Chp. 23

9 months later

"Ok, babe, you're doing good. You're doing good. Just a little more." Terry said, a wide smile on his face.

Ziva's only response was to squeeze his hand so hard she nearly broke it. "How can you smile at a time like this?! You did this to me! I look like a walrus and I'm in…Ahh!" Ziva screamed as another contraction hit her.

"Alright, I see the head. One more push, Mrs. Gibbs."

Ziva lay back on the pillow, breathing heavily, her face drenched with sweat. "I can't…I can't do this…"

Terry ignored his throbbing hand, his shooting hand no less, and stroked his wife's hair and mopped her brow with a rag. "Yes, you can. You can do this. Keep telling yourself that. This the easiest thing you've ever done. Tell yourself that." He smiled at her. He'd been awake for thirty hours. Eighteen of those hours had been spent in the delivery room next to his wife. She smiled at him, the epidural taking effect.

"Ok, one more push." The obstetrician said.

Ziva steadied herself, squeezed Terry's hand, screamed and pushed. Seconds later, though to her it seemed like hours, she heard the cry of an infant. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, you have a daughter." The doctor said. Ziva lay back and closed her eyes. She was already asleep.

"You did good, babe." Terry said, kissing her forehead and standing up. He stretched and turned to the doctor. "Take care of her." He said and the two men exchanged a look.

"I will." The obstetrician said, and extended his hand. "Congratulations."

Terry smiled and shook the man's hand. "Good work. Thanks."

Terry looked at her wife one last time and left the room. He turned left and went to the waiting room. He found his parents and the team easily enough. Abby spotted him first. "Terry! Oh, my God! Is Ziva ok?! The baby?! What is it?!" She asked, peppering him with questions and squeezing the life out of him at the same time.

"Abigail, let the man breath for God's sake!" Ducky said, gently but forcefully.

"Sorry, Terry." She said, giggling and stepping aside.

Gibbs, Jenny, Tim, Collin and Sam stepped forward. Terry yawned and rubbed his face. "In answer to your questions, Abby," Terry said, looking at her. "Ziva's fine, the baby fine and it's a girl."

"Congratulation," Gibbs said, shaking his son's hand and pulling him into an embrace.

Jenny stepped up next, tears in her eyes and hugged him. "Congratulations. Ziva?"

He smiled. "She sleeping. Nearly broke my hand though." He said, holding up his hand. Gibbs winced and Tim's eyes widened in fear of what he could expect. Three months after the bombings in D. C., Abby discovered she was pregnant and was now six months along.

Tim stepped up next and stuck out his hand. "Guess this means I'm uncle again. Congratulations, Terry."

"Thanks, Tim. I hope he wasn't too much trouble." Terry said, referring to Collin.

"Oh, he was a little." Tim said, winking at his nephew.

"Uncle Timmy! You promised you wouldn't tell!" Collin said. He'd been staying with Tim and Abby for the past week.

Terry knelt to his son's level and opened his arms. "Come here, bud."

Collin ran to his father and hugged him. "I missed you. Is mommy ok?"

Terry smiled again. "You're Mom's fine. Guess what?" Terry asked, his eyes widening.

"What?" Collin asked, his eyes widening in anticipation.

"You're a big brother!" Terry said, with as much fanfare as he could muster.

"I am; Cool!"

Terry laughed. "Yeah, Cool."

"Congratuwations, bubba." Sam said, stepping toward his brother.

Terry opened his arms and pulled Sam to him. "Thanks, kid." Then he let go of the boys and stood up.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got a date with a pretty girl."

"We'll be here, Terry." Ducky said, shaking his friend's hand. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Duck." Terry said, and walked to the nursery.

000

Exhausted, Terry walked to the nursery. Even though he was dead on his feet he wouldn't sleep until he had seen her. He laughed at the thought. His daughter didn't even have a name yet. But that didn't mean he loved her any less. He found two men already their much like himself. He went to the window and gazed at the endless sea of blue, pink, white, and black. "New father?" a voice asked. He turned and saw a nurse smiling at him.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?" He asked nervously.

"Oh, when you've been doing this as long as I have you notice the signs. Which one is yours?" the woman asked.

"Uh, baby Gibbs." He said.

Her faced brightened. "Oh, that little angel. Would you like to come in and hold her. I'm sure she'd love to meet her daddy."

"Sure. Thanks." Terry said.

"Follow me."

Terry, grinning like an idiot, followed the nurse and she led him to a rocking chair, then left. Several minutes later she returned with a pink bundle. "Her she is. Take all the time you want, dear."

"Thanks." Terry said. When they were alone, Terry look down at the child in his arms and smiled.

"Hi, baby girl. I'm your daddy."

000