Chapter One – March
Telling the team
March 2nd
The wraparound curtain only dampens so much that Gibbs is grateful that he was placed in the corner of the E.R. main room.
Nurse Rite finishes bandaging Gibbs' shoulder.
"All set," She announces in a loud enough voice to be heard that she as acclimated to speaking in the noisy room
She is saying more on the care of the wound but Gibbs sets all of his attention on Tony.
His mate who is standing a little ways away is quiet – this is never good.
"The doctor will be by to give you a prescription for the pain," the nurse pulls back the curtain that separated them for the rest of the E.R. "I'll go tell your friends to come back."
Nurse Rite walks away closing the curtain to once again dampen the noise from around the room but neither man paid her or the noise much mind – Gibbs' thoughts are on Tony while Tony's are on…
"You could have been killed," the Italian very special agent whispers, speaking for the first time since they entered the hospital. "That terrorist he… he could have killed you and there was nothing I could have done to stop it."
Tony's eyes are filled with tears so Gibbs wraps his right arm around his mate pulling him in to cry against his chest.
"I know either of us could be killed on any given day," Tony's voice muffled from being pressed against Gibbs' chest. "But this was too close."
"I know," Gibbs places a comforting kiss on the top of Tony's head. "But it's our job."
Tony pulls back so to look Gibbs in the eye, "Doesn't make it any more…"
"Frustrating," Gibbs says filling in the rest of the sentence.
"Yeah," Tony says humorless chuckling as he wipes the tears away from his eyes and no more are taking their place.
Suddenly the curtain is thrown back revealing a Goth and a Special Agent.
"Oh," Abby brings her hands up to her mouth. "We're interrupting."
"Not at all, Abbes," Tony moves away from his mate who is immediately hugged by Abby.
Tony lends against the wall not paying attention to what Abby is saying.
Kate comes to stand next to him.
"How are you doing?" She whispers – her voice riddled with worried.
"Me?" Tony crooks his lips into a smile but it does reach his eyes. "I'm not the one who got shot."
"Tony…" Kate starts but is interrupted by Abby.
"Where are Gerald and Ducky?" the Goth scientist asks looking around as thou the two men are going to pop up from under the bed or around the corner.
"The doctor is checking Gerald's injury," Gibbs explains. "Since he was left unattended for so long."
"But why did they take him away?" Abby's anxious clear on her face. "Couldn't they have done that here?"
"They're just making sure everything's alright," Tony speaks as he walks over. "It's better if they didn't have any distractions."
"I guess," Abby clearly not alright with the answer but having nothing else to say drops the questioning sending the group in to silence breaking moments later by a new voice..
"Hello all," Ducky says walking up to them.
"Ducky," Abby runs up and hugs the old doctor. "How's Gerald? Where is he?"
"Gerald is alright, Abigail, just had to use the bathroom." Ducky comes to stand next to the hospital bed. "And how are you Jethro?"
"Fine, Duck," Gibbs says standing up. "Just getting ready to leave."
"Good. Good," Ducky says distractingly.
"What's up, Ducky?" Tony asks – his detective skills going to work. "Something's on your mind."
Ducky tries not to smile but fails, "Now that you've mentioned it, my boy there is something…"
"Have you told them?" Gerald asks coming behind the doctor.
"I was just about to," Ducky smiles at his mate. "Do you want to do the honors?"
Gerald smiles back then faces the team, "I'm pregnant."
"Congratulations," Kate hugs Gerald then Ducky.
"Oh a new member of the family," Abby says getting in her own hugs. "How far along are you?"
"Three months," Gerald says
"And you're just telling us now?" Kate asks clearly not happy being in the dark.
Ducky smiles before saying, "My dear, we just found out ourselves."
"You had no idea," Tony says not believing what he just heard. "What about morning sickness?"
"I didn't have any," Gerald shrugs his shoulders. "It happens sometimes."
"Lucky," Tony mumbles under his breath.
Kate turns to her teammate standing next to her, "What?"
"He was lucky then," Tony says with a smile on his lips but sadness in his eyes.
"Yeah," Kate agrees making note to question the other agent later on what he really meant.
Telling the families
March 2nd – that night
"Mother," Ducky looks at the old woman sitting on her living room couch after he just told her the great news. "Say something."
"Well Donald…" Victoria Mallard's voice clear and powerful despite her age. "It's about time I was made a grandmother."
"You have grandchildren, Mother," Ducky says as if he reminding her of the fact. "From Albert"*
"Yes," Victoria stands and walks towards the kitchen. "But I don't like them."
"That went better than I thought," Gerald whispers as soon as the old woman was out of earshot.
"It did," Ducky says then turns towards his mate. "You look tired. Did you want to take a nap before dinner?"
Gerald smiles, "Will I have to sleep alone?"
"Never," Ducky whispers kissing Gerald's breathe away.
Being told something new
March 16th
After two week of playing phone tag, Gerald decides to tell the news to a machine.
"Hey, Woodrick," Gerald says trying not to let his voice waver with nervousness and fear. "I didn't want you to tell you this over an answering machine but we keep on missing each other."
Gerald stops talking stalling for more time but continues anyway, "Well there's nothing else to do but say it."
Gerald takes a deep breath in.
"I'm pregnant," he blurts out then continues quickly in case his fear returns. "Almost four months now."
"Thought you wanted to know,"
"I know we haven't talked much lately in the last few years," Gerald says with a small sad smile. "But I like to change that,"
BEEP.
Gerald exhales happy that it's finally out.
"Luv?"
Gerald turns to Ducky who's walking towards him with a questioning look on his face.
"Just making a phone call," Gerald says hanging up the phone.
Ducky lets the subject drop for now as a more pressing matter is at hand, "Ready to go? Our appointment is at three."
Gerald smiles at his mate, "Just let me get my coat,"
"Gerald Jackson?" The reception nurse for the OBGYN asks. "The doctor will see you now."
Gerald and Ducky stands up and follows the nurse out of the waiting room and down the hall.
The nurse stops in front of door 8 and opens it.
The two men walks passed her who closes the door behind them.
Moments later, the door opens again letting the doctor in.
"Hello," The mid 20 year old woman says with a smile. "I'm Doctor Channah Layne. Which one of you is Gerald Jackson?"
"I am," Gerald says smiling back. "This is my mate, Donald."
"Hello," Doctor Layne says shaking both of their hands then puts a strain of hair behind her ear as she looks down at her clipboard. "Now I see that you are three months pregnant."
"Yes."
Doctor Layne looks up, "But you didn't have any morning sickness,"
"No."
"Well that happens once in a while," Doctor Layne says with a comforting smile. "Nothing to worry about."
"That's what Donald said," Gerald says smiling at his mate. "He's a doctor."
"You won't mind if I take over as Gerald's main doctor," Doctor Layne says then quickly speaks again. "Of course any insight you have is more than welcome."
"Sounds like a plan," Ducky says.
"Well Gerald…" Layne says smiling at the man. "Please sit down on the medical table."
Ducky helps Gerald up on to the table.
"Lets see the baby," Layne says picking up an instrument. "Can you sit back, Gerald?"
"This gel will be cold," the doctor says spreading in over the instrument then moving the instrument over Gerald's stomach. "It will take a moment for a picture to for."
A picture appears on the monitor.
"There is goes. Congratulations," Doctor Layne says turning to the two men with a smile. "It's a girl."
End of Chapter
* - Ducky mentioned having a nephew in one of the first episodes so I invented a sibling who might or might not show up in the story
Victoria is more coherent in this then in the show 'cause I figured her senile ways weren't that far along at the beginning of the show.
Next chapter – April
Random fact – There are three sunsets – military, astrological, and nautical.