A couple of days later Gibbs sat on his couch, bored out of his mind. The doctor had told him that he couldn't go back to work before next week and Tony had ratted him out and so he was told not to work on the boat either. Tony, that man was a mystery to him. At first he insisted on the abortion and now he was - well, great. He actually took care of Gibbs, although, Gibbs had noticed that everything Tony did as soon as he entered the house seemed to be a bit awkward.
He was a little worried today because Tony had planned to tell the others to come over for dinner and he couldn't imagine how they'd react. On the one hand for Abby and Ducky it was nothing new to have dinner with Gibbs, but he had been on sick leave for more than a week now and he had never invited Ziva and McGee, and now they were all invited by Tony...he could imagine that Abby was already sobbing in Tony's arms because she thought he'd die.
Tony had a different perspective than Gibbs on the whole situation, Abby was worried that they were headed to Gibbs' house to be told he was dying, even though Tony had assured her that was not the case, it was just that it was so unusual for the boss to take that much time off sick so she knew it had to be something. "Please, Tony, tell me, I can't stand not knowing," Abby pleaded.
"He's going to be fine, Abs, he just has to rest up," Tony reassured her. He hadn't mentioned that Gibbs had been in hospital because that would've worried her even more. "I have to go and tell Ducky, but please, don't worry, I wouldn't hide something like that from you, I promise.
Tony left the lab and headed to the autopsy suite where he found Ducky muttering about something Palmer had done. "Ah, Tony, good to see you. What's this I hear about a group dinner at Jethro's?"
"So, you've already heard about it?" Tony asked.
"Not much stays secret for long here," Ducky replied, laughing. "Was it supposed to be one?"
"Not really, but Duck, there's something I need to tell you," Tony said, his face serious. Ducky motioned for him to sit down and Tony took a deep breath. "Jethro's pregnant and I'm the father," he blurted out.
"I did suspect as much," Ducky replied. "So, why is Jethro at home?"
After a while Gibbs got up from the couch and moved to the kitchen. He threw an evil look at the coffee maker - Tony had hidden the coffee - and went to the fridge. Without coffee and bourbon Gibbs found himself eating more than usual, and strange stuff. However, he couldn't find anything he'd want right now. He sighed and pulled out his cell phone, calling Tony.
Tony had just walked out of autopsy when his cell phone started to vibrate in his pocket. "Hello?" he said, opening the phone without checking who was calling him during work hours. Gone were the days of whispered phone calls to Jeanne while he pretended to work.
"Hey, Tony, um...listen, would you mind to go to the grocery store before you come over?" Gibbs asked, biting his lip, trying to decide what he wanted.
"You can't be having cravings already!" Ton whined. He was only just coming to terms with that fact that he and Gibbs were now a couple expecting a baby and all the fun that went with that.
"You could also tell me where you hid the coffee, then you don't have to get me oreos." Gibbs bitched back.
"No coffee, definitely not during your first trimester, we can discuss what happens after that with your OB, but for now, NO coffee. Let me just grab a pen and I'll make a list," Tony told him, sighing.
Gibbs told Tony everything he could see himself eating, not knowing what he actually wanted when Tony came home. "Oh, and we're out of bacon...and we need ice cream." Gibbs said, frowning at the full fridge that looked totally empty to him.
"Okay, I'll get all of that. While I have you on the phone, I should probably tell you that Ducky knows, he'd pretty much guessed. Abby thinks you're dying and McGee and Ziva are just worried, the sooner we tell them, the better," Tony told Gibbs.
"Well, I pretty much expected all that. You guys have a case or will you be home early?" He asked as he settled back on the couch, turning on the TV Tony had brought over.
"Should home early. Vance has us working some cold cases but we've not found any leads and after the past few days I could use an early night," Tony said, "you watching TV?"
"Well, what else is there to do." Gibbs muttered slightly pissed.
"Okay, okay, you sit on your ass and relax, I'll be home soon. Call me if you have any pain or anything," Tony said, getting ready to hang up
"I'd be more relaxed if I wasn't that bored." Gibbs said getting agitated. "Why did you tell the doctor about the boat, anyway? What could happen if I sand a freaking rip?"
"It's not worth the risk, Gibbs! Anyway, I thought you wanted me to care and be concerned. I'm either in all the way or out all the way, there is no middle ground," Tony muttered, pinching the top of his nose in frustration, he did not want to have this argument with Gibbs now, not when he couldn't be there if something went wrong.
Gibbs sighed deeply. "Fine. For when did you invite the team?"
"Saturday night, that okay with you?"
"Sure. At least now I got something to do." Gibbs grinned slightly as he got up to get the cook book he had gotten from that elder neighbour who thought he needed to eat less take out.
"Okay, I have to go, I've been stood by the elevator for a good ten minutes now and Ducky is starting to look at me funny, besides I have to look like I'm doing some work, I'll see you in about two hours, okay?"
"Ok". Gibbs said and hung up. Only then he realized that maybe he should stop hanging up on Tony. He shrugged, grabbed the book, and settled back on the couch, turning the TV to an all-news station.
Tony pressed the up button the elevator and headed back to the bullpen, he was desperate for a case to focus on so he could stop filling his mind with scenarios where Gibbs fell and lost the baby. After the other night, he was doubly sure that not only did he want this baby, but he wanted Gibbs in his life.
Gibbs stood in the kitchen, frowning at the pot on the stove, then at the roast in the oven and back at the recipe book. Somehow he wasn't sure he was doing this right.
Tony waltzed into the kitchen, after styling his hair following his shower. "What's up, boss? You look confused," he said.
"Is that right?" Gibbs asked, pointing at the pot with the sauce. "I'm not sure it should taste that way." He held out a spoon to Tony.
Tony took the spoon and grabbed a spoonful of the contents of the pot, he wasn't sure what Gibbs was cooking and he wasn't sure if he should taste it, but he did anyway. It tasted a little spicy and it left a weird aftertaste in his mouth, but other than that it was fine. "It's a little spicy," Tony told Gibbs, "but otherwise it's fine."
"Mhm...and I thought it didn't have any taste at all...is it possible that my taste is already off?" Gibbs asked confused. When he looked at Tony he noticed that he looked really good today. Not that he didn't look good every other day, but since Tony was more or less living with him he noticed a little more. They didn't really exchange much affection, and often - like now - Gibbs just wanted to kiss Tony but didn't know how he'd react.
"Could be the pregnancy hormones," Tony ventured. "How is my man feeling today, anyway?" he asked, putting his arms around Gibbs and patting his stomach, Gibbs wasn't far enough along to be showing yet, but Tony liked to pretend that their child could feel him knocking at Gibbs' stomach and that he knew who he was.
"I'm good and the baby's fine as far as I can tell." Gibbs answered with a grin. "By the way, I went to my doctor and he said I'm allowed to be back at work on Monday, but on restricted desk duty for another week and then we'll see." He turned away from the stove to face Tony. "And the first ultra sound is coming up. Will you come with me? And...do you want to know the baby's sex?"
Tony grinned at Gibbs, he was piling on the good news and he liked it. "Of course I wanna come with you! I dunno about the baby's sex though, I'd like to know but if you don't want to then we can wait and have a surprise at the end," Tony replied. He was looking forward to tell him work colleagues that Gibbs and himself were expecting a baby, "did the doctor mention your due date? Because you know Abby and co are gonna want to know that."
"He said he's gonna know for sure when he sees the ultra sound. And believe me, they'll know soon enough. He said due to my age and the already accrued complications I shouldn't be working at all after the eighth month, so, you're gonna be team leader for a while. I even thought about talking to Vance that he makes you team leader for the duration of the pregnancy and the following paternal leave. We can think about the rest then." Gibbs answered.
"If I'm team leader, am I gonna be able to take my paternal leave since I am also the father?" Tony asked, feeling slightly confused.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "You want to take paternal leave, too? Don't you think it's enough if one of us stays home with the baby?"
"No, I don't. I want to be there to help you through the first few months, it'd be paid leave so it's not like we'd have to worry about money. You'll need me there when junior has you up all night and then doesn't sleep till midday, you'll need me to take over so you can get some sleep and also it's ideal bonding time for me as well...you're not the only one who has to bond with this baby, I do too and if you're breast feeding, which I assume you are, then you'll have another thing I can't get, it seems only fair to me to be allowed to have some time with the baby when it's first born too!" Tony rambled.
Gibbs opened his mouth but closed it again. Only two weeks ago Tony insisted on an abortion and now this. "Tony, I didn't mean it that way. I just assumed that you'd like to keep working. I know how you bounce off the walls as soon as you're stuck at home for two weeks."
"This would be different, it's my first baby, I want to spend as much time with it as I possibly can before I have to return to work, can you understand that?" Tony said, sighing.
"Sure." Gibbs said nodding. "I wished I had spent more time with Kelly, too, so, yeah, I understand that." He sighed. "Though, it will probably have consequences on the team. I mean, two of us out for a longer time...I'm sure Vance won't be happy about us having a baby anyway..."
"Well Vance can go stick it for all I care, there's nothing in the Agency handbook that says we can't date, unless you count your rule 12, besides he's had kids, though I admit the situation was different, so he should understand our want and need to be with baby for a few weeks before coming back to work. I know I'll only get a month off paid, but you'll be off for five, if I recall correctly so they'll just have to put the team on cold cases until I come back or bring someone else in to run things for a while, I don't care which, so long as I'm free to indulge my baby...and you of course!"
Gibbs was a little shocked about Tony's last statement. "Ok, then. I'll make sure to get an appointment with him once I'm back at work. You should be there, too, of course." He started to feel a little self conscious and turned back to the stove. "They should be here soon, shouldn't they?" He asked to distract himself.
"Yeah," Tony said, picking up on the fact that there was something bothering Gibbs. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing...it's just...I don't know what to think of...this." He gestured between him and Tony, trying to find words to explain.
"You mean, us?" Tony asked, reaching out and putting his hand on Gibbs' shoulder.
"Yeah, I mean...we had a one night stand, which you made clear you thought of as a mistake, and then we're like this...it's just...I'm not complaining...it's just weird." Gibbs finally admitted what had been bothering him since the beginning.
"When we had that argument and you ended up in the hospital, it made me realise that I'd been so scared of admitting how I felt to you, of admitting that I really did want this baby, of admitting that what happened between us happened because we both wanted it, not because it was a mistake, but because there was a mutual attraction between us, does that make sense?" Tony tried to explain.
"I guess so..." Gibbs said. "So...you're really into this, not just because of the baby?"
Tony pulled Gibbs into a hug and kissed his forehead. "That was part of it, but the big part of it is that I love you, there, I said it, mock me, shame me, whatever, I love you," Tony told him.
Gibbs looked at Tony for a very long moment.
"Aren't you going to say something?" Tony asked
Gibbs swallowed hard. "I'm just..." He wasn't really sure if he was ready to say it yet. He knew that he felt the same way, but every time he told someone that he actually loved them, he lost them sooner or later and he really didn't want history to repeat itself.
"Just what?" Tony asked, "I've never known you to be lost for words,"
"I can't say it..." Gibbs said and turned out of Tony's embrace, rubbing over his face.
Tony was hurt, but didn't say anything. He turned to leave the kitchen and said, "I'll just get everything ready out here." He was worried that now he thought he was in a committed relationship with Gibbs, that Gibbs was having second thoughts about having him in his life with this baby. Whatever the reason for that, Tony wouldn't say anything to Gibbs because he didn't want to stress him out and cause more complications like there had been last time they argued. Instead, he busied himself laying plates and cutlery on the table so that when their guests arrived everything would be in place, though for a moment he regretted asking them over today when it seemed that neither one of them was in the mood for company. Oh, well, Tony thought, best to get it over with now.
Gibbs sighed and leaned against the counter for a moment. Then he shook his head, following Tony into the living room. "Tony, you have to understand, I'm just not ready to say it yet."
"It's fine," Tony said, although it didn't feel fine at all, it felt like Gibbs didn't trust him and that hurt, but still, he kept quiet about it.
"Tony," Gibbs started, trying to make Tony understand but the door bell interrupted him. Great, he thought.
"I better get that," Tony said, plastering a fake smile on his face. He didn't know what Gibbs had wanted to say, but that could wait until after they had entertained their guests.
Gibbs sighed as he watched Tony go to the door.
"Hey, Tony, everything alright?" Abby asked as soon as she saw Tony's face. She knew him well enough to know that the smile was fake, and it added to her worry that there was something seriously wrong with Gibbs.
"It's all good now that you're here, Abs," Tony said, breaking into a genuine smile and hugging the forensic tech. "Are the others with you?"
"Ziva's on her way, but Ducky's here and Tim is coming with Ziva," Abby explained.
"Well, good, come on through, I think dinner's almost ready," Tony said, looking at Gibbs.
Abby launched forward, taking Gibbs into a bear hug as soon as she saw him, knocking the breath out of him. "Oh my god, Gibbs! Are you ok? Are you dying? Tony, didn't tell me anything!" She said.
Gibbs tried to catch his breath. "Abby...let me breath."
She let go off him, looking even more worried. "I'm gonna be fine." He promised but still breathed a little uneasy.
"Ducky! Good to see you," Tony announced as Ducky entered the house.
"Glad to be here for this momentous occasion, I looked up some research so I should be able to help you explain it to the others," he said to Tony as he went past, half whispering the last part. "And Gibbs, how are you feeling? Any nausea?"
Gibbs sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Just the usual, Duck. Nice to see you."
Ducky went through to join a very worried looking Abby. "How are you, my dear, I bet you're excited, aren't you?"
"Why would I be excited?" Abby asked, confused.
"Well, what with the-" Ducky started
"Actually, Duck, we wanted to wait to tell everyone," Tony interrupted.
"Ah, I see, well, say no more."
Gibbs shook his head slightly. The door bell rang again and he went to get it this time, leaving Tony with Ducky and Abby in the living room.
"McGee, Ziva." He greeted shortly, not able to put on a mask as well as Tony.
"Hey, boss..." McGee said, obviously unsure about the reason why they were there.
Ziva just nodded with a short "Gibbs."
They all went back into the living room. "Well, sit at the table, dinner's ready in a minute." Gibbs said and went back to the kitchen. "Tony, could you help me."
Tony followed Gibbs into the kitchen "What do you need help with?" he asked, not quite meeting Gibbs' eyes.
"Tony, please, I can tell you that I...I just can't say it right now..." Gibbs tried to explain again. He couldn't go on through this night, which was supposed to be happy, with that weighing everything down.
"It's okay, Gibbs, I understand, let's just get on with the dinner, okay?" Tony replied, his voice unnaturally bright and cheerful.
Gibbs sighed as he took the roast out of the oven and handed it to Tony. "Bring it to the table and slice it. I'll bring the rest." He said, knowing he sounded depressed.
"Okay, look, we can talk later, right now I just want to get this over with," Tony said, taking the roast and waiting for Gibbs to reply.
"Ok." Gibbs said nodding. He took the plate with potatoes and the sauce. "Let's get this over with."
Before they left the kitchen, Tony leaned over with the roast in his hand and placed a kiss on Gibbs' forehead. "Whatever it is, we'll sort it out, I promise," he whispered, before heading into the dining room with a smile plastered in place.
Gibbs took a deep breath and followed Tony. Hopefully he'd find the right words later. Right now, he hoped he'd find the right words to tell his friends that he was expecting a baby...and hopefully they'd react well.
"Dinner is served," Tony said, placing the roast in front of him and picking up the carving knife to cut the bird into slices.
"I'm starving, what took you guys so long?" Abby asked. "Looking good, bossman!"
Gibbs tried to put on a smile for Abby. "Thanks...we just needed to clear something..." He sat down as Tony put meat on everyone's plate. "Actually, I invited you guys for a reason. I have some big news." He said.
"Ah, should we eat first, Gibbs?" Tony asked.
Before Gibbs could answer, Abby jumped in, "no way, I want to know now, especially since you guys already told Ducky!"
"Okay, then why don't you go ahead, Gibbs?" Tony said.
Gibbs nodded, more to himself than to Tony. He stared at the plate, willing the food to tell him what to say. "I - um...I'm pregnant." He finally said, still not looking up.
Abby's eyes went wide, McGee's mouth fell open and Ziva started to frown. "What?" she asked.
"He's pregnant," Tony repeated. "And I'm the father, well the other father, since he's the actual father seeing as he's carrying the baby and I'm just the other one who inseminated his egg, which means he's actually the mo-."
"Woah, Tony, slow down!" Abby interrupted. "I've heard of this before, it's possible, but rare, Masculine Gravitational Syndrome, right?"
"Almost, Abigail, i'ts Masculine Gravidities Syndrome, or MGS for short. It means that the male is capable of carrying a fetus to term, as Tony as already point out, he inseminated Gibbs' egg and a fetus is created," Ducky explained.
"Well, are you going to be okay?" Abby demanded. "Coz I've only heard of complications in MGS."
"My doctor said I should be fine, but I have to reduce stress as much as possible." Gibbs said, a little relieved that they took it initially well. "And of course you only heard of complications. You never hear the good stuff. Not about something like this anyway."
"Is that why you were off work last week?" McGee asked. "And why you were throwing up?"
"We had a heated discussion and he almost lost the baby," Tony admitted. "It was mainly my fault, but that's in the past and now we're going to have this baby and raise it together."
"I didn't even know you were dating," Ziva observed.
"Well, it wasn't planned..." Tony started to explain, then went quiet, how could he explain that they'd both gotten drunk and slept together. He looked to Gibbs for guidance.
"It was a spur of the moment kind of event." He took Tony's hand under the table. "We actually started dating after I was positive...but now we're committed to this." He hoped it would help to convince Tony that he was into this, even with his issues about saying I love you.
Tony squeezed Gibbs' hand. "We wanted to tell you so that you would know what was going on, Gibbs will have to stop working when he's eight months gone because of the risk to baby, and we'll both be taking paternal leave once baby arrives," Tony explained.
"When are you due?" Abby asked. "I need to know so I can learn to knit and make you booties and stuff! Oh and do you know the sex?"
"Calm down, Abs, we haven't even gone for our first scan yet, and we're keeping the sex a secret, we want a surprise," Tony said, smiling. He was glad his work colleagues and friends seemed to be excited and happy for them, it made it seem all the more real. "Now, let's eat before Jethro's hard work goes to waste."
"And remember that I'm pregnant when it comes to criticism." Gibbs joked as he picked up his fork in a good mood. He was relieved about how well it went.
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