A little over a week later, Jethro's cell phone rang. It was Abby.
"Hey, Abs…"
"Jethro? Can I come over and get the rest of my things?" Her voice was sad and serious.
"What? No, please Abby, can you come over and let me talk?"
"Jethro, please don't make this a big deal." She hung up.
About fifteen minutes later Abby walked through Jethro's front door for the first time in over a month. Jethro looked at her long and hard. She was wearing a grey NCIS shirt and black pants. Her hair was pulled back in a single ponytail. She was really starting to show now. She'd avoided Jethro for the last month so he really didn't get to look at her.
"Please, Abby, I want to show you something…" He whispered.
She wanted to fight with him, but the look in his eyes told her not to.
"Close your eyes,"
"Jethro, I'm not in the mood for games."
"Please, Abby, humor me, maybe for the last time?"
Abby shut her eyes and Jethro led her gently by her shoulders down the hallway to a closed door. The room had been Kelly's and it had always been kept shut. He opened the door and guided Abby in a few steps.
"It smells awful," She gagged.
"It's just paint, open your eyes," He said.
Abby opened her eyes and her hands went immediately to her mouth. The room was painted dark blue on the bottom half of the wall and light blue on the top. The colors were separated by a thick white strip of paper that had little handprints on it in different shades of blue. There was a crib in the corner, a changing table next to it, a baby lamp, blue curtains and above the crib there was a picture frame. Abby walked slowly to the crib and looked at the frame. It was the ultrasound picture. Abby was crying heavily now.
"Abby, I know that I've been anything but appropriate about this whole situation. I know that I should have been more respectful to you and how you were feeling about this whole thing. I just, I need you to know how…how hard this is on me. I guess you all were right; I'm afraid. I'm afraid to put my guard down. I'm afraid that if you know who I really am, you won't feel the same. And I'm afraid that once my barrier is defeated and I'm comfortable, you'll walk away. You make me nervous Abby; I guess that makes you different from all the rest. You are the only thing that makes sense. I couldn't imagine myself being with anyone except you. I couldn't imagine myself raising a baby with anyone but you. You are the only thing that will get me through this. It isn't going to be easy Abby and I'm not always going to be happy and nice, I can tell you that right now. The only thing I can tell you is to believe in me. Believe in me and what I'm saying right now. I love you. I love our son. I want you, only you, forever. A man is only as good as what he loves."
Abby walked cautiously over to him. She slowly slipped her arms under his and wrapped them around his back. She stepped close to his chest and cried into his collar bone. Jethro wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close to him. He cried too. After a few minutes of holding each other, Abby walked away, back over to the crib. Jethro walked up behind her and slipped his hands under her arms. He placed his hands on the bottom of her growing belly and kissed her cheek. She could feel his face was wet from crying.
"You and I are going to be okay, you know that, right? We're going to be okay."
"I hope so," She whispered and turned to face him.
"I'm sorry,"
"I know how sorry you are Jethro, I'm just…I'm not sure if sorry is enough. I…I need you to prove it to me. I can't go on like this wondering if you're unstable. I can't take your word for it anymore…" She kissed his lips quickly and left.