Tim sighed as he fell down onto the bed in Abby's hospital room. Abby was out for a walk with Gibbs and Ducky, and Ryan had finally fallen asleep. It was his first moment of silence in days. Everything had gone from so simple to so complicated in a matter of hours and he had simply been going with the flow for so long, he hadn't noticed how exhausted he was.
He was nearly asleep when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. "Hello?" He answered groggily without looking at the caller ID.
"Tim!" Sarah's voice rang through the phone sounding desperate.
"What's wrong?" Tim asked, immediately concerned, despite how exhausted he was.
"Mom and Dad." Sarah said softly. "They just showed up, and they're insisting on seeing you. They want to apologize…"
"Sarah it's not a good time…" Tim tried to cut her off.
"I know the babies are due soon, but mom insists… I just wanted to give you a heads up that she'll probably be heading your way soon." Sarah explained. "I didn't say anything about the babies…"
"Sarah." Tim cut her off abruptly. "We're not at home." He said with a sigh.
"Are you at work?" Sarah asked, not catching the remorse in his voice.
"We're at the hospital." Tim said quietly.
"Abby's having the babies?" Sarah asked nervously.
Tim swallowed. "Abby had the babies three days ago." He admitted softly.
"Is something wrong? Why is she still in the hospital?" Sarah asked desperate for information.
Tim sighed as he flipped over on the bed. "Sarah… are you sitting down?" He questioned softly.
"Tim tell me what's wrong before I have a heart attack!" Sarah insisted.
"Abby has Leukemia." Tim said simply, knowing it was just a fact at this point.
Sarah was silent for a moment before she replied. "NO!" She screamed angrily. "NOT ABBY! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE IT!" She said before breaking down.
"Sarah… It's not a good time for Mom to try and apologize… Just… Give her the phone." Tim requested.
Five minutes later his mom's voice came through the phone. "Timothy?"
"Mom." Tim said sternly.
"We were thinking we would come over to see you and the girls this afternoon, will you be at home?" She asked rather excitedly.
"No Mom… We won't be at home. We won't be at home for awhile. And before you ask why let me tell you why. Abigail just gave birth to twins, one of which stopped developing only a few months into her pregnancy. Throughout her pregnancy she had health problems that were dismissed to be various problems associated with pregnancy. When the problems didn't stop after delivery they ran some more tests, and discovered that Abby has Leukemia." He explained quickly. "Right now isn't a good time to talk, I have to go back down to the nursery in a few minutes." He said before simply hanging up his phone.
Tim hadn't been lying down for more than five minutes when a knock sounded on the door. "Mcgee?" Tony's voice came through the door.
"Either come in and shut up or go away." Tim replied softly.
"Are you okay?" Tony asked mischievously as he came in and shut the door behind him.
"Tony what are you hiding?" Tim asked, not looking up.
"I just have an adorable little person here to visit her godfather." Tony said innocently as he bounced his daughter in his arms.
Tim couldn't help but chuckle as he sat up to receive her in his arms. "Hey Sienna." He said with a smile across his face. "Did you know that you're my favorite goddaughter?" He said blowing at her face. She giggled in response.
"Are you okay Tim?" Tony asked quietly.
Tim sighed. "We're going to hear back from MD Anderson today."
"Why do you want her to go to a treatment center in Texas of all places?" Tony asked gently.
"They're the best Tony. It's not that I want her to not be here, I just really want what's best for her health." Tim said as Sienna reached for his sandy hair.
"Are you all going to Texas?" Tony asked quietly.
Tim shook his head. "No matter how much I'd love to be with her… I can't just pick up and move away with three kids."
"Tim if you want to…" Tony tried to encourage.
Tim shook his head. "Financially… We can't handle that. Abby and I have talked about this. Over school breaks and every other weekend the kids and I will go visit her."
"Tim that's not…" Tony tried to protest before he saw Tim press his finger to his mouth as he pointed toward the door where Abby Gibbs and Ducky were coming into the room.
"How are you feeling sweetheart?" Tim asked as he climbed off the bed and over to his wife.
"Sore." Abby admitted softly as Gibbs and Ducky carefully helped her lay down.
"Are you okay?" Tim asked as he caught a glimpse of her already bruising calf. "What happened?"
"Calm down Timothy…" Ducky encouraged. "We had a bit of a run in with an overzealous five year old and his toy truck in the hall."
"No…" Tim said as he saw the purpling skin on his wife's leg. "Excuse me." He said softly before sliding out into the hallway. He paced back and forth several times before Gibbs emerged from the room.
"Mcgee?" Gibbs asked simply.
"How can I protect her!" Tim blurted. "If a five year old can do that to her on accident… What if she fell down the stairs… Or she dropped something on her foot?"
"Tim…" Gibbs tried to reason with him.
"I feel so inferior right now." Tim admitted. "Everything I do is completely inferior to what needs to happen and I can't figure out how to help her."
"Tim she's just as scared as you are, and both of you need to make sure that you're communicating regarding this." Gibbs encouraged.
"Just communication isn't going to give us what we need Gibbs… We have so many things to deal with right now…" Tim began. "I'm so wound up right now… If one more thing were to go wrong I would snap." He said, immediately regretting it as he heard a panicked yell coming from inside Abby's room. He quickly rushed through the door to find Tony panicking as Abby slumped sideways against Ducky. "What happened?" Tim asked quickly as he moved over to help Ducky stabilize Abby as she came around.
"Abigail how are you feeling?" Ducky asked her gently.
"Sick…" She said before turning green. Ducky quickly held the bin underneath her while Tim rubbed her back gently.
"Abby what can I do?" Tim asked quietly.
"Go home." Abby said softly.
Tim looked over at his wife helplessly. "I can't just…"
"GET OUT!" Abby screamed helplessly.
Tim looked over at her, terrified about what would happen if he left. "Abby I can't do that." He said softly as he held her hand gently in his. "I love you too much to leave you."
That was all it took for the waterworks to start. "Timmy." Abby moaned softly as she buried her face into his shoulder.
"It's going to be okay." Tim whispered softly as he gently rubbed her back. "Everything is going to work out."
"Timmy." Abby said again, feeling very lightheaded.
"I'm right here." He assured her just before she fell limp into his arms. "ABBY!" He cried out in terror. "DUCKY WHAT DO WE DO!"
Ducky quickly moved over to steady Tim's shaking arms. "Calm down Timothy… She'll come back around in a moment… Try not to disorient her… Her body is overly exhausted and she will occasionally shut down." He said calmly as he helped Tim gently turn Abby over to allow her to wake up in a less disorienting position.
"Please… Please…" Tim could hear himself whispering barely aware he was saying the words himself. He found a large amount of tension released when Abby's eyes fluttered open. "You alright Abs?" Tim asked her softly.
"I can't…" Abby said softly as she tried to relax.
"Abby, what can I do for you?" Tim asked softly.
"I want Ryan." She admitted quietly. "I have to get to know him…"
Tim couldn't help it but a huge smile spread across his face. "Absolutely Abs. I'll go get him right now." He said as he started to get up.
"Tim, I'll go get him… Stay here and let Abigail rest." Ducky encouraged before heading out of the room.
Five minutes later he returned with a nurse who was pushing the portable crib Ryan was in. "Someone's excited to see his mom." The nurse said with a smile as she gently handed him to Abby.
"Hey buddy." Abby said softly as she cuddled her son in her arms. "I missed you…" she whispered to him. "You're very special to me, you know that?"
Tim wasn't expecting to cry, but he was vaguely aware that his cheeks were no longer dry. "Abby he's so perfect." He said softly.
"He's so small…" Abby said quietly. "What… what if I drop him…" Abby said nervously suddenly.
Tim quickly moved his hands to support Abby's. "You won't… And if anything happens I'm supporting you… He'll be fine…"
Abby nodded nervously before refocusing her attention on Ryan. "Did you know that you have two big sisters?" She asked him softly. "They're both in love with you. Sometime soon they'll come see you again."
"They want to see you too Abs." Tim said softly.
"I don't want…" She said angrily before realizing she was scaring Ryan. "I don't want them to see me like this… Not right now." She said more quietly.
"Abby…" Tim tried to console her suspecting tears were coming.
"Tim you don't understand." Abby insisted becoming extremely angry. "I'm the weakest I've ever been… and I feel completely useless."
"Abby you'll never be completely useless." Tim assured her.
"Tim… I can't lift up anything heavier than five pounds. I can't feed my son. I can't even drive anymore. I'm stuck here as an invalid!" Abby said as she began to panic.
"Abby!" Tim said as he felt her hands beginning to shake on top of his. He quickly scooped Ryan out of her arms and handed him to Ducky. "Calm down…"
"NO!" Abby replied shaking even harder.
"Abby!" Tim insisted, her body completely shaking against his. "Please…" He begged as a machine in her room began to beep uncontrollably.
Everything from that point on seemed to run in slow motion. Tim felt himself being pulled out from underneath Abby by Gibbs and Ducky as several doctors ran into the room. He was vaguely aware that they were talking, but he could only focus on Abby's convulsing body on the bed. He could hear Ryan crying from his crib, but couldn't bring himself to let his eyes leave Abby. "Please!" He could hear himself begging. "What's wrong?" He asked starting to listen desperately for an answer. He could make out the words, "unconscious" and "panic attack" amongst the doctor's conversations. He watched as the doctors tried desperately to control her body. "Please!" He screamed, tears bursting. He winced painfully when an anguished cry came from Abby. That was the last straw. Tim pushed his way through the doctor's and took Abby's hand. "It's okay!" He cried over the noise. "I'm here." He said kissing the back of her hand desperately. Immediately Abby's body went limp, and the machine stopped beeping. "NO!" Tim screamed expecting the worst. He suddenly felt a sturdy hand on his shoulder and he turned around.
"She's going to be fine." Gibbs said firmly, assuring that Tim was understanding.
"What?" Tim asked out of breath.
"She's fine." Gibbs said again.
Tim looked over and noticed that underneath the stethoscope currently on her, her chest was clearly rising and falling. "Abby." He said looking around the room. Gibbs was hovering over him, looking very protective. Ducky had gone to Ryan's rescue and was gently comforting the infant. Tony had shown up due to all the racket and looked terrified. "Excuse me." He said abruptly before running out the door, tears drowning his face.
Tim didn't know where he was going, but he knew he needed to get out. He opened the door to the stairwell harshly and began to run down the stairs. Halfway down the second flight he tripped and flew down the stairs. "AUGH!" He let out a disgruntled cry as he landed, feeling his shoulder move in a way he never thought possible.
"Mcgee!" Gibbs called after him as he had followed him.
"Ugh." Tim replied, seeing blackness from the pain.
"Don't try to move." Gibbs said as he pulled out his cell phone. "It looks like you've dislocated your shoulder. If you move it will only make it worse."
"I can't do this Gibbs…" Tim said, his chest heaving.
"You can and you will." Gibbs replied holding him still. "Duck I need you to get a doctor." He said into his phone suddenly. "Tim fell down the stairs… He'll be fine but he dislocated his shoulder."
"Alright I'll get someone there as soon as I can." Ducky replied.
Gibbs hung up his phone. "Everything's going to be fine." He tried to calm down his agent. "Just stay calm, you'll be taken care of."
"Tony!" Ziva cried as she ran down the hospital hallway, looking panicked.
"Zi what's wrong?" Tony asked. "Is Sienna okay?"
Ziva nodded, out of breath. "She's at the Mcgee's, Sarah's watching her…"
"What's the matter?" Tony asked seeing her trying to hide her tears. "You can tell me anything." He assured her.
"My cousin… Gavriella." Ziva said softly. "Her and her husband Ruben… They were killed in a bombing…"
"Oh Zi…" Tony said quietly as he pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"Tony you don't understand." Ziva insisted.
"What else Zi?" Tony asked gently.
"Their three kids; Leah, Micah, and Adi…" Ziva began.
"Ziva…" Tony said knowing exactly where this was going. "We don't…"
"Tony I'm not asking for your permission here. Ruben was Christian... Ari and I were their children's godparents. I'm not letting Leah, Micah, and Adi go to some orphanage that will be attacked." Ziva told him harshly. "They're on their way here right now."
"Ziva… We live in a two bedroom apartment we don't have room for three more kids." Tony insisted.
"Then we're moving." Ziva said sternly.
"Zi I don't want to move!"
"Well then I'm moving! And Sienna's coming with me." Ziva said angrily before turning away from him.
"Ziva you can't just take my daughter away from me!" Tony insisted.
"Tony… They're my family." Ziva insisted. "I know you don't understand that…"
"What do you mean I can't understand that!" Tony replied indignantly.
"YOU DON'T!" Ziva replied angrily. "If you did you would understand why this is so important to me!"
"What's going on?" Gibbs said as he saw them from down the hall.
"She wants to adopt three kids!" Tony said angrily.
"They're my godkids!" Ziva replied just as angrily. "I'm not sentencing them to death!"
"What about your father?" Tony asked. "Why can't he take care of them?"
"YOU KNOW WHY MY FATHER CAN'T DO THAT!" Ziva replied angrily.
"Ziver, what happened?" Gibbs asked gently.
"My cousin and her husband were killed in a bombing… Their three kids are already on their way here, I'm the only hope they have…" Ziva said, her emotional wall wearing very thin.
"Ziva…" Tony tried to console.
"NO TONY! You don't understand what it's like to grow up there! It's scary enough as it is. My father was never there for me. I took care of myself… I can't let these kids grow up the way I did!" Ziva said tears falling down her cheeks.
"Hey Zi… Don't cry." Tony tried and he tried to give her a hug.
She simply responded with a slap across the face. "You… are a foul chauvinist pig!" Ziva yelled at him before turning to storm away.
"Ziver." Gibbs said gently as he softly grabbed her wrist. "Come here." He said as he hugged his surrogate daughter gently. "What do you need?" He asked quietly.
Ziva looked up at him, her chocolate eyes swimming with tears. "Save me." She said softly, trying to hide the pain she was feeling.
"Always Ziver." Gibbs replied quietly. "When are those kids getting here?"
"Tomorrow morning… Early…" She said as she wiped away her tears.
Gibbs nodded. "Alright, you go home. Get some rest." He instructed. "How old are the kids?"
"Leah's sixteen, Micah's eleven, and Adi's six." Ziva said carefully.
"Alright… I'll set up the guest room at my house for Adi and Leah. Micah can sleep on the couch and you can take my room." Gibbs informed her.
Ziva shook her head. "That's too much Gibbs…"
"Ziva, we're a family. We may have to make sacrifices for each other, but it's what family means." He insisted eying Tony. "We'll start looking for somewhere for you to live tomorrow afternoon."
"Thank you so much Gibbs." Ziva said. "I'm going to go pick up Sienna and go home."
"Ziva!" Tony tried to talk to.
"NO!" She shouted back. "You can stay as far away from me as possible. You are so far down on my priorities list right now!"
"Ziva!" Tony tried again.
"Tony… the only family from my childhood I had left died, I'm taking in three kids, and my best friend was just diagnosed with cancer… And somehow you have the nerve to try and make this even more difficult than it already is?" Ziva asked angrily. "You don't even deserve to have me listen to you… Don't come home tonight." She said before storming to the elevator.
"Gibbs…?" Tony asked.
Gibbs shook his head. "You don't have any right to try and make this more difficult for her."
Tony sighed, deciding it was best to change the subject. "How's Mcgee?"
"They're resetting his shoulder… He'll be fine."
"Everything is falling apart Gibbs…" Tony said in realization. "What did we do to deserve this?"
"Nothing…" Gibbs assured her. "It's just what we are right now DiNozzo… That's just how it's going to be."
Author's Note: Hey Guys! I'm sorry I missed last weekend, I had some personal stuff to deal with (I know I say that a lot but… Sorry you can't know everything about me) I'm going to do my best to get the next chapter up tonight to make up for it! Thanks so much for reading! Please review!