"Inconceivable"- Chapter 10

A/N: It's been brought to my attention that I haven't focused very much on the legal issues surrounding what Drs. Krause and Avery have done to Tony. I have to admit, until I received a rather interesting review, I hadn't given it much thought. But, I think I've come up with something in the plot to rectify this little blunder. As always, let me know what you think!

*36 Weeks Along*

NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was sitting up in his hospital bed, mentally preparing himself for the task he was about to take on. Ever since he found out he was going to be a father, he had been putting this off- always the procrastinator. He had told his co-workers that "Tardy" was his middle name. Interestingly enough, that was what this whole ordeal was about- a name. Since Dr. Avery had told him earlier in the week that the baby could come anytime now, he decided he'd better come up with a name for it. Fortunately, he had reinforcements coming to assist him. He heard a knock on his door, and said, "Come in."

Probationary Agent Ziva David entered the room, her arms full of books and papers. "Here are the name books you wanted," she said, setting them down on his tray table. "I also have lists of suggestions from the team members."

"Great," he said. "Let's get started, then."

"I do not understand your apprehension," she said as she sat down next to him on the bed. "I thought you might be a little more excited about this."

"It's a big deal, Z," he replied. "What I name my kid will affect him or her for the rest of its life. Don't you ever wonder why you were named Ziva?"

"Sometimes," she replied. "Do you ever wonder why your father named you after himself?"

"Considering my history with the man," Tony told her, "All the time. Should we start with boys' names, or girls' names?"

"Ladies first," Ziva replied with a smile.

"I don't want something too popular," he told her, flipping through one of the books. "I think I'll know it when I see it, or hear it."

"I think something with an 'A' at the end would sound nice with 'DiNozzo'," she suggested. "Isabella?"

"Too popular," he said. "You know, with the 'Twilight' books and all."

"Kara?"

"I'm not feeling it," he replied. "Zara?"

"Sounds like 'Ziva'," she said teasingly. "Besides, that's a lot of 'Z's. Zara DiNozzo?"

"Yikes," he exclaimed. "Good point. Tara?"

"I like it," she said, "but I found one that I like better. How about Mara?"

"Mara?" he repeated. "Mara DiNozzo. Actually, I kind of dig it. Now we need a middle name."

"What about Nicole?" Ziva suggested. "Mara Nicole DiNozzo. I think it sounds good together."

"Mara Nicole," he repeated slowly. "I like it a lot."

"Do you think you are having a girl?" she asked Tony.

"I have no idea," he replied. "Do you?"

"Actually," she said nervously, "We have a bet going on amongst the team."

"Which is?"

"Well, Gibbs, Palmer, and I think you are having a boy," she explained, "And Abby, McGee, Ducky, and Vance think you're having a girl."

"Split right down the middle," Tony noted. "What do you win if you're right?"

"If Gibbs, Palmer, and I are right, the others will take us out for dinner," she told him. "And vice versa."

"I want in on this," he said. "I'm going to join the 'boy' team."

"Very well," Ziva said. "I will let everyone know. That being the case, we should pick a boys' name, yes?"

"Definitely," Tony agreed. "Any suggestions?"

"Abby had some names that she wrote down," Ziva said, rifling through the papers she brought. "Here it is. Let me see… 'Logan'?"

"Not liking it," Tony said. "What else has she got?"

"Sebastian?"

"Only if he were a crustacean," Tony retorted. Keep 'em coming."

"Tristan?" Ziva asked.

"Better," he admitted. "Did McGee have any suggestions?"

"Right here," she said, holding up the paper. "Cooper?"

"Cooper DiNozzo… really?"

Ziva made a face. "I don't like it, either. Aaron?"

"Aaron's not bad," Tony replied. "How many more does he have on there?"

"Just one," she said. "Cameron."

"Cameron," Tony repeated, after which he felt a kick. "Hmm."

"Hmm, what?" Ziva asked.

"When I repeated it, the baby kicked," he explained. "Cameron can go either way, you know- boy or girl. I think it could work. Cameron… Cameron Anthony DiNozzo."

"I have to tell you, I really like that," she admitted.

"Bonus points to McGee for suggesting it," Tony said, yawning. "I think I love it already."

"Are you getting anxious, knowing it could happen soon?" she asked, as she moved to the chair next to his bed.

"A little," he admitted. "I'm looking forward to meeting this little guy or girl, finally. Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a few weeks- who knows?"

She nodded understandingly.

"You think I'll be a good dad?" he asked the young Israeli.

Ziva smiled. "I think you will, Tony. At first, I was a little worried about you, but I've begun to see a change in you. You've grown up a lot, you know, in these past thirty-six weeks." As she spoke, she could hear him snoring softly. Poor Tony, she thought to herself, he's completely passed out. She stood up to leave, but leaned over him, and whispered, "Goodnight, Tony." She kissed him lightly on the forehead. She then kissed his tummy. "And goodnight to you, Mara Nicole… or Cameron Anthony. Sleep well."

~*NCIS*~

It was the next morning, and sunlight streamed into the window, shining in Tony's face. He groaned, rolled onto his back, and opened his eyes. Drs. Krause and Avery were standing at the end of his bed, with their hands behind their backs. Startled, he sat up to greet them. "Hey, Docs. What's up?"

"Anthony," Dr. Avery said, "we have something to tell you."

"Is everything all right?" Tony asked. "I mean, is the baby okay?"

"The baby is fine," Dr. Krause assured him. "This is concerning us. You see," she paused, and looked over to her husband, "We were found out."

"Found out?" Tony repeated.

"Our experiment," Dr. Avery explained. "My boss found out."

Crap, Tony thought to himself. "How?"

The doctors looked at each other, and motioned toward the door. A gray-haired man in a tan Navy uniform and white lab coat entered, and stood next to Dr. Avery. "I'd begun to notice inaccuracies in the patient appointment logs. Dr. Avery had been punching out for breaks before he had your appointments. I'm Captain Darren Boyd, by the way. Head of the OB-GYN Department."

Tony nodded nervously. "Anthony DiNozzo."

"I brought him into my office yesterday, and asked what was going on," he continued. "Dr. Avery told me everything. Most importantly, how he and his wife began the experiment without your knowledge."

"But then they told me," Tony said, "And told me my options from that point on. After I decided, they proceeded to take care of me, and the baby."

"I understand that," Captain Boyd replied, "But they still broke the law, and will be severely punished for their actions."

"Don't worry about us," Dr. Avery told Tony. "We deserve what we're going to get."

"Why did you do it, anyway?" Captain Boyd asked the young physicians. "Why risk your careers?"

"Money, of course," Dr. Krause explained. "I had gotten in contact with a pharmaceutical company in Canada through my dad's sales company. They were willing to buy Avertol if we showed them it was successful in a trial experiment."

"So you used me, saying you were helping people," Tony said accusingly.

"It would've helped people," she said, "And we would've made a substantial profit from it, as well."

"I didn't know about that, Captain," Tony said, looking up at the older man.

"I surmised that," Captain Boyd said, walking toward the doctors. "I have Ensign Bryant waiting outside for you two, to take you into custody." He nudged them towards the door, and at that moment, Tony saw they were handcuffed.

"I hope I never see those two again," Tony stated angrily. "I can't believe I was so naïve."

"Doctors are supposed to be truthful," Captain Boyd said. "You believed what they wanted you to believe."

"What… what's going to happen to me now?" Tony asked. "And the baby?"

"Well, as I understand it, biologically and legally, the child is yours," he said. "Obviously, you wish to raise him or her."

Tony nodded. "That was the plan."

"But, I can't have you waiting around to go into labor with a child that shouldn't have been conceived in the first place," he said sadly. "The most logical thing to do, for me, would be to end the experiment immediately. Fortunately, your baby is just about full-term anyway, so… how do you feel about becoming a dad today?"

"Today?" Tony asked anxiously. "Really?"

"Really," Captain Boyd repeated with a smile. "I'll get my team ready, explain the… special nature of the situation, and you can call someone to accompany you during the surgery."

"Great," Tony said.

"My anesthesiologist will be in in about an hour to numb you up," the blue-eyed doctor said. "Better get a hold of someone quick."

Tony excitedly grabbed his phone, and called his boss, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "Hey, Boss."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs greeted. "How are you doing?"

"Well, I have some good news and bad news," Tony began. "The doctors that did the experiment on me were caught."

"We know," Gibbs said.

"You do?"

"They were brought here, and are in our custody," Gibbs explained. "Vance is dealing with them now."

"I can't believe I fell for their 'oh, we just want to help people' line," Tony said. "I feel like an idiot."

"Don't worry about that now," Gibbs replied. "What about the baby? What's this other doctor going to do?"

"That's what I was calling about," Tony told him. "Can you send Ducky here, to accompany me during the delivery?"

"Of course," Gibbs said. "We have some paperwork here, but we will get there as soon as we can. I'll tell him right now."

"Thanks, Boss," Tony said. "Tell everyone I'll see them in a few hours."

"Good luck, Anthony."

Tony hung up, and looked at the date and time on his phone. "February 26th." He looked down at his stomach, and smiled. "Guess I'll see you soon, squirt."

~*NCIS*~