"Jenny!" Gibbs yelled from the top of the stairs.
"What is it?"
"C'mon up here,"
"What's wrong?" Jenny asked hurrying up the stairs.
"Come look at this," Gibbs put his hand on the small of her back and led her into their daughter's room.
"That's our daughter," Jenny said slowly not understanding.
"Look at this," Gibbs pointed out the bruising on Abby.
"This isn't good," Jenny mumbled.
"I grabbed her."
"Yeah but she was also in a fight, Jethro, don't be too hard on yourself," Jenny turned her head and kissed him.
"I was just so mad at her," Gibbs muttered.
"Jethro, I need to tell you something."
"Mum?" Abby groaned opening her eyes to stare at her parents who were hugging each other beside her bed.
"Yeah, sweetheart"
"Why are you in my room?" Abby mumbled sleepily.
"Abbs, does you're tummy hurt?" Jenny asked kneeling next to her daughter's head.
"A little bit."
"Ok, baby, we'll talk in the morning, ok?" Gibbs said moving to stand behind Jenny.
"Mm hm" Abby said barely keeping her eyes open.
"Why don't you go take a shower," Gibbs suggested to Jenny.
"That sounds like a great idea but Jethro we need to talk"
"Jen, we will but in the morning"
Jenny sighed but left to take a shower anyways. Half an hour later Jenny came back into Abby's room to check on her. Gibbs lay on the floor, his shoulder propped up against the side of the bed fast asleep. Abby rolled over onto her stomach and let out a tiny quiet whimper but it woke Gibbs from his slumber anyways.
"Jethro, come to bed, you're exhausted"
"Has Duck called with an update?"
"Both Ziva and baby Toni are sound asleep and Ducky is keeping a close eye on them both"
"We should be there, Jen, she's our daughter"
"There's nothing we can do for her tonight, now is there"
"Still-"
"No Jethro and come to think of it, you don't need to be Abbs' protection detail either"
"I hurt her, Jen, I hurt them both. I missed the birth of Ziva's baby and I scared mine half to death. I've never yelled at her before, there was actually fear in her eyes"
"Sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up. Your girls are still and will always be your girls"
"Including you?"
"Especially me"
…
Abby wondered into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat at the table. Her parents were sitting on the opposite side of the table watching her every move while pretending to read papers.
"You're staring," Abby said simply as she continued to eat her breakfast, "Are we going to see Zee today?"
"Yeah but we need to talk first," Gibbs said watching as the anger and hurt flickered across his daughter's face before she settled for a blank expression. He hated that she knew how to hide her emotions so easily when she was pissed, probably something she'd learnt from him or Jenny or even Ziva.
"No we don't," Abby muttered.
"Yes, we do," Gibbs responded.
"Why?"
"Abby, watch the tone, please," Jenny sighed.
"Sorry," Abby mumbled as she abandoned her breakfast, pushing it away from her and sloughing down in her seat.
"I regret what happened yesterday but that doesn't make what you did right, it was very wrong, we were worried."
"No you weren't! You were pissed at me for missing the birth"
"No, I was pissed because you wondered off when I gave you direct instructions,"
"Direct instructions? I'm not one of your agents, I'm your daughter"
"And as your father, I expect you to do as you're told when I tell you"
"Fine" Abby said dejectedly.
"Abby, I don't want to fight with you but we have to go through what happened after I dropped you off"
Abby shrugged, "I was about to go into NCIS but then I just stared walking and by the time I realised I had walked away from the building, I was at least 3 miles away"
"Ok and the fight?"
"A fight's a fight"
"Abigail-"
"Jethro" Jenny cut in.
"Jen" Gibbs said staring at Abby who was giving him his own glare. Jenny almost smiled at the resemblance.
"That story isn't entirely true, Abby did come into NCIS and I was drunk. I said some things that really upset her and I'm disgusted at myself for even thinking them, but by the time I'd gotten to the hospital I was sober but I knew you were worried about Ziva and Antonia so I lied"
"So she did come and get you?"
"Yes"
"And the reason it took you so long to get to the hospital…" Gibbs said turning back to Abby.
"I got lost trying to find it. As for the fight, I got in an argument with some guys from school, one of them grabbed me and wouldn't let me go and his girlfriend got jealous so she beat me up"
"You got her to cover you?" Gibbs said staring at Jenny.
"No, she did that herself,"
"Abby, it was my fault your mum got drunk and was mean to you and I'm sorry"
"Don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness" Abby muttered.
"I think I can make an exception"
"Don't waste your breath, dad" Abby said standing up, "I'm going to get dressed"
"Abbs-"
"Just leave it alone, dad, whatever you want to say I don't care"
Gibbs watched her leave the room and prepared himself for the bedroom door to be slammed but it didn't happen. Ok that meant she was upset which was worse than pissed, he'd prefer her angry to upset.
"She's just upset, Jethro, she's going on barely any sleep and she's worried about her sister and niece, she'll be hugging you to the brink of death soon enough"
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth, Jen? Then I wouldn't have upset her at all"
"I'm sorry"
"I'm pissed, Jen but we have to stick together, now more than ever," Gibbs grabbed Jenny's hand and kissing her knuckles.
"This is such a mess," Jenny sighed.
"You wouldn't think that when Ziva got here Abby hated her, they're inseparable," Gibbs smiled slightly.
"I know, remember the day Abby ran all the way to Kate and Tony's school to get help for Ziva"
"Yeah, Abbs was just out of hospital after her heart stopped"
"And the day Ziva stayed with Abby in hospital all day and all night because after she…did what she did"
Gibbs nodded, "I should check on her"
"Ok, I'll make pancakes that always cheered her up"
"Oh yeah, I never forget the day our four year old called me a dumb ass"
Abby appeared back in the kitchen in her normal attire about 15 minutes later to see her parents hadn't moved since she'd left.
"Hi, Jethro," Abby grinned as her dog jumped up and licked her face, barking once in response to his name being called.
"Abbs, remember that Jethro is going to stay with Tony for a while when the baby comes home," Gibbs said even though he knew she didn't need reminding.
"I know," She said kneeling on the floor to hug Jethro.
"It's not going to be forever," Jenny smiled at her.
"You say that now, just wait until Antonia comes home then he'll be completely forgotten and plus Tony and Kate will be here all the time so he'll be left alone and he hates that"
"Abby, the dog is the last thing you should be worrying about," Gibbs sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
Abby muttered something under her breath that Gibbs and Jenny couldn't hear.
"Abby, you'd feel awful if Jethro were to hurt the baby," Jenny said backing her husband up.
"He'd never hurt her or anyone!"
"Maybe not intentionally but he's big and the baby's tiny"
"We've never left him before, we take him on holiday with us and when we go camping and when I have to stay at NCIS when you have a big case and have to stay overnight, you let him come too"
"Abby, the dog is going to your brother's, end of story," Gibbs said in a tone that left no room for argument.
"Then so am I" Abby said using the same tone.
"Do not start, Abigail"
"Wow, pulling out the full name"
"Everyone just needs to calm down" Jenny said loudly but it didn't break the father daughter stare out.
"Forget the damn dog. Go get what you need, we're leaving in 5 minutes whether you're ready or not"
"Fine" Abby said going back upstairs while being followed by her German Shepard.
"Jethro" Jenny sighed.
"I know, Jen, I'm going"
...
Gibbs stopped in Abby's doorway. Abby was sitting on her bed, the dog sitting facing her.
"I'll take you to the park when we get back from seeing Ziva," Abby said to Jethro, who waged his tail and licked her face in response, "Maybe Tim will come too, I bet you miss him"
Jethro leant into Abby's hand as she scratched him behind the ears, laughing lightly she seemed unaware of Gibbs watching her.
"Abbs," Gibbs said quietly.
"I know, I'll be there in a minute seeing as you said I had 5 and it's only been 2"
"That isn't what I was going to say," Gibbs smiled slightly.
"I also know that mum doesn't like Jethro being up on the bed but once she's gone to sleep, he always jumps up and sleeps next to me anyways"
"That wasn't what I was going to tell you either," Gibbs said patiently.
Abby tore her glaze away from Jethro to glance at Gibbs.
"Can I come in?" Gibbs asked her.
She nodded so he sat down next to her and petted Jethro.
"About yesterday and this morning…"
"It's ok, dad," Abby said avoiding his gaze.
"No, Abbs, it's not," Gibbs wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him but she tensed up.
…
Gibbs, Jenny and Abby meet Ducky outside the hospital.
"Uncle Ducky!" Abby launched herself into Ducky's arms.
"Morning, my darling," Ducky smiled lightly patting her back as he noticed the bruising on her face, "What on earth happened to you?"
"Nothing for you to worry about Uncle Ducky, I'm going to go see Zee," Abby smiled kissed Ducky's cheek and bolted inside.
"Antonia is a little better today, the doctors are saying if this continues they both could be out in the next two weeks," Ducky explained.
"That's great news," Jenny smiled.
"It is very good," Gibbs agreed.