THREE MONTHS

Callie was in Abby's lab. Although just barely starting to show, the cravings and morning sickness had already made their appearance. After a particularly rough morning, Harris was nursing the ginger ale that Abby now kept in her refrigerator just for her friend.

"Any better?" Abs asked, continuing to work on evidence from the guys' latest case.

Callie nodded as she took another sip, "Yeah, some. I just hate that there's no rhyme or reason. I can be fine one minute and the next I'm diving for a trash can."

Abby laughed, "Sorry. Nothing I can do about that. Just remind Tony to buy another couple of two liters to keep down here."

She turned to look at the Goth, "I would only I haven't seen him in several days."

Abby looked up into Callie's accusing glance, "I thought he was going to talk to you."

"About what?"

Abby shook her head, "You can't hear this from me, Cal. Tony will kill me."

"You mean if Gibbs doesn't accomplish it first?"

Abby had the decency to look embarrassed as Callie continued, "That's what I thought."

She got up from her seat and began to pace as Abby looked on, "He's taking it out on Tony, isn't he? And Tony, being Tony, is letting Gibbs do it."

"Callie," Abby cautioned, "you know…"

"I know," was the Texan's agitated response, "And I know a horse's ass when I see one, too."

Abby smiled. When Callie got this mad all of the colorful language she learned, both on the ranch in Houston and during her stint in the Navy, reared its ugly head.

"I think Special Agent in Charge Gibbs and I need to have a little talk." Callie growled.

Tony's timing couldn't have been worse or better, depending upon your viewpoint. He walked into the lab just in time to hear Callie's last statement.

"And exactly what would you need to speak to my boss about, dearest?" Tony's tone was sickly sweet.

"You know exactly what I need to speak to your boss about, dearest," Callie turned the phrase back.

Tony looked around for Abby who had suddenly made herself scarce at his appearance. "I can see I'm going to have to have a long discussion with a certain lab rat."

"You will do no such thing!" Callie corrected, "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't know."

"Which is exactly what I wanted," Tony's tone told of his fatigue and exasperation with the situation. He stopped Callie's next comment with an upraised hand, "Look, Harris, we're not doing this here or ever. He's my boss and a man I respect more than any other person in this world. He's been mad at me before and I know how to deal with him. You go off on him and you're only going to make the situation worse."

"Tony," Callie began only to be stopped again.

"I mean it, Cal. Leave it alone. It'll blow over. It always does. Sometimes, it just takes longer than others."

Tony pulled her into a tight hug and then pointed her toward the elevator, "Now, go do your job. Abby and I have work to do to solve this case." And he swatted her backside to get her going.

As Callie left the lab, Tony heard the swoosh of the door to Abby's office. Turning on the lab tech, he gave her a glare.

"Didn't we have this talk Abby?"

"Yes, Tony," was the meek reply.

"And didn't I tell you that if she found out, she would go after Gibbs?"

"Yes, Tony."

"Then, please, please, Abby, don't tell her anything else," Tony ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

Abby crossed and quickly wrapped the favored investigator in a hug, "She knows Gibbs all too well, Tony. She's only worried about you."

"I know, Abby, but I don't need her worrying, especially in her condition."

Abby nodded, "Understood, Junior Bossman. Now, what have you got for me?"

And they returned to working their case not realizing that their entire conversation and the one prior had been heard by the very man they were talking about.


It was one a.m. when Callie heard the door to the bedroom open and close. He was quiet as he quickly stripped down and slipped the covers back on the bed. Tony reached out to pull Callie close and she immediately rolled into the embrace.

"Hey, did I wake you?" he spoke softly.

"You know me; too much time in the field," Callie replied.

"Uh-huh. How's the princess?" And he rubbed a hand lightly over her belly.

"His highness is doing just fine," she continued to spar with the agent over the sex of the unborn child.

Tony chuckled, "Okay, but, I'm telling you. He's a she so you better get ready."

Changing the subject, Callie asked, "Wrap up the case?"

Yawning, Callie could just make out a garbled, "Yes."

"So, you got time off?" She continued to quiz.

Snuggling in closer to her, Tony answered, "Two days. Gonna spend one of 'em just sleeping."

Callie smiled and kissing his forehead, she answered, "You do that." And she closed her eyes on Tony's contented sigh.