulling Ziva back to him, stealing another kiss.
Chuckling, Ziva returned Tim's kisses, enjoying the quiet while it lasted.
"Come on, time to get up," Tim said after ten minutes of cuddling. "You go ahead and get dressed. I'll get the monster; breakfast is ready when we are."
"You seem to have thought of everything. You even managed to sneak out of bed without waking me."
"I got lucky." Tim smiled kissing Ziva once more before letting her go to the bathroom.
After managing to wake Jaime and getting him to eat breakfast and change, the small group was off to the beach. The day was spent building sand castles, swimming in the cool ocean water, and generally lounging on the beach. After lunch, Jaime snuggled up to Ziva and promptly fell asleep. Pressing a soft kiss to Jaime's forehead, Ziva silently went back to her book. Tim, on his way back from a bathroom run, saw the exchange and couldn't help but smile. It didn't matter what Ziva thought; she was a caring person, and would some day make a great mother. Pausing, Tim smiled a bit wider before shaking his head; it was something he'd need to talk to Ziva about. One day.
The end of the weekend found Tim and Ziva back at Tim's place, relaxing after their fun-filled weekend with Jaime. After dropping the boy back off at home and recapping the weekend with Dani, Tim and Ziva decided that after such a busy weekend it would be best to order take-out and sit at home with a movie. That done, the pair was now curled up on Tim's bed, talking.
"You are a natural with Jaime," Ziva said after a lull in the conversation.
"You weren't too bad yourself, Auntie Ziva." Tim grinned, recalling how Jaime had proclaimed to his mother that Auntie Ziva was "totally awesome."
"It was a nice change of pace, yes?"
"Yeah, it was. We can always do it again another weekend too."
"I would like that. Jaime is a sweet boy."
"Who Auntie Ziva likes to spoil with ice cream." Tim grinned, teasing.
Ziva shrugged. "You did not seem to mind either."
"I didn't…but, Ziva, I have to say that you looked amazing with Jaime. It was beautiful, and I hope that maybe one day you and I can talk about kids. I know it's soon, but I'd really like to maybe one day talk about children with you."
Ziva nodded slowly. "I would like that as well, Motek. For now, though, I will enjoy it just being the two of us."
"Agreed." Pulling Ziva further into his embrace, Tim and Ziva enjoyed just the two of them for what was left of the weekend, and part of Monday.
*NOTE it's been almost a year since the second round of tango lessons. Which means Ziva realizes her feelings a year after Somalia. I know my time line's seems a little off, but I broke it down in my head. *