Jethro sits on the bed, reading a magazine. He looks up from the magazine, and over at the crib against the wall, in his room. He looks at the clock, and lays the magazine aside. He gets out of bed, and walks across the room to the crib. He peers into the crib, at his son. Matthew stares up at him.
"It's late why are you still awake? It isn't time for you to eat."
The baby doesn't blink. Gibbs reaches in the crib, and scoops him up. He cradles him. Matthew stares up at him. Matthew's hair goes in about twelve different directions. He carefully smoothes it back down. The little boy has a thick head of auburn hair. Gibbs studies his tiny face. There was no denying that he looked like Ziva. Matthew sticks his index, and middle finger in his mouth. Gibbs quickly removes the fingers from his mouth. He inserts a blue pacifier in his mouth.
"Your mom doesn't want you to suck on your fingers," Gibbs reminds him.
Matthew stares up at him questioningly.
"We can throw your pacifier away, we can't cut your fingers off. I mean we could, but neither of us would feel very good about it. Matthew, this situation is not ideal. I hope that when you are older you will understand. Sometimes things don't work out the way that anyone would have planned. You were quite a surprise. You were a gift that none of us expected. I'm sure that you will have lots of questions, and I hope that one of use can answer them. Just know that no matter what happens, or how you got here, there are a lot of people who really love you. Just remember that, ok?"
Matthew's eyelids begin to droop. Gibbs smiles, "You're getting sleepy?"
The little boy's eyelids flutter back open. "Don't fight it. We've got the rest of your life to talk. Matthew try not to be too hard headed, I know it will be hard, you got a double dose, but... please try."
Matthew's eyes close. Gibbs kisses his forehead, and lays him in the crib. Matthew cries in protest. Jethro returns the baby to his arms. He slowly moves over to the bed. He carefully situates himself in the bed. He scoots under the covers, and lays Matthew on his chest. He flips off the lamp. He whispers to the baby.
"I know that your mom does not hold you all night. I think that you are trying to pull one over on me."
Gibbs listens, he hears the baby stop sucking on the pacifier. He feels it fall, onto the bed, beside him. "Then again, maybe she does."
Ziva awakens to the sound of crying. She sits up on the couch. The TV is still on, and Hannah is at the other end of the couch.
"No!" Hannah cries in her sleep. Hannah lays on her side. The side of her face is smashed against the end of the couch. One arm is under her body. Her other hand rests beside her face. Ziva gets off the couch, she bends down next to her.
"Hannah, wake up, it's just a dream," she whispers, knowing better than to touch her.
Hannah's eyes open. She stares at Ziva in relief. Ziva flips the TV off with the remote.
"Come on, we should get to bed."
"Can't I sleep down here?'
"Go," Ziva points to the stairs.
Hannah rolls off the couch, and drags herself to the stairs. Ziva follows her up the stairs. Ziva follows her in to the last room on the right. Hannah collapses on top of her bed. Ziva wrestles the covers from underneath her. She pulls them over top of her.
"Good night," she kisses her forehead.
"Night," Hannah yawns.
Ziva wanders down the hall to her own bedroom. She walks in, and instantly her eyes move to the empty crib. She stands next to it, staring inside for several moments. She looks at the clock, knowing that both Matthew, and Jethro would be asleep at this hour. She turns, and walks over to her bed. She climbs under the covers, and closes her eyes, in attempt to sleep.
Hours later, as she begins to wake up, she gets the feeling that she is not alone. Her chest feels heavy, and she feels extremely hot. She opens her eyes. Light streams in from the window. She looks down, and finds Matthew asleep on her chest. The heaviness makes sense. Wait... why was Matthew on her chest? She must be dreaming, right? Both of her hands rest on Matthew. She turns her head, and finds Hannah lying next to her in bed. Beyond Hannah she sees another body. She carefully sets up, in an attempt not to disturb Matthew. Hannah's body lays in the middle of the bed. Hannah lies on top of the covers, on her side, facing Ziva. On the edge of the bed, Ziva finds a man. He has the back of his head to her. She looks at her surroundings, and is convinced she's dreaming.
"Lay back down, I'm not ready to wake up," a voice tells her.
She looks at Hannah.
"Hannah why are you in my bed?"
"Of all the people in your bed, I am the one you are asking that question?" she groans without opening her eyes.
"This is a dream, right?" Ziva questions.
"Close your eyes, I'm guessing that when you open them again, we will all still be here."
Ziva closes her eyes, and opens them again. The scene doesn't change.
She stands up in the bed, and carefully steps over Hannah, while holding on tightly to baby Matthew. The body next to Hannah lies on his side, facing the window. Ziva faces her headboard, and takes a seat on him.
"I can't breathe," he warns her.
"Why are you in my bed?"
"Gibbs got called out at four thirty. It was easier for him to meet me here. I thought that I could get a few more hours of sleep, and then take him home with me. Can you get off me now? You're heavy."
"Why are you in my bed?"
"I didn't think that I could make it back downstairs, I was so sleepy."
"And Hannah?"
"She told me that if I promised not to hog the covers I could stay."
Ziva carefully stands up, and steps on to the floor. She looks at Tony's face.
"You didn't think this would be awkward at all?"
"I didn't get to bed until two, so I wasn't in a position to argue. I was to tired to think clearly. I was hoping to get another two hours of sleep, before Gibbs called me."
"Why were you up until two? Were you out drinking?""No, I just couldn't sleep."
"Both of you, up. You're not going to sleep the day away."
"Uh," they both groan, in protest.
Ziva heads for the door, "Have it your way, I guess I'll have to eat all of the blueberry pancakes by myself."
By the time she reaches the top of the stairs they are both right behind her. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs she passes Matthew off to Tony. Tony hands the sleeping baby back.
"Why don't I cook for you?" he questions.
"You know how to cook?" Ziva responds in shock.
"Yes," he reveals.
"Go ahead," Ziva agrees.
"So what are our plans for the day?" Hannah questions as she crawls onto the couch, and pulls the blanket over herself.
"I was thinking that we could convince your mother to go for a run," Tony answers.
"What would we do?" Hannah questions.
"All sorts of magical things," Tony replies.
"Tony I will not go for a run so the two of you can nap."
"Three of us," Tony corrects.
"The answer is no," Ziva clarifies.
"Why? When was the last time you went for a run? You love running. You get especially cranky when you don't get to run."
"Seventeen days," she replies.
"Go for a run. When you get back everyone will be dressed, and you will have breakfast waiting on you."
"I'm fine," she argues.
"He's right you are cranky," Hannah comments.
"Fine, I will go for a quick run," Ziva agrees.
"I will take baby linebacker," Hannah agrees.
Ziva places Matthew in her arms. She runs upstairs, and gets changed. When she returns she finds Tony on the chair, next to the couch, holding Matthew. Hannah lies on the couch. All three of them snore as she walks out the door.
When she returns she is surprised to see that Tony has kept his promise. Everyone is dressed. Breakfast waits on the table for her. Tony, and Hannah chew mouthfuls of pancakes. Matthew sits in his bouncy chair, on the tabletop. Hannah sits on one side of Tony. Ziva takes a seat at the unclaimed plate.
"I'm glad you made it back in time. Matthew has been eyeing those pancakes," Tony points to the baby, who is now wide awake.
She swallows a bite and then answers, "I see you went with the Ohio State outfit."
"It is his favorite team. We are watching the basketball game later tonight."
"You didn't get him a foam finger, did you?"
"Don't be silly Ziva, they don't make foam fingers that small. You're just lucky he wasn't a girl."
"And why is that?" she is curious to know.
"Because they do make cheerleading uniforms that small."
"Stop trying to brainwash my precious little baby," Ziva warns.
"It's too late, he's already a fanatic," Tony retorts.
"Really?"
"I think that it's time we face it, Tony has brainwashed him. He only wears Ohio State hats. He hates any other team, or logo. He wouldn't even wear the MIT onesie that McGee got for him. Although, he is partial to his firetruck outfit, but I think it's because it is red."
"He only wears scarlet, and gray," Tony points out.
Ziva says nothing, she simply eats her pancakes.