Junior
--July 8, 2015--
Pouring the last of the thick brown liquid into the glass, Abby couldn't help but congratulate herself on her sheer genius. It had been a long time coming, but thinking back to the pages and pages of notes she had taken over the last six months, she was positive that this time, she'd done it.
"Hey, Abs."
The sound of McGee's voice startled her, and it was all she could do to keep from spilling the glass all over the concrete floor. The very though was enough to send her heart racing, though she managed to force a bright smile as she set the drink inside her refrigerator.
"Hey, Timmy," she greeted. "What are you doin' down here?"
"Lunch," he said, holding up a fresh Caf-Pow! and a slice of pizza. "Tony sent me down with it."
She accepted the food, taking a bite before shooting him a curious glance. "Why didn't he come down?"
"Some of the women from the evidence garage cornered him. They're shoving store-bought cake down his throat at the moment."
"Aww... poor baby," she chuckled, taking another bite of her pizza. "Well, tell him to come see me when he's done being force-fed."
"He actually wanted me to have you come rescue him, said you'd know what he meant."
Her eyes sparkled deviously as she finished her pizza. "Oh yeah, I know what he meant."
McGee groaned, following her to the elevator. "You're not gonna drag him into the Janitor's closet again, are you?"
"Depends. Where's Gibbs?"
"Abby..."
"What?" She said, offering him an innocent smile. "It is his birthday."
He groaned again, dropping his head back against the cool metal wall of the elevator. He knew that she liked trying to get a rise out of him, and it usually didn't take much. When the elevator doors slid open, she stepped off and made a beeline to Tony's desk, pushing past the women that were surrounding him.
"'Scuse me, ladies. I've been made aware that someone is in need of a birthday kiss," she smirked, perching herself on his desk.
Tony flashed his usual charming grin and leaned forward to kiss her just as Gibbs was making his way down the stairs from MTAC, causing the women around the desk to scatter.
"What'd I tell you about runnin' a kissing booth in my office, Abby?"
"It's hardly a kissing booth, Gibbs. The only person I was planning on kissing was Tony."
"Not here, you're not."
She frowned, pushing herself up from the desk and running a hand through his thick brown hair. "Later," she whispered. "I have a surprise for you."
"Mmm..." he groaned quietly, resting his hand on her thigh just below the hem of her skirt. "Can't wait."
Gibbs cleared his throat and Tony pulled his hand away from her as if he had been burned. "Sorry, Boss."
"No... but you will be if you don't stop playin' grab-ass when you have work to do."
"Right. On it, Boss," he replied, offering Abby a sheepish grin. "Love you."
"Love you too. See you later?"
"You got it, baby."
--1630 Hours--
Tony whistled a little tune to himself as he stepped off the elevator with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Stepping over the threshold into Abby's lab, a slight frown darkened his face when he realized that she wasn't there. Dropping his backpack near the door, he walked over to her desk and plopped down in the chair, spying the note she had left for him.
Tony,
Ran down to the evidence garage to put away some stuff. Be back in a few.
Abby
He smiled at the little flourish she always used to sign her name, clasping his hands behind his head as he leaned back in the chair. Spinning around slowly, he stopped when a brightly colored box with a bright red ribbon on it caught his eye.
"Ohhh..." he chuckled, pushing himself out of the chair and making his way to the refrigerator to pull the small box out. "For moi?"
He flipped the top of the box open and nearly moaned, looking down at the decadent chocolate cupcake that was sitting inside. "Chocoholic's Choice..." he muttered, his mouth watering. Pulling the dessert out of the box carefully, he peeled the paper cup off of the outside before taking a generous bite, leaning heavily against the metal prep table in the center of the room.
"Oh my God. So... this is what Heaven is like."
Taking another bite, a wide smile crossed his face as he walked back over to the refrigerator, intent on finding a drink. "No milk? Now I know what the guys in those damn commercials felt like."
He rummaged around in the refrigerator for a few more minutes until he saw the large glass Abby had poured earlier in the far back corner. "Mmm... milkshake. That's close enough, I guess," he grinned, pulling it out and taking a large sip.
Looking down at the beverage, he grimaced slightly before smelling it, concerned about the slightly off taste of the drink. "Must be some of that organic crap she likes... oh well."
Shrugging his shoulders, he finished both the cupcake and the drink, placing the empty glass back in the refrigerator and throwing away the box just before the elevator doors slid open with a ding, depositing Abby in the doorway of the lab.
"Hey, sexy," he cooed, making his way over and pinning her against the wall. "You kept me waitin'."
She smirked, leaning up and capturing his lips in a kiss, taking the opportunity of catching him off guard to push him away gently. "I left you a note."
"I saw that," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist when she stopped in front of her computer to turn it off.
Abby cocked an eyebrow at him over her shoulder and turned around in his arms. "And I see you found the cupcake. That was supposed to be for later you know."
"I got curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat, mister," she teased, touching the tip of his nose with her finger before ducking under his arms and walking over to her mass spectrometer, powering it down.
"I'll tell you what I'm curious about," he whispered, his voice husky as he pressed his lips to her neck. "Let's get outta here, huh?"
She laughed, elbowing him gently. "Hold your horses. I'm almost done with my babies."
He growled in her ear, pinching her ass. "What about our babies, huh? No time like the present to get workin' on that."
"We have plenty of time. We've got nothin' ahead of us except a lazy night in bed. Just the two of us," powering down her last machine, she turned back to him with a wide grin on her face. "Okay, one more thing before--"
She was cut off by his hands on her hips as he hoisted her over his shoulder, grabbing her purse and his backpack on his way to the elevator.
"This is very caveman of you, Tony."
"Hush. Don't make me club you over the head," he teased, setting her down in the elevator and kissing her passionately as the doors slid shut.
--2245 Hours--
"Fuck, Abs..." Tony groaned, tugging at the soft leather restraints that held his wrists above his head.
He watched as she dropped her head back, one hand planted firmly on his chest to keep her steady and the other fisted in her hair as she moaned loudly. She rocked back and forth on his hard cock, rolling her hips against him slowly as she took pleasure in the pitiful moans he was releasing.
"Baby... God... just, Abs, please. Just let me touch you."
"Ah, ah. You..." she sighed, her eyes falling closed as she brushed her clit against his pubic bone gently. "You wanted the restraints."
"Oh, fuck," he whimpered, bucking his hips against her as much as he could manage from his current position. "On you! I wanted 'em on you!"
"Mmmm... you didn't... ah... you didn't complain."
Looking up at her, he could see the light from the candles reflecting off of her sweat soaked skin as she writhed on top of him, her fingernails digging into his chest hair almost painfully. He pulled against his restraints again, attempting to gain enough purchase against the mattress to thrust against her the way he wanted to.
"Abby..." he growled in warning, his eyes darkening with every passing second.
Her bright green eyes opened and she stared down at him, a devious grin spreading across her face as she planted both hands firmly on his shoulders, riding him faster as they both neared the edge. A low, keening sound tore from her throat as she came, her inner walls clenching around his cock as she rode him. She could feel him swell inside of her as he followed her over the edge, grinning at his roar of completion.
As they both came down from their high, she relaxed, slumping forward against his chest and listening to his heartbeat as it slowed. "Ah... God, I love you."
"Cuffs, Abs... off."
She chuckled, lifting her head off of his chest and slipping off of his limp member as she reached up to unhook his hands. "Can't even form complete sentences, huh?"
"That was amazing," he managed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close despite the soreness in his wrists. "You're amazing."
"Tell me somethin' I don't know, DiNozzo," she said smugly as she nuzzled her nose against his chest, taking in his unique scent.
Closing his eyes, he shifted just slightly on the bed, a wide grin beginning to form on his lips. "This..." he said, releasing a content sigh. "Has been the best birthday ever."
"I'm glad you've enjoyed it," she grinned, leaning up to peck his lips gently.
"I have. Immensely. But you know what would make it even better?"
"What's that?"
"A nice back massage," he suggested hopefully.
She giggled quietly, rolling her eyes. "Alright. Roll over."
He wasted no time in turning over onto his stomach, pillowing his head on his arms. He could feel her warm weight settle against him as she moved to straddle his hips, and a moment later, he felt her hands begin to rub his neck and shoulders.
A low moan escaped him as he relaxed under her touch, though a second later, his sound of pleasure changed to a grunt of discomfort when his stomach clenched uncomfortably.
"T?" She asked, feeling him tense beneath her fingers. "You okay?"
"Uh... yeah... I think so," he responded, though he was frowning slightly. "My stomach feels a little weird."
"Too much cake," she teased, leaning down to press a kiss to his shoulder blade.
"Yeah," he responded, swallowing hard. "I uh... might need a raincheck on the back rub, Abs. Startin'... to feel a little nauseous down here."
She slid off his back and watched worriedly as he immediately headed for the bathroom. Frowning darkly, she slipped into her black silk robe and followed him, kneeling next to him on the cool tile floor. "You alright?"
"Yeah, I think so."
Reaching up, she ran her hand through his hair gently, dropping a kiss to his shoulder before helping him to stand up. "Come back to bed, baby. I'll make it all better."
"Mmm..." he moaned quietly, feeling her soft hands roaming over his chest as he brushed his teeth. "That damn cupcake was the death of me."
Abby stood up on her tiptoes and nipped at his jaw playfully. "Poor baby... that's what you get for bein' curious."
His jaw dropped as he turned to look at her, resting his hands on her hips. "You have no sympathy for me."
She shrugged, pulling his hand away and lacing their fingers together. "I warned you. Now... come back to bed. I still have an hour left to make your birthday one you'll never forget."
-----
Tony groaned quietly as he moved off of her, pulling her close to him as their breathing slowed. "God, I love it when you do that thing... you know, when you squeeze your--"
"Oh, I know," she smirked, pressing teasing kisses to his chest. "Why do you think I do it?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're the perfect woman?"
"Only you, baby."
"Huh. Well, those other guys don't know what they missed out on."
Abby giggled, looking up at him. "Don't forget the girls."
"Mmm... oh, yeah," he chuckled. "How could I forget the girls?"
Snuggling closer to him, she dropped soft kisses to his shoulder. "You feeling better?"
"How could I not after the session we just had?"
"Suckup," Abby said, closing her eyes.
Lowering his lips to her ear, he whispered quietly. "You were the one doing the sucking."
She laughed, pulling herself up and propping her head on one arm. "You complainin'? I don't have to do that ever again--"
"Not nice to tease," Tony said, kissing her. "I actually do have a confession though."
"What's that? You don't like it when I tease you?"
"I love it when you tease me," he grinned. "I... drank your chocolate milkshake."
"Milkshake? What milkshake?"
"That organic chocolate drink you had in your refrigerator?"
Her eyes widened as she sat up, the sheet falling away from her body. "You didn't."
He dropped his eyes, looking away from her. "I did. I'm sorry! I was eatin' that damn cupcake and I got thirsty! It's not my fault you didn't have any milk."
"No... Tony," she sighed heavily, running a hand through her long black hair. "That wasn't a milkshake."
He eyed her momentarily, clearly confused. "It... wasn't? Are you sure? Because it really tasted like one."
"I'm sure. You remember that side thing I've been workin' on for the past six months?"
"Abs... no."
She nodded sadly. "Yeah. You drank it. Six months of fertility research and meticulous planning down the toilet. God!" She cried, punching him in the shoulder.
"Ow! You shoulda put a sign on it or something!" He whined, rubbing his arm where she hit him.
"You're the one who didn't want anyone to know that we're trying to get pregnant! I was trying to keep it discreet!"
He sat up and pulled her close to him, dropping a kiss into her hair. "What is this drink gonna do to me, baby?"
"I don't know," sShe muttered, burying her face in his shoulder. "I don't know what it'll do to you. God... maybe you're right, I should've put a note on it or something. I'm sorry."
"Don't be, sweetness. I'm sure everything will be fine. Besides, if you think about it, it is kinda inside you."
She rolled her eyes and pinched his side playfully. "Pervert."
"Hey, you're the one who tied me to the bed and rode me half to death."
"And don't you dare try to tell me that you didn't love every single second of it," Abby teased, wrapping her arms around him and closing her eyes. "You're lucky I kept all my research on my laptop."
--Three Weeks Later -- July 29, 2015--
Rolling over in the large bed, Abby reached for Tony, intent on snuggling up against his side when the sound of violent retching reached her ears.
Forcing her tired eyes open, she pushed herself up on the mattress, squinting in the darkness as she climbed off the bed. "Tony?"
The only response she received was a quiet moan followed by another round of vomiting.
Hurrying to the bathroom, she pushed the door open and immediately dropped to her knees behind him, rubbing his back reassuringly. "Tony--?"
"Don' feel good," he groaned, gripping the toilet bowl tightly as he retched again.
"I can see that, baby," standing up, she grabbed a washcloth and ran it under some warm water before handing it to him. "C'mon, back to bed with you."
"Have'ta work today... been out for a week."
"You're sick," she argued, helping him into the large bed before curling up next to him. "Gibbs doesn't want you there sick, you know that."
He relaxed against her almost immediately, the feeling of her warm hands on his body making him fall back to sleep easily. Abby slipped out of the bed again after about twenty minutes, picking her phone off of her nightstand and heading into the living room while dialing Gibbs' number.
"Still throwin' up, huh?" Gibbs asked by way of greeting.
"Yeah. I know, I should make him go to the doctor, but--"
"You should, Abby. No buts."
She sighed quietly, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "I'm trying to give him the opportunity to realize that he needs to go. I just don't want him resenting me because I forced him."
"He starts resentin' you, Abs, I'll make him regret it," he said. "Gonna be late again?"
"Yeah. I just wanna make sure he's comfortable first."
He released an audible sigh, taking a sip of his coffee. "Alright, but if he's no better tomorrow, I'm gonna make him go to the doctor. And I don't care if he resents me or not."
"I gotta go, Gibbs, Tony's gettin' sick again," she said, hanging up the phone and running back to their bedroom to find him vomiting into the trashcan she had left for him beside the bed. "It's okay, baby. I'm here."
"This fuckin' sucks," he mumbled, coughing up the last bit of vomit into the trashcan.
"Could always go to the doctor. Or at least to see Ducky."
He cocked an eyebrow at her as he settled back against the pillows. "I'm not that sick, Abs. Just a little stomach flu."
"Tony..." she tried, closing her eyes briefly. "You haven't been able to keep anything down for a week. You must've lost at least five pounds. I'm worried, baby."
"Don't be. I'm fine, except for the throwing up, but I'm tellin' you, it's just a little stomach bug," he insisted, a quiet moan escaped him as he shifted on the mattress, turning onto his side.
Frowning slightly at his back, she hesitated for a fraction of a second before moving beside him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I can't help but worry. I love you," she said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.
"I love you too, baby, but I'm fine. I promise."
Closing her eyes, Abby breathed in his scent, pressing her face against his bare skin. "I'll let it go for now, but you've gotta promise me if you don't feel better by morning, you'll let me have Ducky come take a look at you."
"I promise," his voice already beginning to get thick with sleep. "I'll be fine."
--1330 Hours -- Abby's Lab--
"Abby?" Ziva called, stepping off the elevator and into the oddly quiet lab. "Are you here?"
She poked her head out of the ballistics lab and smiled at her. "In here, Ziva."
"There you are. I was thinking maybe you had gone home early to take care of Tony. Is he feeling any better today?"
She shrugged her shoulders, pulling the door to the small room closed behind her. "He says he's fine, but you know Tony. Papercuts make the world stop but he gets the plague and he doesn't understand why everyone's concerned."
"He should see a doctor. Has he managed to keep anything down yet?"
"You try tellin' him that. I've tried explaining that I'm worried, he just tells me that I shouldn't. I don't like seein' him this sick."
Ziva sighed, looking at the slight frown that crossed her face. "Perhaps I will stop by tonight, yes? Bring some dinner. You look like you are spending all your time taking care of him instead of sleeping."
"I already got the lecture today from both Gibbs and Ducky, but thank you. And dinner would be perfect. I haven't had a chance to go to the store this week and we're almost out of everything."
"It is not a problem. Maybe I will be able to convince McGee to come along, we can make a movie night of it."
Abby smiled sweetly. "Tony would like that. I'll see you around seven."
--1800 Hours--
"Tony?" She frowned when she stepped into the oddly quiet apartment, hearing her voice echo in the entry hall as she toed off her shoes. "I'm home!"
He had a bright smile on his face as he rounded the corner, coming out of their bedroom and wrapping her in a tight hug that lifted her off the ground. "Hey, you. Welcome home."
"You certainly seem like you're feelin' better."
"I am," he grinned, kissing her tenderly. "Haven't thrown up since just after you left this morning. Even managed to keep some toast down earlier."
"Oh, baby... that's good!" She beamed, kissing him back. "I have a surprise for you."
Tony smirked, cocking an eyebrow at her. "Does it involve you and the shower?"
She poked him in the side gently, giggling. "No. Well, maybe later, but first Ziva and Timmy are comin' over with dinner."
"Movie night?"
She nodded, giggling again when he lifted her up again and spun her in a circle. "I've been asking them to come over for like a month now to see the new apartment, how did you con them into comin' over?"
"Ziva came down earlier askin' about you. She asked if she could make dinner for us and said that she'd try to get McGee to come with her."
"Good. When are they supposed to be here?"
"At seven. They left the same time I did, and Ziva was headed straight home to cook."
"Mmm..." he said, ducking his head to kiss her neck. "So I have an hour to have my way with you?"
Abby smiled deviously, leaning back in his arms. "I don't know if you can handle me, Agent DiNozzo."
He scoffed, pulling her flush against his body. "Let me show you just how well I can handle you, huh?" He said, walking them backward toward their bedroom.
--1900 Hours--
Abby smiled when she heard the loud knock on the front door, closing the refrigerator and setting the case of beer on the counter before answering it.
"Hey, Ziva!" She said, letting her inside to set the food down before turning back to McGee and wrapping him in a hug. "Timmy!"
"Hi, Abs," he said glumly, allowing her to lead him into the kitchen. "Where's Tony?"
"Oh, he's in the shower," Abby replied, blushing slightly.
"So he is feeling better then?" Ziva smirked, uncovering the dish of lasagna she had made. "I am assuming you are happy about that."
"I..." she hesitated, looking over at McGee, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. "I'm happy he's feelin' better."
She jumped slightly when she felt Tony's arms slip around her waist, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered to her. "You been talkin' about our sex life to Ziva again?"
"Have to talk to someone. Would you rather I talk to Gibbs?"
He flushed, narrowing his eyes at her. "You do what you gotta do," he said, releasing her and clapping McGee on the shoulder. "How's it hangin', Probie?"
"A little to the left today."
Tony cringed, dropping his hand from his shoulder. "A little bitter today, huh? Ziva, Ziva, Ziva! What'd you bring me?"
"Lasagna. And I brought it so that Abby wouldn't be slaving over a hot stove instead of getting some rest. She has been run over the past few days."
"Run down," he said quietly, looking over at her. "You told me you were sleepin' fine."
"Let's not talk about this right now, T, please? Let's just eat, hmm?"
"Abs..." Tony stopped, sighing heavily as he looked at her. "Okay. Later then."
The group sat down at the table and Ziva served up the lasagna, not missing how her partner wrinkled his nose when he got his plate.
He offered her a smile when he caught her watching him, taking a small bite of the warm lasagna. "Mm... its delicious, Ziva."
"You do not have to lie to me, Tony. If you do not like it--"
"Its not that I don't like it... I don't know, its like my sense of smell is off."
Abby looked over at him curiously. "You okay, baby?"
"Oh, yeah. Its just this damn flu thing, baby. I'll be fine," forcing a smile for her sake, he took another bite of the his dinner, though almost immediately, he realized he'd made a mistake.
Abby watched in horror as his face paled considerably, though before she could ask again if he was okay, he was on his feet, sprinting for the bathroom.
He didn't even make it to the toilet before he retched violently, spilling the contents of his stomach down the front of t-shirt, staining the white fabric.
He could hear the sound of footsteps behind him, though he didn't bother to turn before he dropped to his knees, a low moan escaping him as he gripped the edge of the toilet bowl. His entire body was tense as he swallowed hard, attempting to rid himself of the nausea that plagued him. Leaning over the edge of the toilet, he began to heave despite the fact he had nothing left to bring up. Behind him, he felt Abby's long fingers resting on his shoulder.
"I'm here, baby," she whispered, tracing patterns on his shoulder absently.
He groaned, unable to form any coherent words as he heaved again before slumping heavily against the toilet.
"Tony?" She said, her voice full of worry as she shook his shoulder firmly. "Baby, wake up. Please?"
Ziva made her way to the doorway of the bathroom to find Abby shaking him almost violently. "Abby? Is he okay?"
"He just... passed out all of a sudden."
"Oh. I am sure he is fine, Abby. I am not trying to say anything about your caretaking skills, but he did not look very well."
Looking down at him, she frowned. "He doesn't, does he?"
Turning back to the door, Ziva poked her head out and called for McGee. When he came into the small room, it took everything he had not to panic at the sight of Tony lying on the floor.
"He okay?"
"He will be fine. Can you help me get him up?"
"Uh, sure. Where do you want me?"
Taking charge of the situation, she looked over to Abby and offered her a reassuring smile. "McGee and I will get him into bed. You should call Ducky and see if he would be willing to come by."
She nodded and forced herself up with McGee's help, stepping over Tony on the way out to the kitchen. Picking up her phone, she dialed Ducky's number, sneaking glances back at the bathroom as she waited for him to pick up.
She watched quietly as McGee and Ziva moved Tony into the bedroom they shared, frowning darkly when the phone went to voicemail. Leaving a brief message, she hung up and joined them in the bedroom.
McGee was leaning over his partner, peeling the soiled shirt off of his body when Abby nearly sobbed at the sound of his hazy voice.
"I knew you always wanted me, but Jesus, McPervert... you want to do it in the bed I share with Abby?"
McGee rolled his eyes, taking the shirt and dropping it into the bag Ziva held out for him. "I owe you an apology. I thought you were faking all week, suffering from 'too early in the morning to go to work' sickness."
"Oh. My. God," Abby said, her eyes going wide.
"Abs, I didn't..." McGee tried, only to have her interrupt him.
"You guys should go."
"But... I really--"
"Tim," Ziva said, seeing the look in Abby's eyes. "We should go," she insisted, leading him out of the bedroom and toward the front door.
When Abby heard the door close behind them, she turned back to Tony and tugged on his arm. "C'mon. To the bathroom."
"Abs... I don't think I can move. What's goin' on?"
Grabbing a pillow from the bed, she smacked him with it gently. "Up. Now!"
He groaned as he pushed himself off the bed, allowing her to pull him into the bathroom and position him in front of the toilet. She pushed the water cup he kept in the bathroom into his hand before pointing to his groin.
"Pee in the cup."
"This is my water cup. You're tellin' me you want me to pee in it?"
"It's sterile! And besides, you swear like that's the only cup we own, Tony. Just do it!"
"Okay, okay..." He conceded, shaking his head as he complied with her request, handing over the cup once he was done. "Can I go back to bed now?"
"Yeah, fine," She mumbled, reaching into the drawer on her side of the sink and pulling out an at-home pregnancy test.
"Woah, what are you doin'?"
She dipped the stick in the cup and held it for a second before pulling it out and setting it on the counter. "What does it look like, Curious George?"
"Curious G--? Do I look like a damn monkey?"
She smirked at him, leaning against the counter and reaching forward to tug on his chest hair. "Maybe a little."
'Seriously, baby... what are you doing?"
"Remember that 'milkshake' you drank a couple weeks ago, and how I told you that I wasn't sure how it would affect you?"
"You've gotta be high. I'm fine, okay? Nothing happened," He reassured her, cupping her cheeks in his hands and kissing her. "I'm fine."
"I don't know, T... the heightened sense of smell, the nausea that you've been havin' all week, the... the sensitivity you felt earlier...they're all classic symptoms of--"
He held his hand up, effectively stopping her words as his other hand reached for the counter as if to steady himself. "D...don't say it."
She closed her mouth, swallowing hard as she glanced back at the little stick. Following her gaze, he lowered himself onto the edge of the bathtub, feeling his stomach turning uncomfortably.
Reaching out, she plucked the test from the counter, a quiet gasp escaping her immediately.
In the distance, Tony was vaguely aware of a phone chirping, though it sounded far away. Dropping his head into his hands, he closed his eyes, a quiet moan escaping him as Abby pulled her phone from her pocket, flipping it open.
"Ducky...I need you to meet me at NCIS...now."
--NCIS Headquarters--
"Ah, Abigail," Ducky greeted, watching as she tugged Tony through the doors to the autopsy lab. "To what do I owe this meeting?"
"We've got a problem."
Ducky looked her over curiously, seeing the worry in her eyes. "What seems to be the problem? I'm assuming this has to do with Anthony's recent illness?"
"Kinda, Ducky. I...need you to be discreet."
"Of course. When have you ever known me not to be?"
"I think Tony's pregnant," She blurted, her body shaking slightly, finally saying it out loud. "I...I--"
He took her arm and sat her down gently in his desk chair, watching carefully as Tony absently made his way over to one of the autopsy tables and leaned against it in a dazed state. "Calm down, my dear. Take a deep breath and explain slowly."
She did as she was told, closing her eyes momentarily. "I know you probably think I've finally lost my mind, Ducky, but I swear I haven't. I...Tony and I have been trying to have a baby for about a year now, and we're...not having much luck."
"Oh, Abby..." He said, not missing the tears that were forming in her eyes. "You must know that sometimes these things take time. When you are ready, it will happen for you."
"I guess I got tired of waiting...tired of month after month of bad news. I did some research and managed to formulate a fertility treatment of my own," She sighed quietly, swiping at her eyes as she watched him. "Tony drank it on accident. He thought it was a milkshake."
Ducky chuckled quietly, not wanting to deflect from the seriousness of the situation. "That certainly sounds like Tony."
"Yeah. I didn't think that anything was gonna happen, so I forgot about it. Then he got sick last week. He's been nauseous and vomiting constantly, tonight he told me he's got a heightened sense of smell, and he's got some tenderness and sensitivity."
"Well, those all sound like pregnancy symptoms, but my dear, there are any number of reasons why he has those symptoms. You know that."
Abby nodded. "I do know that. That's why I made him take one of my pregnancy tests," Reaching down, her hand still shaking slightly, she picked up the test she had slipped into an evidence bag. "It's a positive result."
"Well, that is certainly something I haven't seen before."
"Abby--"
She pushed herself out of the rolling office chair without a second thought, making her way over to him with a forced grin on her face. "I'm here, T... what's goin' on?"
"I don' feel so good."
Glancing back at Ducky worriedly, she made a feeble attempt to support him as he slumped over before Ducky managed to help her slide him onto the table.
"Let me draw some blood, and then I'll examine him, okay?"
Abby nodded, slipping her jacket off and bunching it up before placing it under his head. "Thank you, Ducky."
He pulled on a pair of gloves and prepared a syringe, offering her a reassuring grin. "He will be fine, I'm sure of it."
It was nearly thirty minutes later when Abby heard Ducky's voice over their video conferencing equipment, calling her name.
"I'm here, Ducky. Is Tony alright?"
"He seems to be fine physically. The stress of the situation does seem to be affecting him more than anything else, though I am concerned about dehydration. Perhaps he would be better suited at the hospital."
"I can't take a chance sending him there until I get these results back," She said quietly, dropping her head to her hands. The sound of her computer beeping incessantly pulled her attention away from the small screen and she released a quiet gasp as she read the printout. "Ducky--"
"Perhaps you should come down here, Abby. He will want to hear it from you in person."
--Later That Night - Abby and Tony's Apartment--
"Tony..." Abby tried, closing the apartment door as she watched him walk into the living room, ignoring her. "Please! Don't be mad at me."
He waved her off, plopping himself down on the couch and turning the TV on. She sighed, making her way into the room and sitting next to him.
"Tony..." She whispered, placing her hand on his. "We should talk about this."
"Nothin' to talk about," He said, staring straight ahead at the TV. "I don't know how, but I'm gonna find a way to get rid of it. Won't have to worry about it much longer."
Abby gasped, not bothering to hide the tears that came to her eyes almost immediately. "That... that's our baby, and you just... you wanna get rid of it?"
"I'm a fuckin' freak, Abby!"
Reaching up, she swiped at her tears absently as they fell down her cheeks. "You're not a freak, Tony... it's a miracle! If God wanted--"
"Don't preach to me, please. You know that I'm not into that stuff."
Her tears continued to stream down her face as the anger she was feeling took over. "You know what, it was your own fault anyway. You do what you have to do, I don't care anymore."
Looking at her for the first time since they had left NCIS, he watched the anger flash in her eyes just before she pushed herself off of the couch and stalked off to their bedroom. "Abby--"
It was her turn to wave him off as she continued down the short hallway, slamming the bedroom door shut behind her. Tony dropped his head back against the couch and closed his eyes briefly before he stood up and followed after her, bothered by the fact that he had upset his girl.
He knocked on the door and waited for a response, frowning when she didn't answer. "Abby."
"Go away."
"Baby, c'mon. Open up please," He sighed sadly when he heard her broken sobs coming from inside the room as he rested his forehead against the solid wood of the door. "This... you can't think that this is easy for me. I... I don't know what to say, except that I'm sorry."
He pulled away from the door when he heard her quiet footsteps against the carpet and a second later the door was being pulled open. "I'm sorry," He repeated, reaching for her only to have her turn away. "I just can't do this, Abs."
"You would do this... you would get rid of our baby... even though you know what that would do to me?"
Running a hand through his hair, he watched as she sat down on their bed and dropped her head into his hands. "You would ask me to do this even though you know that I would turn into a walking science project?"
She looked up, her eyes rimmed with red from crying. "I wouldn't let that happen, Tony. You know that."
"You can't promise that, and you know it. I just... we don't know what's gonna happen. What if... what if the baby's not healthy? Or... something happens and we have a miscarriage? Abs... wouldn't you rather just end it now then have to deal with the loss later?"
"We have to try, don't we? I mean... what if this is it? What if we don't get another chance?"
"We can figure something else out, baby. There are plenty of other options if we can't get pregnant the old fashioned way."
Abby frowned, dropping her head into her hands as she sobbed, her shoulders shaking. Taking the few steps that separated them, he knelt down in front of her and wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. "Talk to me. What are you thinking?"
She sniffled, burying her face in his neck. "I... I don't want other options. We're pregnant now. Why can't we just... take advantage?"
Sighing heavily, he looked into her green eyes with his hazel ones, offering her a small smile before nodding. "Okay. Okay, we'll do it. But I don't wanna tell anyone yet. Ducky knows, that's fine, but I don't wanna tell everyone else."
Throwing her arms around his neck, she nearly squealed with excitement as she pressed kisses all over his neck and face. "I love you, so, so much."
He chuckled nervously, rubbing her back gently before tilting her chin up to look at him. "The first time someone mentions my weight, you're gonna get swatted for it, capische?"
She nodded, tears falling down her cheeks again as she crushed her body against his, allowing him to hold her tightly on the floor of their bedroom.
--Eleven Weeks Later--
"Tony, I'm home!" Abby called, closing the front door behind her before dropping her purse on the table and toeing her shoes off in the entryway.
He smiled at her over the back of the large couch in their living room. "Hey, baby. How was work?"
"Oh, you know how Saturdays are," Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Did you do anything productive today?"
He shrugged, tugging her onto the couch with him. "Does finishing off the ice cream count as productive?"
"Cute," She teased, holding up the small bag of groceries she had in her hand. "Brought you the Oreos and pickles you wanted."
He grinned brightly, pressing her back against the pillows on the couch and covering her body with his before kissing her deeply. "You know I love you more than anything, right?"
"Okay..." She said, cocking a teasing eyebrow at him. "What do you want now?"
"Oh, I think you know what I want," he said, his voice husky as he pressed himself against her.
Abby giggled, pulling him down for another kiss. "What am I gonna do with you? You've turned into a little horndog."
"Nothin' little about my horndog, baby, and you know it," He chuckled, ducking his head to kiss her neck when his stomach grumbled loudly. "Oh... God."
"Hungry much?"
"Don't make fun of me. It's not my fault the kid wants to eat all the time," Tony said, pushing himself up and reaching for the bag of food his girl had brought home for him.
Lifting up his t-shirt, she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his belly. He hadn't gained much weight, but she could see that he was slowly but surely beginning to show. Tony wasn't happy with feeling like a 'freak-of-nature' as he called it, but he was realizing that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be at the beginning.
She knew that he was enjoying the fact that Ducky had told him to both eat whenever the mood struck him and to stop exercising, mostly because they had no idea what to expect. He had also suggested that they forego having sex to prevent Tony's heart rate and blood pressure from getting too high, but with his libido being nearly uncontrollable, it was something they were having a difficult time complying with.
Abby smiled when he came back from a quick trip to the kitchen with a Caf-Pow! for her from the refrigerator and a small bowl for himself. She watched curiously as he opened the jar of pickles and poured some of the juice into the small bowl before dipping an Oreo in it and taking a bite.
"Oh, dear baby Jesus, Tony... that's foul."
"Mmmm..." He groaned, resting his head in her lap and the bowl on his still flat stomach. "It's delicious. You just don't know what you're missing."
She shuddered, watching him eat another cookie in the same fashion. "Thank God for small favors."
"You know, you shouldn't make fun of me. It's not very nice, seein' as I'm carrying our baby and all."
"Please," Abby scoffed playfully, carding a hand through his thick brown hair. "If I were the one that was pregnant, you would make fun of my cravings at every opportunity."
"Well, yeah. So?"
She laughed, leaning down and kissing him gently. "You know, you should eat healthier for the baby."
"Ducky said I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I want," He said, sticking his tongue out before eating another Oreo. "Besides, I've barely gained any weight. I'm doin' just fine."
"Love you," Abby grinned, continuing to run her hand through his hair.
"I love you too, baby. Wanna watch Magnum with me? There's a mini-marathon on tonight."
She giggled, grabbing the remote for the TV off of the coffee table. "Sure thing, baby."
The couple settled into a comfortable silence as they watched the show, with Tony eventually setting aside the Oreos and pickle juice in favor of snuggling with his girl on the couch. They both relaxed, enjoying the time that they had to spend together, knowing that once the baby came, they wouldn't have a second to themselves.
--Four Weeks Later--
Sinking down into his chair, Tony released a satisfied moan as he unwrapped his grilled cheese and mayonnaise sandwich, his mouth practically watering.
It had been a slow morning at the office, though despite that he'd forgotten to eat the peanut butter and banana sandwich Abby had fixed for his breakfast, and to say he was starving would have been an understatement.
"Grab your gear. We've got a body," Gibbs barked as he stalked into the bullpen, heading for his desk.
"Boss?" Tony asked.
"Did I stutter? Get a move on."
"But... I... can I take my sandwich?"
"No time for lunch," Gibbs responded. "Let's go."
It was all he could do to keep from crying out as Gibbs crossed the room, plucking the sandwich from his hand before dropping it into the trash can beside his desk.
Glancing down at his slightly swollen belly that was just visible under his shirt, he could feel the injustice of the situation welling up in his chest, though before he could respond, Gibbs barked at him again and he was on his feet, ignoring the twinge in his back.
It was nearly three hours later before they made it back to the office, and between Tony's near constant requests to stop for lunch or a trip to the bathroom, Gibbs had lost his patience with him.
"Boss, I gotta hit the head again."
Gibbs narrowed his eyes before jerking his head toward the bathrooms. "Make it quick. I want your report on my desk before 1600."
"But... that's only an hour from now."
"Then you better get a move on, huh?"
He frowned darkly as he headed for the bathroom, doing his business as quickly as possible and making a pit stop at the vending machines on his way back to his desk. When he got back, he noticed that both Ziva and McGee had left and that Gibbs was watching him carefully, his eyes icy.
"What didn't you understand about me wanting that report in an hour, DiNozzo?"
"I..." He started, swallowing hard at the angry look on the older agent's face. Despite the fact that he'd managed to keep his composure, he could feel the anger welling up in his chest as he turned and stalked out of the bullpen, ignore his boss as he called after him.
He stepped off the elevator a minute later, breathing heavily in an attempt to keep his emotions under control as he made his way over to the large refrigerators in his girl's lab. "This my ice cream?" He asked, pulling out the clearly marked container.
"Uh... yeah," She said, stepping toward him hesitantly. "Tony... what's wrong?"
Tony started talking as he spooned the ice cream into his mouth, but she stopped him mid-sentence, unable to understand what he was saying.
"Woah... calm down, baby. I can't understand when you talk with your mouth full."
He swallowed hard, setting the ice cream aside and walking over to her. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand, seeing the redness in his eyes for the first time since he had entered the lab. "Tony... what's--"
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against his chest, burying his nose in her hair. "I don't know if I can handle this much longer, Abs. I mean, Gibbs--"
"Handle what, DiNozzo?"
The couple sprang apart as if they had been electrocuted, both turning toward the door to see their boss standing there watching them curiously.
"Gibbs--"
"Yeah, Abby? You two gonna tell me what the hell the problem is with my Senior Field Agent?"
She looked at him cautiously, not wanting to say anything unless he gave her the go ahead. His eyes were fixed on the ground, attempting to avoid his angry stare.
"We... we're pregnant."
Gibbs' eyes widened slightly as he looked between the couple. He was aware that they had been dating for quite some time, and while he wasn't particularly happy about the fact that the one-time womanizer was dating the woman he would like to think of as his surrogate daughter, he could tell that Tony really made her happy.
"Wow. Uh... when did you find out?"
"It's been almost four months now. We were... hesitant to tell people," She explained, rummaging around in her purse for the pregnancy test before handing it to him.
He looked it over before handing it back and wrapping her in a tight hug. "Congratulations, Abby. Just let me know if you need anything, okay? Time off--"
She cut him off quickly. "It's not mine."
"What?"
Looking between Tony and his boss, she frowned before continuing. "I mean, the baby is mine and Tony's but it's not my pregnancy test."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him stumble as one hand went to his forehead and the other gripped the counter as he tried to hold himself steady. Gibbs was on his phone without a second of hesitation, calling Ducky.
Gibbs watched Abby hurry over to Tony, helping him into the chair carefully. On the other end of the line, Ducky greeted him cheerfully before he quickly cut him off. "Need you up in the lab, Duck. It's DiNozzo again," He responded, ending the call before he could respond.
Crossing the lab, Gibbs came to a stop in front of the young couple, eying his agent carefully. "Tony?"
"S... sorry boss. I don' feel too good."
"Yeah, I can see that," Gibbs said, glancing over his shoulder at the sound of Ducky's feet against the concrete floor.
Ducky immediately walked over to where Tony was seated and began a quick examination when the Abby caught his eye and offered him a worried look.
"Okay!" Gibbs growled, looking between the three of them. "Someone needs to tell me what the hell is goin' on here. Now!"
The Senior Agent flinched at his boss' tone, causing Ducky to turn toward his friend. "You need to keep it down, Jethro."
"I wanna know what the hell is goin' on. I'm not gonna accept you three keepin' a secret from me, especially if it's affecting one of my agents!"
"You aren't gonna believe me if I tell you, Gibbs," Abby insisted, looking at Ducky and Tony worriedly.
"Try me."
"The test... it's Tony's. He's pregnant with our baby."
Gibbs snorted, looking between them and seeing the serious look on the Abby's face. "You're serious? Duck, maybe you should check her out. Think she may have hit her head."
"She's telling the truth, Jethro. I have been examining Anthony for the past four months."
"Did I step into the Twilight Zone or something? My male Senior Agent is four months pregnant?"
Abby stepped forward and offered him a small uncomfortable smile. "It's too complicated to explain, Gibbs, but I swear it's true."
He maintained eye contact with her for another minute until he shook his head and turned to leave the lab.
"Shouldn't have told him, Abs."
She turned to look at him, giving him a small frown. "Didn't see either of you stepping up to offer an explanation."
--Later That Night - 2030 Hours--
Abby watched as he paced the length of their living room, running his hands through his hair and muttering to himself as he went, refusing to listen to her pleas that he sit down and relax.
"He's gonna fire me, Abby! I'm gonna be pregnant with our baby and without a job. How can I provide for you and our baby if I'm not working?"
She sighed, pulling her legs up under her as she sat on the couch. "He's not gonna fire you. Just give him some..." She stopped, hearing a rapid knocking coming from their front door.
Standing up, she made her way across the room, glancing back over her shoulder at Tony before pulling the door open, revealing Gibbs standing in the hallway. "Gibbs. I... we didn't expect you to come by tonight."
"I didn't either, Abs. Tony here?"
Abby nodded, stepping aside to allow him entrance into the house.
"Oh God," Tony said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he watched him enter the room. "Couldn't you have at least waited 'til tomorrow?"
Gibbs offered him a confused look before turning to Abby. "What's he babblin' about?"
"He thinks you're here to fire him."
Releasing a heavy sigh, he stepped toward his Senior Agent. "I'm not, Tony. I... I overreacted earlier," Looking back at her, he rested a hand on his shoulder. "Sit, before Abby has a nervous breakdown."
Glancing over at his girl, Tony swallowed hard before he nodded and complied with his boss' request, dropping onto the couch with a quiet groan.
"I know we should have told you sooner, Gibbs, but it wasn't exactly something we wanted to broadcast, for obvious reasons, and we had no idea how you'd react, and--"
"Abby," Gibbs interrupted, pointing to the couch. "Sit. Now."
Her face turned down in a frown but she sank down onto the cushion beside him, reaching for his hand. Pacing in front of the pair, Gibbs ran a hand through his hair before he stopped and turned to face them.
"You're really serious about this?"
"Unfortunately," Tony muttered. "We weren't gonna say anything until I started to show. Figured no one would believe us otherwise."
"I guess I shouldn't be too shocked. It is you we're talkin' about, DiNozzo. It's only natural that the same man who contracted a medieval disease would also get pregnant," He said, pinching the bridge of his nose before he sank down into the unoccupied recliner. "How much longer before you're put on desk duty?"
"Another couple weeks, at the very least. Ducky said as long as he's still getting around okay, there's no ned to chain him to a desk because that'll just stress him out more."
"Okay. You're gonna have to tell McGee and Ziva."
"Gibbs..." Tony protested. "I'm not--"
"You're gonna have to tell them," Gibbs repeated. "While you're still out in that field, you're gonna have to rely on them more than ever. It's not fair to keep somethin' like this from 'em. I don't care what you tell the rest of the department, but they have to know."
The couple looked at each other briefly before nodding their consent. "Okay. We'll tell them."
"Soon, Abby," He warned, narrowing his eyes at her as he pushed himself from the chair. "I want them to know before you two come back to work on Monday."
"Got it, Boss," Tony said, standing up and holding his hand out to him. "Thanks."
"Congratulations," He said, shaking his Agent's hand. "Both of you."
--Two Days Later--
Abby jumped up from the couch when she heard the knock at the door, signaling Ziva and McGee's arrival at the apartment. She pulled the door open and smiled brightly at them, stepping aside and watching as McGee moved into the kitchen to sit the pizza boxes he was carrying on the counter.
"Thanks for pickin' up the pizzas, TImmy," She said, giving him a quick hug before calling down the hallway to Tony. "C'mon, T! Dinner's here."
He walked into the kitchen and smiled nervously, pulling his OSU sweatshirt over his belly. "Hey, guys. Glad you could make it."
"Thank you for inviting us," Ziva said, leaning up and pecking him on the cheek. "I brought some wine... but I do not know how well it will go with the pizza."
"I'm sure Abs will appreciate it, but I'm cuttin' out the alcohol."
"Finally realized that all the beer you drink was catchin' up to you?" McGee teased, pulling plates out of the cabinet above the toaster. "You've got a bit of a beer belly goin' on," He started to chuckle, only to be interrupted when both Ziva and Abby headslapped him. "I was just kidding!"
Tony flushed slightly, taking a couple slices of pizza out of the box and pouring Tabasco sauce over them. "It's alright, Probie. That's actually part of the reason we invited you guys over tonight."
"Because you've gained weight?"
Abby looked over at him, offering him a small smile. "Tony, are you sure? We can wait until after dinner if you want."
He shook his head. "We should just get it out of the way," Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his girl's hand before he spoke again. "We're having a baby."
"Oh, Abby! Congratulations!" Ziva gushed, walking around the table and hugging her. "How far--"
She cut her off, looking at Tony pointedly. "I'm not pregnant. Tony is."
McGee nearly dropped the plate he was holding. "You... you're kidding, right? This is some prank or something."
"No, it's not," He said. "I'm almost five months along."
"Uh... how?"
"Its kinda hard to explain, Timmy. I mean, its--"
Ziva spoke up, interrupting the her explanation. "I think it is amazing, Tony. Congratulations."
McGee looked over at her, his eyes wide. "You believe this? This has gotta be some kind of joke. If I find out you guys are--"
Tony reached up and smacked him upside the head. "McGee, if I were Punking you, don't you think that I would have played it out before now? Seriously, you know I don't have the patience."
"You're serious?" He said, his voice lowering to just above a whisper. "Oh my God. Who... who else knows?"
"Just Gibbs and Ducky," Abby said, resting her hand against his back as he took a bite of his pizza. "And we have to keep it that way. The last thing we want is for this to get out."
"Of course," Ziva agreed, pulling Tony into a hug. A second later, she released him, her eyes wide. "Did I just feel it move?"
He offered a sheepish laugh. "No, sorry. That was me," Looking over at his girl, he grinned at her. "That was easier than I thought. Can I have my ice cream now?"
She giggled, dropping her head against his shoulder. "Yeah, you can have your ice cream. Let's go into the living room and watch a movie, huh?"
McGee and Ziva agreed, picking up their plates and following Tony into the living room while Abby got the ice cream out of the freezer before joining them. Sitting next to him, she handed him the frozen treat and smiled at her friends, happy that they had taken the announcement so well.
The hard part was over, now that everyone who mattered knew about the pregnancy. As she snuggled up against him, one hand placed lovingly on his expanding belly, she couldn't help but wait for the day that they would finally meet their child.
--Four Weeks Later--
Tony groaned, rubbing his chest as he rolled onto his back before pushed himself up against the pillows. "Knew those sardines were a bad idea," He mumbled, dropping his head back against the headboard.
"Mmm... Tony?"
"Go back to sleep, baby. I'm alright."
Abby scooted closer to him, resting her head against his chest as her arm wound its way around his expanding waist. "Told you. You shouldn't have eaten the pepperoni. It's not good for the baby."
"I think the sardines are what did me in."
She chuckled quietly, her warm breath tickling the bare skin on his chest. "I'm pretty sure that sardines don't cause indigestion."
"Oh yeah?" He asked, tipping her chin up and kissing her. "That you're official scientific opinion?"
"Mhmm," Abby said, snuggling against him, smiling against his warm skin when she felt their baby move in his belly. "That's hard to get used to," She giggled. "Feeling it from the outside."
"Try feeling it from the inside," He stopped when he felt her tense at his side, and he frowned deeply. "I'm sorry, Abs. I... I didn't mean it like that."
"Don't worry about it," She said, her throat tight. "I'm fine."
"Baby... if I could switch places... God, baby, you have to know that I would in a second," He paused, groaning quietly as he looked down at her. "That wasn't the right thing to say either. I'm not very good at this."
She released a small chuckle, reaching up to wipe her nose. "I know what you meant," Resting her head on his chest again, she frowned slightly. "I wanted a baby. I have to take it how I can get it, I suppose."
"*We* wanted a baby, Abs. Both of us did. And yeah, I guess we do have to take what we're given."
Wrapping his arms around her, he dropped his lips to the top of her head and smiled as he felt her relax, falling back to sleep. He rubbed his hand over his chest again, wishing that he was allowed to take antacids. "Never eating sardine and pepperoni pizza with ice cream again."
--The Next Morning--
"God fuckin--"
"Tony!" Abby cried, stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. "The baby can hear you. You want it's first word to be the F-bomb?"
He narrowed his eyes at her as he tried to button his suit jacket again. "You're seriously gonna start censoring me? Right when I find out I can't button my favorite suit?"
"Poor baby."
"Don't patronize me."I
t took every ounce of strength she had to keep from rolling her eyes, knowing that attempting to make light of the situation would only make it worse. "Okay. I'm sorry," She responded, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. "We knew this was comin' though, huh? And it's not that big of a deal. You'll be able to wear that suit again in no time."
"I want to wear it *today*!" He growled, pulling away from her as he stomped over to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
"Tony..." She groaned, dropping her head back to glare at the ceiling before she made her way over, knocking on the door lightly. "Come on, baby. Why don't you wear those comfortable jeans we picked out last weekend? Gibbs won't mind."
Tony pulled the door open and leaned against the frame, having taken off the jacket and shirt, tossing them on the floor of the bathroom haphazardly. "I mind."
Abby sighed quietly, spotting the expensive suit on the floor. "You're gonna ruin your clothes like that," She said, ducking past him and picking the discarded clothing off the wet tile.
"It doesn't matter," He grumbled, watching as she hung the shirt and jacket on hangers. "I'm goin' on a diet."
Hanging the clothes on the back of the bathroom door, she looked over at him, her eyes wide. "You... you know Ducky's not gonna like that."
"I don't care, Abby. I can't even fit into my clothes anymore," He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This whole thing was--"
"Don't you say it."
He looked over, shaking his head when he saw the tears forming in her eyes. "This sucks, you know that, right?"
"It's almost over, baby. Just another few months," She tried, not missing the look of disappointment that crossed his face. "I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want? For me to apologize for making you carry our child?"
"No..." Sighing, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her, running a hand through her damp hair. "No, baby... I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated, that's all."
"I don't know what I can do for you, Tony."
"This isn't your fault, Abby. If it's anyone's fault, it's Ziva's. She's been stuffing fattening foods down my throat for the past month."
She raised her eyebrow at him, pulling away so she could get dressed for work. "Sure... blame Ziva. She's only lookin' out for you, y'know."
"Yeah. I know," He said, pulling on the jeans Abby suggested and one of the slightly larger button up shirts they had picked up on a recent shopping trip. "Let's just go to work, okay? Before I decide that I need to ravage you."
"Ooh. I could use a good ravaging," She smirked, leaning up to kiss him. "But its gonna have to wait until after work. I've got tons to do today."
The couple left the apartment a few minutes later, and when they arrived at work, Tony nearly groaned when he saw the large platter of food sitting on his desk covered in tinfoil.
"Ziva--"
"You need your strength, Tony. I know you do not eat at home."
"Abby's got a big mouth."
Gibbs strode into the bullpen and smacked his Senior Agent upside the head gently. "Too much information, DiNozzo."
"Boss, I--"
"McGee, Ziva, gear up. Got a body at Quantico," He said, dropping a personnel file on Tony's desk. "Eat your breakfast, then start the background on our dead Staff Sergeant. Got hazardous chemicals at the scene, so I can't let you come."
He nodded, offering a smile to his teammates when he saw their looks of pity. "It's fine. I had a lunch date with Abs anyway. If I cancel on her again, she may castrate me. Go on, before Gibbs kills you both," He urged, pulling the tinfoil off of his breakfast plate, revealing eggs, bacon and toast. "Thanks for breakfast, Zee."
"No problem, Tony," She said, grabbing her backpack and heading for the elevator.
--1800 Hours -- Autopsy--
Ducky looked up from his desk as Tony and Abby walked into the autopsy suite hand in hand. "Ah, glad you two could make it on such short notice. I called in a favor and got you two a little surprise."
They looked at each other and smiled before turning back to him. "You didn't have to get us anything, Ducky."
He chuckled quietly, standing up and ducking into his office. "If I'm being honest it is for myself as well," Walking back into the large room, he rolled a small cart behind him with a computer screen on it.
"Oh, an ultrasound!" Abby gushed, running over and giving Ducky a hug. "Thank you!"
"You didn't... you know..." Tony asked, his hand subconsciously resting on his expanding belly.
"Of course not, Anthony. I merely told her that I needed to borrow it for a friend who had a contagious illness but wanted to make sure her baby was okay. She gave me a quick course in using the machine and everything I would need to know about the ultrasound itself."
Tony smiled wearily before giving her a small smile, unable to deny her when she was so excited. "Alright. Let's see our baby."
She nearly squealed, jumping into Tony's arms. "I can't wait! Get on the table, I wanna see."
He rolled his eyes at her before sitting on the edge of the table and leaning back, resting his head on the pillow Ducky provided. The brunette made an attempt at trying to relax without much luck, not feeling particularly happy about having an ultrasound.
"This will be a bit cold," Ducky warned, watching as his abdominal muscles involuntarily tensed when the cool gel was applied.
Abby reached over and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently when he looked up at her. "Can we find out the sex, T? Do you mind?"
He shook his head, unable to deny her the happiness that was clearly showing on her face. "I don't mind, baby."
Leaning over, she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, unable to believe that after five long months, they were finally going to get to see their baby, even if it was only on a small screen.
"Are you alright, Anthony?" Ducky asked, sensing how uncomfortable he was.
"I... I'm fine," He responded, forcing a smile for his girl's sake.
She smiled brightly, her eyes locked on the small computer screen as Ducky placed the ultrasound wand on Tony's stomach, finding their child almost immediately.
"Oh... Tony, look at it! You can see the little heart beating."
He glanced at the screen briefly before turning his attention back to Abby, seeing the tears forming behind her green eyes. "You alright, Abs?"
She squeezed his hand again, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Our baby, Tony. That's our baby."
"Baby... girl," Ducky announced, pointing to the screen. "And she's not afraid to show it. Your daughter is quite the little exhibitionist."
A tear fell from her eye as she leaned down to kiss him again. "A girl, Tony. We're havin' a baby girl!"
Giving into his curiosity, he turned his head and looked at the screen, smiling when he saw the small wriggling baby with her thumb in her mouth. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his cheeks were wet with his own tears and he immediately reached up to wipe them away.
"Sorry, its... the hormones."
"Don't apologize, baby. Look at me. I'm a... a mess."
He reached his hand up and wiped a tear from her cheek. "You're not a mess, you're beautiful. I just hope those are happy tears."
"They are," She grinned, allowing him to pull her close for another soft kiss. "I love you."
Ducky smiled at the young couple and placed the wand back in its holder before turning away to print the ultrasound pictures, giving them a moment to themselves. He cleared his throat a moment later, stepping back to the front side of the machine and handing Abby some of the pictures.
"Ziva insisted that she have one for herself, if you two don't mind."
He didn't miss the look the couple shared before Tony pushed himself up to a sitting position. "We don't mind, Ducky."
"Don't worry, Tony, Abby's name is the one on the ultrasound, so no one will become curious if they're to look at the pictures."
Tony nodded his appreciation, tugging his shirt down over his belly as he hopped off the table and wrapped his arms around his girl's waist.
"We should go shopping," She suggested, turning to face him. "We... we've been putting it off, but now that we know that we're having a little girl--"
He stopped her rambling with a kiss, smiling at her when they pulled back. "We can go shopping if you want, Abs. But do you mind if we get some dinner first?"
She chuckled, running her hand lovingly over his belly. "Of course. Care to join us, Ducky?"
"No, no. I have to get home to Mother. Perhaps another time," He said, wheeling the small cart back into his office. "Congratulations on your beautiful daughter."
The couple smiled at him and made their way to the elevator, heading upstairs to get Tony's backpack before heading out. When they reached the squad room, they were both surprised to find that Ziva was still there, working on her report.
"Hey, Ziva," Abby greeted, stepping over to Ziva's desk and smiling. "I have a present for you. Well, we do. Tony and I."
She glanced up at Abby, giving her a smile. "You did not have to get me anything."
"Here," She said, holding out one of the ultrasound pictures. "Our daughter."
Ziva's eyes widened as she looked between Abby, Tony and the small photo. "A girl? You must be so excited!"
"We are. Well... I am," She said, her face falling slightly before she managed to school it back into a grin. "Tony and I were gonna go out to dinner then do a little baby shopping. Wanna join us?"
"I would love to," She smiled, grabbing her purse from her desk drawer and walking with the couple to the elevator.
--2300 Hours - Abby and Tony's Apartment--
Abby pulled her long hair into a sloppy bun as she pulled on her panties and a tank top before exiting the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Glancing over at the bed she shared with Tony, she smiled, seeing him propped up against the pillows with his copy of 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' in his hands.
"Hey, Tony-boy. Anything interesting this week?" She asked.
She had read the book from cover to cover when they first discussed having a baby together, but she enjoyed the wonder that played on his face as he explained what was supposed to be happening to his body. Tonight was different though, and she frowned when he didn't respond with his usual excitement.
Making her way over to the bed, she curled up next to him and peeked over his shoulder, willing the tears away when she saw what he was looking at. He hadn't been reading the book at all, instead staring intently at the picture of their daughter from the ultrasound.
"She's real."
Abby rested her head on his shoulder when he spoke the two words quietly, making her wonder for a split second if he had said them at all.
"Yeah. Yeah, she is," She paused for a moment before reaching forward and placing her hand over his. "You're disappointed, aren't you?"
Setting the book aside and continuing to hold the picture in his hands, he frowned darkly, looking down at his girl. "No, I'm not. Actually... I'm happier than I thought I would be," He sniffled, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head as he scoffed quietly. "I'm sorry. These goddamn hormones--"
He tensed when her arms wrapped around him, pulling his head down against her chest as she raked her hand through his hair, massaging his scalp gently.
"I'm sorry I let you think I wasn't happy about the baby... our daughter," He corrected himself quickly. "I am. So much."
She smiled, pressing her lips to the top of his head, breathing in his scent. "Love you, Tony."
"Love you too," he said, his eyelids getting heavy as his girl continued to run her fingers through his hair. "I love you too."
--Six Weeks Later -- January 20, 2016--
Stepping off of the elevator in the evidence garage, Abby's eyes went wide when she spotted the balloons and streamers. "Oh... my--"
"Surprise!"
Ziva hurried forward, a bright smile on her face as she wrapped her arm around Abby, pulling her into the large garage. "I hope you do not mind. They wanted to have a baby shower for you... McGee and Gibbs are on their way down with Tony now."
"You do realize that Tony's gonna think this was my idea and he's gonna kill me, right?" she whispered, allowing her friend to lead her over to the group of women from the various agencies on the Yard.
"If he becomes a problem, I will deal with it, okay?" She reassured her, ushering her into the chair that they had decorated with bright pink balloons. "Sit. This is the chair for the Mommy-to-be!"
She forced a bright smile at the women, the corners of her mouth slipping slightly when she heard the elevator doors open, revealing Gibbs, McGee and Tony looking around the garage with matching looks of surprise on their faces.
*This wasn't my idea* She signed to Gibbs, offering Tony a nervous smile.
*I'll let him know.* He signed back, leaning against a nearby wall with his two male agents, watching as the women fussed over Abby.
They didn't miss how she narrowed her eyes irritatedly at Ziva for allowing all the baby-crazy women on the Yard to organize her baby shower, or how she expertly deflected questions about why she had barely gained any weight despite being six and a half months pregnant.
"She hasn't gained any because she's not the one who's pregnant," Tony muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.
Gibbs nudged him with his elbow, jerking his head toward a corner of the large space that wasn't being occupied by anything with a shade of pink or purple. "You know, Abby deserves at least this much, DiNozzo."
"I know that, Boss. It's just... weird."
"You standin' there glarin' at her isn't allowin' her to enjoy herself. Don't ruin this for her."
"Can't we just go back upstairs? Have 'em call us when this is over?"
Gibbs narrowed his eyes meaningfully and he immediately slumped his shoulders. "Fine. We'll stay."
"I'm glad. Because I think you're gonna be forced to be an active participant," He said, nodding toward the group.
When he turned around, he started shaking his head furiously, seeing a pair of women from the evidence locker approaching him with a crown made out of diapers. "The Daddy-to-be has been invited to join in with the festivities."
"This *was* her idea," He grumbled, frowning darkly as Gibbs placed the crown on his head and smacked his shoulder.
"Go support your girl."
--Six Hours Later - Tony and Abby's Apartment--
"You're seriously gonna hold this against me?" Abby asked, following Tony into their apartment. "The baby shower wasn't my idea!"
He simply ignored her as he had been doing since they left the Navy Yard, making the drive home uncomfortable to say the least. Her shoulders slumped slightly, a frown crossing her face as Tony stalked down the hall to their bedroom, not saying a word to her.
Dropping the large box full of various baby supplies and clothes that they had gotten from the shower on the kitchen table, she followed him into the bedroom and wasn't surprised to see him standing in front of their full-length mirror, examining himself.
"Tony--"
"Just don't, okay?"
"Words are a start," She muttered, dropping herself onto the bed behind him. "Even if they are angry."
He frowned at her through the mirror, running a hand over his stomach. "I'm fuckin' ugly, Abby. I feel so God damned disgusting. How can you..." He stopped, shaking his head. "I just don't understand."
She pushed herself up from the bed and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, beginning to unbutton his dress shirt. "Would you think I was ugly if I were the one that was pregnant?"
"No. Pregnant women are beautiful. Glowing."
"You glow too, you know. I think you're beautiful. You haven't even gained that much weight, baby," Her hands pushed his shirt off his shoulders and moved to the buckle on his belt, pulling it off quickly before flicking open the fly on his jeans. "I love you like this."
"I don't know why," He mumbled, watching her soft hands as they trailed over his newly exposed skin.
"Well..." Abby started, gently turning him around to face her. "Mostly because I'm jealous, but also because I love you... no matter what you look like. Or how whiny you get."
He allowed her to lead him over to their bed, sitting him down on the edge before dropping to her knees in front of him. "Abs... what are you doin'?"
"What does it look like? I'm undressing you," She smirked, looking up at him through her eyelashes. "You want me to stop?"
He swallowed hard, watching as she pulled his pants and boxers off, leaving him sitting nude on the end of the bed. "N... no. You can keep goin'."
Grinning, she ran her hands up his legs, pushing herself up for a quick kiss before returning to her knees. "That's what I thought."
"Abs..." Tony groaned quietly, feeling her long fingers wrapping around his half-hard cock and beginning to stroke him slowly. "You don't have to--"
"Shh... I want to. I wanna show you how hot I think you are. Sexy."
He leaned back on his elbows, watching as she continued to stroke him. "God, baby--"
"Like that?" She teased, smirking at him. "Then you'll love this."
Ducking forward, she darted her tongue out and licked the tip of his cock, tasting the pre-come that was waiting there. She could feel him jerk involuntarily into her hand and she smiled brightly, knowing that he was enjoying himself.
He moaned deeply when she took him into her warm mouth, her tongue teasing the skin just under his tip. She moved slowly, taking him deeper by the second, until he inadvertently hit the back of her throat, making his hand reach down and tangle gently in her hair.
"Fuck..." He whispered, using every ounce of strength he had not to buck up into her mouth as she pulled back, tracing her tongue over his slit before devouring him again.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him from her position on the floor, seeing his eyes closed as one hand propped him up on the bed. Releasing him from her mouth, she placed a soft kiss on the tip of his cock and grinned. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
The older man's eyes flew open as he glanced down at her and tried desperately to form the words. He almost had his thoughts collected when her mouth surrounded him again, sending him flopping back onto the bed as he thrust his hips up into her mouth.
She took him down easily, bobbing her head in his lap as he moved jerkily, clearly trying to hold out. When she could tell that he was close, she began humming quietly, her tongue resting flatly against the underside of his shaft. His balls tightened and he exploded almost immediately, his breathing ragged.
Abby licked him slowly, cleaning him off before she pulled away, smiling at him as she rested on her heels. He forced himself to sit up and pulled her into his lap, kissing her deeply and wrapping his arms around her.
"You're fucking amazing," He mumbled, nuzzling her neck with the tip of his nose. "Fucking amazing."
--Three Days Later - Autopsy--
"Everything seems as if it is going according to schedule," Ducky said happily, pulling his gloves off and helping Tony to sit up. "Six and a half months. You are due in early April."
Abby grinned, squeezing his hand as he pulled his shirt down. "I'm so excited! Gibbs and McGee are coming over this weekend to help me paint the nursery."
"There is something we need to have a discussion about, Anthony."
"How we're gonna get her out? Yeah. I figured that was comin'."
Ducky nodded, motioning toward his office. "Perhaps we should go somewhere a little more private."
The couple looked at each other before following Ducky into the office, sitting on the small couch he had across from his desk. Sitting in his chair, he looked them over carefully before speaking, clasping his hands in his lap.
"We are going to have to perform a Cesarean Section here in Autopsy."
He watched as Tony's breathing quickened and he put a hand on his forehead, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "I... I can't... no."
"Calm down, baby," she begged quietly, rubbing his back gently.
"Unfortunately, there aren't any other options, Tony. We can't exactly take you to a hospital, and I am not sure I want to risk you going into labor on your own."
"You... you say that like a C-Section is gonna be any easier! Because cuttin' me open in *Autopsy* is really gonna be so much safer?" He spat, leaning forward on the couch, resting his head in his hands. "Oh God."
"I am open to suggestions, Tony. If you can think of another way, please, I would love to hear it. This is, believe it or not, the safest way."
"Can't we just... I don't know. Abs, you made that drink that got me pregnant, can't you make one that can make the baby come out?"
"Tony..." She sighed. "That's like saying that if you pray really, really hard you can make anything happen. It doesn't work that way."
"I don't wanna be cut open here in Autopsy."
She looked over at Ducky as he sat across for them. "I could set up my back office as a clean room, do the surgery in there."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better, baby? Really?"
"You wanna risk going to the hospital? 'Cause I can guarantee that all the hard work we've done trying to keep this quiet will be blown out of the water if you go there. You know that."
"I just... I can't..." he tried, feeling his heart rate speed up again. Tony began breathing choppily, running his shaking hands through his hair.
Abby frowned darkly, looking at him. "Tony... you have to relax. Please."
The brunette continued to hyperventilate, moving one of his hands to rest on his chest as his heart began racing. Sinking back onto the small couch, she pulled Tony into her arms, rubbing his back reassuringly as he trembled against her. Truth be told, she'd been so caught up in everything else, she hadn't even given the actual birth a second thought.
Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head, nuzzling his soft hair gently before she pulled away. "Are you okay now?"
"'M fine," He muttered, his voice muffled by her shoulder.
"Perhaps you should take him home, Abby," Ducky decided, looking him over carefully. He didn't like how pale Tony was, nor did he care for the way his hands were shaking slightly.
"I don't... I don't need to go home."
"It wasn't a request, Anthony. Home. And get some rest while you're there."
Despite the fact that he wanted to argue, Tony merely nodded, allowing Abby to pull him to his feet carefully.
Slipping her arm around his waist, Abby forced a smile for Ducky's sake before the couple headed out of the office with Abby whispering quiet reassurances to him the whole way.
--Later That Night--
"T?"
Her voice was quiet as she entered the living room, watching him as she made her way around the couch. She had managed to talk him into taking a small nap when they got home, and after he woke up, he had moved into the living room.
"I made your favorite."
"Not hungry," He mumbled, his eyes stuck on the TV.
She frowned darkly, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "You need to eat, Tony. At least a little, for the baby."
"The baby that I can't get out of my body without major surgery?"
Abby sighed, looking over at Tony when he grunted quietly, rubbing his hand over his distended belly gently where their daughter kicked him.
"She's not happy that Daddy isn't eating."
Glancing over at his girl, he closed his eyes briefly before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. "I'm sorry."
"It's not me you're upsetting," She quipped, offering him a small smile. "Our little girl's hungry. Mind feeding her?"
He nodded, offering her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. She pushed herself up from the couch and went into the kitchen to get his dinner plate, handing it to him with a bright smile when she returned.
"Thanks," he said, allowing his girl to pull him back so he was resting against her as he ate. They were silent, watching the TV while he ate his meal.
When a little more than half of his food was gone, he began playing with it, making random patterns in the marinara sauce with his fork.
"You okay?" Abby asked, feeling his muscles tensing as he leaned against her.
"What..." He stopped, dropping the fork to his plate and taking a deep, unsteady breath. "What if I... never get to meet her?" He asked quietly, resting his hand on his belly as their daughter kicked him again. "What if something happens to--"
"Don't."
Her voice was solid, but he could feel her shaking against him at the mere thought of losing him. He sat the plate on the coffee table and turned around, lifting her gently onto his lap.
"Abs... you know it's something we need to think about."
"I don't want to. You're gonna be fine," She said, cringing at how weak her voice was getting. "Everything's gonna be just fine."
"Baby--"
"No! We're not discussing this," Reaching up, she ran her hands through her hair, wanting nothing more than to cry. "I'm not discussing this."
He sighed, pulling her head down against his chest and just holding her close, not wanting to upset her anymore tonight. After awhile he began to relax, dropping his head back against the couch cushions and closing his eyes.
"Tony..." Abby started, pushing herself up from his lap gently, reaching for his hand. "C'mon. Let's go to bed."
Tony agreed silently, allowing her to pull him up and lead him down the hallway. Once they had both stripped out of their clothes and climbed into bed, she wrapped herself around him tightly, resting her head on his chest.
Tony fell asleep almost immediately, his quiet snores filling the otherwise quiet room while his girl stared at the ceiling, listening to his breathing as his chest rose and fell under her head.
She sighed quietly at the reassurance and blinked away the tears she felt building behind her eyes, knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to sleep soundly until after their daughter was born and they were all home safely as a family.
--March 13, 2016--
"No peeking," McGee warned, leading Abby down the hallway by her elbow, his free hand covering her eyes.
"Shouldn't we wait for Tony to wake up? I mean... don't you think he wants to see the nursery too?"
"He's sleeping. With the way he's been acting the past few days, you really wanna wake him?"
She frowned, thinking about Tony. As they neared his due date, he had become increasingly grumpy, mostly due to the lack of sleep he had been experiencing.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"He'll see it when he wakes up, okay?" McGee reassured her, stopping in front of the door to the spare bedroom. "Okay. Ready?"
"More than you know," She said, a small smile crossing her lips.
Pushing open the door, he uncovered her eyes and allowed her to step inside. She released a little gasp of surprise, looking around at the room painted in light shades of pink and purple with the handcrafted wooden furniture all painted white.
"Like it, Abs?"
"Oh Gibbs!" She gushed, running over to him and hugging him tightly. "I couldn't... I never would have been able to do this. Thank you so much."
"Abby!"
She closed her eyes briefly when she heard his voice calling out to her from their bedroom, resisting the urge she had to groan. "I'd better go see what he needs."
"He needs to get his ass outta bed," Gibbs said pointedly. "Tell him he'll feel better once he does."
She nodded, knowing that it probably wasn't going to work. She pressed a kiss to McGee's cheek as she passed, whispering a thank you to him before crossing the hall into the master bedroom.
"Hey baby. What's the matter?"
"My pillow fell on the floor. Grab it for me?"
Leaning down, she picked up his pillow and handed it to him. "You know, you could've done that yourself."
"Sorry. My back's killin' me."
"Gibbs says if you'd get out of bed, you'd feel better," She said, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his forehead.
"I don't want to," he responded, shifting as much as possible against the mattress, groaning quietly at the sharp twinge in his back. "Since you're already up, you think you could get me a
drink?"
"Tony," She sighed. "You're not being very fair, you know. You're pregnant, not crippled."
Almost immediately, she could tell she'd said the wrong thing because his hazel eyes darkened, flashing angrily.
"I know it's hard for you to comprehend how much this sucks, considering *you've* never been pregnant, but--"
"Fuck you," She responded hoarsely, her eyes burning with tears. "Get your own damn drink."
She turned away and left the room before he had an opportunity to apologize, slamming the door shut behind her. She was met just outside the room by both Gibbs and McGee, offering her concerned looks.
"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Oh yeah," She reassured him, wiping her tears away quickly. "You know... he's just not in a good mood that's all."
They both eyed her carefully before Gibbs shook his head. "Alright Abs. If you say so," He said, nudging McGee. "We've gotta head back to the office, but you call me if you need, okay?"
"We'll be fine, Gibbs. Thank you guys so much for the nursery."
"Not a problem," McGee grinned, hugging her close. "Don't let him get to you, huh?"
"I'll try. Its tough because neither of us are feelin' good."
Gibbs eyed her suspiciously. "You alright?"
"I'm fine. Think I may have caught a bug or something."
"Well, you see Duck tomorrow. Don't forget what happened last time we thought Tony was only sick."
She chuckled, smiling when he kissed her cheek gently. "I'm fairly sure I'm not pregnant, unfortunately. I wish all this could've happened differently, you know?"
"Yeah," He said, kissing her head again. "It'll get better. Its almost over."
"Thank God," Tony mumbled, taking small steps as he made his way out of the bedroom, tugging a tshirt down over his belly.
"'Bout time you rolled your ass outta bed."
He ran a hand through his hair, the other one resting on his back. "Sorry, Boss."
"How're you feelin', Tony?" McGee asked, watching as his partner and Abby avoided looking at each other.
"Ready for it to be over already."
"Ducky said you're planning on havin' her on Thursday, right? So, only four more days."
"Four days too many."
"You should just go back to bed if you're gonna be shitty, Tony," Abby snapped, pushing past him and sitting on the couch.
"I would be but someone wouldn't get me a drink when I asked for it," He muttered, glaring at the back of his girl's head.
She rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to speak when she heard a glass shatter in the kitchen. "Tony--"
Gibbs started for the kitchen when Abby stopped him. "It's okay," She said, forcing a smile. "I'll take care of it. Thank you for everything today."
"I meant what I said. You call me if he keeps givin' you a problem. Pregnant or not, I'll headslap him into next Sunday."
She couldn't help but laugh as she pushed herself up off the couch and pecked his cheek. "We'll be fine. Thank you. See you guys later."
The pair let themselves out of the apartment as she made her way into the kitchen frowning at the sight she found.
Forcing himself upright despite the pain in his back, Tony clenched his teeth to keep from groaning as he glanced over at her. "I'm cleanin' it up," He managed. "Might take a bit."
Abby walked over to him and wrapped her arms around the older man's waist, snuggling against his chest. "'M Sorry, Tony. I just--"
"Shh..." He said, kissing her hair. "Don't apologize. I'm sorry I've been an asshole, I just... my back is killin' me and you know I haven't slept in nearly a week."
"Lemme give you a massage, huh? Maybe one of those group baths you like so much?"
"Don't think it'll help," He admitted quietly, shaking his head. "I'm just ready for it to be over."
"I know, baby. Only a few more days. Then we'll have our little girl."
--Later That Night--
"Abby--"
"I do! I shouldn't have yelled at him," she said, dropping her head into her hands. "I mean, I knew he wasn't feeling well and I snapped at him anyway. He didn't mean what he was saying."
Ziva sighed, watching as her friend ran her hands through her long black hair. "He knew what he was saying. Tony may not have meant it, but he knew that mentioning that you are not the one who is carrying the child would bother you."
"I just... I want him to feel better and I..." She stopped when she heard his strangled cry.
"A... Abby!"
Abby frowned, pushing herself up from the couch when Ziva stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"I will go, Abby. You are upset enough and I cannot let you in there like this."
She sighed, dropping her head back against the couch. It had been difficult dealing with him by herself, especially the last few months, and she had to admit that she was glad to have people around her that were willing to help.
"Tony?" Ziva asked, stepping into the large bedroom. Once she saw him, she frowned, watching as he pressed his head into the pillow, using every bit of strength he had to not cry out. "Do you want me to get Abby?"
"N... no. I... I'm okay."
"Tony, you are in pain. Let me get Abby."
"Ziva, please," He begged, reaching out for her hand. "Please."
Abby walked into the room and immediately made her way over to him when she saw the thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Baby? Are you okay?"
"I..." He tried, jerking forward suddenly and reaching for the trashcan he kept next to the bed before vomiting into it.
The women looked at each other, concerned about the older man.
"Call Ducky," Abby ordered, dropping to her knees beside the bed as she reached over, rubbing his back reassuringly. "Tell him to meet us at the lab."
"N... no," Tony managed, swallowing hard as he swiped the back of his mouth with his hand.
"Baby, you need to let him look you over."
"I don't... I don't wanna leave. C..can't he just come here?"
"I will call him," Ziva said, hurrying out of the room, leaving the couple alone.
It was nearly thirty minutes and a trashcan later before Ducky arrived at the apartment, his trenchcoat and hat dripping from the early spring rain. Ziva met him at the door and proceeded to rush him back to the bedroom where Tony was heaving despite the fact that he had nothing left to throw up.
"Anthony, my dear boy... what happened? You seem to be in some severe pain."
"He's been vomiting since Zee called you, Ducky," she explained. "It'll stop for a few minutes, then he starts up again, says his stomach is killing him."
Ducky nodded, allowing Ziva to take his hat and coat. "Why don't you move to his other side, Abby, so I can get a better look."
She did as she was told, standing up on shaky legs as she moved to his back. "Is he gonna be okay?"
He glanced up at her, offering a small smile of reassurance as he touched his stomach gently. "He should be just fine, Abby. Looks like we'll be having a baby tonight instead of Thursday."
"T... tonight? He's in labor?"
Ducky nodded, looking back at Ziva. "I will need you to call Jethro and Timothy, have them meet us in Abby's lab in twenty minutes," Turning back to the couple in front of him, he nodded. "I would venture to say that he has been in labor for most of the afternoon, although as you are aware, this is clearly not my specialty. You know, this reminds me of a time when my old friend from Medical School--"
"Ducky..." Tony warned, reaching for the trashcan again as another contraction came over him. "God... is she... she gonna be okay?"
"Oh heavens yes. Being just over thirty-six weeks gestation, your little girl will be just fine."
"Gibbs and McGee are on their way," Ziva said, returning to the bedroom as she put her phone back in her pocket.
Ducky nodded, standing up from the edge of the bed. "Alright. We should be on our way then. I will leave Abby to help you get dressed."
The next twenty minutes were filled with activity between getting Tony dressed and gathering some clean clothes for him. Once they were in the car and headed to NCIS, things seemed to calm down slightly, and just under ten minutes later they were in the elevator on the way to Abby's lab.
When they arrived, Gibbs was helping McGee set up the containment room in the rear of the forensic lab, getting everything ready for the surgery that Ducky was about to perform.
"Alright Abigail, let's go and get ourselves cleaned up while we wait for Mr. Palmer to arrive."
Gibbs didn't miss the worried look that crossed Abby's face at the thought of leaving him alone. "Hey, Abs. I'll stay with him, okay? You go get cleaned up."
She nodded hesitantly, allowing McGee to lead her toward the decontamination room behind her lab where they would scrub in. He entered the room where his Senior Agent was laying on a gurney, frowning darkly when he saw him vomiting into a trashcan, his body curled in on itself as a contraction ripped through him.
"Its alright, Tony. It'll be over soon."
"'M so tired, Boss," He mumbled, flopping back against the pillows. "So tired."
Gibbs remained silent, not knowing what to say to comfort his Agent. The last time he had experienced anything remotely similar to this was when Shannon was pregnant with his daughter Kelly, exhausted after almost twenty hours of hard labor. He had been at a loss for words then too, choosing to just silently hold her hand and hope that somehow his strength would be passed to her.
He looked up at the ceiling briefly before taking Tony's hand and squeezing it gently, letting him know that someone was there. "You'll be fine, DiNozzo."
"What... Boss, if I'm not... you... you promise to help her? Take care of Abby and the baby?"
Without a second thought, he reached up with his free hand and tapped him on the back of his head. "You. Will. Be. Fine."
Tony's eyes closed tightly, willing his tears away. He knew better than to argue with his boss, but he couldn't help but acknowledge the aching feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him that things
weren't going to go well.
"Hey. You listenin' to me?" Gibbs asked, his voice gruff. "Everything's gonna be okay, Tony."
"You don't know that."
"The hell I don't. You're not okay, you answer to me."
Tony opened his mouth to reply when Abby reentered the room, dressed in a pair of teal colored scrubs.
"Hey, baby. How are you?"
"'M okay, Abby. Where's Ducky?" He managed, getting his emotions under control.
"He's waiting for Jimmy to get scrubbed up. They'll be here in just a minute," She smiled, looking between him and Gibbs. "Thanks for sitting with him."
"No problem," He said simply, kissing her temple. "See you two when you're done, huh?"
She nodded, turning back to him as Gibbs walked out of the lab. He didn't want Tony or Abby doubting that things would be just fine, but he couldn't shake the bad feeling he carried as he met McGee in the outer lab.
"Are we all ready, Tony?" Ducky asked, walking into their makeshift operating room with Jimmy behind him.
"Ducky..." he managed, gripping his girl's hand tightly. "I w... I want you to put me all the way out."
"Tony..." Abby tried, only to be cut off by Ducky.
"Absolutely not. We are at risk for enough complications as it is."
"Please. I can't do this if you don't."
"You do not know what you're asking. If I put you out, there is a very good chance that you will not wake up."
"I don't care!" He moaned, his entire body tensing as another contraction began to grip his body. He cried out, attempting to curl in on himself, the tears behind his eyes sliding down his cheeks without his permission. "Please..." He cried. "Please, Ducky."
"Tony..." she tried again, gripping his hand tightly. "Please. Don't do this. I need you, our daughter needs you."
"Abby... I can't do this awake. This is what I want. Please give me at least that much."
She sniffled, closing her eyes briefly before looking over at Ducky. "Its what he wants," She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Alright, but I am doing this despite disagreeing with your decision."
"I know."
Tony squeezed his girl's hand, tugging her close to him. "I'm sorry, baby."
Kissing him quickly, she pulled away and nodded for Jimmy to start the anesthesia. "Its your decision. Just know that I..." She stopped, unable to bring herself to say the words, despite knowing it may be the last chance she would have.
"I know, baby. I love you too."
-----
Gibbs sighed heavily, taking a sip of his coffee as he watched McGee pace the length of the lab nervously, waiting for any news on his partner.
"McGee. Sit down before you wear a hole in Abby's floor and she kills you. I really don't wanna have to fill out an incident report."
He stopped almost immediately, running a hand through his hair as he looked back at his boss. "You aren't nervous?"
"He'll be fine, McGee," Gibbs said, hoping that he was helping to ease the younger man's nerves. "They..." He stopped, looking up as Abby came out of the room where Ducky was performing the C-section, tears streaming down her face. "Abby?"
"He... he--"
Both men went over to her almost immediately, each of them looking her over carefully.
"Abby, relax," Gibbs said firmly, leading her over to her desk chair with a hand to the small of her back. He didn't miss the fact that her whole body was shaking, her hands moving nervously. "McGee, go get her some water."
"I... Tony and the baby, Gibbs... I can't--"
"They'll be okay," He said, dropping to his knees and taking her hands in his, stilling their frantic movements. "What happened?"
A harsh sob escaped her as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to catch her breath. "I don't... I don't... I don't know what happened," She managed, her voice thick with tears. "H... he was fine and then his blood pressure and heart rate... God, Gibbs!"
Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around her thin body, holding her against him as she shook.
"They made me leave," She cried. "w... why would they make me leave unless he--"
Gibbs shook his head, silently warning her to stop. "Everything will be just fine."
She closed her eyes again, wiping her tears away. "What if it's not?"
"Abby..." He tried, releasing another heavy sigh. He wasn't sure what to say to her. He wanted nothing more than to reassure her, to be able to promise her that everything really would be okay, just to see her usual positive attitude shine through, but he knew that he couldn't. "If--"
She looked up at him hopefully, praying to hear that she wasn't the only one that was concerned about what they stood to lose.
Gibbs pulled her against him once again, pressing a soft kiss to her temple before he spoke again. "You know you have plenty of people who would be more than willing to help you if it comes down to that."
He felt his heart breaking as a pained sob tore from her throat, making her small frame shake even more violently against him as he held her tightly. "Shh... it's okay. It's okay."
McGee came back a second later with a cold bottle of water for Abby, smiling when he saw Ducky exiting their makeshift operating room carrying a small pink bundle. "Ducky, is that--?"
Gibbs glanced up at the sound of McGee's voice, nudging the Abby when he saw Ducky approaching them. "Abs... look. Your daughter."
"How's Tony?" She asked, lifting her head from Gibbs' shoulder. "Can I see him?"
"We won't know for sure until he comes off of the anesthesia. His heart rate and blood pressure are stable for now, but I would like to keep the room clear until he wakes. I thought you might like to hold your baby, though. She's perfectly healthy," The Doctor announced, attempting to hand the baby to her when she pulled away suddenly, wrapping her arms around her middle.
"Abs, why don't you hold her, huh? DiNozzo will be up soon."
"I... I can't," She managed, unable to look at the newborn.
The three men looked between each other for a moment before Gibbs pushed himself to his feet and lifted the baby out of Ducky's arms. "Thanks, Duck."
He nodded and returned in the direction he came from, intent on helping his assistant get Tony patched up properly.
"Abby..." McGee tried, looking between Abby and her baby. "You should--"
"Tim," Gibbs snapped quietly, shaking his head when his agent turned to look at him. "Not now."
--Two Hours Later--
Ziva sighed quietly, glancing down at her friend's head in her lap as she ran her hand through the silky black hair. After nearly two hours of crying, Abby had finally worn herself out. Slipping out from under her, she stood and walked over to where Gibbs and McGee were fussing over the baby, trying to get her to take a bottle for the first time.
"Harder than you remember, Gibbs?" She asked, a slight smile on her face.
"Shannon breast-fed. I didn't have to do it," He mumbled, looking toward where Abby was sleeping. "DiNozzo had better wake up. I did not sign up for this."
Stepping closer, she lifted the baby out of her boss' arms and took the lukewarm bottle, touching the baby's cheek gently before placing the bottle against her lips. "There we go," She said, chuckling quietly when the men narrowed their eyes at her.
Ducky came out of the back end of the lab just over an hour later, smiling when he saw Ziva talking quietly to Gibbs and McGee as she held the sleeping infant. "I have news."
They all looked up at him, impatiently waiting for him to continue.
"Duck! C'mon."
"Tony is waking up," Ducky said, his eyes moving over to the couch on the far wall, seeing that Abby was asleep. "Perhaps we should let her rest a little longer."
Gibbs shook his head, walking over to where Abby was sleeping soundly. "She'll throw a fit if she finds out we didn't wake her, you know that," He knelt down next to the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. "Wake up, Abs."
She opened her green eyes slowly, looking up at him. "Hey."
"Hey. You got someone who wants to see you."
She shook her head, rolling over so her back was facing the older man. "I told you already, Gibbs."
He shrugged, standing up. "I doubt Tony will be happy that you don't wanna see him."
"He..." Abby tried, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at him over her shoulder. "He's awake?"
She didn't give anyone an opportunity to respond before she was up and rushing back to where he was still laying on a gurney, his eyes closed. "Tony?"
"Mm... Abby?"
A quiet sob escaped her as she made her way to his bedside, forcing a small smile when his hazel eyes opened tiredly. "I'm here, baby. I'm here."
"Is... the baby, is she alright?"
Abby frowned, realizing she hadn't even looked at her daughter since she had been born. "I--"
"She is perfect, Tony," Ziva said, walking into the room carrying the small bundle. "She has your eyes."
He pushed himself up carefully so he was leaning against the pillows, smiling at the two women. "Can I... can I see her?"
"Of course," Ziva said, handing their newborn daughter to Abby. "I will give you two a moment. Gibbs and McGee want to see you when you are ready."
She looked down at the baby in her arms, smiling as she stroked her little face before handing her over to him.
"God, Abs... she looks just like you. She's so beautiful."
She said nothing as she watched him cradle their little girl against his chest, his eyes never leaving her tiny face.
Grabbing the chair from the corner of the room, she pulled it over and sank down beside him, looking him over carefully as though she couldn't believe he was still there.
Feeling her eyes on him, Tony glanced over, offering her an exhausted smile. "You okay?"
"I just..." she started, reaching over and taking his hand in hers. "I didn't think I would see you again. They... they kicked me out and... God, Tony... I was so scared."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he mumbled, leaning over and kissing her gently. "I'm so sorry."
"Shh... don't be sorry. I'm just so... so happy that you're okay."
Tony looked her over carefully, not missing the vacant look behind her eyes. "Hey, Abs... talk to me. What's goin' on?"
"I'm pregnant."