Chapter 4.

Who's your Daddy?

Sorry its been a while coming have had some problems working out what to write & have been working on two other stories soon to be publishable on fanfic.

Recap: Abbey has just found out she's expecting, & has just walked into her lab to find everyone except Jimmy waiting for her………

"Gibbs! Stop just standing there. Tell me what's going on!" Abbey whined. Gibbs walked over & placed his hand on her shoulder & lifted her chin with the other.

"You might wanna sit down Abs." suggested Tony. She walked over & sat on her favourite roller chair.

"Metro police found a male unconscious in Anacostia Park. Beaten almost to death. They rushed him to Bethesda Hospital; he's going to be fine,"

"Who would want to beat up Jimmy?"

"Who's talking about beating me up?" Asked Jimmy Palmer walking into the lab. Abbey rushed over & hugged him.

"They found a wallet on him when the doctors were checking him out. Name said Aaron Sciuto. Any relation of yours Abbey?" Gibbs could tell from her reaction that she had recognized the name.

"Aaron's my baby brother, Gibbs. Do they have any idea who might have done this? I don't know what I'd do if Aaron died! He's my only sibling." Gibbs shook his head as he put his arms around her. Abbey's eyes filled with tears & Gibbs gently pulled her to her feet.

"He's not going to die Abs. I'll go with you to Bethesda & you'll see for yourself he's going to be fine. Tony, contact Metro Police & get them to share everything with us. Ziva, run down everything you can on Aaron see if you can find out why someone would want to hurt him. McGee, go to Aaron's house see if you can find anything that would suggest who's trying to kill him. Cate you go with McGee." Everyone nodded & headed off.

Gibbs was worried. Abbey had been uncharacteristically quiet on the trip over. He watched as she sat waiting to be taken in to see her brother. He was tempted to ask her what was on her mind as he could sense it was something besides the fact that her brother had been attacked. But he held his tongue. In the ten years he had known her, Abbey had always confided in him. Granted she had occasionally taken her time & had been a little apprehensive but she had always come to him when she needed help. He was pondering what could possibly be bugging her when he noticed two people walking towards her. At first he thought they were a nurse & doctor coming to tell Abbey she could go & sit with Aaron & Abbey must have at first too because she jumped to her feet but then Gibbs watched as Abbey rushed over & hugged them. With a jolt of electricity, Gibbs realized they were her parents. He started to walk over & introduce himself but then he stopped realizing that they would probably want some family time on their own. He was about to head back to headquarters, figuring Abbey would be in good hands with her parents there, when Abbey walked over & grabbed his arm.

"Where do you think you're going, Gibbs? Come & meet my parents." Gibbs smiled & put his arm around her shoulder. They walked over to Abbey's parents & Abbey began signing. Gibbs tried to follow but for once Abbey was signing so quickly he couldn't keep up. He smiled knowing Abbey would eventually interpret once she was finished. Then he noticed she was finished & it seemed that they were waiting for him to say something. He turned to Abbey;

"What exactly were you saying to them, Abs?" she smiled.
"Wasn't going to quick for you was I bossman?" He grinned & chuckled.

"Abs? What did you say?" She giggled.

"All I said was that you were my boss & that we've worked together for almost eleven years." Gibbs raised an eye brow.

"It took you that long just to tell them that? Can your parents lip read?" Abbey nodded & gave him a 'Duh' look. Abbey's father signed something in Gibbs' direction. Abbey laughed & Gibbs watched as she signed to let them know they were too quick for Gibbs to understand them. Abbey deliberately signed slowly knowing Gibbs would be able to understand her. He smiled & gave her his half amused half annoyed look & she giggled again. Abbey knew Gibbs wasn't mad at her as he turned to watch her father signing something.

"Thanks for being here with Abigail, Special Agent Gibbs." He signed.

"Please call me Jethro. Besides there's nothing I wouldn't do for Abbey & she knows it." Replied Gibbs. Abbey's father nodded. Just then a doctor came over to them.

"Miss Sciuto? Can I have a word please?" Abbey nodded & walked into an empty room with him.

While Gibbs had gone for coffee soon after they'd got to the hospital, Abbey had gotten a second opinion on whether the pregnancy test was right or not. When she entered the room behind him, she looked at him carefully. He was sitting at his desk watching her. He indicated with his hand that she should have a seat & she sat down on the very edge of the seat. She could tell by the look on his face that the result he was about to give her was not what she wanted to hear.

"Miss Sciuto, the tests were positive. Do you know who the father is? Because you may want to let him know. You don't have to, of course. Results show that everything is going fine. Do you have any questions?"

Abbey was speechless. This was not what she wanted or needed right now. She shook her head & stood up to leave. As she walked back out to where her parents & Gibbs were standing, her mind was reeling. How could this have happened? She looked up at Gibbs & could see that he was using his eyes to quietly ask her what was wrong. She knew he would be one of the only people she would be able to trust with her problem, after all he had always been there for her before, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to speak to him. She walked past him & her parents into Aaron's room, sat down beside his bed & stared at the opposite wall.

Gibbs was surprised. Abbey had always told him everything. Something was troubling her & for once she didn't want to tell him. Although it was out of character for Abbey, Gibbs wasn't worried. He knew that she'd tell him when she was ready. He made sure that her parents would keep an eye on her & headed back to headquarters.

Abbey sighed as she sat next to Aaron's bed. Not only was she wishing her baby brother would wake up but she was also wondering what she was going to do now that she was certain she was pregnant. She couldn't be certain that Tony was the father. She rationalized that it could be McGee. At any rate she would have to keep it to herself until she was sure. Just then she heard a noise. She looked up to see Aaron coming around. He groaned & tried to put his hand up to his head.

"Where am I? Abigail? Is that you? What happened?"

Abbey jumped up & went to the door. She opened it & signaled for the doctor. He came over & started examining Aaron. While he did, Abbey started to explain everything to him.

"You were attacked by person or persons unknown & you are now in a hospital bed in Bethesda & my colleagues are attempting to work out who attacked you & why. But for now just rest little brother. You're safe in this room. Mum & Dad are just outside I'll go & get them." She walked out again & signed to her parents that Aaron was awake. They rushed over & inside to his bed. She signed that she was going to head back to work but would come & check up on him later. Her father signed back & said that they would keep an eye on him & would get the doctors to notify her if anything changed. She nodded & headed out the door. She had made it all the way to the elevator before realizing that Gibbs had dropped her off at the hospital. She reached for her phone but remembered she hadn't had time to grab it before they left. She felt around in her pocket & felt some loose change. She removed it & walked over to a public phone. She put the money in & dialed Gibbs' cell number. He picked up almost immediately.

"Gibbs."

"Always so official. Can you come & pick me up? And before you say it, I'm going to check in on Aaron regularly." Abbey smiled as she pictured Gibbs grinning.

"Ok, Abs. I'll be there in about half an hour."

They both hung up & Abbey sat down on a step to wait for him. She used the time to contemplate what she was going to do about her predicament. She knew that her DNA machine at work could possibly be used to determine paternity, but she would have to do it when the others were at home or something. She figured it would make more sense to be absolutely sure of paternity before telling anyone. She thought about what it would be like to be a mother. Suddenly she was gripped by a different fear. With her family history, there was a good chance the baby would be deaf. Not that she had a problem with that but she knew how her cousins had grown up & she didn't think it would be fair to bring a child into the world like that. Not that she wouldn't keep the child if it was born deaf. She wondered what the others would think. Before she could contemplate it, Gibbs was pulling up very fast in front of her. She smiled; enjoying Gibbs' driving was an acquired taste. Tony, McGee & even Ziva always told him he should slow down. Not that Ziva could talk. If Abbey ever managed to convince Gibbs to take up drag racing, Ziva could be a worthy competitor. As Gibbs pulled the car to a stop he noticed that she was smiling for the first time in a few days. Gibbs wondered what was on her mind that was making her smile like that. As Abbey opened the car door he asked her.

"Haven't seen you smile like that in a little while. What's on your mind?" Abbey smiled again.

"You sure you wanna know bossman?" Gibbs chuckled & nodded. Abbey giggled & answered with a cheeky look on her face.

"I was just thinking that with the way you drive, you could be a major drag racing star & Ziva could be your drag racing nemesis. The sky's the limit. If the Director ever gets sick of you & fires you then you could have a future as a drag racer." Gibbs roared with laughter at this. Trust Abbey to be able to make him laugh. As they drove back to headquarters, Gibbs was tempted to ask her what was bothering her but decided that Abbey knew he would always be there for her & if & when she was ready to tell him he'd be ready to help if he had to just like always.

They got back & everyone was surprised to see Abbey was laughing & joking about something with Gibbs. Tony couldn't help but notice that even at a time when her little brother was in hospital, she still managed to look absolutely amazing. He watched as she & Gibbs walked towards them. Two months ago he had thought that what they did was wrong & stupid but now, watching Abbey walking closer & closer, he couldn't help wishing that they were alone. Abbey saw him watching her & started to wonder how he'd react if it turned out that she was carrying a baby DiNozzo. She was only half paying attention to what Gibbs was saying. She loved Tony's smile & he'd always been able to make her laugh whether he was quoting one of his favourite movies or impersonating Sean Connery or even occasionally when he would bait Gibbs. Plus he was quite cute. Not usually her type but still cute. Abbey shook her head she had to stop thinking like this. Any more & she would ruin her chances with McGee. Although if the baby was Tony's she'd have ruined her chances with McGee anyway.

"So everything ok with Aaron, Abbey?" asked Gibbs when they were standing with everyone.

"Yeah he seems a little out of it & he couldn't remember what had happened but he seemed ok. I'll go back later & check on him. My parents said they'll let me know if anything changes. As far as we know he's out of danger. Well medically anyway. Doctor says he's gunna be fine." She couldn't help checking over Tony. He noticed her looking & grinned. She saw him grinning & turned away.

"Look I'd better get started with the evidence. I'll be down in my lab." She walked away & headed for the elevator. When she got into her lab, she walked over to her kit. She pulled out some swabs & headed for the bathroom. After she'd finished in there she went into forensic mode & sat back to wait for the machine to beep………

Tune in to find out who the father is & what Abbey's going to do……