Rifiuto: Non Miriena
"I thought one of the doctors had left their car in the parking lot, and so I went to check for any sign of who it belonged to, and when the trunk popped open..." The young resident burst into tears. "I'm sorry..." Tony laid a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, thank you." He returned to his partners, watching as McGee added to the growing pile of evidence they'd collected from and around the car that had been left in front of the birthing center in Charleston. Another body had been found, same as all the others, a Marine private first class, seven months along. The latest kill- along with the seven others found in the last six weeks- bumped the total dead up to twenty-one now.
Ziva swallowed, laying a hand on her growing belly. Twenty-six weeks had passed, and it was getting harder and harder for Ziva to be out in the field; she wasn't very big, but she was uncomfortable. No chasing suspects, mainly just snapping photographs and bagging evidence. Gibbs was keeping her on a short leash as she got closer to her due date, an action she found stifling. Though, anything was better than the silent treatment Tim was giving her. For the last six weeks, Ziva had watched Tim grow further and further away from her, as though he were afraid to touch her, to be around her, to say anything to her. It was starting to worry her; she ran through a mental list, trying to figure out what she'd done wrong to upset him, but each time, she came up empty. And, as the baby kept growing, so did Ziva's feelings for her best friend.
"Well, the resident said that Kayla Cooper would stop by every week for her annual checkups. When she didn't show up yesterday, they thought she'd just forgotten, and then, this morning, the resident came out to find Cooper's car and popped the trunk-"
"We get it, DiNozzo." Tim snapped, tossing another bag of evidence into a box. Tony's eyes flashed with brief anger.
"What's with you, McGrumpy? Ziva keep you up all night with her appetites? Or maybe not get enough last night, McLoverboy?" Something inside Tim snapped, and before anyone could speak, his fist had connected with Tony's jaw, sending the senior agent stumbling back. Tony reached up, pulling his fingers back to find blood from his split lip, and Tim stalked towards him, fists clenched to deal another blow to his partner. He got in another good punch to Tony's nose before the shock wore off and Gibbs and Ziva rushed to control the situation.
Instinctively, Ziva stepped in front of Tim as he raised his fist to swing again, but her voice stopped him short. "Timothy!"
It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She stood in front of him, hands protectively covering her belly, where their child grew. Gibbs was helping Tony to the car, and the resident was cleaning the agent up. Once Tony was settled, their silver-haired leader moved past Ziva, giving his junior agent a good smack on the back of the head before he dragged him to the side. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" He growled, stepping close to McGee. Ziva watched, holding her breath.
But McGee didn't back down. Instead, he pulled himself to his full height and met Gibbs' eye. He seemed to think, glancing at Ziva, before turning back to Gibbs. A moment passed, before he removed his gun and badge from his person, handing them to his team leader. "I can't do this anymore, Gibbs. I'm sorry." And without another word, he left, brushing past Ziva without a backward glance.
Tim looked up from clearing out his desk. Ziva had taken a seat at hers, and Tony was standing in the entrance to the bullpen, his nose bandaged and his lip split; Abby stood beside him, talking softly. But it was Gibbs that caught their attention as he made he way towards McGee. The silver-haired leader slammed the badge and gun on his junior agent's desk, leaning close to him.
"Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again, McGee!" He snapped. "Or next time, you won't be handing in your badge, because I'll be taking it from you!" Ziva gasped, covering her mouth as Tony and Abby watched, silently, from outside the office space. "Now, what the hell is wrong with you, McGee?" Silence reigned for several minutes, before Tim glanced Ziva's way. Gibbs didn't miss it, and turned to glance at Ziva as well. "Something you want to tell me, McGee?" He demanded.
"Nothing, Gibbs." He replied, returning to his packing. The older man waited. "It's just that I finally realized..."
"Realized what, McGee?" Tim shook his head, silent.
"Realized what?" This time, it was Ziva that spoke. She'd gotten up from her desk, going to Tim's. Gibbs stepped away, as his Probie turned dark eyes to Tim. "Realized what, Tim?" She demanded. He met her gaze, licking his lips.
"Nothing, Ziva." But she blocked his exit, searching his face suspiciously. After a moment, she took a step towards him, face tilted up to stare into his eyes.
"No, Tim. What have you realized?" He sighed, meeting her gaze. He gathered his thoughts, thinking, before he said,
"That I can't be a father. Not like this. I'm sorry, Ziva." He pushed past her; Tony and Abby quickly parted, letting his pass, all glancing back at Ziva. Tears came to her eyes, and she took a deep breath, the pain in his eyes reflecting in her own.
Ziva softly shut the bathroom door, leaning back against the wall, watching as Tim washed his hands. When he finished, he leaned against the sink counter, head down, taking deep breaths. Her heart twisted; somehow, something she'd done had caused Tim to reconsider their arrangement, and now, he was pulling further and further away from her than he had been. She took a deep breath, swallowing her tears, before pushing away from the wall and going to him. "Tim?"
He looked up, surprise in his green eyes as he met her gaze. "What are you doing here, Ziva?" She swallowed, reaching for him, but he pulled away.
"Tim, talk to me. Please." He shook his head, turning from her as she reached to take his hand. "Tim-"
"I can't do it, Ziva! I can't raise this baby with you, as a friend! I can't watch this baby come into the world, and know that... yes, I may be her father, but that her mother is nothing more than a friend to me. I can't do it. I won't."
"What are you saying, Timothy?" She asked, stepping into his arms. He met her gaze briefly, before pulling something from his pocket. Slowly, he unfolded it, handing it to her. He took a deep breath.
"These are the papers, relinquishing my parental rights." Ziva glanced down at them, before looking back up at him as his words registered. She shook her head.
"No. No, you cannot do this." He sighed.
"As soon as she's born, she's yours." Pain flashed in his green eyes, and then quickly vanished. "I want nothing to do with her. Or you." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her belly, before straightening and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry, Ziva. But I can't do this, not when I know you don't feel the same way."
And he left. She rushed after him, following him upstairs to the bullpen. Gibbs stopped him, whispered something to him- that he still had his job, but that he was on probation, and not to pull a stunt like that again- and Tim grabbed his coat and gear, heading to the elevators. He'd return to work the next day, he'd still be Ziva's partner, still be her birthing coach when she went into labor, but afterwards...
As he stepped into the elevator, Ziva finally found her voice.
"You cannot do this, McGee! You cannot just give up your rights to our baby like that! You cannot just walk away from her! From me! You cannot do this! Timothy!"
But the elevator doors closed behind him, sending her cry back to her.
