Chapter 1
Around June 2021
A cool breeze wafted through the open bedroom window, gently caressing Ziva's face as she slept in her bed. Ziva stirred awake, shielding her eyes for a moment against the sun light streaming down on her face through the window. She sat up further, noticing Tony's absence. She listened carefully. Not a peep. She got out of the bed and walked over to the bathroom to get freshened up for the morning, slipping a pair of her shorts and Tony's shirt on before she walked out of the bedroom. As she walked past the kids' bedrooms, she saw that the kids were not there. As she walked past the baby's room before heading downstairs, she thought to herself, "Tony must've got up early with the kids." As soon as Ziva walked into the living room, Tali looked up and her face broke out in excitement at the sight of her Ima.
"Ima!" Tali jumped up and ran over to Ziva and hugged her. She looked up at her with a big grin on her face. "G'morning!"
"Oh my Tali, Good morning, Tali" Ziva smiled as she looked down at Tali as she hugged her.
Nearby, AJ cooed from his walker, flapping his arms and patting the walker. He chortled as Ziva looked over at him, then squealed in delight as Ziva picked AJ up into her arms.
"Hi, my little man!" She smooched him on his cheek, then set him back in his walker. She stood up and looked around, wondering.
"Tali, is Daddy in the kitchen?" Ziva looked back at Tali and smiled.
Tali nodded and pointed toward the kitchen. "Yup, Daddy is cooking breakfast."
Almost simultaneously with Tali's reply, Tony called out, "In here, hon!"
"Ah, there's the big man himself." She chuckled as she walked toward the kitchen.
Just before entering the kitchen, Ziva paused at the doorway and leaned against the doorframe, watching Tony go through the breakfast preparation routine. As Tony turned toward the kitchen island from the stove, their eyes clicked together as they smiled at each other.
"Well, hello there, sweetcheeks." Tony smiled as he gazed at her now-protruding belly. He was transfixed at the sight of his pregnant wife. "How are you, my love?" He waggled his eyebrows.
Ziva giggled, as she walked toward Tony, giving him gentle head slap, "Good morning, my Tony." Ziva got closer to Tony, planting a kiss on Tony's lips. She drew back slightly. "You better not let the food burn." She giggled.
"Ohhh, Ima, Daddy!" They both looked down at Tali, who was giggling. She had seen them kiss each other. Ziva broke out in laughter, followed by Tony.
"Go, finish breakfast." Ziva smiled and shooed Tony back to the kitchen as she walked to the dining-room table. Ziva turned to Tali. "Would you help me set the table while I take care of AJ?"
Tali nodded and went to set the table as Ziva picked AJ up from the walker and took him to his room to get changed and nursed.
As soon as Ziva returned with AJ and put him in his high chair, Tony brought out the food for the family. Tony and Ziva served out the food on table: monstrous-sized omelets with diced peppers and tomatoes and beef for Tony and Ziva, pancakes for the children along with a small amount of the omelets for Tali. As Ziva ate, she alternated between eating and feeding AJ some baby food.
Ziva looked up from her omelets and smiled at Tony.
"Wonderful. You should open up a diner, this is good." She reached across the table and grasped Tony's hand, tilting her head at Tony.
Tony chuckled. "Oh, sure, the DiNozzo Diner. Who knows?" He returned the grasp. He placed his other hand on top of the other hand and Ziva's. "You know, it opened earlier than usual, thanks to AJ."
Ziva chuckled as she set her drink down, almost laughing into the drink. She reached out and stroked his scruffy beard. "You've been doing awesome. I appreciate how you do things to help me out here." Ziva smiled at Tony.
Tali piped up. "Ima, I helped Daddy with AJ. We watched some TV while Daddy was making breakfast." She smiled at Ziva.
Ziva chuckled, looking at Tali. "You're the best big sister to AJ, you know that?"
Tali smiled and nodded. She went back to eating her breakfast.
Tony nodded. "Oh yeah, got up at 5 AM, like I said, because of AJ. Wet diaper, you know the deal." He raised an eyebrow. "You were sleeping just like the Sleeping Beauty movie, so I figured I'd go see what he needed and to get breakfast going. Tali woke up not too long afterwards."
Ziva nodded, smiling, and went back to her eating.
Later in the day, after they had done their chores, Tony walked in, slightly sweaty from mowing the lawn. As he walked in, Ziva heard his phone ding. She turned to Tony. "I can smell you from way over here. Go get cleaned up."
Tony chuckled. "Take in the essence de DiNozzo." He wafted his smelly manhood into the air.
Ziva held her nose and pointed to the living room. "Go. Clead up dow, or else!" Her speech was altered by her holding her nose against the stench. The smells have been overpowering for her lately.
Tony chuckled and walked away, and as he did so, he pulled his phone out. The screen read McGee's name. He opened it. "Up for some company?" the text read.
As he rounded the corner into his bedroom, he typed out, "Sure, meet in backyard." No response afterwards. He got cleaned up and returned downstairs.
"Feeling better now?" Ziva called out from her recliner. Tony noticed that the kids were on the couch, sleeping, the TV going on a cartoon channel.
Tony chuckled. "Never better. McElflord wants to come over. I said sure, we can hang out in the backyard."
"Oh? What's he up to?" Ziva raised an eyebrow.
Tony shrugged. "Not sure. Guess he wants a little company." They had noticed McGee hanging over a little more than usual lately.
"You think something's bothering him?" Ziva tilted her head.
"Only one way to find out." He headed toward the backyard.
A few moments later, Ziva caught sight of McGee in the backyard. She took a quick glance at the sleeping children, and decided that it was okay for her to step away for just a couple of moments. She headed towards the backyard and stood just outside the door. "Hello there, McGee. How's things been for you?"
McGee looked up at her. "Oh, hello. Been doing okay." McGee considered the answer for a moment.
Tony looked at McGee. "You sure you're doing okay?" He chuckled slightly.
As Ziva sat by Tony, McGee smiled nervously. "Yes. Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking."
Tony raised a finger. "Hey, hey now, don't break your geek brain from overthinking things. Now, what's on your mind?"
McGee chuckled. "It's, uh, about work. Have you ever gotten to the point where..." McGee stopped because he wasn't sure how to frame the question.
Tony thought for a moment. "Oh, like it's getting old on you?"
Ziva nodded. "Or stuck in a grind?"
McGee looked up. "In a rut. No... yeah... well, I don't know." He shrugged. "The last few cases have been hard on me."
"Like how?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Gibbs driving you like a slave driver these days?"
Ziva chuckled. McGee snorted. "It's not him. It's more the cases, they seem to kinda blend in with each other these days."
Ziva nodded. "Like the days themselves blend?"
McGee shook his head. "No, more like I'm... a piece of functional furniture nowadays?"
Tony chuckled. "What's stopping you? Call it good, hang up the badge and gun." Tony shrugged. "Heck, write all you want, you'll have all the time in the world."
McGee guffawed. "With these Elflets running around? Fat chance of that happening for a while."
"So what about it?" McGee looked over at Ziva. She raised an eyebrow. "Hand in your notice?"
McGee nodded. "It's not the same anymore these days, not like years ago when we were together." He shrugged. "That's why I've been thinking of quitting." He amended his last statement. "Retiring, actually."
Ziva nodded. "So, go for it. I've handed in my resignation not too long ago."
McGee looked up with surprise on his face. "I didn't know that." He blinked his eyes. "Really?"
Ziva nodded. "Getting to be a full-time job, raising my family here." She smiled.
Tony nodded. "Yeah, look at us. Ever since she's handed in her notice we've been doing awesome. Less stress."
McGee nodded. "Good point." He turned to Ziva. "After what you went through with AJ? Don't blame you there."
Ziva nodded. "Look, whatever you decide, we're behind you. One hundred percent." She got up. "You hang in there. I need to go fix dinner."
McGee's face brightened. "Oh, speaking of dinner, I need to get headed home, because I've got dinner waiting." McGee breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for talking with me."
Tony said, "Not a problem. Catch you later."
~~Tiva~~
Sometime in mid-September 2021, Tony and Ziva threw a small birthday party for AJ, his first birthday. Ziva had not been feeling well; she was due to pop anytime. Still, she managed to make the birthday party special for AJ by having a small family cookout. Sometime during the cookout, Rivka showed up.
"Brought some clothes, just in case," Rivka said.
Ziva smiled. "Glad you came. Was starting to wonder where you were."
Rivka chuckled. "Oh yeah, traffic. You know Gibbs and the traffic."
Tony chuckled. He had flashbacks of Gibbs swearing at snarled-up traffic in the past.
"Gibbs?" Ziva raised an eyebrow. Just then, Gibbs walked into the backyard. She looked up. "Oh, there you are. Hi."
"Phone." He held up his phone. "Work called." But he didn't turn around to leave, not yet.
Tali ran up to Gibbs. "Papa!"
Gibbs chuckled and hugged Tali. "Good to see you. Having a good day?"
Tali nodded and smiled. "AJ's one year old today!"
Gibbs smiled. "Oh, is that right? Where's the birthday boy?" He looked up at Ziva.
"Here you go," Ziva held AJ out for Gibbs, smiling.
"Happy birthday, little man." Gibbs chuckled as he took AJ.
AJ chortled. He babbled some almost-words.
Gibbs chuckled. "Oh yeah? You being a good boy?" He tickled AJ a little, causing him to squeal in laughter. He handed AJ back to Ziva.
Ziva chuckled as she took AJ. "You take care, Gibbs."
Gibbs nodded. "Yup. You too, Ziver." He waved to everybody, then turned around and left.
A couple nights later, after Rivka helped Ziva cleaning up for the night, she got to relax in her recliner next to Tony and Ziva. "Ahh, done for the day." Rivka sighed.
Ziva chuckled. "Yes, definitely." She looked at Tali, sitting in front of the TV set.
Rivka nodded. "I know, so cute in that little couch she got for her birthday. Can't believe she's 7 already."
Tony smiled. "Yeah, seems like it was only yesterday that Tali came into my life and I became her dad." He shook his head. "My, how time flies."
Ziva smiled. "And now we have AJ, together from the beginning."
Tony nodded. "There is that."
Just then Ziva yelped in pain. She held her side suddenly.
"Ziva, are you alright, is it the baby?" Tony looked at Ziva, concerned.
"Oh my Tony, she sure is active today." She gasped just then. "Oh! That felt like I just dropped the football." Ziva held her breath for a moment, then chuckled at Tony. "I think she's settled down now." She took a deep breath and sat back in her recliner.
Tali turned around. "Ima?"
Ziva looked down at Tali. "Yes?" She smiled at Tali, just as a fresh stab of pain shot through her side.
"Can we do the bird song?" Tali asked. But Ziva could see that Tali had some concern beneath those eyes of hers.
Ziva licked her lips and nodded. "Sure, we can sing the bird song. Then you need to get ready for bed, okay?"
Tali smiled. "I'm ready for bed." She pointed to her pajamas.
Ziva chuckled. "No, I mean brush your teeth and all that."
"Oh!" Tali's face changed into an "oops-I-forgot" look.
Tony chuckled, along with Rivka. Ziva raised her eyebrow and smiled. "See? Now, the bird song." She started singing in Hebrew.
Midway through the bird song, they heard AJ babbling along with the song. They smiled at AJ and sang some more.
All of a sudden, AJ uttered the words "Dada! Ima!". He then burst out in a spontaneous giggle.
A collective gasp arose from the adults. "Oh my, Tony! His first words!" Ziva turned her head toward Tony. "He said dada and ima!"
Tony gasped in surprise. He hugged AJ. "Can you say it again? I'm Daddy." Tony cooed at AJ.
"Dada!" AJ cooed, then giggled, waving his arms about and kicking his feet in excitement.
Ziva forgot about her pains for a moment and focused on the moment at hand. She did not want to miss this magical moment of baby's first words. She smiled. "AJ! Can you say 'ima'?"
AJ held out his arms. "Ima!" Ziva knew that look on his face.
"Oh, I know that look. Tony, give him to me please." She held out her arms for AJ. Tony chuckled and got up and brought AJ to Ziva along with a blanket. She adjusted herself into a more comfortable position, then cradled AJ as she received him from Tony and draped the blanket over him and started to nurse him.
Later, in the middle of the night, Ziva slowly got out of the bed, having been awakened by a sudden urge to use the bathroom. She waddled over to the bathroom, turned the lights on and closed the door to, then sat on the stool.
As she sat on the stool, she felt relief as her bladder emptied itself. She sighed, then got up – but didn't get a chance to take a step before a torrent of fluid came spilling down her legs. "Tony!" She yelled. She realized that her water had broken.
Tony sat bolt upright in the bed, noticing that Ziva was not in the bed. He looked towards the bathroom. "Ziva!" He jumped out of the bed and ran towards the bathroom.
"She's coming!" Ziva was holding onto her lower abdomen. Her face had a mix of surprise and pain and shock written all over it.
Tony stood rooted, his brain trying to come to grips with what was about to happen, right there in the bathroom. After a couple moments, his mouth moved, then he managed to slap himself in the back of the head to snap himself out of it. "RIVKAAAAAA!" He bellowed.
Rivka ran into the room almost in a flash. She took one look at Tony. "What-?"
"Ima!" Ziva called out from the bathroom. She grunted in pain. "No time!"
Rivka barged past Tony into the bathroom, and eased Ziva to the floor. "Here, darling. Easy, now." She turned to Tony. "Warm towels – now! Call 911."
Tony snapped out of his transfixed state and moved automatically to get some towels for Rivka. He then ran to his phone and dialed the emergency number and called for an ambulance.
Rivka checked Ziva. "Oh, the baby's crowning! Deep breaths now."
Ziva nodded. She practiced her hypnobirthing breathing exercises. This is much easier than AJ, she thought to herself through the pain. All of a sudden, another contraction hit. She grunted with the pain, and pushed with all her might. At the end of the push, she took a couple of deep breaths.
"Hon?" Tony had returned and was watching.
Rivka turned to Tony. "Hold her head up. Give her some support, encourage her." She pointed toward Ziva's head.
Tony nodded and knelt beside Ziva and propped her up on himself and held one of her hands. "I'm here, sweetcheeks." He smiled at her.
Ziva nodded, lips pursed from her breathing exercises. She could feel the pain ramping up, the contraction building up. She let out a hoarse whisper. "Just like Tali..."
Rivka looked up. "What's that?"
Ziva shook her head.
Rivka said, "Okay, push, with all your might! One more push should do it."
Just as the pain peaked, Ziva grunted and pushed again, with all her might, letting out a primal scream, as the baby came fully out. She panted from the exertion, sweating heavily. Just then, a strong cry filled the room. "Oh! The baby's here already." She exhaled breathlessly.
Tony watched, jaw agape. He muttered. "Wow, I saw our own child being born." He hugged Ziva and gently kissed her on top of her head, brushing her hair away from her eyes.
Rivka gasped and smiled. "Oh, a girl!" She took one of the towels and swaddled the baby in the towel.
Tony was mesmerized. "Look at all that hair."
Rivka chuckled. "Tony, I need something to tie the cord with." As Tony turned to look for something to tie the umbilical cord with, Rivka added, "Hey, scissors also."
Tony nodded. He suddenly heard the sounds of sirens. "They're here." He gently put Ziva down, then ran out of the room to let the paramedics in.
Moments later, the paramedics entered the room, followed by Tony. "Oh, a baby!" One of the paramedics smiled.
Rivka looked up. "Tony needs to cut the cord."
The paramedics sat down next to Ziva and the baby, and opened their medical chest and grabbed two ribbons and tied off the cord. "Dad, ready to cut the cord?" The paramedic held the scissors up in the air.
Tony nodded, dazed. He was still in disbelief with what was happening in front of his very eyes. "Sure." He took the scissors and cut the cord. "Wow," he muttered to himself.
Ziva chuckled at Tony's expression. "First time seeing a birth?"
Tony nodded. His face changed, and the color drained from him. "Oohhh, sparkly." He dropped to the floor. Everything had finally caught up with him.
Rivka let out a tiny squeal. Ziva exclaimed, "Oh!"
The first paramedic turned toward Tony. "He'll be alright. I don't see any head injuries. Just fainted."
Rivka chuckled. "Story to tell the grandkids now." She watched as the paramedics loaded Ziva and the baby on a stretcher.
Just when they got done putting her on the stretcher, Tony stirred. "Bwuh?!" He shook his head. "Uhhh. What happened?"
Ziva looked over to Tony. "You fainted. Apparently."
Tony sat upright, looking at Ziva. "Wha- oh." He quickly stood up, suddenly getting slightly woozy. He grabbed onto the doorknob, steadying himself. "Alright, I'll follow you?"
The lead paramedic looked up at Tony. "Sure – take a moment. Catch a breath, here." He grabbed Tony, to make sure he was steady.
Tony held up a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Just give me a moment." He stood for a moment, watching the paramedics wheel Ziva out the door, then slowly walked behind them to the bedroom, where he put on his pants, then grabbed his keys.
A day later, Tony and Ziva had returned home with the baby from the hospital. As soon as they walked in through the door, Rivka and Tali met them at the door, AJ riding in Rivka's arms.
"Welcome home, Ziva!" Rivka smiled and hugged Ziva, then turned and looked at the baby. "And to you too, my granddaughter." She gently stroked the sleeping baby's cheek. She turned to Tony. "Welcome home to you too, Tony." She hugged him as well.
"Ima!" Tali hugged Ziva.
They all went to the living room to get settled in. As Ziva settled herself in her recliner, she let out a sigh. "Good to be home again."
Rivka sat on couch next to Ziva. Tony put his things away, and brought the bassinette into the living room. "Here you go. Dusted it off down in the basement. Good as new." Tony patted the bassinette.
Rivka leaned over to Ziva slightly. "All good?"
Ziva turned toward to Rivka, and held the baby out for Rivka. "Ima, meet Rebecca Joy," she said in Hebrew.
Rivka looked up at Ziva. "Rivka Joy?"
In English, Ziva said, "Rebecca Joy. Rebecca is Rivka in English, and Joy is Tony's mother's middle name."
Rivka gasped. "Oh! Such a lovely name!" She smiled, and a tear leaked from a corner of one of her eyes. She took the baby and cradled her close to her bosom, and softly muttered a Hebrew lullaby.
Ziva and Tony looked at each other, then at Rivka holding the baby.
~Tiva~
A/N: Please make sure you have a tissue in your hand.
Sometime in mid-June 2024, as Ziva was entering her 8th month of her pregnancy, she had noticed that this one was very different from her previous pregnancies. Having twins felt more like double trouble to her. However, Tony had been a great help with the children, doing his best to lighten her load as much as possible. Rivka spent every moment of her available time to help her with the kids so that Tony wouldn't get so overwhelmed; Gibbs and McGee pitched in when they could. Today was especially bad, she thought.
"Tony?" Ziva called out.
"Hmm?" Tony looked up from his laptop.
Pain was etched across her face. "Doesn't feel like what I went through with Becky." She took a deep breath. "Or Tali."
Tony closed his laptop and set it aside. "Oh, no. Like AJ?"
Rivka was suddenly at her side. "Ziva?"
Ziva shook her head. "No – worse." A sudden bout of pain shot through her. "Agh!"
Tony sat bolt upright. "We need to take you in now?"
Ziva nodded. "My bag, please." She pointed to the corner near the doorway.
Tony glanced over, then back at Ziva as he helped her up slowly. "I got it. Easy, now, we're off to the hospital."
Rivka helped Ziva up, then as they got to the doorway, she picked the bag up and handed it to Tony. "Take care of my daughter, now."
"I will." Tony nodded. "Tell..." He caught sight of Tali. He paused and turned around. "Tali, keep an eye on the little ones, and help Savta out. I'll keep in contact with you when I can, okay?" Tony smiled. "Love you."
Tali caught up to her Daddy and hugged him, then she looked up at her Ima.
Ziva looked back down at Tali. "Ima will be ok. Daddy's taking me to the hospital to make sure I'm okay. Who knows, the baby might be born on your birthday." She smiled at Tali.
Tali smiled and hopped slightly once. "Really? That'd be cool!" She clapped her hands together in delight.
Ziva and Tony chuckled. "We'll be back before you know it. We'll keep in touch, okay?"
Tali nodded. "Okay! I'll help Savta with the other kids. Hopefully everything's okay."
Tony nodded, then turned to help Ziva into the SUV. Once she was in, he got in, and as he started the engine, he looked up and saw Tali in the living room window, face pressed up against the glass. One of her hands formed the ILY sign on the window. He saw Rivka step up behind Tali and she, too, placed the ILY sign on the window. Tony and Ziva smiled and returned the ILY signs through the windshield. He then drove to the emergency department.
During the initial checkup at the ER, the staff took her vitals. As the nurse was taking her blood pressure, she became somewhat alarmed. "Wow, the blood pressure's through the roof. We need to get you back in there now." The nurse wheeled Ziva into an examination bay. Shortly thereafter a doctor stepped into the room.
"What's going on here? Having some pain from the pregnancy?" The doctor flipped through the charts. He stopped. "Oohh, gotta get that blood pressure down." He turned to the nurse and rattled off some orders for medication to bring her blood pressure under control. "Let's get her admitted and call her OB."
Tony nodded. "Right – got it."
The doctor said, "Not you – the nurse. Go fill out the paperwork, sir. She's in good hands."
Tony stood up. "You got her OB on file?" He rattled off the name of the OB/GYN.
The doctor nodded. "Yes, thanks for confirming the name." The doctor turned to Ziva. "We need to see what's going on inside of you, so are you okay for a sonogram?"
Ziva nodded. "Sure. This baby is a real dozer."
"A real doozy, you mean." Tony smiled.
Ziva looked slightly irritated at Tony. "Go take care of the paperwork." Pain fleeted across her face.
"Yes ma'am," Tony said, and did an about face and left the room.
The doctor chuckled. "Your husband?"
"Yes." Ziva nodded. "A saint. But he can be annoying at times."
"How's your pain right now?" The doctor asked.
Ziva grimaced. "Comes and goes. Did someone sneak a knife to this baby?"
The doctor chuckled. "Well, let's find out with that sonogram, shall we?"
After a long while, the nurse stepped into the waiting room that Tony was waiting in. "Could I have you step back with me? They just got done with the tests."
"Oh, great." He stood up and followed the nurse back to the exam room. There, he saw that Ziva was back and resting comfortably. The doctor was also there. He had a serious look on his face.
"I know that look. It's that look that you give when you tell the president that the world as we know it will end. You know, like the movie 2012." Tony looked up at the doctor.
The doctor sighed and patted Tony's shoulder. "It might not be as serious as the world turning itself inside out."
Just then, a groan reached their ears. They turned to look at Ziva, who was still somewhat groggy from the pain medication. "Tony?" She called out.
The doctor looked at her, then back at Tony. "We had to give her something for her pain. Keep in mind, I kept the dosage light, on account of the babies."
Tony blinked. "So, did you find the cause of the pain? Or, I mean, is she having the baby anytime?" Tony stuttered slightly, as if his brain had broken slightly. It hadn't registered fully, yet.
Ziva sat up a little further in her bed. "Doctor, just tell us, please, is there anything wrong with me the baby?" A tear leaked from Ziva's eye as she tried to keep her anxiety from creeping up within her.
Just then, the OB/GYN walked in. "Well, we meet again." She smiled at Tony and Ziva. She opened the charts. "Well, looks like everything's fine with the babies." She stopped. She opened the charts again. "Babies?"
Tony's head snapped toward the OB/GYN Doctor. "Babies, plural?" His head swiveled toward the ER doctor. "Is that what you're saying?"
The ER doctor nodded. "Confirmed it with this sonogram."
The OB Doctor looked shocked. "How did we miss the other baby in the previous sonograms?"
The ER doctor shrugged. "No idea. That's not all we found. We had to take her in for an MRI based on what we saw in the sonogram – some sort of mass near the babies."
The OB/GYN Doctor looked at the charts, then at the images. "Now I can see the other baby, clear as day. What's this mass over here, in the ovary?" She muttered to herself, then zoomed in the image. Then a realization dawned upon her. "Oh. I see what's happening here."
"What? What's going on?" Tony's mind tried to keep up with the doctors.
The ER doctor closed the charts. He walked over to Tony. "Alright, we've gotten the test results back. I'm sorry it took a little while to get back to you, but I have been going through the history, and I even consulted with your OB, and other doctors about it. We found a sort of growth on one of your ovaries." He directed this toward Ziva. "What this means, is that every time one of the babies changed position, it put pressure on the growth, hence the pain."
Tony's face changed. "So, wait, are you telling me, er are you telling us that every time one of the babies wants to push her buttons, they know exactly where to push?"
"Tony!" Ziva back-slapped Tony's arm.
Both the doctors chuckled. The ER doctor said, "No, not quite. But here's the thing. The babies themselves are fine, it doesn't seem to be affecting them, according to the MRI here."
Ziva spoke up. "You said, in the ovary?"
The OB answered, "We believe that it's a very large cyst within the ovary. One of the larger ones I've seen, to be honest."
Ziva nodded and considered this for a moment. "And if I gave birth like with Becky?"
The OB shook her head. "No, I would recommend against it. I'd like to go ahead with a C-section as soon as possible."
Ziva begun to cry. She sang to herself in Hebrew. "Is it cancer?"
Tony became uneasy, holding Ziva's hand. "So does that mean she might have cancer in the ovary? What about the uterus?"
The ER doctor spoke up. "Right, you got it?"
The OB nodded. "Yeah, thanks."
"I'll be back after my rounds with any updates." The ER doctor turned and left. The OB walked closer to Ziva and patted her arm. She had known Ziva and Tony for years, having previously delivered AJ and Becky.
"Tony, it's not one big mass, it's multiple masses the size of peas all over in her ovary. Looks like she might have had them for a while. I also have some concerns that it may also have spread to the uterus lining." The OB shrugged slightly. "I'm sorry, I wish the news could be better."
The news hit Tony and Ziva like a ton of bricks. After a couple of moments, Ziva spoke, slowly at first, then picking up speed. "So, C-section, then what? Take everything else out?"
Before the OB spoke, Tony spoke up. "So, if we left things as is, and let her have birth-?"
The doctor sighed. She knew full well the possible implications. "Well, the chances are if we left it alone and let her carry the babies to term, those growths could spread like wildfire and potentially affect the babies – and the mother. Come to think of it, Ziva, Tony, it might be wise to consider a hysterectomy on top of everything else. After all, your uterine wall is very thin, and I frankly am not sure if you'll be able to carry the babies to term."
Tony nodded woodenly. Ziva sniffled softly, looking up at Tony, then at the doctor. "Can I talk with my husband alone, please?"
The OB nodded. "Sure, I'll step out for a minute while you guys talk it over." She turned and left the room.
Tony said to Ziva, "Just a second, I'll be back." He got up and walked out after the OB.
Tony caught the OB just feet away from the doorway, near the nurses' station. "I want your honesty, is my wife going to be fine?"
Doctor looked at Tony, patted his shoulder, "Look on the bright side. I do think your wife will have a long life ahead of her should we go ahead with it. To put it bluntly, that growth? For a lack of a better explanation, it's trapped by the babies. The moment she gives birth, that growth may let go and it'll be all over for her."
Tony gulped. He held back his tears. "So, would that also explain the high blood pressure?"
The OB sighed. "I'm not sure, but I wouldn't rule it out. It's kind of hard to tell."
Tony suddenly had a flashback. "So, why was her pregnancy with Becky relatively easy compared to AJ, and now this?"
The OB had a slightly puzzled look on her face. "You know, that is interesting. Might be something hormonal related. Might be something to look into." She made a note in Ziva's chart.
Tony stood there, stunned at the news, as he tried to absorb what was just said. "Wait, babies, you said?" He still had difficulty wrapping that around his mind.
The OB giggled. "Yes, twins. It seems that one of them liked to play hide and seek from us for a long time."
"Wow." Tony slowly turned and walked back into the room. He closed the door partway, then turned to see Ziva, and noticed that she was quietly sobbing. Tony wordlessly walked closer to the bed, looking down at his wife, tears starting to flow. He held Ziva tightly as Ziva held Tony into her arms, allowing the tears to flow.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Tony hoarsely whispered.
Ziva nodded. "If I do not make it," she paused to take a breath, then swallowed almost painfully; her throat had gone dry. "Take care of the kids for me."
Tony stroked Ziva's hair away from her wet cheeks and wiped her tears away gently. "My sweetcheeks, the bright side is, it's just in the ovary. Better to have it done now, baby and all. Babies, I mean." Tony smacked himself in the back of the head. "Babies. I still can't wrap my mind around the fact we're having twins."
This caused Ziva to chuckle slightly through her tears. Poor Tony had the most difficult time, she thought to herself. She hugged Tony, then said, "No more pregnancies, right?"
Tony shook his head slightly. "No, no more. Five kids we got now. Lucky seven, right?" He smiled slightly.
Ziva sniffles, looking at Tony, "Oh my Tony, yes. I think so, too. I think I've had enough anyway. This one seemed to really take a lot out of me."
Tony nodded. "Yeah, I could see that. But the bright side is, Ziva, you'll have a long life ahead of you. Enjoy the family."
Ziva slowly nodded, then smiled. "I think I would like that." Before Tony could say anything, she raised a finger. "No turning the twins into Elf-lets, either!"
Tony chuckled. "Okay, wanna tell the doc to go with it?"
Ziva swallowed, then took a deep breath. "I'm ready. Let's get this done."
Tony nodded. He laid an ILY sign on her heart, and leaned over and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered.
Ziva returned the kiss. "You too, babe. Love you very much." She held out her own ILY sign.
Tony smiled. "Hang in there. See you soon." He then went out of the room to give the doctor the go-ahead.
Ziva smiled, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
After they took Ziva in for surgery, Tony went to the waiting room, then pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to McGee that said, 'Hey, can you come over hospital? Need to talk.' He then called Rivka to fill her in on what was going on. After a couple of rings, she picked up. "Hello?"
"Uh, yeah, the babies are coming sooner than expected." Tony said.
There was a pause. "Babies?" Rivka's voice filtered through the earpiece. There was surprise in her voice.
Tony chuckled. "Yes, that's right, babies. Apparently we're having twins." He scratched his head. "How can a twin evade detection on sonograms for so long?"
There was a sudden burst of laughter from Rivka. "That sounds exactly like what I had gone through. One of the twins hiding for so long."
"So, did they take her back already?" Rivka asked.
Tony sighed. "Yeah, they're taking the babies out. Ovaries and uterus too."
Rivka gasped slightly. "Did-?" She stuttered slightly, then paused. "Did they find something inside of her?"
Tony winced. "I guess it's the big C, or something like it. In one of her ovaries, they say."
Rivka didn't speak for a few moments. "Just like my pregnancy, too," she whispered.
"What's that?" Tony hadn't completely catch what Rivka had said.
"Tony, I've had the same thing she went through. Almost exactly. I think it runs within the family." Rivka's voice was soft as she contemplated the implications. After a moment, she said, "I'll come out when I can, to see Ziva and the babies."
Tony nodded. "Yeah. Thought I'd give you a heads up. You being her mother, I thought you should be the first to know."
Rivka said, "Thank you. I very much appreciate that."
"How's the kids?" Tony asked.
Rivka chuckled. "They're wonderful. The girls had a blast in their playroom, playing tea-time."
Tony chuckled at the image. "And what's the little man been up to?"
Rivka laughed. "Keeping Gibbs busy. I think Gibbs enjoys his company down there in the basement."
"I really have got to figure out how he even gets his boats he builds out of his basement." Tony said. "One of these days..."
Rivka burst out laughing. "You know, I've wondered the same thing myself."
Tony chuckled. "Maybe he's teaching AJ. There you go."
"You never know. Anyway, not a problem from the kids." Rivka said.
"That's good to hear." Out of the corner of his eyes, Tony caught a familiar sight. "Oh, I gotta go. McGee showed up. I'll talk to you later."
"Keep me posted." The line went dead.
Tony stuffed the phone back into his pocket. "You're a sight for sore eyes, McGee."
"What's the word?" McGee asked.
Tony sighed. "They took her back in. It's kinda good, kinda bad."
Tim looked intently into Tony's face. He stayed silent for a moment. "In what way?" He finally spoke.
Tony shrugged. "Apparently they know why she's been in so much pain lately. Apparently there's some sort of... growth? On one of her ovaries."
McGee raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That doesn't sound good."
Almost before McGee finished, Tony said with a puzzled look on his face. "Twins, bro?!" Tony shook his head. "All this time and we didn't know?"
"What?! Twins?" McGee was just as shocked as Tony was.
"Do you know what this means?" Tony said. He got up and started pacing as he started coming to grips with the whole concept of raising twins. "I'm gonna have to print out nametags for each one so I don't forget their names."
McGee laughed. "Well? Do you have any idea of the sex of the babies?"
Tony rounded upon McGee. "You know what? That's interesting you ask, because in all of those sonograms we always couldn't really determine whether the baby's a boy or a girl." Tony had a really puzzled look on his face. "How could they miss a whole baby inside of her, never mind determine the sex of a baby?"
McGee looked on bemusedly. "One of the greatest mysteries of life, right?"
"I gotta tell you something, though, this... C thing... was totally out of left field for me." He shrugged. "Did not see that coming at all."
McGee patted Tony on his back. "Totally know what you mean. Felt the same way when I found out about my dad having leukemia." He raised an eyebrow. "Felt like I got hit by one of those road-trains."
Tony sighed. "They say that she'll make it through okay, that it's contained right now." Tony raised a doubtful eyebrow.
"Yeah, gotta hope for the best, right?" McGee said.
After a prolonged wait, the OB doctor came out to the waiting room. When she saw Tony, she made a beeline for him and sat down next to him. Her scrubs had slight sweat stains around the armpits. She flipped open the charts and read quickly the notes, then flipped them closed. "Well, I have to say, the surgery went much better than expected. Your sons are perfectly healthy."
Tony gasped with a surprise, "Sons? We had boys?"
McGee laughed at Tony.
The doctor giggled softly when she saw Tony's priceless look. "Your boys are healthy, the cancer hadn't affected them at all. Yes, they were born a month early, but let me tell you, they both have a very good set of lungs on them. Good loud strong cries, strong grip response, everything normal."
Tony was relieved to hear that his sons were okay. Then he looked at the doctor. "My wife? Did she make it?"
The doctor looked down briefly at Ziva's charts this time. "Very smooth procedure. As soon as we got the babies out, we took everything out, and as soon as we removed the ovaries, the cancerous one basically let go, blew up, inside the bowl we set it in. So, it was a good thing we caught that in time."
"But there's nothing inside her now, right?" Tony asked. He gulped.
The OB doctor shook her head. "As far as we could tell, there was nothing else inside her, it was all in that ovary."
Tony breathed out a huge sigh of relief as tears started to flow. McGee patted him on his shoulder. He felt as if the whole world had been lifted off his shoulders.
"C-can I see her now?" Tony asked, his voice cracking slightly.
The doctor smiled at Tony, patting his shoulder, "Right now, we placed her in an induced coma, for a day or so. Give her body a chance to rest. We'll wean her off the medication slowly over the course of a day or so, see how she does."
"A-alright. Sounds good." Tony nodded.
The doctor reached out and patted him on the arm. "The most important thing you can do for her, is to be there for her." She looked more intently into Tony's eyes. "Sit by her, talk with her. Let her hear your voice."
Tony looked up. "She can hear me? Even in a coma?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes. Even in a coma, the sense of hearing continues to function."
Tony nodded. "Interesting, never knew that." He got up. "What room's she in?"
The doctor said, "We had to move her to the ICU so we could keep a closer eye on her. If she wakes up pretty well after tomorrow or so, we'll move her back to a normal room."
Tony nodded. "Gotcha."
The doctor took Tony back to Ziva's room.
Sometime in the afternoon of the 4th day, Tony was sitting by the bed near Ziva. Nearby, Tali was on the other chair listening to her music on her tablet via her wireless earbuds while playing one of her games.
"Hey." Tony called out, quietly.
Tali did not look up. She was engrossed in her game, her music blaring away.
"Hey!" Tony called out again, slightly louder.
"I heard you the first time, Dad." Tali still didn't look up.
Tony scoffed quietly. "Well, then, why didn't you say something?"
Tali looked up. "Look what you did, Dad. You caused me to lose the game!" But she was hardly upset, in fact, she was giggling slightly.
"Trying to be an Elf-let, aren't you?" Tony chuckled.
"Hey, don't blame me, blame Uncle Tim." Tali smiled and looked back down at her tablet.
Just then, Ziva stirred in her bed.
"Oh look what you just did, Tali!" Tony held out his hands.
Tali burst out in giggles. She pointed to her tablet. "Dad, all I did was make a funny and wrack your mind a little, maybe?" She looked over at her Ima. "I think Ima's trying to wake up."
Tony looked over at Ziva. Tali studied her parents intently, watching how Tony showed his love to Ziva. She smiled inwardly, allowing the warmth to flow through her, as she saw the love between both her dad and Ima.
That night, Tali had fallen asleep on her chair. Tony slept on his recliner, his feet stretched out, in an angle as close as he could get his feet to Ziva's arm. As he slept, he felt something warm creeping up into his blue jeans by his ankle. At first, it didn't register in his mind, because he was sound asleep.
"Oh my Ziva..." he muttered in his sleep as he felt the warmth creeping up above his ankle, toward one of his sensitive spots. He suddenly woke up, but not fully for a couple of moments, as his mind tried to transition from asleep to awake but fell over. "Wha-?"
"Hey my Tony, I love doing that to you. Having a nice dream?" Ziva giggled softly. Her voice had a groggy sound to it, as if her mind was wading through the cobwebs and it was slowing her down immensely.
Tony sat up slowly and moved closer to Ziva, holding her hand. "Hi, my love. Good to see you again."
Ziva smiled gently, then she glanced over at the other chair, where Tali was sleeping. "Tali?" She whispered to Tony.
Tony nodded slightly. "She wanted to come today. Got the other kids dropped off at the McGees'. Gibbs and Rivka sure could use the break."
Just then, the nurses came into the room. As soon as they saw that Ziva had woken up, their eyes lit up in smiles. "Oh, we're awake now, aren't we?" The head nurse said quietly to Ziva.
"Pain," Ziva said. "Heating pad?"
Tony held up the heating pad he had brought with him. The head nurse nodded her head. "Keep that heat low. We'll be back with something for the pain." The nurses left the room after they had checked her vitals and made sure everything looked okay. After the nurses left, Tony placed the heating pad on her abdomen.
Ziva smiled at Tony. "Mm, that feels wonderful." She then looked back at Tali. "She looks uncomfortable over there. Bring her to me, please." But she was still a touch groggy from the heavy-duty meds that kept her in a coma.
Tony nodded and smiled. He walked over to Tali, and gently shook her awake. "Tali?"
After a couple of moments, Tali stirred. "Daddy?"
"Ima's awake." Tony said in a whisper. "Do you wanna go talk with her?"
Tali let out a small grunt, then sat further upright. She then stood up, a little unsteadily, then walked sleepily over to Ziva.
Ziva smiled at Tony and Tali, reaching out for Tali, and guiding her to lay by her. As Tali climbed into the bed, Ziva scooted over as best as possible to give Tali some room. As she did so, the last vestiges of the heavy-duty medication wore off, and her mind snapped back into reality. "Oh. I thought I was -" She stopped herself.
"Ziva, are you ok?" Tony asked.
Ziva looked at Tony, then looked at Tali, then looked back up at Tony, "For a moment, I thought I was home."
Tony sat by Ziva gently, "You had surgery a few days ago. After they got the babies out, they went in there to take your ovaries, your uterus out." Tony sighed. "The good news is, there is no cancer left in you at all. The babies are perfectly fine."
Ziva sighed in relief. "That is so good to hear," Ziva paused for a moment, trying to think of what she wanted to say. She looked down at Tali and stroked her hair away from her cheek. "It sure is nice to have Tali here."
Tony nodded. "Yeah, she wanted to come with me. Guess she was getting a little stir crazy."
"What's today's date?" Ziva tried to wipe the grogginess out of her eyes with one hand.
"The fifteenth?" Tony automatically reached for his phone and pulled it out and looked at the screen. The display read June 16, 2024. He noticed that it was just after midnight. "No, I guess it's the 16th now, it's just after midnight."
Ziva giggled softly, "Let me try something." She leaned closer to Tali, then started to softly sing the bird song.
Midway through the song, Tali opened her eyes. "Ima, I'm already sleeping, why do you need to sing the bird song?"
Tony and Ziva looked at each other, then Ziva chuckled. Tony got closer to Tali, "Tali? Are you really sleeping or faking it?"
Tali stirred, but didn't open her eyes. "What difference? It feels so good to sleep by my Ima,"
Tony stifled a chuckle. "Hellooo? Are you actually awake? Because your Ima is and I don't think you are."
Tali stirred around, "Awake." She snored slightly. After a moment, she muttered again. "Ima awake."
Ziva giggles, "Yes, it is me, my sweet Tali"
Tali opened her eyes. In the semi-darkness, she was able to see Ziva smiling at her. "Ima!" She was instantly wide awake as she hugged Ziva. She was so elated that her Ima had finally awakened.
Ziva smiled. "Happy birthday."
Tali gasped. "My birthday, already?"
Both Tony and Ziva nodded.
"My birthday wish came true!" Tali hugged her Ima.
Ziva winced slightly. "Easy now, my stomach." Tali adjusted herself slightly so she wouldn't put as much pressure on her abdomen.
"We got to see my baby brothers in the nursery." Tali smiled.
Tony winced internally. Tali had spilled the beans a little too early.
Ziva looked up at Tony. "Boys?!"
Tony nodded. "Yeah, I kinda planned to tell you, but she beat me to it."
Tali giggled at her dad.
"Well, I guess that changes things a bit." Ziva smiled.
Tony looked a little puzzled. "How so?"
Ziva tilted her head. "Baby names?"
Tony let out a short chuckle. "Right, I guess we're gonna to make out new name-tags for them so we don't get them mixed up."
This time, it was Ziva's turn to chuckle. "We'll figure something out."
Tali stirred. Ziva looked down at Tali. "You okay there, Tali?"
Tali got up from the bed and walked over to her chair and fell asleep again. "Tired."
Tony got up and draped a cover over Tali, then returned to sit next to Ziva.
After a couple days had gone by, the doctor came into the room. "How's everything going?" The doctor asked.
Ziva smiled. She nodded toward the babies. They lay in their bassinettes, sleeping peacefully. "Just fed them. They're latching on very well. Much less pain now." She smiled.
The doctor smiled back at Ziva. "That's what I like to see. Looks like you made a good recovery." She scanned through the charts. "Looks like you're gonna be good to go home soon today."
"Oh, wonderful." Ziva was so delighted with the news. Tony smiled a huge smile as he let out a breath of relief. The worst part was over now. They could now concentrate on being a family, he thought to himself.
The doctor smiled. "Considering what you've all been through, I'd say you were fortunate."
Tony chuckled slightly. "I guess now we could call ourselves the 'Lucky Seven Gang'. Or the 'Lucky DiNozzo's'. I haven't decided which yet."
Ziva shook her head, but with a smile on her lips. "The 'Lucky Seven'. Has a nice ring to it."
Tony considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I'll take that." He smiled.
Just then, the nurse walked in with some paperwork. "Just need to fill out the paperwork here." She muttered to herself, then got the papers ready. "Have you decided on the names yet?"
Ziva looked at Tony, then at the nurse. "Give us a few moments to discuss the names." Ziva smiled at the nurse. She paused to think.
Tony nodded. "Could we have some privacy for a few minutes?" He looked at the nurse.
"Sure, no problem. I'll give you a few minutes to talk it over, and I'll leave the paperwork with you." The nurse turned and left the room.
Ziva looked at Tony, then planted a kiss on Tony's lips. She then looked at the babies. "What about this: Adam Ezra and Ethan Aaron?" Ziva smiled gently.
Tony mulled the names over in his mind. He slowly began to nod, as if he liked the sound of the names. "They have a nice ring to them."
"Then let's go with that." She held out a hand. "Pen? So we can fill out the names?"
Tony started looking for a pen. "Oh, yeah. Here we go." He pulled a pen out of the clipboard that the nurse left behind, and handed it and the clipboard to Ziva, who filled out the baby names.
Later in the evening, after Tony and Ziva had arrived home with the babies, they walked through the living room door, Tony carrying one baby, Ziva the other. As they stepped through, Tony noticed a change in the living room. Ziva took in the new layout, with Tony and Ziva's recliners next to each other, bassinette situated between them, the couch moved over. Rivka sat in her customary spot on the couch next to Ziva. "Welcome home!" Rivka got up and walked toward them.
"Daddy! Ima!" The children got up from in front of the TV and ran around Rivka and hugged Tony and Ziva.
"Oh!" Ziva chuckled and hugged the children with her free hand, as she handed the baby to Rivka. "Good to be home."
Rivka took the baby as she reached Ziva. "I bet." She smiled, taking the baby out of the carrier and putting him in the bassinette. She leaned over the bassinette. "Welcome home, little one."
Tony put the other baby in the bassinette next to the first. He stood back and looked at the twins. "Wow, twins. Who would have expected?" Tony said to himself, shaking his head. He sat down in his recliner.
Ziva smiled, looking at the twins, pulling a thin blanket over the sleeping twins. "A miracle."
Rivka wrapped an arm around Ziva's shoulders. "It's such a joy to have twins again in our family." She turned to Ziva and smiled.
Tony looked up at the ceiling, as in contemplation. "The Lucky Seven."
The children crowded around the bassinette to take in the twins, curious about the new arrivals.
Tali looked up in confusion. "What are their names? How do we tell them apart?"
Becky blurted out, "Two babies?"
AJ wasn't so sure how to respond. He looked intently at the babies, studying their faces. After a moment, he looked up. "Same faces?"
Everybody laughed. "Yes, they look the same." Ziva said.
Tali gently stroked one of the babies' cheeks. "Wow, twins." She was just as amazed.
Ziva looked up at Rivka. "We decided on Ethan Aaron," picking up one baby and handing him to Rivka. She picked up the other baby. "And Adam Ezra."
"But, how do you know which one is who?" Tali blurted out. She still couldn't figure it out.
"Adam Ezra has blue socks on; he was born first. And, Ethan Aaron has, uhh, no socks on. Apparently, he had kicked them off." Ziva looked down at the bassinette, noticing the socks. She reached out and got them. "Oh, here they are, red socks." As she was putting the socks on, she suddenly noticed a heart-shaped birthmark on one of his ankles. She gasped.
Rivka and Tony looked at Ziva, concerned. "Something wrong, Ziva?"
"I didn't notice this until now, look." She pointed toward the birthmark. "The shape."
Tony took a glance. "Oh, yeah, I've seen the birthmark before."
Ziva smacked him. "No, look! The shape!"
Tony looked closer. "Oohhh, a heart!"
Tali looked closer. "Yes, a heart!"
Rivka looked with a shocked expression on her face.
Just then, Ethan shifted his hands in his sleep, and the hand ended up shaped like the ILY sign.
Chills ran down Ziva's arms. "A sign?" She looked up at Tony. She shifted her gaze to Rivka, baffled with the sudden occurrences of things. Deja vu?
Rivka looked at the twins, then at Ziva and Tony. "What do you mean?"
Tony looked at Ziva. She returned his gaze. "The heart, the sign Ethan made – are they signs?" Ziva asked.
Tony raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "No idea. But whatever this is, I guess this is telling us, that's it, we're meant to be the Lucky Seven."
As she finished putting the socks on Ethan, she looked up at Tony and smiled. She put Ethan in the bassinette, followed by Adam. "I guess so."
Rivka chuckled, more toward Tony than Ziva. "Why not?"
Tony smiled. "Lucky seven it is." He leaned back in his recliner.
All the kids mobbed onto Tony. "Yeah, we're the Lucky Seven!" Tony laughed as the kids crawled all over him.
Rivka and Ziva wrapped their arms around each other, watching as the kids mobbed Tony.
A/N:
Hi Readers, Here is the first chapter in this new story, "Family is Everything" which is a new story arc related to Becoming a family and there will more to come, and I hope you enjoy the Journey with the Lucky Seven DiNozzo Family. Thank you for the Reviews, Tweets, Dm's,
~~StarryLightPaws~~