"I didn't want to kill myself." Caitlin said to the psychiatrist. "I just wanted to feel some pain for the pain that Anastasia had to go through."
The doctor took a couple of notes. "Why did you feel like you needed to feel that pain?" She asked.
"It's my fault she ran away…" Caitlin admitted. "I was just trying to live a part of my life normally… without having to translate. She felt ignored…"
"So you feel some resentment toward Anastasia because she's deaf?" The doctor asked as she took a few notes.
"No I love Stace! I just… I spend so much of my time translating things that I miss what's going on." Caitlin admitted. "Can I please just go? I'm not going to do it again."
"I'm afraid I can't let you go until we've gotten to the root of your problem." She said as she shook her head.
Caitlin sighed. "I already told you why I did it! What more could you want to know?"
"There's something you're avoiding telling me Caitlin and until you do you'll be staying here." The doctor said as she shook her head.
Caitlin took in a deep breath. "Well I guess we aren't leaving then…"
Tim took in a deep breath before rounding the corner into Abby's dimly lit hospital room. He smiled when he saw her sound asleep, one of her hands resting gently on her abdomen. He glanced around the room and noted that the only other person in the room was Ducky, and he was fast asleep.
He put down his SIG and badge on the dresser near the door before gently climbing onto Abby's bed. Abby flinched in response to the difference in weight. "It's just me Abs." Tim whispered.
Abby relaxed a bit as she opened her eyes after letting out a quiet yawn. "I fell asleep?" she asked quietly.
"It sure looks that way." Tim said with a smirk. "Mr. Edwards and Agent Sacks are in NCIS custody." Tim reported.
"Agent Sacks? What'd he do?" Abby asked groggily.
Tim simply smiled as he ran his hand through Abby's messy curls. "We can talk about it later." He dismissed it. "How are you feeling?"
Abby took in a sharp breath. "I… I don't know." She admitted. "I feel sick to my stomach… but I don't think its morning sickness anymore."
"I know what you mean…" Tim admitted. "It's unsettling…"
Abby shook her head. "Can we… just… not talk about this right now?" She asked timidly. "I know it's important…"
Tim pulled her hand into his. "It's fine sweetheart." Tim said, finding the situation appropriate for such an endearment.
"Are… we okay?" Abby asked softly.
Tim smiled and pressed his lips to hers passionately. "Does that answer your question?"
Abby smiled as she laid her head down on Tim's chest. "How much do you want to bet that Ducky's waiting for us to stop flirting so he can pretend to wake up?" She whispered.
Tim nudged her in the ribs before whispering back. "Fifty, you're on."
"Duckman?" Abby questioned, just loud enough that he'd hear it if he were awake but soft enough it wouldn't wake him up.
Ducky slightly opened one of his eyes. "I have much keener hearing than Timothy thinks." Ducky said simply.
"HA." Abby snapped. "Fifty… going right toward milkshakes…"
"You're not eating anything until Dr. Walker clears you…" Tim warned her.
"You know how to ruin everything don't you?" Abby asked with a scowl.
"You're the one who said yes." He pointed out.
Abby glared at him and was about to reply when a nurse hurriedly came into the room. "Excuse me are the parents of a Ms. Caitlin Mcgee here?"
Abby pushed herself up with her hands. "I'm her mom…" She said nervously.
"And I'm her dad… What's wrong?" Tim questioned immediately.
"She's breaking down… her therapist can't get through and we don't want to sedate her." The nurse explained. "If either of you…"
Tim immediately shot a glance at Ducky. "Does it have to be one of her parents?"
"Well… no but I assumed one of you would want to go…" The nurse replied hesitantly.
Tim shook his head. "I'll come… I just would like Ducky to try to talk to her first."
The nurse looked around the room in confusion. "Alright… it's your call… but we really should get going."
"I'll keep you posted." Tim said as him and Ducky followed the nurse out the door.
Ducky took in a sharp breath when the nurse lead him into the room. "Caitlin." He said sharply. "Calm down."
Caitlin violently shook her head. "Leave me alone!" She screamed.
Ducky took a firm hold of Caitlin's shoulders. "Tell me… what's the matter." He requested.
Caitlin shook her head. "I don't deserve anyone's help."
"Why?" Ducky asked softly.
"I'm not good enough." She said back quietly. "I try and I try to do what mom and dad want but nothing I ever do is good enough for them." She explained. "They hate me."
Ducky raised an eyebrow. "Nobody hates you Caitlin."
Caitlin shook her head. "It would just be easier for everyone if I weren't here."
Ducky released her shoulders. "Caitlin Kelly Mcgee you mean a great amount to your parents." He said gently. "They named you after someone who means a great deal to everyone on the team. If you were to kill yourself I don't know how well they would cope."
Caitlin refused to listen and covered her ears. "It would be better… Just Mom, Dad, Anastasia, and the new baby." She protested.
"What is it that makes you think that?" Ducky asked curiously.
"I don't fit in! I get C's and B's… if I'm lucky. I don't like reading, or signing, or any of the requirements for living the life Mom and Dad want me to." Caitlin began. "Mom thinks I want to become a nurse because I did when I was younger. I don't want that anymore! I don't even want to go to college! I want to travel Europe with Sarah this summer… But I don't want what my parents want for me."
Ducky pulled her into a hug where she began sobbing. "It's alright Caitlin… It's hard to find your place in the world."
Caitlin shook her head. "I don't want hard… I want out." She admitted.
"I assume you have thought about this often based on how sure you are." Ducky replied.
"I guess… I guess so…" Caitlin replied shakily. "Why?"
"Well if you're so sure there's no point in me trying to change your mind." Ducky said. "I will be going." He said before leaving the room quickly.
"What's wrong with…" Tim began to ask but stopped when he saw Ducky's finger firmly pressed to his lips.
Moments later Caitlin came rushing out of the room and she threw her arms around Ducky. "I don't want out!" She sobbed. "I want to go home… I want to live with Mom and Dad and Stacey and if I have to go to college in order to do that I will… I'll hate it but I will."
Ducky pried his arms off from him and pointed her toward Tim. "Tell him that dear."
Caitlin moved into her dad's waiting arms. "I'm so sorry dad." She said quietly. "I shouldn't have…"
"Shhh." Tim comforted. "It's alright Caitlin. I'm just happy you're alright.'
Caitlin looked up. "I know… it's kind of pushing it right now… but I've been meaning to ask… Can I go to Europe with Sarah?"
Tim took in a sharp breath. "Caitlin… I don't know right now…"
"I don't want to spend another summer at church camp!" Caitlin argued. "If I'm not somewhere else mom's sending me there with Stace again."
Tim shook his head. "Neither of you are going to camp this summer."
Caitlin's head snapped up. "What? Why?"
"I haven't even talked to your mom about this yet Caitlin… It's none of your concern."
"Ms. Caitlin?" The nurse questioned.
"Hm?" Caitlin replied distractedly.
"I need you to come with me for a few examinations."
Caitlin took in a deep breath. "Alright."
Tim let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as soon as the door shut behind them.
"Are you alright Timothy?" Ducky asked.
Tim shook his head. "Do you have any idea how much this is costing?" He asked quietly.
Ducky cocked his eyebrow. "You're worrying about money?"
"My publisher called." Tim admitted. "He wants a draft for my next book on his desk next Monday."
"Have you even started?" Ducky asked in surprise.
Tim shook his head. "I tried… multiple times… But I haven't been able to put anything into these stories."
"That's understandable Timothy. With everything that's been going on…" Ducky tried.
"Ducky I messed up. I don't have the money to pay for this…" Tim admitted. "Between Abby, Caitlin, and Anastasia being here… and we're having a baby… I've had two of those! They're expensive!"
"Timothy calm down." Ducky instructed gently. "I know it's hard to try and avoid thinking about costs, but the most important thing right now is that all three of them are alright."
Tim nodded. "I know… I shouldn't…"
"Don't worry about this right now." Ducky said again. "You should go check up on Abby or Anastasia." He suggested.
Tim nodded not catching the pushiness in Ducky's voice. "I'll..."
"Go ahead and do that… I think I'm going to go get some coffee." Ducky said as he directed Tim toward the elevators before heading toward the coffee cart across the floor.
"Jethro!" Ducky called as soon as he found his colleague.
"Duck?" Gibbs asked as he took a sip of his own coffee before handing the extra cup next to him to Ducky.
"Anastasia's here because of the assault… which is related to the case correct?" Ducky asked quietly.
Gibbs nodded. "I don't see what you're getting at."
"Couldn't Caitlin's medical treatment also be connected to the case?" Ducky ignored him.
"Well… I suppose…" Gibbs replied obviously confused.
"Do you think that if I spoke with Director Vance he would consider trying to pay for the medical bills?" Ducky tried to ask subtly.
Gibbs looked at him in surprise. "Are they worried?"
Ducky sighed. "Timothy is…"
Gibbs nodded understanding the sensitivity of the subject. "I would suggest you talk to Vance… Do you know why Mcgee's worried?"
"Jethro they are having another child. That's a lot of expenses they weren't expecting." Ducky chastised.
Gibbs could sense there was something else, but he had been awake for going on forty-eight hours and the effect of caffeine was starting to wear off. "Alright Duck, whatever you think is best…"
Ducky nodded before heading to make a phone call.
"Hey McAbby." Tony said as he entered Abby's hospital room.
"Tony." Abby said with a smile before she held her arms out for a hug.
"Someone's in a good mood." Tony mocked as he sat at the end of the bed.
Abby blushed slightly, something she rarely did. "I'm just feeling so much better." She admitted. "Being able to keep down anything is almost a new experience."
Tony smirked. "I have a question…" He said after a moment of silence.
"Shoot." Abby replied as she sat up eagerly.
"Ziva's a bit… down… What can I do?" Tony asked awkwardly.
"What do you mean by 'down'? I need more information Tony you know that." Abby retorted. When he didn't reply Abby's face changed. "What did you do?"
Tony sighed. "I guess we're fighting…" He admitted.
"Awwww." Abby cooed. "Your first fight, how adorable."
"Abby it's not funny! She won't let me anywhere near Sienna." Tony protested.
Abby sighed. "Seriously Tony what did you do?" She pried. "You know she wouldn't act that way if you hadn't done something."
"Okay… Ducky said that women are still hormonally imbalanced after the baby's born… Is that true?" Tony blurted out.
"Tony!" Abby cried with a laugh. "You think he made that up?"
"No… It's just making fighting with her really hard…" Tony complained.
"I'm not sure how I feel about this…"Abby replied. "Because I care about you, but I care about Ziva…This is really weird."
"What's really weird?" Tim asked as he came in the room. "Here's a cup of ginger tea. Dr. Walker says to try a few sips before you drink all of it." He said as he handed her an orange cup.
"Thanks." She replied quickly before moving on. "Tony and Ziva are having their first fight."
"Awww… How sweet." Tim mocked.
"Shut up." Tony growled.
"But I don't know who's side to be on… that's the weird part." Abby explained.
"Yeah that is weird." Tim agreed. "Well, what are you fighting about?"
"Hey yeah you never told me that." Abby pointed out.
Tony sighed. "I said something I shouldn't have…"
"Tony I don't have all day." Abby snapped.
"Actually you kind of do Abs." Tim pointed out.
Abby looked at him. "Really? I just started feeling better?"
"Sorry Abs… I didn't mention it." Tim rectified.
Tony sighed. "I said I didn't want to be a father." The room sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before the sound of Abby's hand colliding with Tony's cheek filled the room.
"Abby!" Tim cried out in shock.
"Get out." Abby snapped tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Tony I'm sorry…" Tim said softly as he watched his friend leave the room, cheek still burning. "Abby what was that?" He asked in disbelief.
Abby shook her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry… I'm just hormonal."
Tim shook his head. "That wasn't hormonal anger Abs. I know you better than that."
"When I found out… I was pregnant with Caitlin…" Abby said between sniffs. Tim took in a sharp breath. He had been undercover when that happened and they hadn't talked much about it. "I thought I was going to give birth to her alone… And I thought when you came back you wouldn't want to be a father…That you wouldn't be ready."
Tim fit the pieces together. "It's okay to feel hurt Abby."
Abby shook her head. "You didn't hurt me… I told you to."
"I shouldn't have listened. There was no excuse for me having left you in the position I did. It wasn't fair to either of us." Tim argued.
"I just… I don't know what I would have done." Abby said softly.
"You would have been an amazing mother, just like you are now." Tim assured her.
Abby shook her head. "Amazing mother? My kids are in the hospital."
Tim bit his lip. "Abby… I need to talk to you about something."
Abby looked up and saw a very unfamiliar look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked, immediately concerned.
"We're running out of money." Tim admitted.
Abby shook her head. "Can't you talk to your publisher… do something with your book?" She knew he wouldn't be telling her this if he hadn't already gone through all his options but she couldn't help herself.
Tim smiled weakly. "I'm behind… It's not your fault, I just can't write right now." Tim admitted. "Between all of your hospital bills and the expenses that come along with another baby…"
Abby looked up at him in disbelief. "Timmy…"
"Abby you don't need to worry." Tim assured her. "I just thought you should know."
Abby nodded as he gently pulled her into his arms. "I want to go home."
Tim pressed his lips to her forehead. "I know Abs… I know."
"It's discharge day!" Tony said with fake enthusiasm.
Abby shifted in her bed. "I don't want to get up Tony." Abby whined.
"You want to go home don't you?" Tony taunted.
"Go wake up Caitlin and Anastasia first… then come back." Abby tried.
Tony shook his head. "Tim's waking up Stace and Gibbs is getting Katie."
"I hate all of you." Abby said groggily.
"Come on! Half an hour until we meet everyone in the lobby.
Abby shifted once again and groaned before swinging her legs to the side of the bed. "Gotta pee…" She muttered as she headed toward the bathroom.
Ten minutes later Abby came out with her hair in a ponytail and a new pair of sweats and a tee shirt. "I'm ready I guess." Abby said unenthusiastically.
"Not quite Mrs. Mcgee." A nurse said as she came in. "We have to do one last check-up."
Abby nodded. "Awesome." She said shooting Tony an evil glare.
Twenty minutes later they were in the lobby. "Hey Timmy." Abby said with a smirk as he pressed his lips to hers. "Ready to get out of this place?"
"I was ready two weeks ago." Abby replied as she pressed her lips up to his again.
"I've got to go pay Abs…" He tried to stop her.
"Ma-gee." Gibbs snapped as he came in with Caitlin.
Abby hesitantly pulled her lips away. "Sorry Boss." Tim replied smiling and heading over to the receptionist.
"Seriously you two. It's a hospital lobby." Gibbs said as he rolled his eyes.
Tim made his way to the receptionist. "I'm here to check out Abigail, Caitlin, and Anastasia Mcgee." He informed the woman sitting behind the counter.
"Alright you just need to sign these forms and you'll be ready to go." She said.
Tim looked up curiously. "I haven't paid yet…"
The receptionist double checked and shook her head. "It says your bill has been paid in full. Nearly a week ago."
Tim looked at the papers. "Does it say who?"
The receptionist scrolled down. "It says the Director of NCIS wrote a check…"
Tim eyed her in disbelief. "Vance?"
Author's Note: I hope you guys are enjoying this! I'm just kind of going with it… But you'll probably get more frequent updates since I'm getting into training mode for NaNoWriMo. 1,766 words a day :) That will mean a chapter about every two days… So We'll see how that turns out. Please review!