"Kate," Gibbs spoke quietly still holding his daughter's pale hand even after two hours.
"Yeah, Gibbs?"
"Could you please take Ziva home and make sure you both get some lunch."
"Dad, can't we stay?"
"No, ladybug. But I promise you can come back tonight when Ducky brings the boys over."
Ziva nodded and the two girls left in silence. Nobody really had anything to say.
Ziva unlocked the door and let herself and Kate into the house.
"Everything's going to be ok, Zee," Kate promised.
"I know it's just been weird, you know?" Ziva sighed "The last couple of weeks I haven't even been banging on her door at 6 in the morning telling her to turn the music down."
"Now that is weird," Kate agreed
"Personally I don't understand."
"What don't you understand?"
"Why mum, dad and Tony expect her to act like an adult when clearly she isn't ready for that."
"I know," Kate smiled sadly "I agree with you. Abbs isn't ready to be treated like an adult. She's just a kid, so are you."
"I wish they could see that."
"They will" Kate hugged Ziva tightly and didn't let go for a while.
"I think Tim is going to dump her which is worrying me because I don't think she could take that after all this."
"My brother will not break up with her. Not if he values his life."
"Wow, Kate, you sounded very serious there," Ziva laughed lightly.
"That's because I am," Kate smiled.
"Hey! It's my job to kill him!"
"Actually it's mine." Kate and Ziva turned to see Tony shutting the front door.
"Tony, What are you doing on here?" Kate asked
"Came here to wait for Zee and Dad to get home," Tony looked down at the floor.
"Well I'm home, Dad isn't"
"Zee, I am so so sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone. I was scared so scared that we'd lose her and I just could handle it."
"I know," Ziva through her arms around her brother "It's ok, I forgive you."
"Thank you. Gonna help me out with Dad?"
"Nope."
"Ok."
Ziva pulled away from Tony and headed to the kitchen.
"Hi, Babe," Tony stood awkwardly in front of his wife.
"Hi," Kate smiled "I'm going back to the hospital later. Do you want to come with me?"
"Yeah, I have some serious ass kissing to do," Tony chuckled slightly.
"Your Dad will forgive you, It's what Dads do," Kate reassured as he hugged her.
"Ok! Lets eat!" Tony pulled Kate into kitchen after Ziva.
It had been another four hours and now Gibbs had climbed onto the hospital bed and pulled Abby against his side, resting his chin against the top of her head and every so often pressing a kiss to her hair.
"I'm so sorry, Abbs," Gibbs whispered "Daddy loves you so much, Baby Girl"
"You are not to blame for this, Jethro."
"Jen? I thought you were in New York."
"Our daughter is more important," Jenny made her way over to her husband and sleeping daughter.
"I promised I'd protect her, Jen, I just never thought I'd have to protect her from herself."
"Nobody seen this coming," Jen sighed kissing her husband's forehead and then their daughter's.
"Ziva tell you what she told me this morning?"
"No, what did she tell you?"
"She can tell you," Gibbs smirked.
"Should I be worried?"
"Worried? No. Pissed? Very."
"That's very reassuring," Jenny laughed quietly "How's Abbs doing?"
"Ok, Doc said she'll be discharged in the morning but she'd to stay off school for a couple of week but that's fine because the school finishes for the summer in three weeks and we need to keep constant watch on her," Gibbs explained kissing his daughter's head again.
"We had to keep constant watch on her when we took her home from the hospital for the first time because she kept getting a fever, do you remember?" Jen smiled slightly at the memory.
"Yeah, Tony loved it because he got to stay up later because we were always to tired to force him to go to bed," Gibbs smiled back at his wife.
"And when he used to help look after her."
"He always wanted to hold her and show her off to all his friends because none of them had a baby sister," Gibbs chuckled.
"I remember that. He was always so careful with her...how did it get like this, Jethro?"
"I really don't know but the doctors are giving us some strong sleeping tablet for Abby to take, when she wakes up when we're at home, she's to get something to eat and drink then we're to give her the tablets, just for a week or so but once she feels she can come off them, why don't we go down to see Jack? All of us including Ducky, Kate and the boys."
"Yeah, they'd love that," Jen agreed.
"Great," Gibbs nodded.
There was a small silence in the room but it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. Gibbs was pleased Jenny was here but he was thankful for the silence.
Tim walked out of school and climbed into the car; being forced to sit in the back as Jimmy had gotten there first. Tim didn't really mind as much as that meant his dad would ask Jimmy the most questions about how school had been. Tim really didn't want to explain how he'd been yelled at several times for not paying attention and he'd been sent out of two classes for back-chat. That would have sent his father off on one. Tim sighed, school hadn't been weird...without Abby there. He'd almost lost her today and he hadn't even gone to see her yet. Why had he even considered breaking up with her; she meant the whole world to him and it shouldn't have taken her almost dying for him to figure it out. He just hadn't been able to handle the way she'd been acting lately; she'd been crying all the time and withdrawn and timid looking as she dressed in loose t-shirts and baggy jeans. He hadn't known what was going on...heck, he still didn't.
Ray had tried to call Ziva at lunch but she hadn't picked up. He really hoped that her dad wasn't giving her a hard time about everything. He thought it was rather unfair that she had to take most of the grieve off her parents when his parents were ok with it. He had a good part time job which his boss would take him on full time if he dropped out of school. He could take night classes and graduate with his year. He wasn't sure how things were going to work, if he move in with her or if she'd move in with him. Was he even ready for this? Of course not but he was angry or upset about it. He knew he'd have kids one day, he just hadn't expect it to be this early.
Gibbs hadn't move for Abby side for what felt like forever when it had only been a little over 8 hours. Jen had gone home to check on Ziva and Kate and would be back as soon as she could. Jenny had asked for everyone not to visit as she didn't want to overwhelm her daughter with so many visitors in one night but had invited Ducky and the boys and Kate and Tony over for dinner tomorrow night.
"Ziva," Jenny said calmly while sitting down next to her daughter.
"Yeah, mum?" Ziva asked muting the TV.
"Your father said you had something to tell me."
"Oh..um...well...mum I'm sort of pregnant," Ziva bit her lip waiting for the argument.
"Ah, Zee."
"I'm sorry, mum" Ziva whispered as Jenny wrapped her arms around her oldest girl.
"I just wished you'd been careful Honey. You'll have to drop out of school, you know that right? But it's only for a couple of years until you can go to college because then the baby will be old enough for day care."
"Really? I can still go to college?"
"Only if you keep up with your work on one of them internet school course things that they do for teenage mothers."
"Why aren't you freaking out and yelling at me?"
"Because Zee, 1. It isn't like you planned this, I'm disappoint in you but certainly not angry and 2. I am not your father," Jenny smiled, her statement caused Ziva to laugh.
"Ok, I'm going to go call your father and tell him I won't being go back to the hospital tonight but I'll see him first thing."
"Why aren't you going back to the hospital?"
"Because you need support as well tonight and your dad has somehow gotten the doctor to let him stay the night with Abbs."
"But, mum, Abbs need you more right now," Ziva felt awful for keeping her mum home with her.
"We're having a girls night, end of story."
"Is because Abby will need to be watched 24/7 and you think I'll feel left out?"
"Of course not. I just haven't been around much lately and I've missed my girls," Jenny kissed Ziva's forehead.
"Ice cream and a movie?" Ziva suggested.
"You read my mind!" Jenny smiled as she disappeared into the kitchen to retrieve some ice cream.
It was nearly 9pm and Gibbs hadn't had any coffee today and the stress of everything had taken it out of him.
"Daddy?" Gibbs instant woke from his half a sleep state by a small, vulnerable voice.
"Hey, Abbs," Gibbs smiled her "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Abby answered quickly.
"Abby, you lost the right to use the word fine this morning."
"I'm sorry," Abby whispered, tears foaming in her eyes.
"Hey, everything's going be ok, I promise," Gibbs squeezed her shoulder for a second before kicking off his shoes and shifting so he was under the blanket with her.
"Now, it's sleepy time for the little angel."
"I love you, daddy"
"I love you too, Princess," Gibbs smiled against her hair.
"Promise not to go anywhere?"
"I'm never going to leave you, Abbs."