Abby stood in her lab. Her black pig tails hung precariously as she processed the forensic evidence that DiNozzo had just dropped off. A No-caff pow sat on the table. She had cut down on the caffeine dramatically since she had found out. Now to tell Gibbs and the father. Because Gibbs is like a father to her, she's finding it hard to tell her overly intuitive boss.
'He knows something is wrong, that I'm hiding something, Major Mass Spec.' Abby often talked to her forensic equipment to relieve the stress of being the only one in the lab and to pass the time while processing evidence.
"What are you hiding, Abs?" A smooth voice boomed from behind.
"Gibbs, what are you doing here, I just started processing the evidence, I don't have anything for you yet." A startled Abby replied.
Gibbs pulled a small bouquet of black roses from behind his back and handed them to Abby.
"My favorite, Gibbs, but why? it's not my birthday, the case isn't solved…"
"McGee asked me to come talk to you. The roses are from him. You've been avoiding him, why?"
"Gibbs I would rather not talk about it right now, could we maybe go to dinner once this case is over?"
"Of course Abs… But for whatever reason you are avoiding McGee you better talk to him soon, I don't want to have to lock you two up in interrogation until you talk to him."
"I will, Gibbs, I promise. As soon as the case is over."
Gibbs leaned over to kiss her cheek like he always did, but this time she hadn't had any leads for him.
"When you have something for me…"
"I'll call you."
Gibbs left. Abby heard the elevator ding and waited a few moments.
"Phew, that was close guys." Abby went back to her evidence.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the squad room.
"ziva, what does that look like to you?" DiNozzo asked pointing to a small speck in a photograph of the crime screen displayed on the plasma screen. Ziva tilted her middle eastern head to the right and stared at the photo.
"What? The speck of dirt? Or the shell casing next to it?"
"Wow, I didn't even see the shell casing there, good eye David. Probie enlarge the casing." DiNozzo barked the order in his usual take charge senior field agent voice.
The case was a murder of a marine directly out of boot camp. NCIS was called in at 0400 when the body was discovered just outside of Quantico.
McGee followed DiNozzo's request without grumbling like he usually did, something else hung on his mind. Why was Abby ignoring him? What did he do wrong?
"Probie! I asked you to enlarge the photo not shrink it. What's wrong with you?" DiNozzo asked and slapped McGee upside the head.
"Ow, sorry. Do you have to slap so hard?"
"Give him a break, Tony. He's having woman problems." Gibbs boomed from behind them all.
"Woman problems! Ha, what woman could you get to have problems with, McVirgin?"
"Forget it Tony, it's none of your business." McGee said weakly.
"if you need to talk, McGee, I'm here." Ziva said putting a hand on McGee's arm.
"Thanks, Ziva." McGee said with a little more confidence.
"Oh McGee, Abby is a little swamped down there, go help her." Gibbs said silently hoping that putting them in the same room would get them to talk or atleast for Abby to open up some to McGee about what was bothering her.
"Boss, I don't think she wants me around…."
"She's got a lot of computer stuff that she should have some help with. Get this case solved sooner. I'll call and tell her you're on the way down."
"Boss…"
"McGee go. Now." Gibbs's voice now held a hint of urgency.
McGee headed for the elevator as Gibbs picked up his phone to call Abby.
Abby walked into autopsy. Looking around she spotted Palmer, the assistant to medical examiner Dr. Mallard.
"Jimmy, where's Ducky?" Abby asked timidly.
"Right here, Abigail. What's on your mind?" Ducky emerged from the cold storage adjacent to the large autopsy room.
"Can I talk to you? In private? No offense Jimmy."
"None taken Abby, I need to get some coffee anyway, do you want anything?"
"A nice cup of earl grey would be wonderful, Mr. Palmer."
Palmer quickly left autopsy. Abby and Ducky waited for the elevator to ding signaling that Palmer would be getting in.
"what's going on, Abby? Something doesn't seem right with you lately." Ducky asked while he pushed the red button next to the door to lock down autopsy.
"No one knows yet, not even Gibbs, but I promised I would tell him as soon as this case is over. I'm pregnant, Ducky. I don't know what to do. I'm scared, and you know I don't get scared often." Abby paced back and forth and finally leaned on an empty autopsy table.
"Abigail, if you don't mind me asking, who is the father? Not Gibbs, I hope." Ducky put an arm around Abby, sensing how upset she was.
"No, definitely not, not that Gibbs wouldn't make a good father, He's like a father to me and it hurts me to not be able to talk to him about it. McGee, McGee's the father. How do I tell him? When do I tell him? What is he going to do? Will he stay? Will he request a transfer? Will Gibbs make him resign? Or worse, Make me resign? What do I do Ducky?" Abby buried her head in her hands sobbing, a sight no one at NCIS saw very often.
Ducky's arm grew tighter around her shoulder as she sobbed for a minute. "My dear, I don't think Jethro will make either of you leave, at least I hope he wouldn't. But you need to tell them both. Timothy needs to know now so he can make a decision as to what he feels he needs to do. As to when to tell them, the sooner the better. I cannot tell you what either of them will do or say or act, but as long as you are honest with them and quit hiding from them, they will feel more relieved. I know Timothy has been worried about you."
"How did you…?" Abby started to ask as they both heard the elevator ding. Palmer must be back.
"It has been written all over him." Ducky said and hit the red button again. Gibbs walked in.
"Abs, I have been trying to call you, I sent McGee to your lab to help you sort out that evidence."
"Sorry, Gibbs, I just needed to talk to Ducky about something." Abby wiped her eyes. "And I think we need to talk. Now. You me and McGee."
"Ok. Lets go to your lab. McGee should be there by now." Gibbs put his arm on Abby's shoulders and escorted her silently to the elevator and to her lab. The elevator ride was silent. Usually, Gibbs would be hounding for answers. This time was different. It was like he could sense the tension. He always had a knack for that.
"Are you sure we have time to talk, Gibbs?" Abby asked as they exited the elevator outside her lab. Her voice shook, she tried to hide the anxiety.
"I always have time for you, Abs." Gibbs kissed the side of her head. They walked into the lab. McGee was there already, working on the dead marine's laptop.
"Boss, I found some questionable e-mails I think you should look at." McGee said when he heard them walk in. He didn't even look at Abby. He couldn't bring himself to. It hurt too much, especially since he didn't know what he did but he knew it had to be bad.
"Not now McGee, there's something more important. C'mon." Gibbs motioned to the little office enclosed in glass. McGee followed the door slid open as they entered and closed behind them. Abby reached up and locked the door so they couldn't be bothered and so McGee couldn't run out screaming.