Rifiuto: Non Mirena

Week Twenty-Nine

"I can't believe Ziva got banned from Lamaze! No, wait, actually, I can believe that." Tim rolled his eyes, as he shut the door softly behind his colleague. Tony had come over carrying a box.

"Because I am a woman or because I'm pregnant, DiNozzo?" The senior agent looked up as Ziva entered from the living room. In Tim's sweats and an over-sized shirt, it wasn't hard to miss the swell of Ziva's stomach. The agent set his present down and went to the expectant mother, enveloping her in a hug.

"Neither. Just surprised you'd actually pull a knife on the instructor." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "How you doin', Mama Ninja? You look-"

"Watch what you say, DiNozzo. I will not be responsible for anything she takes the wrong way." Tim warned, moving past the pair and heading into the living room, pressing a kiss to his wife's head as he went. Tony pulled away, noticing that the chain that held Ziva's star also held two rings.

Ziva followed his gaze, reaching up to feel the rings. "My fingers have continued to swell, so I took them off to be safe." She then turned towards the box, curiosity piqued. Tony chuckled, kneeling down to pick it up, following Ziva into the living room. He sat on Ziva's other side on the sofa, and opened the box, pulling out his gift. "Tony, you gave us something for Amal already-"

"I know, but I saw one similar to this in the window and couldn't resist. Besides, I know he'll appreciate it when he gets older." The couple shared a glance before turning back, watching as Tony unwrapped his gift form the paper. Ziva let out a gasp, covering her mouth.

Sitting within Tony's lap was a piggy bank made of beautiful cedar, in the shape- of all things- a porcupine. "I have a friend in upstate New York that makes things like this and sells them, and last time I was up there for the holidays, I saw an elephant one in the window of his shop. So, I called a couple weeks ago, asking if he'd be willing to make a piggy bank for the baby; I picked it up last week when I was up there visiting."

"Oh, Tony, it's beautiful." Ziva gently took the bank, turning it upside down; despite the heavy wood and lacquer, it was surprisingly light. The bottom of the base the porcupine sat on came off with a firm twist, and after a moment, Ziva reached inside. "There's... there's something inside it." A moment passed, before she removed a rolled up piece of paper. A cry of surprise escaped her lips and she dropped the slip; Tim picked it up. His eyes widened.

"A... t... Tony this is a... it's a receipt for a savings bond for..." Tim swallowed, meeting his wife's gaze. "For ten-thousand." The older agent nodded. "Why?"

"Well, I know how you two have been saving for little ninja's college fund, and I- well, Abby and I, actually- figured that we'd help take a bit of the stress off. So we both put in five thousand, and took it to your bank. It's in a special account, so the money is safe, and will be there when he needs it."

"Tony, you didn't-"

"Hey, we all make good money, and this is important." He replied, reaching out and taking Ziva's hand. "Baby ninja's gonna go to college, and the two thousand you've got so far is a good start, but college is expensive. This will help. And... by the time he graduates high school, it'll have doubled. And you can always keep adding to it, but this will get you started."

By the time Tony left, Ziva was in tears- grateful tears, but tears none the less.

Two hours later, the couple sat across from each other at the kitchen table, having a quiet dinner. Ziva glanced at her husband, taking a deep breath. "Amal is very lucky, to have such caring people in his life before it even begins." She reached down, stroking her belly gently. Tim nodded.

"I think Tony's vying for the godfather position." Ziva chuckled.

"Well, he has it, hands down. We should have told him, today when he was here. He would have been thrilled."

"Next time." They returned to dinner, becoming lost in the silence, before Tim spoke up again. "We didn't take that picture today." She met his gaze, suddenly realizing he was right.

"After dinner?" He nodded.

When they finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, Tim grabbed the camera, following his wife into the living room. Ziva had since removed her shirt and stood by the wall, cradling her belly, waiting for him. She looked up, a small smile on her face as she saw the flash, and once the photos were printed, she joined Tim at the kitchen table, the baby book open before them.

Ziva quickly laid everything out on the page, watching in silence as Tim glued everything into the booklet, including a copy of the savings bond receipt that Ziva had copied and printed earlier. She brushed her fingers over the image, fresh tears coming to her eyes as she read the small paragraph beneath the shot.

Uncle Tony and Auntie Abby surprised us today- he brought me a porcupine bank, with a receipt for a savings bond in it! And he told Ima and Abba that he and Auntie Abby had each put in five thousand dollars, making my savings bond ten thousand dollars total! It was such a surprise gift that it made Ima cry!

"Our little boy is not even here yet, and I think he is the most loved baby in the entire county." Tim chuckled softly, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her cheek.