An other daughter

BABIES ARE A CHALLENGE

The following weeks are challenging. Ziva stays home alone with the baby and as sweet as Tali is, she has very strong lungs. Most of the time Ziva would feed her, carry her around, change her and sing to her but Tali would not fall asleep for hours, crying all the time.

"I feel so lost. I love my baby but she is driving me insane, why does she not stop with the crying? What am I doing wrong?" Ziva sits next to Jenny on her sofa. Tali is downstairs with the team so Ziva can have a conversation with the director, without having to care for the baby.

"Honey, you did nothing wrong. She is a baby and babies cry. It will get better ones she starts sleeping through the night."

"But I feel so overhelmed."

"Ziva, you don't have to do this alone. What would you say if I come over this afternoon when Jas is back from school?"

"Oh Jen, thank you but you do not have to do that. You have your work to do... and..." she doesn't get further.

"No arguments, Ziva. I will come with Jasmine. She can watch the baby while we will talk a bit over a cup of tea."

"But I do not want to spoil your afternoon."

"Nonsense. You know how much Jas loves babysitting and I want to spend some time with my girl."

Ziva smiles and nods.

"Thank you."

"We'll be there at three o'clock" the two women stand up and walk downstairs to the bullpen.

"Where is my little baby girl? There she is. Yeah you are my sweet little princess." Tony smiles from ear to ear while playing with his daughter.

"DiNozzo! Back to work! This ain't a playground."

"But Boss...Tali..." Tony looks at the girl unsure what to do next.

"Give her to me." Gibbs reaches for the baby.

"Here you go, Boss. You've got to hold her head."

"Really, DiNozzo? I held more babies then I can count. I know how to handle them."

"Sorry..."

Gibbs turns around and sits at his desk, craddling the tiny girl in his arms. He caresses her cheek, softly humming a lullaby.

Tim and Tony smile knowingly at each other.

"You two get back to work!" Gibbs barks without looking up.

Tali gurgles and laughs when he tickles her tummy.

Gibbs stands up when the director and Ziva walk into the bullpen a bit later. He hands the now sleeping girl to her mummy.

"What did you do? She is sleeping." Ziva put her down in the baby carriage.

"Thats my charme."

Ziva laughs and kisses Tony before leaving for home again.

Gibbs stands, kisses Jenny on the cheek and whispers softly.
"Let's go for a coffee. We need to talk, I can see that something's wrong with Ziva." Jenny nods and they leave to figure out how to help their surrogate daughter.

That afternoon Jasmine follows Jenny into Tony's and Ziva's appartment. They are greeted by the hollering of a baby.

"Oh my, she did not exaggerate." Jenny mutters.

"Hello Ziva." Jenny greets the young woman, sitting in the living room rocking the crying baby.

"I am so glad you are here, Jen." Ziva stands up and hands Tali to Jasmine. As soon as the baby realised who is holding her she stops crying and chortles.

"I do not know what you are doing, Jas, but as long as it works I do not care."

"Why don't you take little Tali here to the park, Jasmine?" Jenny suggests and, after packing everything Jas would need, Ziva puts her daughter in the stroller.

"Be careful, please." she calls after Jasmine.

"Don't worry, Zi. I'll look out for my little cousin here!" Jas waves and leaves for an afternoon with baby Tali.

Ziva stands a bit lost infront of the door. "Jen, is it not a bit to soon to give her away, she must think I abandoned her. What if she gets hungry or if she needs me or....or..."

"Ziva, enough now. Everything will be alright. We need to talk, come along, we will sit in the kitchen for a cup of tea."

The two women sit down and Ziva looks a bit apprehensive at the director.

"Oh Ziva, don't look so scared. I only wanted to speak about an idea Jethro and I came up with."

After ten minutes of walking Jas reaches the park and sits down on a bench.
She looks in the stroller and tickles Tali's belly.

"Why are you making Zi's and Tony's life so hard, little girl?" again she tickles the baby and Tali giggles happily. Jas picks the girl up and sits her on her lap. She plays with her for a little while when suddenly a ball misses her head by mere inches. Jas looks up ready to shout at the idiotic person that shoots in the direction of a baby. When she sees the boy standing infront of her she says nothing though, she just looks up at him.

"Are you alright?" the boy cocks his head slightly to one side.

Jas tries to speak but no sound comes out, so she just nods.

"You sure? You seem odd?" those eyes, the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen.

"Eh... Yes, yes I'm alright, sorry."

"I'm the one who has to apologise. I should've been more careful where I was shooting."

"It's okay, no harm done."

The two look at each other but no one says a word.

It's only when Tali gets bored and starts weeping in Jas' arms that the two come back to reality.

"Uhh... I think I will go and get my ball now. Nice to meet you...?"

"Jasmine"

"I'm Scott. See you soon.", and after that he is gone.

Jas stands up and puts Tali back in the stroller. She smiles the whole way back to the appartement.

Maybe I should take Tali to the park more often, she thinks cheerfully before she walks inside to hand Tali back to her mum.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE