Disclaimer: I dot own NCIS or any of their characters, plots ect… If I did, Twilight would never have happened. I am in Twilight Denial….
Chapter Eleven:
Tony caught up to Gibbs as he was heading for the elevator on his way home "Can we talk for a minute?" Tony asked awkwardly and Gibbs just stared at him for a minute before dragging him into the empty elevator and pressing the emergency stop button "Talk" Gibbs ordered and sipped from his Starbucks cup "I…. just want to apologize for the way I yelled at you before. I was freaked out about Tia being unconscious and I know that you would never intentionally hurt her" Tony blurted uneasily and stared at the ground, waiting for the explosion from his boss "There's nothing to apologize for, DiNozzo. It's surprisingly… reassuring that Tia has someone looking out for her the way that you do" Gibbs admitted and turned the elevator back on " Now go and get her the ice-cream you bribed her with and I'll see you tomorrow" Gibbs ordered and Tony glanced at his boss "Do you want to come with us, boss? Maybe get to know Tia a little better?" he invited softly and Gibbs shook his head "Not tonight Tony, maybe another time" Gibbs declined as the elevator stopped at the lab and Tony stepped out "Make sure Tiana calls her mother" Gibbs added just before the elevator doors closed.
McGee headed down to the lab to see Abby at the end of the day, unable to wait anymore. In his hand he held a medium sized gift box, which he hid behind his back as he entered the lab "Hey McGee" Abby greeted from behind the microscope "Ready for dinner?" McGee asked as he set the box next to the microscope "In a minute, just finishing up these tests for Gibbs" she said and McGee sat at the chair behind Abby's desk and looked around "Wasn't Tia hiding down here?" he asked and Abby glanced up at him for a minute "Tony picked her up about ten minutes ago, and she wasn't hiding. Tony left her down here so Ducky and I could keep an eye on her, make sure she didn't pass out again. She's pretty cool, she invited me to go clubbing with her on the weekend" Abby added as she set up some additional tests to run overnight and made a notation on her report "Okay that's it I'm done" she announced as she began to shut the lab down for the day and made her way over to her locker, quickly exchanging her lab coat for her street clothes "Lets get outta here" she said as she grabbed McGee's tie, pressed her lips to his and then led him towards the elevator.
Abby figured she had been extremely patient about the box that McGee had been carrying around all night. She hadn't squirmed (much) through dinner at Drac's, her favourite theme restaurant where the interior looked like Dracula's Castle and the staff dressed as though every day was Halloween. Abby knew it was cheesy, but she loved it anyway. She'd mentioned it to Tim casually about two months ago and he'd remembered. It was stuff like that that Tim did, just to remind her how much he cared about her. And now she was about to ruin it. She knew she had to tell him the truth eventually, but she kept finding little excuses not to tell him. She had to do it tonight, before she chickened out again.
Tim looked at Abby as she played with her cutlery. She was being unusually quiet, and this worried him. He took a deep breath "Abby, I think I know what's going on" he announced just as the waiter brought their dessert over, and Abby's face paled "W-what do you mean?" she stammered slightly and Tim smiled and pushed the box towards her "Open it" he invited somewhat shyly and colour returned to her face as she ripped the box open, and pulled out a little yellow teddy bear "You bought me a bear?" she asked uncertainly "It's not for you. It's for the baby. It took me a while to figure it out, but I know that you're pregnant, Abby. I just don't understand why you didn't tell me sooner" Tim announced and watched a multitude of emotions cross her face "I didn't know how to tell you, in case you thought it wasn't a good thing" Abby muttered before spooning a big chunk of death by chocolate cake into her mouth "Of course I think it's a good thing, Abby. Don't you think that our baby is a good thing?" Tim asked and Abby just looked at him, tears glittering in her blue eyes "It took me a while, but the idea is beginning to grow on me" she admitted. Tim smiled "So when do you want to start telling everyone?" he asked just as Abby filled her mouth with cake and Tim just laughed. Abby thought about this while she chewed and swallowed her mouthful of cake "Well the doc recommended that we wait until after the twelfth week, just in case everything is not all good" she said and Tim nodded "Whatever you want Abby, whatever you want" Tim said and Abby grinned "That's right McGee, and don't you forget it" she said and quickly speared his dessert with a cheeky smile.
Alone in his basement Gibbs put down his tools and gave up on working on the boat for the evening, and took his photo of Tiana from his pocket and stared at it for a while, and then he sighed. He had no idea how to be a good father to Tiana, or to anyone for that matter. The closest he had come to paternal feelings was towards Abby, and he didn't have any responsibility there. But from what Tony had mentioned over the last few weeks, it wasn't like he could do any worse than Tia's stepdad in the parenting department. This thought cheered him a little and as he stared at the photo of his daughter he could feel some of the ice around his heart begin to melt.