A/N: Direct continuation of the last chapter, of course :) Time to welcome Baby DiNozzo to the world! I was so pleased with all your responses to the last chapter, thanks guys! Enjoy! I hope this chapter is everything you were all looking forward to!
Hebrew: Baruch haba ktantonet - welcome little one
(The rest of the Hebrew is kind of explained shortly after it's said, by Tony's responses to Ziva. If there's any confusion, let me know!)
By the time they got to the hospital, Ziva's earlier confidence had fled. Contractions were only five minutes apart and lasting longer, it was a kind of pain different and more severe than what she'd felt before. Tony helped her out of the car and she stopped.
"Tony, it is too soon for the baby to come. This is not right. It is happening too fast." Her words ran over each other and in Ziva's eyes was a reflection of their first two weeks after Somalia. "I am afraid."
Despite the time they didn't have to waste, Tony pulled her into his arms. "I'm going to be there Ziva, every second, I promise." He held her gaze and framed her face with his hands. "You can do this babe, I believe in you."
With no other choice but to accept his declaration, Ziva nodded. Once inside the doors, Mandy met them with a wheelchair but before she could sit down, Ziva felt a gush of liquid between her legs and looked down to see a puddle forming on the floor.
Embarrassed and concerned, she looked at her doctor. Mandy moved them a few steps away and got Ziva in the chair. "Your water broke, we're going to get you to a room." She looked at Tony. "I need you to fill out some paperwork."
He set Ziva's bag on her lap, hoping she could get changed out of her messy clothes. He didn't like the fear in her eyes. "Can I do it in the room?"
Mandy smiled sympathetically. "By the time you finish, we'll have Ziva changed and settled. I'll take good care of her, you have my word."
"Tony..." The pleading in Ziva's voice almost broke him.
"Five minutes Zi, then I'm yours for as long as it takes. I love you." He had a feeling he'd be repeating that assurance a hundred times tonight but that didn't matter.
Tony struggled to concentrate on the forms he needed to fill out and sign, then grabbed the other bags from the car, got his wife's room number and looked at the duty nurse. "We've got family coming. Dad, siblings, possibly a grandfather and cousin. Is there a place they can wait near Ziva's room?"
The woman nodded. "Just down the hall. I'll see that they get there."
He grinned in relief and took off. He would be grateful to have the team close by, moral support was better than none at all. It was close to 2330 before Tony took his place by Ziva's side, his hand reaching for hers. She was dressed in a plain light pink gown, her hair still neatly confined to a braid, with a sheen of sweat on her forehead and a great deal of uncertainty in her eyes.
Ziva glanced at the clock. "That was nine minutes."
He chuckled. "Timing me, huh?"
Her answer was interrupted by a contraction and he let her squeeze his hand as hard as she wanted, wishing she would do more than just grit her teeth at the pain. As soon as it was over, Mandy returned and hooked Ziva up to a fetal monitor, wanting to keep an eye on both of them.
Tony's phone buzzed a few minutes later and he read the text from Abby. "They're here Ziva, Gibbs is on his way."
A knock on the door got their attention and Mandy frowned at the man. "I'm sorry sir, only family allowed in here."
"Mandy," Ziva pushed herself up, "he is my father."
The look Gibbs and Ziva shared was significant and he moved to stand beside the bed. The doctor took that moment to motion to Tony that she needed to see him in the hall. He grimaced. It was getting to be a habit he didn't like. He leaned down and kissed Ziva's forehead. "I'll be right back."
Gibbs looked her over solemnly. "How ya doin' Ziver?"
She blinked back tears. "I do not know if I am ready to be a mother."
His smile was brief. "You'll feel like that until you hold that baby for the first time. Then there will be no more 'what ifs' or questions, because you will be a mother."
She reached for his hand. "I am glad you came."
He smoothed her hair back. "I take my job seriously."
Out in the hall, Mandy faced Tony with a clipboard full of questions. "How long has she been having contractions?"
Tony ran his hand over his hair. "I don't know. She was asleep when I got home. I only woke up because I heard something. She wouldn't answer when I asked." He shrugged. "Best guess - a few hours at least."
Mandy scribbled a note. "She's progressing awfully fast. I'll see if I can get any more information out of her." She met his eyes. "So far both Ziva and the baby are fine. Ziva's holding her own and the baby's heartbeat is strong. I'm going to be monitoring them both closely. We'll see how long Ziva's strength holds out."
Tony crossed his arms and clenched his jaw. "Doc, if something...goes wrong," he swallowed hard, praying Ziva would forgive him, but he couldn't be without her, "save my wife."
Mandy smiled gently and put her hand on Tony's arm, understanding the turmoil he faced. "I don't foresee anything that severe. But in any case, I'll do my best to give them both back to you."
He sighed in relief and glanced over his shoulder. "I need to get back to her."
"I'll come with you," Mandy decided.
Gibbs met Tony at the door. "Take care of her."
Tony nodded. "I will. I'll let you know when there's news to share."
Gibbs snorted. "Abby brought Caf-Pow, Tim's already sleeping on the couch, Ducky is telling Jimmy stories - there's no time to be bored."
"Thanks." Tony hoped that one word conveyed everything he felt, how grateful he was for the support.
Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder and squeezed, then left. Tony returned to his place and found Ziva in the middle of another contraction. He still wasn't sure what would help, if anything, so he sat close and held her hand, resting his other one on her very hard belly.
Mandy waited it out, then moved to Ziva's other side. "I need you to tell me how long you've been in labour Ziva." Her eyes sought the clock and she bit her lip, remembering what Tony had told her, that the doctor wouldn't allow her to go too long. Mandy understood. "It's important."
Ziva sighed and shifted to ease the pain in her back. Tony noticed and started rubbing the tight muscles. "Since seven."
Both husband and doctor froze and she knew they didn't appreciate being kept in the dark. "That's five hours," Dr. Meyers said, checking vitals on mom and baby.
Tony stared at her and Ziva had a hard time meeting his gaze. "Why didn't you call me?" he demanded.
She looked timid and her answer was quiet. "I was not certain, at first. And then I did not want it to be happening, so I went to bed and tried to ignore it. When I woke up..." Ziva shrugged. "You were asleep and I did not want to disrupt your rest again."
"Oh Ziva..." he let out a breath and tried to let go of his frustration. Odds that women in labour probably weren't thinking rationally was pretty high. Tony shook his head. "I can deal with the lack of sleep, what I don't like is being left out."
It was on the tip of her tongue to assure him that next time he would be informed immediately, and then she remembered there would be no next time for them and lowered her eyes. "I am sorry."
He kissed her temple. "I forgive you. You need to know I'll be there no matter what Zi, you just have to ask."
She nodded and turned to the doctor, who was trying not to eavesdrop. "I can do this Mandy."
The woman shook her head. "I don't like it. But we'll talk again in an hour. Good luck."
Left relatively alone for the moment, Ziva gestured to Tony. "There are water bottles in your backpack."
Taking the hint, Tony got one for her, holding it so she could drink. He could tell just by looking at her when the next pain started and held her hand tightly, reminding her to breathe as it peaked and she clamped her lips together. Then it was over and Ziva laid back on the pillow with her eyes closed.
"It is hard to rest when I know what is coming."
Tony kissed her hand. "How bad are they?"
Ziva didn't look at him. "The contractions make other things I thought were painful like nothing at all." Which was saying a lot considering her history and high pain tolerance. She rubbed her belly carefully. "They are like the most severe cramps I have ever felt multiplied. At the worst before they ease the muscles are so tight my hips feel like they are being pulled apart." She sighed. "It radiates all over my stomach and back, I feel great pressure like someone is squeezing very hard and I just want it to go away. Then it does and I can breathe again." Ziva frowned. "You cannot understand unless you feel them."
He laughed softly. "If I had to go through labour, there would be a lot of screaming and probably a lot of begging for drugs." Tony's eyes wandered over her body and he was about to say something when another contraction hit. He checked his watch - three minutes.
Ziva squeezed his hand and squished her eyes closed, breathing out in little pants and curling in on herself. The length of time they lasted was growing and the time between contractions was shrinking, things were definitely moving forward. When she opened her eyes again, Tony caressed her cheek.
"Did you want to ask Mandy for something to help with the pain? I hate seeing you go through this." Ziva shook her head and the set of her jaw told Tony she was going to play the good soldier and tough it out because that's what she'd always done. He leaned his head against hers and felt her hand brush over his hair.
"You don't have to be so quiet you know," he whispered in her ear. "Make as much noise as you want. Scream, yell, threaten me, curse in other languages if that helps. Don't keep it all inside."
She shook her head, saying the words in such a low voice that he strained to hear. "I do not want to hear screams again. I do not want to remember what it sounds like. They still echo in my dreams." A tear slid down Ziva's cheek. "I will not bring Somalia into this room because today is about giving life and in that camp was nothing but death."
Her truths sliced through his heart and Tony pressed his lips to hers. "I'm sorry Ziva." Rule #2 was 'Don't apologize when it's not your fault', and he was not trying to take the blame anymore. But not being able to fix it caused a hurt that throbbed inside his soul. He would spend the rest of his life keeping her safe, even though it wouldn't make up for the time that he hadn't.
NCIS
In the waiting room, Abby and Gibbs took turns pacing while Ducky educated Jimmy on some of the finer points of entomology and McGee caught up on some sleep. Not that he didn't care, but until Tony came to update them or someone needed something, there really wasn't much he could do.
Finally, while Abby was sweetly trying to wheedle information out of a nurse, Celeste put down her book and joined Gibbs where he was leaning against a wall. They stood in silence for several moments before she put her hand on his arm. "You're very pensive Jethro. Does being here for Ziva, anticipating the arrival of a child..." she hesitated because she didn't want to bring him more pain, but unless she knew what he was thinking, she couldn't help, "...does it remind you of Shannon and Kelly?"
He didn't brush her off as she feared, but shrugged. "Some, but more when we took Ziva to get checked out after we got her out of Africa and before we came back to DC." Gibbs sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I talked to the doctor and found out what had been done to her." He leaned his head back against the wall. "I hate hospitals Les, it's always bad news."
Celeste invaded Gibbs' space and hugged him, wishing she could promise that this time would not be like the others. But all she could offer right now was herself and with a relief that showed in his touch, Gibbs accepted. Across the room where Abby stood near the nurses station waiting for a change in shift and new people to badger, the forensic scientist watched Gibbs and Celeste's exchange, sucking furiously on her straw.
She moved back to where her husband lay and gently moved his head to her lap, swirling her fingers through his hair. Tim stirred and smiled. "That feels nice Abbs."
The black-haired girl was still focused on her boss and the redhead who seemed to be becoming a fixture, going against her conscience to read some of their conversation. McGee felt her tension and opened his eyes, determining in seconds the cause.
"Gibbs shouldn't have to stay lonely Abby," he pointed out.
"He has us," she argued grumpily, and Tim wasn't sure how much of it was the hormones talking.
"Family isn't always enough," McGee said gently. "If she makes him happy or even happier, isn't that a good enough reason to accept her?"
Abby glared at the couple. "I'll tolerate her for now, we'll see about the rest later."
"Good enough." Tim sat up and kissed her cheek, peeking under the bench to check on the sleeping puppy. Sammy was oblivious to his mistress's mood, sweetly curled up with his head on his paws. McGee made a mental note to put the puppy in her lap if his wife kept being so hostile, she couldn't be mad around the little furball. "Did you text Tony again yet?" he asked.
The distraction worked and Abby broke her stare, digging through her purse for her cellphone. They were all anxious to know how Ziva was doing.
NCIS
Ziva groaned deeply as the contraction peaked and then faded. Tony felt helpless to do anything but watch her suffer, whispering words of encouragement and love between the pains that wracked her body. His phone buzzed for the tenth time and he didn't even check, knowing it was Abby.
He stood, thinking to stretch his legs during the break and Ziva looked up when he moved. Tears shimmered in her eyes and she held her hand out. "Lo lekh, bevakasha." The words came out as a whimper and Tony was back at her side in an instant, smoothing her damp hair back. It was the same phrase she'd whispered after a nightmare, the one he'd felt compelled to discover the meaning of, this time accompanied by a 'please'.
Tony looked into her beautiful brown eyes, clouded with fear and pain. "Oh sweetheart, haven't I shown you yet that I won't? I promise Zi, I'm not going anywhere."
She sagged back against the pillows. "I am sorry. I do not doubt your promise. It is probably the hormones."
Tony kissed her slowly, well aware that their time between pains was running out. "You can only blame those for a few more hours."
The contraction came sharp and fast, stealing her breath as she hissed against the agony. He held her hand, reminding her again to breathe in through her mouth and out through her nose, but otherwise stayed silent to let her concentrate. She lay back when it was over, feeling pretty spent after almost three hours of consistent contractions.
A minute later she opened her eyes. "Where were you going? I will not stop you from using the bathroom or getting coffee."
Tony checked his watch. "I wanted to give the team an update, Abby's going nuts wanting to know how you are. And I was going to grab a coffee too. But I'll miss one, maybe two if I leave."
Ziva waved him away. "I will survive. You need the caffeine and they have been waiting. Go."
He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back in a flash."
She screwed up her mouth. "No pictures please."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Very funny. I love you."
"Ani gam." He started to move away and she called his name. "Tony." He looked back. "Could you find me some green iced tea please?" It was something new they tried last week and Ziva had fallen in love.
Tony grinned. "Absolutely." She'd asked for nothing the whole time, he was glad to be able to do something.
He left the room, deciding to talk to the team before getting something to help keep him awake. It was a pleasant surprise then, when he walked into the waiting room and Gibbs handed him a cup. At Tony's dumbfounded expression, Gibbs inclined his head towards their favourite Goth.
"Knew you could only ignore Abby for so long."
Gratefully Tony sipped the hot beverage, bracing himself for Abby's hug. "Tony!" she squealed, unbelievable perky for shortly after 0100. "How's Ziva? Is the baby coming soon? Why'd you take so long?"
Tony chuckled and tried to remember the questions. "Ziva's okay. Not sure how soon before the baby comes. And it took me this long for the same reason it will take the Jaws of Life to pry McHusband here away from your side when you're in labour."
Abby giggled and slid her arm through McGee's, who smiled but didn't refute Tony's logic.
Celeste joined the group gathered around Tony and Gibbs eyed him. "Ziver?"
Tony sighed, 'okay' had been a little bit optimistic. He glanced at the puppy prowling around their feet. "She's struggling. I hate having to just watch her be in pain, but..."
"Nothing you can do," Gibbs filled in the blanks. "You better get back."
He nodded wearily. "I wasn't sure about leaving her, even for a few minutes." Tony looked at McGee. "Tim, can I send you out for a request?" He reached for his wallet but the younger man shook his head.
"I got it. Tell me what you need."
"Thanks," Tony grinned, scribbling a few items on a scrap of paper. "I'll let you guys know when something happens. Thanks for coming, it means a lot."
"We're family Tony," Abby put in, "this is what we do." No one could say it better.
Coffee in hand, Tony returned to Ziva's room and by 0130 he got a delivery from the nurse - three bottles of green iced tea, a chocolate bar and energy drink to help keep him awake, and a Hebrew language magazine. Tony knew how Ziva hated being confined and after she gave birth being in bed would frustrate her. Plus, he didn't want her to have to try and translate in her head when she was so tired. He put everything except one bottle away for later. That he poured in one of the empty water bottles. Ziva had just taken her first sip when a contraction came and Mandy walked in.
Both husband and wife ignored the doctor to focus on dealing with the pain. When it passed, Mandy shook her head with a grim look on her face. "I'm sorry, I waited as long as I thought was safe, but I'm afraid we're going to have to do a c-section whether you like it or not. You can't keep this up Ziva."
The woman didn't want to agree, but she was worn out. The idea of being cut open made her shudder with the memories of knives on skin and no anesthetic for the pain, but she had to do what was best for her baby. Suddenly her eyes widened. "I need to push."
Mandy frowned. "Not yet. You were only just over half-way dilated when the nurse checked you a few minutes ago."
Ziva shook her head, adamant. "No, I have to push now!"
Taking the urgency in her patient's voice seriously, Mandy inspected Ziva's progress again and came up looking shocked. "You're fully dilated, that happened over less than ten minutes." She smiled a little. "I think you're right, this baby is coming now."
Ziva gave the doctor her best impression of Gibbs' 'ya think?' look and squeezed her eyes shut as a contraction came and she pushed. After twenty minutes she fell back, tears and sweat streaming down her face. "I cannot do this anymore."
The look Tony exchanged with Mandy made it clear that stopping was not an option - the baby was already in the birth canal. He wiped her skin with a cool cloth and kissed her forehead. "You're stronger than this babe, I know you are. You can do this Ziva, for our baby you can do this."
Ziva nodded wearily, bracing herself for the next one. Tony supported her back with his arm and let her grip his hand as tight as she wanted. Between Tony and Mandy they coached her through another twenty minutes of pushing before the doctor exclaimed, "I see the head!"
That seemed to give Ziva new energy and she put her all into the next push, trying to slow down when Mandy urged her to even though all she wanted at that moment was to get the baby out. She winced at the sharp stinging sensation as the head was born and finally, in a wet rush, she felt the baby slip from her body. The contractions continued for several minutes until she passed the placenta as well, but her focus was on the mewling cries she could hear from her child.
Then Tony placed a wet, wiggly infant covered in a white, waxy film, fluid and blood on her chest. Nurses hovered around cleaning the baby off while Tony cut the cord. Ziva felt an aching loss as the baby was whisked away to a table in the corner to be cleaned and have a few simple tests done. The alarm must have shown on her face because Tony immediately moved close to watch what they were doing, somehow having the presence of mind to get his camera out.
While the baby was being looked after and Tony was taking the first pictures for their album, a couple nurses helped Ziva to the bathroom and explained what the next several hours would look like. Then she was back to bed to await her first formal meeting with her child. It seemed like forever but was really only a handful of minutes before the tightly swaddled baby was handed into her mother's arms. Mandy stood to the side, beaming.
"You have a healthy baby girl. Five pounds, six ounces, seventeen inches long. Born at 2:17 am and scoring seven out of ten on the Apgar scale at one minute and nine at five minutes. She's perfectly healthy and NICU will not need to see her. Lucky kid," the doctor smiled, "she's one ounce over being underweight."
Ziva ran her pointer finger over the baby's soft cheek. "Chaya Caprice DiNozzo," she whispered. "Baruch haba ktantonet." The new mother kissed her child's forehead. "Bat sheli, at yafa."
Tony perched beside her on the bed. "Of course she's beautiful Ziva, look who her mom is." She looked up and Tony captured her lips. "I'm so proud of you honey."
Mandy cleared her throat. "I'll be back to talk to you guys later, but for now I'll leave you alone." Assuming Ziva would want the baby close, she wheeled a plastic bin beside the bed. "Being born is hard work, so she'll probably fall asleep within the hour. Take advantage of it and get some rest, newborns are very demanding. Oh, and congratulations." She left and Tony leaned down to kiss his baby girl.
"I never imagined it would feel like this," he told Ziva in awe, "being a father. My world has been completely rocked."
Their daughter stared solemnly up at them with the same dark blue eyes all newborns had. They touched her gently, counted fingers and toes, marveled at how small she was, and when the baby fell asleep, Tony lifted her into the bin and kissed Ziva's forehead.
"You need to rest Zi, I'm going to tell the team our news."
She wouldn't release his hand. "You need sleep as well, you have been up for days."
"Coffee and chocolate worked pretty well for me." At her look he gave in. "I'll catch a nap as soon as I get back, promise."
Ziva let go and whispered, "I love you," before closing her eyes. Her mind thought the words, Thank you for being here, but she couldn't make her mouth work to say them. Utter exhaustion claimed her immediately and Tony watched her for a second, wondering if she'd ever looked so beautiful, before jogging out to the waiting room with a gigantic grin on his face.
"We have a little girl!" He announced with flourish. "Chaya Caprice DiNozzo. Five pounds six ounces, seventeen inches long. She's beautiful."
Abby jumped up and danced in a circle before running to hug him. Celeste offered her congratulations and Tony accepted her gentle hug. The guys all shook hands and everyone took a minute to revel in the joy of a new life. "Can we see her?" Abby wanted to know.
Tony made a face. "Both Ziva and the baby are sleeping. We absolutely want you to meet her, but it's going to be a couple hours before that's possible." He checked his watch and found it almost three in the morning. "I don't know if you want to go home and come back..." Tony shrugged.
Gibbs shook his head. "We've waited this long, another couple hours won't hurt."
"Tim and I will take Sammy for a walk," Abby decided and looked at Gibbs. "Don't let us miss anything."
"Wouldn't dream of it Abs," Gibbs chuckled, relieved that for once he was at a hospital for good news.
Ducky smiled. "You need some rest as well Anthony, both you and Ziva have a lot of responsibility ahead of you." Tony nodded, feeling almost overwhelmed at the thought of being responsible for the little person sleeping down the hall. Turning to his protégé, Ducky motioned to the couch. "Well Mr. Palmer, let's get comfortable. Did I ever tell you about the time I visited India?"
Tony listened to the familiar sound of storytelling and looked around the small room. "Thanks for being here. I'll let you know as soon as they're ready for company." He swallowed hard. "Thanks for being family."
Then he turned and left before they could react. His wife he could cry in front of, but he didn't want the team to see his tears yet. Tony wasn't sure how much more emotion he could take. This night had changed his life and he couldn't wait to see what the morning held.
A/N2: If you guys are really anxious to see the team meeting T&Z's baby, I might put it up tomorrow morning before I go to work. Unless that's too many chapters in 2 days :P lol. Let me know what you think. And I'm debating on whether to take my break now or after Ch 40 (which would be Friday if I put Ch 38 up on Monday), then we'll start back on the second week of April when Z&baby come home from the hospital. Thoughts and opinions are welcome :) Thanks for everything!