Rifiuto: Non Miriena
Thanks to Sazzita for reviewing 8, 9, and 10; and mcgeeksgirl for reviewing 10.
"So, Mama Ninja, what's the verdict? Baby ninja or baby ninja-ette?" Ziva glared at Tony, throwing a wad of paper at him as he headed to his desk. Gibbs had called them all in to run more leads; they were all on edge, with now six murders unsolved and no killer in interrogation.
"It's too early tell, Tony." Tim replied, pulling up the images of the victims on the plasma. "We're only fifteen weeks."
"'We'?" Tony asked, catching on Tim's slip. Ziva rolled her eyes as Tim blushed, but secretly, she was pleased that Tim had said 'we'. They were in this together as friends, like they'd finally agreed. "So what, you and Ziva decide to tie the knot?" He bounded over to Tim and ruffled his hair.
"If they do, it'll be better than the arrangement they have now." Gibbs said, entering the bullpen, coffee in hand. He dropped something on Ziva's desk, saying, "I know how much you've been craving them." Ziva glanced down, grinning at the chocolate-covered cracker jacks Gibbs had slipped onto her desk. How he'd managed to find them, she could only guess. But then again, it was Gibbs, so she didn't bother asking. 'What do we have, McGee?"
Tim shrugged. "Nothing. Nothing that connects the victims other than pregnancy and the military. All in relationships, all pregnant at the same time. All in different weeks of their pregnancies- some in their first, some in their second, some just starting their third- there's no real connection between these women that links to our killer. They were all found bound, gagged and strangled in the trunks of their cars, and left at hospitals, free clinics, birthing centers... and the killer left no clues. I mean, even Abby's having a hard time finding a fingerprint, and she's a genius at forensic evidence."
"What about her?" Gibbs asked, pointing to the victim in the far corner. Tim pulled her information up.
"Jessica Allen. Twenty- three. Former Naval Captain turned Naval Chaplain. Thirty weeks into her pregnancy, engaged to a Lieutenant Samuel Moreno. Currently overseas in Iraq." Gibbs sighed.
"There has to be a link. We just have to find it."
"Did you mean it, when you said 'we' today?" Tim turned to glance at her as he quickly stirred the noodles. After work, they'd returned to Tim's place, and were in the process of making homemade chicken stirfry. One thing they discovered was that they both liked to cook. She sipped her tea as she leaned against the counter, watching Tim.
"Did I say 'we' today?" He asked, cocking his head to the side and quirking an eyebrow. She glared at him, reaching out to smack him lightly on the shoulder. He chuckled. "Honestly, Ziver, I wasn't even aware that I'd said it until Tony brought it up."
"You did not answer my question, Tim." She said, setting her mug down and going to him. She wrapped her arms around his bicep, squeezing gently as she looked up at him. "Did you mean it?" He moved the pan off the heat and turned the burner off, setting it aside before turning to Ziva. A moment passed as he pretended to think of the answer, and Ziva smacked him gently. He chuckled, meeting her gaze.
"Of course I meant it, Ziver. We're in this together. This is our baby; even if we are just friends, it's still our baby." She smiled at him, leaning up to kiss him quickly on the lips. As they settled down to dinner, Tim reached out and took her hand, squeezing gently.
"Our baby." She whispered. Tim looked up.
"Say something, Ziver?" She gave him a soft smile, reaching down to lay a hand on her belly. Monday morning as she lay in bed beside Tim, she'd felt the first flutterings of her baby, and had burst into tears as she realized what it was. Tim had instantly asked if she was okay, but all she'd been able to say was that their baby was starting to move.
"Nothing, Tim." He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee as Jethro bounded into the kitchen and curled up under the table, hoping for scraps.
"I am good." She replied, smiling softly at him. "And Bug is doing fine." She said, her hands moving down to caress her belly. Even though her belly was small, she could feel the top of her uterus a few inches below her belly. Tim chuckled. Ziva had nicknamed the baby 'Bug' late Monday afternoon, because the subtle fluttering that had begun in her belly had reminded her of a bug scurrying around. The nickname had stuck, and Tim had taken to using the nickname as well. She had also taken to talking to the baby, after reading that babies could hear while enutero. Tim had also taken to talking to the baby, and often, he would draw patterns on her expanding skin as he talked, usually tickling Ziva in the process.
She had settled comfortably into her second trimester, and had found her appetite greatly increased- from food to intercourse. Tony had made sure to leave an extra pastry on her desk when he brought them in, and Tim and Ziva found themselves often engaging in late night romps. This morning had been one of those romps. Though they still maintained it was strictly friendship and that no strings were involved, everyone else- from Gibbs to Vance to Sarah- could see that the strings were beginning to attach themselves to the situation.
"Want breakfast?" He asked, kissing her quickly as he got up. She thought a moment, shaking her head.
"No. I want you." She replied, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him back onto the bed. Her arms went around his neck, and she kissed him, deepening the kiss as she felt him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into his lap. She quickly unbuttoned his shirt, pulling it from his body as the kiss became more passionate, and as he pulled her own shirt from her body, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
As they gave into their passion once again, neither noticed the camera outside the window, on the fire escape, snapping photographs.
