Fighting the Darkness
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
It was good to see that nobody got confused. I haven't left anything out then… good. So here we are…the last chapter…
Enjoy!
Chapter 13: Family
Gibbs shot up in bed fully awake. He blinked once or twice in the darkness then turned to take a look at the clock on the bedside table. It read 3:38 a.m.. He blinked once again. All was quiet in the house. Except that it was a loud crash that put him on alert. For a few seconds he was listening trying to process the situation. He was alone in bed, that was for sure and that left only one viable conclusion. His wife must have been the source of that crash. He slowly lay back in the bed and with a deep sigh he rubbed his tired eyes. What was Ziva up to now?
Slowly he climbed out of bed and made his way out of the bedroom. On his way down he peeked into Avigail's room. The little girl was sleeping peacefully. He smiled at his daughter's sleeping form shaking his head. When Avigail came to live with them, he had quickly come to realize that his mini Ziva, as Abby liked to call her, could sleep through even a bombing attack.
As Gibbs continued down the stairs, he realized the noises were coming from the kitchen. He rolled his eyes. In the last few months Ziva had taken up a new habit. She would be wandering around the house in the ungodly hours of morning. It didn't matter that it was housecleaning, doing the laundry or just watching TV, if Ziva felt like doing it, she would surely do it.
That was the reason why, after rounding the corner to the living room, Gibbs could see his wife… well, he didn't really know what she had been doing. But she was swearing like a trooper, that one was for sure, even though Gibbs couldn't understand a word. As he stepped closer, he realized what the problem was and what had been the reason for that crash that had woken him.
On the kitchen floor, there was the blender in the middle of a pool of milk and fruit. And Ziva was desperately trying to clean it up. Or more precisely, she was desperately trying to find the right position to be able to clean it up. Gibbs wanted to laugh out but he quickly changed his mind. He could tell that Ziva had already been angry enough… So he stepped up to her with a neutral expression.
"Let me do this." He told him as he gently took the wiping cloth from her hand.
"I can do it, Jethro." Ziva told him annoyed as Gibbs picked up the blender then started to wipe up the mess. "I am not an invalid."
"Sure you can do it." Gibbs chuckled to himself then straightened up after he finished cleaning up. "And what the hell were you doing down here anyway?" He turned to his wife with a raised eyebrow. "It's not even four yet."
"I wanted to drink a shake but that stupid machine jumped down from the counter." Ziva was suddenly on the verge of tears as she looked up at her husband.
"Oh, come on, my little assassin." Gibbs stepped closer to her using a soothing tone, but smiling nonetheless. Ziva, missing the amused smile on Gibbs' face, immediately stepped into his arms. "Do you still want to drink one?" Ziva just shook her head still fighting with the tears. Gibbs sighed. "What to you want then?" He asked gently.
"Sleep?" Ziva whined like a little child as she buried her face deeper into his chest.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
"I cannot."
"You can't?"
"Yes, I cannot." When Ziva raised her head up to look at him, she was suddenly back to being annoyed. Gibbs raised an eyebrow in question. Ziva only narrowed her eyes at that. "Because your evil little spawn is just like you. He can go with only three hours of sleep… three hours… and obviously he is not taking it now." Gibbs smiled in spite of his wife's accusing stare and reached up to put a hand on her large belly to feel the baby kicking away happily. "Argh…" Ziva cried out frustrated. "I so want to wipe that grin from your face… I am suffering from sleep deprivation here and you are totally enjoying the situation."
"Come on." Gibbs kissed her on the forehead and gently nudged her to start towards the living room. Silently they settle down on the couch where Ziva lay between her husband's legs with her back to his chest while one of Gibbs' legs was pulled up somewhat on the couch and the other was on the floor.
As Ziva was lying there, she could finally relax as Gibbs continued gently stroking her belly. Gibbs raised an eyebrow questioningly when he could hear Ziva scoff.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing." Ziva answered shaking her head slightly and smiled when Gibbs pressed his cheek to her head. "It just figures that the baby calms down for you and not for me."
"I'm good, huh." Gibbs smirked and Ziva chuckled as she closed her eyes. While running her hand up and down on the lower part of her husband's leg, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The couple was woken up not so long after that by an insistent Avigail who claimed that she was hungry and she wanted to eat her dad's pancakes. At 6 a.m.. Gibbs stood up chuckling to himself. Yes, she was her mini Ziva… only one thing could make her leave her bed that early in the morning… her stomach.
"Zeeevah… Zeeevah…" Lora squealed delightedly as she saw the Israeli woman standing by the plasma. She was obviously in a deep conversation with McGee but the three-year-old clearly didn't care. It was painfully obvious that the little girl was spending too much time with Tony. "Zeeevah…"
Ziva turned towards the little girl just in time to see the little ball of energy throw herself at her legs. For a moment her eyes went wide in surprise as she lost her carefully maintained balance when Lora bounced on her but fortunately McGee caught her in time and helped her steady herself once again.
"Hi there, Angel." She laughed up heartily while the girl was clinging to Ziva's legs. With one hand unconsciously drawing soothing circles on her large belly, she stroked Lora's head affectionately. McGee smiled at the scene before him then with a roll of his eyes he leant down to scoop up the little girl, who had let go of Ziva's legs and was now standing in front of him with raised hands. "McGoo, up!", she demanded.
"You know, Tony, you should really teach her some manner." McGee looked at Tony exasperated when the man joined them.
"No need to, McGoo." Tony grinned at his friend deliberately using his nickname. "She's a very polite little girl, aren't you Lora? What do you say when you want something?"
"Pleeeeease…"
"See?" Tony looked at McGee proudly. "And now, give me my lunch, will you, Probie? I'm starving."
"Like father, like daughter." Ziva said shrugging when McGee looked at her mildly annoyed at Tony's lack of manner.
"You've just been out. Haven't you had lunch?" McGee turned back to Tony.
"I've been busy with something else." He explained as he looked around the four desks searching for food. "So you are saying that you've got no food for me."
"Pretty much, Tony." The younger man nodded.
"Alright then." Tony shrugged. "I think I just have to eat your…" Tony went to McGee's desk and peeped into the paper bag that was sitting on it. "…Chinese. Great." By that time McGee looked genuinely annoyed and Ziva was watching Tony grabbing the bag and sitting down by his desk with sheer amusement. "Come on, Pumpkin, it's lunchtime."
The little girl squirmed out of McGee's arms and ran to Tony to sit in his lap.
"Why does it always have to be me?" McGee asked no one in particular but Tony took it upon himself to answer nonetheless.
"Because I'm not stupid enough to eat Gibbs' food and I'm definitely not stupid enough to eat the other Gibbs' food… especially when she comes in XXL size." He delivered his explanation matter-of-factly while he was chewing happily on his food.
Ziva wasn't even bothered to make any comment on his remark about her size, which was really remarkable indeed. Tony's annoying remarks concerning pregnant women had been a daily occurrence ever since Abby began to show and since Ziva had begun to show around the time that Abby gave birth to Cassie, they kind of became the integral part of their lives.
So she slowly made her way to her desk without any word and bumped down into her chair while McGee sulked silently by his own desk throwing angry glances in Tony's direction.
"Hey, Timmy." Ziva called to him while rummaging through the large paper bag on her desk. "Here. I can spare one." And with that she threw something through the squad room. McGee caught it and looked at it suspiciously.
"What?" Ziva asked him when she didn't get any reaction from him.
"Uhm, is it your special cheese sandwich?" McGee asked carefully trying very hard to keep up a straight face. Ziva just nodded while she took a large bite from her own sandwich. McGee gulped looking at the thing in his hand as if it were a bizarre result of some kind of alien experiment and a collective 'eww' could be heard from the direction of Tony's desk. Everybody, even Lora, knew that Ziva's infamous special cheese sandwich was containing numerous ingredients that definitely should not be in a sandwich… some of them should not even be in any kind of food at all…
"I do not understand what the problem is." Ziva stated indignantly. "Are you not hungry, Tim?"
"Yes, I am. Thank you, Ziva." McGee forced a smile on his face then wrapped out the sandwich. He didn't take a bite, though; he just kept staring at it as if waiting for it to speak up at any moment. He had just gathered all of his strengths and opened his mouth to finally take a bite when the sandwich miraculously disappeared from his grasp.
"Have this one, McGee." He could hear Gibbs' voice and in the next instant a paper bag was flying in his direction.
"Thanks, Boss." He glanced at the team leader gratefully and clearly relieved that he'd got rid of that thing.
Ziva smiled at Gibbs as he began to eat and she happily reached for another one of her special sandwiches. "Trust a marine stomach to take in any nuclear waste." Tony muttered to himself amused that Gibbs could actually eat that stuff.
"So, Lora." Tony began after the two of them had finished with McGee's lunch." Have you told them the big news?"
"I got a new name!" The little girl all but squealed in her fathers lap and the adults couldn't help the smile as they looked at the happy child.
"Really? And what is your new name?" Ziva inquired enthusiastically which made the already chipper child more excited. "Lo'a Dinozzo."
"God help us." McGee muttered under his breath. That was just what the world needed: another Dinozzo.
"I don't think he can, McGee." Gibbs smirked while Tony looked so proud that one could think that his chest would burst any moment.
Abby eyed Ziva suspiciously as they walked in the isle of baby clothes in the supermarket, baby McGee sleeping peacefully in a surprisingly normal looking stroller. Abby didn't say anything but she noticed the way the Israeli woman was looking at the cute little blue outfits. The team was constantly asking about the gender of the youngest Gibbs but the expecting couple just kept on shaking their heads with a ghost of smile on their lips claiming that they didn't want to know. But Abby was dying with curiosity.
"Come on, Ziva. Spit it." She finally spoke up and Ziva looked at her puzzled.
"What?"
"You are having a boy." Abby beamed.
"Abby, we don't know that."
"Oh, yes, you do. You can't even take your eyes off of the boy clothes. You are so busted, Ziva:" The Goth exclaimed merrily.
"Abby, I really do not know…" Ziva said but then a small smile appeared on her face as she took a little baby blue bodysuit into her hand. "It is more like a feeling." She shrugged at once.
"Ah… that famous Gibbs kinda gut feeling." Abby nodded in understanding.
"In Jethro's case, yes." Ziva nodded. "In mine, it is more like motherly intuition."
"And what do you call that." Abby laughed up when she caught sight of Avigail approaching them with a blue plush gorilla in hand.
"Wistful thinking." Ziva stated smiling, looking at her daughter. And indeed, Avigail wasn't shy about voicing her hopes about a little brother. "What have you got, angel?" Ziva looked down at her daughter.
"I found this gorilla. It's just like ours… just a little bigger… and it's blue." Avigail furrowed her brows as she regarded the toy in her hand deep in thoughts and Ziva couldn't help laughing out while Abby just stood there with a huge grin.
"Yes, it is definitely just like ours." Ziva stroked the girl's hair then looked up when she could hear some noise approaching in the already noisy area. She could bet that it was Dinozzo.
"We're ready to roll, girls." Tony appeared at the end of the isle pushing a cart full of food in front of him.
They were on their way to an impromptu picnic which Abby insisted on going on. She had shown up in the Navy Yard with little Cassie, practically threatening everybody with serious bodily harm if they hadn't lift up their butts and accompany her in the park. She did love being a mother but she missed spending time with the team. So she took it upon herself to keep the others entertained by different social programs. And that was the reason why Team Gibbs was in a supermarket on its way to the park with Tony, McGee and Gibbs on food duty, Palmer and Ducky on beverage duty and the girls just wandering around.
"We've got everything for a hearty meal." Tony informed the girls proudly.
"Thank God!" Ziva exclaimed. "Let's go, I am starving."
"Say something that's new Zeevah." Tony rolled his eyes then quickly closed them when he could feel Gibbs' hand connect with his scalp.
"Where are Tim and Lora?" Abby asked when she noticed their absence. Tony laughed out.
"Well, your hubby and my little girl are currently wandering around the Barbie section… I don't want to worry you, Abs, but he seemed to genuinely enjoying himself." Tony chuckled as he took a few steps away from Gibbs warily. Then he noticed something.
"That's a blue bodysuit in your hand, Ziva?" He raised an eyebrow pointing at the object in question.
"That was a question or a statement, Tony?" Ziva raised an eyebrow in return handing the clothes to Gibbs who chuckled at the sight of the dancing hippos on its front.
"You're having a boy."
"You don't sound too happy about it, Dinozzo." Gibbs observed looking up from the bodysuit.
"Well, it's really great, Boss." Tony forced a smile on his face. "But I've just lost 50 bucks." He added under his breath, bowing his head in defeat.
"And why is that… Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked the younger man.
"Well… Boss…" Tony's head snapped up and he began to stammer. "You see… It's not like we bet or anything…" Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "…well, maybe we did…" He admitted finally. Ziva laughed up.
"And you lost." She smiled at Tony.
"That means that Timmy won." Abby stated proudly.
"Not exactly." Tony had to break down her enthusiasm. "He said that it'd be a girl."
"What did you say then?" Gibbs inquired slightly amused.
"Well, I might say that it'll be two girls." Seeing Gibbs look, Tony deemed it necessary to elaborate. "I mean, Boss… Look at Ziva I can't believe that that kid's is alone in there." He pointed out and took another step away from Gibbs. But this time it was Ziva's hand that had found its way to the back of Tony's head. That was one too many comment about her size for one day.
"I am not that huge." She stated indignantly.
"Oh, you are, Zeevah." And even Gibbs couldn't refute this statement. Ziva looked shocked at her husband then turned her head to a giggling Avigail.
"Who won the bet then?" Abby quickly chimed in.
"The autopsy gremlin." Tony frowned. "He put his money on the boy."
"He may be right." Ziva shrugged.
"May be?" Tony asked.
"Well, we don't know, Dinozzo." Gibbs pointed out.
"But…" Tony began in confusion but then understanding appeared in his eyes. "Oh… I see. You have a gut feeling, Boss, don't you? Oh, damn. It's really a boy then."
"Alright." Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Let's get out of here."
The team met up by the cashier and not long after that they were once again on their way to the park.
As Ziva made her way to the rest of the team, who had already arrived at the park, with an arm around her husband and watching their little girl running up to Palmer and Tony, who were running around a ball with a giggling Lora, she couldn't help the happy smile that erupted on her face. She could hear Abby chatting away merrily with Ducky sitting on a blanket nearby while McGee was lying on his side next to them tickling his baby girl's tummy.
As she beamed up at Gibbs, who pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her forehead, she wondered if Gibbs knew what she was thinking about… she wondered if he knew that she thought of that little group of so different people as one family. She had a feeling, though, that Gibbs knew all that… because they were their family.
THE END
Wow, I finished the story… and now I'm on the verge of tears… I'll really miss it! Thank you for being here with me! It was a great experience for me and I hope you think the same!