---------------
8 weeks ago


A horrific case that left an entire Marine family murdered in their home had taken its toll on the whole team. Gibbs was in the bullpen, silent save the grinding they could all hear as he kept his jaw clenched in anger. McGee just looked shell shocked as he finished his report. Ziva's emotions were hidden as always, but to those that knew her, there was a pain deep in her eyes. Tony was furiously focused as he typed his report, all the emotions and the rage he felt kept flashing across his face as he worked.

He wanted the report to be perfect, and he wanted the two scumbags' lives to be forfeit for what they had done. The images of the Marine captain with a shotgun blast removing most of his chest and his wife who had suffered not only the injustice of being murdered but raped as well kept pushing their way to the front of Tony's mind. But those images he could push back, and look at with an almost clinical detachment. It was the images of their two murdered children that made Tony want to throw everything in reach and punch the nearest wall. Two and four, the little girls were beautiful, sandy haired princesses. Their pictures decorating the house showed their sweet smiles and sparkling green eyes.

Pausing in his typing, Tony opened another folder on his desk and stared at the photo inside, it was a copy of one from the crime scene. It was a candid shot taken on a sunny beach with the two girls in their bright, colorful swimsuits laughing as the incoming surf tickled their toes. He tried to implant this image in his mind, tried to overwrite the image of the girls' bedroom spattered in blood, and he tried not to think about the image of what the two shotgun blasts that had killed them had left behind.

Others in the building were taking the case just as hard. It had been Palmer's first case involving children and with a strength of purpose belied by his normal lighthearted demeanor, he had worked diligently to assist Ducky in taking care of the family.

As Ducky put on his overcoat and hat, he sighed to himself one more time as he looked towards the shiny doors that held the family. No matter how much violence and depravity he had see throughout the course of his career, some cases would haunt him, this was one.

There was one other person involved with the case that was trying to put some perspective on it in her own mind: Abby. She had studied the evidence endlessly, from blood patterns to DNA that the killers had left behind. She had looked at all of the crime scene photos so intensely that she could call up any one of them in her mind. She had managed to push her emotions aside as she worked, treating each piece of evidence like the puzzle piece it was that they needed to catch the murderers. But she would be lying if she said it didn't affect her, and now with the case closed and the paperwork done, she sat in her quiet lab with the music turned off and Bert in her arms as she let her horror at the crime wash over her.

Tony finished his report and handed it to Gibbs who acknowledged it with a simple nod and said quietly, "Go on, get out of here, Tony. It's been a long day."

Their eyes met for a moment, understanding passing between them. Tony replied, "Yeah. See you Monday."

Tony grabbed his stuff and was going to head for the elevator to go out to his car when he decided to make a detour and headed for the other elevator where he hit the button that would take him to Abby's lab. He hadn't seen her for most of the day and he wanted to check on her. He knew how kindhearted she really was and cases like this always affected her hard. Just like him.

The quietness in the lab hit him, along with the muted lighting. For a moment he thought she might have already left but then he saw her sitting in the dark at her desk.

"Hey," he said softly as he approached.

Her little downtrodden, "Hey," in return let him know that she was taking the case hard. He was glad he decided to stop down although he suspected that Gibbs would most likely be making an appearance down here in the near future, Abby was "his girl" and he took care of his own. Gibbs said it was a Marine thing, but Tony knew better- it was a Gibbs' thing.

Tony tried to pull her into conversation but it wasn't working, she just sat there hugging that hippo with a haunted look on her face. Oddly, he felt a twinge of jealousy that the hippo was getting hugged and he wasn't. Abby's hugs always made him feel better, and he got them often, Abby liked hugs.

Thinking about that for a moment as he stood behind her chair, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, chair, Bert and all, and rested his chin on her shoulder. He knew it was the right thing to do when she leaned her head to rest against his and she reached up with a hand to stroke his arm.

Tony had been right about Gibbs coming down to check on Abby, and it was that scene that he saw from the doorway of the lab. Smirking to himself, he left as stealthily as he had arrived not alerting them to his presence. He knew that the two of them had a special bond and that they would take care of each other.

Almost simultaneously Abby and Tony said, "Wanna go get a beer?", and that brought a little chuckle to both of them.

In short order they found themselves at a favorite little bar both feeling their beer, not enough to be stupidly drunk, just enough to take the edge off and bring down their walls. And enough that the bartender happily called them a cab when they closed down the bar and were some of the last patrons remaining. The cab took them to Abby's first and Tony walked her to her door with the cab waiting at the curb.

Tony gave her a big hug goodnight and when they pulled back so she could go inside they found themselves instead meeting halfway in a fierce kiss. Something about death makes people want to reconnect with life, and when they broke the kiss but stayed close enough to share breath Abby whispered, "Stay."

And after paying the cabby, he did.

When the morning sun's gentle rays started filtering in, Tony cracked an eye. For a moment didn't know where he was, then it all hit him and he looked down at the woman he had tucked protectively under his arm. He tried to process it all as he looked down on Abby, looking like a tired angel sleeping on his chest.

He found some feelings coursing through him that he didn't know if he really wanted to examine, didn't want to recognize, and he silently prayed that this wouldn't ruin their friendship. He unconsciously squeezed her in tighter at that thought, and an ever complying Abby snuggled in closer and sighed contently.

Tony's mind was still spinning when he heard her sleepy voice say, "I could get used to this, Tony," as she planted a feathery kiss on his chest.

He bent his head and kissed the top of her head and said honestly, "Me too, Abs. Me too."

---------------
tbc...

---------------
3 Weeks Later

It hadn't taken them long to get used to it at all, and more nights of the week than not found them together at her place or his. Their friendship had always been full of teasing and laughter and now as lovers the teasing took on whole new layers.

They were very discrete at the office, both wanting to keep their new status private. They thought they had been successful, but Gibbs knew. He knew the first Monday morning after as a matter of fact. It wasn't in anything they did overtly, they hadn't driven in to work together, or held hands, or said anything. It was just in their eyes when they looked at each other, and Gibbs had caught it the first time they were all in the lab at the same time.

Gibbs kept the knowledge to himself. They were adults, and they were adults that had known each other a long time, as long as they kept it out of the office there wouldn't be a problem.

---------------

Sixteen days after their first time came the "Great Condom Incident", as Abby dubbed it, she even wrote "GCI" in big letters on the calender hanging in her kitchen. They had gone clubbing and mauled each other in Abby's front hallway. Neither had wanted to wait the length of time it would have taken Abby to get her diaphragm and they used the condom from Abby's purse solo.

Tony and Abby were not new at the game, and they always played safely although they had been discussing the idea of a blood test and trust. Truth be told, the trust was already there and the blood test itself was more symbolic than anything, they both knew they were fine from their regular checks at work. It was just another step forward in their relationship, and that was what it was: a relationship. One that was full of support and caring, playfulness and bickering, sharing and compromise, and most importantly, love. The words hadn't actually been said yet, but they were always there in the room with them, both afraid to say them as if by saying them it would somehow all go away.

So when they lost themselves in each other in that hallway a little high on beer and adrenaline from the club and that condom let them down, neither really panicked.

---------------
tbc...

---------------
Present

It had been an absolutely crazy week, back to back cases that kept everyone scurrying around. Abby felt even more of the pressure as she was getting evidence thrust at her from all the teams.

Gibbs' team had finally caught a breather and Tony was at his desk trying to get caught up on paperwork. He was really hoping that they would have the weekend off. He and Abby hadn't really had any quality time together all week, crawling into bed and curling up around each other to try and catch three hours of sleep before needing to be back at the office didn't count.

He knew Abby was tired, and stressed, and if his mental calculations were correct, she was also fighting pms. With that thought in mind he took a break and hit the vending machine for her favorite chocolate bar and made his way to her lab.

The music was on but a little more on the bluesy-jazz side rather than her normal head-pounding metal. He admired the view of her in one of her favorite little skirts and kneesocks for a moment before she realized he was there. She gave him a quick smile and he could see the circles under her eyes and, if possible, she seemed a little paler than usual.

"Hey, Abs," he said going to stand next to her at the bench.

"Gibbs know you're down here goofing off?" she teased.

"I'm not afraid of Gibbs...," at her questioning eyebrow he added, "Ah, no, he doesn't know."

She giggled then suddenly stopped. She gripped the bench but Tony saw her legs give out and caught her before she could hit the floor.

Abby woke up to see the fuzzy images of three very concerned men staring at her. One more frantic than the others, but deadly quiet.

Ducky was taking her pulse. "Ah, back with us, Abigail?"

"What happened?"

Gibbs' voice dragged her attention away from Ducky, "You passed out, Abs. Just about gave DiNozzo a heart attack."

Her eyes flew to Tony's. He had her other hand in a death grip, his face awash with worry. His silence screaming volumes about how worried he was. "Tony, I'm okay."

She attempted to sit up and got dizzy again. Thankfully Tony was there for her to lean against.

"Have you been feeling ill, Abby?" Ducky asked.

"No. Just tired. It's been a crazy week. I'm so embarrassed."

"When was the last time you ate anything?"

She made a face at that, "I've been a little queasy the past couple of days, I haven't really had much of an appetite."

Gibbs sighed. "You don't think that maybe that falls under the heading of "feeling ill", Abs?"

"I guess. I've just been swamped, I didn't really think about it, Gibbs."

"How is your stomach now, Abby?"

"It's better now than it was earlier."

"Good. Now Anthony had brought you a chocolate bar. Think you can manage that?" Ducky asked as he held out the candy bar.

"Yeah." Tony finally released her hand so she could open the chocolate and she ate it in short order as the men supervised.

Some of the color returned to her cheeks as she ate it, and when she had finished it and washed it down with a bottle of water, Ducky said, "I suspect that the reason you lost consciousness is the combination of a lack of sleep and hypoglycemia. Now I want you to go home, eat a healthy meal and get some rest. Think you can manage that?"

She shook her head. "I can't leave, there's too much to do."

Gibbs sighed again. "DiNozzo, take her home now, feed her and put her to bed. I don't want to see either of you until Monday."

Abby started to protest, "But, Gibbs...," when Tony spoke for the first time.

His voice was firm and brooked no nonsense, "No buts, Abby. While you get your stuff together, I'm going to go bring the car around."

Gibbs smirked to himself. He knew that Tony would take care of "his" girl.

He and Ducky waited with her as she shut down the lab and got her purse and coat. They escorted her up to the bullpen and Tony met them there. For a brief moment Tony's eyes met Gibbs' and there was approval in them that Tony hadn't expected to see.

Tony got her home and situated on the couch as he put together a quick dinner of pasta, salad and bread. He had been unusually quiet and didn't really speak until they were settled on the couch with their food.

"You scared me, Abs."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You should have told me you didn't feel well."

Abby picked at her food, "I know. I just didn't think it was that big a deal."

Tony looked down at his plate, distractedly pushing the penne around the plate, and his voice was low when he replied, "It is a big deal. I love you and if something's wrong I need to know."

The words were out, said quietly with a world of emotion behind them. She didn't didn't say anything, simply met his eyes and nodded. More words would have just gotten in the way.

They napped together on the couch, falling asleep in front of the television. And when he woke later, he carried her to bed and tucked them both in, pulling her close to him.

And in that space, that moment between being awake and asleep, she whispered into his chest, "I love you too."

---------------
tbc...

Tony woke the next morning to the sound of Abby in the bathroom retching. He got her a washcloth for her face and some water to rinse her mouth out. Then getting her settled back in bed with the plastic trash can from the bathroom at the bedside just in case, he called Ducky and filled him in on Abby's current state.

Promising to stop by in the early afternoon, Ducky advised Tony to keep Abby hydrated as best he could.

Tony made himself some coffee and was standing there staring at, but not really seeing, the coffee pot as his mind whirled and he tried not to worry about Abby.

The past two months had been incredible. He and Abby just... clicked. They had the same energy level and the same sometimes childish enthusiasm for things and yet both were serious professionals when it came to their jobs. They were good for each other. They were both very independent people, neither of which could tolerate a clingy significant other, and neither of of them were looking for someone to "take care" of them. They just wanted to be with someone that cared about them for who they were, all of who they were.

Tony would be the first to admit that he didn't know how to really do the relationship thing. He could do the dating thing, the boyfriend thing, the going out to dinner and winding up in bed thing, but the real relationship thing was a whole new ballgame. He had learned a few things in his fiasco with Jeanne, about himself and about relationships, but it was different with Abby.

Abby made him feel ten-feet tall and bullet proof. She could laugh away his insecurities and boost his ego without even trying, and he found himself wanting to protect her. Well, he had always protected her as a friend, but now he wanted to protect her from the rest of the world. He wanted to protect her from all the ugliness and darkness that they both saw every day even though he couldn't, and he wanted to protect her from any of a thousand slights because of her appearance that she pretended not to hear, even though he knew she did.

More recently he wanted to protect her from the things that go bump in the night. He found himself envisioning himself as the dad in the movies that goes prowling around the house with a baseball bat after his wife hears a noise in the house. The daydreams of living with Abby in that kind of suburban utopia with the house with the white picket fence and a family of their own kept getting more vivid. It was something he had never, except for the briefest moment when he had burned Jeanne's note, realized that he wanted.

But he did, and if the past couple of months were any indication, he and Abby had that future. They would get there eventually he had no doubt, but they had both had things go badly in the past and they were taking things slowly and letting their relationship grow as it would.

The coffee pot gurgled and Tony grabbed a mug out of the cupboard. He heard Abby retching again in the other room and sighed, he felt useless and helpless. He wanted to wave a magic wand and make her feel better in a flash, but he couldn't. He took a quick sip of the scalding coffee and left the mug on the counter, thinking that the smell wouldn't be good for Abby's stomach, and went to go hold her hair and her hand and at least be in the room with her as he was being useless.

---------------

Finally about lunchtime, Abby's stomach finally settled down enough for her to attempt some chicken broth and saltines and she and Tony were both nestled in their favorite corners of the couch watching a movie when Ducky arrived.

Ducky knew that Tony was indeed a caring person, a gentle soul at heart, even though his comic fraternity boy demeanor at the office hid it well. It really was all a show, a facade Tony could hide behind, something to mask all his own insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. He also knew that eventually the right woman would find a way to sneak behind that facade and steal Tony's heart when he wasn't looking. Although Ducky knew that Abby and Tony were very close, he never expected that the woman to finally win Tony's true affection would have been Abby, but he had seen it in the younger man's eyes as he silently held Abby's hand when she fainted. He loved her, and she him, and Ducky was happy for them both. He had a sneaking suspicion about something, however, that he prayed wouldn't tear his two dear friends asunder.

When Ducky tried to shoo Tony out of the living room so he could examine and talk to Abby, she wouldn't hear of it. "Ducky, it's fine. I'm going to tell him everything anyway so he might as well hear it first hand."

He took her blood pressure and listened to her heart and lungs, all of which were normal, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with her, she wasn't even queasy at the moment. Ducky was a man of words, and could talk the paint off the walls if he tried hard enough, but he was stumbling over the right words to tell them what he suspected the cause of Abby's symptoms to be.

"So what do you think, Duck? Food poisoning or stomach flu or something?" Tony asked standing next to the couch near Abby.

Ducky sighed. "I actually suspect it is the "or something", Tony." He said and paused before starting to speak and pausing again.

Abby was getting nervous. "What is it, Ducky? Just tell us. Please."

Ducky took a deep breath. "Look, you are both old enough that I'm not going to give you the lecture about the effectiveness of the various methods of birth control," he said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a little box, "So I will just come right out and say that I suspect that Abigail's condition is perfectly normal for a pregnant woman."

You could have heard a pin drop in the room as all three of them stared at the pregnancy test box in Ducky's hands. Ever so slowly Abby and Tony's eyes met, and what happened next couldn't possibly have surprised Ducky any more than it did. They both said simultaneously, "The Great Condom Incident."

Their faces weren't giving away any emotion one way or another though, and it concerned Ducky. Abby's hand found Tony's and they both squeezed.

Tony's mind was a whirlwind, and he closed his eyes for a moment to try and process. A baby, his baby. At that thought the corners of his mouth curled up of their own accord and as he opened his eyes and refocused his attention on Abby's face he realized she was nervously biting her bottom lip waiting to see his reaction. His smile broadened as he looked at her and he said softly, "A baby. Us. Wow."

He could feel the relief course through Abby and he felt bad, did she really think he would have run for the hills? He made a mental note that they really needed to talk about that, but the enormous smile she gave him a moment later pushed the thought out of his head as she said, "Yeah. Wow."

Ducky cleared his throat. "Not to put a damper on things, but you should use this pregnancy test first thing tomorrow morning to confirm my suspicion. There is a nasty stomach virus making the rounds but since Abby feels better later in the day I am leaning more towards morning sickness being the culprit rather than that virus. If it is positive, Abby, you should make an appointment with your regular physician as soon as possible. And might I add that you both seem to be taking this news far better than I had anticipated."

---------------

A little later after Ducky had left they were sitting on the couch, Tony had his feet up on the coffee table and Abby was lounging on him and using him as a pillow. They both kept staring at the little box on the coffee table.

Tony's active imagination was flipping through a photo album of pictures yet to come in his mind. He could see a very pregnant Abby, he could see the two of them holding a newborn in the hospital, he could see them with a toddler in a stroller, he could see himself coaching t-ball, he could just see it all. They would be a family, a real family, and somehow the thought of a baby just completed all of his previous imaginings of his goth-inspired suburban utopia.

He stroked Abby's arm absently, not realizing that even his slightest touch made her feel safe and cherished and said, "You know I've been thinking about the future a lot lately."

Abby tensed a little, half afraid of what he was going to say, she had been really quiet since Ducky left, and insecure, both of which where very un-Abby like. She knew they both loved each other, but sometimes love wasn't enough in a relationship. "Would I like what you've been thinking?"

He chuckled, "I hope so. I just keep seeing us, together, and I really want that. And now we might be having a baby, and I want that too. I want us to be a family, Abs. I love you and I don't want to lose you."

She sat up and took his chin in her hand and made his eyes meet hers, "You mean that?"

"Yeah, I do. But what about you?"

"I want what we have. I didn't tell you how I felt till last night because I was afraid I'd scare you away. I scare everybody away." She dropped her eyes and he could see her bottom lip almost quivering.

He pulled her in and squeezed her tightly and whispered into her hair, "Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Miss Scuito. I think you're stuck with me."

She replied quietly, "You're really okay with it if I'm pregnant?"

"Are you kidding? I can't stop thinking about it. I haven't been able to decide if I'd want a boy or a girl though. I keep picturing a little girl with your eyes and your pigtails and smart as anything but then I'll picture a little boy with my devilish good looks who's captain of the little league team. I'll be honest, the thought of being someone's father sort freaks me out, I don't have a whole lot of positive experiences to draw from, but I figured that loving 'em would be a good place to start right?"

Abby pulled back and looked at Tony and just before she kissed him said, "The best place to start."

---------------
tbc...

That night Abby prudently put the box containing the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter, ready to be used first thing in the morning.

And use it she did. She left it on the counter in the bathroom to do its thing while she went back and sat on the bed next to a very wide awake Tony to nibble on a saltine as they waited for the timer. Truth be told, Tony hadn't slept much at all, his mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions, but as the morning light had broken through the crack between the curtains he made a decision, and now it was time to act on it.

He took Abby's hand in his and pulled it to his mouth to kiss it gently. Abby gave him a little smile and kept chewing her saltine, trying to will herself not to throw up. Tony played with her fingers trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say. The ding of the timer in the bathroom signaled that it was time to check the test, but as Abby stood to go check it he wouldn't release her hand and he blurted out, "Marry me."

A little in shock Abby sat back down next to him, and before she could say anything he tried again, "Marry me. Whether that thing is positive or not, marry me."

She heard a little twinge in his voice, and she realized that he was steeling himself for rejection and that was why he stated it instead of asked. She knew he was sincere, he would never have said something of that magnitude and not meant it. She also knew that he was handing her his heart, to do with what she would, and that thought made her eyes well up and made her want to tuck it someplace safe, like right next to hers, forever. Her stomach was rolling with nausea and she didn't trust herself to speak without throwing up in the middle of it, so she simply nodded and squeezed the hand holding hers.

Tony breathed out a huge sigh of relief. "Really?" he asked, almost like he couldn't believe it.

He finally believed it when she leaned over and kissed him lightly and whispered, "Yes, really," leaving Tony sitting there grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

A potent wave of nausea hit her and she scrambled for another saltine and said quickly, "I better go check that test."

A long minute later she came out of the bathroom with the test in hand, her expression unreadable. Tony couldn't stand it any longer. "Well? What's it say?"

Abby didn't say anything, just handed him the test to see for himself and as he looked at it, his brow furrowed in confusion. There was a very faint pink line in the test window and he asked, "So is this a positive or a negative."

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know. My testing in my lab is much more exact. I have no idea. It could be a bad test, could be a false positive or it could be a very faint actual positive. I just don't know."

"So what do we do now?"

"We could try sneaking into the office so I can run the test there, and just hope Gibbs doesn't catch us."

"He did threaten me that he didn't want to see us until Monday, but I guess since we wouldn't actually be working maybe it wouldn't count."

Abby suddenly looked green and bolted for the bathroom and threw up splendidly. Tony did the dutiful thing and got her a cloth and some water. As she knelt on the bathroom floor, leaning with her arms on the toilet and her head resting on them she said wearily, "I just need to throw up for a little while first."

Tony sat on the floor next to her and rubbed her back gently and said lightheartedly, "I'd take over for you for a while if I could, Abs."

"I know. There is one thing you can do though."

Thinking she wanted something he said earnestly, "Anything for you."

She turned her head with a little smirk on her green face and gave him a sideways glance, "You get to tell Gibbs we're getting married."

---------------
tbc...

Later that afternoon, once Abby had managed to eat a little something and have it stay with her, they headed into the office so Abby could run the test.

They slipped into the office after verifying with security that Gibbs wasn't in the building. They were both giggling about feeling like teenagers sneaking around the high school and trying not to get caught by the principal.

They had no sooner gotten into Abby's lab and shucked their jackets when Tony's cell phone rang, the caller-id letting him know it was Gibbs.

He made a face at the phone before answering it, "Yeah, boss?"

Abby stood there chewing her lip as she stuck her ear near Tony's so she could hear as well.

"How's Abby feeling?"

"Better right now, she managed to eat lunch without turning green."

"Are you both in the office?"

"Uh..."

"DiNozzo, I'm standing next to your car so don't try to BS me. I need to know if Abby's with you, we've got an urgent case, a Navy captain's pregnant wife and five-year old son were abducted. I need you both."

Tony answered simply, "We're both here, down in Abby's lab."

"I'm on my way in."

---------------

Abby had all her equipment fired up and ready for the influx of physical evidence that was on its way in as Gibbs strode into the lab,.

He could see that Abby was still very pale, but he needed her. He looked at the two of them leaning up against Abby's bench and said, "Remind me later to yell at both of you for being here. Tony, you're with me. Abby, get yourself wired for sound, direct to me. This Navy captain works in the Pentagon with information classified at the highest level and right now he's scrambling because someone's got his wife and son. I know you don't feel well, Abs, just take it steady, sit when you can. Okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay, Gibbs."

Gibbs headed for the elevator, and pretended not to notice the quick kiss that he caught that passed between Tony and Abby, but what he didn't catch was Abby saying, "I'll run the test and I'll call you."

Tony nodded, "The minute you know."

The elevator dinged and Gibbs bellowed for Tony, who bolted towards the door, but paused in the doorway to give Abby a wink and a little grin.

---------------

The elevator was quiet, Gibbs' mind was churning over the case, but he also wanted to know why Tony and Abby were at the lab on a Sunday, especially after he expressly told them he didn't want them back until Monday. He flipped the emergency switch and the elevator ground to a halt.

"Care to explain why you and Abby are here in the office, DiNozzo?"

"Actually I do sorta need to talk to you about something relating to that, Boss, but I don't think now's really the time."

Gibbs simply stepped towards Tony and glared, waiting.

Tony swallowed hard and answered quickly, "We're getting married."

To say he was surprised would have been an understatement and the shock was evident on Gibbs' face. "Married?"

"Yeah."

"And this has what exactly to do with you being here in the office?"

"Um, well, ah, see here's the thing, Boss...," Tony stammered.

"Just spit it out, DiNozzo."

Tony closed his eyes and prayed that if Gibbs hit him that it would be quick. "Ducky thinks Abby's nausea is actually morning sickness. She took a home pregnancy test earlier but the results weren't clear, so she wanted to run the test here so we can be sure."

"Abby's pregnant?" If he had been shocked over the revelation that they were getting married, it was nothing compared to this.

When he didn't feel a fist in his teeth, Tony cracked an eye to see Gibbs standing there with an odd, odd look on his face. It was a look of awe, and love, and overlaid with a little longing and loss for his own lost child.

He said with a little grin, "We don't know yet. We just got here when you called. She's going to run the test before all the evidence gets here."

Gibbs expression went a little stony on Tony making him nervous and he wasn't expecting Gibbs to ask, "Is that why you're getting married?"

Tony surprised himself by how quickly his answer came, "No. I love her and I want to marry her whether or not she's having my baby."

Tony flinched visibly when Gibbs raised his hand, thinking he was in for a punch, but Gibbs just stood there for a second with his pointer finger in the air, as if he wanted to stress something to Tony but he said nothing. Tony almost jumped out of his skin when that hand reached out and patted him on the cheek. Gibbs actually smiled, a real, genuine smile and teased Tony, "Good answer."

Tony let out the breath he was holding and it came out in the form of a forced nervous chuckle.

Gibbs turned back to flip the switch and said seriously, "Keep your head in the game today, DiNozzo. We've got a woman who's eight months pregnant and a five year old to find."

"We'll find them, Boss," Tony said with absolute conviction.

As the elevator hit their floor, Gibbs paused a moment before getting out. "DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, Boss?"

"Is she happy about a baby?"

"Yeah. We both are."

"Good. Now let's get to work."

---------------
tbc...

The rest of the day and into the evening was fast and furious. Abby had set her test to run but then promptly forgot about it as the boxes of evidence from the kidnapping were dropped off at her lab. She was sorting and processing all of it when Ducky stopped into her lab for a visit, bearing with him a gift of apple juice and a package of peanut butter crackers.

"Ducky!" Abby smiled.

"I have come to ensure that you take a break for a few minutes and sit, Abigail."

"But...." She gestured towards the evidence on the table.

"Doctor's orders. You won't do either of them any good if you pass out on us again. Five minutes." He gently took her by the elbow and led her to her desk chair.

With a sigh, she peeled off her gloves and took the offered snack from Ducky. "Thanks, Ducky."

Ducky leaned against the edge of the desk and asked, "So may I ask how your test results turned out?"

Abby could see the obvious glee in Ducky's face, completely giving away what he hoped the test results would be. She explained about the home test and that she had a real test running now that she was waiting for it to finish.

After he had felt that she had had an adequate break, Ducky headed back to autopsy after making her promise to call him as soon as her test was done running.

---------------

To say that Captain Gleason was frantic was an understatement and with each passing minute without any sort of a ransom demand he grew more distraught.

Mrs. Gleason and their son had been abducted from their home in the space of time it took for Captain Gleason to run to the local convenience store to buy forgotten hamburger rolls for their backyard barbecue. He had returned home to see his home in disarray and his family missing. That had been three hours ago.

The scene had been processed immediately, but Tony was making his own observations as he walked through the house. He stepped into what must have been Gleason's son's room, it was decorated with dinosaurs and there were toys everywhere. He grimaced remembering another children's bedroom months back, one full of blood and death. He shook it off and continued his walk through of the house. He pushed open another door to find the nursery. Painted a gentle pink and full of baby furniture and stuffed animals, it was just waiting for the new arrival. For just a moment as he looked at the comfortable rocking chair in the corner, Tony smiled vaguely, his mind conjuring an image of Abby in her favorite red bathrobe gently rocking their baby. He shook that image off, too, not wanting to be distracted.

Tony went into the Gleason's bedroom next, not expecting to find anything. Mrs. Gleason kept a very tidy home, lived in, but tidy. Tony's keen eyes picked up on things out of place in the bedroom. He went to the back deck where Gibbs was sitting with the Captain and asked him to accompany him back to the bedroom.

Mrs. Gleason's jewelry box had been left with the cover closed over a string of pearls that were hanging out. Captain Gleason confirmed that this was out of place, the pearls had been Mrs. Gleason's grandmother's and she would never had treated them like that.

Carefully Tony opened the lid of the jewelry box by the very edge as not to disturb any prints, and asked Gleason if if looked like anything was missing. It only took a second for him to realize what exactly was missing: the key to her safety deposit box.

Gibbs asked, "What's in the safety deposit box?"

"Rare coins that her uncle left her. We're actually putting them up for auction next week."

"How much are they worth?"

"About three-quarters of a million."

Tony was already looking for his kit to dust the jewelry box for prints.

---------------

Abby's test finished processing with ding and the printer spit out the results. She grabbed it and read quickly, then headed for her desk to call Tony.

Tony was in the Gleason's living room rummaging through his kit when his cell phone rang. He smiled, then swallowed hard at seeing Abby's name on the caller-id.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Ducky made me take a break a little while ago."

"Good. I'm hoping to have a print for you to run in a few. We think we've found our motive."

They chatted about the case for a minute when Abby finally took a breath and said, "I got my test results."

"So... don't keep me in suspense, are we?"

---------------
tbc...

Tony was wearing a goofy, poleaxed look as he headed back to the bedroom on autopilot to dust for prints. He didn't hear Gibbs approach behind him and was startled when Gibbs' voice seemingly out of nowhere asked, "What is that look for, DiNozzo?"

Tony turned towards Gibbs. "I talked to Abby."

"And?"

The smile that Tony couldn't hide was real and blinding as he said, "We're having a baby, Boss."

---------------

Step by step they worked the case through the night. No one had ever seen Tony work with quite so much determination before, he was simply driven. The evidence finally lead them to a greedy and mentally unstable cousin of Mrs. Gleason. And in the end, it was Tony that took the kill shot without hesitation when that cousin put a gun to Mrs. Gleason's head.

With the Gleason's reunited, and the suspect on the way to the morgue, Tony finally found himself alone with Gibbs for the first time since he had told him about the results of Abby's test.

Gibbs was driving a little slower than his normal racing speed, they were all tired. He turned to Tony and teased, "So I guess I should start building a crib, huh?"

Tony grinned sheepishly and replied, "Abby'd love that, Boss. I don't even know where to start on a list of what the baby is gonna need."

"You've got plenty of time to figure that out, DiNozzo. Besides, you've got to get through a wedding first."

"Oh, god."

---------------

They got back to the office and Tony didn't even bother heading for his desk, he just went straight for the other elevator.

Down in Abby's lab the room was quiet and the lights dimmed. Abby was at her desk with Bert in her lap browsing on the computer. She looked tired.

"Hey," he said softly as he approached.

She looked up at him and gave him a smile. "Hey. Gibbs must be really be tired if it took you that long to get back."

"We're all running on fumes. Were you able to catch a nap earlier?"

"Yeah. Two actually. Duck insisted."

"Good. By the way, Gibbs knows about everything, the baby, us getting married."

"And? Is he okay with it?"

"If I didn't know better I'd say he's happy for us. Maybe even a little excited."

"Really?"

Gibbs said from behind Tony, "Really."

---------------
Two Months Later

In a beautiful black and red rose-filled candlelit ceremony Tony and Abby exchanged rings and vows. Abby was stunning in a bustled antique Victorian wedding gown that was snowy white satin embellished with black ribbons and and embroidery. Sister Rosita was standing beside Abby in her full habit and Gibbs was beside Tony, the two men wearing tailed-tuxedos and waistcoats. From the outside looking in, it made for a strange tableau.

The party following was a joyous celebration. It was odd mashing of people- nuns and cops, and goths and frat boys. But they were all the people that mattered to Tony and Abby the most.

They honeymooned in Italy and stayed in a real castle. Abby's only disappointment that she didn't get to meet the ghost that supposedly lived in said castle.

Tony had given up his apartment before the wedding and had moved into Abby's house. The little renovated Victorian was in a decent neighborhood with good schools nearby and would be the ideal place to start their little family, something they were both starting to really look forward to as Abby's pregnancy moved along.

---------------
Five and a Half Months Later

None of the florists in D.C. could figure out why there was a sudden rush on black roses. The answer was obvious to anyone visiting Abby's hospital room. There were enormous bouquets of them tied with light blue ribbon and adorned with silly balloons welcoming their new son.

The baby was in a clear bassinet near the bed as Tony helped Abby get ready to go home.

He sat on the bed next to her and pulled a little gift box out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"What's this?"

"Just something I picked up for you in Italy."

Abby opened the box with childlike glee to find a very old and stunning ruby encrusted crucifix. Abby was speechless.

Tony took it out of the box and slipped the long chain over Abby's head. "It's from the Renaissance. I wanted to give you something special to celebrate the birth of our first child."

Abby looked down at the lovely gift on her chest for a moment, then threw her arms around Tony. "I love it. And I love you."

"I love you too, Abs," he whispered back emotionally and gave her a little squeeze.

The baby woke up and made a little gurgling noise. They pulled back from each other and looked towards the bassinet.

Abby said, "I can't believe we're parents. Are we ready to be parents?"

Tony chuckled and teased, "I don't know, are we?"

---------------
the end.