VIII. No Man is an Island.
"Ducky!" Abby grinned. "What brings you up here so early?"
"I have a blood sample that I need you to run tests on." He handed the evidence bag to her. "It doesn't need DNA." He smiled.
"Why not?"
"Because I have dental records on the way to identify this Jane Doe. DNA would be unnecessary." He bluffed.
"Er, ok…" She said. "Is there anything particular I'm looking for?"
"Check the hormone levels." He nodded. "Must dash, I need to start an autopsy." He hurried out of her lab and she frowned.
"There's something very hinky going on around here." She said to her lab equipment, narrowing her eyes.
"You bought coco-pops." Tony grinned as Ziva placed the cereal box on the table.
"Yes, I hope you like them." She said to Elsie.
"I thought grown men don't eat coco-pops." She said, nodding.
"That is what I thought too," Ziva sat next to her, cradling the three month old in her arms as Tony handed over the formula. "But Tony does not listen to what I say."
"That's not true." He said, pouring cereal and milk into a bowl for Elsie. "I listen."
"You just do not take it aboard."
"On board." He grinned. "You seem quiet, are you ok?"
"Yes, I am fine." Ziva nodded, smiling weakly as she focused on feeding the child.
"Do you have any apple juice?" Elsie asked, looking up at Ziva.
"I have orange juice or raspberry and apple juice, but the shop did not have any apple juice, sorry."
"I'll have orange juice please." She asked, smiling.
"You have very good manners." Tony smiled as he walked to the kitchen area to pour a glass of orange juice.
"Daddy always said that manners cost nothing but not using manners costs everything. I don't really know what that means." She sighed.
"I think it means that if you don't use manners it can hurt people and make them sad, but manners are free and so you can use them all the time." Tony said, handing her the glass.
"Thank you." She smiled. "Do you live here?"
"No." Ziva chuckled. "This is just a place where we protect people." She smiled.
"Are you protecting us because mummy and daddy are dead?"
"Yeah, sweetie." Tony placed a hand on her head and ruffled her boyish haircut.
"Elsie, did your mummy or daddy ever take you out anywhere, to a park or somewhere?" Ziva asked, looking up from the infant in her arms.
"Daddy took me to the forest on the weekends so we could climb trees. Mummy used to come when we took the tent."
"Did you have any friends who went with you?" Ziva asked, placing the empty bottle on the table and shifting Mina in order to burp her.
"Sometimes daddy's friend from the hospital comes with us, but mummy doesn't like it when Tyler comes with us because he says funny things sometimes."
"Well, I need to get going." Tony stood up, placing his and Elsie's bowls in the sink.
"Okay." Ziva smiled, placing Mina down in the cot that Tony set up next to the sofa. "Are you going to be okay for a second whilst I talk to Tony?" She asked Elsie, smiling.
"Mm-hm." She nodded, hopping down from the table and walking to the sofa and sitting on it. Tony and Ziva walked out of the bungalow, pulling the door closed slightly.
"You look good with Mina." He said, pulling her in and kissing her.
"Daddy used to kiss mummy like that." Tony and Ziva leapt apart as Elsie stood in the doorway. They looked at each other and then at the girl.
"Ok, can you pretend that you never saw that?" Tony crouched down to be the same height as her.
"You mean if someone asks me if I saw you kissing Ziva then I should lie?" She asked
"No, just don't tell anybody, ok?" He smiled.
"Were you not supposed to be kissing?" She asked.
"Yeah, something like that." Tony grinned.
"Do you love her?" She asked, playing with his tie.
He paused. "Yes, I love her very much." He smiled, blushing slightly as Ziva brushed past him inside.
"Is that because she's very beautiful?"
"It's one of the reasons." Tony smiled.
"Why aren't you allowed to kiss her if you love her then?"
"Well, because we work together it's not allowed." He shrugged.
"That's not fair." She sighed, patting his head.
"No, I don't think it is." He sighed. "I have to go to work now, ok?"
"Ok, bye bye, Tony." She smiled and waved as Ziva walked out the door with Mina in her arms.
"Come on." Ziva nodded inside. "Do you want to make cookies?"
"With chocolate chips?" Elsie asked.
"Of course." Ziva grinned, closing the door behind them.
"Gibbs said you wanted to talk to me." Ziva walked into Abby's lab.
"Oh my gosh, Ziva, congrats!" She ran up to Ziva and hugged her.
"What is this all in aid of?" She smiled, bewildered, as Abby stepped back.
"I ran the blood sample Ducky gave me." The chirpy Goth grinned.
"I do not know what you are talking about." Ziva shrugged.
"Ah, Ziva, what are you doing here?" Ducky asked as he walked into the lab.
"I have her blood test results." Abby grinned.
"Ducky, I told you not to tell anybody who's blood it was!" She hissed at him.
"And I told you, miss Sciuto, that an ID was not necessary." Ducky said grumpily.
"I was worried about you." She scowled. "Why don't you want anybody to know that you are pregnant?"
"So I am?" She looked at the forensic scientist, her eyes wide.
"Positive. 100%" Abby grinned, frowning when Ziva didn't share her enthusiasm. "This is a good thing, Ziva."
"Yes, you are correct." She smiled.
"Who's the father?" Abby jumped up and down, clinging onto Ziva's arm.
"Abigail, calm down. I am sure that Ziva does not need your energetic Q and A session." Ducky placed a hand on either woman's shoulders.
"Don't call me Abigail." She protested.
"Abby, I will tell you all about it when I am ready." Ziva sighed. "But for now I am going to keep this a secret and you will do the same."
"Ah, well…" She bit her lip.
"Abby, who have you told?" She threatened.
"I didn't exactly tell him, he was just here when it dinged." Her pigtails bounced as she shrugged.
"Who?"
"Gibbs." She looked apologetic. "He wanted to know why I was running your DNA."
"So Gibbs knows?" The Israeli leaned her head back against the wall. She tapped her chin. She wanted to be able to sit down with him and talk about it. She also needed to talk to Tony. That was going to be a fun conversation. And the director. She needed to talk to the director. Maybe that conversation could wait? She exhaled and looked between Ducky and Abby. "Nobody else is to know, please?" She said, walking out of the lab. "Oh, and thank you. Both of you." She smiled, turning back quickly.
Abby squealed when she knew that Ziva had left. "This is so exciting!" She exclaimed. "Ziva's going to be a Mum!"
"Abby." Ducky smiled and shook his head. "Ziva doesn't handle emotions the same way you do. This probably scares her."
"But Ducky, this should be the best thing that will ever happen to her."
"I am sure it will be, you just have to let her move at her own pace." The old man smiled and nodded. "Don't rush her." He smiled gently and left.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Abby sat down next to Ziva in the break room.
"Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?"
"Because you look sad." Abby sighed.
"Worried, that is all."
"What about?"
"I cannot see Tony as a parent, I cannot see him being happy about this." She leaned back in her chair, frowning at Abby's grin. "Why are you happy?"
"Because Tony's the father." Her grin widened as Ziva groaned.
"That was not fair." She looked at her friend.
"I'm sorry, I just…this is so exciting Ziva, and you don't seem excited." She placed her hand on Ziva's shoulder.
"You would be a very good interrogator. People just tell you things."
"It is both a blessing and a curse." She grinned again. "When did it happen?"
"The first time?" Ziva grinned at the colourful Goth.
"It happened more than once?" Abby gave her an incredulous look.
"A lot more than once." Ziva laughed. "Venice." Her smile faltered slightly.
"Tony is a wonderful person."
"I know." Ziva nodded and smiled.
"I wasn't finished."
"Sorry." She indicated for the Goth to continue.
"Don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness."
"Abby…" Ziva groaned again.
"Okay. Tony is a wonderful person. I have known him for a long time and he is so understanding." She grinned. "There is a very warm heart hidden behind all his jokes."
"I know."
"I know you know. I am just reminding you." She grinned, jumping up. "Now I must go and look at carpet fibres!" Ziva shook her head at her friends enthusiasm and stood up, walking through to the squad-room.
