Rifiuto: Non Mirena

She stepped out of the shower, heading into the bedroom. After quickly drying herself off, she pulled on a pair of underwear and reached for a bra, stopping when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. The bra dropped onto the bed, and she turned to the side, studying the swell. Her navel stood out, as though announcing itself before a crowd, and the swell of her belly was round; not as round as it would be by the time she gave birth, but. The stretchmarks reminded her of snake tracks in the desert sands of Israel, in search of prey.

She ran a hand over the top of her stomach, pushing gently. A sharp kick met her in response, and she watched as her belly shifted due to Amal's movements. Slowly, she lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, hands moving to cradle the bottom of her belly. Another kick- this one sharper than the last- pressed against her palms, and she moved her hands up towards the center of her belly.

A soft groan escaped her throat as she felt him pedaling against her hands. This is a precursor to walking, remember? Jeanne explained it at your last appointment.

However, the thought didn't make her feel any better.

He soon stopped, seeming to wear himself out, and Ziva sighed. "Are you done, hmm, ahuva? You done practicing walking for the day?" She picked up her bra, pulling it on and then settling back on the bed, against the pillows, not even bothering to slip into Tim's sweats. Eventually, the baby would kick her bladder and she'd end up getting up to go to the bathroom anyway, it was just easier to wear nothing but her underwear at the moment.

With a soft sigh, she began to relax, her eyes closing as sleep began to tug at her-

Her dark eyes snapped open, and she sat up, letting out a gasp. "O... h... ow! Oh, God, those are my ribs, Amal! You know, those things you keep hitting when you stretch and move? Yeah, they are a part of me that cannot be replaced... but they can be bruised, so be careful, please!" She growled softly, rubbing her belly, a thought coming to her. "Do you miss Daddy, Amal? Hmm? Is that it? You miss Abba?" The baby shifted, stretching out; she watched as a knee pushed up briefly and quickly against her skin before disappearing. "I know, ahuva. Abba wasn't here for you the first three months you were growing in my tummy; but he's here now, and he's getting better. He's starting to remember more- not what he should... not our wedding or much of our marriage, or you, but he is remembering. Abba is getting better, sweetheart." The baby kicked hard against her kidney and she winced. "Have patience, baby boy. Abba will come back to us. He has to."

She sighed, continuing to rub her belly, watching as her stomach moved and shifted with each kick and stretch. She talked to him, telling the child growing within her of the first time she'd met Tim, and how he'd welcomed her instantly, when the rest of the team had turned against her, of their first date and when they moved in together, and how they'd been trying for ten weeks before finally succeeding in conceiving him.

And the entire time she talked, Amal moved and shifted, stretching and kicking and rolling through her tummy to the sounds of his mother's voice, to the mentions of his father. Even when Ziva shifted to lie on her side, she kept talking, kept rubbing her belly, telling Amal stories of his father and the man she'd fallen in love with, the man who was slowly- very slowly- coming back to them, to her. "I hope you have his eyes, ahuva. Those beautiful green eyes I love so much."

Finally, she drifted off to sleep.

She awoke two hours later to the sound of footsteps on the staircase, and slowly pushed herself up. "Tim?" Taking a moment, she finally got up, heading into the hallway, to find her husband coming up the stairs, a to-go box in his hands. He stopped, a blush creeping into his cheeks when he realized that his wife was in nothing but her underwear and sports bra. She smiled softly at him, hoping to ease his discomfort. "Hey."

"I... I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to wake you up."

She winced lightly, as the baby began to kick and move again, hearing his father's voice. Gently, she laid a hand on her belly. "That's okay. Did you and Sarah have a good time?"

"Yeah, we did. We... went to lunch and then there was an art exhibit at the modern museum of art that she's been wanting to see so I went with her. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get home so late."

"It's okay, sweetheart. You need this time with Sarit. You won't have it as much once the baby comes."

He nodded, glancing down at the box in his hands."Oh, um... we... had lunch at Gianna's and I know how much you love their Zeppoli."

She let out a gasp of excitement. "With chocolate sauce?" He grinned.

"Of course." His wife let out a squeal, rising up to kiss him quickly on the lips.

"Oh, toda, ahuva!" As she moved past him, heading for the kitchen downstairs, he watched her go, noticing that the sway of her hips had changed as her joints had opened, allowing her belly to expand. He followed her into the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee and heating it quickly in the microwave, watching as she delightedly took a bite of the sweet dessert, the warm chocolate sauce dripping down her chin. She looked up at him, blushing as she realized how she must look. "Sorry."

He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee before setting the cup down and going to her. "It's okay." He reached out, catching the chocolate drizzle with his thumb. She watched him suck the sauce off his thumb with red cheeks, her mind instantly going to the gutter. "I've noticed that you're quite cute when you make a mess."