Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: And the baby finally arrives...
Tony looked around. The FBI had shown up halfway through the scuffle, guns blazing, shots ringing out. In the end, Daisy and her accomplices- several, that also worked at the various clinics, hospitals and centers- had been arrested. Fornell looked around, "What the hell did your team get into this time, Gibbs? Did you infiltrate a birth center for sport?"
Gibbs just chuckled and shook his head, glancing at Tony, who reached up and swiped at his lip. It had been split in the first scuffle, and the sight of the blood on his fingers brought back memories of Tim's fist slamming into him-
The senior agent took off running, and minutes later, he heard Gibbs' footsteps behind him. "Gibbs! DiNozzo!" But both men ignored Fornell, concern for their fellow team members winning out. When they both skidded to a stop in front of Ziva's door, Tony looked at his boss.
"It was open when I left-" He started. Gibbs nodded the same, and after a moment, grabbed the door and pushed it open. The image that met them stole their breath away-
Tim, lifting a screaming newborn from between Ziva's legs and into his arms.
His baby. Ziva's baby.
Their baby.
Ziva sat back against the bed, her gaze never leaving Tim or the baby he cradled in his embrace. The baby squirmed in her father's arms, loud, healthy cries piercing the air. Slick with blood and afterbirth, it didn't matter. She was the most beautiful infant Tim had ever laid eyes on. And she was his. He smiled, staring into his daughter's blue eyes. "Welcome to the world, little one. You made quite the entrance, yes you did."
Tony and Gibbs stood back in the doorway, listening as Tim talked softly to the infant in his arms, watching as he gently picked up a blanket and slowly, tenderly began cleaning her off. Ziva pushed herself back against the foot of the bed, gulping in deep breaths of air as she watched Tim and their daughter. A well of emotions bubbled within her chest, and she sighed, swallowing. Tim looked up at her, a smile on his face as he moved to settle next to her. "Ziver, say hello to your daughter." He whispered, laying the baby in her arms, against her bare chest. Her breath caught, as she stared down into the baby's bright blue eyes. A moment passed, as she registered Tim's words, and then she looked up at him.
"Our daughter. Right? You... you are still not thinking of..." She couldn't bring herself to finish, but even if she wanted to, she couldn't, for Tim had laid a finger gently against her lips. He searched her eyes for several seconds, before leaning down and replacing his finger with his lips. As he broke the tender kiss, he whispered,
"No. Not anymore. Before, yes, I considered it, but... but not now. Not now that she's here, in our arms." He nudged his nose against hers, kissing her chastely before looking down at the baby in Ziva's embrace. She had a full head of dark brown curls, much like her mother did, and a small, upturned nose. Her eyes were a bright blue, but they would change as she got older. A moment passed, before Tim leaned down, brushing his lips against the baby's forehead. She squirmed in Ziva's arms, and gently, Ziva cradled her close, humming softly to her in Hebrew. Slowly, Gibbs and Tony stepped into the room, catching Ziva's soft whispering,
"We have waited a long time to meet you, Bracha. Our little blessing."
"Bracha?" The pair looked up, wide-eyed, to see Tony and Gibbs a few feet from them. Ziva nodded, looking down at the baby girl.
"Yes. It's Hebrew, for blessing."
"Blessing?" Tony asked. Tim nodded, pressing a kiss to Ziva's sweat-soaked curls.
"Yes, because it took her birth for us both... to realize how how important we are to each other. She really is our blessing. She gave us the courage to see that." Ziva turned to meet his gaze, and after a moment, Tim leaned down, pressing another kiss to her lips. "I don't ever want to live my life without you, Ziver." He whispered, nudging his nose against hers. Ziva smiled softly, kissing him again. Eventually, she rested her forehead to his, taking deep breaths to slow the flips her heart was doing.
Gibbs turned at the sound of footsteps, to see Fornell and the others from the FBI in the doorway. After a moment, he turned, shooing them all out of the room. "When you want us, Tim, Ziver, we'll be out in the lobby." Neither were listening; Gibbs came over, pressing kisses to first Tim's, then Ziva's, and finally the baby's forehead. "I'm proud of both of you."
Once they were gone, Tim turned back to his family. He took a deep breath, the words ringing in his head.
Family.
His family.
They were a family now. It wasn't just him and Ziva, they had a daughter; a beautiful little baby girl, who depended on them, who needed them to protect her and raise her and love her. A child who'd started life enutero as part of a deal, and ended, Tim realized, as the thing that brought her parents together.
He glanced at the open door, before getting up and going to it. From here, he could see the police and FBI working the scene, and after a moment, he softly shut the door. When he returned to Ziva, she had shifted the baby in her arms, and their daughter was nursing contentedly at her mother's breast. Her bright blue eyes watched her parents, drinking everything in. Slowly, Tim reached out, gently brushing the back of his finger against his daughter's cheek.
"You are absolutely beautiful, Bracha." He whispered, watching their child. Ziva nodded in silent agreement, gently brushing her fingers over her daughter's full head of dark curls. "Like your Mommy." She met his gaze, giving him a small smile.
"And like her Daddy." Ziva whispered, capturing his lips in a soft, chaste kiss.
