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 End Notes:
A/N: Hello, hello! As always, a huge thanks to Kelley who will receive a cowriter credit one day! This chapter would not have happened without her! This chapter was a little difficult for me (maybe because of the lack of reviews! *cough**cough*) but I think it turned out okay in the end! As always, thank you to everyone who's reading, and remember: Tony loves reviews more than pizza and McGee. Okay, well maybe not pizza... :)