Hi Friends!

Here's the long awaited next chapter. This one was hard for me to write and took longer bc I ended up rewriting a huge piece of it. Please read and review as always. And here's hoping my muse plays nice for the next while! I will have an update on "When Tony Went Too Far" soon as well!

And thank you always for reading my work. And to MaidenMoonshine, whose support and editing prowess I can't imagine writing without! : )

((Hugs))

Chapter Eight

Ziva woke with the dawn Saturday morning.

For a moment, she had forgotten where she was. Turning to her other side, she saw tendrils of pink and purple in the sky lacing about the Eiffel Tower. She rose carefully from bed so as not to wake Tony.

They had stayed up late once they landed in Paris, sharing a meal and walking around the city as they talked about their future once the new baby made her entrance.

Ziva smiled and brushed her unruly curls off her face as she took in the scene from the window. Tony had booked a hotel suite so close to the Eiffel Tower Ziva felt like she could reach out and touch it.

She dropped the sheer curtain and turned back to look at Tony, still sleeping and sprawled across the bed. Ziva was tempted to climb back into bed but she also yearned for a run in the City of Lights.

Ziva checked the extra bag Tony had packed and was pleased to find her running clothes and shoes. As much as he worried she would overdo it while pregnant, Tony also knew how much joy Ziva received from running.

The expecting mother quickly dressed – discovering that her exercise bra and tank top were starting to fit a little too snug – and left a note for Tony. Ziva hoped to return before he woke but knew she couldn't do a 7-mile run as quick as she had before she got pregnant.

"It is okay, Little One," she said as she rubbed her bump in the elevator. "I will slow down for you anytime."

The minute she stepped outside Ziva felt invigorated. A run in one of her favorite cities was too good to pass up.

—NCIS—

Tony was startled awake an hour later by his phone ringing insistently from the bedside table. He rolled over and cracked one eye open, grabbing his phone.

As soon as he saw Sweet Cheeks on the ID, Tony bolted straight up while punching the accept button.

"Ziva?"

"Tony, do not worry. Myself and the baby are fine but-"

"But what? Where are you?"

"That is what I am trying to tell you, Tony," Ziva replied slowly and in a forced calm tone. "I am at the hospital but I am-"

"Hospital? Ziva, what's going on?"

Tony jumped out of bed and began to throw on his clothes. He saw Ziva's note and quickly read it as he rushed out the door.

"Tony! Please stop interrupting," Ziva's voice was trembling now and she was near tears. "I went for a run and saw an elderly woman being mugged. I yelled and looked for the police but no one was around so I took him down. I fell with the robber but I am fine. I promise."

At this point Tony was in front of the hotel and hailing a cab. He felt a deluge of emotions – fear, confusion, anger, frustration – as he processed exactly what his very pregnant wife was saying.

"You did what?"

Ziva winced a little at Tony's tone. It was low and calm but she knew a storm was coming. She had put herself and their daughter in danger to stop a petty thief. But really, in the moment when she witnessed the crime unfolding in front of her, Ziva couldn't imagine doing anything different.

"What hospital are you at?" Tony spat out.

Ziva told him, knowing it would be fruitless to say she was fine again and that she could catch a cab back to the hotel. Instead, she sat on a bench just inside of the emergency room doors and waited, once they got off the phone.

Tony was there in 10 minutes. After talking to at least two doctors, an ob-gyn specialist and clutching a new ultrasound picture of their healthy daughter, Tony settled a bit and the two went back to their hotel room.

Tony had been too quiet for Ziva's liking in the last hour. She came out of the bathroom wearing one of Tony's t-shirts, welcoming a hot shower after the morning she'd had.

Tony had called room service for lunch and had the table beautifully set with a little of everything. Ziva's stomach grumbled as soon as she saw the mini feast laid out.

"Thank you, Tony. Lunch looks lovely and I am so hungry I could eat a hog," she said as gave him a light kiss and turned to sit down.

"A horse, Zi. So hungry you could eat a horse," Tony corrected with a smirk on his face.

All of a sudden, when correcting Ziva as she mixed up yet another American phrase, it hit Tony hard that he could have lost her and their baby that morning.

He looked at Ziva as she sat down and served herself from the many tasty options. As she spooned fruit salad into her bowl, Ziva looked up and seemed to be suddenly aware Tony was still watching her.

"What?" Ziva asked self consciously. "I cannot have food on my mouth. I have not even taken a bite!"

Tony flashed a smile at his confused wife before answering.

"Nothing's wrong, Zi," he answered, pausing to take a drink of coffee. "But I think we need to talk about what happened this morning."

Ziva sighed but also nodded her head in agreement. The couple hadn't exchanged much more than a few words since Tony had met her at the hospital.

"I agree, Tony," Ziva said, taking a bite of salad. "But I am not sure how much needs to be said. I saw a woman being mugged and I reacted. I looked for help but there was no one. I took him down without considering our child. As I said before, I am sorry, Tony."

"Ziva, I know what happened. And please, stop saying our daughter was in danger. You were too!"

Ziva opened her mouth but nothing came out. Tony got out of his seat and knelt in front of her chair.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Ziva," he said, tears in his eyes. "I don't ever want to think about losing either of you!"

He kissed his wife softly and sweetly before pulling away to see tears in her eyes too. He kissed her growing bump before getting up.

"I am sorry, Tony. You are right. I do not know what I would do without you either. Getting involved in that mugging was not a good move in back sight."

"Hindsight, Zi," Tony corrected automatically, settling back in his chair.

"You know what I mean," Ziva replied, tucking back into her meal. "I will be more careful when I run again."

"About that, Zi," Tony said, putting down his fork. "I think in light of what happened this morning, you need a break from running."

"Break?"

"Yes, for two weeks," Tony said carefully, watching Ziva's face for a reaction. "What happened this morning was serious. This will give you time to think about your actions."

Ziva looked up at Tony and saw a stern look on his face. She recognized it as one he would adopt when having to reign in the team when Gibbs had gone to Mexico. Her emotions were mixed as she took in what Tony said. Part of her was repentant, another part balked at the idea of her husband restricting her activity.

"Two weeks? Tony, I am not a child! You cannot ground me!"

"You're right, Ziva. You aren't a child. But your behavior this morning wasn't exactly adult- like either. Can you honestly say you don't deserve some kind of consequence? Taking two weeks off running – especially when you push yourself too hard anyway – is a heck of a lot less than you'd get if Gibbs were here."

Ziva's face turned red at the thought of having to explain her actions to Gibbs. All the "kids" knew their father figure didn't think much of them putting themselves in danger. And while pregnant? Ziva put her hands on her belly as she contemplated Tony's words.

"Fine," Ziva conceded, getting back to her lunch. "No running for two weeks. But I do not like it! And the baby does not either!"

Tony rolled his eyes and leaned forward to give his feisty wife another kiss. Ziva blocked this one with her fork.

"No kisses now, baby is starving," she said as she piled a forkful of food into her mouth.

Tong chuckled and went back to his own lunch. The air felt cleared between the couple and he relished in that feeling.

Their first morning in Paris hadn't gone at all as Tony planned but he was here with the love of his life. They had a beautiful daughter at home and one on the way. It didn't get better than that, he mused as the couple finally dug in to their meal.

And the weekend wasn't over yet.