A/N: Okay, this is almost completely a McAbby chapter, but rest assured that Tiva reappears and pretty much dominates Chapter 4. So, confession: I am struggling with how to fit A&M into this story because my focus is so much on T&Z's journey and relationship etc. I have some scenes for them but not a lot, so if you have any suggestions for moments you'd like to see between our married couple, they would be welcomed. I can make no promises about putting any submitted ideas into the story, but I will definitely read and consider them. Thank you :)

PS. Also, my apologies once again for Chapter 2. I know what the Hebrew phrases mean because I've been writing this story for the last month, but I forgot you guys can't see inside my head. So, here's a translation for the Hebrew part in the last chapter.

After they left the gym, Ziva said, "Thank you my friend," in response to Tony. And Tony said, "You're welcome precious."

Hope that clears up any confusion. ~Aliyah

PPS. I tried really hard to upload this Thurs night but FF was not interested in helping me out. Sorry for the delay!

Gibbs came down to the lab Monday morning and stood silent as a shadow in the doorway until she noticed him. Abby was humming and smiling, her music quieter than usual and wearing pants, a relatively new trend she'd started over the last week. Suddenly she turned around and jumped.

"Geez Bossman, warn me or something if you're going to be sneaky like that. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Far from apologizing, Gibbs didn't move, studying her for a minute before he said anything. His scrutiny was making Abby nervous and she was about the break the uncomfortable hush when he spoke. "When were you going to tell me Abs?" Gibbs asked.

Abby's heart leapt into her throat but she kept her expression carefully neutral. "Tell you what?" she questioned innocently.

His expression and tone softened. "That you're pregnant."

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "I don't...how..." She put her hands on her hips. "Gibbs, how could you possibly know that? I just found out."

Shrugging, Gibbs dismissed her surprise and outlined the reasons in a nutshell. "You're wearing pants, you've asked to be brought No-Caf Pow instead of the regular stuff, you've had the music on low for days, and...there's something different in your eyes." He took a sip of his coffee. "McGee's the father." It was a statement, not a question.

Abby closed her eyes. Timmy, you were supposed to be here for this. Swallowing, she nodded slowly. "Yes Gibbs, my husband is the father of our baby." At the same time she pulled the chain out of her shirt, displaying her wedding rings for the first time.

Gibbs set down his coffee. That he hadn't seen coming. "When?" he demanded, frustrated at being left out of the loop.

Abby sighed. "The baby or the husband?"

"Both."

"I'm about thirteen weeks. And McGee and I have been married just over four months."

He moved closer, searching her eyes as his hand fell to her cheek. "Why didn't you tell me Abby?"

"Tim thought..." she began, then shook her head. "With everything that Ziva was going through, we didn't want to cause a scene. There'd be too many questions and everyone really needed things to stay peaceful for awhile. Then after Ziva found out..." Abby swallowed. "How could we tell? We're happy and she's pregnant because she was raped?" She shook her head. "There was never a right time after that." Looking up at Gibbs she practically begged him. "Please don't lecture me Papa Bear. Can you just be happy for me, for us?"

"Oh Abs," Gibbs hugged her tightly. "I'm happy for you."

Abby soaked all the comfort she could out of his embrace. "I love you Gibbs," she whispered. "I've missed you. I thought maybe now..." her voice went quiet, "...maybe you liked Ziva better." It was selfish, but everyone's focus and attention had been on Ziva lately, and Abby was starting to feel left out.

"Hey," Gibbs tipped up her chin, "I love you both." He shook his head. "And fathers don't ever choose a favourite daughter, but sometimes one needs him more."

Abby nodded. "Okay. But I need you too, don't forget." She smiled. "Thanks Gibbs." He kissed her forehead and turned to go. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. "Gibbs! Timmy doesn't know yet, so please, don't say anything."

Gibbs raised one eyebrow at her. "He hasn't noticed what I have?"

Abby bit her lip, not wanting to tell her father how she was keeping her husband suitably distracted. "Not everyone is as observant as you Gibbs," she said finally.

He smirked. "Might want to hurry up. Something like that can't stay a secret for long."

Abby breathed out a sigh. "I know."

NCIS

Gibbs marched into the bullpen a few minutes later and pointed at McGee, grateful that Tony and Matt were out on an interview and Ziva was getting Ducky's latest report. "You - Abby's lab. Then my office."

McGee gulped, but stood and calmly headed for the back elevator. It seemed they'd been found out. But then, both he and Abby had been surprised that the team, especially Gibbs, had managed not to notice for four months. When the elevator dinged, Abby turned to see who it was and Tim could've sworn she looked nervous. As soon as he saw his wife playing with the rings on her necklace and looking distracted, he sighed.

"Busted?"

Abby nodded. "Gibbs send you?"

"Mmhmm. Then apparently we're having a heart to heart in the elevator."

She winced. "That's my fault."

He took her hand and frowned. "How so?"

Abby looked away. "I told him about us."

Tim held her gaze. "Why?" He wasn't upset, but the last time they'd talked about it she hadn't wanted to tell anyone yet, so he assumed they'd be waiting for awhile, then making the announcement together.

"Some things can't be kept a secret for very long," she echoed Gibbs' words. "It's going to be obvious pretty soon that something is going on." McGee looked confused and Abby couldn't find a delicate way to break the news. "I'm pregnant Timmy. Thirteen weeks. I can't hide it forever."

A look of shock passed over Tim's face before he repeated the word. "Pregnant?"

Her tone gentled, her eyes fixed on his. "Yes Tim, pregnant. As in, carrying your baby."

McGee's lips were on hers before she could think and Abby felt immense relief. Having only been married for a few months, she wasn't exactly sure how he'd take the news. He pulled away first, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "We've having a baby?"

Abby blinked back tears and nodded. "We're having a baby." Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.

Tim wasn't even sure he could process the information, let alone figure out how to feel, then something she'd said jumped out at him and he moved back. "You said you couldn't hide it forever," he reminded his wife, "so how long have you been hiding it?"

The Goth bit her lip and looked away but his earnest gaze deserved an answer. She shrugged, "I've known for a week."

Hurt flooded his voice. "Abbs, why? Why didn't you tell me?"

Abby took a step back from him, fiddling with her rings and looking even more anxious, she couldn't even meet his eyes. "It hasn't...we're not..." Abby frowned and tried again. "We haven't been married very long Tim, we never talked about kids. I wasn't sure..." she trailed off and McGee understood.

"You weren't sure I'd be happy about it."

"I don't like keeping secrets from you," she said quickly, "but I wasn't even sure how I felt about it." She gave a half-laugh. "At least it explains why I was sick so much the last couple of months."

Tim leaned back against the table and slipped his fingers between hers. "I'm not mad Abby, I just wish you'd told me right away."

Her eyebrows came together. "Would you have been happier if I'd told you a week ago? What are you feeling now?"

"Honestly?" He shrugged. "I'm surprised Abby. Well, shocked is more like it. We were both using protection-"

"Only effective 99.99% of the time," she muttered.

Tim snorted. "Thanks for the flashback to Junior year health class." He could see her uneasiness though and quickly got to the point. "But I love you Abby. You know I've loved you for what seems like forever. We're married and having a baby - what's not to be happy about?"

A grin took over her face and Abby launched herself at him for another hug. "I'm happy too," she whispered.

McGee buried his face in her neck. "Have I ever told you that gunpowder is my favourite perfume?"

She laughed loudly. "That's why I love you Tim, even the little things you get right."

"So," he stared into her eyes, rubbing his thumb over one of her braids, "how did you figure it out?"

Abby's expression became decidedly guilty. "Do you remember when Gibbs made me go see Ducky when I was sick at the end of January?"

Tim nodded. "I was glad. It worried me to see you get sick twice in one month when you hardly get sick ever."

She slid her arms around his neck. "Ducky was the same way. So anyways, he gave me a check up and couldn't find anything wrong, so he drew blood. But I told him I could test my own blood thank you very much. Then I put it in my fridge and conveniently 'forgot' about it for a month. I only just found it last week when I was cleaning. Even though I'm not feeling sick anymore, I still figured I'd see what my blood had to say." Abby smiled and her eyes twinkled. "Imagine my surprise when it told me I was pregnant. It's taken me this long just to get used to the fact that it's real."

McGee shook his head. "Only you Abbs." He leaned in and kissed her softly. "So now that we both know, what are we going to do about it?"

NCIS

With great reluctance Tim left his wife in the lab some time later, pressing a final, ardent kiss to her lips and whispering a quiet, "I love you."

The elevator had never gotten upstairs faster and McGee winced at his boss' glowering expression when he stepped inside and punched the button for the evidence garage. Less than four seconds later, Gibbs hit the switch and the elevator jerked to a halt, the lights dimming as Tim waited for the headslap he was sure was coming.

Instead Gibbs' voice came out low and gruff. "I would've walked her down the aisle Tim. I would've stood in for both of you."

Completely thrown by the man's unexpected admission, McGee swallowed. "It seemed...it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"And now?" Gibbs asked, one eyebrow raised.

Tim sighed. "I'm tired of keeping the secret. But Abby," he shrugged, "she decided she liked having it just between us."

"No arguing with her, huh?" Gibbs commiserated with a smile, having been down that road many times before.

McGee leaned back against the wall. "I honestly think we might've told sooner Boss, but then Ziva found out..." he trailed off. "How could we after that? Even now that Abby's pregnant, she doesn't know how to tell. She's thirteen weeks, I'm not sure how long before it's noticeable. She's...afraid to talk to Ziva about it." Abby hadn't said those words, but he could see it in her eyes.

"Ziva will be hurt that you hid the truth so long," Gibbs pointed out, then cuffed Tim on the back of the head. "That's for not asking. And DiNozzo may do it again when he hears that you knocked up his sister."

Tim frowned at the crass wording and fingered the ring on the keychain in his pocket. He sighed. "Abby's worth any reactions I have to deal with."

Gibbs leaned one shoulder against the wall and eyed Tim slowly. "News sunk in yet?"

McGee couldn't contain the grin. "I don't think I ever saw myself as a father Boss, but now..." he shook his head in mild disbelief, "I already am one." His brow wrinkled. "Is it possible to love someone you've never met?"

The silver-haired man blew out a hard breath. "Oh yeah Tim, it's possible."

McGee swallowed, paying even closer attention when the boss used his first name. "Can I ask Boss, about when you knew?"

It wasn't an easy topic and Gibbs was silent for several seconds. He wasn't sure anyone else on the team had ever felt okay broaching it with him before. Finally he found the words, even though speaking them out loud bruised his heart. "I loved Kelly from the minute I knew about her. But it got even more real when I could feel her kick and move inside her mom."

Tim's eyes rounded. "When?" He hadn't even thought about that part yet.

"About a month after Abby can feel it from the inside. Five months give or take." He cleared his throat, ready to be done with the emotional stuff, and stood up straight, glaring at Tim. "You take care of them, you hear? There's no greater gift."

Just like that the moment was broken and the doors slid open. Tim needed a few more minutes to process everything and borrowed Gibbs' office after the man left. He was going to be a dad. All at once it scared him to death and made him so giddy happy that he couldn't hold still. Tim wasn't sure that anything else in his life had compared to right now.

NCIS

"Are you excited about your ultrasound Ziva?" Mandy asked that afternoon.

Ziva smiled. "I just like to watch him moving, even if I cannot see what you see."

"Or her," Tony put in, pulling his chair closer to where Ziva lay.

She rolled her eyes. "Or her."

Mandy chuckled at the exchange that gave the appearance of having happened several times before. "Do you have a preference for gender Tony?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Either/or will be cool, at least I know it's one of the two. But I just keep picturing a little girl with Ziva's curls and big brown eyes." Tony spoke the words to the doctor, but kept his gaze on Ziva's face. She smiled a little shyly and slipped her hand into his.

Mandy watched the interaction with interest before clearing her throat to get the couple out of their own little world that they seemed to have fallen into momentarily. She smirked when Tony jumped, as if he suddenly realized they weren't alone in the room.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

NCIS

Celeste opened the door that night surprised but pleased to see her ex-husband standing on the front step. "Come to collect?" she asked brightly. That he'd waited a few days before showing up didn't surprise her. Leroy Jethro Gibbs only did something when he was good and ready.

He entered without waiting for an invitation and looked around for the drink he needed. She shook her head. "Follow me, I'll show you where I keep my stash."

Once he was armed with a glass of amber liquid, he leaned against her kitchen counter. "Found out my daughter's pregnant, and married."

Celeste tilted a little of the wine past her lips. "Which came first?"

"Husband," he grunted. "McGee's lucky I didn't slap him into next year."

She smiled knowingly. "Still giving your agents wake up calls with great regularity Jethro?"

"When they need it," he retorted.

"Let me guess," Celeste considered the options, "Abby?"

"You know me too well woman," Gibbs said darkly.

"Ah, well, some of us who've had the opportunity to know you can look past what everyone else sees as flaws, to the real man inside who has gotten just a little bit too good at hiding over the last twenty years."

"Safer alone," he commented.

"Must be hard sometimes though." Throughout their marriage she'd tried very hard to learn how to read him, but many things still had to be guessed at. Then she changed the subject suddenly, knowing introspection just depressed him. "Sit down Jethro, the lasagna will be ready in ten minutes."

"Expecting company?" he asked.

"Always anticipate," she shot back, smirking a little.

"Didn't teach you the rules so you could use them against me."

She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't teach them to me at all, I watched and I learned."

Gibbs snorted. "Franks would like you."

Celeste joined him at the table and leaned her head on one hand. "Oh, I'm sure I would love to hear the stories he could tell."

"Long way to Mexico," Gibbs pointed out. "You hate flying."

She frowned. "Hate is such a strong word. I just..."

"Have an acute dislike of traveling in something that could fall out of the sky and kill me," he quoted her oft-used saying.

"Someone was paying attention," she observed quietly.

The timer went off and it was for the best, because right then and there Gibbs almost started to admit that he'd been the cause of their marriage breaking up. It had been so much easier to blame her than to reflect on his behaviour. But friends had to be honest, and honestly, Gibbs wanted to forget Rule #6 and say he was sorry. He hadn't meant to hurt her.

NCIS

Abby and McGee lay in bed that night, Tim on his side with his head propped up on one hand, running his fingers across Abby's bare stomach. "It's hard to believe you're three months pregnant and I can't feel a change yet."

She nodded and put her hand over his. "Crazy huh? There's a little person, our baby, growing inside me and you'd never even know it."

Tim drew his eyebrows together. "Do you feel different?"

Abby shrugged. "Yes and no. Apart from being sick when I never am - which now has an explanation, I've been pretty emotional lately and my breasts are sore like they are during my period. But my clothes still fit and I haven't had any weird cravings, so I don't know." She made a face. "I don't know what I'm going to do when I can't wear my normal clothes. Maternity clothes look great on Ziva, but they're not exactly my style."

McGee threaded his fingers into her hair. "Speaking of Ziva..."

Abby rolled over on her side and moved closer to her husband, resting her head on his arm. "I don't know how to tell her Timmy. I mean, she and Tony are doing great, she seems okay with the baby and everything, but Gibbs is right." She sighed. "Ziva's going to be hurt that we didn't share our news and let her worry and I can't even imagine how she'll feel knowing we're married and pregnant and happy about it after all she's had to fight."

Tim shook his head. "She'll be happy because she loves us Abby, and we have to tell them soon. You said it yourself - our secret can't stay secret much longer."

She sighed heavily. "Just give me a little more time McGee. I can't think about it any more right now."

He held her close. "Okay Abbs, we'll figure it out." He captured her lips for a kiss. "I love you."

Abby smiled. "I know. Goodnight Tim."

"Goodnight."