Title: The Waiting Is The Hardest Part
Author: rekkidbraka
Rating: T
Pairings: Tony D. and Ziva D.
Category: Romance; Humor
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.
Spoilers: None
Summary: Tony and Ziva care for an abandoned baby and consider...

-------------------- The Waiting Is The Hardest Part ---------------------

"Tony, that is not a good idea," Ziva cautioned. "She will not want to sleep in her crib later."

Tony looked over at Ziva from the couch, where he reclined in his favorite Ohio State t-shirt and sweatpants. A tiny newborn lay sprawled on his chest, snoozing in a onesie.

"Aw, Z..." Tony half-whispered. "Look at her. She's all sacked out. Finally. If I move her, she's gonna wake up again and she's so tired." Sticking his lower lip out in a pout, Tony gave Ziva his saddest 'sad' face. Ziva glanced up from the book she was reading.

"I am just saying that tonight she will either not be sleepy or she will only want to sleep on your chest because you have not put her in her own crib. You will see."

Tony kissed the top of the tiny baby's head gently.

"She's gonna be fine," he said softly, taking a minute to sniff at her wispy hair. It smelled of baby shampoo and he smiled. "Aren't you, Snugglepumpkin?"

A tiny foot kicked, a delicate little hand grabbed at Tony's t-shirt and a small mouth yawned, then sighed, before all was still again. Ziva again studied this scene from her place across the room and, her book revealing only her eyes to Tony, smiled to herself. Tony with a baby was a sight she wasn't sure she'd ever see, not when she first met him. She certainly wasn't sure how he'd react to having a baby in the apartment when she'd agreed, somewhat hastily, to take care of the infant girl the team had found at a recent murder scene. That image, of the sleeping baby nestled in her crib as her mother lay not far off in the hallway, drenched in blood, turned Ziva's smile into a concerned look. She thought of her homeland and how many children had seen their parents, family members, friends killed...

But after taking another look over at Tony, who was now dozing himself, cradling the newborn in his strong arms, tears came to Ziva's eyes, along with another smile. For all his faults, loud bluster and seemingly nonchalant attitude, Tony was a good man and, she had learned the past few months, someone capable of incredible tenderness and the deepest, truest kind of love. Most of the 'personality' he let the world see was only for show; with her, intimately, Tony was gentle, kind and caring. All his years of chasing women had been a frustrating quest to find just one woman to love wholly, to spend his life with. And, as he told Ziva whenever they were together, now he had. He wanted a wife, someone who would be his best friend, someone to start a family with...

What a wonderful father he will make, she thought. Someday.

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"I think it is time someone had a bath," Ziva said, winking, as Tony cradled the baby girl in the crook of his left arm while feeding her from a small bottle.

Tony sniffed at his right armpit.

"Darn that new deodorant. I knew I shoulda stuck with Old Spice. You can't top the classics."

The baby kicked her feet impatiently, her tiny hands balling into fists.

"Not you," Ziva replied, giving Tony a sly look. "Our little guest."

Tony gently took the bottle from the infant's lips.

"No more! ALL gone," he said. "Somebody was hungry!" Patting the baby's tummy, he turned her over his left shoulder and gently started burping her. Ziva left to get the bath ready. Once the baby was finished burping, Tony wiped her mouth and snuggled her to his chest.

"Who's Tony's sweet girl? YOU are." Tony gave her a little kiss on the forehead. "Now let's go get that bath."

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"C'mon, Muffincuddles! The water... has to... stay... in the tub!" Tony turned, trying to avoid another large splashful of water as the tiny, giggling baby kicked and squealed with joy in the infant bath. "And why aren't you HELPING?" Tony frowned at Ziva, who stood at a safe distance, chuckling at how wet Tony was getting.

"She is the one who is supposed to be getting the bath, isn't she, Tony?" Ziva flashed Tony a sly smile.

Tony snarled playfully at her, another faceful of water hitting him.

"Yes, Ziva. That was the plan. Now can you give me a HAND here or are you too busy just standing there making snarky comments?"

"I admit that it is a difficult job to have a laugh at your expanse. So I will patch in."

"The term is... ," Tony hissed, as a huge wave of water drenched his shirt, "... 'to have a laugh at your EXPENSE.' And people don't PATCH in, they PITCH in. Pitch, my malapropic Mossad mistress, PITCH!" The infant squeaked with glee as she knocked the baby shampoo bottle over onto the kitchen counter as Tony desperately tried to catch it before it started spilling onto the floor. "Ziva... please... HELP.. ME!"

"Fine... Step aside, Tony. This is a job for a professional." Ziva pushed up her sleeves, confidently striding over to where Tony stood, sopping wet. Looking at his dripping clothes, Ziva told him "If you do not already feel clean enough, why don't you take a long, hot bath of your own? Perhaps one in which the water remains in the bathtub?" A smile played at her lips.

"A long, hot bath...," Tony growled, "... was exactly what I was ALREADY planning, ZEE-vah!" Turning back towards the baby, who had calmed down as Ziva gently poured some fresh warm water into her tub, Tony addressed his littlest fan. "If you'll excuse me, Lambkisses, I'm going to go have a little 'me' time." With a haughty lift of his chin, he walked out of the kitchen, down the hall and closed the bathroom door behind him.

"He is a silly duck, isn't he?" Ziva said to the baby, smiling. They both laughed.

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"She should not sleep in the bed with us, Tony. It is time for you to put her down for the night -- in her crib."

Once again, Tony held the infant in his arms as he and Ziva lay in bed. The baby was wide awake, patting the hair on his chest gently with her tiny hands. Tony's handsome green eyes were fixed on her.

"She's not even tired. If I put her in the crib, she'll just start crying."

"I told you this would happen. You let her sleep for too long this afternoon. And she does not want to leave you. She has gotten used to sleeping with you."

"Jealous, Ziva?"

Ziva looked at him flatly.

"Well, I am going to sleep now, Tony. Getting her to sleep will be for you to handle." With a tender smile, Ziva leaned over and kissed the baby girl on her cheek. She giggled, suddenly yanking at Tony's chest hair, causing him to grimace. Ziva looked up at him, smirking. "Good night, my little Furry Bear." As Tony winced in pain, Ziva kissed his cheek, then turned over and snuggled down into her side of the bed.

"G'night, Sweet Cheeks," Tony said. He started to lean over to try kissing her but, with the baby still grasping his chest hair, he figured he shouldn't. I'll make it up to YOU later, he thought, glancing over at Ziva's still form just inches from him. "Ow! Quit it, Little Miss Grabbyhands," Tony whispered to the baby. "I thought we were tight! Owwww!"

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The next morning, when Ziva awoke, the baby was sound asleep on Tony's chest. But Tony lay staring at the ceiling, huge dark circles ringing his bloodshot eyes.

"Long night?" Ziva asked sleepily, stretching.

"Got no sleep," Tony whispered. "Kid tried to pluck my chest as bald as McGoo's. Oh, she's small but she's STRONG! Is it bad? Are there missing clumps? She finally conked out around six. I want to go to sleep but I'm scared to move. Scared she'll wake up and try pulling out every other hair that's left, one by one."

"You are still as hairy as a Neanderthal, Tony. Do not worry."

"Yeah, well, now I know why the cavemen lost all THEIR body hair. Musta had babies hanging all over 'em."

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That Monday, the day after the Social Services workers came to take the baby, Tony was disconsolate all day at work. So much so that even Gibbs left him alone. The rest of the team also left him to his thoughts and Ziva kept an eye on him from her desk throughout the day. She had never seen him look so openly saddened. Most of his day was spent staring hopefully towards the elevators, as if the social workers would make a surprise return with the baby. They didn't, and Tony silently handed Ziva the keys to his prized Mustang as they walked out -- something he never did. She drove them home and not a word was said during the short trip, nor for the rest of the evening.

As they lay in bed later, with only moonlight illuminating the room, Ziva broke the silence.

"She loved you."

Tony said nothing, but only continued staring at the ceiling, his hands folded on his chest where the baby had snuggled and slept only the day before.

"You were so good to her. You are a natural with babies -- with children. She felt safe with you. She bonded with you."

Tony swallowed hard. Tears welled up in his eyes. He frowned, trying to hold them back. Ziva turned toward him, stroking his cheek with her hand as she continued.

"Tony..." she whispered. "You will be such a wonderful father. Don't you know that? Can't you see what a kind, loving man you are? That is the man I have fallen in love with and that is the man your... " Ziva paused a second. "... Snugglemuffin also fell for, even if it was only for too short a time. I am sorry she could not stay with us, Tony. I loved her, too." Now Ziva began to cry. Tony noticed and pulled her to him.

"Hey... hey..." he said softly, nuzzling her forehead. "I know you did. She loved YOU. The three of us were a nice little family... for a while, right?"

"Yes, we were. We can still have that, Tony -- a family. Of our own. Someday."

Tony tenderly pulled Ziva into a gentle kiss.

"Yeah... Someday soon."