Hey, guys! Here's your next chappie! Enjoy it!
Tony's POV
19:40
"How is she?"
"She's… tolerating."
"Okay, how bad is it?"
"She nearly ripped my arm off."
McGee laughed.
"Don't laugh. You'll be in this position in about a month. I had the courtesy to marry her before knocking her up."
McGee blanched. "Crap."
I smirked. "Not so tough now, are you?"
He rolled his eyes at me. "So, how far along is she?" he asked me. "Ziva, I mean."
I ran a hand through my hair. "Eight centimeters. She kicked me out after the last checkup."
McGee nodded. "She wanted Gibbs in there instead?" he asked.
I nodded. It stung a little that my own wife didn't want me in the delivery room with her as she made it through the last couple of centimeters, but I felt comforted knowing that she wasn't alone with some stranger. "It stings a little, but I'll be alright."
"She'll want you in there for the birth anyway," McGee pointed out. "She can't not want you in there."
I smiled a little and nodded. "Thanks, McGee."
McGee punched me lightly on the arm. "No problem." He checked his watch. "I guess I'll have to go pick Abby up. Or check on her. She'll want to know how Ziva's doing." He got up and chucked his empty coffee cup into a nearby bin. "Good luck, Tony."
I nodded my thanks to him. "Thanks, Tim."
He smiled at me before exiting the hospital café and leaving the hospital. I got up slowly and stretched.
With Ziva being in the final stage before the actual pushing – the transition stage – she was in a lot of pain. She tended to yell at me a lot during this stage, claiming that me being in the room wasn't helping, so she kicked me out. I, obviously, was a little upset when she told me to leave, but I was comforted when I found out Gibbs would be in there.
I threw my empty coffee cup into a nearby bin, just as McGee had, and decided to head back up to Ziva's room. When I got there, I got something I hadn't exactly expected.
"Tony!" Ziva called out as I walked into the room. She was crying.
I ran up to her bedside. "Ziva? Ziva, honey, what's wrong?" I asked.
She reached up for me, and I bent down so that she could hug me. She cried into my shirt.
"I-I-I'm sorry, Tony!" she wept. "I-I-I didn't mean to kick you out!"
I rubbed her back reassuringly. "Hey, it's okay. It was only natural to have me out of the room for a little while."
She pulled her head back from my shirt. "I… I thought you were gone, Tony," she whispered.
I shook my head. "Why would I leave?" I wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "I need to be here for you. I stayed in the café for a little while so that you could cool down before coming back up here. I didn't want to leave you here alone."
She gave me a watery smile. "You… you did?"
I nodded and pecked her on the lips. "Of course I did, Ziva. I love you too much."
She smiled at me fully. "I love you too," she managed to say before her face contorted in pain. She gripped my hand tightly and wailed in pain. "Tony!"
I rubbed her hand and kissed her forehead. "I'm here, baby. I'm here."
After about a minute, Ziva calmed down and leaned back into the pillows. She smiled at me weakly. "Thank you." Suddenly her eyes widened. "Tony…"
"Yes, honey?" I asked.
"I… I think I need to push…"
My eyes widened, and I turned to call out of the door. "We need a nurse in here!"
Ziva's POV
20:00
"Push, Ziva, push!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and bore down, clenching my teeth. I had to get this baby out. The pain was killing me.
"That's it, honey." I felt a kiss on my forehead. "There's my strong woman."
I managed to smile weakly and breathed heavily. There was sweat pouring down my forehead, and the hospital gowns clung to my skin tightly. "How much more?" I asked.
The midwife smiled at me reassuringly. "Not much longer to go. I think I can see the head. Just keep panting."
I nodded and continued to pant, looking over at Tony. He kissed my forehead and mumbled reassuring words in my ear, which, even though I didn't fully understand, the soothing sound of his voice calmed me down.
"Alright, Ziva, I'm going to need you to start pushing again," the midwife said.
I nodded and bore down, closing my eyes. Not much further left…
"And here comes the head!"
I felt Tony's grip on my hand loosen a little as he moved around to get a better view of the baby's head. I smiled. He was already too excited to wait.
"Wow, there's a full head of hair!"
"Okay, a couple more pushes, and this baby should be here!"
I nodded as I panted. Just a little bit left… I rested my head back against my pillow. "What colour is his hair?"
Tony smiled. "Her hair's dark, like yours."
I smiled. "That s nice…"
"Okay, Ziva, another push please!" the midwife said.
I took a deep breath and pushed.
It wasn't until about seven minutes later that we heard the baby's first cries. We – Tony and I – smiled.
"It's a boy!" the midwife exclaimed.
I laughed lightly, exhausted from everything that had happened. "I told you so," I said to Tony.
He smiled at me. "I should've believed you all along." He kissed me. "You did brilliantly, baby."
"Daddy, would you like to cut the cord?" the midwife asked.
Tony smiled and went to cut the baby's cord. Not long afterwards, a small figure in a white blanket was laid on my chest, and my arms immediately came up to cradle him. I smiled.
"He is beautiful," I whispered.
Tony nodded. "Absolutely."
I stroked his dark hair one last time before the midwives came to take him away for check ups.
Tony stroked my hair lovingly. "Wow," he whispered.
I frowned at him. "What is it?"
He beamed at me. "I'm a dad…" he muttered before jumping up. "I'm a dad, Ziva!" he yelled over and over again, a huge grin on his face.
I laughed lightly. "Yes, you are." I smirked. "And you lost the bet."
He just smiled at me. "I know… but he's so beautiful, I don't think I'll regret it any time soon." He kissed me on the lips. "And it's because he has an amazing, beautiful mother."
"And a charming, handsome father," I added.
Tony chuckled. "Yeah… that kid has some awesome parents."
Sorry if that was a bit rushed. Review!
