Copycats and Medical Miracles...

“Aunt Lil’,” Ziva called, her hand covering Cooper’s head where he slept strapped to her chest. “You here?”

“Raawwtlll” 

Ziva smiled and looked back at River, strapped in a front facing hold on Nick’s chest, trying to copy her words.  Her little peach was so alpha already.  She faced the world with a determination she got from both her parents and the eyes that could only have come from the daddy whose thumbs she was currently holding.

“In here, Ziva dear.”

The wispy sound of her aunt’s voice pulled her away from the smiles of her mate and child, concern for Liliya making a place in her chest.  She loved her aunt and couldn’t imagine life without her.  Aunt Lil’ had made life tolerable for Ziva during the years she’d had to assume the alpha position in her family.

Moving through the house her mother and aunt shared to the solarium in back, Ziva noticed how dark and unkempt the place had become.  That was so not like Lil’.  Her mother, now that she could see.

“Lil’, are you okay?” She asked the lump of a woman bundled into a blanket in the comphy double chair that looked out into the forest.

“No, Ziva my sweet, my time has come, “  Liliya whispered, acting like the old lady she wasn’t.  “I love you, dear.  Remember me fondly.”

“Lil’, I’m pretty sure it’s not your time.”

“No, it’s true, I’m bound for wherever shifters go to be recycled for the next life.”

“Aunt Lil’, I was with you just last week when Doc Leo did your annual physical.  Remember, he said you were as healthy as one of the oxen brothers.”

Liliya threw off her blanket and sat up straight.  “Oh, what does he know anyway?”

“Well, he’s a vet and shifter doctor, I assume he knows quite a bit.”

“Pish, I’ve got the arthritis.  A really bad case.”

“Shifters don’t get arthritis, Lil’.  All that changing shape keeps the joints fresh and young.”

“Well then, I’m a frigging medical miracle ‘cause I’ve got the arthritis.”

Ziva shot Nick, who was trying really hard not to laugh at the surly lady on the chair, a help me look.

“Say, Ms. Liliya, It’s been a while since Peter’s stop by the gazette with pictures to sell, have you been keeping he busy?”  Nick teased.

“No.  Good riddance too little peewee rubbish with that one, and when I say little, I really mean itty bitty…candy corn size if you know what I mean…”

“Stop!” Nick moaned. His theatrics were enough to earn him a share of the award Ziva had been ready to give her aunt.  “Z, cover Coop’s ears…please.  Men don’t need or want to know about the size of another man’s junk!”  

“Really, babe, he’s sound asleep.” Ziva laughed, then looked back at her aunt.  “What happened, Liliya?”

“That bugger decided to go sniffing after some human who works at a fast food place down off the highway.  A human!”

“Rauggr…”

“River, my sweetling and Cooper baby.”  Liliya got up out of the chair and crooned at the bundles she and Nick where holding.

“Lil’?”

“You know, now that I think about it, let that human have him, he deserves the ridicule he’s gonna get for his little peewee.”

“Reeree…AH!”  River shouted, making Nick cringe.

“Great…that one was actually close to sounding correct.”  Nick groaned.

Ziva smirked at Nick’s dismay and decided there would be plenty of time later to tell Nick that the AH at the end of Rivers new word was really her attempt at the word DAH. 

~~~

Have a great weekend, y'all and keep warm!

Serena