Chapter 8
Gibbs had to think quickly. He knew that she was upset that he hadn't believed her. He had to right his wrong, and suddenly he didn't know why he thought she would have lied. He hung his head and then brought it level again to look her in the eye. Perhaps the best thing to do was to tell her the truth.
Abby resisted the urge to tap her foot, she was trying to maintain an angry exterior but really she was crying. She was terrified he was going to tell her that he just couldn't deal with this situation, that it was all too much for him. She was hurt that he had thought she would lie to him and she was scared he was going to leave her all alone.
"Abby, I'm sorry." he started to put out his arm but the look in her eye made him withdraw it. "I was stupid to think that you would lie. I was just so confused when Duckie yelled at McGee I thought you had told him that it was his and not mine. So when I saw him yelling I thought the worst." he paused
He almost added, 'I didn't want to think that it was any one else's.' and that he'd never leave her. But he didn't.
"You didn't tell Duckie whose it was?"
Abby shook her head slightly, "I was too embarrassed. I just didn't want to see that look on his face when I said that the father he seems to hate so much was his best friend and long time co-worker, not to mention my boss." She cringed inwardly and took a step towards him.
"I'm sorry Abbs I really am."
Abby's head snapped to attention and she took a dominating step towards him, her hands migrated to her hips and she lifted her chin to look him in the eye. "Never apologise Gibbs, it's just not you." Then she smiled and put her hand on his arm.
"But, apology accepted. As long as you never ever assume that I would lie to you ever again." she added still a little unbelieving that he had doubted her.
Gibbs tried not to breath a sigh of relief but the small smile which lit her world told her all she needed to know. He would never do that again.
Gibbs guided her to the couch. "So are you really alright?"
(Tony in Duckie's lab)
Tony followed Palmer around with a piece of paper. It was obvious that Tony thought very little of him but he needed him to find out who the father was.
"Is there anyway that you could possibly do a paternity test on the mothers blood?"
"For the last time no! There is no way that that could possibly work. You'd need the blood from the child, the two blood types are completely different. And not only that but you'd also need the fathers blood."
'No worries, I'm sure its someone at NCIS.' he thought.
But little did Tony know that Duckie was way ahead of him.
(three weeks later)
Ducky had a nervous look on his face as he watched Abby plop herself down on one of the shiny metal tables which normally held victims. It was strange to see Abby showing her pregnancy seeing as he thought of her as so young. But his nervousness was about how he was going to word the next sentence that popped out of his mouth.
"Abby I'd like to take some of the baby's blood." he quickly added on to the statement and turned his back to rummage on his desk, "We have to make sure the baby is healthy and there are no complications."
He knew it was immoral to conduct a paternity test without the mothers permission but his curiosity had almost gotten the better of him.
Abby almost declined but she trusted Duckie with her life and so she could do so with her child's. But watching the needle enter her belly was less interesting then she would find it normally, her pregnancy made her nauseous. That was a new sensation, seeing as she basically had an iron stomach. But she shut her eyes and thought about other things, reminding herself that caffeine was off limits.
"You know Duck, I never thought pregnancy would be so..." she searched for the word. She gave up on the word and Duck smiled at her compassionately.
"It's a hard thing to go through." he frowned. 'If only you didn't have to go through it alone and without prior planning my dear.' he thought. Abby knew what the look on his face meant and as she lay flat on her back she reached out her hand to grab his.
"I'm okay Duck. Really, I am" she nodded for extra confirmation.
When she'd left to go find Tony Duckie had stared at the vial for a long time before deciding that he could not do a paternity test. It went against her privacy, and he respected her decision not to tell him or anyone. He wondered if she had told the father.
(Bullpen)
Tony saw the lump on her stomach before anyone else as she entered, she wore a black maternity dress with skulls on it. Ziva let her jaw drop. McGee stood up in shock and something resembling horror.
"I knew it." said Ziva.
"Whoa..." said Tony.
"who..." Said McGee.
Abby seemed to enjoy the stunned silence. But her and Gibbs hadn't discussed whether they would tell anyone who the father was. And Abby didn't want to hide her pregnancy from her friends. But the look on McGee's face seemed to make her feel somewhat guilty.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully. She skipped into the middle of the bullpen and held their stares in return. Doing her best to maintain a happy exterior but inside she was nervous about the reactions and the questions they would want to ask.
"What?!" she asked, her eyes wide feigning innocence.
"Congratulations Abby." Ziva was the first to straighten out her thoughts and extend her hand.
Abby stared at the hand for a moment and launched herself into a hug instead. When she pulled back she wondered what on earth had possessed her, but she pretended like there was nothing wrong.
"Thanks Ziva."
Tony came up and hugged her and she held him tightly for a moment. When they separated she saw McGee's back as he walked out of the bullpen. Tony was still by her and he collected her hand in his. She felt her heart break at McGee's obvious pain. And Tony gave her hand a squeeze. She looked up at him a little tearfully and decided that maybe she'd be less emotional down in her lab.
(Abby's lab)
The team all knew now. Of course the question on everyone's lips was, who? And she was not inclined to tell them in the near future. Her lower back was starting to hurt and she was sure her headache was caused by a lack of caffeine. She rested her head on one hand and tapped away with the other.
There was a murder case going on. Petty Officer Flanagan had been found sliced in two. She was looking for the murder weapon according to Duckie's description. Gibbs had mentioned his own concerns about her being at work seeing as she was often exposed to dangerous chemicals but she had brushed him off and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.
"I'll take care of myself Gibbs. Both of us."
But now that she was alone and away from the stares of wonder and some of shock she could think about how each of the team had reacted. Ziva had said that 'she knew it' so they must have been discussing her before. Tony had been nervous and almost anxious but the most supportive of them all. McGee... McGee had broken her heart by walking away. Obviously he was hurt because of their previous relationship, or maybe he was just worried. She really didn't know. But it hurt her just as much.
She'd been trying to stay positive, stay bubbly and girlish. But perhaps it was time to act her age, after all she was about to become a mother.
