A/N: So I would like everyone's opinion about the name Avery. It is a unisex name but I don't know any girl Averys, just boys so for me it fits. But if you have any other names in mind feel free suggest them. I am going to stick with a name that begins with 'A' though, defiantly.
WishYouWereHere15 mentioned that they were a little bit turned off by the name Avery (which I take no offence to) because I've read stories and been turned off by things like that too. I personally do like the name Avery for a boy, but if a significant amount of people don't I have no problem with changing it to Andrew or Alexander, but not Anthony.
Let me know…
Chapter Three
"But I hate shopping." I whined as Jeanne dragged me into another little shop. "It's so boring."
"Oh hush, Tony." Jeanne laughed. "You love shopping."
"Sometimes." I grumbled as she disappeared into the back of the store. I glanced around the store and headed over to the small corner where college themed baby clothes hung. "Please have it." I said as I looked through all the tiny onesies.
"Something I can help you with?" an older gentleman asked me.
"Yeah, you have any Ohio State stuff?" I asked dropping my hands from the racks.
"I may have something." He said and moved to the next rack and pulled out a white onesie thing. "Ohio State University future freshman."
"Perfect." I said taking the item from him and examining it. "Thanks."
"Boy or girl?" he asked.
"Boy, future soccer star, the way I'm hearing it." I laughed. The amount of times Ziva made a trip to the bathroom was ridiculous, she of course blamed the baby for playing or bouncing on her bladder.
"Ah, so how much longer?" he smiled at me as we walked to the register.
"2 more months." I said as I looked around for Jeanne.
"Got a name picked out?" an older woman came up standing next the man.
"Avery Matteo." I said taking out my wallet.
"Aw, that's adorable." She smiled at me and placed the outfit in a bag for me. 30 bucks? That little amount of fabric cost 30 bucks? How the hell was Ziva affording all this?
"Ready?" Jeanne asked as she wrapped her arms around my arm and the older couple glanced at her surprised.
"Yeah." I smiled at the completely confused and probably disgusted couple. "Thanks."
"Have a good day." The older woman called to me.
"What'd you get?" Jeanne asked as she peaking into my bag.
"My friend's having a baby, so I got her something." I said not really wanting to discuss Ziva with Jeanne. I needed to keep them separate.
"You picked out baby clothes?" she asked completely shocked as she took the bag from my hand and pulled the onesie out. "Cute." She smiled as she examined it then placed it back in the bag.
"Thanks." I smiled as she handed the bag back and we continued to walk towards her place.
"You know, Tony." She started after a couple minutes of silence. "I've been thinking."
"That's not good." I joked and she swatted my arm.
"Any way, we've been together for a while." She started and I inwardly groaned, this wasn't going to be good. "I'm on the pill." Oh, hell no.
"Listen Jeanne." I said as I stopped and turned her towards me. "I can't do that." I said and she looked at me confused. "The last woman I was with," I paused to think of the right words. "Like that, she got pregnant." Not to mention, it was Ziva! I always wear a condom, always. Regardless of the girl, except Ziva.
Ziva, Ziva, Ziva. I'm spending the day with my fake girlfriend living my fake life and all I can think about is my real ex-girlfriend and my real son. Avery Matteo David, son of Officer Ziva David and Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.
But sex with Ziva, god, it was the best thing ever. Always intense and most of the time hot, hard, loud, and a constant battle of domination. Except the times it was slow, soft, loving, with a lot of kissing and caressing, like we were hopelessly in love. Maybe we were, maybe we are. No, we aren't because if we were I'd be at home with her right now, talking to her stomach so Avery would know my voice and who I was.
"You're a father?" she asked horrified. She obviously thought I was lost in my thoughts about my child and not about sex with my partner, from my real life.
"No." I said shaking my head, and continuing to walk. It was kinda true, but I wasn't a father by choice, I was told to walk away and I did. She wanted me to and a part of me wanted to too, but now I was starting to wonder where that part was. "Lost him."
"Oh god, Tony, I'm sorry."
"It's fine." I shrugged and continued walking.
"Why'd you break up?" she asked as she fell in step next to me.
"We didn't work." I mumbled Ziva's reason, well what she claimed was the reason why we couldn't be together once Gibbs returned. Then she ended up pregnant and she decided I wouldn't work out as a father either.
"Tony?" I heard Jeanne question as she looked at me concerned.
"What?" I asked as I pushed her up against the door to her apartment and kissed her. I was done with this conversation and it was soon forgotten.
I stood and stared at Ziva's door, the bag containing the Ohio State onesie in my hand. I was dying to give it to Ziva, her reaction was gonna be priceless. I just didn't want her to open the door and see me on the other side then tell me to go away and move on. "Fuck it." I said and knocked on the door.
"Tony?" Ziva questioned as she pulled the door open.
"Hey." I said as I took in her attire. My old grey Ohio State t-shirt, a pair of baggy pajama bottoms, and those fuzzy socks she loves so much. "I brought you a gift." I forced a smile and she did too as she stepped aside to let me into her apartment.
"So what'd you bring?" she asked with a yawn and I glanced at my watch figuring I must've woken her up.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled as I followed her to the couch and sat down next to her. She looked at me confused and I smirked.
"What for?" Ziva asked as she covered a yawn with her hand.
"Waking you up." I said simply and placed the bag in front of her on the coffee table.
"It is fine, Tony." She smiled and glanced at the bag then back at me, she was too shy to just take it and open it and it was cute. Ziva David was cute, she just didn't like to show it.
"Open it." I encouraged with a smile, butterflies in my stomach.
I watched as she hesitantly pushed the tissue paper aside that the nice couple from the store had placed in there for me. She pulled the outfit out by the hanger and examined it closely. She couldn't even fight back the smile that took over her face as she ran her finger over the writing.
"It's wonderful, Tony." She smiled as she set it on her lap and turned to smile at me. "Thank you."
"Welcome." I smiled and thought carefully on how to approach the topic of money, and how much kids cost. "Ziva, that little piece of clothe with little writing on it cost like 30 bucks."
"I can pay you back." She started seriously and looked down at the onesie, my heart dropped and I was filled with anger at the same time, why did this woman think I was such a jackass?
"No, that's not what I'm saying at all." I sighed as I continued to hold my gaze on her. She was so different outside of work and I'm used to that, I liked that, that was my favorite Ziva. She fit perfectly against my side, just like her hand fit perfectly in mine, just like I fit perfectly inside…
"What are you saying?" she asked confused pulling me out of my trance. What was I saying? Right, babies are expensive.
"I want to help you, with the money and everything." I said and she looked utterly confused. "Please, don't fight, we have the same job. Well almost the same job. I want to do something for him, even if it is just buying him stuff."
"Well I have almost everything." Ziva said as she dropped her gaze to the onesie, smiling again. "Gibbs was actually smiling when he offered to make the crib. He had so much fun with that he made a changing table and rocker."
"Gibbs made you all that?" I asked shocked.
"And Abby and Tim painted the walls." She said with a smile as she stood from the couch and took my hand leading me down the hallway to where her guest bedroom was.
"Abby and Tim painted the walls and you let them?" I laughed as we stood outside the closed door. "What's on them? Math equations, skulls, and chemical formulas?"
"There's a periodic table also." She laughed and I was honestly horrified. "I figured with your genes he will need all the help he could get."
"I have good genes." I defended as she opened the door and we walked inside.
The crib was beautifully crafted and against the wall opposite the door. The rocking chair and changing table matched the crib. But the walls! The walls were awesome. They were a soft blue with sports balls scattered all around the wall left of the crib. Basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, baseballs, tennis balls, even hockey pucks. A basketball rug lay in front of the crib. There were various sports team flags on the other wall, the walls with the shelves and pictures on the shelves. There was a sports border going around the top of the walls also.
"Ziva." I said in awe as I walked over to the shelves to examine the pictures. "This is awesome. I'm jealous, my room wasn't this cool."
"I am glad you like." She smiled as she leaned against the doorframe and watched me. "Only two more months."
"Excited?" I smiled as I set the photo of the team back on the shelf, my favorite photo of us, Ziva and I were in the middle and my arms were wrapped around her waist as I tickled her and she squirmed.
"Yes." She said with a huge smile as she stepped towards me. "I cannot wait." She said and moved her hand over her stomach, rubbing it softly.
"Is he moving?" I asked, hesitant to just reach out and touch her. She wasn't mine to touch any more, and she hadn't been for a long time.
"Yes." She said and reached out her hand and took mine and laid it over her stomach where I could feel him kicking beneath her warm skin.
"Wow." I said and spread my fingers over of the bump. "Strong."
"Yeah." She laughed and placed her hand over mine. I could feel her eyes on me but I wasn't going to look at her. I haven't been this close to crying in a long time, and I didn't even fucking know why I had the urge to cry. "I'm thinking hockey player, I like hockey players."
"Hockey?" I questioned and left my hand on her stomach even though the kicking had stopped. "No, basketball and football. Maybe baseball."
"We will let Avery decide." She laughed and yawned again.
"Ziva." I started and I could tell by her eye roll she knew what was coming.
"Stop Tony." She said softly and placed her hand on my cheek.
"No, Ziva, No. I can't keep turning my back. I don't want to." I admitted and she looked at me surprised and she cocked her head slightly waiting for me to continue.
"Tony, I don't want to pass a baby back and forth between us either, like a hot yam." She said seriously.
"Hot potato, Zee-vah." I laughed. "And I don't want that either."
"What do you want then, Tony, because you are confusing me."
"I'll come over and take care of him, you know give you a chance to sleep." I said nervously afraid of being rejected. "I don't want to be Albert I want to be James, and I don't want Avery calling some other dude Daddy."
"Who are Albert and James?" she asked concerned and I laughed.
"Look Who's Talking, it's a movie, we'll watch it later." I said, my frustration coming back because she ignored the fact I admitted I wanted to be the one that would be called Daddy. Why did this have to be so hard? Having a baby shouldn't necessarily be easy, but this part shouldn't be hard.
"What about your girlfriend?" she asked and I clenched my jaw.
"Avery, this is about Avery. Us and Avery, not her." I growled. "Forget her. Just say you'll let me help, you'll let me be in his life because I swear Ziva, I really do want to. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. I understand that you don't want to be with me and this isn't about that."
"Okay, Tony." She said as she cupped my cheek. I love her touch, even when it's accidental; it always calms me but at the same time sends tingles all through my body. "You can sit on the baby." She said with another yawn.
"You should get some sleep." I said not bothering to correct her as I placed my hand over top of hers and brought it to my mouth and placed a kiss to her palm.
"Yes." She smiled as I dropped her hand and followed her out of the nursery.
"Goodnight Ziva." I said as she opened the door and I turned back to her. I wanted to kneel and say goodnight to my son and maybe even kiss her stomach, that's what dads are supposed to do right? But I didn't because I didn't want to look stupid, so instead I just stood there and looked at her stomach.
"Night Tony." She laughed. "See you in work tomorrow."
"Yeah, tomorrow." I nodded and turned and walked away from her again.