Everything had fallen into place so nicely the last two months that Ziva could hardly believe it. Good things like this did not usually just happen for her. But here she was, sitting at her desk, checking her email. She felt the baby's movements and smiled. It was like a whole swarm of butterflies were dancing around in there. She couldn't wait for the movements to become big enough to feel them on the outside, but she enjoyed being the only one who could feel them for now.
She knew that Tony, of course, couldn't wait to feel the baby move. He was so excited about everything lately, having just got his new team. And now they were only a few weeks away from finding out the sex of the baby. His lease was up soon on his apartment, and he was in the process of buying a condo. That famous Dinozzo grin never seemed to leave his face.
But she was thinking about Abby now, for some reason. Abby had been so sweet since they'd told her. When Ziva needed a morning sickness remedy, Abby had looked up a good one for her. Sometimes the mood swings were almost too much for Ziva to handle, and Abby would hang out with her after work and let her vent. One day when Ziva was in a particularly blue mood, Abby'd even used the morphing program that was still on McGee's computer to show Ziva different possibilities for the appearance of her and Tony's baby. She was teaching herself how to crochet, wanting so badly to make a blanket for the baby. Ziva chuckled to herself, wondering if it was possible to crochet a skull into a blanket. She had never thought she would be the kind of woman to let another person touch her pregnant belly, but she knew she would let Abby. The forensic scientist had become less like a coworker and more like a very good friend lately.
Abby and McGee had both been shocked when they found out. Not really about the baby as much as the fact that Tony and Ziva had been sleeping together and Tony had managed to keep it a secret. But they were both very supportive. She had almost started to feel like a team mascot, the way they tried to treat her. They had tried to baby her at first, bringing her snacks and things to drink and constantly asking her how she felt. She had put a stop to that nonsense.
She had promised both Gibbs and Vance that she would be professional in the office. As it was, they weren't going to let her do field work for much longer. Vance said she had until she was showing, and already her jeans didn't fit. She was looping a rubber band through the button hole and looping the two ends around the button to keep from having to wear maternity pants. If she wore a long and baggy enough shirt, you couldn't tell. For now. Who knew how long she'd be able to keep stretching that rubber band? Tony had promised to stay professional as well. She still remembered the conversation they had had in the elevator. Gibbs had pulled them both in, not long after Tony had been reassigned. After the discussion they had started to leave the elevator, and he had put a hand out to stop them.
"Oh, and Dinozzo? I had better not see any grab ass in this office. Period. You may not be on my team any more, but Ziva still is. I will make her life miserable, and then she will make yours miserable. Understand?" Tony had gulped and nodded.
"Yes, Boss.. Uh, Gibbs."
Ziva laughed now, thinking about it. And then she sighed. There had been no grab ass, of course, because they were not a couple. Not that she had wanted there to be. Not that she was in love with Tony or anything, but she was finding herself feeling jealous of the pretty blonde girl that was on Tony's new team. Well, he seemed to think she was pretty, anyway. He didn't necessarily flirt with the girl, but Ziva knew she was his type. Personally, she thought the girl was kind of plain. Not much to look at at all. Her hair wasn't even that blonde; more of a dirty blonde. And her eyes were too close together. She wrinkled her nose, slightly disgusted with herself for being so petty. She decided to blame it on the hormones.
Just then, Tony walked past the bullpen with his team following, towards the direction of the elevator. He smiled when he saw her and winked.
"Mobile campfire, my little probies. I wanna hear ideas!" He called behind him to the junior agents. She felt her face go a little pink at the look he had given her. Definitely the hormones.
Later that night, Ziva was in her kitchen, stirring a very large pot with a wooden spoon. She had been happy to come home and slip into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. She sipped the broth to test it and nodded, pleased with herself. There was a knock at the door and she set the spoon down, going to let Tony in.
She opened the door and he was grinning, holding a big bouquet of wild flowers and a DVD.
"Hey good lookin', what's cooking?" She laughed and pulled him in, shutting the door. She eyed the flowers cautiously.
"Are those for me?" He handed them to her, still grinning.
"Of course. Can't a man do something nice for his Baby Mama once in awhile? Oomph!" She punched him not too lightly in the stomach.
"If you call me that again this will be the last child you ever help conceive. It is degrading." She went into the kitchen to find a vase.
"It was only a joke!" He called after her, rubbing his abs. When she was out of his sight, she gave the flowers a sniff, smiling. It was sweet, even if he was an idiot. She found a vase and arranged them on the table. When she turned around, Tony had taken off his shoes and coat and was leaning in the doorway, grinning.
"You cooking for an army?" He nodded towards the pot on the stove. She went over to stir it again.
"No. It is chicken soup, an old family recipe. It's getting colder out, and I thought I would make enough to freeze some. For me it is a.. ah… comfort food, yes?" He came over and stuck his finger right into the pot, putting a chunk of chicken into his mouth.
"Mmm… good!" She swatted him with the spoon.
"Do not put your dirty fingers in our dinner. Go and wash your hands and then make yourself useful." She pointed over to the loaf of bread sitting on a cutting board. "Slice the bread."
When they had dinner together, they usually ate in the living room. But Tony's flowers made such a nice centerpiece that Ziva made him eat at the table. When they had finished cleaning up, Tony popped his DVD into her laptop. He still couldn't believe that she didn't own a television. They had put the computer on the coffee table and sat on the couch, watching 'The Next Best Thing' with Madonna and Rupert Everett. Tony had told her it wasn't really a great movie, per se, but it was about two friends having a baby together, so he thought she should see it. As the movie finished, they sat in silence for a few minutes. Tony was starting to think that maybe he had picked the wrong movie; Ziva looked deep in thought and slightly troubled.
"You okay?" He looked over at her.
"Yes, I am fine." She nodded. "But it does make you think… what if one of us meets someone? I do not want my child to have strangers coming in and out of their life."
"And I do? To be honest, Ziva…" He paused, searching her face before saying what he'd been wanting to say for awhile now.
"The thought of you with anyone else at all drives me absolutely crazy. I don't know how I'd feel if you were playing house with someone else and our child."
She frowned at him, was he saying what she thought he was saying? She held his gaze, wanting no misunderstandings here.
"I do not want to play house with anyone else, Tony." He reached over and grabbed her hand.
"Alright then, we're already having a baby together. We spend time together a few nights a week. You cook for me, I'm charming and cute for you. The only thing we're not doing is sleeping together, and we've done that." He laughed at the look she gave him. "Why don't we just put it out there. I don't want to date anyone else, and I don't want you to date anyone else."
"Are you asking me to go study with you, Tony?" She teased lightly.
"The term is 'steady.' And yeah, I guess so." He shrugged. She looked away.
"I do not want you to feel that you must try to make this work, Tony. For the baby's sake. That is not a healthy start to a relationship." He took her chin in his hand and made her look at him again. His face was all seriousness now, a rare look for Anthony Dinozzo.
"I would never do anything I didn't want to do. Baby or not, Ziva… I'm ready to be with a woman, and you're the woman I want to be with." He pulled her closer to him and into a kiss. Small at first, but then his hands were wrapping themselves in her hair. When he broke away from her mouth to trail a few kisses along her jaw line towards her ear, she let out a small laugh and pushed him away playfully.
"That, Tony, is the reason we found ourselves in this predicament to begin with."
