Chapter One: A Probie's Mistake

The room was dark, save for the slither of moonlight that filtered in from the open window, illuminating the two men as they moved together, their quiet moans slicing through the otherwise silent room. The taller of the two trailed his large hands down the soft skin of the other, his fingers stopping just above the waist line of the cotton boxers that separated them.

"Tony..." The word came out as a quiet gasp as teeth grazed the sensitive skin. "Tony!" He tried again.

"Hmm?" was the absent-minded response as his hands moved even lower.

"Tony, s-stop."

There was a low, unsatisfied moan as the kisses ceased and Tony dropped his head to his lover’s shoulder. Glaring up at the other man, there was disbelief written all over his face. "What the fuck, McGee?"

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't even fucking think about pulling that "I'm shy" bullshit with me again, McGee, because so help me God, I'll put my câ€"“

“Tony! No, no! I’m not being shy!� McGee responded hastily. “I just w-wanted to a-ask something…�

“Well Jesus Christ, spit it out, McSpoilsport!�

“Iwanttobeontoptonight!� McGee blurted out, cringing in anticipation of Tony’s response.

“No.�

“You didn’t even think about it!�

“I don’t have to think about it!�

“Tony! Please!�

“No!�

“You never let me be on top!� McGee complained with a huff of indignation, smacking the Italian’s hand away as he fumbled with his boxers again. “Why can’t I? Just once!�

“Because clearly I am the Alpha male in this situation and the Alpha male is not a bottom!�

“Please!�

“No! Now shut up,� Tony demanded as he leaned down, returning his lips to McGee’s neck.

“If you...� he trailed off, closing his eyes as an involuntary moan escaped his lips, “let me be on top… I’ll let you… God, Tony,� McGee whimpered.

“You’ll let me what?� Tony asked, mumbling against McGee’s neck.

“I’ll…I’ll let you… pretend to be Magnum.�

Halting his assault once more, Tony lifted his head, cocking an eyebrow at his partner. “Really?�

“Really,� McGee responded with a fervent nod.

Pushing himself up, Tony glanced down at McGee thoughtfully before sitting back on his knees. “Just one time? And then you swear you won’t bitch about it any more?�

“I swear!�

“And no one finds out about this.�

“Tony, it’s notâ€"“

“NO one.�

“Fine. I won’t tell anyone.�

Tony narrowed his eyes at the younger man, regarding him for a moment before giving a curt nod of consent. "Fine," he conceded, rolling his eyes with a put upon sigh. "But I mean it, McGreedy. Only this once."

McGee was barely able to contain his excitement as he pushed himself up off his back, his arms wrapping around Tony's neck as he pulled him closer.

"You won't regret it...Magnum," the younger man growled, his voice husky with desire he closed the gap between them.

Closing his eyes at the feeling of McGee's lips pressed against his, Tony allowed himself to be pulled closer, a quiet moan escaping him when he felt McGee pressing him back against the mattress. Reaching up, he allowed his fingers to tangle through the light brown hair, moaning again as those full lips began trailing down his neck.

McGee made his way down slowly, pressing feather light kisses to Tony's neck and chest, enjoying the way the older man trembled beneath him. He could feel his partner growing harder against his thigh.

"You like that?" He asked before moving lower still, his tongue drawing circles on Tony's taut stomach.

"God yes," Tony moaned, arching his back slightly and spreading his legs as he tugged McGee's hair.

Lifting his hips, the younger man wiggled out of his boxers, his mouth never leaving Tony's body.

Tony felt McGee's body shift as he repositioned himself, his lips attacking his neck once again.

"Fuck," the Italian hissed as McGee nipped at his collarbone.

McGee couldn't stop the quiet laugh that escaped him, smirking at the

way Tony twitched at the feeling of his warm breath against his skin.

He moved up Tony's body slowly, rubbing himself against the older man.

"Mmm," he moaned quietly against the sweet skin of Tony's neck as he positioned himself between his legs. He closed his eyes as he moved his hips, pressing himself against his lover.

"Son of a bitch!" Tony hissed, his hands pressing against McGee's chest.

"What's the matter?"

"Jesus Christ, McImpatient! And you wonder why you've never been allowed to be on top!" With a disgusted snort, he shoved McGee off of him and rolled over, grabbing for the bottle of lube on the night stand.

"Oh," McGee mumbled as Tony shoved the bottle into his hands.

"Yeah, oh," Tony sneered with a roll of his eyes as he leaned back against the pillows again. "Never again," he muttered to himself as McGee squirted the gel into his hands. "Make sure you use a lot."

"Okay, okay!" Leaning over his partner, McGee returned the bottle to the night stand beside the wrapped condom before repositioning himself again. "Ready?"

"Can I change my mind about doing this?" Tony asked, hating the slight tremble of his voice.

"Just relax," McGee said quietly as he lowered his lips to Tony's. "It's only uncomfortable for a minute."

"I AM relaxed."

"You aren’t," McGee chuckled quietly. "You're too tense. Just relax," he repeated as he moved his lips to Tony's neck, nuzzling his chin.

Tony took a deep breath as he tried to concentrate on McGee's lips on his neck. He gasped quietly when McGee nipped him again. "Mmm."

"That's it. Just relax."

Taking his place between Tony's legs again, McGee moved his mouth back to Tony's, kissing him hard as he slid into his lover.

"Oh fuck!" Tony cursed, his eyes watering as McGee stilled, letting him adjust.

"Shh... Shh. Just relax."

"Easy... For you to fucking say, McGiant!"

Holding himself in place, McGee kissed Tony again, silently praying that the discomfort would be short lived. He could feel Tony's tense body begin to relax beneath him. Pressing another kiss to Tony's lips, he pulled out slightly before sliding back in, hating the pained moan that escaped the man beneath him.

He lifted his head as he pulled out again, hissing when he felt Tony sink his teeth into his shoulder as he bit back another cry of pain.

"Just... Relax."

He moved slowly at first, waiting patiently for Tony to adjust. It wasn't long, however before the whimpers of discomfort changed into moans of pleasure, encouraging McGee to continue.

Moaning loudly as he returned his lips to Tony's neck, McGee shuddered at the feeling of Tony's hands raking down his back.

"God you feel so good," he moaned, thrusting a bit harder as Tony began to move to meet him.

"Faster," Tony gasped as he arched the back, one hand grasping the sheets as he gripped himself with the other.

Their movements grew more desperate with each passing second, their gasps and moans coming louder and faster.

"Ah fuck," Tony moaned as he felt McGee moving harder inside him. "I'm gonna..."

Crushing his lips to Tony's again, McGee silenced him as he thrusted harder, on the verge himself. He felt Tony tense beneath him before he felt the hot spray on his chest and stomach.

With a loud cry of pleasure, McGee felt himself explode inside of his lover, his entire body shuddering as he collapsed on top of him.

He laid there for a moment to catch his breath, before he pulled out and rolled off, his chest heaving as he panted heavily.

Beside him, he heard his exhausted partner grunt before he rolled onto his side, his back facing. Despite the fair amount of discomfort he was sure Tony was feeling, he couldn't bring himself to wipe the pleased smile from his face.

"Thank you...Magnum."

OoOoOoOo

Forcing his tired eyes open, a quiet groan escaped Tony as he shifted slightly, bringing his hand up in an attempt to clear to sleep from his eyes.

Behind him, he could feel McGee's warmth as the man laid, pressed against him, his arm wrapped around his waist as he held him against his chest.

For a split second, his first instinct was to elbow the hell out of McGee and tell him to quit being such a fucking girl, but if he was being honest with himself, he didn't mind the closeness.

Burrowing a little deeper into the pillow, he moaned softly as the movement jostled him, the discomfort escalating to more than just a dull ache. Though he was positive that punching McGee would do nothing to alleviate the pain, he debated it for a moment simply for the fact that the whole thing had been his idea to begin with.

Tony had just closed his eyes in an effort to try to get just a little more sleep when he felt McGee shift behind him, his body tensing just a bit as he stretched before he relaxed again.

"Mmm. Tony?"

"What?"

"How're you feeling this morning?"

"Just peachy, McGee. I love feeling like I've shoved six sheets of sandpaper up my ass."

"I'm sorry," McGee mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to Tony's shoulder. The Italian softened slightly, the irritation he felt with the younger man diminishing.

"S'okay, I guess. But I swear to God if you so much as SUGGEST being on top again, I'm going to punch the hell out of you."

Try as he might, McGee couldn't contain his quiet chuckle as he pushed the covers from his body and climbed from the bed, groaning as he stretched again. "You want the shower first?"

"No, you go ahead. Gonna sleep for a few more minutes. Wake me up when you're done."

OoOoOoOo

Squeak.

Squeak.

Squeak.

"Oh for goodness sake, Tony! Sit still!" Ziva hissed as she slammed her pen onto her desk. "You have been squeaking in that chair for over an hour!"

"Well if you hadn't stolen MY chair, then we wouldn't be having this problem now would we, Zee-vah?" Tony sneered, glaring at his raven haired partner.

"Oh please. I did no such thing!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"DID too!"

"Did--"

"DiNozzo!"

Jumping slightly at the sound of his boss' voice behind him, Tony scowled at Ziva once more before forcing a smile.

"Oh, hey boss," he greeted casually as Gibbs rounded the corner near his desk.

The silver haired man did not respond, though he dropped a stack of files on his senior agent's desk.

"Uh... Boss?"

"Since you're unable to sit still, take those down to Abby."

"Thank goodness!"

Scowling at Ziva once more, Tony stood, trying desperately not to cringe. He picked up the stack of files, tucking them under his arm as he headed for the elevator, mentally cursing McGee with each painful step.

"Why is Tony walking so strangely? Is he injured?" Ziva asked as the elevator doors closed behind him.

"Oh yeah. He's injured all right," Gibbs replied, smirking in McGee's direction before he sank down into his chair, chuckling quietly to himself.

OoOoOoO

"Abby!" Tony called as he stepped off the elevator, the stack of files still tucked under his arm.

"In here," the Goth called back, smirking to herself as she heard him approaching slowly. "So tell me, Tonyboy...how was it?"

"Pretty slow, actually. Nothing going on. Just working on--"

Turning to face him, she cocked her eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am SO not talking about work, Anthony DiNozzo. Little sore today, are we?"

She took pleasure in the way the blush colored his cheeks, his jaw twitching slighthly.

"Sore? Me? Nope. Never felt better. Must have me confused with someone else."

Abby snorted in disbelief as she narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Come on Tony. You're really going to try to lie to ME? Your best friend?! You remember what happened when you tried to lie to me about sleeping with McGee the first time? Hmm?"

"You found out about it anyway," Tony muttered miserably.

"That's right!" Abby exclaimed. "I found out about it anyway! So what makes you think this would be any different?"

"I'm going to KILL McChatty," he growled.

"Relax," Abby giggled, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "I saw you walking across the parking lot this morning. First time?" She guessed, pulling away.

"That obvious?"

"Eh. Only if you know what to look for," she snickered. "I've been waiting for this moment from the minute I realized you were bi!"

"Abby!"

"What?! I can't help it! Its something everyone should try at least once!

I keep asking Gibbs if I can--"

"Entirely too much information, Abs."

"Come on Tony. Like you haven't thought about f--"

"I can honestly say the thought's never crossed my mind."

"Well you're no fun then."

He rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Sorry to disappoint," he said as he handed the files over.

"Ah, I just love when you bring me gifts," Abby smirked, accepting the folders from his hand. "This is why you're my favorite."

"And here I thought it was my good looks and charming personality that did it for you."

"Only on the days you're playing it straight, Tonyboy. Those good looks and personality are no use to me otherwise," she teased with a playful wink.

He rolled his eyes playfully before pecking her cheek. "Whatever you say Abs. We both know that even on days I'm NOT playing it straight that I could still rock your world."

She didn't bother to hide her mischievous smile as he pulled away and headed back for the elevator.

"Hey Tony?" She called as the elevator doors dinged. "I hope you and Timmy remembered to use protection last night!"

He scoffed loudly as he stepped onto to the elevator, though as the doors closed behind him, he couldn't help but wonder: HAD McGee remembered the condom?

Chapter Two: Tony's Tummy Troubles

Six Weeks Later...
McGee jerked awake at the sound of the door slamming, his mind instantly alert as he sat up, scanning the dark room. He threw the covers from his body, glancing over to make sure he had not disturbed Tony, stopping when he noticed that his lover was no longer beside him.

Frowning slightly, he scanned the room again, relaxing only when he saw the sliver of light filtering out from under the now closed bathroom door.

Laying back against the pillows, he pulled the blanket up once more as he closed his eyes, willing sleep to come again.

He had just started to drift off when the sound of retching reached his ears. Sitting up quickly, he climbed from the bed and made his way over to the bathroom door, knocking quietly. "T? Are you okay?"

The only response he received was a low moan followed by another round of retching. Pushing the door open, McGee stepped into the bathroom, squinting at the harsh light.

He found Tony hunched over the toilet, his head in his hands as he took a shuddery breath.

"Tony?"

"Go 'way."

"What's the matter?"

"Bad..." He trailed off, feeling the bile rise in his throat once more.

McGee cringed as Tony heaved again. Dropping to his knees behind him, he rested a hand on the older man's back.

...Chinese," Tony finished hoarsely as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Go 'way, I can take care of myself."

Ignoring his order, McGee stood and grabbed a wash cloth from the closet, running it under cool water before handing it to him.

Glaring up at the younger man, Tony snatched the cloth from his hand before throwing it to the floor. "Get the fuck out!"

"You're really grumpy when you don't feel good. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Fu--" He heaved again, his entire body tensing as he gripped the toilet with both hands.

Sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, McGee waited patiently, his hand rubbing soothing circles on his partner's back.

"You want me to give Ducky a call?" McGee asked, frowning when Tony lowered his head to his hands again.

"No. He wouldn't be able to do anything anyway," Tony muttered miserably, pushing himself to his feet.

McGee watched as Tony rinsed his mouth out before he stood.

"Back to bed," he ordered quietly as he crossed the small room, wrapping an arm around the Italian as he led him out of the bathroom.

He watched as Tony curled up on his side before he pulled the covers up, tucking them tightly around him. "You think you'd be able to keep a drink down? Need to keep you hydrated."

"No. Sleep. Now."

He debated arguing for a moment, but as he watched Tony burrow against the pillow tiredly, he changed his mind. Climbing into bed behind Tony, he wrapped an arm around his torso, pulling him back against his chest.

"Stop!" Tony moaned as he pulled away.

"Quit being so difficult."

"Then quit touching me."

"Thought you liked when I touched you."

Tony fell silent, and for a moment McGee thought that perhaps he had fallen asleep. However, it wasn't long before the older man had scooted closer, allowing McGee to wrap an arm around his waist.

A slow smile began to form on McGee's mouth as he shifted to get comfortable, pulling Tony closer.

"Shut up," Tony muttered sleepily.

"Didn't say a word."

"I can practically hear your smug smile."

Chuckling quietly to himself, McGee pressed a gentle kiss to Tony's bare shoulder before squeezing him lightly.

"Feel better, Tonyboy."

OoOoOoO

Stepping out of the elevator, Caf-Pow! in hand, McGee made his way into the lab, smiling when he saw Abby hunched over at her desk, diligently working.

The Goth glanced up at the sound of her automatic doors opening, her smile widening as she spotted the large drink in her friend's hand.

"Heya, Timmy," she greeted, grateful for the distraction. "What's up?"

He handed her the drink before sinking down in the empty chair beside her. "What are you working on?"

Looking down at the paper in front of her, she pushed it away dismissively.

"Nothing that can't wait. How'd you manage to sneak down here? Slow day?"

"It's actually kinda busy, but Tony irritated Gibbs into ordering us all to take a half an hour for lunch."

"Why am I not surprised?" Abby giggled as she took a drink from the large cup. "You didn't go with him?

"No."

"And... Is there a reason for that?"

"No. Well, technically, yes, I guess? I actually wanted to talk to you. About Tony."

"Everything going okay with you two?" She asked hesitantly.

"Oh yeah. Everything's fine. I'm actually just... He worried me a little last night."

Abby leaned forward in her chair slightly. "What happened?"

"Well... He got sick. It's nothing major. He claims it was just food poisoning and he seems to be feeling better today, but I was hoping that maybe you would..."

"Talk him into letting the Duckman check him out?" She grinned. Her boys were so easy to read. "Sure thing, Timmy. Send him down when he gets back."

Offering her a bright smile, he leaned forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. "You're the best Abs."

"Oh man! If I got a dime every time someone told me that...phew!" She chuckled, hugging him back just as tight.

The sound of the automatic door opening again caught their attention. Releasing the Goth from his embrace, McGee turned in his chair, smiling as Tony stepped into the office, his eyebrow cocked at the two of them.

"Getting frisky before lunch, are we?" He asked as he dropped the bag onto the desk before grabbing another chair and pulling it beside McGee.

"Something wrong with that?" Abby smirked.

"Not as long as you're willing to make this party of two a threesome," he grinned.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Abby asked as she peeked into the bag. "What'd you bring me?"

Tony snorted, plucking the bag from Abby's hand. "What makes you think that I brought you anything?"

"Because you love me?"

"Good point," he said with a shrug as he reached into the bag, producing a wrapped sandwich. "Sun dried tomato wrap for the lady. And for you, McPicky, tuna on wheat, no onions."

"Ah, you're the best," Abby grinned, leaning over McGee to peck Tony on the cheek. "What'd you get?"

"Cheesesteak and french fries."

"You must be feeling better then," McGee noted as he unwrapped his sandwich, watching Tony do the same from the corner of his eye.

"Much," the older man responded before taking a big bite of his sub. "Mmm. So good."

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, McGee looked away, frowning slightly. "If you're going to eat all that grease, at least eat slowly. We don't need a repeat of last night."

"Last night?" Abby asked innocently.

Tony rolled his eyes as he took another bite. "I had food poisoning last night. Bad Chinese. But I'm good now."

"Yeah," Abby said with a giggle. "I can see that. You should still probably get checked out though, T."

"I'm fine," he insisted as he finished up his sandwich. "Really. I promise."

Abby eyed him skeptically. "Tony..."

"I'm fine," he repeated, his tone a little sharper than he'd intended.

"You should still get checked out.! If you think you might have eaten something bad, you could have picked up one of the nastier bacteria or viruses! Some of that stuff is super icky and not something you should mess around with! And just because you feel fine now doesn't mean--"

"Dammit Abby! I said I'm fine!" Tony snapped as he stood, pushing the chair out of the way before turning on McGee. "And you really need to learn to keep your mouth shut!"

Turning on his heel, he stalked out of the lab.

"That went over real well," McGee sighed when he heard the elevator doors shut.

Reaching over, Abby squeezed his hand lightly. "He'll be okay, Timmy. Just keep an eye on him. If he gets sick again, we'll get Gibbs to make him go see Ducky."

OoOoOoO

Glancing up from his desk at the sound of the elevator dinging, Gibbs watched his Senior Field Agent stomp off the elevator, muttering angrily to himself.

"Stupid, overbearing, chatty little--"

"Problems DiNozzo?"

"What?" Tony asked as he sank down at his desk, cringing as he realized how sharply he'd spoken. "Uh... I mean... No boss. No problem."

"Get back to your paperwork then," the silver haired man commanded as he returned his attention to the file in front of him.

"It hasn't even been a whole half an hour yet!" Tony complained.

Glancing up again, Gibbs stared at him.

"Right. I'm just going to get back to my paperwork then."

"That's the best idea you've had all day," Gibbs responded curtly.

With a loud, put upon sigh, Tony opened the folder on his desk and made a show of shuffling the papers around as Ziva stepped off the elevator.

"I brought you a slither of pizza," the Israeli announced as she placed the small box on Tony's desk.

"Slice," Tony corrected automatically as he lifted the lid.

"DiNozzo..." Gibbs warned, not bothering to look up again.

"I'm multitasking, boss!"

Snickering quietly as Gibbs shook his head, Ziva crossed the small aisle back to her desk.

"Where is McGee?" She asked.

"Lab," Tony responded as he took a bite of pizza.

"He spends an awful lot of time down there. You do not think that perhaps he and Abby are...?"

Glancing over in his boss' direction, Tony didn't miss the slight smirk on Gibbs' face.

"Actually I don't think..." He trailed off, swallowing hard as he dropped the remainder of the pizza into the box.

"Are you okay?" Ziva asked, frowning at her partner's strange behavior.

"I'm..." He swallowed again before he pushed himself to his feet and sprinted out of the bullpen.

Tony barely made it to the men's room. Dropping to his knees in front of the toilet, he heaved violently, emptying the contents of his stomach into the bowl.

Once he was sure that his stomach was, in fact, empty, he slumped back against the stall door, his arms hugging his middle as he willed the nausea to dissipate.

"Should I alert Ducky?"

Tony jumped at the sound of Ziva's voice. "This... Is the men's room, Zee-vah," he reminded her, his voice hoarse.

"When has that ever stopped me?" Ziva asked as she stepped into the next stall. Climbing onto the toilet, she peeked over the wall dividing them, peering down at her partner.

Leaning his head back against the door, he glared up at her. "You shouldn't be in here."

"But alas, I am. So perhaps we should move on from that, yes? What is the matter?"

"I'm fine."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Why is it that men are so afraid to admit when they are not well?"

Shaking her head in disbelief, Ziva hopped down from the toilet and exited her stall. Pausing at the door, she stopped and turned, her hand on the doorknob.

"Feel better, Tony," she said quietly as she exited the bathroom, shaking her head at his stubbornness.

He waited until he heard the door shut behind her before he scrambled to his knees, gripping the toilet as he heaved once more.

He moaned quietly as he kneeled in front of the toilet with his head in his hands. Once the wave of nausea had subsided, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled out of the stall.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs barked as soon as he made it back to the squad room.

"Yeah boss?"

"Ducky. Now."

He scowled at Ziva before turning his attention to Gibbs. Any thoughts he had about arguing disappeared when the older man fixed him with the "Gibbs Stare".

"Got it boss," he sighed, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he turned back to the elevator.

Tony waited for the doors to close before he punched the button to autopsy, mentally cursing nosy coworkers, overbearing bosses and overprotective boyfriends.

OoOoOoO

"Ducky?" Tony called as he stepped off the elevator in autopsy.

Glancing up at the sound of Tony's voice, Ducky offered Tony a bright smile. "Ah! Anthony, my dear boy! What brings you down here this afternoon?"

"I think I got a hold of some bad Chinese last night."

"I do hate to say the words "I told you so," but considering how many times I have warned you against eating that horrendous slop those places try to pass off as nutritious food, I must say that I feel justified in saying it this once. That being said... I told you so."

"Feel better now, Duck?"

"Much, thank you," Ducky responded with a kind smile. "Now why don't you have a seat and tell me what the problem is?"

"Some nausea. Mostly vomiting though," the younger man explained as he took a seat in the offered chair.

"And approximately what time did it start?"

"0330, I guess."

"Any cramping?"

"No."

"Fever? Chills? Dizziness?"

"Nope."

"Well, that's a good sign. Unfortunately, my young friend, there isn't much I can do for you, other than send you home to rest."

"Duck! Come on, I don't need to go home! I feel fine right now!"

"You may feel fine now, but that doesn't mean you aren't still sick. You need rest, Tony."

"But--"

"No buts. I'm sorry, but in the event that you've picked up that nasty 24 hour flu virus that's been going around, I can't have you coming in contact with anyone else."

"Duck!"

"Home. Rest. Stay hydrated. And do not even think about hiding out in Abby's lab, because as soon as I update Jethro, I am calling her as well."

With a loud, irritated sigh, Tony pushed himself to his feet and stalked out of autopsy, grumbling about meddling old medical examiners in addition to nosy coworkers, overbearing bosses and overprotective boyfriends.

Staring after the young agent, Ducky chuckled quietly to himself, though he made a mental note to keep an eye on the boy. He wasn't sure what, but something was definitely off.

Chapter Three: Maybe Baby

"Dammit!"

Poking his head out of the bathroom at the sound of his lover's curse, McGee cocked an eyebrow as he watched Tony rummaging through the closet.

"Tony? Everything okay?"

"No Tim! Everything is NOT okay! Where the hell are all of my shirts? This can't be all of them! I had more here!"

McGee walked out of the bathroom, confusion written all over his face as he joined Tony at the closet. "What's wrong with the striped one there?"

Snatching the shirt from the hanger, Tony checked the tag. "This will just have to work," he muttered to himself as he turned and headed for the bathroom.

Shaking his head in amusement, McGee pulled out a comfortable shirt for himself. Pausing at the doorway, he watched, unnoticed as Tony struggled with the buttons on his shirt.

Tony could feel McGee's eyes on him as his fingers fumbled with the buttons. Scowling up at him, he barely resisted the childish urge to stick his tongue out. "What?" he asked sharply.

"N-nothing," McGee responded quickly.

"See! This is why I don't do relationships! I get comfortable, then I get lazy! Then I eat and gain weight and none of my clothes will fit! This is your fault, McIWantARelationship!"

"Tony, it's really not--"

"College, McGee! I've worn the same size since college! And do you know why?! Because I don't do relationships!"

"Tony--"

"Ugh. I can't even talk to you right now! Give me a sweatshirt. The black hoodie."

"It's supposed to be close to eighty today, T. It's too hot for a sweatshirt."

Tony's scowl turned to a glare, silently daring the younger man to refuse. "Sweatshirt. Now."

Frowning at Tony's sharp tone and harsh words, McGee left the bathroom without another word.

Watching the younger man go, Tony sighed loudly. He followed after him, clamping a hand down on McGee's shoulder.

"McGee--"

McGee shrugged his hand off as he reached into the closet, pulling the black hoodie from its hanger. He shoved the shirt into Tony's hands without a word before he slipped passed him. He had barely made it to the door when Tony grabbed his hand.

"Tim."

"What?" McGee asked quietly, turning to frown at Tony.

"I'm sorry."

"If you're that unhappy or whatever then maybe--"

Leaning forward, Tony pressed his lips to McGee's silencing him.

The younger man stood still for a moment before he softened, wrapping his arms around his lover, deepening the kiss.

He was left slightly breathless as Tony pulled away.

"I'm sorry," Tony repeated. "I'm just... Frustrated and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"It's not a big deal, T. People gain weight all the time. And honestly, I didn't even notice until you made such a big deal about it."

"How the hell could you not notice?" Tony asked miserably as he looked down at the shirt straining against his rounder middle.

Pressing his lips to Tony's again, McGee kissed him softly before pulling away again. "I'm too busy looking at other parts of your body when we're together," he said, grinning mischievously.

Tony rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help the broad grin that formed. "Proof right there that you've been around me too long. Smooth McGee. Real smooth."

Laughing quietly to himself, McGee pulled away, wrapping an arm around Tony's waist.

"Come on. We don't want to be late."

"Fine, fine. But we're sparring today after work. I've got to get back in the gym and get rid of this gut."

"Deal," McGee said with a nod as he led Tony out of the bedroom.

"Think we've got time to stop for a breakfast burrito before we head in?"

Snorting quietly, McGee cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What? I said I was going to start all that crap after work. Now let's go. I'm starving."

OoOoOoO

"Dammit!" Tony cursed angrily as he threw the car into park, having already spotted the sedan and Ziva's Mini Cooper. "I told you we should have taken the short cut!"

"Give it a rest, T. Seriously."

Scowling angrily in his partner's direction, Tony reached over the back seat and snatched the hoodie up before climbing out of the car, slamming the door behind him.

Rolling his eyes, McGee silently prayed for the strength to continue biting his tongue before he climbed out of the car as well.

Tony was still grumbling as he pulled the hoodie over his head. Though McGee could not make out everything he said, he snorted when he made out the word "McSlowPoke" as he drew closer.

"Really Tony? Really? Hm. That's funny because who was it that Ziva asked to show her the fastest way to get around DC? Oh wait a minute! That's right! It was ME!"

"Only because she didn't know any better," Tony snapped. "Not only is it your fault that we're late, we didn't even have time to stop for breakfast!"

"Oh Jesus Christ. Yes, because you're really going to waste away!" McGee sneered, poking Tony in the stomach. "I think you can stand to skip a burrito or two!"

McGee regretted his words immediately as Tony's face fell momentarily, a look of hurt flashing across his features. It wasn't long, however, before the older man had set his jaw, his green eyes narrowing before he turned and stalked off, his feet crunching loudly on the gravel.

"Tony!" McGee called after him, his shoulders slumping in defeat when his partner kept walking, never even glancing back in his direction.

He cursed himself quietly for being so insensitive before he jogged after his lover. Though Tony infuriated him at times, he knew that deep down the older man was occasionally more insecure than a high school girl. Making fun of him about something that he was clearly unhappy about had been a bad idea.

"Tony," he tried again after catching up with him.

"Not now," Tony growled in response as they approached Gibbs and Ziva.

"Glad you boys could join us," Gibbs called dryly as his two agents approached. "Took you look enough."

"Yeah well maybe if you had called before we were already ten miles in the opposite direction then we would have made it in time," Tony snapped in response, ignoring McGee's incredulous stare and Ziva's amused snort.

The head slap he received was not unexpected.

"Wanna try that again, DiNozzo?"

"Sorry. Traffic was a bitch, boss."

"Better. Line up. You and McGee take the two on the end."

"Got it," Tony responded sullenly before he trudged off to the end of the line, McGee following behind him.

---

Having fired his weapon until there were no bullets left, Tony cleared the chamber before leaning against the partition, waiting for the other's to finish. Dropping his head back against the divider, he closed his eyes, bringing his free hand up to wipe at the sweat beads that had formed on his face.

"You okay, T?" McGee asked as he lowered his weapon, noticing the way his lover's hand trembled slightly. Reaching out, he rested a gentle hand on Tony's shoulder, frowning when the older man jerked away.

"Don't," Tony warned, swallowing hard in an effort to fight off the nausea that had come out of nowhere. He reached up, wiping his face again.

"McGee! DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked as he made his way down the line. "Still got another half an hour left. There a reason the two of you stopped shooting?"

"No reason boss," Tony responded miserably.

Narrowing his eyes at his Senior Field Agent, Gibbs did a quick assement before taking the weapon from Tony's hand. "Take ten, DiNozzo. Get out of the sun. Get some water and lose the damn sweatshirt."

"I'm fine boss," Tony insisted, though he didn't protest when Gibbs accepted the bottle of water from Ziva and shoved it into his hands.

"Small sips," Ziva reminded him, as though he didn't know.

"McGee. Get him out of the sun. And I meant it about the sweatshirt DiNozzo. Lose it."

"But boss--" His words died as Gibbs fixed him with a stare.

"Come on T," McGee said, his hand resting on the older man's shoulder. Jerking away from his touch again, Tony scowled at his lover before shoving the water bottle into his hands.

Grumbling angrily to himself, Tony pulled the hoodie over his head, scowling at Ziva's quiet snicker.

"What?" He snapped.

"Perhaps a salad would be a good choice for lunch today, yes?" She asked, eyeing his too tight shirt.

"Ziva," McGee warned, catching the Israeli's eye. "Stop."

"What?! I am just saying that it appears as though all the pizza and Chinese has finally caught up with him!"

"Ziva, knock it off," Gibbs ordered. "DiNozzo. Go."

Gibbs watched as his two agents trudged off, Tony's shoulders slumped unhappily. Turning back to Ziva, Gibbs fixed her with a glare before pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Do another target then pack it up."

"We still have twenty minutes left, yes?"

"Nope. Your annual physicals just got moved up to today."

Dialing the number to autopsy, Gibbs stepped away from the Israeli as she took her place.

"Duck," Gibbs greeted gruffly when the ME answered. "Clear your afternoon."

"Everything okay, Jethro?" Ducky asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"Don't know yet. But you're gonna find out. Move up my team's physicals to today. I'll sign off on it when I get in."

"Very well. Send them down when you return."

"I want DiNozzo done first."

Snapping the phone closed without waiting for a response, Gibbs waited patiently until Ziva's clip was empty.

"Pack it up, David," he called. "DiNozzo! You're with me!"

Groaning quietly, Tony pushed himself to his feet. "Great," he muttered to himself. "As if today isn't bad enough already."

"What was that, DiNozzo?"

"On your six, boss!"

Tony followed Gibbs grudgingly to the sedan, tossing his backpack and hoodie into the back seat before sliding into the front. The older agent glanced at him curiously as he took the seat behind the wheel, shaking his head slightly before starting the car and driving away.

"You got something to tell me?" Gibbs questioned, looking again at his senior agent as he leaned against the window.

"Not a thing, Boss." He mumbled, taking a deep breath in an attempt to keep the nausea at bay.

"DiNozzo--"

"--Stop the car," Tony ordered, his voice strained.

Not needing to be told twice, Gibbs slammed on the brakes, swerving to the shoulder. The car had barely come to a stop before Tony shoved the door open, practically falling out onto the grass.

Wrinkling the his nose at the sound of the younger man retching, Gibbs climbed from the car.

Tony was on his hands and his knees, his entire body trembling as he heaved. Pulling open the back door, Gibbs grabbed a bottle of water and waited patiently.

"All done?" Gibbs asked once his agent had gone still.

"Hope so," Tony responded weakly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He accepted the bottle of water from his boss, rinsing his mouth out before pushing himself shakily to his feet.

He didn't even have the energy to protest when Gibbs gripped his arm to steady him.

"'M fine boss," Tony insisted, shrugging off Gibbs' hand as the older man helped him into the car.

"Yeah, I can see that Tony," the older man responded dryly as he eyed the Italian curiously.

Closing the passenger side door, Gibbs shook his head to clear himself of the ridiculous thought that had crossed his mind.

"No. No way," he muttered to himself, climbing into the driver's seat.

OoOoOoO

Tony walked into Autopsy gingerly, not wanting to jostle himself too much, his stomach still turning. "Hey Duck."

"Ah, Anthony! Good to see you, my dear boy!" The ME greeted kindly, a warm smile on his face. "You look a bit green. Not feeling quite up to par today?"

"Just a little nauseated," Tony admitted quietly. "But hey, that's the price you pay when you ride with Gibbs."

"Truer words have never been spoken. Well come on in. This shouldn't take too long." Pushing himself to his feet, the doctor grabbed Tony's medical chart from the desk before motioning to the scale. "Up here, please."

Dropping his backpack and hoodie to the floor beside one of the tables, Tony trudged over to the scale unhappily. He paused for a moment to kick his shoes off as he shoved his hands into his pockets to remove his phone, keys and loose change.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Ducky asked, unable to contain his quiet chuckle. "I may be old, but I am able to accurately correct the reading after taking clothing and such into consideration."

Tony didn't respond as he stepped on the scale, glaring moodily at the little numbers as Ducky scribbled the result on the chart.

"Very good," the ME commented as the disgruntled Italian stepped off the scale.

"Good?" Tony snorted.

"I'm glad to see that you've picked up a bit of weight. You were much too thin during last year's examination," Ducky chided gently as he motioned to one of the tables. "Other than occasional bouts of nausea brought on by Gibbs' horrid driving and tainted Chinese food, how have you been feeling? There are no medical issues I need to know about, are there?"

"I've been fine."

Ducky cocked an eyebrow at the younger man as he fastened the blood pressure cuff. "You should probably start choosing a new adjective when you're going to lie, Tony. I believe everyone in the building is aware that when you say you are fine, you are actually anything but."

Tony remained silent, his face set in a frown as the doctor went about the other routine tests that came along with the annual physical. Tony had never been a huge fan of physical day, but he had to admit that being bored to death with one of Ducky's never ending stories as he worked was better than enduring Ziva's incessant teasing. He scowled at the very thought of the dark haired Israeli snorting in amusement when he'd removed his hoodie.

"There now," Ducky said as he finished checking his patient's reflexes. "Everything looks good. All that's left is to draw a bit of blood and then you'll be on your way."

Tony shifted slightly on the hard autopsy table, his lower back aching from sitting hunched over for so long. He stretched slightly, rubbing his back to alleviate the pain before he rolled up his shirt sleeve.

Ducky didn't miss the way the young man winced as he inserted the needle, though he offered him a kind smile. "Almost done. Just a little bit longer... Ah, there we are. That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

He handed Tony the small vials of blood after properly labeling them, patting him on the shoulder gently. "To Abby please," he instructed.

"Thanks Duck," Tony responded, offering the doctor a half smile as he slid off the autopsy table, grabbing his bag and hoodie.

Grabbing McGee's medical chart from his cabinet drawer, Ducky watched as Tony exited autopsy with a shake of his head. He set Tony's file aside, not bothering to put it way just yet. At least not until Abby finished with the blood work.

----

Stepping off the elevator, Tony trudged into the lab slowly, vials in hand.

"Hiya Tonyboy," Abby greeted without looking up, her green eyes focused on the screen in front of her.

"How'd ya know it was me?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I smelled you coming?"

"No and if I did, I might be a little offended," he responded, lifting his arm to sniff himself discreetly.

She giggled quietly as she turned to face him. "Ducky called and said you were on your way up. What have you got for me?"

"Blood."

"Nice. All the usual tests?"

"I guess. Futon?"

She eyed him for a second before nodding. "Timmy keep you up late last night?" She asked as her friend made his way into her office.

"Something like that," Tony responded as he collapsed on the thin mattress with a groan.

She watched as he shifted, trying to find a comfortable position before she got to work.

Curling in on himself as much as his height would allow, Tony closed his eyes, praying that McGee and Ziva's physicals would last longer than his had.

He had just started to drift off when he felt a gentle hand rubbing his back, Abby's warm breath tickling his ear as she spoke quietly.

"You sure you're okay, T?" She asked. "You haven't been yourself lately. What's going on with you?"

Moving her hand from his back to his hair, she scratched his scalp lightly, grinning despite her concern when he stretched out, moving into her touch.

"There's the Tonyboy I know and love," she teased, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

He gave her a lazy smile as she ruffled his hair. "'M sorry. Don't mean to be so grouchy. Just tired."

"Then you should rest. I'll keep a look out for you."

"You're the best Abs."

"That's what they keep telling me," she responded with a grin as she kissed his cheek once more.

Settling down beside him, she ran her fingers through his hair, the motion soothing him.

With a content sigh, Tony closed his eyes, allowing the feeling of her fingers against his scalp to relax him.

It wasn't long before his soft snores filled the office. Abby barely stifled a giggle as she leaned back against the wall, getting comfortable beside him.

She had barely settled in when the computer dinged, the sound immediately setting her on edge.

"I got a ding?" She whispered, completely horrified at the thought. She pushed herself to her feet, trying her best to keep from jostling the thin mattress. Looking over her shoulder to make sure she had not disturbed her sleeping friend, she hurried out to the computer, her heart pounding in her chest.

She scanned the results quickly, her eyes widening. "This... Cannot be right," she said with a shake of her head. She punched a few buttons on the computer, biting down on her lip as she dialed down to autopsy.

"Duckman," she greeted, hesitating when the older doctor answered. "I need a fresh pair of eyes up here. Can you come take a look at Tony's results? I think I may be reading them long."

"Of course my dear. I'll be right up."

"Thanks... And Duck? Make sure you come alone."

Chapter Four: Everything Changes

Glancing up at the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside the lab, Abby turned, her finger to her lips as she pointed to her office where Tony slept on.

"Something wrong with Tony's blood test, my dear?" Ducky asked, keeping his voice quiet.

"Not wrong but it just... I had do have done something wrong, Duckman. There's no way this is right. Tony would have told us by now!"

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked, resting his hand on Abby's shoulder to calm her.

"Come see for yourself," she offered, a frown darkening her face.

Adjusting his glasses on his face, Ducky squinted to read the small print on the screen. After a second, he stepped back, his frown mirroring Abby's.

"Oh dear. Well... This does explain things I suppose."

A look of realization dawned on Abby's face, her mouth falling open. "Oh Ducky... You don't think... You don't think he knew and didn't tell us, do you?!"

"There is only one way to find out."

Not needing to be told twice, Abby turned on her heel, crossing the lab quickly.

On the futon, Tony stirred at the sound of the automatic doors opening, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Tony?"

"Hmm?" He responded sleepily as he pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning heavily against the wall.

She narrowed her eyes at him as she looked him over before she balled her hand into a fist and socked him hard in the shoulder.

"Abby! What the hell?!" He asked incredulously, rubbing the spot where she'd punched him.

"That's what I'd like to know! How could you keep something like this from me?! We're supposed to be friends!"

"What the hell are you talking about, crazy woman?!"

She punched him again before her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God! I shouldn't have done that! Oh my God! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

Pushing himself to his feet, Tony stumbled away from her, concerned that she'd lost her mind. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Spotting Ducky out in the main lab, Tony hurried out to him, moving away from his raven haired friend.

"You might want to give her a physical too Duck. And make sure you run a full tox screen," Tony suggested, running his fingers through his hair.

"Tony! That is not nice!" Abby scolded as she walked out of the office, scowling at her Italian friend.

"That's enough Abby," Ducky warned as he took Tony's arm gently. "Come, my boy. Perhaps it's best if you sit."

"What? Why?" Tony asked as Ducky led him over to the stool. "What's going on?"

He did not like the look that Abby and Ducky exchanged.

"You mean you really didn't know? Honest to God?"

"Didn't know WHAT?" He snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Ducky hesitated slightly. "There... Is no easy way to say this..."

The color drained from Tony's face as Abby's frown deepened. "I'm not... The plague... I haven't..."

The older doctor chuckled quietly, patting Tony's shoulder reassuringly. "Heavens no, dear boy!"

Tony relaxed visibly with a sigh of relief. "Thank God. What's the problem then?"

Ducky and Abby exchanged another look.

"Well... It appears that..."

"You're pregnant Tony!" Abby blurted out, unable to stand it any longer.

What started out as an amused snort quickly morphed into uncontrollable laughter as Tony doubled over on the stool.

"H-how long did it take you two to come up with this one?" Tony asked, snorting again as he tried to control himself. "Jesus! You really had me worried for a minute!"

He shook his head as he slid off the stool, still laughing quietly.

Gripping his shoulder, Abby stopped him, her face still set in a frown. "Tony..."

"I know this must be difficult for you to process Anthony but--"

"No," Tony interrupted, the smile sliding from his face. "No. Ducky, no doctor has ever--"

"Things were much different when you were younger. They did not have the mandatory tests that they have now."

"As much as I've been in and out of hospitals, you mean to tell me that no doctor thought to check?!" Tony snapped, his temper flaring.

"It was overlooked."

"Over looked?! How the fuck do you overlook something like that?!" He sank back down on the stool heavily. "You have to run that test again. Maybe it's wrong."

"It's not wrong," Abby said quietly, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "I double checked it T. I called Ducky down here to triple check it."

Tony dropped his head into his hands and sighed heavily. He stood up, shrugging out of Abby's embrace when she moved closer, trying to comfort him. "Check it again!"

Abby took a step back from him, narrowing her eyes. "Tony..." She said, pointing a finger at him as he began to pace in front of them."You being a pain isn't gonna change the results."

"I know this is a lot to take in, my dear boy, but you must trust that it'll all work out. I have the number of a wonderful doctor that I'd be more than happy to pass along to you. You'll need to be seen immediately."

"Yeah... yeah, that'd be great. Thanks Duck."

Offering the younger man a kind smile, Ducky patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Come along. I'll go dig up that number for you, and then I think an afternoon off is in order."

"Ducky, I'm--"

"Going home. End of story. You've had a trying morning. You could use the rest. Especially now." Not prepared to take no for an answer, the older doctor grabbed Tony's bag from the floor, his hand resting on Tony's shoulder. "Let's go."

"Tony..." Abby hesitated, gripping his hand as he turned to leave. She offered him a slight smile when he turned. "Should we call Timmy before you go?"

"No," he responded, shaking his head. "No."

"You have to--"

"I will."

She eyed him for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, huh? You wanna meet me for breakfast before work?"

"Sure thing Abs," he responded, forcing a smile. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

----

Stepping off the elevator in the bullpen, Tony headed for Gibbs' desk, ignoring Ziva's quiet chuckle and McGee's inquisitive look.

"Boss?"

"Go on, DiNozzo."

"You sure?"

Looking up at his Senior Field Agent, Gibbs cocked an eyebrow. "Would I have said it if I wasn't?"

"No, guess not."

"Good guess. Get out of here before I change my mind."

Not needing to be told twice, Tony nodded curtly before walking over to his desk, grabbing his gun and badge from the top drawer.

"Where are you going?" Ziva asked, narrowing her eyes at her partner.

"Home."

"Everything okay?" McGee asked, frowning at his lover. "How'd your physical go?"

"Yeah... yeah it was fine," Tony responded distractedly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Standing up from his desk, McGee followed Tony to the elevator. He slid in just as the doors were closing and immediately reached for the emergency switch.

"T, what's going on?" He asked as the elevator screeched to a halt.

"Still a little nauseous from earlier," Tony lied smoothly. "Ducky thinks I've caught that twenty four hour bug. Told me to go home and get some rest."

"You want me to come by later? I'll bring dinner."

"I'm probably going to crash early, but give me a call when you get off and we'll see," Tony responded, forcing another smile as he reached for the emergency switch.

McGee frowned at his partner's casual dimissal. "Are you.. I'm really sorry about this morning. You aren't... are you still mad at me? Because I feel like--"

"Tim. It's fine. I'm over it. Really, I'm just tired. That's all."

"So we're okay then, right?"

"We're fine," Tony promised.

"Okay, but see, when you say things are 'fine', do you really mean they're 'fine', or are you really saying that no, things aren't okay but you don't want to talk about it because when you say fine, everyone knows you really don't mean it."

Try as he might, Tony couldn't stop the quiet laugh that escaped him. Leaning over, he pressed his lips to McGee's, pulling away as the elevator came to a stop. "We're better than fine. I'll see you later. Call me when you leave."

McGee nodded dumbly, unsure of what else to say as he watched Tony step off the elevator. With a quiet sigh, he punched the button for the third floor. Leaning back against the wall as the doors close,d he couldn't help but wonder if his lover was being completely honest with him.

OoOoOoO

Abby spotted the Mustang parked out in front of Gibbs' house as soon as she turned onto the street. Though she had been expecting to hear from Tony at some point, she was surprised that he had given in so soon. Pulling the Hearse into the driveway, she threw it into park and climbed out, snatching her bag from the passenger seat.

Tony was waiting for her on the front porch, his elbows resting on his knees as he sat with his face hidden in his hands. At the sound of her quiet footsteps against the pavement, Tony lifted his head and pushed himself to his feet.

"There's my favorite girl," he greeted with a grin.

"Hey T," she responded as she approached him. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to know that Gibbs really needs to work on these flower beds. He's starting to grow a jungle."

She snickered, shaking her head as she linked her arm through his. "I'll be sure to pass the message along," she promised as she tugged him towards the front door. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Well I'm assuming you didn't come by to inspect our flower beds."

"Oh. No, I was... just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by."

"You live twenty minutes away. Try that on someone who doesn't know any better," she smirked, pushing the front door open. "In. Living room. Tea?"

She didn't wait for a response before she headed into the kitchen. Sighing quietly, the forced smile fell from Tony's face as he trudged into the living room. He sank down onto the couch, resting his head against the cushion as he waited for Abby.

It wasn't long before she returned, two mugs in hand. "Alright," she ordered as she sat beside him, "spill."

The forced smile was back in place as he accepted a cup from her. "What are you talking about? I can't just... come over and hang out with my best girl?"

"Come on, Tony. Don't do this, okay? Not with me. You obviously came here to talk, so talk."

Setting the mug down on the coffee table, Tony pushed himself to his feet. Afraid that he was going to leave, Abby reached out to him, frowning when he snatched his arm away.

"Tony--"

"I can't do this Abby!" Running his fingers through his hair, he started to pace in front of her. "I don't... I'm not ready for this! I can barely take care of myself, for shit's sake! How the hell am I supposed to take care of a helpless little thing that can't even hold it's own head up!? Kids hate me! I don't know the first thing about changing a diaper or... or... mixing a bottle! And what about my car? My CAR, Abby! It's SO not baby friendly and I'll have to get rid of it and--"

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him back down onto the couch, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug. She could feel him trembling against her, his breath coming out in short, ragged spurts as he tried to get himself under control.

"I can't do this," he said again, his voice muffled as he buried his face against her hair.

"Yes you can."

"I can't," he repeated, his voice cracking slightly.

She pressed her lips to the top of his head, her hand rubbing his back soothingly as she held him. "We're all here for you, T. We're not going to make you do this alone. You know that."

He nodded against her before he pulled away, swiping at the wetness under his eyes. He forced another smile as he looked away from her, unable to look her in the eye after his minor freak out. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'm okay. I just..."

Ignoring him, Abby reached for him again, tugging him back against her. "It's okay to be upset and freaked out, T. Getting pregnant is scary enough even when it's planned. I can't imagine how you must feel, not even knowing you were able to do this, you know?"

She wrapped her arms around him, smiling as he settled against her chest. Reaching up, she tangled her fingers in his hair, scratching his scalp lightly. She could feel him as he started to relax against her, the tension leaving his body.

"Everything's going to be okay, Tony," she promised. "I know it probably doesn't feel that way right now, but it's all going to work out."

----

"Feeling better, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he stepped into the living room, cocking an eyebrow at the sight of his Senior Field Agent cuddled up on his couch with his girl.

Jumping at the sound of his boss' voice, Tony nearly toppled over in a hurry to climb to his feet. "Oh! Hey boss!" He greeted, forcing a smile as he straightened his wrinkled shirt. "We were uh... we were just--"

"--Talking," Abby finished, peering over the back of the couch at her lover.

"Yeah, I can see that. Good conversation?"

"Not really. Unlike you, Tony's not much of a conversationalist," she teased as she pushed herself to her feet, winking playfully at Tony.

"Right. Uh... well... I'm just... gonna go. Thanks for everything Abs. I uh... I'll see you tomorrow, boss."

"Isn't it cute when he gets all flustered like that?" Abby giggled, linking her arm through Gibbs'. Though the older man rolled his eyes at Abby, he couldn't stop the amused smirk that tugged on the corners of his mouth.

"Leave him alone. You'll only make him more flustered."

"Aww, c'mon Gibbs! You're no fun."

"Wait a minute," Tony snorted. "You actually call him Gibbs? Even when you're not at work?"

"It's no different than you calling Timmy 'McGee' all the time," she shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Yeah well, you don't want to know what I call him in bed," Tony smirked.

"And neither do I," Gibbs responded dryly.

Giggling at the blush that tinted Tony's cheeks, Abby pulled away from Gibbs and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Come on Tonyboy. I'll walk you out."

Shaking his head as the two headed outside, Gibbs made his way into the kitchen to start dinner. He hadn't gotten far when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind as Abby snuggled up to him, resting her head against his back.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"It was my turn to cook."

Turning in her arms, he cupped her chin in his hand, looking into her pretty green eyes. "Wanna fill me in on what I walked into?"

"Tony had a really rough day."

He cocked his eyebrow at her suspiciously. "A rough day? Abby, he left before lunch."

"Tony had a really rough morning," she ammended as she pulled away from him. Turning to the refridgerator, she pulled the door open and pretended to study the contents inside, though she could feel Gibbs' eyes on her back. "Stop staring at me like that, J!"

Leaning against the counter, Gibbs crossed his arms over his chest. "Abby."

"Gibbs!" Closing the refridgerator door, she turned back to him, wilting under his intense gaze. "You aren't even going to believe me when I tell you."

"Try me."

"Tony's pregnant," she blurted out.

Had he been drinking anything, Gibbs was fairly certain that he would have choked. "What?"

"Pregnant! With child! Knocked up!"

"DiNozzo?"

"Yep!" Seeing the incredulous look on her face, she couldn't help but giggle nervously. "I know! I felt the same way when I looked over his blood test today! I had to call Ducky down to make sure I wasn't reading it wrong!"

For once in his life, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was speechless.

"You can't say anything though, J! He isn't ready to tell everyone yet and he'll be super mad if he finds out I told you."

Though he'd had a fleeting gut feeling earlier that morning after witnessing his Senior Agent emptying his stomach on the side of the road, he'd shaken it off as completely absurd. Male pregnancies were becoming more and more common, sure, but DiNozzo?

"How... the hell does that even work?"

"It's a genetic mutation. No one's sure what exactly causes it, but it's pretty fascinating stuff. They've started testing boys as young as ten years old now because it's becoming so common, but it was practically unheard of when Tony was a kid."

"He... didn't even know, then?"

"No! That's why he's so freaked out! Well, I imagine he'd be freaked out anyway, but it's even worse because he didn't even know he was ABLE to get pregnant!"

"Has he told McGee yet? I'm assuming McGee is the... father?"

"He's supposed to tell him tonight."

Snorting in amusement, Gibbs shook his head. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

OoOoOoO

Frowning at the sound of the quiet knock on the front door, McGee set the pot of water on the burner and crossed the room in three short strides. Pulling the door open, he was surprised to find Tony standing there.

"Hey," he greeted, unable to mask the confusion in his voice. "I uh... I tried to call you when I left the building, but your phone was off. I figured you were sleeping or something."

"Yeah. I was, but then I woke up and it was still early so I figured... Can I come in? I kind of... need to talk to you."

"Uh... Sure," McGee responded as he stepped back, holding the door open wide enough for his lover to slip in. Tony didn't miss the slight hesitation in his voice, nor did he miss the way McGee fidgeted slightly.

"Is this a bad time?" The older man asked, a frown darkening his face.

"No... no, not a bad time. It's just..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Just what?"

"Well, I figured you were sleeping and I... kind of invited Sarah over for dinner."

"So? What does that-- Oh," he said quietly, the realization of what his lover was saying hitting him like a swift kick to the crotch. "You haven't told them yet."

"Tony..."

"No, it's okay. I should have called first anyway," he said as he turned back to the door, pulling away when he felt McGee reach for him. "It's cool. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Tony, wait!"

He paused at the doorway, closing his eyes when McGee gripped his arm. He had come with the intention of telling him everything, though at the moment, he couldn't even bring himself to look at the younger man. "I really should go."

"I can call her and cancel. Please. I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it, kid." Forcing his confident, cocky smile into place, he turned back to McGee. "It's not a big deal," he lied.

"You swear?"

"Of course."

"What about what you wanted to talk about?"

Hesitating slightly, Tony could feel his smile falter. "Nothing important."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. We'll talk later." Leaning over, Tony pecked McGee's lips before he pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tony?" McGee called as he watched the man's retreating back.

"Yeah?"

"We're... we're okay, right?"

Forcing his smile back into place, Tony turned and nodded. "Yeah. We're fine."

Stepping onto the elevator, Tony punched the button for the ground floor, allowing his grin to slip away as the doors closed. Cursing himself loudly, he leaned his head back against the wall, ignoring the ache in his chest. He should have told McGee, he realized. That had been the whole reason he'd stopped by. But if McGee wasn't serious enough about their relationship to tell his family, how the hell was he going to react when he found out about this?

Chapter Five: When It All Falls Apart

Things were definitely not fine, McGee decided as he looked across the squad room at his lover. The older man appeared to be focused intently on his background checks, but McGee had a sneaking suspicion that they merely served as something to look at other than him.

He sighed heavily as he turned back to his own stack of files. He'd been wanting to pull Tony aside and talk to him about what had happened a few days earlier, but their current case had them pinned down working leads for the past 48 hours.

"Hey Tony, did you get a chance to start the background for the Sergeant's wife yet?" He asked, hoping to receive some acknowledgement from his partner.

Clenching his teeth at the sound of McGee's voice, Tony snapped the file in his hand shut before pushing himself to his feet. "Boss, here's the background on the Sergeant's wife."

Dropping his own folder to the desk with an irritated sigh, Gibbs stood. "DiNozzo, with me."

Sitting back in her own chair, Ziva couldn't help but watch curiously as the two agents made their way to the elevator, Tony following after Gibbs like a scolded child.

Privately, she couldn't help but feel relieved at Gibbs' intervention. Something was clearly not right between Tony and McGee, though for awhile, it had seemed that Gibbs hadn't noticed the mounting tension

She should have known better. Gibbs noticed everything.

The elevator doors had barely closed when Gibbs hit the emergency switch.

"Wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" The older man growled.

"No idea what you're talking about, boss." He cringed in anticipation of the headslap that never came.

"You know, for someone who does a hell of a job under cover, you're a terrible liar. What the hell is going on with you and McGee, Tony?"

Setting his jaw, Tony refused to meet Gibbs' eyes as he settled into a stubborn silence.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled.

"None of your business," Tony spat before he could stop himself.

"You made it my business when you brought it into my damn squad room!"

Frowning at his boss' sharp tone, Tony immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, knowing that he'd crossed the line.

"'M sorry," he muttered miserably.

"I don't want a damn apology, I want you to stop acting like a five year old."

Tony didn't respond as Gibbs reached out and punched the emergency switch, setting the elevator into motion.

"If you can't work this out, I'm going to have to have him transferred."

"Gibbs--!"

"I can't have your little spats affecting the team. You deal with it," he growled as the elevator doors opened. "Or I will."

Both Ziva and McGee looked down at their desks, pretending to study the folders in front of them when the elevator doors opened, depositing a surly Gibbs and a sullen Tony.

Though he didn't lift his head, McGee watched out of the corner of his eye as Tony walked over to his desk and plopped down unceremoniously in his chair. He shuffled a few papers around before he leaned back in his chair.

"Hey Probie, you have that file on the Sergeant?"

It was all McGee could do to keep the silly smile from his face as Tony addressed him.

"Uh... Yeah, I do."

Leaning over in his chair, Tony allowed his fingers to brush McGee's lightly, a tentative smile on his face as he accepted the folder.

Grinning to himself, McGee turned back to his own desk. Though things had definitely not been fine, McGee was fairly certain that after they had a chance to talk, things would be able to go back to the way they were with his lover.

Or so he hoped.

OoOoOoO

Tony stepped off the elevator and into Abby's lab, smiling when he saw his friend bouncing along to her music.

"Abby!" He shouted over the music Stepping up behind her, he tugged her pigtail gently, his grin widening when she jumped.

"Tony!" She squealed as she spun around, poking her finger into his chest. "Sneaking up on people is not nice," she scolded as she muted her music.

"You make it so easy though," he teased as he sank down on the extra lab stool.

She eyed him curiously for a moment before turning back to her computer. "You're looking more perky today. This mean you're talking to McGee again?"

Tony chuckled. "I don't know what you're talking about, Abs."

"You really think Gibbs and I don't talk?" She challenged with a cocked eyebrow as she settled her gloved hands on her hips. "The two of you have been driving him nuts! Did he take the news THAT badly?"

"What news?"

Glancing over at the sound of his lover's voice, Tony could feel the color leaving his face. "What are you doing down here?" He asked, ignoring McGee's question.

"I was hoping I could catch you before you came back upstairs so we could talk," McGee responded suspiciously, frowning at Tony. "WHAT news?" He asked again, his tone a little sharper than intended.

"Anthony DiNozzo! You haven't TOLD him?" Abby asked incredulously.

"Tell me WHAT?" McGee asked, confusion evident in his voice as he looked back and forth between his partner and their raven haired friend.

"Abby... Can you give us a minute?" Tony asked, swallowing hard as he stood from his stool.

"Take it into the office," the Goth responded curtly, her cool demeanor a clear indication that she was not happy.

"Tony... What's going on?" McGee asked, pulling away as Tony reached for him.

"Can we just... Please?" He asked, gesturing to the office.

Glancing back at Abby, McGee frowned as he noticed the way she clenched her jaw, her green eyes focused intently on the screen in front of her.

He wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't have a very good feeling about it.

McGee followed after Tony dutifully, crossing his arms over his chest as he perched on the edge of Abby's desk.

"I don't... Really know the best way to say this, so I'm just.. Going to say it," Tony announced, though he didn't continue.

Instead, he began to pace in front of McGee, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

Pushing himself off the desk, McGee stepped in front of Tony, cupping his face gently in his hands. "Tony," he said quietly, failing to keep the concern out of his voice. "Focus. What's going on?"

"I'm p-" he started, though the words caught in his throat.

"What?"

"Pregnant," he finished lamely, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked away.

"You're what?" McGee spat, pulling his hands away quickly.

"Don't make me say it again," Tony pleaded.

"You... How... What?" He backed away from the man in front of him as he tried to process this new information. "How... Long have you known?" He asked, the anger at not being told sooner evident in his voice.

"Just a few days."

"And you didn't think it was important to TELL me something like this sooner? Is it even mine?"

A low growl escaped from Tony's throat as his remorse at not telling McGee sooner quickly morphed into anger at the not-so-veiled accusation.

"Of course it's yours," he snarled in response. "And really? You're really going to get pissed off because it took me three days to tell you? That's funny because its been MONTHS and you still haven't told your family about me!" Tony reminded him bitterly.

Outside in the lab, Abby couldn't help but frown at the loud voices coming from the office. Removing her gloves, she dropped them onto the counter before she headed for the automatic doors.

"THAT's why you didn't tell me?! Because you were too busy pouting over the other night?!"

"I TRIED to tell you!"

"Obviously not hard enough!" McGee spat. "Which is funny, considering you had no trouble telling Abby!"

"Hey now," Abby interrupted, putting her hand on McGee's chest. "I'm the one who ran the blood test."

McGee ignored her, brushing her hand away from him. "I bet you ran off and told everyone but me out of spite, didn't you? Because that's how you are! You're selfish and vindictive and--"

"Fuck you, McGee."

The younger man laughed bitterly. "You won't have to worry about that anymore because I can't even stand to look at you."

Balling his hands into fists at his sides, Tony pushed passed McGee and Abby as he stormed out of the office.

McGee clenched his jaw as he watched the older man punch the button for the elevator angrily before he turned back to the wide-eyed Goth at his side.

"Timmy--"

"Don't," he warned. "He should have told me."

"He should have," she agreed. "And if I had known he hadn't, I would have."

"He's just so--"

"--Scared, Timmy. He's scared."

"I thought you were on my side."

"I was until you flipped out on him like that. You should cut him a little slack. This came as a huge shock to him and he's still struggling to deal with it."

"A shock to him?! At least he's had days to process it! How about cutting ME some slack?"

With a quiet sigh, Abby pressed a kiss to her friend's cheek. "Don't let this ruin everything. He needs you. Now more than ever."

McGee snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah. According to Tony, he doesn't need anyone."

OoOoOoO

Abby pulled up outside of Tony's apartment building and looked up at

his window, seeing the dim blue light from what she knew would prove to be his TV. She hesitated momentarily, contemplating starting her car and heading back to Gibbs' when she remembered the homemade dinner she had sitting in the passenger seat.

Her mind made up, she threw the car into park before she could change her mind. Grabbing the container, she climbed out of the car, praying that he wouldn't slam the door in her face.

The elevator ride to the third floor didn't last nearly long enough, she decided as the doors opened with a ding that echoed through the quiet hallway.

Her heavy boots thumped loudly on the floor as she approached his door. Raising her hand, she knocked tentatively.

Groaning at the sound of the quiet knock on his door, Tony debated pretending to be asleep. Unfortunately, that plan went out the window when the second knock was followed up with a pleading voice.

"Tony?" Abby called. "I know you're in there. Open up... Please?"

He pushed himself to his feet slowly and trudged over to the door. He pulled it open just enough to peek out.

"I'm really not in the mood for company right now, Abs."

"I made you dinner."

"Not feeling very hungry."

"You have to eat, T. Please? I won't stay long."

He eyed her warily for a moment before he pulled the door open with a sigh.

Offering him a brief smile, Abby slipped passed him into the apartment, heading straight for the kitchen.

"Go back to the couch," she ordered. "I'll heat this up and bring it right in."

He stared after her retreating back for a minute before he padded back to the living room, sinking down on the couch with a groan. Muting the television, he propped his feet up on the coffee table and waited somewhat impatiently for Abby to return.

Coming into the living room, plate in hand, Abby sank down on the couch beside Tony, ignoring the suspicious look he threw her way when she handed him the plate.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she settled against his side.

"Really? We're going to have a conversation about feelings?" He snorted. "I'm fine."

Frowning at his biting tone, Abby pulled away from him. "I know you're upset over what happened today Tony, but you don't have to be such an ass. I told you the day you found out that you had to tell him."

"I tried! I went over there as soon as I left you the other night!"

"So why didn't you?"

Dropping his feet to the floor, Tony set his plate on the table a little harder than necessary, his food untouched as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Tony, don't push me away," she pleaded.

"I'm not pushing you away."

"Then talk to me. Why didn't you tell him?"

"I couldn't."

"Why?" She asked, trying hard to keep the exasperation out of her voice.

"Because he made it clear that I'm not as important to him as he is to me and I didn't want... I want him to take this... Me, us, whatever seriously because he really cares. Not because he feels obligated to because we fucked up."

"Of course he really cares about you. What made you think he didn't?"

"He hasn't told his family about us. I had to leave the other day before I got a chance to talk to him about the b-- about this because Sarah was coming over for dinner."

"Oh Tony."

"I mean, I guess I can't really blame him for not telling them at first because, you know, I'm supposed to be this commitment phobic playboy who doesn't take anything seriously but its different this time, Abby. At least I thought it was."

Taking a deep breath, he sank down on the couch, tangling his fingers through his hair as he put his head in his hands.

Lowering herself to the cushion beside him, Abby wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders, pulling him into her embrace.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten on your case this afternoon. I should have known if you didn't tell him, that you had your reasons."

"I tried to tell him," he repeated miserably.

"I'm so sorry."

Pulling away, Tony pushed himself to his feet once more. "Thanks for dinner, Abby but I think I'm just... Gonna go crash."

"Alright," she said with a nod as she stood. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," he said, forcing a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

OoOoOoO

"McGee."

Pulling the phone away from her ear, Abby frowned at the receiver before speaking into it.

"I thought I called Tony's desk," she said, unable to hide the confusion in her voice.

"You did. He's not here."

Truth be told, Abby was only moderately surprised at that revelation. Tony had been really upset when he'd left her to go to bed the previous night, trusting that she would take care of locking up the apartment when she left. Though he had said he'd see her at work, she'd had a sneaking suspicion that she wouldn't.

"Uh... Abs? Is there something I can help you with?" McGee asked.

She hesitated briefly. She had initially called to check on Tony, but she decided the seize the opportunity in front of her.

"I think I might have something. Come take a look?"

"Be there in five," he promised before disconnecting the line.

True to his word, it didn't take McGee long to make it down to the lab.

"What have you got, Abs?"

"Been practicing your Gibbs impersonation? Not bad, but it needs to be a little... Nevermind," she said, spotting the bored look he threw her way. "Where's Tony?"

Abby didn't miss the way McGee stiffened at the name.

"No clue," McGee responded coldly. "It's not my job to babysit him."

"You know something," Abby said, putting her hands on her hips, "I promised myself after yesterday that I was going to keep my cool until I heard the whole story. But right now, I can't blame Tony for not telling you."

"That's--"

"--Not fair, yeah yeah, I know. Unfortunately for you, I don't really give a crap. Let me ask you something, Timmy. And I want you to think long and hard about this before you answer. Is three days REALLY worth throwing away everything you have with him?"

He stood in stunned silence as her words sank in. "I'm not--"

"You did."

"You don't... You have no clue what it's like to find out that someone kept something that big from you! He should have told me as soon as he found out! I deserve that much!"

"Timmy--"

"Do me a favor, okay? Just stay out of this from now on. It has nothing to do with you and I don't need you lecturing me."

"McGee!"

He ignored her as he turned, stalking out of the lab without so much as a glance back.

A/N #2: Ooooh! A cliffhanger? No I didn't! *Oh yes I did!* I'm a horrible person for that and I'm sorry :D But you know what'll help it get resolved faster? Reviews! ;) Hook me up, y'all!

Chapter Six: Bleed It Out

One Week Later...

Abby jerked awake at the sound of her phone chirping. It was only Tony's strong grip around her waist that kept her from toppling to the floor as she reached over, plucking the obnoxious device from the coffee table.

"Hello?" She greeted tentatively, her voice thick with sleep. Untangling herself from her friend's embrace, she sat up on the edge of the couch, the dim light from the TV casting a glow over the otherwise darkened living room.

"Abby?"

"J? What time is it?"

"Early. Where are you?"

Glancing back at her sleeping friend, Abby hesitated slightly as she pushed herself to her feet and headed for the bathroom.

"Abby?"

"I'm here, sorry."

"Where are you?" He repeated, though based on his tone, she was sure he already knew.

Closing the door behind her with a quiet click, she sighed. "I'm at Tony's. We must have fallen asleep watching a movie."

"Abby," he growled.

"Please don't lecture me right now, J."

"He doesn't need you babying him," Gibbs ranted, clearly ignoring her.

"I'm not babying him!"

"You are. He's an adult, he's capable of taking care of himself. He doesn't need you hovering around him like an over protective mother."

"There's nothing wrong with taking care of a friend, Gibbs. He's having a hard time right now! I don't want him to feel like he's completely alone!"

"Abby."

"I'm not having this conversation right now, J. I'm not."

She heard him sigh loudly on the other end before he spoke again. "So needless to say, you won't be home again tonight."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Okay Abby." She could tell by his tone that he wasn't happy.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I love you."

"Love you too," he responded gruffly before he disconnected the line.

Pulling the door open, Abby trudged back out to the living room, her shoulders slumped slightly.

"Everything okay?" Tony asked, his voice husky.

Forcing a smile, she crawled back onto the couch with him, snuggling against his chest.

"Yep. Everything's fine," she lied smoothly.

Shifting just slightly on the couch, Tony pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"You sure?"

"Positive," she said as she closed her eyes. "Go back to sleep, Tonyboy. We still have a few hours before we have to be to work."

Draping an arm over his waist, Abby nuzzled her face against his chest with a quiet sigh. It was not going to be an easy day for anybody, she decided, because unfortunately for the team, when Gibbs was mad, everyone suffered.

OoOoOoO

"Grab your gear," Gibbs barked as he stepped off the elevator. "We've got a body."

Walking swiftly to his desk, Gibbs barely spared a glance at the Goth perched on his chair, cup of coffee in hand. Scooting back as he leaned across her, Abby couldn't stop the frown from forming on her face as she held the cup up, offering it to him.

"No thanks," he muttered gruffly, just loud enough for her to hear as he took the cup from her hand, depositing it into the garbage. Pulling open his desk drawer, he grabbed the keys and tossed them to McGee.

"Gas the truck, McGee. Ziva, take these directions down to Ducky and Palmer," he ordered as handed her the slip of paper. "We're ready to roll in five."

Holstering his gun, Gibbs grabbed his badge, his blue eyes studying his Senior Agent as the younger man grabbed his bag.

"DiNozzo."

"I'm ready to go boss."

"You're with Abby."

"On your s-- Wait. Abby?"

"With me?" Abby spoke up as she pushed herself to her feet, crossing the bullpen quickly. "Why with me?"

"You're kidding, right?" Tony asked.

"Nope. Don't need an agent who needs to be babied in the field today. Figured since you two were spending so much time together anyway--"

"I don't need to be babied," Tony spat.

"Huh. Coulda fooled me," Gibbs growled.

Abby rested her hand gently on Gibbs' arm, flinching slightly when he pulled away. "Don't punish him because you're mad at me," she said quietly. "Please."

Setting his jaw, Tony stood just a little straighter as he squared his shoulders. He narrowed his eyes at his boss as he lifted his bag onto his shoulder.

Gibbs glared back at the younger man for a moment before he nodded with a curt jerk of his head. "Go," he growled.

Not needing to be told twice, Tony slipped passed him and headed for the elevator, punching the button a little harder than necessary.

Abby waited until the elevator doors had closed before she looked up at her lover. "J..."

"We'll talk later," he told her, the gruffness gone from his voice.

Not wanting to push her luck, she merely nodded, watching as he headed for the stairwell. "Be careful," she called after him, ignoring the sting of tears as the door slammed shut behind him.

----

He had never been so happy to see a crime scene, Tony decided as Gibbs skidded to a halt in front of the old house.

The ride from headquarters had been the longest fifteen minute drive of his life, filled with an awkward silence. Though his boss had given in and allowed him to come along, it was pretty clear that Gibbs was still furious with him.

"McGee, David," Gibbs barked as he climbed from the sedan. "Clear the scene. DiNozzo..."

"Boss?"

"Grab the bags. Let's go," he said, ignoring Tony's incredulous stare.

Watching his boss' retreating back, Tony could feel the anger welling up in his chest at the injustice of it all. It wasn't his fault that Abby had showed up unannounced three times that week! And hadn't Gibbs just lectured him the previous week about leaving personal issues at home?

Grumbling angrily to himself, Tony pulled the back door of the truck open, glaring at the bags inside.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as McGee approached him slowly. Giving no indication that he noticed or cared, Tony leaned forward and reached for the bag.

His fingers had barely brushed the strap when McGee grabbed it, pulling it from the back of the truck.

"Thanks," Tony bit out through clenched teeth as he turned slightly to face the younger man, only to have the bag shoved into his hands.

He stumbled backwards slightly, glaring at McGee as he recovered.

"Don't forget the other one," McGee smirked before he turned, heading back towards the house.

A low growl rumbled from Tony's throat as he reached for the remaining bag and slung it over his shoulder. Ignoring the slight twinge in his back, he kicked the door shut and stalked off towards the house, still muttering angrily about being treated like a probie.

Stepping out onto the front porch as he drew closer, Ziva held the screen door open for him, pulling one of the bags off of his shoulder.

"Thanks," he grumbled as he slipped passed her.

"The body is in the living room," she directed as she followed in after him.

Dropping the bag near the doorway, Tony knelt down and removed a pair of gloves, barely containing a growl when McGee reached over and snatched the pair from his hands.

Pushing himself to his feet, Tony offered McGee a glare as he grabbed for the camera, only to have that plucked out of his hands as well.

It was all he could do to keep from punching the smug smile off of his face. "Problem, McGee?"

"Nope, no problem here."

"No, you obviously have a fucking problem. I told you I was sorry, and you're still being a fu--"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, grabbing the back of his agent's neck roughly. "Outside," he growled.

"Gibbs!"

"Now!"

Pulling away from his boss' grasp, Tony stalked out of the living room, ignoring Ziva as she called out to him.

"Oh! Hello!" Ducky greeted as Tony nearly barreled into him on his way into the house.

"Sorry Duck," he grumbled as he slipped passed him, a scowl darkening his face.

"What on Earth...?"

"It is best if you do not ask," Ziva whispered.

Stepping down off the front step, Tony balled his hands into fists at his sides and barely resisted the urge to punch the lone tree in the front yard.

With a loud huff, he started off for the truck again, pausing only as he noticed the sun glinting off of something in the grass beside the garage.

As he drew closer, spotted the broken window that had been obscured by the tree branch when they'd first arrived.

Jogging around to the side of the garage, Tony tried the handle on the door, though it was no use.

"Of course it's locked," he muttered to himself. "Things can never be easy, can they?"

He rammed the door with his shoulder twice before he gave up and made his way back to the window.

Removing his jacket, he wrapped his arm in the fabric. He busted out the remaining glass and threw his jacket to the ground.

Peering into the garage, he grabbed the inside of the window frame and pulled himself up, grunting slightly.

"This would have been so much easier ten pounds ago," he muttered bitterly. Gripping the window ledge with one hand, he reached out for the work bench to the right to steady himself.

His fingers had barely brushed the edge of the table when he felt himself start to fall forward.

He landed hard on the floor, the table toppling over with him as all the air was forced from his lungs.

Back inside the house, the three agents paused simultaneously at the sound of the crash.

"What was that?" Ziva asked, her face set in a frown.

"Tony," Gibbs and McGee said together.

With an irritated sigh, Gibbs nodded to Ziva. "Go. Make sure he hasn't done anything stupid to compromise my crime scene."

Removing her gloves, Ziva shoved them back into the bag before she headed outside.

Squinting against the bright sun, Ziva scanned the yard quickly, her frown giving way to a concerned look as she spotted Tony's jacket laying beside the garage.

Removing her weapon from its holster, she made her way towards the broken window, resisting the urge to call his name in the event that he was not alone.

Pressing her back up against the side of the garage, she moved closer to the window, pausing at the sound of more clanging metal followed by a strangled cry.

She stood on her tiptoes next to the window and peeked inside, looking

closely for any sign of Tony in the dark garage.

"Ziva!" He called out hoarsely, lying prone on the dusty garage floor.

Glancing down at the sound of his voice, Ziva holstered her weapon immediately.

"Tony, what..." she trailed off at the sight of blood pooling on the concrete floor.

Grabbing the window sill, she pulled herself up quickly before she turned back towards the house.

"Gibbs!" She screamed, hating how panicked her voice sounded. Dropping to the floor beside her partner, Ziva knelt down beside him as she searched for the source of the blood.

"Leg," he wheezed, his face pale. "Fell... On something."

It was all she could do to contain her gasp as she spotted the large gash that ran the length of his calf visible through his torn pant leg. His leg was covered in blood, making it difficult to see just how deep the wound was.

"Ziva? Tony?" Gibbs called, his voice void of all irritation.

Beneath her, she could feel Tony trembling slightly as she called back, doing her best to keep her voice calm. "In the garage!"

"How... How bad is it?" He managed, swallowing hard as he attempted to sit up.

Pressing her hand to his chest, she forced him back down. "Not bad at all," she lied as she removed her sweater. She pressed the fabric against the wound in an effort to stop the bleeding, cringing as he cried out. "Do not be such a baby. It is just a little scratch."

Outside, Gibbs bypassed the window and rounded the corner of the garage, McGee hot on his heels.

He cursed loudly as he tried the locked handle. "Away from the door!" He ordered as he removed his weapon.

Attempting to push himself up again at the sound of his boss' voice, Tony found himself forced back down on the ground as Ziva threw herself over him, covering his body as much as possible seconds before the gunshot rang out.

Kicking the door open, Gibbs stepped in, his eyes immediately landing on his two agents. From where he stood, he could see the thin sheen of sweat covering his senior agent's face though it wasn't until Ziva moved off of him that he spotted the blood.

"McGee," he said quietly. "Go get Duck."

"What's going--"

"Now," Gibbs ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

McGee attempted to push passed his boss, ignoring the way the older man gripped his arm roughly.

"Tony!"

"McGee!" Gibbs growled. "Go! Ducky! Now!"

McGee backed out of the garage, his face paling as he turned and ran for the house.

Taking a deep breath, Gibbs turned back to his senior agent once more. "Tony, what happened?"

"He fell," Ziva supplied. "He has cut his leg."

"S'not... Too bad though... Right?" Tony asked, his breath coming out in short, ragged spurts.

"Just a scratch," Ziva repeated, though when she caught Gibbs' eye, she frowned darkly.

"Don't... Lie to me," he bit out, his face contorting into a look of pain as Ziva pressed harder against the wound. "Son of a bitch," he moaned.

"What on Earth is going on?" Ducky asked as he was ushered hastily into the garage by McGee.

"Tony has cut himself," Ziva repeated, moving over to make room for the doctor.

Kneeling beside the injured agent, Ducky couldn't help but frown at how clammy Tony's skin felt under his hands.

"Ziva, call for an ambulance."

"Duck, no," Tony protested weakly, his fingers gripping Ziva's hand as she reached for her phone. "'M... Fine."

"Of course you are, my dear boy. It's purely a precautionary trip. You'll be in and out in no time," he said. "Jethro, if you'll be so kind as to locate a flashlight, we need to see if we can ascertain the exact cause of the injury."

Pulling out a flashlight from his bag, McGee handed it to Gibbs, his stomach turning as he finally spotted all the blood.

"Anthony, can you tell me how you're feeling?" Ducky asked, keeping his voice light as he removed Ziva's blood soaked sweater to check the wound.

"I'm... Not... "

"Ziva, have them expedite. We need to move him now," Ducky urged as the young man in front of him fell silent, his body going limp.

"D-Ducky! W-what's happening?" McGee asked, unable to keep the panic from his voice.

"Duck?" Gibbs pressed when the medical examiner didn't answer.

Snapping the phone shut, Ziva shoved the device back in her pocket as she touched Tony's clammy face. "He is going into shock."

"Did they give an ETA?" Ducky asked as he gripped Tony's wrist in his hand, checking his pulse.

"They are two minutes out."

It was the longest two minutes of McGee's life. He'd been forced to remain in the doorway of the garage, watching helplessly as Ducky and Ziva worked together to stop the bleeding and keep his lover warm until the ambulance crew arrived.

"Out of the way, McGee," Gibbs ordered gruffly as the paramedics slipped into the garage, hurrying to Tony's side.

It wasn't until he was moved that Ziva spotted the jagged piece of metal that he had fallen on.

"Do we know what caused the cut?" One of the paramedics asked on their way out the door.

"I believe it was this," Ziva responded dryly, lifting the blood soaked metal.

It was all McGee could do to keep from emptying the contents of his stomach at the sight of it.

"I will go with him in the ambulance," Ducky told Gibbs, holding his hand up when McGee tried to protest. "I will meet the three of you there. Someone please fill Mr. Palmer in and instruct him to take our deceased friend back to autopsy."

Turning without another word, Ducky trotted off after the paramedics, leaving the three remaining agents where the stood.

"Ziva, help Palmer load the body. McGee and I are gonna follow the ambulance."

"Got it," Ziva responded coolly as she exited the garage, jogging towards the house.

Turning back to McGee, Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder, bringing him out of his daze. "Let's go, McGee. You're with me."

A/N #2: Okay, okay I know. I'm a horrible person. Two cliff hangers in a row? Yes. I'm sorry. Kind of. The good news is, the next chapter is nearly finished. The plan is to finish it up tonight and post right away, though I may not get to do so until tomorrow. Regardless, you won't have to wait too long for the next installment. Just remember: reviews are better than rainbows, ponies AND puppies.

Chapter Seven: New Perspective

"Sit down McGee," Gibbs ordered as he watched the young man pace back and forth in front of him, worrying his lower lip with his teeth. "Driving us nuts isn't going to make them come out any faster."

"Why haven't they told us anything yet?" McGee asked, giving no indication that he'd heard his boss. "We've been here for a half an hour! You don't think...?" He trailed off, his face paling at the thought. "Oh my God."

Standing up, Gibbs grabbed his agent by the shoulders and forced him into a chair. "Sit," he said again. "I'm sure DiNozzo's fine."

"He didn't... he didn't look good. At all," he said as he lowered his head to his hands, his voice hoarse at the memory of his lover being carried out of the garage. He was fairly certain that he'd never forget that image.

"Yes well, that is the price you pay when you lose as much blood as he did," Ziva muttered as she narrowed her eyes at McGee. "What has changed?"

"What?" McGee asked, lifting his head.

"You have been snippy with him for over a week! The two of you have hardly spoken three words to one another, and even then, it has pertained strictly to work! An hour ago, you could not even look at him without giving him a muddy look, and now all of a sudden, you appear to be as concerned about him as though..." She trailed off. "What has changed?"

"Ziva," Gibbs growled. "That's enough."

Faltering slightly under the Israeli's intense gaze, McGee returned his head to his hands, swallowing hard. "Nothing's changed. Except I realize how much of an idiot I've been."

"You're not the only one who's been an idiot Timmy," Abby spat as she stomped into the waiting room, her green eyes dark and angry as she sought out her lover.

"Outside," Gibbs ordered, unwilling to have this conversation in front of his subordinates.

"No," Abby snarled. "You don't get to order me around, Gibbs. Not now. How the hell could you not call and tell me about Tony?"

"Abby."

"Don't you 'Abby' me! Palmer, J! I had to hear that Tony was in the hospital from Palmer! Palmer! I'm okay with you being mad at me, but you don't get to withold that kind of information from me! I deserve better than that! You should have called me the minute you got back into the car!"

Well aware that Ziva was watching intently as the scene folded out in front of her, Gibbs lifted his hands, his fingers moving quickly as he began to sign.

I'm sorry. My only thought was getting to the hospital. It slipped my mind.

You can't keep things like this from me just because you're mad at me, J, Abby signed back, tears stinging her eyes.

I'm sorry Abby. I don't know what else to say. I didn't intentionally not call you. Tony was my main concern.

Lowering her hands, Abby stepped into Gibbs' open arms, giving in to her tears as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"What happened?" She asked as she pulled away, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. "How did he get hurt?"

"He went through a window in the garage," Ziva supplied. "I believe that he lost his balance and fell on top of a piece of jagged metal. He sliced his leg open pretty badly, although Doctor Mallard had managed to stop most of the bleeding when the paramedics arrived."

"Which never would have been possible had you not found him when you did Ziva," Ducky said as he entered the waiting room, another doctor in tow. "Everyone, this is Doctor Morgan."

"How is he?" McGee asked, pushing himself to his feet immediately. He swallowed hard as he eyed the dried bloodstains on Ducky's clothes.

"He's awake," Doctor Morgan said, smiling kindly as he addressed the small group. "We're giving him fluids now, and after he's been examined, he'll be moved upstairs."

"Upstairs? Wait... h-he has to stay here? Why? What's wrong?" McGee asked, his voice slightly panicked.

"There were some... complications resulting in Anthony being unable to receive a tetanus shot. Doctor Morgan and I feel that it is best for him to kept kept under observation for a few days. Just to make ensure that his leg does not get infected," Ducky said cryptically, eyeing Gibbs and Ziva.

"Complications? What ki--"

"We will discuss that later," Ducky said meaningfully.

Frowning at the Medical Examiner, McGee turned his attention back to Doctor Morgan. "Can I see him?"

"Unfortunately, only family is allowed back at this point. Once he's been moved upstairs, you're more than welcome to visit."

"But--"

"He's family," Gibbs interrupted, nodding at McGee. "Only family Tony's got."

"Oh! I'm sorry sir. I didn't realize! What is your relationship to Agent DiNozzo?"

"I'm his..." He hesitated, glancing back at Ziva.

"They're partners," Gibbs supplied.

"They're... partners?" Doctor Morgan asked, furrowing his brows until it dawned on him. "Oh. Oh! Well then you must be...?"

"Yeah... I am."

"Very well," Doctor Morgan nodded. "Come along then."

Frowning deeply, Ziva stood up, intent on following after McGee.

"Uh... Ziva? Where are you going?" Abby asked as she grabbed the Israeli's hand.

"I am also Tony's partner. Clearly, I should be allowed back to see him as well."

Despite her tears, Abby could barely stifle a laugh as she wrapped an arm around the confused woman's shoulders, ignoring the uncomfortable glance she threw her way.

"Ziva and I will be right back."

"Where are you going?" Gibbs asked.

"To explain to Ziva how McGee and Tony being partners is a little different than what she's thinking."

----

McGee paused just outside the room where his lover was being held, taking a deep breath as he tried to prepare himself to face Tony after a week of avoiding him.

Swallowing hard, he pushed the door open and stepped in, barely containing a gasp at just how bad Tony looked. He was laying back against the pillows, his usually tan face appearing gray against the starch white sheets.

His face was turned down in frown, and though his eyes were closed, McGee was certain that he was not asleep. Apparently, the older man had not noticed him, and McGee took the opportunity to really study him for the first time in a week.

Though he had gained some weight around the middle, his face appeared thinner and the dark circles under his eyes stood out even more against his pale skin.

"S'not nice to stare," Tony said quietly, his voice hoarse as he forced his eyes open.

"S-sorry," McGee responded as he stepped further into the room. "H-how are you feeling?"

Tony shrugged casually as he stared down at his hands.

McGee sighed quietly as he made his way over to the bed. Grabbing the plastic chair, he pulled it closer and sank down heavily, searching for the right words to say. "I am so sorry, T." For a moment, McGee was afraid that Tony wasn't going to respond or even acknowledge that he had spoken. "Tony--" he tried again.

"Me too," he said quietly.

Reaching over for Tony's hand, McGee linked their fingers together, squeezing gently. "I was... I've been so stupid, Tony. I never meant to... I didn't... I was so worried and all I could think about was that this was going to be the last..." He stopped himself, trying to ignore the sting of tears. "I'm so sorry."

Reaching over with his free hand, Tony allowed his fingers to tangle through McGee's hair, frowning as the younger man lowered his head to the bed, grasping his hand hard. "S'okay Tim."

"I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice broken and muffled.

They remained that way for a few minutes, Tony's fingers rubbing McGee's head lightly as the younger man trembled beside him. It wasn't until Tony inhaled sharply that McGee sat up, swiping at the wetness on his cheeks.

"What's the matter?" He asked as he rubbed the back of Tony's hand soothingly, frowning at the pained look on his face.

"Hurts," Tony managed, clenching his teeth against the pain.

"I'll get the doctor. We'll see if they can come give you some more medicine," McGee said as he stood, bending to press a gentle kiss to Tony's forehead.

"No," he moaned, refusing to release McGee's hand.

"Tony--"

"No," he repeated firmly, draping an arm over his rounded stomach. "The baby..."

"The stuff they'll give you won't hurt the baby," McGee promised. "Please, T. You're huring. It'll make you feel better."

"N-not 'til the other doctor has been in."

"What other doctor?"

"That would be me," a feminine voice said from the doorway. Turning, McGee was met by a petite brunette. "I'm Doctor Simmons," she said kindly.

----

"How's he doing, Duck?" Gibbs asked, keeping his voice low as he spoke to his friend.

"As well as can be expected, considering the amount of blood loss he suffered," Ducky said with a sigh. "I daresay had Ziva not found him when she did..." The ME trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

"How's he really doing?" Gibbs pressed. "He musta taken a pretty hard fall."

"Yes well, I can't imagine it was any different this time than any of the other times he's fallen. That boy is an accident waiting to happen," Ducky said with a light chuckle, though he didn't meet Gibbs' eyes.

"Except it was different this time, wasn't it?"

"Well, if you're referring to the piece of metal that he landed on, yes. I supposed it was a bit different."

"Come on, Duck. You really gonna try to lie to me?"

Cocking an eyebrow at his oldest friend, Ducky sighed again. "I should have known that you were aware of Anthony's condition."

"How is he?" Gibbs asked again.

"Concerned for the exact same reason you are. Apparently, he did fall quite hard. He's been experiencing some tightness in his abdomen since he came around, and while I tried to explain to him that it's most likely nothing, he didn't seem to be convinced. I've called in the doctor I recommended and she's agreed to stop in and give him a quick examination."

"He'll be okay?"

"I'm confident that he will make a full recovery."

Gibbs sighed heavily and turned away from Ducky as Abby stepped back in the room, Ziva in tow. Pushing himself to his feet, Gibbs made his way over to her, accepting the cup of coffee she offered before draping an arm around her thin shoulders.

"Everything okay?" Abby asked her lover tentatively, the worry evident in her green eyes. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, squeezing her gently.

"Yeah," he said simply as he led the two women over to the waiting Medical Examiner. "Yeah, everything's gonna be okay."

They sat down in the vacant chairs near Ducky. It wasn't long until Abby lowered her head to Gibbs' shoulder, closing her eyes as he traced soothing circles on her back.

It was forty five minutes later when McGee came back into the waiting room, his face more relaxed than it had been for over a week. "They're moving him now," he announced as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"When can we see him?" Abby asked as she sat upright, pulling away from Gibbs' embrace.

"Another fifteen minutes. They want to get him settled in and then they said he can have visitors."

Abby sighed in relief as she relaxed against her lover's side again. "Thank God. And... everything is okay?" She asked meaningfully.

"Uh... yeah. I actually... boss? Do you think I could... talk to you for a minute? In the hallway?"

Untangling himself from Abby's embrace, Gibbs pushed himself to his feet, nodding towards the hall. "Let's go," he said.

Taking a deep breath, the younger man followed after him, wringing his hands nervously in front of him.

"What is it McGee?"

"I just... there's something that we... I need to make you aware of. Before Tony comes back to work."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah... the thing is... he needs... well, he's going to have to go on restricted duty."

"For the leg injury?" Gibbs asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yes. I mean no. I mean..."

"For how long?" Gibbs interrupted.

McGee hesitated as he made a mental calculation. "For at least... nineteen more weeks, I'd say. And then he'll need to be off for awhile."

Gibbs had already figured as much. "You plan on telling me why?"

"Tony's... well... he's..."

"He is pregnant!" Ziva gasped from the doorway of the waiting room, having overheard the conversation. She had been watching Tony closely from the moment she had found him in the bathroom months ago. Something had been different, though until this moment, the pieces hadn't connected for her.

McGee turned a dark shade of red as he glanced over at his Israeli friend before he turned back to his boss. "Yeah... what she said."

"I take it the two of you WERE planning on telling me at some point?"

"We didn't find out about it until last week and then we had that stupid fight and I just... We were going to tell you... eventually."

Narrowing his eyes at the young agent, Gibbs studied him for a minute before he nodded. "I'll put the paper work into Vance. Gonna need Tony to sign off on it."

Breathing a sigh of relief, McGee nodded before he turned to Ziva. The young woman stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her brown eyes narrowed.

"I suppose a congratulations is in order. Even though as usual, I am the last the know. I did not even know that you and Tony were seeing one another!"

"I'm sorry."

"I will forgive you this time. Though I would like to know when the child is actually born and not six months later, if you think that can be managed."

"You'll be the first to know."

"Well let us not kid ourselves, hmm?I will settle for sixth. Just as long as you promise to tell me before Jimmy and Carl the janitor."

"Deal."

Chapter Eight: In Between

Tony groaned as he stood up, keeping as much weight off his casted leg as possible.

"Tony!" McGee chided, walking into the room with a wheelchair. "I told you I'd be right back. You couldn't wait for two minutes?"

The older man narrowed his hazel eyes at his lover and grunted in response. Things weren't 100% between them yet, but really, after the week they had, neither of them expected perfection.

"I don't wanna be cramped up in this room anymore, Tim. I wanna go home and be able to watch my big screen. Not this crappy box they call a TV," he whined. "And I'm hungry."

"You just ate an hour ago," McGee reminded him as Tony lowered himself into the wheel chair with a groan.

"Okay, first of all, I don't think this slop they've been feeding me here could be considered food. And second, lay off McGee! I'm eating for two here, in case you've forgotten."

"Yeah, yeah," McGee said with a roll of his eyes, though he couldn't help the fond smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You ready to get out of here?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Tony asked dryly as he settled into the chair.

Squeezing Tony's shoulder gently, McGee backed him out of the room slowly and headed for the elevator, cocking an eyebrow as all the nurses waved emphatically to his injured partner. He didn't miss the broad grin on Tony's face as he waved back.

"You've been flirting when I'm not around, haven't you?"

"Me? Flirting? Of course not."

"Uh huh. I see the way all those nurses were smiling at you," McGee responded dryly as he stepped onto the elevator, pulling Tony with him.

"It's the whole being pregnant thing. Apparently, women dig it."

"Oh really?"

"Hell yeah. Well, okay. Maybe being injured and completely helpless had something to do with it too."

"Really? Completely helpless? I'll remember that when I get you home."

"Uh... Did I say completely helpless? Because what I meant was--"

Laughing quietly to himself, McGee pushed him out of the elevator. "Stop talking, Tony."

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea, huh?"

"Mmhmm."

Tony fell silent as McGee helped into the car, biting back a groan as he jarred his casted leg.

"You okay?"

"'M... Fine."

Frowning slightly, McGee closed the door and headed around to the driver's seat.

Putting the car into drive, McGee pulled away from the hospital before he reached over for Tony's hand, linking their fingers.

----

"Couch or the bed?" McGee asked as he slipped the key into the door, his arm wrapped around his lover's waist as he supported him.

"Couch," Tony grumbled. "I'm so tired of laying in a bed."

"Are you pouting?" McGee asked as he pushed the door to the apartment open.

"No. Not pouting. Just starving to death. I'm pretty sure this could qualify as child abuse, McGee."

"I think you'll survive a little longer."

"Doubt it," Tony muttered as he pulled away from McGee, reaching for the crutches he'd propped against the wall.

"I told you I'd take care of dinner," McGee reminded him as he followed the older man inside, patting his shoulder when he lowered himself onto the couch.

Tony frowned up at McGee before dropping his head back against the cushion. "God, it's so good to be-- wait a minute." Lifting his head, Tony narrowed his eyes at the laptop hooked up to his TV. "McGee!"

"Yes?"

"Have you been trying to geek out my apartment again? What have I told you about that? This is a sacred space. I can't have you doing your... Elf Lord tribal dances in my living room."

"What are you...? Oh! The laptop! No, no. I have something really cool to show you!"

"Your definition of "really cool" is so, SO different than mine," Tony said, cocking an eyebrow at his lover. "What is it?"

"You have to wait just a little longer and I'll show you."

"Tim!" Tony whined, dropping his head back against the couch again.

"Patience is a virtue, Tony."

"Yeah, whoever came up with that load of crap never had to wait for anything."

McGee didn't even try to stifle his laugh as he sank down on the couch beside the pouty man. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to Tony's lips. "Just a little bit longer. It'll be worth it, I promise."

Tony shivered slightly, unable to keep from grinning. "Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm," McGee said, pressing his lips to Tony's once more, grinning against him as he leaned closer.

A quiet moan escaped Tony as he brought his hand up, pulling McGee closer.

"Tony..." McGee mumbled against him. "Tony... Wait."

"McGee, the last time you said that, I ended up pregnant. Now shut up," he ordered as he moved closer, though he stopped with a groan as he jarred his leg.

"Lay down here," McGee suggested as he moved off the couch.

"I'm fine!" Tony growled, though he didn't protest as McGee pulled him down gently.

"I'll go get some pillows from your bed. Do you want your blanket too?"

"No," Tony muttered.

"Okay. I'll be right back," he promised as he kissed Tony's forehead.

Settling himself on the couch, Tony reached for the remote, though he stopped at the sound of a knock on the door.

Groaning, he attempted to push himself up again but was stopped as McGee hurried back into the room.

"Stay put. I've got it," he said as he deposited the pillows onto the couch.

Tony eyed McGee suspiciously though he laid back down. "Who was..." he trailed off, sniffing the air. "Is that...pizza?" He asked as his stomach growled loudly.

McGee grinned as he closed the door and headed back to the couch, setting the pizza on the coffee table. "Of course it is," he said, sitting back on the couch and leaning over to give his lover another kiss. "Pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese. Just how you like it."

"Mmm," Tony groaned, taking the plate McGee handed him. "You're the best."

McGee couldn't help but grin at that. "There is one condition to this," he warned as Tony took a bite.

"Anything," he mumbled, his mouth full.

"Ducky and Abby don't find out about this. I got a long lecture from both of them yesterday about how I need to make sure you're eating healthy. Pizza was not on the list."

Tony snorted, though he nodded as he took another bite. "Deal."

"Good. You ready for the second part of your 'welcome home' surprise?"

Pausing, Tony cocked an eyebrow at him. "Is it going to require me to stop eating?"

McGee laughed quietly and shook his head. "Nope." Pushing himself to his feet again, he made his way over to the laptop and knelt down.

"Tim!" Tony whined. "I don't wanna watch you play a stupid video game! C'mon!"

McGee ignored him as he loaded his laptop and pushed himself to his feet. Grabbing the remote, he turned the TV on and watched as Tony's face lit up.

"Magnum!"

"Every episode," McGee grinned smugly. "I downloaded them and figured that maybe we could watch them while you're recovering."

Heading back over to the couch, McGee sank down and patted his lap, grinning when Tony lowered his head to his legs. Leaning down, McGee pecked his lips before he pulled away. "Welcome home, Tony."

OoOoOoO

Pushing the front door open, Abby stepped into the house and dropped her keys into the dish behind the door.

"Gibbs?" She called as she kicked her shoes off.

Stepping out from the kitchen, Gibbs was barely able to contain his look of surprise. Only years of practice made it possible.

"Hey," he greeted as he stepped closer, dropping a kiss to the cheek that she offered.

"Making dinner?" she asked casually.

"Uh huh."

"Got enough for two?"

"Always."

Reaching for his hand, the Goth linked their fingers as she allowed him to guide her to the kitchen.

She avoided meeting his blue eyes carefully as she helped him set the table. There were a lot of things that needed to be said, but she wasn't quite ready for it yet.

Things had been strained over the last week and though they had reconciled briefly in the hospital after Tony's accident, Abby had taken to staying at her own apartment again.

Gibbs watched her carefully as she moved around the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to his intense gaze as she chatted on about a case one of the other teams had been working on.

"So then today, Simmons brought me this sample of se--"

"Abby."

"No, no. Wait, this is really interesting. So he brings me--"

"Abby," he tried again. "Talk to me."

"I'm trying, Gibbs! You keep interrupting me!"

"You're talking at me. Talk to me."

"I don't know what you're talking..." she trailed off as he moved closer, cupping her hands in his face.

"Abs."

"I'm sorry," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Though she had promised herself that she would have a calm discussion with him, she could feel the tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm so sorry."

He sighed heavily and pulled her into a hug, holding her against him as she trembled slightly. "You," he said as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "have nothing to be sorry for."

"I should have come home."

"So why didn't you?" He asked, though there was no anger in his voice. Just confusion.

"Because I was angry with you! You know how much Tony looks up to you, how hard he tries to make you proud and you provoked him."

"I did not--"

"You did. In the squad room. Because you were angry with me."

He fell silent, though his hold on her never loosened.

"But I shouldn't have punished you by staying away."

He pressed another kiss to the top of her head, before he pulled away, glancing down at her. "I am sorry, Abby."

"I know you are. I knew it in the hospital waiting room."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down for a kiss, smiling against him as his fingers found her hips.

"So we're good now?" She mumbled against him.

"Better than good."

----

Stepping out of the bathroom, Gibbs couldn't help but grin at the sight of the Goth sprawled out across his bed wearing nothing but a tshirt, smiling impishly at him.

"Hi," she greeted, twirling a strand of her long black hair between her fingers.

"Hi back," he smirked as he made his way over to the dresser.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Getting a shirt."

"Don't bother," she said, her voice husky as she pushed herself up.

He cocked an eyebrow at her through the mirror before he turned. "Why not?"

"Because it's just going to end up on the floor."

"That's a good reason," Gibbs conceded as he closed the dresser drawer. Turning back to the bed, he crossed the room in two short strides.

Reaching up for him, Abby ran her hand down his hard chest, grinning as he shivered slightly at her touch.

Lowering his head, he captured her mouth with his, tangling his fingers through her hair.

Abby moaned softly as he pushed her back gently against the mattress, their lips never parting.

She could feel him growing hard against her bare thigh as his fingers crept down her hips slowly.

"Ah, Abs. I've missed you," he said as he moved his lips down her neck slowly.

"I need you."

"How?"

"Inside. Now." Though her voice was firm, he detected just a hint of desperation.

He allowed his fingers to slip inside of her panties, smirking at the way she moved against him.

"Gibbs!" She gasped, her entire body twitching as he slipped a finger inside her.

He claimed her mouth with his again, silencing her protests. "Beg for it," he ordered against her.

"Please," she cried as he pulled away from her, her body aching for him. Lifting her hips, she shoved her fingers into the waist band of her panties and pushed the fabric down.

He kicked off his own boxers as she slipped her shirt over her head.

She laid back against the pillows and opened her legs for him, moaning when she felt his weight ontop of her.

"Please," she whimpered again, a quiet gasp escaping her as he complied.

He groaned at the feeling of her wrapped around him. "God, Abby."

She lifted her hips against him as she raked her her nails down his back.

His movements were slow and powerful, each thrust bringing her closer to the edge.

"More," she demanded, her voice slightly strangled as she moved with him. "More!"

He lowered his mouth to her neck, his teeth teasing her sweet skin as he moved harder.

"So... Close," she cried out, her fingers tangling through his hair.

She gripped the sheets with both hands as he thrusted faster, his movements becoming more desperate.

"Abby," he cried out as he came inside her, his entire body shuddering at the release.

He collapsed ontop of her, his face pressed against her neck as she panted beneath him.

Rolling off of her, Gibbs laid back against the pillow as he tried to catch his breath.

Abby's entire body trembled as she turned onto her side, wrapping herself around her lover as she snuggled close to him.

He ran his fingers down her back slowly, tracing light circles on her bare skin.

"I missed you," she mumbled sleepily.

"I missed you too."

"I'm sorry for staying away."

"You're here now. That's all that matters."

Chapter Nine: Never Be Ready

Four Weeks Later...

Abby stepped into the elevator with Gibbs, waiting for the doors to close before she hit the emergency stop switch. "We need to talk."

He looked between her and the switch carefully for a moment before he fixed her with a stern look. "Not here, Abs. Later."

"But Gibbs!" She frowned, wrapping her arms around his waist as she pressed herself against him. "It's important."

"Not at work, Abby. We've had this discussion before," he reminded her as he peeled her arms off of his waist despite his body's objections. "Whatever it is, we can talk about it at home."

"Gibbs!"

"Abby!" He mocked, trying hard not to smirk at the scowl she gave him as he reached over and hit the emergency switch to set the elevator in motion. "We'll talk at home."

Pulling away from him, Abby crossed her arms over her chest with a huff of indignation as she glared at the buttons on the elevator. It took every ounce of strength that Gibbs possessed to keep from rolling his eyes at her childish behavior, though he somehow managed.

"Are you going to pout over this all day?"

"Maybe," she responded coldly, refusing to look at him. "I haven't decided yet."

"Let me know when you've made up your mind."

Turning back to him, she fixed him with an incredulous stare. "It doesn't bother you that I'm mad?"

"Abby, we are not having personal discussions at work."

"But it's important," she reiterated, as she resisted the urge to stomp her feet.

"And it'll still be important when I get home tonight," he said as the elevator came to a stop. Leaning down, he pecked her lips quickly before he gave her a gentle nudge towards the opening doors. "I'll see you later."

He watched as she spun on her heel quickly and stomped into her lab as the elevator doors closed. He shook his head, chuckling quietly to himself as he pressed the button for the third floor.

----

"God help me..." Tony groaned as he leaned back in his chair, wrapping his arms around his stomach gently.

"What's wrong?" McGee asked, frowning as he watched his lover closely, the worry evident on his face.

"Just indigestion," Tony muttered dismissively. "Ugh."

"Are you sure? Maybe you should go down to see Ducky just to--"

"I'm fine, McGee!" He snapped unintentionally. Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile. "Sorry."

"Tony, perhaps McGee is right. It would not hurt to allow Ducky to..." Ziva trailed off at the sound of the elevator doors opening.

Gibbs snapped his phone shut as he stepped off the elevator. "Grab your gear. We've got a dead marine," he announced as he headed for his desk.

"Where?" McGee asked, grabbing his gun and badge from the top drawer of his desk.

"Arlington. McGee--"

"I'll gas the truck, boss."

"Ziva--"

"I will get Ducky."

"DiNozzo--"

"I'll sit here and be completely useless," the senior agent muttered bitterly.

"What was that, DiNozzo?"

"I said I'll wait here for Ziva to call in with an ID and then I'll start a background on our victim."

"And...?"

"I'll stay out of the lab."

"Because...?"

"Because Abby has her own work to do and her job description does not include entertaining me while I'm on light duty," Tony recited, barely able to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"We'll be back. You can work on getting caught up on your reports until Ziva calls."

"Got it boss," Tony sighed as he rubbed his stomach absently.

Gibbs headed to the elevator without another word, Ziva in tow. McGee paused in front of Tony's desk, offering him a slight smile.

"No pizza for lunch, huh? Eat something semi healthy."

"No promises."

"McGee!" Gibbs barked from the elevator. "Let's go!"

"Go on," Tony urged. "I've got *such* a busy day in front of me."

"I'll see you later."

"Be careful," he called as his partner hurried to the elevator, slipping in just as the doors started to close.

He made a show of shuffling papers around on his desk just in case his boss forgot something and came barreling back into the squad room.

Glancing towards the elevator, Tony decided he was safe. Pushing himself to his feet, he grabbed a bag of chips from the stash in his desk and headed for the elevator.

Stepping off the elevator in Abby's lab, Tony grinned as he stepped up behind his Gothic friend.

"You're not supposed to be down here, Tony," she chided, not bothering to turn from her computer.

"I do a lot of things I'm not supposed to do," he reminded her as he opened his bag of chips. "What are you working on?"

"Fibers," she responded curtly. "Gibbs is going to be mad if he finds out you're down here."

"He won't."

Turning to him, Abby placed a gloved hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at him. Reaching out, she snatched the bag of chips from his hands, ignoring his cry of protest. "So you expect me to lie to him then? Because you know he's going to ask."

"You wouldn't have to, you know, actually lie. You could just--"

"Stop while you're behind and go back upstairs."

His face fell slightly. "Okay. Sorry," he said as he turned for the elevators.

Closing her eyes, Abby took a deep breath and reached for his hand. "I'm sorry, Tony. I'm just... Having a crappy day."

"What's going on?" He asked as he turned back to her, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"I'm mad at Gibbs," she mumbled against his chest as she draped her arms loosely around his waist.

"What did he do now?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll laugh at me."

"I will not! Come on Abs! You'll feel better if you tell me!"

"Tony, I really doubt..." She trailed off and pulled away from him quickly, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly as he rubbed his stomach. "Indigestion."

"Tony," she giggled as she touched his stomach again. "That's not indigestion, babe."

"Yes it is."

"No, its not. That's the baby, T."

Tony's face immediately turned down in a frown. "No," he said, swallowing hard as he shook his head. "No. I need to call McGee."

"Hey, it's okay. What's the matter?"

"Why's it doing that? What's wrong with it?"

"Sweetie, nothing's wrong," she assured him as she wrapped him in a hug. "It's normal. It's just the baby moving around."

Pulling away, she looked up at him, eyeing him carefully. "Come on," she said as she took his hand, leading him toward her office.

"Where are we going?"

"You," she said as she nudged him in the direction of the futon, "are going to lay down."

"Abby--"

"No arguments, Tony. You're tired."

"I am not," he responded petulantly.

"You are. You wouldn't have gotten so freaked out if you weren't. Now come on. Lay down here and rest until they get back."

Grumbling quietly, Tony kicked off his shoes before he sank down on the thin mattress.

"Rest," she repeated as she knelt down beside him, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

Pushing herself upright, Abby watched him for a moment before she headed back out to the main lab.

"Abby?"

"Yeah?"

He hesitated slightly. "You're sure everything is okay?"

"I'm positive. But we can get Ducky to check you out when he gets back if it would make you feel better."

He nodded though he didn't give an audible response. Shifting onto his side, Tony wrapped an arm around his stomach protectively before he closed his eyes.

OoOoOoO

Pushing the door open, McGee slipped into Tony's apartment quietly. Toeing his shoes off, he kicked them to the side and padded into the kitchen, smirking at the empty pizza box on the counter.

For an investigator, Tony sucked at covering his tracks when it came to doing, or in this case eating, something he wasn't supposed to.

Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, McGee headed out of the kitchen, loosening his tie on the way to the bedroom.

Pushing the door open, he couldn't help but grin at the sight of his lover sprawled out on the bed, one arm draped over his stomach as he snored softly.

Pulling his shirt off, McGee tossed it into the hamper before doing the same with his pants. Walking over to the bed, he slid under the covers beside Tony, wrapping an arm around him.

"Mmm," Tony moaned softly, turning into McGee's touch. "Wha' time s'it?"

"After eleven," McGee said quietly. "Go back to sleep."

"'M not tired," Tony mumbled as he forced his eyes open, offering the younger man a sleepy smile. "Hi."

"Hi back," McGee grinned as he pressed a kiss to Tony's lips. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry."

"Really?" McGee asked dryly. "That pizza didn't fill you up?"

"Oh," Tony responded sheepishly.

"Yeah, 'oh' is right," McGee smirked. "We talked about this. You can't just eat pizza."

"Sure I can. Tomato sauce should count as a vegetable. It's made from tomatoes. And then there's the cheese, which is clearly my daily serving of dairy products. I'm good."

"You thought about that little speech all night, didn't you?"

"Uh huh."

"Yeah, well you get an 'A' for effort, but that's about it."

Tony rolled his eyes though he kissed McGee before rolling over so his back was to him.

Reaching behind him, Tony grabbed McGee's hand and pressed it to his stomach, grinning when he felt McGee pull him back against his chest.

"So did you..." McGee trailed off at the gentle fluttering against his hand. "Tony... Is that...?"

"Uh huh. Been doing it since last night. I didn't know what the hell it was. Just thought it was--"

"Indigestion."

"You can imagine how surprised I was when Abby practically laughed me out of her lab and told me what was going on."

McGee rubbed his lover's stomach gently as he pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "Wow," he laughed. "This is... Really weird."

"You think it's weird? Try being me," Tony snorted, though he was smiling. "It's pretty cool though huh?"

"Definitely," McGee agreed. "It didn't really... Feel real until now, you know? I mean, I know it's different for you but now, I just..."

Turning back to face him, Tony offered him a slight smile. "Does it freak you out?"

"Surprisingly, no," McGee admitted honestly. "What about you?"

"Sometimes. I was pretty freaked out today. But I'm getting used to it."

Leaning forward, McGee pressed a kiss to his lips. "There's something I wanted to talk you about," he said quietly as he brought his hand up, scratching Tony's scalp lightly.

"Uh oh. This can't be good if you're breaking out a head rub," Tony said, just a hint of teasing in his voice. "Let's hear it."

"Well..." McGee hesitated slightly. "We've told everyone at work about the baby and I... Just think that maybe it's time to tell my parents. About everything."

"Tim..."

"We have to tell them, Tony."

"I thought you said you wanted to wait."

"I did. But that's not fair to you or them. The truth is, I should have told them about you from the beginning. And this is their first grandchild, you know? It's not... They should know."

"I don't know..."

"Please?"

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm positive."

"Okay then," Tony conceded with a nod.

"They're going to love you," McGee assured him as he continued running his fingers through Tony's hair.

"I hope you're right," Tony sighed as he closed his eyes, allowing the soothing motion of McGee's fingers against his scalp to lull him to sleep.

OoOoOoO

Gibbs kicked the door closed behind him as he stepped into the quiet house. From the living room, he could see the faint glow of the TV illuminating his Goth's face in the otherwise dark room.

Dropping his keys into the dish on the table, he kicked his shoes off and made his way into the living room, surprised to find her asleep.

He'd been expecting her to pounce on him the moment he walked through the door, and when she didn't, he almost frowned. Sitting on the couch next to her, he pulled her head onto his lap carefully and ran a hand through her hair.

She shifted slightly against him as her eyelids fluttered open. "Gibbs?"

"Uh huh."

She pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I tried to wait up for you," she said as she stifled a yawn.

"It was a late night." Gibbs pulled her back against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "Now, what was so important that it couldn't wait until tonight?"

She stilled against him for a moment before she pulled away. "Nothing," she responded. "It probably isn't something you're interested in anyway, if this morning is any indication."

Sighing heavily, Gibbs gave her a blank stare. "Come on, Abby. It's late. I'm tired. I told you we would talk tonight when I got home. I'm home, so let's talk."

"Just forget it," she said as she pushed herself to her feet. "It's really not that big of a deal."

It was an internal fight to keep from rolling his eyes as he stood, reaching for her hand. "Abby..." he growled in warning.

"I don't wanna talk now, Gibbs!"

"Too bad." Grabbing her wrists, he turned her to face him before he backed her up against the wall, the faintest hint of a smirk on his face. "Talk. Now."

"Gibbs!"

"Whining is most definitely not going to work," he assured her. "Talk."

"No!"

"Then I guess we're gonna stand here all night, because you aren't going anywhere until you spit it out."

Dropping her eyes, she looked away from him. "I want to have a baby."

He dropped her hands immediately and backed away from her, all traces of amusement gone from his face.

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes at his reaction. "I'm sorry," she whispered, as she reached for him, unable to stop the quiet sob that escaped when he pulled away. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry."

Gibbs stood silently as he watched her turn and head for the stairs, knowing he should stop her, though unable to do so.

He didn't move until he heard the bedroom door close. Releasing a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, he headed for the basement, ignoring the painful ache in his chest.

----

Abby could smell the sawdust as soon as he opened the bedroom door. She closed her eyes and forced her breathing to remain even as she feigned sleep.

She felt the bed dip slightly with his weight as he sank down on his side.

"Abby?" His voice was softer than she'd ever heard.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, her voice breaking slightly. "I'm sorry."

Shifting on the bed, Gibbs wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back against his chest, breathing in her sweet scent as she cried. "Shh. It's okay."

"I'm sorry," she cried as she turned to face him, her thin frame shaking slightly.

He held her tight as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, closing his eyes as he rubbed her back. "It's okay, Abby. Can you just... Tell me what brought this on?"

"It's s-stupid! Tony... I just... I don't know! I've been thinking about it for a few weeks, but then today, I felt his baby move and I... I want that, J."

"I'm not ready, Abby," he said quietly.

"I know! And I wasn't thinking a-about how much it would upset you to bring it up! I'm so--"

"I'm not ready," he repeated, kissing the top of her head. "But I'm not saying no. I just need a little more time."

She nodded against him, not trusting her voice.

"Abby?"

Pulling away slightly, she looked up at him, closing her eyes when he brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"I love you. And I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for this yet."

She allowed him to pull her back against his chest, his strong arms holding her in place as they drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Ten: Meet The Parents

"Come on, Tony. Time to get up," McGee called, walking back into the bedroom holding two cups of coffee.

"Mmf..." Tony groaned, burying his head under his pillow.

McGee sighed, setting Tony's coffee on the nightstand. "I told my parents we'd be there by noon, T. We agreed on this, remember?"

"Not feelin' good," the older man mumbled into the pillow.

McGee reached over and pulled the pillow off his lover's head. "You promised you wouldn't fight me on this.," he said, looking down at him.

"Not fighting," Tony groaned, throwing an arm over his face to block the light. "Sick. Don't wanna get sick at your parents' house. What kinda first impression would that be?"

"Tony.... Don't do this. Not today. Please."

Forcing his eyes open, Tony scowled at McGee for a moment before he threw the covers from his body. "You suck, McGee."

"You weren't complaining about it last night. Now get up. Please."

Cocking an eyebrow at his lover, Tony could hardly contain a smirk. "You're right. There was definitely no need to complain about that. But you can never have too much practice so how about we skip--"

"Up! Now!"

Sighing loudly, Tony pushed himself up and climbed from the warm mattress, scowling at McGee. "I'm up. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," McGee responded dryly. "Now get ready."

"Don't you even care that I said I'm sick?!" Tony asked incredulously.

"I would if you were actually sick."

"I could be!"

"But you're not."

"But I could be, dammit!"

"Tony!" McGee snapped, his voice sharp.

Narrowing his eyes at McGee, Tony brushed passed him and headed for the dresser. "Fine!"

Taking a deep breath, McGee crossed the space between them and wrapped his arms around Tony from behind, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "Thank you."

"They aren't going to like me."

"You're right... They'll love you."

OoOoOoO

It was everything Tony could do to keep his morning coffee down as McGee turned into his parent's driveway. Although he'd feigned an upset stomach that morning in an attempt to get out of coming, he had to swallow hard to keep from ruining his lover's car interior.

"Relax," McGee insisted as he reached over, grasping Tony's hand in his. "They're going to love you, T."

"Yeah, you keep saying that but I don't know if it's making me feel better or worse."

"It's going to be okay. Just a quick lunch and if you're still uncomfortable, we'll leave, okay? We just... They have to know."

Swallowing hard again, Tony nodded, eyeing the large house as they drew closer.

Putting the car into park, McGee climbed out of the driver's seat before hurrying around to Tony's side.

Accepting his lover's offered hand, Tony allowed McGee to pull him from the car, groaning at the slight ache in his back from sitting for so long.

"You okay?" McGee asked, resting a hand on the older man's back, frowning slightly. "You look a little pale."

"Told you I was sick earlier. You should have listened."

Cocking an eyebrow, McGee reached up and pressed his hand to Tony's forehead, his frown returning when he realized he felt a little warmer than usual.

"You're fine," McGee insisted though he made a mental note to keep a close eye on Tony. Though he liked to play up small injuries and illnesses, he knew that if Tony really was starting to get sick, he'd never open his mouth.

"Is it too late to change my mind about this?"

McGee gave his lover an exhausted look, fighting to not roll his eyes. "Yes." He said, turning away and heading for the front door.

Tony frowned. "But I'm sick!" He whined, following after him.

McGee had already knocked on the door when Tony caught up to him, rubbing his lower back. McGee looked over at Tony and frowned, worried about him.

"Timothy!"

"Hey, mom." McGee greeted, noticing Tony tense out of the corner of his eye. He reached over and took his lover's hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "This is Tony DiNozzo."

He watched as she eyed their interlaced fingers for a moment before she offered Tony a bright smile and pulled him into a hug.

"It's nice to meet you, Tony!"

"It's... nice to finally meet you too, Mrs. McGee," Tony managed, as he tugged on his oversized shirt nervously in an attempt to hide his rounded stomach.

"Oh please honey, call me Linda. Come on in," she said with a bright smile as she pulled the door open wider.

Stepping through the door, McGee pulled Tony after him, pausing only to peck his mother's cheek.

"You look good, sweetheart," Linda commented as she looked her son over carefully. "A little tired, but good."

"We've... Had a lot going on," McGee said as he smiled slightly at his quiet lover.

"Well get in here. Your father is in the living room. Go say hello and then we'll have lunch," Linda commanded as she patted Tony on the arm. "Can I get you a drink, sweetheart?"

"Oh no. I'm fine, thank you," Tony said as he forced his most charming smile.

"Don't be silly. Come on into the kitchen with me. No need to be shy," she smiled.

Looking helplessly at McGee, Tony allowed himself to be pulled into the kitchen by Linda.

"Make yourself at home," she said with a smile as she made her way over to the sink to wash her hands. "What can I get for you?"

"Just some water will be fine, thank you."

"You're so polite," Linda smiled as she grabbed a glass. "So tell me... How long have you known Timmy?"

"Oh... Uh, we've worked together for a few years now."

"Mom, is Tim-- Holy shit!"

Turning at the sound of the voice, Tony couldn't help but grin at his partner's little sister. Though he hadn't met McGee's parents before, his little sister Sarah had stopped by for lunch with her big brother a couple times at work, and Tony genuinely liked her. "Hey Sarah."

"You've got to be kidding me! You're the important person he's been so sketchy about?"

Narrowing her eyes at Tony as she crossed the room, Sarah walked into his open arms and hugged him tightly.

"It's good to see ya, kid."

"I wish I could say the same for you! Really Tony? Tim? I didn't know your standards were so low. And what the hell?" She asked as she pulled away. "You've put on some weight. I thought they had fitness standards at NCIS," she teased.

"Sarah!"

Tony offered his lover's younger sister a smirk. "A common misconception. If that was true, half the department wouldn't have a job."

"Including Timmy," Sarah snickered though she yelped when her mother swatted her. "Hey!"

"Go make yourself useful," Linda said as she handed her a stack of plates. "And stop harassing Tony."

"Don't let him fool you, mom. He likes it," McGee said with a grin as he stepped into the kitchen.

Tony eyed his lover with a smirk as he drew closer.

"You okay?" McGee asked quietly as his mother followed Sarah into the dining room.

"I'm good," Tony said as he leaned back against his chest. "For now. Ask me again after we've told them."

----

Lunch went off without a hitch, McGee decided as he watched his lover interact with his parents.

Tony had charmed his mother in a matter of minutes and had impressed his father George with his knowledge of college football.

Though he'd been positive that his family would take to Tony, he couldn't help but feel relieved that they were getting along so well.

"So..." Sarah began, offering Tony a mischievous smile as he took a sip of his water. "How long have you two been bon--"

"Dishes Sarah! Now!" Linda interrupted, narrowing her eyes at her daughter as Tony coughed loudly, his eyes wide as he choked on the liquid.

Sarah couldn't contain her laugh as she pushed herself to her feet and headed into the kitchen, snickering quietly.

"I don't know where we went wrong with that one," George commented dryly as McGee patted Tony furiously on the back.

"I heard that daddy!" Sarah called from the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" McGee asked, rubbing his lover's shoulder.

"I'm... Fine," Tony coughed as he took another drink. "Wasn't... Quite expecting that one. You sure she doesn't want to get into law enforcement? She'd fit right in with our team."

"No. You and Ziva are bad enough," McGee reminded him before turning back to his parents. "And now that Sarah has totally embarrassed us... There's uh... Something we wanted to talk to you about."

McGee could feel Tony tense at his side. Reaching over for his hand, he linked their fingers together, squeezing reassuringly.

Tony swallowed hard, his stomach doing flip flops as his lover's parents looked at them expectantly. Though he'd managed to relax over the course of lunch, his nerves were beginning to get the best of him again.

"Okay... Well are you going to make us guess?" Linda laughed after a moment.

"What? Oh... No. I just... Well I-I don't really know how to... I guess the b-best way would be to just..."

"I haven't heard you stutter this much since the speech at your graduation," Sarah scoffed as she came back into the dining room. "Spit it out, Timmy!"

McGee narrowed his eyes at his little sister before turning back to Tony. "Right... Well we... Or I guess I should say Tony is... He's... He uh...We're--"

Scowling at her brother, Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. "Sometime today, Tim! Jesus. What'd you do, knock him up?"

"Sarah!" McGee growled.

"Oh my God! You did! You told me he had food poisoning the last time I had lunch with you!"

"We didn't know then!"

"How long have you known?" Linda asked as she looked at her son and his partner.

"I only found out about a month ago," Tony said as he swallowed again.

"And you didn't think to tell us sooner, Timothy?" George asked.

"We've had a lot going on, dad. I mean, we really just started getting used to the idea ourselves. And I d-didn't... I wasn't sure how you'd react to..."

"You having a thing for boys? Oh please. We've always known you preferred guys," Sarah snorted, earning herself another swat from her mother.

"Sarah, that's enough," Linda warned before she turned back to the two men in front of her. "I am not happy that you waited to tell me, Timothy. And I don't like that you felt like you had to hide your relationship either."

"I'm sorry," McGee muttered quietly.

"Apology accepted," Linda assured him as she reached across the table, squeezing his hand gently. "Now... Am I going to have a granddaughter or grandson to spoil?"

OoOoOoO

It had been a long week, Abby decided as she climbed the front steps tiredly, her heavy boots thumping loudly against the wooden porch.

Gibbs had been more distant than usual since that night nearly a week ago, and though he assured her that nothing between them had changed, she wasn't so sure about that.

It wasn't that she didn't understand where he was coming from, because she did. But just because she understood didn't mean it was easy to deal with.

Pushing the front door open, Abby stepped into the house with a quiet sigh. She had just kicked her shoes off when Gibbs called to her, his voice drifting in from the kitchen.

Dropping her keys into the dish behind the door, she padded into the kitchen quietly.

"Hi," her blue eyed lover greeted, a grin on his face.

"Hi back," she responded, eyeing the lit candles on the table and the covered dish. "What's for dinner?"

"Don't you worry about that right now," he said as he crossed the room, closing the gap between them. Gibbs cupped her chin gently, tilting her head up before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Mmm..." she moaned softly against him, her smile widening as they broke apart. Lifting her arms, she draped them around his neck. Pressing herself against him, she dropped her head to his shoulder as his hands found her hips.

"I've missed you this week," he said, his warm breath tickling her ear.

"I've been right here."

"Uh huh. You have been. But I haven't," he said as he pulled away, frowning down at her. "I'm sorry, Abby. I should have never--"

"You don't have to do this. I understand, J. Really, I do. I don't need an explanation and I certainly don't need an apology," she said as she stood on her toes to kiss his lips again.

"No? Then what do you need?"

"You," she said quietly. "Just you."

----

Rolling over, Gibbs draped an arm over his sleeping Goth's bare hip as he pulled her back against his chest.

He had been more distant than usual over the course of the last week, with thoughts of Shannon and Kelly weighing heavily on his mind.

He hadn't meant to pull away from Abby, but the revelation that she wanted a baby had hit him hard.

It had been difficult enough for him when he realized that Abby was awakening feelings in him that he hadn't felt since Shannon, but he never once felt like he was replacing her.

But the thought of having another child?

Pushing the thought out of his mind, he held Abby closer and closed his eyes, the dull ache in his chest intensifying slightly as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not ready," he whispered.

"S'okay," Abby responded, her voice thick with sleep. Turning in his arms, she pressed her face against his chest and breathed in his scent. "I can wait."

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Gibbs pulled the sheet up over her body. "I love you Abs."

"I know," she murmured sleepily. "Love you too, J."

Chapter Eleven: The Best Days

"Almost... There! Perfect!"

"Talking to yourself again Tony?"

Ziva asked with a smirk as she glanced over at her partner.

"Maybe. That a problem, Zee-vah?" He asked as he leaned back in his chair, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"No," Ziva decided, eyeing his sandwich. "No, talking to yourself is not a problem, but your eating habits are. What is that?"

"What? You mean this?" He asked, holding his sandwich up. "This is only the best sandwich ever."

"It certainly does not look very good," she cringed, watching him take another bite of the toasted slimy mess that he called a sandwich.

"It's a toasted peanut butter and banana sandwich," McGee explained, cocking an eyebrow at his lover before turning back to Ziva. "But consider yourself lucky. At home, he likes to dip them in tomato soup. He's been craving that like crazy."

"That is disgusting," Ziva said, looking away from Tony as he finished his meal.

"No way!" Tony exclaimed. "It's delicious! Ask the King, it was his favorite too."

"The King?" The Israeli questioned. "I did not realize you were so well connected, Tony. The King of where?"

"Wh...You're kidding, right? THE King? You seriously...? You've been in America for HOW long? You still have so much to learn."

Ziva narrowed her eyes at her friend for a moment before she turned back to her computer screen.

The sound of the elevator dinging caught the three agents' attention. Glancing over, Tony watched as Abby bounced out of the elevator and headed into the bullpen, her heavy soled boots clomping across the carpeted floor.‬‪

"Mmm...I see you're eating your new favorite food again!" She grinned, stepping behind Tony's desk and plopping herself onto his lap gently. "Gonna share?"

"Sure thing, Hot Stuff!" He said, wrapping an arm around her back and offering her the sandwich.

Ziva watched in disgust as Abby took a bite. "Disgusting," she muttered to herself with a shake of her head.

Giggling quietly at Ziva, Abby handed the sandwich back to Tony before she rested her hand on his stomach. "What time are you going?" She asked excitedly.

"We're leaving in thirty," McGee said.

"You have to come see me as soon as you get back," she ordered. "And I want pictures of my little niece."

"It could be a boy," McGee reminded her.

"No way. Tony's totally having a girl."

"How can you be so certain?" Ziva asked.

"Because I know these things," Abby responded cryptically. "She's going to be the prettiest thing too. And she'll have the coolest clothes. Did you know that my favorite store has just started a line for babies? I bought the cutest little--"

"DNA swabs, Abs?" Gibbs asked as he rounded the corner by McGee's desk, cocking an eyebrow at the sight of his Goth perched on his senior field agent's lap.

"What? No. Ew, Gibbs. Who would buy DNA swabs for a baby?"

He stared at her blankly.

"Oh! You mean..." she offered him a sheepish smile. "I'm running them now."

"Uh huh. McGee, you finished running that background?"

"Just finishing up now boss."

"Good. When you're done, the two of you can go."

"Don't forget my pictures!" Abby ordered as she leaned forward, kissing Tony on the cheek. "And I expect a full report on how my niece is doing!" She smirked, grinning when she felt a slight flutter against her hand. "See? She already loves her aunt Abby."

"Actually, that was me," Tony grinned sheepishly. "The peanut butter and banana sandwich isn't sitting well with the left over pizza I had for breakfast."

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Abby punched his shoulder gently before she pushed herself to her feet.

"I certainly hope she doesn't inherit your eating habits, Tonyboy."

----

"Whatcha thinking about?" McGee asked, watching as Tony shifted on the examination table uncomfortably. They had been sitting in the exam room for about 10 minutes, waiting for the doctor to come in and do their ultrasound.

The dark-haired man rubbed his growing stomach absently, smiling at his lover. "Just a little nervous, I guess. Never thought I'd be here."

"Regretting it?"

"What?" Tony grabbed McGee's hand and placed it on his stomach where their baby proceeded to kick lightly. "Regret that? Nope."

"Good afternoon," Dr. Simmons greeted, walking into the room and closing the door behind her. She smiled brightly at the two men, taking her seat next to the ultrasound machine. "How has everything been going, Tony? You look good."

"Everything's been fine."

"You've been feeling good then?"

"For the most part. A little tired though."

"That's normal. Have you been eating okay?"

McGee snorted at the question, earning himself a scowl from his lover. "Sorry."

"I've been eating fine."

"Hm," Dr. Simmons paused, checking the file in her hand. "You're actually a little under the weight we want you to be at."

"How the heck is that even possible?" McGee asked, ignoring Tony's hiss of indignation. "He eats the most fattening foods constantly."

"Wow, thanks McTattleTale," Tony scowled.

Dr. Simmons chuckled quietly as she patted Tony's arm. "It's okay sweetheart. I'll save the lecture for another time. You guys ready to get a good look at the little one?"

Leaning forward in his chair, McGee reached for Tony's hand, linking their fingers together as he pulled his shirt up.

"Now this is going to be a little cold," Dr. Simmons warned, giving Tony a smile.

"I'm ready."

Nodding, she squirted the gel onto Tony's stomach.

Tony hissed slightly, narrowing his eyes as McGee laughed quietly.

"Sorry," he muttered as he tried to cover it a cough despite the smile on his face.

Dr. Simmons smiled at the two men as she placed the wand on Tony's stomach. "Okay, let's see what we have here."

Tony fell silent as he watched, trying to ignore the sting of tears behind his eyes as he looked at their baby on the screen.

"Everything looks perfect," Dr. Simmons announced. "And this little one is in the perfect position to tell the gender. Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes," they said simultaneously.

"Congratulations. You're having..."

OoOoOoO

The elevator doors opened with a ding before the Goth stepped out. She peered into the squad room, frowning when she didn't spot her spikey haired friend.

"Well crap," she frowned as she made her way to the bullpen, her heavy boots thumping loudly against the floor.

"Hello again Abby," Ziva greeted with a smile. "I told you I would call you when they got back."

"I didn't know if you'd forgotten," Abby said unapologetically with a shrug. "Where's Gibbs?"

"With the Director."

"Hmm." Frowning slightly, Abby rounded Tony's desk and sank down into the chair. "I'll wait."

Ziva eyed her raven haired friend for a moment, hesitating slightly before she spoke. "Abby..."

"Hm?" She asked absently as she pulled open the bottomdrawer of Tony's desk, smirking at the collection of GSM magazines.

"What is this American tradition of giving a baby a shower?"

"What?"

"I do not understand why a person would give an infant a shower! That cannot be safe, and yet the baby websites that McGee has been visiting have all mentioned it!"

"Giving an infant a...? Oh! A baby shower! It's not a *real* shower. It's like a party before the baby is born."

"Oh. Well why is it not just called a party then?" Ziva asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion. "Perhaps we should have one for Tony, yes?"

Abby paused and looked up at Ziva. "Why didn't I think of that?! That's a great idea!"

Ziva beamed proudly as she sat a little straighter at her desk. "We can have it at my apartment. They are usually meant to be a surprise?"

"Yes," Abby said with a smile as she stood up and launched herself across the bullpen. Throwing her arms around the Israeli, Abby hugged her tightly.

Ziva patted the Goth's back awkwardly as she laughed nervously before she pulled away. "Perhaps next weekend would be a good time? We are not on call."

"Next weekend is perfect! Oh man, there's so much to do!" Straightening, Abby hurried to the elevator, muttering to herself as she made plans. "Oh!" Stopping, she turned back to Ziva.

"I will call you as soon as they get back," she said with a smile.

----

"You think Abby's going to be disappointed?" McGee asked as they crossed the parking lot, his hand resting gently against his lover's lower back.

"Nah," Tony responded dismissively, grinning brightly at his partner. "What about you?" He asked as they reached the car. Turning around, he leaned against the door. "Are you disappointed?"

"Are you kidding?" McGee laughed, resting his hand against his lover's stomach. "I wouldn't have been disappointed either way," he said as he leaned over, pressing his lips to Tony's.

Pulling away, the older man's grin brightened just a bit. "Well I'm not gonna lie. I'm relieved."

"Why?" McGee asked, chuckling quietly as he reached around Tony to unlock the door.

"Because! I'd be fired the minute some boy started sniffing around my little girl! Trust me, it's much better this way."

"Yeah, but what are you going to do when he starts sniffing around someone else's little girl?" McGee teased.

"Take him out for ice cream?"

McGee barely suppressed a snort as he pulled Tony's door open. "Let's go."

"Can we stop for lunch before we go back?" Tony asked hopefully as he sank down into the seat with a groan.

McGee cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You heard Dr. Simmons! I'm underweight," Tony reminded him smugly, barely resisting the urge to stick out his tongue.

"Fine. But no pizza. And no toasted peanut butter and banana sandwiches either!"

----

"A little BOY?" Abby squealed from where she was perched on Tony's lap. "Oh man! That is going to be one good looking kid!"

Tony grinned proudly, one hand resting on his stomach while the other held Abby in place. "So I guess you're not disappointed?"

"Are you kidding me? The boys clothes on my favorite website are so much cooler than the girls! Do I get to keep these?" She asked, plucking the pictures from McGee's hands.

"Yup."

"You're the best," she grinned, pressing a kiss to Tony's cheek.

"Have you decided on any names yet, Tony?" Ziva asked.

"Well, not really. But since we're having a boy and all--"

"No," McGee said with a shake of his head. "Not happening, Tony. No."

"--I was thinking we could name him Magnum," Tony finished, ignoring McGee.

Abby giggled quietly. "Timmy just shut you down!"

"Yeah okay. He says that now but we both know what I want is what I'll get," Tony snorted.

"You are not naming our son 'Magnum'!"

"No? Hmm. We could always name him after the boss man," Tony snickered. "Leroy Jethro McGee DiNozzo."

He was not expecting the headslap.

"Oh! Hey boss! I didn't... See you back there," Tony cringed as he spun in his chair to offer his boss a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, I figured that DiNozzo. Try again," he smirked.

"Gibbs! Tony and Timmy are having a boy!" Abby squealed as she jumped off Tony's lap and launched herself into her lover's arms, waving the picture at him.

"Abby," Gibbs warned, cocking an eyebrow at her. "You got those results for me yet?"

"Well... No, not yet. But Gibbs! They're having--"

"Heard you the first time. Results. Now. Go."

Abby scowled at her lover for a moment. "You are no fun!" She pouted, though she grinned a second later.

Turning back to Tony, Abby leaned over and pecked his cheek. "I'll see you later," she promised.

"You got it," he said with a grin as he leaned back in his chair.

"McGee! David! Back to work!" Gibbs barked before turning back to Tony. "DiNozzo..."

"Yeah boss?"

"Congratulations."

OoOoOoO

Glancing up at the sound of the elevator dinging, Abby turned to the doorway of her lab, smiling as Gibbs walked in.

"I'm almost done," she promised as she turned back to her computer.

"Uh huh. I know." He said no more as he placed a Caf-Pow on the table beside her and pecked her cheek. "Love you."

Abby offered him a bright smile as her fingers flew over the keyboard. "Love you too. You guys all finished up?"

"Ziva's finishing up now. Figured I'd wait around for you."

"Sounds good to me," she smiled. She typed a few more things before she powered down her computer. "There. All done."

"Ready?"

"Yep. Let me grab my bag and we'll go," she smiled as she headed to her office.

Gibbs leaned against the table casually, his eyes scanning the room.

He spotted the sonogram picture Tony had given Abby taped to the computer monitor. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as his thoughts drifted back to a similar picture tucked away in an old box in his closet.

"You ready?" Abby asked as she came back out, linking her arm through his.

"Yeah... Yeah I think I am."

Chapter Twelve: Before The Storm

McGee wandered into the bedroom and frowned, seeing his lover sprawled out on their bed, rubbing his ever-growing stomach. The older man groaned, rolling over onto his side and burping loudly as his stomach audibly rumbled. "Sorry." Tony apologized, seeing the flash of sympathy that crossed McGee's face.

"It's fine, T." He said, moving toward the bed and sitting next to the Italian. "What's the matter? Not feeling well?"

Tony groaned again, rolling back against the pillow he had propped up behind him. "'M fine, just a little indigestion. Shouldn't have eaten that burrito earlier."

McGee leaned down and pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead, smiling against his skin. "I told you," He said teasingly as he pulled away, his grin still in place.

"Glad you find my discomfort so amusing," he frowned, attempting to stifle another burp. "Ugh. Last time I'm eating a burrito."

"Uh huh. You said that last time."

"Well I really mean it this time."

"We'll see."

Another quiet groan escaped Tony as he dropped his head back against the pillows, his hand resting against his belly. "Wouldn't be so bad if he'd quit moving around in there," he complained.

Reaching over, McGee rested his hand beside his lover's, grinning when he felt the fluttering against his hand. "I don't know, T. I think it's pretty cool."

Tony pushed his hand away with a huff before turning so his back was to the younger man. "Yeah, it's cool to you because you don't have him playing kickball with your bladder at three thirty in the morning or acting like he's gonna climb out of your stomach like something from Alien!"

"Tony..." McGee sighed softly as he reached out, resting a hand on his back. "You know if I could do this for you, I would in a heartbeat."

"Yeah well you cant," Tony muttered bitterly as he pulled away from his lover's touch.

McGee ignored his angry tone as he shifted on the bed, laying down beside him. Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around him, pulling him back against his chest as he rubbed his stomach gently.

"You know what'll make you feel better?" He asked quietly, grinning as he felt Tony relaxing beside him.

"What?"

"If we go out and get some fresh air. We can go catch a movie or something."

"I don't want to," Tony responded stubbornly. "I want to stay in bed."

"Come on T," McGee pleaded, his arm tightening around his lover. "We never go out anywhere! You can't just lay in bed all weekend."

The older man snorted, though he didn't pull away. "Watch me."

"Please?" He tried again as he leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Come on, Tony. I'll even watch Magnum with you when we get back if we can just go out for a little while."

Tony pulled away with an irritated sigh. "You aren't going to leave me alone until I get up, are you?"

"Probably not," McGee conceded, barely able to contain his grin.

"Fine. Whatever. But one movie, McGee, and then we're coming back home. And I get to pick."

"Deal," McGee said, leaning over to peck the older man's cheek before he pushed himself off the bed. "You'd probably feel a little better after a quick shower," he suggested, offering his hand.

Tony groaned again as he took his lover's hand and climbed out of the bed, resting a hand on his lower back as the baby kicked again. "I'm not convinced that he likes me very much."

McGee frowned, rubbing his back gently. "Go jump in the shower. I'll pick out some clothes for you and we'll go."

"Okay," Tony grumbled, peeling off his shirt as he walked into the bathroom.

Sinking down onto the bed when he closed the door behind him, McGee released a sigh and ran a tired hand over his face.

Tony had become increasingly moodier over the course of his pregnancy, and really, McGee couldn't blame him. The weight gain alone, hadn't been easy on the usually fit older man, and being confined to desk duty hadn't helped.

He walked over to the closet and sifted through the ridiculous amount of clothes that hung there, trying to find an outfit for his lover. After several minutes of internal debates, he finally settled on a green button up dress shirt and a pair of well-worn jeans, hoping Tony would approve.

Clothes in hand, he made his way over to the bathroom and pushed the door open slowly, grinning when he saw his lover standing at the sink, a towel wrapped around him.

"See? Aren't you feeling better?"

"No," the older man replied stubbornly as he brushed his teeth, his face set in a frown. "This is stupid. I don't wanna go out."

It was all McGee could do to keep from groaning out loud as he stepped into the room, laying the clothes on the counter. "We won't stay out long," he promised. "Just a quick movie, okay?"

"Those stupid theater chairs are going to make my back hurt!" He complained, dropping the towel to the floor.

Stepping closer, McGee rested his hand on his lover's back, grinning as a he pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder. "I'll give you a back rub when we get home," he promised.

"Yeah, you'd better give me more than a massage," he muttered. With a loud sigh, Tony dropped his tooth brush back into the holder and snatched the clothes off the counter. He pulled the jeans on quickly, grunting in irritation as he barely managed to snap them. "Guess I'm not getting much more use out of these."

Snatching the shirt up, he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What the hell? I'm not wearing this."

"It looks good on you."

"It makes me look like a fat ass! I'm not wearing it."

"Tony," McGee sighed, trying desperately to keep his voice neutral. "Please, please don't do this. It doesn't make you look fat. It looks nice. Please just put it on."

"I don't WANT to!"

"You're acting like a five year old again," the younger man pointed out as he leaned against the counter, watching as his lover's frown deepened before he threw the shirt at him and stalked out of the bathroom.

"Fine! I'm not going then! You go watch your stupid movie by yourself!"

Dropping his head to his chest, McGee mentally kicked himself. "Tony!" He groaned as he followed after him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!"

"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it!" Tony spat as he sank down onto the mattress, his back to his partner.

"Tony..."

"Just... shut up! You don't... you have no idea how much this sucks! None of my stupid clothes fit! My back is always hurting! I have to pee fifty million times in one day! I have random people--people who I don't even talk to!-- always coming up and touching my stomach because he never stops kicking!"

"Tony, I--"

"I'm tired, Tim! I'm tired, and I don't feel good and I might be acting like a five year old, but right now, I really don't give a shit."

McGee didn't say anything as he rounded the bed and sank down onto the mattress beside him. He wrapped an arm around his shoulder, tugging him closer before he pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder again. "I'm sorry, okay? Really, I am. I know this isn't easy on you, T. I just thought that maybe if we went out for a little awhile, you might be able to take your mind off of all that other stuff for awhile, you know? I didn't mean to upset you."

"I know," he sighed as he rested his head against McGee's shoulder, closing his eyes as he began to relax against his touch.

"Are we good now?" McGee asked as he reached up, raking his fingers through his lover's hair.

"Yeah. We're good," Tony said as he pulled away, pushing himself to his feet slowly. "But I'm still not wearing that shirt."

OoOoOoOoO

"Why are we stopping here?" Tony asked, unable to keep the whine out of his voice as McGee pulled up in front of Ziva's apartment building.

"We're only staying for a second," McGee promised, as he leaned over, pressing a kiss to his lover's cheek. "I promised her I'd stop by and take a look at her computer."

"Well fine," Tony huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll sit out here and wait then."

"Come on Tony. It's chilly outside. Just come in for a minute, okay? I promise I won't be long."

"I don't want to go in! I want to go see this stupid movie and then go home!"

McGee dropped his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. He'd known, from the minute Ziva and Abby had brought up the whole 'baby shower' thing, that it was going to be a bad idea. "Tony..." he tried again, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to keep his temper in check.

Sure, he knew how difficult this whole thing was on his partner, but Jesus God, it was starting to become difficult for him too!

"I'm not going in!"

"Fine," McGee snorted as he unlatched his seatbelt. "Fine. Sit out here then. See if I care!" He turned the car off and snatched the key from the ignition before he climbed out, slamming the door with a little more force than necessary.

He had tried being patient and understanding, but apparently, Tony wasn't willing to be reasonable. Fine. He could be unreasonable too.

Tony watched in surprise as his lover rounded the front of the car before making his way up to the entrance, never even glancing back.

"Asshole," he muttered under his breath as he unhooked his seatbelt and pushed the car door open, climbing out slowly with a groan. "Stupid midget cars!"

Tony stepped up to the door behind McGee just as he was ringing the doorbell, slightly out of breath from trying to catch up to the younger man.

"Thought you weren't coming." He mumbled, not making eye contact with his lover.

The Italian frowned, looking down at his hands. "Yeah, well, you know...it was hot in the car."

McGee scoffed, looking over at the slightly taller man. "You coulda rolled the windows down."

"You took the keys."

"Hm," McGee mused, barely able to keep the smirk off of his face. "I guess I did, huh?"

Tony didn't even bother to try to hide his scowl, though he quickly schooled his face into a casual grin as Ziva pulled the door open.

"I cannot thank you enough for stopping by, McGee," the Israeli greeted before she turned to Tony, offering him a kind smile. "Hello Tony."

"Zee-vah," he greeted with a slight nod of his head as he pushed past his lover to follow her in.

McGee didn't bother to contain his sigh as he followed after the pair, silently praying that Tony's bad mood wouldn't ruin Abby and Ziva's surprise.

----

Tony glared back at his lover as they finally reached the third floor before he followed Ziva out of the stairwell, attempting to keep his breathing under control.

"I am sorry," Ziva apologized, her face set in a frown as she touched Tony's shoulder gently. "I do not take the elevator so I was unaware that it was broken."

"Hey, no problem!" Tony managed. "I could... Use the exercise."

"Well..." she started, though she stopped when she saw McGee shake his head. "I uh.. I am still sorry."

The older man leaned against the wall as Ziva made a show of unlocking the door.

"Thank you so much for coming, McGee," Ziva said again, her voice carrying loudly in the empty hallway.

"No need to shout," Tony said, cocking an eyebrow as she finally turned the key, shoving the door open. Pushing himself off the wall, he followed after the Israeli into the dark apartment. "We're standing--"

"SURPRISE!"

‪Tony stood in the doorway, surprised to see everyone standing in Ziva's living room, blue and green streamers covering the ceiling and walls. "Jesus." He hissed, turning to McGee. "You knew?"‬‪

"Yeah, I did. It's a nice gesture, huh?" The younger man beamed, wrapping his arm around his lover's waist and leading him into the living room.

Tony forced a smile. "Oh yeah. You guys didn't have to do all this."

"Of course we did! We're your friends, and it's about time we gave this baby a proper celebration!" Abby gushed, running over and giving Tony a hug.‬

"Wow..." He said, patting Abby's back awkwardly. "T...Thanks guys."

Pulling away, the Goth reached for his hand and tugged him further into the room.

Tony spotted his boss sitting somewhat uncomfortably on Ziva's couch, his face set in a grimace. He made a move towards the couch, frowning when Abby pulled him in the direction of the hard backed wooden chair in the middle of the floor.

"Abby, I don't--"

"Don't be silly, T. Sit!"

Grabbing him by the shoulders, she guided her pregnant friend into the chair, offering him a bright smile.

"Abs, really I--" Glancing past her shoulder, he shot McGee a helpless look, silently praying that he would rescue him.

"Sit! You want something to drink? I bet you're hungry, huh?" She asked as she rested her hand against his stomach, grinning when the baby kicked against her hand. "I can't believe how big you're getting!"

"Yeah!" Jimmy agreed, grinning at the dark haired agent. "Kinda looks like a beer gut, even though you can't drink," he teased.

McGee watched, slightly horrified, as Tony's face fell, his green eyes narrowing as he pushed himself out of the chair with a little difficulty, brushing Abby's hand away.

"Tony..." McGee warned as the older man took a step towards the medical assistant.

"I'm sorry Timmy. I couldn't quite hear Palmer from where I was sitting. What was that, J--"

"DiNozzo."

Stopping at the sound of his boss' voice, Tony turned, his face set in a scowl. "What?"

The older man cocked an eyebrow at his Senior Agent as he pushed himself to his feet. "With me."

It was all Tony could do to keep from stomping his foot as he followed Gibbs into the kitchen, missing the pointed stare that his boss threw to the over excited Goth.

‪‬‪"Sit." Gibbs said, pointing to one of the stools sitting at the bar.

Tony did as he was told, scowling at his boss. "I didn't do anything wrong, Boss. Everyone's on my case--"

"I know." The silver-haired man spoke quietly, leaning against the counter. "Look, Tony. I know you don't wanna be here."

The younger man chuckled darkly. "You got that right." He spat, crossing his arms over his chest.

Gibbs shot him a harsh look from across the small room and he immediately got the hint. "Sorry Boss."

"Don't be sorry. Abby worked her butt off doin' this for you." He crossed the kitchen and leaned close to Tony, resting his hands on the countertop. "Do I really need to tell you what'll happen if you ruin this for her?"

The Senior Agent dropped his gaze to the countertop, playing with his fingers. "No, I know. I'll never hear the end of it, I'm sure."

The older man cracked a half-smile and shook his head. "Ah." He said. "You do know her then."

"I've been on the receiving end of more than one of Abby's disappointments, Gibbs. I know what she's capable of."

"Good. Then how 'bout we both try to stay off her shit list, hmm?"

----

Despite the fact that the evening had gotten off to such a terrible start, McGee was pleased to see his lover truly making an effort to enjoy himself, at least for Abby and Ziva's benefit.

"And this," Ziva announced proudly as she handed Tony the last wrapped package, "is from me."

McGee watched as Tony shifted uncomfortably in the wooden chair, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "You guys really didn't have to this... But thank you," he said as he tore the package open.

"C'mon T!" Abby urged impatiently from where she was perched on Gibbs' knee. "Rip that sucker open!"

Cocking an eyebrow at his raven haired friend, Tony ripped off the remaining paper, his eyes widening at the package in his hands.

"Is this...?"

"Do you like it?" Ziva asked, smiling hopefully at her friend. "It is never too early to start a knife collection."

"Wow," McGee said, forcing a smile as he plucked the small box from his lover's hand. "This... Wow. This knife is great. Thanks, Ziva!"

The party guests all fell into an uncomfortable silence until Jimmy spoke up.

"Who buys a baby a knife?"

Ziva's face fell slightly. "You do not like it," she said quietly. "I am sorry. I just thought that perhaps--"

"Uh... Don't be stupid," Tony said, glaring at the young medical assistant. "We love it. He'll love it too, I'm sure. He'll definitely be the uh... Most dangerous baby on the playground."

"Well," McGee said, forcing a smile as he dropped a hand onto his lover's shoulder. "You guys... Really outdid yourselves. Seriously. Thank you so much."

Launching herself off of Gibbs' lap, Abby crossed the room and threw her arms around Tony's neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You swear you had fun?" She asked.

"Of course, Abs. You and Ziva are the best. Thank you," he said as he pecked her cheek.

"Are you sure that the present is okay?" Ziva asked worriedly. "I can take it back and get something a little more...juvenile."

Patting Abby's hip gently, Tony waited until the Goth climbed off his lap before he pushed himself to his feet slowly, biting back a groan at the painful twinge in his back.

"Nope. I love it, Zee-vah," he assured her as he wrapped her up in a hug, before pressing a kiss to her cheek as well. "Thank you for the baby shower."

"It was not a problem, Tony. We enjoyed doing it, yes?" Ziva said,

glancing at Abby who was nodding.

McGee hugged both of the women. "It means a lot to us. Thanks."

Reaching over to Tony, he took his lover's hand and smiled. "Ready to

go, T?"

"Sure am." He said, plastering his most convincing smile of the

evening on his face as McGee picked up the bag full of gifts and

headed to the door. "See you guys tomorrow!"

The couple walked down the stairs to the parking lot at Ziva's

apartment and climbed into the car.

"Ready for your back massage, baby?" The younger man asked, a sly grin on his face.

Tony rubbed his rounded stomach and smiled at his lover. "You betcha.

And you owe me...double because you tricked me!"

OoOoOoO

Stepping into the bedroom, McGee offered his lover a sympathetic smile as he crossed the room and sank down onto the mattress behind him.

"Long evening, huh?" He asked, resting a hand on the other man's back.

"Mmhm," Tony agreed, closing his eyes as he sighed softly.

"You feeling any better?"

"Mmm. Stomach does. Back hurts though."

Leaning down, McGee pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder, nudging him gently. "You ready for that massage? If you can turn over a little more, I'll take care of you."

Not needing to be told twice, Tony shifted as much as possible on the bed, hugging a pillow to his chest.

A quiet moan escaped him as he felt McGee's hands massaged his aching back.

"Oh God that feels good," he moaned.

McGee couldn't help but grin as he pressed another kiss to his lover's shoulder.

"You like that, T?"

"Yes," he mumbled, gripping the pillow a little tighter as McGee's hands moved lower.

Tony could feel himself growing hard as his lover's lips attacked his neck, the younger man pressing their bodies close together.

"Mmm," McGee moaned quietly as he draped an arm around Tony's expanding waist, holding him in place. "I want you."

Shifting in McGee's arms, Tony kissed him hard, moaning against his lips. "Need you. Now," he ordered, his words muffled against his lover's lips.

"How?"

"You on top. It'll probably be easier."

"You sure about that?"

"Think of it this way...'Least we don't have to worry about me gettin' any more pregnant."

Chapter Thirteen: Eye Of The Storm

Several Weeks Later...

Pushing the bedroom door open, McGee grinned at the sight of his lover sprawled out on the bed, the covers kicked to one side as he snored softly.

"Tony," he called quietly as he made his way over to the bed. "C'mon. Time to get up."

A quiet groan escaped the older man as he turned onto his side, pulling the pillow down over his head. "Don' wanna," he muttered.

"Come on," McGee tried again, tugging the pillow away from Tony's face. "We're gonna be late."

"Not goin'."

"Hey..." He said quietly, frowning as Tony forced his eyes open. "What's the matter?"

"I feel weird."

"Weird? Weird how? What's wrong? Should I call Dr. Sim--"

"No. Just... Probably because I didn't sleep well. He wouldn't keep still," Tony complained, rubbing his stomach, frowning as their baby kicked again.

Leaning over, McGee pressed a gentle kiss to his exhausted lover's forehead as he tugged the covers up over him. He knew Tony had been having trouble sleeping over the last couple of weeks, though it seemed to be getting worse as his due date neared.

"Go back to sleep," he said. "I'll call Gibbs and let him know we're not coming in."

"Tim," Tony sighed, shifting onto his side in an effort to find a comfortable position. "You can't stay home. He's already gonna be pissed that I'm not coming in."

"I'm not leaving you here alone when you feel 'weird', T. You're too close to--"

"I still have two more weeks," the Italian reminded him miserably. "I'll be fine."

McGee looked at him nervously. "You promise you call if you start feeling worse?"

"I swear." Tony said, raising his fingers in the Boy Scout salute.

"Okay..." He said, kissing his lover on the forehead. "I'm gonna go shower then."

Nodding in response, Tony shifted again, grunting when the baby kicked in protest. "Stay still, huh?" He muttered, glaring down at his belly as he tried desperately to find a comfortable position. "Just an hour. One hour of uninterrupted sleep and then you can go to town. Please?"

He sighed loudly when their son paid absolutely no mind to what he was saying. "Yeah, I know. I want you out too, but you still have another two weeks, so knock it off."

Stepping out of the bathroom several minutes later, McGee frowned when he watched his lover shift yet again on their bed, his face set in a mask of frustration.

"Can't get comfortable?" He asked sympathetically.

"No."

Sighing softly, the younger man crossed the room, crouching down next to the bed as he reached out, running his fingers through the Italian's hair. As excited as he was about the upcoming birth of their son, he hated the toll the pregnancy was taking on Tony's body.

The dark circles stood out prominently under Tony's eyes, a testament to just how little sleep he'd been getting.

McGee rubbed Tony's back reassuringly. "You're *sure* you don't want me to stay? Maybe make some tea? He seemed to like that last time, remember?"

"No..." He groaned, leaning back against his lover's hand. "Go to work. I'll be fine. How much longer can he kick me? I mean, really? He has to be about done."

OoOoOoO

Two hours and seven missed phone calls later, Tony gave up on trying to sleep and pushed himself up out of the bed slowly, groaning as the baby gave him a particularly painful kick. "We're really going to need to work on your listening skills," he muttered as he made his way into the bathroom slowly, frowning at the sound of the front door being pushed open.

"I told you to go to work, Tim!" He yelled, sighing in irritation as he glared down at his stomach. "I see where you get your poor listening skills from. Must be hereditary."

Finishing up in the bathroom, he headed back into the bedroom, jumping slightly when he spotted his raven haired Goth perched on the end of his bed. "Don't you know it's not nice to ignore your phone calls?"

"Oh great. A babysitter. Hey Abs."

Cocking her eyebrow at him, she pushed herself to her feet and crossed the room quickly, wrapping him in a hug. "You had us worried."

"I'm fine, Abby. Just--"

"Tired?"

"Exhausted."

"I'm sorry," she said sympathetically as she stood on her toes, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"Not your fault," he muttered, wincing slightly as he pressed his hand to his stomach. "If he'd just... Chill out for a bit, I might be able to get some sleep but apparently he's not interested in that."

Pulling away slightly, Abby touched his friend's stomach, grinning as she felt the baby kicking against her hand. "He's too much like you, T. Usually, you're an uncontrollable ball of energy too."

"Yeah, but..." he trailed off as the kicks slowed into gentle flutters before stopping all together. "What the hell? What are you, the baby whisperer?"

She offered him a sheepish smile before pulling her hand away, reaching for his. "C'mon," she said, tugging him towards the bed.

She waited patiently as he sank down on the bed, a quiet groan escaping him as he laid back against the pillows.

Climbing onto the bed beside him, Abby shifted slightly, wrapping her arm around him as she rubbed his stomach gently.

"Y'know," Tony mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes, "this never works when Timmy does it. Maybe he likes him even less than me."

Abby giggled quietly as she leaned over, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Get some sleep, Tonyboy."

A quiet, content sigh escaped him as he snuggled close to the pillow before he drifted off to sleep.

----

The Goth stilled her hand against her friend's belly, smiling at the fact that he was finally sleeping. She leaned down and kissed his cheek, preparing to climb out of the bed when she felt Tony's stomach tense slightly under her fingers.

She held her hand there for a moment longer, until she felt the muscles relax. "Hmm..."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she pulled her hand away and climbed out of the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping man. She made her way into the living room, plucking her phone from her bag before she dialed the number quickly.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Hey, how much longer are you guys gonna be at the scene?" Abby asked as she made her way back into the bedroom, keeping her voice down as Tony slept.

"Don't know. Why?"

"Is McGee right there?"

Gibbs took a few steps away from the younger man, stepping behind the MCRT truck. "Not anymore."

Abby smiled, shaking her head slightly at her lover. "I think Tony's in labor. I can feel the contractions. They're not strong enough to wake him up yet, but I'm gonna take him to the doctor soon."

Gibbs listened carefully, watching his Junior Agent out of the corner of his eye. "Take care of him, Abs. We'll be back as soon as we can. Keep me updated."

"Yep. Will do," she promised before she snapped the phone closed.

Walking back over to the bed, Abby sank back down onto the mattress as she dialed the number to the doctor's office. She spoke quickly, keeping her voice down as she explained the situation.

"Monitor him," Dr. Simmons advised. "But you can let him sleep. He'll wake up on his own when he's ready."

Abby thanked the doctor and hung up the phone, curling up on the bed behind her friend, keeping her hand resting lightly on his stomach.

Tony woke up a few hours later to a sharp pain in his back. "Oww..." He groaned.

Rolling onto his back, he was surprised to see Abby leaning against the pillows next to him.

"Didn't expect you to still be here." He said once the pain in his back subsided.

"Doctor's orders." The Goth grinned, pulling out a little pad of paper. She wrote some numbers down on it and set it aside. "How're you feeling?"

"Best sleep I've had in weeks. How long was I out?" He asked, stretching his arms above his head and yawning.

"A couple hours." She said, climbing out of the bed and offering her hand. "Come on, to the doctor's office with you."

The Italian rolled back onto his side and burrowed under the blankets. "Don't have an appointment til next week, Abby. Then I go in on the 20th for the C-section."

Leaning over, she kissed his cheek gently before she pulled the covers back down. "Uh huh. Plan's changed. She wants to see you today."

"What?" He asked as he allowed her to pull him up. "W...why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, T. Everything's fine," she assured him as she tugged him to his feet.

"Then why do I have to go see her?"

"Because I'm pretty sure you've been having contractions for the last four hours and she just wants to--"

"But t... That means... No. I'm not ready, he still has two weeks left!"

"Hey," Abby scolded gently, cupping Tony's face in her hands. "Don't go getting all worked up, okay? No matter what happens, you're going to be fine."

"B...but he's early! I thought the first babies were supposed to be late! What if something's wrong, or--"

"Anthony DiNozzo! Deep breaths. Everything is okay. Let's get you dressed and we'll go get checked out and you can see for yourself."

Not trusting his voice, Tony nodded mutely and allowed her to pull him towards the bathroom, pausing at the closet long enough to pull out his favorite pants and hoodie.

Stopping in the doorway, the Italian gripped the door frame with a quiet groan as another sharp pain shot through his lower back.

"Tony?"

Dropping his head to his chest, he didn't speak, clenching his teeth against the pain until it subsided. When he lifted his head, Abby frowned at the look of terror on her friend's face.

"I don't wanna do this."

"It's a little late for that." Reaching for his hand, she gave him a reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be okay."

OoOoOoO

"Okay," Dr. Simmons said with a bright smile as she finished her examine. "Looks like this little guy doesn't want to wait two more weeks."

"W...what?" Tony asked hoarsely, his eyes wide as the doctor stood.

"I want you to head on over to the hospital. Get settled in. Everything looks really good so we're going to let this go and see how it progresses on its own."

"Wait... 'On its own'? You mean like... Pushing and all that good stuff? I thought with male pregnancies, they had to have C-Sections."

"Not at all. C-Sections are the preferred way, of course, but in the event that they go on their own, we usually allow the men to continue to labor unless a problem arises."

"Yeah, as much fun as that sounds, I'd really rather not. Can't we skip that and go right for the C-Section?" Tony asked.

"Don't be such a wimp, T," Abby teased as she helped him off the examination table.

Chuckling quietly, Dr. Simmons patted his arm. "We can if you really want, but I would rather we let this go for a little longer and see where we are. Though it sounds scary, a regular birth would be much easier for you in the long run, I think. The recovery time is significantly shorter and--"

"See? You'd be able to get back to work sooner."

Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking up again, his hands shaking slightly. "I...I don't know. I think that...wait. You said less recovery?"

"By at least six weeks."

Despite the fact that he was scared out of his mind, the Italian nodded curtly, silently giving his consent to forego the C-Section. At least for right now.

"Alright then," Dr. Simmons said with a bright smile. "You go on over to the hospital and get settled in. I'll be in to see you in just a bit."

----

"Pack it up," Gibbs barked, rubbing a hand over his tired face as he bit back a sigh of frustration. He'd spent the entire day with the remaining two members of his team working a house in Manassas only to be stonewalled by the local LEOs when they tried to take control of the body.

They'd won, of course, in the end, but only after nearly an hour long pissing match with the Chief of Police.

All in all, it hadn't been a great day.

A quiet growl escaped him as his cellphone began to vibrate obnoxiously in his pocket. Pulling the offending device out, he flipped it open, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"What?" He barked loudly.

"I'm pretty sure you know better than to answer the phone like that," Abby scolded, her cell cradled between her shoulder and her ear as she drove.

"Been a long day," Gibbs responded curtly. "Any news?"

"You could say that," Abby said as she glanced over at her passenger. "We're on our way to the hospital now. How much longer are you guys going to be?"

"We're about to head out now. How's he doing?"

"Scared."

"I'm not scared," he heard Tony protest, the slightest hint of a whine in his voice.

"Tell him I'll get McGee there as soon as possible. You stay with him."

"I will. Just... Hurry, okay?"

"Yeah. I will."

Closing the phone between his fingers, Gibbs slipped it back into his pocket before he crossed the yard quickly, dropping a hand onto his Junior Agent's shoulder.

"Ziva." Plucking the keys for the truck out of McGee's hand, he tossed them to the Israeli. "You drive back."

"Uh...boss, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. My stomach is a little--"

"You're with me."

"Oh." McGee tried desperately to hide his confusion as Gibbs turned and made his way back to the Sedan.

"Sometime today, McGee!" Gibbs called over his shoulder.

Jogging over the car, McGee slipped into the passenger seat, barely getting his seatbelt down over his chest before Gibbs backed out of the driveway, his tires squealing against the pavement.

Gibbs watched the younger man for a moment as he lifted his hips slightly, pulling his cellphone from his pocket.

"Don't bother," Gibbs offered, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Huh?"

"He's not gonna answer."

"What do you--?"

"Abby's on her way to the hospital with him now."

"T...the hospital? Why's he going to the hospital?"

"Oh, I don't know, McGee. Probably has somethin' to do with the fact that he's about to give birth."

"But... No. He's not... He still has two weeks to go."

"That's the funny thing about babies. They come when they're ready."

"Oh my God. I knew I... I should have stayed home today! Something must be wrong, right? He wasn't feeling right and I went and left him anyway and I should have stayed home but he told me not to and--"

He didn't expect the headslap, but he definitely felt it.

"I do not have the patience or the energy to deal with two hysterical men today, McGee."

The younger man's eyes were wide as he reached up to rub the back of his head. "I can't help it boss! What if something's wrong?! I thought people usually went late during their first pregnancy, not early!"

"A lot of people do, but not always. Shannon..." the silver-haired man trailed off, swallowing the painful lump in his throat at the memory of his first wife. "Shannon went early with Kelly and she was... She was perfect. Doesn't mean anything's wrong. Just means your kid is gonna be as stubborn about doing things his way as DiNozzo is."

"I don't know if that's comforting or horrifying."

Offering his Junior Agent a rare smile, Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Everything's gonna be fine."

OoOoOoO

The ride to the hospital was quite possibly the longest ride ever, McGee decided once Gibbs finally pulled up in front of the entrance.

"Go on," the older man said, shooing him out of the car. "I'll park the car."

Not needing to be told twice, McGee climbed from the car, slamming the door behind him as he ran in through the front doors, not even bothering to stop at the front desk.

He could feel his heart pounding faster as he took the stairs two at a time to the second floor.

He was slightly out of breath by time he reached the second floor and he could feel his hands trembling slightly as he stepped out of the stairwell.

"Can I help you?" One of the nurses asked as he passed by the desk, a kind smile on her face.

"Uh... Yeah. I'm looking for--"

"Timmy!"

Glancing down the hallway at the sound of Abby's voice, McGee sighed in relief as he waved in thanks to the nurse and made his way over to the Goth.

"I was just coming out to call you," she said, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Parking the car. How is he?"

"Pretty freaked out," Abby admitted. "The contractions are starting to get worse and he's just... Really scared right now."

"I should have stayed home today!" McGee moaned, running his hand through his hair.

"Hey," she said, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, okay? You can't go in there and fall apart on him, Timmy."

"I know. I'm just..." Taking a deep breath, McGee closed his eyes for a moment, trying to hold himself together. "Okay. I'm good now."

"Are you sure?" She asked, eyeing him suspiciously. "Because I mean it! If you go in there and get him even more wound up, you're going to have to answer to me!"

"I'm--"

"Abby!"

McGee's eyes widened at the sound of his lover's pained cry. "What's--?"

"The contractions are starting up again." Slipping past him, the Goth gave him a shove in the direction of the room. "Go."

McGee stepped into the room hesitantly, watching the older man writhe on the bed, trying to get comfortable.

"Abby!" Tony cried again, gripping the side of the bed as the contraction became stronger.

"I'm here, T." The Goth said from the doorway, watching as McGee slowly made his way to the bed. "Got a surprise if you'll open your eyes for a second."

The contraction subsided just as the younger man took Tony's hand in his.

"Hey, you." He smiled down at his lover, seeing him open his eyes and relax.

"Hey." The Italian managed, collapsing against the pillows and lacing his fingers with McGee's.

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't wanna do this any more," Tony whimpered, tears filling his eyes.

"I know," McGee said as he squeezed his hand. "It'll be over soon and then you can finally give him that stern talking-to about keeping you up for the last month and a half."

"I don't ever wanna do this again. You have to promise you'll never try to negotiate your way on top again."

"I promise."

Abby smiled as she watched the couple holding hands as they talked quietly. Gibbs stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"How are you?" He asked, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Abby smiled. "I'm alright. His contractions are getting stronger, shouldn't be long now."

Gibbs nodded and pulled his girl back closer to his chest, watching the couple in the hospital room.

McGee leaned down and kissed Tony tenderly, running a hand through his hair. "Everything's gonna be alright, T. It's all gonna be over soon." But as he watched his lover cry out as another contraction gripped his body, he couldn't help but think it wouldn't be over soon enough.

Chapter Fourteen: In The End

Just breathe, Tony." McGee coached, rubbing his lover's back gently. Tony was perched on the edge of the bed, his face buried against McGee's chest, cringing in pain as yet another contraction came and went.

Tony relaxed as the contraction ended, frowning up at his lover. "You wanna switch? Cause I'm totally ready for this to be over."

The younger man chuckled and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I know," He said. "You're getting so close. The doctor's very impressed with you."

"Chalk it up to willpow...aaah!" He cried out, another contraction tightening his stomach muscles.

Dropping his head to McGee's shoulder again, the older man tightened his grip on his waist. He could feel the tears stinging his eyes as he pulled away, left slightly breathless by the force of the last contraction.

"I t...think that was the worst one yet. Y... You think they'll let me quit and come finish next week?"

"I thought you were ready to get him outta there?" Abby asked as she stepped back into the room, offering her friend a sympathetic smile. "How are you holding up?"

"He's doing good," McGee said proudly as he ran his fingers through the Italian's hair, scratching his scalp lightly.

"They're getting worse," Tony muttered miserably.

"You're getting close though. Shouldn't be much longer."

"Everyone's been saying that for the last three hours."

"Well, you're closer now than you were yesterday."

"Did you come in here to torment me or do you actually have a purpose?"

"Yes to both questions. McGee, your parents are here."

"I'll go see them in a little while."

"Go now," Tony muttered as he pulled away. "I'll be okay until you get back."

"Are you sure?" McGee asked, frowning slightly as he pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead.

"I'll stay with him til you get back," Abby offered.

"Go ahead," Tony urged, nudging him gently. "I'll still be here when you get back."

Nodding slightly, McGee waited until the Goth moved to take his place before he pulled away. "I'll be back in a few."

Abby watched as McGee hurried out of the room before she turned back to Tony, wrapping her arms around him.

He dropped his head to her shoulder, allowing her gentle hands to soothe him until his stomach tightened in another contraction.

"Ah fuck," he cried, gripping the bed as he clenched his teeth against the pain.

"Its okay Tony. You're doing so good. I'm so sorry I called you a wimp earlier."

"I c... can't do this anymore," he cried hoarsely, his breathing ragged as the pain finally subsided. "I don't... Fuck!"

It was all he could do to keep from crying as the Goth's arms tightened around him. "It's going to be okay," she whispered.

"I'm... Trying to hold it together, Abs. I'm... Poor Timmy looks like he's going to puke everytime I have a contraction and I... I just... I can't do it anymore!"

She held him tightly, whispering what she hoped were reassuring words. Glancing over his shoulder, she frowned slightly at her lover, who stood by the doorway, completely unnoticed by the distraught man in her arms.

"It's all gonna be worth it," she reminded him. "As soon as you see that sweet little boy, you'll forget all about this."

She could feel him trembling slightly as she held him. "You wanna lay back down? You might be more comfortable."

"N...no. It hurts my back too much. W...where's Timmy?"

"Still out talking to his parents. You want me to go get him?"

"Don't leave."

"Okay," she whispered, offering Gibbs a slight smile as he backed out of the room quietly.

----

"McGee."

Glancing up at the sound of his boss' voice, McGee pecked his mother on the cheek and pushed himself to his feet.

"How is Tony?" Ziva asked from across the waiting room. "When can we see him?"

"He's hangin' in there. It looks like he's still got a little ways to go but he's gettin' close."

Turning his attention back to his Junior Agent, Gibbs motioned to him before stepping out into the hallway.

"I should uh... Get back in there. We'll keep you guys updated."

"Say hello to Tony for us."

Nodding in response, McGee followed after his boss, frowning slightly when he found the older man leaning against a wall, waiting for him.

"Uh... Everything okay, boss?"

"I don't know, McGee. You tell me. There a reason why you're putting off going back in that room?"

"I uh... I'm just... You know, my parents are here and uh..."

"Uh huh. Listen," he said, pushing away from the wall before he headed down the hall to where his Senior Agent was being kept. "I know its hard to watch, knowin' ya can't do anything to make it easier or less painful. But no matter how hard it is for you, it's a hell of a lot harder for him."

Stopping in front of the window, Gibbs crossed his arms over his chest, watching as the grown man inside nearly came apart in his girl's arms as another contraction started.

"He seems to deal a lot better with those when you're in there... Any idea why?"

"N... No," the younger man responded, his face going pale as Tony's strangled cry reached his ears.

Gibbs reached over, slapping the clueless agent on the back of the head. "You can't look like you're gonna pass out everytime he has a contraction, McGee."

"I... I don't..."

"He needs you to stay calm for him."

"I'm trying!"

"Well try harder," Gibbs growled. "Or maybe you should go back into the waiting room and let Abby handle it, since you don't seem to be able to!"

Turning back to the window, McGee watched as his lover practically collapsed in the Goth's arms.

Not bothering to respond to the silver-haired man, McGee pushed past him and made his way into the room.

"I'm back, T."

Pulling away from the Goth, Tony plastered a smile on his face at the sound of the younger man's voice.

"Hey," he greeted, unsuccessful at keeping the pain and sheer exhaustion out of his voice.

"I'm gonna go back out, okay? I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'll be back in to see you in a little while."

Tony nodded weakly, gripping the side of the bed when he felt another contraction beginning.

Taking Abby's place, McGee wrapped his lover in his arms, rubbing his back gently.

"You're doing great, Tony." The younger man said, massaging his partner's scalp as the contraction got stronger. "I'm here, let it go."

The Italian hesitated slightly before finally giving in fully, collapsing forward against his lover in exhaustion.

"'M sorry, Tim." Tony apologized, the sound of his voice muffled by McGee's shirt. "I...I can't anymore."

"Shh..." He murmured into the older man's hair, holding him tightly as he trembled. "It's okay, you're doing great."

Tony nodded against his lover's chest, taking the calm moment to relax.

"You know what? We haven't picked a name yet." He said, rubbing Tony's back as he held him.

"You pick." The dark-haired man groaned, too exhausted to think about the naming process.

"No, no. If anyone is making the final decision on our son's name, it's you. You're the one doing all the hard work, T." He pulled back from the older man and grinned, kissing his mouth. "You can even name him Magnum if you want."

"That was just a joke, McGee. You know that." Tony explained weakly, reciprocating the quick kiss. "What about William?"

"Eh," McGee shrugged. "Joshua?"

The Italian cringed as another contraction took him over. He took a deep breath as it ended. "Guess that's the one. He's so excited to be named Joshua he can't wait to get out!" He mused, smiling at his partner.

The younger man grinned broadly. "Joshua it is then. And we decided on Michael for the middle name, right?"

Tony nodded, resting his head on his lover's shoulder. "Joshua Michael."

Dr. Simmons stepped into the room and smiled at the couple. "Sounds like a wonderful name. How's everything coming along?"

"He's doing great." McGee said, a proud grin on his face. "Tired though, and the contractions are getting more painful.

Dr. Simmons looked over his chart quickly and smiled back at the couple.

"Well, that won't be a problem for much longer, Tony." She said, motioning for him to relax back against the pillows. "We're going to take you in for a c-section."

"W...wait. You said...what's wrong with him?" The brunette asked, cradling his belly protectively.

"Your son looks to be fine, but your body is not cooperating with getting him out. You've been laboring for nearly 9 hours with no progress." She explained.

"So, the baby is okay, right?" McGee asked, holding Tony's hand tightly.

"The baby will be just fine. Now go ahead and relax, I'll have you moved to the OR in a few minutes."

Tony breathed a heavy sigh of relief, some of the tension in his shoulders disappearing almost instantly. "Thank God."

Leaning down, McGee pressed a kiss to his lover's forehead, smiling against him. "You ready for this?" He asked quietly as Dr. Simmons hurried out of the room.

"No," Tony admitted quietly. "But I don't think anyone's ever ready. I'll be glad when it's over though."

"You've done so good today, Tony. Everyone's so excited to finally meet this little guy," he said with a grin, resting his hand lightly on his partner's belly.

"Yeah," Tony said, smiling despite how utterly exhausted he felt. "I can't wait to meet him either."

"Well looks like you're about to get your chance," one of the nurses said as she stepped into the room, a bright smile on her face.

Tony could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest as McGee pulled away, offering him a reassuring smile. "I'll be right behind you, T."

----

Stepping into the waiting room, McGee rubbed a tired hand over his face before he addressed his anxious friends and family.

"They decided to go ahead with the C-Section. They've taken him down to prep him now."

"Is something wrong?" Abby asked, her eyes wide as Gibbs squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Nothing's wrong. Dr. Simmons says the baby looks good, it's just that he doesn't seem to be making any progress, so they're going to go ahead and get him out of there."

"How's Tony feel about all that?"

Turning to his mother, McGee offered a half shrug. "He was a little freaked out at first, but I think he's relieved. He's ready for this to be over. Today's been hard on him."

Standing up, Linda wrapped her son in a hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Go on. Take care of them."

----

"Here you are, meet your baby boy." Dr. Simmons said, wrapping the baby in a blanket and handing him to Tony.

"Oh!" McGee exclaimed, unable to take his eyes off the small blue bundle. "Look at him!"

"He's perfect." The brunette whispered, looking up at his lover. "Who thought we would make such a cute kid?"

The younger man leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. "You did it, T. Look at our little boy. Joshua," he tried, grinning as it rolled off his tongue. "He looks like a Josh, huh?"

Tony grinned lazily up at his partner. "Well, go on. Go tell everyone the good news."

"He'll be moved to recovery in about 20 minutes." Dr. Simmons smiled. "We'll stitch you up, clean up your baby boy, then get you two to recovery, okay sweetheart?" She asked, patting Tony's leg gently.

"Okay, I'll see you two in a bit then." McGee said, pressing a kiss to the infant's forehead. "Love you, T."

"Love you too, Timmy."

Leaning down, McGee kissed his lover gently on the lips before he pulled away and headed back to the waiting room, unable to contain his grin.

"He's here!"

"How is Tony?"

"How's the baby?

"What's his name?"

"When can we see them?"

McGee couldn't help but laugh at all the questions being fired rapidly at him, as he was in better spirits than he'd been all day. "Tony's doing fine. Tired, of course, but completely ecstatic. The baby, Joshua... well, we're going to call him Josh, but he's just... completely perfect. I can't wait for you guys to see him! They're stitching Tony up and cleaning Josh up but it shouldn't be too long before you guys can see them."

Standing up, Linda wrapped her arms around her son in a hug, swiping at the tears on her cheeks at the news of her first grandchild. "I'm going to go call your sister. She said she'd try to make it here in the morning if he came tonight."

Nodding, McGee hugged her back, squeezing her gently before he pulled away. "I'd better get back in there. The nurse said she'd come out and get you guys when he's allowed to have visitors!"

"We'll be here," Gibbs assured the young man.

OoOoOoO

Shifting slightly on the bed, Tony groaned quietly as the movement jostled him.

"How ya' feelin'?" McGee asked quietly from where he sat, their son cradled in his arms.

"Little sore," Tony admitted quietly, though he couldn't help but grin sleepily. "How's he?"

"Perfect," McGee responded quietly as he pressed a kiss to Josh's forehead before he stood slowly. "Here."

He winced slightly as he sat up, allowing McGee to place their son in his arms carefully.

"I can't believe how small he is. He definitely *felt* a lot bigger than this."

"It's always the smaller ones that pack the most punch," Abby greeted from the doorway. "Are you feeling up to a quick visit?"

"From you? Any time babe," he assured her with a smile.

"What about me?" Gibbs asked with a smirk as he followed the Goth into the room.

"Uh... Of course, bossman."

"How ya feelin', Tony?"

"I'm good to go. I'll be ready to come back to work next week," he teased.

Rolling her eyes, Abby pulled away from Gibbs and made her way over to her exhausted friend. "You say that now but when it comes time to leave this sweet little boy, we'll have to drag you back kicking and screaming."

"You're right," Tony conceded with a nod as he kissed their son's forehead.

"You guys need to have more babies, T. Your kids are way too cute to stop after just one."

"Bite your tongue! I'm never doing this again. You have any idea how much that shi--crap hurt?"

"But you did so well. Can I hold him?"

Nodding in response, Tony allowed the Goth to lift the baby from his arms before he settled back against the pillows, wincing slightly.

"You are just too adorable, sweetheart," Abby cooed softly. Looking over at her lover, she offered him an encouraging smile. "Isn't he cute, J?"

"Uh huh," the older man responded, grinning in spite of himself. "Not bad, DiNozzo. Not bad at all."

"You wanna hold him?" Abby offered.

Hesitating for a moment, Gibbs looked to Tony for a nod of approval before he lifted the baby out of Abby's arms, cradling him gently.

It had been years since he'd held a newborn, but as he settled the child against his chest, it felt like it was just yesterday that he held Kelly for the first time.

Looking over at Abby, he noticed the unshed tears behind her eyes and it was then that he made up his mind.

"Almost makes ya wanna have one, huh?" He asked.

"Almost," she responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah... Me too."

OoOoOoO

Slipping back into the dimly lit room, McGee was surprised to see his lover still awake.

"You should be sleeping," he scolded gently, though he smiled sympathetically as he walked over to the bed, sinking down in the chair. "Can't sleep?"

"Nope. I thought that would change once he was out," Tony complained tiredly, shifting slightly on the bed.

Scooting closer to the bed, McGee reached up, running his fingers through Tony's hair as he scratched his scalp lightly. "You did so well today, Tony. I can't even tell you how proud I am of you."

"It really sucked there for awhile," he said, unable to stifle a yawn. "I'm glad it's over." He groaned quietly as he moved the wrong way, pulling on his stitches.

"You should try to get some rest," McGee urged.

"Can't sleep," he sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I've been trying."

The two fell silent as McGee continued scratching his scalp, hoping that the motion would lull him to sleep as it usually did.

"Y'know," Tony mumbled sleepily, "this time next year, Josh'll have a playmate. I bet you twenty dollars."

"Why do you say that?"

"Didn't you hear Abby and Gibbs when they were in here earlier? She'll be knocked up before Christmas."

"I don't know about that," McGee laughed. "I don't think Gibbs'll go for it."

"Are you kidding me? Whatever Abby wants, Abby gets. You should know that by now."

Snorting quietly, McGee leaned down and kissed his lover's lips gently. "I think you're starting to get loopy from a lack of sleep. Rest."

Tony didn't have the energy to protest as he relaxed against the pillows, yawning again as McGee pulled the blanket up over him. "Love you, Timmy."

Grinning brightly, McGee settled back into the chair, his fingers linked with Tony's as the older man drifted off slowly. "Love you too, T."

Epilogue

Six Weeks Later...

"Daddy," McGee called quietly as he stepped into the bedroom, Josh cradled in his arms. "Time to wake up."

Making his way over to the bed slowly, McGee sank down onto the mattress beside his sleeping lover, grinning when the older man forced his eyes open tiredly, a sleepy smile forming on his face at the sight of the two.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice laced with sleep as he rubbed his eyes before he pushed himself up slowly, leaning back against the pillows. "Wha' time s'it?"

"A little after six. You sure you're going to be okay today?"

"I'll be fine," Tony yawned as he held his arms out for the little boy. "Has he eaten?"

"Mmhmm. And I just finished changing him. He'll probably sleep for a little bit longer if you want me to put him down."

"Nah, he's fine for now. You sure you don't wanna switch places? You can stay home and I'll go back to work," Tony offered, pressing a gentle kiss to his son's forehead.

"As tempting as that sounds," McGee grinned, "I don't think you're quite ready for that. Just a couple more weeks though. Enjoy it while it lasts. You get to stay home and play with him all day while I have to go out and chase down the bad guys."

"Sucks to be you," Tony smirked as he sank back against the pillows, holding Josh against his chest.

"I'll swing by on my lunch and see how you're doing," he promised as he pushed himself up.

Rolling his eyes, Tony kissed the top of the baby's head before he offered McGee a playful scowl. "Are you trying to insinuate that I'm not capable of taking care of our son while you're at work?"

"Not at all. I'm insinuating that despite the fact that you're still recovering from a major surgery, I know you're still going to push yourself so coming home at lunch is my way of ensuring that you don't go too overboard with it."

"Oh... well, when you put it that way..."

Grinning broadly, McGee pressed a kiss to Tony's lips before kissing the top of their son's head. "Don't overdo it, okay? And call me if you need anything."

"We'll be fine."

"I know."

The younger man stood up and headed out of the bedroom, turning back momentarily at the door. He smiled as he watched Tony cradle their son in his arms, rocking the small bundle back and forth, putting him to sleep. Turning hesitantly, he left their apartment, happy that they were there for him to come home to.

OoOoOoO

Stepping into the lab, coffee in hand, Gibbs couldn't help but grin at the sight of his girl as she danced around the large room to her music, completely oblivious to his presence.

Stepping further into the room, Gibbs placed it coffee on the metal table before wrapping his arms around her, stilling her movements.

He felt her jump in his arms before she pulled away, eyes wide as she turned to face him.

"Jesus! You scared the crap out of me!" she accused, though she smiled brightly as she reached for the remote, muting her music.

"Sorry," he smirked, dropping a kiss to her lips before he pulled away, looking her over carefully. She looked happier, more relaxed than she had in weeks, but then again, he supposed she had a good reason.

Pulling her back into his embrace, he rested his hand against her belly before he lowered his lips to her shoulder.

"Feeling okay today?" He asked.

"Mmhmm. A little nauseous this morning, but it seems to have passed now," she assured him. "I'm actually feeling kind of hungry."

"You should eat," he reminded her, pecking her lips when she turned to face him.

"Yeah, I just don't know what I want."

"Well, as long as it's not a peanut butter banana sandwich dipped in tomato soup... Or whatever the hell it was that DiNozzo used to eat," he smirked.

"Actually... That sounds really good."

OoOoOoO

McGee breathed in a sigh of relief as he stepped into the apartment after a long day. The living room was dark, save for the blue light from the TV. From the hallway, McGee could clearly see his lover sprawled out on the couch, snoring softly and apparently completely oblivious to the fact that his movie had ended.

Stepping into the living room, he made his way over to the couch, dropping the box of pizza onto the coffee table as he sat down on the edge of the couch.

"Tony," he called quietly, careful not to disturb their sleeping infant. "Tony!" He tried again, shaking the older man slightly.

A quiet groan escaped him as shifted on the couch, moving away from his partner's touch.

"C'mon T," McGee laughed. "I brought dinner."

"'M not hungry," Tony mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Alright," McGee sighed as he lifted the box onto his lap. "Guess I'll have to eat pizza all by myself?"

"Pizza?!" Tony asked as he opened his eyes before sitting up. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

McGee grinned broadly as he opened the box, offering him a slice.

"Not since last night. But you always tell me you love me when I su--"

Tony covered the younger man's mouth with his hand. "Josh may be asleep, but he's still in the same room! Jeez, Timmy!"

Snorting quietly, McGee rolled his eyes before the pair fell into a comfortable silence as they ate.

"How'd ya make out today?" McGee asked after awhile. "I tried to get away around lunch time but we got a call and--"

"We were fine, just like I told you we'd be," Tony said, offering the younger man a pointed look. "We got up this morning and watched a couple of movies, had lunch, took a nap... Pretty much the same thing I've been doing since we brought him home."

Yawning again, despite the nap he'd just woken up from, Tony dropped the half eaten crust back into the empty box before he slumped back down on the couch, dropping his head to McGee's shoulder. "We missed you today," he mumbled. "It's no fun watching movies if I can't irritate you with a running commentary."

Laughing quietly, McGee sat the box back on the table and shifted slightly on the couch to accommodate his sleepy lover. He grinned broadly as he felt Tony snuggle against him, nuzzling his shoulder slightly.

"I missed you guys too. Was he good today?"

"Oh yeah. I'm convinced that not only do we have the best looking kid in the world, but also the most well behaved."

"We really got lucky, huh?" McGee asked as he ran his fingers through Tony's hair lazily.

"Mmhmm."

"Think we'd be as lucky a second time around?"

It was all McGee could do to keep from laughing as Tony elbowed him.

"Are you high?" The older man demanded as he pulled away, staring incredulously at his lover. "I could punch you for even suggesting something so ridiculous."

"Aw, c'mon T. It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Let's just put it this way: there's absolutely nothing on this whole PLANET that could convince me to go through that again."

Laughing to himself, McGee pulled Tony back against his chest. "Whatever you say T."

OoOoOoO

Gibbs dropped his keys in the dish behind the door when he walked into the house, surprised to see no lights on despite the early hour.

"Abs?" He called, kicking his shoes off as he headed upstairs. "Baby? You awake?"

He entered the bedroom quietly, seeing his girl passed out on their bed, her dark hair loose over the pillow. He sat down next to her on the mattress and drew his fingers through her hair before leaning down to give her a kiss behind her ear.

"Mmm..." She moaned lightly, opening her eyes to see her lover sitting next to her. "Hey, you."

Gibbs smiled down at her. "Hey back. Sleepy, I take it?"

"Jus' a little." The Goth responded, smirking up at him. "Long day."

"It's only seven." He pointed out, kissing her again, this time on the lips. "You really that tired?"

Abby nodded, snuggling up against him as he laid down next to her. "Hope I'm not this tired for the next 7 months!"

"I'm sure you won't be, sweetheart. Everthing will be perfect."

She rested his hand against her flat belly, relishing the feeling of having him near her. "You're really happy? I mean, of course you are, I've never known you to say something you didn't mean, but I don't know if you would say you were happy just because you think that's

what I wanna..."

"Abs."

Worrying her cheek with her teeth, she pulled her head off his chest and looked into his eyes.

"You have nothing to worry about, Abby. Unless our baby inherits your penchant for rambling." He smiled down at her and hugged her tighter. "Let's hope that doesn't happen."

"You love it when I ramble." She said, poking him in the side playfully.

The silver-haired man chuckled and rolled over on top of her, easily pinning her to their bed. "Only because I get to make you be quiet." He said, leaning down and kissing her again before she could protest.

"And you know I love it when you do that." She grinned, nipping his collarbone.

They kissed again, their hands roaming over each other's bodies. Gibbs couldn't help but smile as his girl managed to pull them both under the sheets, saying a quiet prayer that their baby would help to keep her as happy and carefree as she was right at that moment.