"Was it just me, or did things seem a little… chilly between you and McPapa when he left this morning?" Tony asked from where he was standing at the counter, slicing vegetables. Tali was sitting in the living room, watching Moana for the sixth time, while he and Delilah worked in the kitchen, making lunch.
She sighed. "We just got in a fight, Tony, that's all. Just a lover's tiff."
"Oh. Why? Did McPapa break the download dinner rules again? Or is that even still a thing with you two?"
"Oh it is, but that's not what we're fighting about."
"Then what, if I may ask, are you fighting about? You two are like… the standard to which all other couples hold themselves."
"Why's that?" she asked, scoffing.
"Oh c'mon Delilah," Tony replied, giving her a look. "How do you not know? You and Tim are like the only stable couple around here. Ziva and I were a disaster. Jake and Ellie didn't work out. And don't even get me started on Gibbs!"
She laughed, but shook her head. "We just are at odds on whether or not we should find out the baby's sex."
"Oh. Huh. And you think…?"
"I think it should be a surprise. And besides, I think that we'll love whoever comes out."
Tony laughed, and shook his head. "Still hasn't sunk in that you and McGee are actually going to be parents."
"You seem to forget, Tony, I'm a McGee too," she reminded him.
It was his turn to laugh. "So, Mr. McGee wants to know?"
"He thinks that we'll stop having quite so many little fights if we know the gender, like bickering about names."
"You know, this is classic Tim behavior. He gets scared, so he gets cranky, and he lashes out. I've seen it a hundred times."
"I know, Tony," she said.
"How?"
"I know him, genius. He's my husband."
"Well I mean, yeah. He is. But I worked with him-,"
"Oh yeah? I married him. I'm the one having his baby, not you." They stared at each other for a second, both with eyebrows raised, before laughing together.
"So, what's your issue with finding out?"
"Well, I can't do the ultrasound, for starters."
"Why not?" he asked. "I don't know much about pregnant women, but last I checked, ultrasounds are relatively simple… just some chilly gel and then pretty baby pictures. At least that's how it looks in the movies."
"It is simple. Just not for me. We can't find out the sex from the ultrasound, because Dr. Hamilton doesn't want to risk the chance that it might heat up the shrapnel."
"Shrapnel?"
She gave him a patented are you kidding me right not Tony face, and said, "The shrapnel in my spine, Tony. From the Gala?"
"Oh. Oh." He at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. "Right. Sorry, Wheels."
"It's fine."
"So if you can't find out, then why is McPapa wanting to know?"
"Because," she started, and rolled her eyes. "Because stupid Dr. Hamilton decided that it was a good idea to tell us that he was ordering a special blood test… and that blood test can also tell us the sex of the baby."
"And naturally, Tim wants to know?"
"I told him that we should be surprised. And yet I'm now waiting on the results of the test."
"You don't think it's anything serious, do you?"
"No, I don't, but then again, what do I know?" she asked, with a half-hearted grin.
"I feel like you've spent enough time in hospitals that they'll start calling you Dr. McGee any day now," he teased.
She smiled, and then sighed, as the phone rang. "Oh great. It's probably Tim." She set down the knife, wiping her hands before picking up her cell phone. "Hi honey, and no, I haven't changed my mind."
"C'mon Dee," Tim protested. "That's not why I'm calling."
"Then why are you calling?" she asked. "Aren't you at work?"
"Yes, but it's time for my quad-daily check-in." She smiled to herself as he spoke.
"You worry too much," she told him again.
"I worry just enough when it comes to you."
"You're much too worried for your own good. Tim, you worry about you. I'll worry about me."
"What fun is that?"
"I don't know about fun, but I don't want to hear about what happens to you if Gibbs catches you calling me when you're supposed to be working."
"He won't mind." She could hear the smile in his voice.
"He will mind, and if he doesn't, the rest of the team will. You know it."
"Fine, I'll go. Everything okay there?"
"I've got Tony and Tali with me, in case anything happens, don't worry. Everything is fine here."
"Call me if something turns up in the bloodwork okay?"
"I love you," she said, feeling it was necessary to say in light of their fight.
"I love you too, honey."
She sighed to herself, setting the phone back down on the counter, shaking her head, before picking up the knife again.
"Didn't sound like a fight to me, Wheels."
"We've sort of patched it up."
"Because he delivered you some flowers?" Tony asked.
"No. I know he's just acting like an ass, because he's scared. And I'm not really sure it's sunk in that this is happening. He didn't have time to really absorb it before… before Paraguay."
"You really worry about him, don't you?" Tony asked.
She laughed. "I worry about him. He worries about me. It's how we work."
"I guess that's better than only worrying about yourselves," he commented. "Delilah, I know he's gonna be a good dad."
"I know," she said, looking down at the large belly she was sporting. "But growing a new person is something I have to do by myself, and he's kicking himself because he's worried and he thinks it's all his fault, like we didn't make this kid together. And he doesn't' know how to help, so he complains about doing things for me, when I know he doesn't actually mind."
"If we were talking about anyone else, I'd think you were making excuses for him," Tony commented. "But since I know Tim, and I know you, I know that isn't the case."
She set down the knife again, before placing both hands on her belly. "I think we did things a bit backwards," she said with a laugh.
"How do you mean?" he asked, looking up.
"I got pregnant and then we got married," she said, with a grin. "Not that I regret it. Or peanut here."
"Well you shouldn't. Because after everything you and McPapa have been through, I think you've earned this. And if anything, I don't think it's sunk in for him that he's getting a happy ending."
"Did you get a happy ending?" she asked him.
"I think so," he replied, looking into the living room, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "They're worth it, Wheels."
She rubbed her belly, smiling at the thought of a baby just like her Timothy. "I know, Tony. I know."
XNCISX
"Are you sure?" Tony walked in, sighing internally as he realized Tim wasn't home yet. It was barely six, and yet Delilah was on the phone, biting her lip. "No, no, of course. That's fine. I'll be right in. Of course."
"Everything okay, Wheels?" he asked, concerned.
She turned, and he could see in the lamp light that all the colour had drained from her face. "Yeah… I…"
"Hey," he said, and she met his eyes. He could see that she was terrified, and he realized she'd been on the phone with her doctor. His heart felt as though it was being squeezed in a fist. He would've found it hilarious if he hadn't been panicking. He was a former federal agent who'd been accustomed to handling dangerous individuals and serial killers… but he was now just a man whose best friend was in trouble. "What's going on?"
"Uh," she took a deep breath. "I need to get to Dr. Hamilton's."
"Right now?" he asked, surprised. And then he felt himself go weak at the knees. "Delilah, is it something with the baby?"
"Dr. Hamilton just said something weird was in my bloodwork."
"You need to call Tim," Tony told her, and she shook her head. "What do you mean no? Delilah, if there's something wrong, you need to tell your husband! It's his baby too."
"There is no point in calling him until we get to Dr. Hamilton's office, okay?" she said. "It's probably nothing anyway."
"And if you're in trouble, Tim will have a heart attack if he's not there for you!" Tony retorted.
"No," she told him. "I'll call him when we get there."
Tony took a deep breath. "Well, in that case, we better get you to that doctor's office. Good thing that Tali is with Senior today. What else did he say?"
"Just that he needed me to come in, and he'd explain when I got there." She took a quick breath. "I'm a little scared."
"Hey," he said, kneeling down in front of her. "Don't talk like that. You're right, it's probably nothing. Or you could be a mutant, or Tim is actually a god, so your kid is a half-blood. Who knows? C'mon." He stood up. "I'll grab your coat."
"Thank you, Tony."
"What are friends for, Wheels, if not this?" As he passed over her coat, he turned away pretending not to notice as she wrapped her hands protectively over the bump.
"Hang in there, peanut," she murmured.
XNCISX
She was fiddling with her rings, sitting on the examination table, alone. She'd told Tony to stay outside, where she knew he'd probably be nervously pacing, but this was about her. And Tim. And somehow having anyone else there but him felt wrong.
And yet, she felt the deep dread in the pit of her stomach, thinking it over. So instead of continuing to think, she picked up the phone and dialled.
"Hey honey," he said, sounding surprised. "I'm sorry, I know I'm a bit late-,"
"Tim, I'm at Dr. Hamilton's."
"Why, what's happened?" She heard the note of panic in his voice immediately, and knew she'd made the right call by waiting.
"The doctor wants to do an emergency ultrasound," she told him, trying not to let him hear how scared she was.
"An emergency ultrasound?" he repeated. "I thought you couldn't have one."
"I can't," she started, but then she could hear the sounds of Bishop and Torres inquiring on the other end. "But Tim, there was something weird in my bloodwork, so I'm waiting for the ultrasound." Dr. Hamilton walked in, and saw that she was on the phone.
"How bad is it?" he asked, and she could hear that he was scared too.
"Miss Fielding-," Dr. Hamilton started, voice soft.
"Fielding McGee," she reminded him, and he nodded.
"We're going to do the ultrasound right now, but I'll be sure to email the results to your husband okay?"
"Okay," she said, before turning back to the conversation at hand. "Have you checked your email recently?"
"No, I haven't checked my email."
"You should check it. Dr. Hamilton said he would send you the results, but it's just that there's something unusual with the bloodwork."
"Are they sure?" he demanded.
"Yes, they're sure. Tim, I'm scared."
"Okay, um, all right, just stay calm." She was having a hard time doing that, with Tim's voice in her ear and the doctor's eyes on her. "Everything's gonna be fine, we're gonna handle this, no problem."
"I need to call my mom, too," she told him, knowing she needed to get off the phone before she started crying.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Your mom can wait!" he protested.
"I have to go, Tim," she told him.
"No, Wait, no just don't hang up on-," she ended the call, and took a deep breath, as she looked to where Dr. Hamilton was setting up the ultrasound.
"Now Delilah, this is going to be sent to your husband in real time, okay? It'll just be a clip, but the email is all set up."
"Okay," she said, taking a shaky breath. For a few moments, there was silence, as the doppler was pressed to her belly, and then Dr. Hamilton, watching the screen, grinned. He turned to her.
"So, I know you wanted to be surprised, but we did find out the sex from the bloodwork."
"What about the ultrasound?" she asked, a note of panic entering her voice as she stared up at the shadowy screen, showing the inside of her belly. "Is Peanut okay?"
"Yes, but take a look." The doctor pulled away, before pointing out something on the screen. For a second, she held her breath, staring in confusion, before realizing what she was looking at.
"Oh my God," she breathed, mouth dropping open.
"Congratulations, Delilah, you're having twins," he told her.
"Oh my God," she said again, holding her hands to her mouth. "So there's nothing wrong?"
"Absolutely nothing. Except that little Peanut in there has a twin. And since I know the sex of both babies, would you like to know?"
She started crying, laughing through her tears. "Yes, okay. And you're emailing all of this to Tim?"
"Unless you want me to hold the part about the genders back?"
"No, no, it's fine. He should know."
"You are going to have a pair," he told her. "One boy and one girl. And I just sent the email."
Her phone buzzed again a few seconds later, after Dr. Hamilton had left her alone in the room again to compose herself. But all she found was a text from her husband, saying he was on his way.
She pressed her hands to her belly. "You scared me, the two of you." Twins! Most days she could barely fathom creating one new life, never mind two. And then she was crying again, because after everything she and Tim had gone through, wasn't this enough of a new start? Was it simply the universe making amends for the horrors the two of them had faced?
And as if in answer, the door to the room opened, and there was Tim, tears running down his face, and a grin across his face that looked so large that it had to hurt. Tony was right behind him, as Tim ran in, striding across the room, before pulling Delilah into a fierce kiss.
When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes, and grinning, before taking both of her hands in hers. She realized then that both were shaking, but managing to keep the other steady. "I can't believe it," he whispered.
"Believe it, Tim."
"I love you," he said, his voice breaking. "I was so scared…"
"I was too, but it's okay. It's okay, Tim. I love you."
"Can I ask what's going on now?" Tony asked and both turned, feeling guilty that they'd forgotten him.
They exchanged a look, and suddenly she was brought back to another hospital in another time, where the news wasn't about two babies, it was just about one, and Abby had been standing in front of them, wanting answers.
"Might as well tell him," Tim said. "Bishop and Nick already know."
She laughed. "And Gibbs?"
"Didn't see him before I left. I think I went way too far over the speeding limit getting here," he said, laughing sheepishly.
"Tell me what?" Tony demanded.
"Well, Tony, it appears that everything is fine."
She watched as he visibly relaxed, taking a sip of the awful hospital coffee that he must've gotten while waiting for her, as Tim picked up the end of the sentence. "And by the way, we're actually having twins."
Tony choked on his coffee, before staring at them, and Tim grinned. "You should see your face."
"Twins?" Tony managed, wiping his face with his sleeve. "You mean… two McGees?"
"One boy and one girl," Delilah said, as Tim squeezed her hand.
"Uh oh," Tim muttered beside her as Tony continued to stare at them, open-mouthed. "Think you broke him."
And then Tony's eyes rolled back in his head as he crashed to the floor. A nurse ran in, and saw him, before looking at the two of them, arms around each other, laughing. "Is everything okay in here?" she asked.
"Everything's fine. Can you get an ice pack for him though?" Delilah asked, as Tim continued laughing. The nurse nodded and scurried out.
"It's so nice to not be the one fainting for once!" Tim said, laughing, before stopping as he stared down at her. "Are you happy about this?"
"Yes," she said simply. "I'm sorry for hanging up on you."
He kissed her on the forehead, before pulling away. "Don't do it again."
"Are you happy?" she asked in response.
He didn't even hesitate. "Never been happier," he told her honestly, before leaning in for another kiss, as if sealing the deal.
