Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or any of their characters, plots ect… If I did, Twilight would never have happened. I am in Twilight Denial…. I do however, own Tiana, as well as anyone else you don't recognize….
A/N: I'd just like to thank everyone who reviewed! My writers block has miraculously vanished...Let me know what you think of this one….
Chapter 22:
Nothing was said during the drive from Brookview Academy back to NCIS headquarters. Mostly the occupants of the car were trying to merge the 'Allysia' personality with the Tiana they all knew and loved. For McGee, he was also trying to work up the courage to tell Gibbs, who viewed Abby as a daughter, about the baby. He knew that if he didn't tell Gibbs soon, Gibbs would 'baby' Tia until she snapped, and given the information that had been revealed that afternoon, McGee would rather not incite that particular psychotic episode. So he had to choose between two equally scary marine-trained murderous-when-crossed evils.
Even as Gibbs processed the newest facet of his daughter's upbringing he could tell that something was bothering McGee. As he drove, Gibbs mentally ran through the list of things that could be bothering the young agent; eBay stock crashing, Abby's caffeine withdrawal, DiNozzo, Abby's sudden wild mood swings, Abby's slight weight gain... suddenly the pieces fit together in his head like a big flashing neon jigsaw puzzle. Gibbs slammed on the breaks, nearly causing the driver of the sparkling new Mercedes-Benz behind them to join them in the backseat. Protests echoed from his team as Gibbs pulled into the emergency lane and walked rapidly around the car, pulling McGee from the backseat "Anything you want to tell me, McGee?" Gibbs asked in his soft scary voice, the voice that usually caused a need for fresh underwear in whomever he happened to be directing it at. McGee swallowed nervously before deciding that if he was going to die, he wasn't going to go down afraid "Abby and I are having a baby" Tim informed Gibbs and the waited for the death blow. Gibbs admired McGee's bravery for a moment then tapped on Tony's window "Yeah boss?" Tony asked around a mouthful of chocolate "Tiana's not pregnant is she?" Gibbs asked and Tony grinned "Not as far as I know, boss" he admitted, incredibly relieved not to be in McGee's shoes at that moment "The books?" Gibbs asked and Tony swallowed the rest of his candy bar "Were a present for Abby, same as the doll. Although I'm guessing Tia enjoyed messing with your head with the doll" Tony mused. Gibbs thought about that while he walked back to a visibly sweating McGee, both unaware of the bets being laid in the car regarding McGee's welfare. "What are you going to do?" Gibbs asked "I'm going to be there for Abby and our baby. There's nothing else I can do, Abby doesn't think we should get married just for the baby" McGee added miserably. Gibbs wanted to smile after hearing that, but he had a bad-ass reputation to maintain so he just reached out and slapped McGee lightly on the back of the head "Get back in the car, McGee" Gibbs ordered before getting back in the car himself, leaving McGee standing by the car, stunned. Gibbs started the engine and revved the car to warn McGee "That's it? That's all he gets for getting Abby pregnant? I at least punched him! I got more of a hard time when you thought Tiana was pregnant and you've known her for less time!" Tony protested as a dazed and confused McGee clamored into the car and Gibbs sped off.
Tia was at home flicking through cookbooks, having been overcome with the strangest urge to cook something. If nothing else Tony would be seriously freaked out when he came home and discovered that she had cooked dinner, Tia thought as the doorbell chimed. She practically danced to the front door in a happy bouncy mood, having nabbed two of her peskiest skips that morning. Her happy mood plunged rapidly three seconds after she opened the front door and found her mother on the on the other side "Hi baby!" Marie greeted merrily and Tia just stared at her for almost a minute before she stepped back and slammed the door in her mother's face.
"Tia, I don't understand why you had to slam the door in her face" Gibbs asked, having just received a tearful, pleading phone call from Marie who was still standing outside Tony's apartment, crying. Tia had been in the process of escaping out the window to put as much distance as possible between herself and Marie "She's sick" Gibbs added and Tia snorted "Yeah, right" she said as she climbed out the window onto the fire-escape "What do you mean by that?" Gibbs asked as he overtook the Mercedes that had nearly rammed him earlier "I know you're only new to this parenting thing Jethro, but I'll give you a pointer: my mother is the undisputed Queen of Guilt Manipulation. Hang on a sec I've to go handsfree" Tia said as she shimmied down the fire-escape to freedom "Why are you going handsfree? And what do you mean, guilt manipulation?" Gibbs demanded and felt Tony's breath near his ear "Can I help you DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked roughly and Tony quickly leaned back "When Marie told you about me, she probably told you, tearfully, that she was dying, correct?" Tia asked as she jogged lightly down the block in search of a taxi and Gibbs' silence answered her question "I'm guessing that up until that point you were pretty pissed off. Marie's not stupid. She pushed the emotion button knowing that you, being a typical marine, would generally not yell at a dying woman. My mother has used this ploy at least nine times during my teenage years, which considering the tiny fraction of time I spent at home during that time was an impressive average. Only she usually used it to keep me in line, I have no idea how she used it on the General. Now if you're finished yelling at me, I'm going to go and spend the rest of my lovely afternoon off pounding something, or someone into smithereens. Bye Daddy" Tia added teasingly and then hung up.
Tia stormed into Luke's outer office and Sherrie, Luke's secretary, looked up and grinned "Ooh someone's got her undies in a twist. What did Tony do to piss you off?" Sherrie smirked and Tia smiled brilliantly "Where's loverboy?" Tia asked sweetly, knowing perfectly well that Luke was unaware of Sherrie's crush on him "Shhhh. Jeez what bug crawled up your butt?" Sherrie asked and Tia's smile faded "My mother paid me a visit. Is Luke in?" Tia asked and without waiting for an answer Tia strolled into Luke's office. "Don't you ever knock, Tiana?" Luke demanded and ran a hand through his spiky brown hair "Is that a new haircut, Lukey?" Tia teased as she perched on the edge of his desk, her black miniskirt riding dangerously up her thighs and Luke blushed and tried to concentrate on the computer screen in front of him "Is there a point to this little visit, T?" Luke asked and Tia smiled innocently "I would think that you'd be happy to see me, especially after my performance this morning. But there is actually a reason I'm here. I need a favour...".