Here it is. Sorry about the delay in posting. Since I like a little privacy, I'm just going to leave it as: You know how they say 'When life hands you lemons, make lemonade?' Well. I'm an optimist. And with all the lemonade I've made since I posted last, I could have sold enough to pay my student loans.
This is almost the last chapter. After this there's just tiva fluff, babies and sex left. Oh, and maybe a few more flying waffle makers.
As always, thank you for reading and thank you for reviewing. Let me know what you think. It makes me smile.
Jeanne
X
McGee's bag of ice had melted through his pants some time ago. He now sat in a puddle on his plastic hospital chair by Abby's bedside, looking very much like he'd had an accident. Strangely it didn't bother him. Tony and Ziva's plight had shifted everything into focus. He was by Abby's side. That was all that mattered. "You need anything?"
Abby glared at him. "To dilate five more centimeters before midnight so I can push this thing out."
Her hair was loose about her shoulders. He tucked an errant strand behind her ear. "I mean. Anything I can do for you?"
Her look softened and she took his hand. "You're already doing it."
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'm proud of you."
"Whatever for?"
"Just. Well. I couldn't do this."
She smiled again. "You don't have the equipment for it."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know." She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillow. The epidural made her feel thickheaded. "I picked a date for the wedding."
He brightened. "When?"
"November 1st or 2nd. Day of the Dead, In Mexico at least."
"I thought you'd pick Halloween."
"I considered it. But then our anniversary would be on Halloween and how would we ever find a baby sitter?"
"Hadn't thought of that one."
"That's what you have me for." Abby wrinkled her nose. "Do you smell that? Did I wee myself?"
McGee looked at the widening puddle in her hospital bed. Nasty. Thank God it didn't happen on our mattress. I don't think we'd ever get it out. "I think your water broke."
"Fabulous."
X
The hours had swum by like years in Ziva's stuffy little closet. Hand on his Sig, Tony kept watch over her through the crack in the closet door as she feigned sleep on her bed. He kept his voice light and low as he spoke. "When we're done you need to go shopping. You need something hot." That black nightgown is so not going to fit anymore. Something short and see through would be nice. Black. Maybe something parted in the middle to let her belly stick out. That would be nice. Oh, her belly. I so need pictures.
Ziva peeled back her shirt displaying her rounded tummy: her voice dubious. "You can't seriously think this is hot."
"If we weren't laying in wait to kill your crazed ex sister in law, you'd be naked, sweaty and very sore right now. In fact, as soon as we get the go ahead from your doctor I have big plans. I have new terrain to explore."
She smiled. "About the faking it."
"Don't remind me." The revelation still stung. She had faked with him.
Her voice was hushed and matter of fact. "I really only faked fifty percent of it. I was done and you just kept going and all my usual tricks to get you to come had failed. So I faked a second one."
Ah. I remember that night. She's right. I…wait. "All your usual tricks? It's just the finger sucking."
"Right. Just the finger sucking." She readjusted her grip on her mother's back up pistol she'd hidden under the pillow.
He didn't take the hint. "You have more than one trick?"
"No. Of course not." She said in a tone that implied the opposite.
"You do so. It's that little grunting moan isn't it?"
"No."
"It is so. It has to be."
He jumped as the closet doors shuddered. "What did you throw?"
"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare."
He peeked out the crack in the closet door at the book lying on the floor. "Holy Cow! You could really hurt someone with that. It's gotta weigh at least twenty pounds."
"It's the unabridged version." She said sweetly. "How's Abby? Did she have the baby yet?"
The soft beep of the door opening cut short his reply. Hannah glided silently into the room. Tony held his breath and drew his Sig. Hannah sat on the edge of the bed and bent over Ziva's body. He trained his Sig on her back and waited for a clear shot. Right now, she was too close to Ziva to snipe her safely.
Hannah muttered something in Hebrew. Ziva's eyes clicked open and she sat bolt upright on the bed. She trained her pistol on Hannah's chest. Her voice vibrated. "What did you give me?" She shook violently and collapsed onto the bed, immobile, staring at the ceiling.
Too late, he saw the empty syringe clutched in Hannah's hand. In a heartbeat Tony had the barrel of his Sig pressed into her temple. "What did you give her?"
Still seated, Hannah turned to him slowly. The barrel of his gun slid into position between her eyes. "Nice to see you again Tony."
"What did you give her?" He cocked the trigger.
Grinning, she lashed out swiftly with her foot, her boot connected with him between his legs with a sickening thud. He hit the floor in a blaze of pain.
In an instant she was on him, one knee planted squarely on his sternum. Her left hand tweaked his right wrist. His Sig fell from his numbed fingers. With her right hand she held her pistol to his forehead, the barrel frigid against his temple.
He grunted and punched her in the carotid artery. Unphased, she pushed the barrel of her gun into his skull.
"Bad move." She said.
"Cheap shot." He replied. He groped blindly along the floor until his hand made contact with something heavy, the book. He pulled it awkwardly into his fingers and round-housed Hannah in the head.
Her eyelids fluttered. It was enough. He rolled and pinned her, kneeling on her chest, gun pressed to her throat.
"The baby's not yours." She said. "She told me."
His body went cold. He pressed the trigger. Her throat erupted in a spray of blood. He stood and plugged four more rounds into her body, two in the skull, two in the heart.
X
McGee squeezed Abby's hand. With one centimeter left to go, she'd begun to despair. Gibbs, Tony and Sarah had not yet returned with Ziva. "I'm worried." She said. "Try his cell phone again."
"I did Abby. Maybe they need to keep it off."
"Please. Try again. I want everyone to be here."
Sweat beaded her pale forehead. He wiped it away with a cool cloth. "I know."
"I don't know what Tony would do if something happened to her. He's actually in love with her and not in love with the idea of love. And our resident assassin loves him back. I'd say they'd live happily ever after but I don't think either one of them believes in that crap. You know. It's just not possible. It's a myth. I mean, you can be happy a lot but really, part of being in love is reminding yourself you love the person enough not to smother them with their pillow in the middle of the night. Or back over them with your car. Or slip arsenic into their food."
"What's in the IV drip of yours Abby?"
"I don't know. But whatever it is, you could use some."
X
The world was dark around the edges. She tried to lift her head, her whole body felt fused to the mattress. Her eyelids threatened to close of their own accord. Her breathing was labored, and shallow. Please. Don't let him be dead. Don't take him from me. From us.
Tony's face showed above her in the narrowing black tunnel.
His head didn't seem to be attached to his body.
"She lied." She gasped, her voice a shadow of a whisper.
"I know." He kissed her as he cupped her stomach. "She's gone. It's over. I have you."
She sank into a world in which she could hear and feel, but not move or speak or open her eyes. She felt her body float: heard the steady beat of Tony's heart in hear ear. The chill of the November air invaded her lungs. In the distance, a siren screeched through the night air.
X
"It's eleven fifty nine Abby. PUSH." McGee said. His eyes were tightly shut. One glance at the little creature 'Crowning' and he'd had to close his eyes.
Legs drawn up to her chest, Abby grunted and bore down hard. A shrill cry filled the air.
McGee cracked an eye open. "It's a boy." He said. "He's perfect Abby."
Gasping, she collapsed against the bed. McGee kissed her on the lips. "You were amazing. I have no idea how you did it."
"Uh." She grunted. "Did I make it in time?"
"With thirty seconds to spare." The nurse said as she laid the child across her chest. Abby cradled him delicately.
"Does have a name?" asked the nurse.
Abby kissed the wrinkled bundle in her arms. "Timothy. Timothy Sciuto."
X
Ziva plucked irritably at the hospital sheet. She wanted to be home, in her bed, with Tony. Not stuck in a butt ugly hospital gown in the maternity ward discussing sex after baby with her mother.
"After the baby's born you can't have sex for at least six weeks. Of course, you won't care." Sarah said. "But he will. And he'll do anything if you promise to suck-"
"Mother." Ziva warned. "That's enough advice. Thank you." The sharpness in her voice was belayed by the gentleness of her touch as she took her mother's hand.
Sarah drew a deep breath. Her voice was steady, but pitched so low Ziva had to strain to hear her. "You love him."
"I do."
"Because of him or in spite of him?"
"Both. I can't help it."
"Love is like that."
The ensuing silence reverberated off the white walls.
Ziva cast an awkward glance at the clock. "You've got to go. Your plane leaves soon."
Sarah smoothed Ziva's curls and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back when the baby's born. I have a few loose ends to tie up before I retire. Have you told Tony I'm moving in with you both yet?"
Ziva shook her head no. "I'm waiting until the right time. Like when he's got the baby in his arms."
Sarah laughed. She stood and gathered her jacket from the back of the chair. "I hope I can finally be the mother you always deserved."
"You already are Mom."
X
Tony and Gibbs stood in front of the gift shop's refrigerator case trying to decide on the perfect flowers for Abby.
"No black roses." Tony said.
"It's a hospital. Ya think?"
"Maybe dark purple?"
Gibbs nodded. "She'd like that."
Tony selected a bouquet and set it on the counter. All in all, the flowers seemed trivial. Abby had managed to carry a baby for forty-two weeks only squeeze it out of an entirely too small space. Soon, it would be crying and pooping and not sleeping. Flowers seemed inadequate. An Olympic gold medal would have been better.
The both jumped as Sarah spoke up from behind them. "You're lucky Ziva doesn't have to go through labor."
"God." He said. "You're right. I'd be a dead man."
Gibbs smirked. "She's still not going to be happy camper when she gets her C-Section DiNozzo. You're not off the hook yet."
He felt his heart leap into his mouth before plummeting down into his stomach. He gulped.
Sarah laughed and linked her arm through Tony's. "Walk me out?"
Gibbs grinned. "Go on. I got this."
"I can't believe you didn't get scratch on you." Sarah said as they slowly made their way down the hall. "Bruised but not broken."
"I had rage on my side." He slowed their walk. He was sore and swollen and had found new sympathy for McGee. As soon as Ziva was cleared, he was going to make sure everything was in working order.
"Tell me again, you cleaned her watch with 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare'?"
"The unabridged version." He said bypassing the urge to correct the watch/clock snafu. "I have a new appreciation for the old bard."
Sarah didn't speak again until they were under the portico, watching snow swirl in the amber light of the city night. "Two things." She said. "She like yellow sapphires."
"And?"
"If you ask her, she'll say yes."
X
Once again, thanks for reading and thank you thank you for reviewing. Let me know what you think. It makes me smile. Jeanne