Kate woke to a dark room and the light breathing of her partner, she didn’t know what had woken her but for some reason she was wide awake now. She turned slowly, a dull ache in her stomach suggesting she’d slept through most of her baby’s movements, and glared at the angry red numbers of 3 am. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before rolling off the bed and pushing slowly to her feet. For the last few weeks, that had been the only way to get out of bed, at least without help, being eight and a half months pregnant wasn’t as fun and beautiful as the first six months was.
She padded quietly across the room and out into the hallway before traversing the stairs and heading for the kitchen. She pulled the fridge open and sighed. They’d long ago decided to place the water bottles on the bottom shelf and that just meant either pain in the back, or pain in the knees to bed down and get some. She slowly crouched down and pulled a bottle off the shelf before starting to ease back up.
A sharp pain across her back stopped her for a second and she quickly sank to her knees as it spread around to her stomach. The water bottle dropped to the floor so the hand could go to her belly and she used the other brace against the fridge as the contraction rippled through her abdomen. She let out a pained moan and took several deep breaths not hearing the footsteps on the tile floor. She only knew Gibbs was there when his hand started running circles on her lower back. She leaned into him as he reached for her bottle of water and rested her head on his shoulder. Gibbs had to reach around her to make use of his other hand and open the water bottle for her and then sat in silence as she sipped at the cool content.
“You alright?” He asked adjusting his position. Kate simply nodded. “Good,” he said rubbing at her back again. “Let’s get you up off the floor then, I’m told it’ll go faster if you walk around.”
“Fast is good,” Kate said with a smile. She handed Gibbs the water bottle and waited for him to cap it and deposit it on the island before she eased back onto her feet.
~~**~~
Tony groaned and dropped his arm heavily onto the bedside table to search for his phone. He’d ignored it the first time, but the caller seemed to be in a demanding mood. Finding the object, he flipped it open and dropped it against his ear.
“DiNozzo,” he said tartly.
“Agent DiNozzo.” The directors voice woke him in an instant and he sat up sharply in bed.
“Yes, Director.”
“We’re in business, Capsley’s taken the bait, he’ll be in Gibbs’ area at 10:00 hours today. Get there.”
“Yes, Director,” Tony said and hung up the phone. He dropped back in the bed for a moment before pull the sheets off and getting up. He had to get dressed, wake McGee and Ziva and get to an airport and fast.
Tony bounced a little as he moved to the bathroom, today would be an end to this case, after almost two years without Gibbs and Kate. He’d miss having control of the team, but he’d get used to it. His only worry, which he would shove away for later, was that Ziva would then be transferred to some other team or dropped from NCIS all together " and he’d grown fond of her in the last year and a half. He washed quickly and dialled McGee as he dressed and collected his things before heading out the door and calling Ziva.
~~**~~
Penny, he could kiss her for her help, had shown up early morning having heard Kate cry out when the pain became too frustrating. She was currently rubbing at Kate’s back, keeping her moving between contractions while he sorted through the bag they had sorted weeks ago. His heart was thudding a mile a minute inside his chest, his brain running rampant on possible problems, complication and outcomes. A list of names for both girl and boy fixed in his brain, chanted over and over so he could suggest them when they knew the sex of the baby. A knock at the door turned his attention and he exchanged a look with Penny before answering it.
Of all the things he’d thought of over the last year and three months, of all the possible outcomes to this moment and of all the times his phone had rung with the Directors number on display " Gibbs had never felt his heart sink so fast. He never consider the possibility that it would happen, they’d settled into their life here, together, settled into a route and found jobs to keep them occupied. But it seemed it had all come to an end.
“DiNozzo.”
“Hey boss,” Tony said with a grin. “Ready to catch a bad guy?”
~~**~~
9:47 AM " Isabel and Max Walker’s House
Kate let out a scream behind him and Tony’s brow rose and he could see the thought pass through his brain. The dirty possibility of what was happening in the house. Behind Tony, McGee looked worried and the woman working with them craned her neck just slightly to see inside. Gibbs knew at that moment that the Director hadn’t told them about Kate’s current condition.
“Max,” Penny shouted, “I think it’s time to go to the hospital. Her water just broke.”
He could hear Kate’s panting breaths as Tony’s face twisted into a grimace. He ignored it, turned and walked back into the front room and over to Kate, she wrapped her arms around him the second he was in rang and Gibbs returned the gesture without thought. His hands rubbing at her back, he leaned in close to make sure Penny wouldn’t hear him.
“DiNozzo brought the team,” he said knowing she’d understand his meaning and listened to the small whimper she let out.
“Not now,” she pleaded, “I need you now,” she added and he knew she was worried. They’d discussed the whole day for weeks, talked about how she’d manage the pain, who would be there and at what point they’d go to the hospital. They’d called the doctor earlier, just make sure she was ready and had promised to call back when they were heading for the hospital. Now he was going to miss the birth of their baby.
“I need to do this, Issy,” he said. “If I don’t go, the director will recall you and the baby and I’ll be moved around on my own until it’s over.” He caught sight of DiNozzo and the female agent standing in the door way, Penny nearby had a look of curiosity, but he knew she wouldn’t ask. “Penny can take you and I’ll follow as soon as I can.”
Another contraction started before he could finish the sentence and she growled through it with her face against his shoulder. The pain was different this time, he knew that, he remembered the first child he’d had, Kelly, and how Shannon had screamed at the first contraction after her water broke. The pressure point on Kate’s back no longer eased the pain.
“Go,” Kate said and let him go the second it was over. She turned to lean against the wall for support and he quickly leaned in and kissed her cheek before heading over to join the others. He didn’t stop, just walked between DiNozzo and the woman, grabbed the car keys and left the house.
~~**~~
10:13 AM " The Capsley Meeting Point
“She’s pregnant?” DiNozzo had said that same line over and over for the last twenty minutes and it was starting to annoy Ziva.
She looked to the left to see Agent Gibbs’ reaction, he’d ignored the comments so far, but she could see it starting to get to him. For a start, they should have been told there was a possibility the timing would cut Kate out of their plan. Secondly right now, he didn’t need to be reminded that he was currently missing the baby’s birth. She was, of cause, assuming it was his baby, a fact Tony hadn’t yet picked up on.
They had lived together for more than 18 months. Acting as though they were a married couple and had no idea if this mission would ever end. Stuck in a never ending circle of wondering about the future. Ziva wasn’t so sure she could have coped, no hope of finding a partner if she had to pretend to be someone else’s for so long. Then again, perhaps that’s why they’d turned to each other, obviously for more than just comfort.
“She’s pregnant!” Tony said again.
“Tony,” she said before Gibbs could say a word. “Shut up.”
“But Kate’s pregnant!”
“You haven’t put much thought into that have you?” she said. “Think about it, where has she been, who has she been with and for how long has she been gone?”
She watched the cogs in his brain struggle with the questions for a moment before he looked at Gibbs. Clarification dawned and DiNozzo’s expression morphed into shocked horror and then swiftly to disgust. He made a silent ‘ew’ with his mouth that made her smile and shifted back in his seat slightly.
“You slept with Kate?”
She wondered which way round was more horrifying to him, Kate sleeping with Gibbs or Gibbs sleeping with Kate. Either way he hadn’t managed to get passed the sex of the relationship just yet and he sat gawking at Gibbs.
“You had sex with Kate?”
“Tony,” McGee interrupted. “Shut up.”
“You shut up McGoo. I’m catching up.”
“And annoying Gibbs,” McGee pointed out. “He doesn’t need this right now.”
“What makes you so sure he doesn’t need the distraction?”
“Because he’s missing the birth of his baby right now and you’re rubbing it in his face,” Ziva said, saving McGee from having to answer.
Tony opened his mouth to answer back, but something must have clicked in his brain. She could see the question about the baby’s parenting forming quickly and was thankful for the interruption when McGee spoke.
“There’s a car pulling into the lot.”
“About time,” Gibbs said and opened the door to the car, grabbing the case from Tony and heading over to the building. They watched the cameras as he passed through the building and out into the parking lot on the other side.
~~**~~
10:34 AM " The Hospital
Kate let her head drop back on the bed, her skin felt as though it were on fire and melting off her, her heart was racing and she could feel her blood rushing through her veins. The throbbing in her stomach was bearable at the moment, but in just a few short minutes it would increase to pain. She’d never been weak, never found pain a distraction, but she’d also never experience pain like this. It was getting to the point that made her wonder if her body would ever be the same again, would it’s currently stretched to breaking state shrink back to normal so she and Gibbs could make love again one day?
She was completely confused right now and she hoped to god it didn’t show on her face. She wanted this over, badly. Her idea of not wanting any pain medication had seemed like a great idea a few days ago, completely, 100% natural birth. Now though she was slightly regretting it. The oxygen mask she was given helped to some degree, but its effectiveness had been short lived and she clung to it now to stop herself from breaking someone’s hand.
At the same time though, she didn’t want this over, she needed to wait, Gibbs would be here - he would. He had promised and Gibbs never broke a promise. Even though it had occurred to her that circumstances might actually change that, she knew him well enough by now to know he’d do everything he possibly could be right here with her before the baby was born. He was cutting it damn fine though.
“We’re almost there,” Michelle Hadly said, she’d been in and out of the room since they’d arrived at the hospital and she’d always brought a glorious cup of ice chips back in with her.
“No,” she breathed as if refusing would stop the baby from coming.
“Isabel, I know you want Max here, but you’re gonna have to face the fact that he might not make it in time.”
“No,” she whimpered, she’d wait, she’d do whatever it took.
“Maybe I should try calling him again,” Penny offered. “He might just be on his way, he could be here before its time.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Michelle said. Kate nodded as another contraction started.
~~**~~
10:38 AM " The Meeting Point
Gibbs barely let the paramedic finish with the bandage on his arm before he moved away from the ambulance. Things hadn’t exactly gone to plan, but at least it was over. Capsley was currently on his front on the ground, McGee pinning him in place as he’d tried several times to get away since he’d been cuffed. But Gibbs didn’t care. He needed to find Tony, get the car keys and get going, he couldn’t waste time here, Kate was having his baby right now and there was already a strong chance he’d missed the whole thing.
“Gibbs,” Ziva stepped in front of him making him stop in his tracks.
“Not now,” he said. “I have...”
“I have the car keys and we get a police escort to the hospital,” Ziva cut him off. He stared at her for a moment. “With sirens.”
“Ziva,” he said, “remind me to replace Tony with you when I get back to work.”
His phone rang before he’d made it to the car and he flipped it open just before yanking the car door open. He barely glanced at the name on the display before pressing it against his ear.
“I’m on my way,” he said, listening as the sirens started up on the cars around them. “Should only be a few minutes.”
“Isabel’s starting to panic, she thinks you won’t be here in time,” Penny said. Doctor Hadly said she doesn’t have long.”
“I’ll be there,” he said, thankful they had already started moving. “Five minutes at most,” he told her.
That had been an over estimation. Ziva it seemed, learned to drive on an army race course, she zipped around corners following the police car escort without problem, speeding up as fast as she could were ever possible and breaking at the last second. He liked her style and instead of a five minute drive, it only took them three. He was out of the car the second she stopped and his feet didn’t seem to want to move fast enough as he took off at the dead run for the entrance. He navigated the corridors easily, ignoring the person who shouted at him to slow down and burst through the doors to the maternity ward.
“Isabel Walker,” he practically demanded of the nurse behind the desk. She didn’t even open her mouth before Penny called to him and he turned to see her standing in the hallway, her hand on the door handle to a room.
~~**~~
10:46 AM " The Hospital
“Push, Isabel,” Michelle urged. Gibbs pressed his lips against Kate’s temple and whispered that it would be over soon. The baby had crowned a minute or two ago and they were now struggling with the baby’s shoulders. He could tell she was exhausted, he would be too. She’d been awake since three that morning and even though this had been quick, it had still been hard work.
She clung to him tightly, her hand squeezing his as she bore down and screamed through the pain. He watched her face screw up as she put all her effort into giving birth to their child. Her eyes pinched and her cheeks flushed and all he could think was that she was still beautiful and he loved her. Kate relaxed back and Penny draped the cool cloth over her forehead, the calm would only last a few seconds, but it would be enough for Kate to catch her breath.
He barely managed to share a look with Penny before the contractions started again. He’d turned out the doctor’s conversation as the moment built and before he had the chance to place his own private bet on the baby’s sex, Kate was pushing again. The pattern repeated itself, only this time, Gibbs stole a look at the baby, almost completely out of her now and he couldn’t help but smile. He’d be a father again soon. Very soon.
Kate pushed again and it she barely had to put much effort into it before the baby slide easily from her and she collapsed back onto the bed.
“It’s a girl,” Michelle said and Gibbs smiled as Kate did. “What are you going to call her?”
“Victoria,” Kate breathed. Gibbs brow rose, he hadn’t mentioned the name to Kate. He had planned to, but never got around to it. It was a beautiful name and he had always wanted to name a daughter Victoria and kill anyone who dared shorten it to Vicky. His shock must have show as Kate smiled at him. “I know you too well.”
“In which case,” Michelle said moving down the side of the bed. “Meet Victoria Walker.”
“Gibbs,” he corrected and looked up at both confused women on the other side of the bed. “I’ll explain later,” he added as Michelle handed Kate their daughter.
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