And So it Begins...

“Watch out,” Ziva growled at the nervous intern who looked a lot like that wascally wabbit of her youth.  That bunny wouldn’t stand a chance against her, at least the pre-preggers her.

“Eep!”

“That’s right, run-away little hasenpfeffer.”  She chomped her teeth in the air at his direction and watched him run.  Lupa, but she was in an aggressive mood today. 

“Well, now there’s something you don’t see every day.  You okay, Z?”

Great, another person in her way.  “You know, it’s getting really close to Thanksgiving, Penny, and in my book, turkey and peaparrots are interchangeable.  Both are bound to be quite tasty.”

“Well me-ow, or should I say, woof…  Hon, if you want to eat me all you have to do is say the word.” 

Ziva pushed the ever sexual Domme and her salacious wink out of the way and waddled, yes, dammit, she waddled to her office.  She wanted to sit, but ever since last night all that did was make her legs numb.  Standing was getting exhausting and laying down just made her hips cry out.  What she really wanted to do was get on her hands and knees and let free her wolf.  It had been so long since she’d run that she started dreaming about her wolf in the few moments of peace she could find.  This morning she’d really scared herself though when she woke with wolf paws instead of hands.

“Hey gorgeous.”

Oh joy… Nick, her baby daddy and scardy cat, ‘won’t pull the trigger on their mating and marriage’, partner leaned in the doorway giving her the ‘I’m going to scold you, but as nicely as possible’ look.

“No thanks, I’m not in the mood.”  She reached for the chair, but didn’t sit.

“Hmm, that’s not what Penny was saying.  She painted me a very evocative picture.”

Of course she did…  Nick moved towards her and set his palm into her lower back at exactly the right spot.  The heaviness of this pregnancy and pain of her sweet child sitting on her nerves eased.  He had just the right touch and as an added benefit he supported her weight fully.

“How did you get here, Z?” 

It was really too bad that he had to talk.  “Shhh.”

“I thought we agreed you would let me make sure you got in to where you needed to go safely.”

“I’m fine.  I drove myself.” Partway, at least.

“I didn’t see the SUV?”

Dammit… “That’s because it’s in the ditch halfway to Wilk House.”

She wasn’t ready for Nick to stop his acupressure hold and she was especially not ready for him to swing her around to face his fiery eyed gaze.

“IN THE DITCH!” Nick inspected her like one would a piece of fruit…if of course he actually ate fruit.  “Are you okay?”

“Stop it, I’m fine.  I just had trouble turning the wheel around my,” ~sniff~ “big,” ~sniff~ “fat” ~sniff~ “BEEEEEELLY,”  Ziva wailed and growled and sniffed and wailed some more.  Between each were words that, from the look on her mates face, only she understood. 
 “Mom…joke…Mooney…didn’t remember…Elly…sheep, not wolf…paws.”

“Ziva, sweetheart, stop.  Relax, please.”

The panic in Nick’s voice brought her back enough to see both his fearful expression and her, once again, wolf paws and not hands.  “Why does this keep happening, Nick?” 

“Let me call, Leo.  He should know, being a vet and all.”

“He’s out-of-town today.”

“Flaming Lupa, damn doc…hold on…PEN…”

“Right here, bossman, cool your jets.  Z, I called your aunt and she’s dragging your mom in with her.  She said to light your forest glen candle and sip a cup of pine bark and peppermint tea.”

“No way in Lupa’s loins am I drinking that tea again, nor am I lighting a candle.  Just slap me around if I start to shift.”

“Hon, the point is to relax you, not work you up.”

Ziva growled and the scent of wolf increased. 

“ZIVA! No.”

She was so close to accepting her wolf.  Her cry and mental barrage were getting to her, she could hardly fight them off any longer.

###

“Come here, mate.”  Nick turned her and forced her paws on the desk.  “Don’t move them.”  He was icy at the thought of Ziva falling into her wolf.  It had been damn near a year since she’d shifted, protecting this cub everyway she knew how meant subjugating her animal side.  He knew candles and teas, the crap her mother and aunt hocked on the internet, wouldn’t calm his mate down.  The only thing he knew to do was provide a firm touch to the two sides of her spine.

“Oh Lupa…yes, Nick, yes…”

Her head dropped down and her paws slid slowly back to hands.

“Oh Oksana, look at that.  If we could just bottle Nick’s touch we could market to all the pregnant ladies out there.”

Great, his someday in-laws had arrived.

“She’s not pregnant, Liliya, I keep telling you she’s just fat.  I’m not old enough to be a Grandmere.” 

“And perfect…” Ziva moaned loud enough so he and the entire room could hear.  “There’s nothing like family in your time of need.”
~~~

So it dawned on me the other day when Ziva started threatening me with unspeakable things, that perhaps I should finally give this lady wolf some relief!  So here goes...

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!

Serena