TOML chp. 4

Terry didn't know how long he sat there, holding Ziva, but he knew it wasn't very long. He heard sirens and snapped into action. He ran outside but stopped cold when he heard his son's voice. "Daddy, don't go!" Collin sobbed.

He was at his son's side in two long strides. "Buddy, I have to get mommy some help, ok? But I'll come back. Now, I need you to be a big boy and stay here with Aunt Abby, can you do that?"

Collin nodded solemnly. "Yes, daddy."

"Good boy." Terry said, and left the bar. McGee followed, because he wanted his wife out of harms way, yesterday. Gibbs was already outside.

"Where bubba going?" Sam asked through his tears.

"He's going to get someone to help Ziva. Are you ok, sweetheart?" Jen asked.

"Yes. Can we leave?"

"Soon, honey." Jen said, hugging her youngest son and wondering who was behind this attack.

000

Terry left the bar and entered a different time. A year ago, the only time he'd seen carnage like this was in Iraq. Three cars, including his jeep, had been destroyed. Paramedics, firefighters and cops ran this way and that, tending to civilians and their injuries. He found his father at the center of the maelstrom and went to him. "Boss, paramedics, bar, now, please."

Gibbs turned and pointed at three paramedics. "You three, follow him."

The men followed him and found Ziva in the bar. McGee and Ducky were tending to her. "How is she?"

"She needs a hospital. Now." Ducky said.

The paramedics were already placing her onto a backboard. Terry noticed that Abby, his mother and the boys were nowhere. As if reading his friend's thoughts, Tim spook up.

"The director's security detail arrived. Their secured and waiting for us."

Terry nodded. "Ok, I'll stay here, help dad secure this. Take care of my family."

"Will do." Tim said and as he walked to the lead SUV, he realized what his friend was entrusting him with.

000

Three hours later, Terry and Gibbs drove the hospital. The media had given both men a wide berth in light of their reputations. They parked and Gibbs waited. He knew what his son was going through. He and Jen had gone through this every time Terry or Kelly had been injured as children. "She'll be ok, Terry. She's strong." He said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

Terry was quiet for a long moment before he found his voice. "Thanks, dad."

"I'm still you're father," Gibbs said as they got out of the car and walked into the hospital. "No matter how old you are. Don't you ever forget that." He finished, placing an arm around his son's shoulder and hugging him.

Terry walked to the information desk and was thankful the woman behind it was occupied. Suddenly she looked and gave them a small smile. "May I help you, Gentlemen?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Ziva Gibbs room?" Gibbs asked.

The woman's face fell ever so slightly, but she recovered nicely, Gibbs thought. "Yes, sir, she's in room 212. Take the elevator to the second floor and make a left, the nurses station will be on your right."

"Thank you." Gibbs said.

"Thanks." Terry said, weakly.

"You're welcome." The nurse, giving him a small smile.

Both men followed the nurse's directions. Most of the time, Terry would've taken the lead, but now…

Now he didn't know what to do. But what frightened him more was that it wasn't the first time as a husband and father that he'd been at a loss. But then the primal part of him that was always just below the surface, ready to pounce at the first sign of a threat, forced these thoughts out of his brain and he went on autopilot. He followed his father to the surgical waiting area and collapsed into a chair across from his mother. Collin and Sam were both asleep. Otherwise the room was empty.

"Where's everyone else?" Terry asked.

"I convinced them go get something to eat. I figured you wouldn't want Abby peppering you with questions right out of the box."

Terry smiled weakly. "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome." Jenny said, squeezing his hand.

"She'll be ok. She's tough." Gibbs said, taking a seat next to his wife.

A doctor suddenly appears. "Excuse me, are you here for Ziva Gibbs?"

Terry stood up quickly. "I'm her husband."

"You're wife is a very lucky woman, Mr. Gibbs. She sustained minimal bruising to her upper body and a slight bump on the head, though fortunately not a concussion, but I'd still like to keep her for observation, at least overnight. As for the baby…"

Terry felt his stomach tighten and his right hand automatically dropped to the butt of his 1911. "What baby?"

"You wife is six weeks pregnant, sir. But from what I can see the baby suffered no injuries. You can see your wife whenever you like." The doctor finished, fading into the background.

"See, what'd I tell you?" Gibbs asked, hugging.

"Congratulations." Jen said, hugging her son.

"Thanks, ma. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to see my wife."

"Give her our love." Jen said.

"Will do."

When he was gone, Jen caught her husband looking at her. "What?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking how good we did."

She sat down next to him and he pulled her to him. "We did, didn't we." She said, smiling.

000

Terry quietly entered Ziva's room, in case she was asleep. But she heard him and turned toward the door. "Curse those stealth ninja moves." Terry said, grinning like an idiot.

"They told you, didn't they?" Ziva asked, alarmed.

"Hey, hey, relax, everything's fine. The baby's fine and so are you." Terry said, sitting on the bed.

"And you?" Ziva asked, worry in her face.

Terry smiled. "I couldn't be happier, love." He said, and put an arm around her. Ziva smiled broadly and lay her head on Terry's chest.

000

McGee and Ducky ate mechanically and Abby didn't eat at all. Ducky looked at her. "Abigail, you need to eat."

"What's the point, Ducky? Ziva could die and I'm sitting here stuffing my face."

"Abby, this is Ziva and Terry we're talking about. Two of the toughest people we know. She'll make it. I know she will. And God help this city when Terry goes after whoever did this."

Abby took a bite of her salad and shrugged. "Happy now?"

McGee smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"Thank you, Abigail." Ducky said.

000

"So, do you want to tell everyone now or wait?" Terry asked.

"Do Jen and Gibbs know?"

"Yeah," he said, and she looked upset. "Sorry; couldn't be helped."

She smiled. "You are so gullible." Ziva said. Terry drew his arm back to hit her when she held up a hand. "Hey, pregnant."

"So, tell or not?" Terry asked.

Ziva thought for a minute. "I think we should tell everyone now. They need some good news. I think we should tell Collin first and explain it to him. A bomb blast and your mother in the hospital are a lot for anyone to deal with in one day, but our son is a special case."

Terry nodded. Collin, and Sam, had been seeing shrinks to help them deal with what had happened to them. "Ok, I'll get him. Back in a few."

000

"So how will the baby come out?" Collin asked for the third time.

"Uh…um…uh." Terry stuttered scratching his head. They didn't teach this sort of thing at Delta.

Ziva smiled at her husband's plight. "The doctor will take him or her out." Ziva said.

"Oh, Ok." Collin said. He left the room with the nurse who'd just checked on Ziva.

Ziva laughed. "You're so cute when you nervous."

Terry scowled. "Shut up, devil woman. My only experience with kids before I joined NCIS was a hostage rescue operation in Angola in 2003. Teenage missionaries."

"And did it end well?"

"For them. Their captors are no longer among the living. I'd better not keep them waiting anymore. Abby's probably driving everyone nuts." Terry said and Ziva laughed.

"You're probably right."

000

"Ziva, you're preggers!! That's the best news I've heard all week. Have you guys thought about names?"

"Not yet, Abby." Ziva said. She was beginning to regret taking Abby up on her offer to stay the night.

"Sorry, folks, but Mrs. Gibbs needs her rest so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The nurse said, and it was clear she hated playing the bad guy. News of the NCIS team had spread through the hospital.

"See you tomorrow, Mommy. I love you." Collin said, hugging Ziva.

"I love you too, sweetheart." She said, returning the hug.

"I glad you're ok, Ziva." Sam said, hugging her.

"Aw, thank you, Sam. I'm glad you're ok, too."

"Get some rest." Jen said. Then she, Gibbs, Sam and Collin left. Collin would stay with his grandparents, but he'd been assured that his father would be there as well.

"See you later, babe." Terry said, kissing his wife.

"Don't work too hard."

He chuckled. "Yeah, right. Get some rest."

"What do we do now?" McGee asked as he and Terry walked to elevators.

"Thought I'd go hunting." Terry said. Tim swallowed. He had no idea what that meant, but he didn't like the sound of it.