"So have you put anymore thought into what you might name the baby?"
She grabs a post-note off her desk, "Yes, I have a list."
"Go ahead."
"Feel free to weigh in."
"You know that I will."
"Alex, Bailey, Cameron, Devin, Eden..."
He cuts her off, "Really? You can't come up with something a little more original? You should be able to determine someone's gender, by their name."
"So then you don't like, Flynn, Greer, Hadley, Jamie, or Kaycee?"
"No. You don't like those names either. I think that you have spent too much time reading that stupid name book."
"You got it for me."
"Maybe you should just wait until you see him."
"Maybe you should just name him. Is that what you want?"
"I think it would be best."
"When you come up with a name let me know."
"I already came up with one."
"You did? And what is that?"
"Parker Anthony."
"No," she shakes her head.
"Why can't you name him after me?"
"Because I don't want to. You don't even like your name."
"What are you really planning on naming him?"
"When I know, you will be the first person I tell."
"Fine," he stomps off.
Leon comes down from his throne. He stops on the landing, behind Tony's desk. He looks down, and the people in the squad room.
"Gibbs, David, I need to see you in my office, now."
They shoot each other looks, and then make their ways up the stairs. They waltz through the open door into Leon's office. Gibbs closes the door behind himself. They join Leon, at the table. Leon sits at the end of the table, with one of them on each side.
"I am going to cut to the chase."
"About what?" Gibbs raises an eyebrow.
"I have heard some rumors," Leon admits.
"Standing around the water cooler, again, Leon?"
"Agent David," he turns, and his coal colored eyes bore through her, "Are you pregnant?"
"Does it matter?"
"If you are it has the potential to affect your job. I need to know."
"I am," she confirms, fighting the urge to crawl across the table, and throttle him.
"You knew?" his glance turns to Gibbs.
"Yes, she told me."
"Why wasn't I informed?"
"We thought that it was need to know," Gibbs replies.
"I didn't need to know?"
"Not yet. We thought that it would be best to wait, until everything was certain," Gibbs responds.
"Now I know. What I want to know, is about the other part of the rumor."
"And what would that be?" Ziva inquires.
"That your unborn child belongs to Agent Gibbs."
"That is completely ridiculous," Ziva comments.
"Even so, I want to know, is it true?"
Ziva quickly answers, "No. It isn't true."
"So then, the two of you have not had intimate relations?" Leon probes.
"He is my boss," Ziva counters.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"No. Nothing happened. The relationship that we have is merely professional," Ziva maintains the lie.
"So who is the father?"
"It isn't really any of your business, director."
"Is it one of your colleagues?"
"No."
"Then, who is it?"
"There isn't one," Ziva lies.
"There isn't one?" Leon raises an eyebrow.
"No," Ziva shakes her head, "I mean there is one. The thing is... I have tried to be discreet. I didn't want anyone to know," she answers.
"Know what?" Leons interest peaks.
"That I decided that I wanted a baby, so I chose to do this on my own. There isn't a man..."
"You're saying that there was donor?"
She nods, "Yes."
"I see."
"Can we go now?"
"Yes, you're free to go," he nods, in disappointment.
They leave the room. They walk side by side, back to the squad room, in silence.
He walks into autopsy, as quiet as usual. Ducky is expecting him. He begins talking, without turning around.
"The cause of death was blunt forced trauma to the..." he suddenly realizes that no one is listening.
Agent Gibbs stands on the other side of the exam table. He stares off into space, instead of looking at the victim.
"Jethro?" Ducky says softly.
Gibbs looks at him. "Yeah, Duck?"
"Is something bothering you?"
"A lot of things bother me, Ducky."
"Anything in particular?"
"Everything."
"With Ziva?"
"I wish that there was more I could do."
"There will be. Once the baby is here."
"You don't understand."
"You rarely allow me to understand you."
"I'm surprised that Abby didn't show you, or tell you."
"Show me what?"
"Nothing," he shrugs.
"She showed me..."
"Yeah," he nods.
"Asked my opinion."
"And?"
"There isn't anything you can do. Is there?"
"No," Jethro shakes his head.
"Why does that bother you so much?"
"This time, I need more time. I needed to fix this. I needed to do it right. I can't. Not this time."
"It seems as if we never have enough time, especially when it starts running out."
"Like sands through the hour glass."
Ducky smiles, "So are the days of our lives. It was mother's favorite soap opera."
"Shannon used to watch. I never understood why."