FAMILY PORTRAIT, FAMILY SHADOWS

CHAPTER 13

As he rinsed the dinner dishes and put them in the dishwasher, Gibbs thought about the last few hours he'd spent here at home with his grandchildren. They were worried about their mom, but now that they've seen her for a little while at the hospital, they felt a bit better.

At least, AJ did. But then, he was too young to understand much. For that matter, Kaity was too, but she was do too wise beyond her years. He wondered if that was the reason she was so quiet. Or if it was spending time with her father at the hospital. He sighed and shut the dishwasher door and started it. It killed him to see his granddaughter like this.

Finished in the kitchen, Gibbs headed upstairs to check on AJ. He laughed at the boy's attempt to pretend to be asleep. "Good try, little man, but you don't snore like Aunt Ziva!" He smiled as AJ laughed when he tickled him.

"Story, g'ampa?" the boy asked hopefully as he snuggled into grampa's arms.

Sighing, Gibbs knew he should be insisting on sleep, but it had been a hectic day - for everyone - so he figured what harm would cuddling and a story do to the child. It would calm his own mind also, when he thought about it. He set AJ down to pick out a book. "Not the whole shelf kiddo, just one… okay, 2…. No, just 2…." Then grandpa and grandson sat in the rocking chair and had some bonding time.

Watching as AJ's eyes drooped then finally shut, Gibbs sighed and held the boy just a little tighter. Sometimes he missed this, missed his first family. But this new family filled the void. Kissing his grandson's head, he stood and carried him to the bed, covering him with the sheet. "Night, sweet boy. Happy dreams," he whispered tenderly. After one last kiss on the forehead, Gibbs silently left the room.

NCIS…. NCIS…. NCIS…. NCIS….

Tony paced outside Abby's hospital room while the nurses "freshened" Abby up. A phantom pregnancy… if he feels this badly when there was no baby to lose…. He didn't ever want to experience actually losing one. He didn't think he'd be able to handle it.

The nurses opened the door and one held it open for him as she left. Now the moment he was apprehensive about. Just he and Abby, alone, to talk.

Honestly, he was a little ticked that everyone thought so little of him getting Jeanne out of Abby's exam room. His only thought had been making things easier for Abby. How could everyone think….

"Are you mad at me?" Abby asked quietly, "about the whole…Jeanne… thing?"

Pulling the chair closer to the bed, close enough to take her hand to hold. "Not mad, exactly. More like… disappointed, I guess." He brought her hand to his cheek. "Not necessarily at you. You were out of it with pain, and in that moment, I can understand your emotions. But everyone else? What's their excuse?" Tony gently squeezed her hand and kissed her fingers. "I know they were all worried about you. I was, too. But that's no reason to think the worst of me." He tilted her chin up gently so she'd look him in the eye and see the truth. "My only… the only… thought in my mind was to eliminate whatever - whoever - made you feel scared. I never even fully realized who it was until we'd stepped away from the room."

Abby scrunched her face up like a little girl, unsure. "Can you forgive me? For even thinking so wrong about it?" she asked, fingers nervously playing with her sheets.

Tony put a hand over hers to stop her fidgeting. "There's nothing to forgive, angel-face. I can understand, now that everything has calmed down, how it must have looked. But you gotta' believe, you were the only one on my mind."

She sniffled back tears. "I do believe you! And I'm sorry for…"

Putting a finger over her lips, Tony shushed Abby. "As Kaity would say, 'no sorries.' There's nothing to be sorry for." He smiled at her. "I told her to leave you, me, us, our family, alone. That was the entire conversation."

Abby smiled. "I believe you. And thank you for looking out for me."

Tony blushed like a young boy. "I love you, sweets. I'll always look out for you," he murmured softly. He played with her fingers. "Um… " he began, unsure how this part would go, "what did Gibbs tell you to tell me?"

Abby gulped. He'd heard that?

"Just before he left with the kids. Told you to tell me before he did. What do you have to tell me?" He interrupted before she could speak. "If it's about a divorce, you can just forget it. We'll go to couples' counseling before I let you go."

"Tony!" Abby said loudly. "It's not about a divorce." At his unsure look, she squeezed his fingers. "I promise. I don't want a divorce. I… I love you."

He smiled. "I love you, too. So much. Then what did he want you to tell me?" He knew she was nervous as she looked away and played with the sheets again. "You can tell me anything, Abby. This is so hard, I should just let Gibbs tell you. But you deserve better than that. It's… it's about why I've been such a bitch lately." Seeing he was going to disagree, she said, "yes, I have been a bitch. Just… it seems so stupid now."

"Hey! That's my wife you're talking about, and she's one of the smartest people I know!"

"Only one of?" Abby teased.

Tony shrugged. Well, there's McGeek, ya' know. And I'll deny it if you ever tell him I said that!"

With a giggle, Abby swore she'd never tell. With a sigh, she began telling Tony about overhearing the women in the ladies' room, how they'd known all the details of her past, how they felt she was dirty, and that he was stuck with her when he could have anyone."

Tony warred between sympathy for Abby and anger at those bathroom bitches.

"See?" Her head drooped. "You're angry…"

Shaking his head, Tony said, "not at you, Abs. Never at you." He stood and nudged Abby over in the bed so he could lay next to her, and put his arm around her, gently pulling her to his side. He kissed the top of her head. "Never at you. Those women know nothing about you, me, us. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You've made me a better man. A family man who loves his wife and kids more than anything in the world."

She pressed herself against his chest, feeling so embarrassed. "I know. That's why I feel so stupid, listening to gossip. I mean, I'm used to people talking about the way I dress or my music. But it hurt when it was about you. And Kaity. She's innocent in all this, doesn't deserve what they were saying."

Tony hugged Abby gently. "Just promise me, if this ever happens again, you'll tell me. Let me take care of it."

Abby smiled. "I think you'll have to get in line behind Gibbs to deal with it!"

"Smart man, our boss." They both laughed. "So, just so we're clear, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. You and our children are the air that I breathe, the best things in my life. I love you, Abbs. Always and forever."

Giving him a watery smile, Abby hugged Tony back. "I've missed you… us, so much, Tony."

They lay quietly for a few minutes just enjoying being together again. After a few moments, Tony started playing with her hair and nuzzling her neck. "Are you flirting with me, Anthony DiNozzo, Jr.?"

"Well, if you have to ask, I must be doing it wrong. I've been married a long time, I must be losing my touch."

Abby laughed. "No, no, you're doing it right! It's just that…I can't… we can't do anything for a week."

Tony pouted. "I know, I know. It'll kill me, but I know. Just wish I could do something for you to make up for all this."

A wicked gleam in her eye, she said, "Oh, there's something you can do for me…" Abby slapped his chest when he looked confused. "C'mon, you know what turns me on! Besides sex, pervert!"

"I don't…" A lightbulb went off over his head, and he made a show of clearing his voice. "Well hey there, li'l lady," he drawled in his John Wayne voice.

Abby fluttered her eyelashes. "I'm swooning!" She laughed.

"Well," he continued as John Wayne, "save the swoon til I can get you back to the homestead, then I'll make you swoon over and over, li'l lady,"

They joked and teased until Abby began to fall asleep. "Tony?" she yawned.

"Yeah, sweets?"

"What if this was real? The baby, I mean….?"

Tony held her close. "We'd get through it same as everything else. Together."

Abby smiled sleepily. "Together. I like that." He kissed the top of her head. "Mmm, hey Tone?"

"What, baby?"

"What if…" yawn, "what if I get pregnant again?"

"Then I'll be the happiest man on Earth. I'd love to have another baby or 10 with you. I mean, admit it, we make good looking kids," he boasted.

Just before dozing off Abby muttered, "yeah, you just like to practice making them."

Tony smiled, cuddling her closer and starting to fall asleep himself. "That I do, Abbs. That I do."

A/N: Back again! Show some love and review after reading - my confidence needs the boost after all these years! Next chapter is started, will probably be up later in the week.

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