AN: Abby will be having the baby within the next three or four chapters, any guesses on what the baby will be? I already know, I just want to see what you all think. :) Enjoy!
Chapter Eleven
Volunteered-Told
Into her third trimester Abby became slow. It was to be expected, not only was she pregnant but she still had the same work load as before only without all the caffeine she used to ingest. She managed to keep up with the case work, barely. On a rare weekend were there were no left over cases and the team had nothing work related to do, Abby recruited everyone to help her move into her new apartment.
She had been planning on looking for a new apartment after the baby was born, but when her landlord learned she would need another room for the baby he offered her the apartment directly under the one she already had. He didn't want to lose her as a tenant because she was never late on rent and never caused him trouble. She was in tears when she tried to thank the old Hispanic man.
She called Tony, Ziva, McGee, Ducky, Palmer, Evy and Gibbs and asked them all to come and help her since she was into her sixth month of pregnancy and moving heavy objects was a big no-no. They all agreed to come, even Gibbs who gave her a blank nod. Abby had spent the entire week before packing everything up and getting ready to move.
At ten in the morning on Saturday, Tony and McGee showed up in exercise clothes.
"You came!" She cheered, throwing her arms around Tony and McGee.
"We weren't going to risk the wrath of a pregnant woman." Tony said fearfully, hugging her back carefully, her much more rounded belly pressed against his stomach.
She pulled away and looked at them, still smiling brightly. "You guys are smarter than you look." She said proudly, patting their heads.
She looked behind them, expecting Ziva but she wasn't there making Abby frown. "What?" McGee asked looking over his shoulder.
"Where's Ziva?" She asked sadly.
"Getting doughnuts and coffee." Tony answered.
"I can't drink coffee." Abby whined.
"That's why I got orange juice." Ziva said walking into the apartment, juggling two boxes of doughnuts and a tray full of coffee and orange juice.
"You're such a good godmother already!" Abby exclaimed, helping Ziva with the load in her arms.
"So, what are we doing?" McGee asked after he thanked Ziva for his coffee, while Tony stuffed his face.
"Downstairs has already been painted earlier in the week so we can start moving the big stuff down." Abby answered pointing to the furniture.
"You painted?" Tony cried through a mouthful of doughnut.
"I hired painters!" Abby yelled, smacking Tony.
"Oh," He mumbled.
"I'm not stupid." She commented, rolling her eyes.
"We know." Ziva said soothingly, rubbing her shoulder while glaring at Tony.
"So, you guys start moving and I'll boss you around!" Abby said happily.
"Sounds like a plan." McGee said chuckling.
After a few doughnuts and their coffee, they all started working. Abby stayed upstairs while they started moving furniture from her room downstairs. When they had the whole room empty, Abby went downstairs and told them how she wanted the room set up. Ziva quickly ran out with the excuse that she would start moving more boxes down. Abby had been ordering Tony and McGee around for half an hour when Ducky's voice rang through the apartment.
"Hello? Abigail?" Ducky called out.
"Ducky!" Abby yelled, rushing out to Ducky, hugging him as soon as she saw him. Palmer waved awkwardly at her from behind the older man. "Palmer! Thank you both for coming." She said happily.
"We are at your disposal my dear." Ducky said grinning.
"I'd be careful with that statement Ducky." McGee mumbled as he walked passed them and back up the stairs.
"Shush and get the couch down here!" She yelled after him.
"Slave driver." Tony muttered as he followed McGee.
Abby smacked Tony as he walked by her, making him stumble. "So-so, where do you want us?" Palmer stammered.
Abby pondered the question, tapping her chin. "I think you should two should start painting the upstairs." She answered pointing up the stairs.
"As you wish my dear." Ducky said with a small bow.
"All the paint and supplies are in the kitchen." Abby smiled.
"We'll start right away." Palmer said, walking up the stairs.
Ducky rolled his eyes and followed his younger assistance. "I'll get the food out of there before it gets splattered with paint." Abby said following them up.
While Ducky and Palmers started painting the upstairs apartment, Abby was forced downstairs to stay away from the paint fumes, even though the paint was eco-friendly, the smell still made her dizzy. All of the furniture was in her new apartment and her and Ziva had already set up the nursery. Abby ordered Ziva, McGee and Tony to get all of the boxes out of the apartment so Ducky and Palmer could finish and help them when Evy showed up with Tristan.
"Hello?" Evy asked confused as she stared at the box laden stairs.
"Hey!" Abby said as she hugged Evy. "Thanks for coming." She said to both of them.
"Can I paint?" Tristan asked quickly, bouncing up and down.
"Sure, Ducky and Palmer would like the help." Abby agreed.
Tristan took off before Evy could say a word and was looking entirely worried. "I should follow him, the last time I left him alone with paint he looked like he bathed in it." Evy said running up the stairs.
"Okay," Abby said to herself.
At four in the afternoon all of the boxes were in her downstairs apartment however the living room and dining room weren't fully set up but that wasn't stopping Tony and McGee from sprawling on the couch while Ziva was curled up on the dining room table. Palmer was using the bathroom and Ducky was still upstairs with Evy and Tristan putting the finishing touches on the paint.
"Can we stop yet?" Tony moaned, burying his head in the couch cushions.
"No, DiNozzo." Gibbs' voice rang through the apartment.
Abby turned to the front door while his agents jumped to their feet. "Gibbs!" She squeaked, rushing into Gibbs' arms.
"Hey Abs," Gibbs said as he hugged back tightly. Abby pulled him into her apartment and smiled up at him. "Pizza's in my car." He said with a nod over his shoulder.
"I'll get it!" Tony called out, rushing out to the parking lot.
"I didn't think you'd come." She said, still smiling brightly.
"I said I would." He told her.
"You didn't really say, you just kind of nodded." She said with a frown.
He only shrugged.
"See, that isn't a very clear answer!" She yelled frustrated.
Gibbs grinned. "How're you feeling?" He asked looking down at her protruding baby-belly.
"I'm fine, just giving everyone orders for a change." She smirked.
Gibbs chuckled and shook his head.
"Ducky is upstairs painting." She said pointing up to her old apartment.
"Make sure DiNozzo doesn't eat all the pizza." He murmured to her before he kissed the side of her temple and walked toward her old apartment.
Abby nodded and Gibbs spun and walked for the stairs just as Evy was coming downstairs. She looked at him as he passed her and then walked up to Abby with a knowing look.
"So, that must be Gibbs?" Evy asked almost rhetorically.
"Yup," Abby said still smiling.
"He's taller than I imagined." Evy noted.
"Everything finished up there?" Abby asked curiously, knowing she couldn't go upstairs because of the fumes.
"Yeah, Ducky has Palmer and Tristan cleaning up before we lock it up." Evy said with a nod.
"This is going a lot faster than I thought it would." Abby said happily.
"Says the one not doing any of the work." Tony commented under his breath as he passed her with the pizza.
"Ziva, please take the pizza away from him." Abby said as he walked toward the Mossad agent.
"But-but!" Tony stammered as Ziva snatched the box from him.
"You know the rules." Abby said grinning, resting her hands on her belly.
"I apologize, oh great and wonderful forensic scientist." Tony said with a great bow toward her feet.
"Okay, he can have pizza." Abby said to Ziva, smiling so wide her face was nearly split in half.
Their break was short lived. Once the pizza was gone, which didn't take more than twenty minutes, Abby had everyone back to work. When the upstairs apartment was finished, Abby delivered the keys to her landlord, personally and gave him an update on the moving situation, promising him that all work would stop by eight o'clock.
When the hour came to pass, all of the boxes were in the rooms they were supposed to be in and almost everyone was sprawled out on something. Save for Ducky, Gibbs and Tristan who were still standing.
"Are we done yet?" McGee asked tiringly.
"For today." Abby said with a smile. She was getting tired herself, and she could only imagine what the others felt like.
Everyone started shuffling out of her apartment as soon as she said it.
"I'll expect everyone back tomorrow by noon!" She called out after them.
Almost all of them moaned something back. Tristan gave a happy reply, only because he was filled with the energy all children had.
Abby turned to Gibbs before he left and hugged him again. "Thanks for coming Gibbs." She said with a happy sigh.
He kissed her forehead but hugged her awkwardly, almost to avoid her stomach. "Glad to help," He murmured, then left in his swift way.
AN: Review!