The Very Bad Beginning
Three Weeks Later...
McGee stepped out of the bathroom, buttoning up his shirt when he spotted his lover in bed, still sleeping soundly. He sighed, tossing his towel into the hamper before he approached Tony's side of the bed, shaking the older man gently. "Tony, get up."
A quiet groan escaped him as he turned away from McGee's touch, tugging the pillows down over his head. "Go 'way," he muttered, his voice heavy with sleep.
"Do not do this today, Tony. Come on. We're going to be late." Sinking down on the edge of the mattress, he reached out, shaking him again. "Come on! Get up!"
"Blow me," Tony muttered sarcastically, his eyes still closed as he pulled the blankets closer to his chest, releasing a content sigh as he snuggled into the warmth.
"I'm serious! You know how Gibbs gets when we're late!"
"'M serious too." Ignoring the frustrated man behind him, he rolled onto his back, stretching, though he made no move to get out of bed. It had been a lazy weekend for the two of them, as McGee's parents had offered to keep Josh, but despite the fact that they'd spent two full days lounging around the apartment, Tony was still tired.
"You have two seconds to get out of this bed," McGee warned as he stood, pulling the blankets off of his lover's body. "C'mon."
"McGee!"
"I'm not getting my ass chewed out by Gibbs because you didn't want to get out of bed! Now come on!"
"He's not gonna chew me out," Tony muttered, barely stifling a yawn. "I'm untouchable for the next nine months."
"You might be, but I'm not, so how about you get up and save my ass, huh?"
"I don't wanna," he moaned, rolling onto his side and pulling the pillow down over his head again.
Releasing a sigh of frustration, McGee cocked an eyebrow at the older man, a slight smirk forming on his face. "If you're not gonna get up on your own, I guess I'm just gonna have to give you a reason."
Crawling down to the foot of the bed, he grabbed the waistband of Tony's pants, tugging them down in one fluid motion. Grabbing his hips, he forced Tony onto his back again, ignoring his cries of protest.
"What the hell are you--Oh!" Tony's eyes widened as he felt McGee's hot mouth around him, the younger man's teeth barely grazing him as he hardened. "Oh God." He gripped the sheets at his sides as he closed his eyes, arching his back slightly.
He could feel McGee laughing, the vibrations sending another wave of pleasure through him. A low moan escaped him as he lifted his hips, desperate for more.
Shifting just slightly between Tony's legs, McGee lifted one hand to grip his side, forcing him to keep still as he allowed his teeth to graze the older man's length, almost laughing at the strangled cry that tore from his throat.
"Oh fuck," Tony gasped, feeling himself nearing the edge. Though he could prolong their love-making for hours when necessary, the feeling of McGee's mouth on him was such sweet torture that he never lasted long. "Timmy..." he moaned, arching his back again. "Oh God... Fuck... I'm gonna... I'm not..."
His entire body tensed as he exploded in the younger man's mouth, a cry of pleasure escaping him when he collapsed back against the mattress. He was panting heavily as McGee finally pulled away, licking his lips with a devious smirk. "You ready to get out of bed now?"
"Are you... kidding?!" He asked, closing his eyes again. "I don't think I can move," he moaned.
"Too bad," he smirked, grabbing Tony's arm and tugging him into a sitting position.
"Timmy... Stop."
"Don't wanna hear it. C'mon, we're gonna be even later now," McGee responded with a roll of his eyes as he tried to pull Tony to his feet.
"No... stop. Really... I don't... I don't feel so good," he managed.
"What's the matter, T?" McGee asked, sitting next to his lover, rubbing his back gently.
"I think I'm gonna be sick," he whined, wrapping an arm around his stomach.
"It's okay, just lay back down. Want me to get you some 7-Up?"
"I don't think we have any," the Italian groaned, closing his eyes. "Oh God."
"I'll go check, okay? I'll be right back," he promised, dropping a kiss to the top of Tony's head before he headed into the bathroom, grabbing the trashcan. Hurrying back into the bedroom, he sat it beside the bed. "If you get sick, there's the can."
Tony didn't respond as he laid back against the mattress, his arms wrapped around his middle as he tried to fight off the nausea. He didn't move when McGee returned a moment later, a can of 7-Up in hand.
"We'll swing by the store tonight and pick up some more on the way home, okay? I guess we'll probably have to stock up again," he mused as he climbed into the bed next to his partner. "You should probably call out today, T. Gibbs isn't gonna let you in the field if you're sick."
"I'm not sick," he muttered. "It'll pass in a minute. I just need to lay still until he does."
Reaching over, McGee took Tony's hand in his and offered him a slight smile as he took small sips of the soda. "I guess it worked, huh? You're really gonna have Abby and Gibbs' baby?"
"I guess so," he mumbled, setting the soda aside before he pulled McGee closer to him. "I go find out for sure on Wednesday. Abby's coming along but I'd... well, I'd really like it if you'd come too."
Leaning down, McGee pressed a gentle kiss to Tony's forehead before he moved his hand down to rest on the older man's flat stomach. "Of course I'll go with you."
"You sure?" Tony asked hesitantly. "I know... I know you weren't really on board with this whole thing in the beginning, but I really don't think I can do it without you."
"That's all in the past, Tony. We're over that now. You know I'm gonna be there every step with you. Just like last time," he promised.
Releasing a quiet sigh, Tony nodded, offering his partner a slight smile. "Thank you. I love you."
"Love you too," he said, leaning down to peck his lips. "You feeling any better?" He asked, rubbing Tony's stomach gently.
"A little. I think I'll be okay now. I just need to get up and get moving, I guess."
"Drink a little more of your 7-Up and then we'll get up. You think you'll be able to keep anything else down?"
"Ugh," Tony responded, his stomach turning at the very thought of trying to eat.
"Okay, okay." Reaching over, McGee grabbed the can of 7-Up from the nightstand and pressed it into Tony's hand before he pressed another kiss to his lips. "Small sips. I'm going to go call Gibbs and let him know we're running a little late. Just rest a little longer."
Tony relaxed against the pillows and took a small sip of the soda, closing his eyes briefly. When McGee returned a moment later, he moved to sit up again only to have the younger man push him back.
"Gibbs said to rest for awhile. We don't have to be in until after lunch," he said, climbing onto the bed next to his lover. "And while I'll admit it sucks that you aren't feeling well, I'm a little jealous that you really are untouchable now," he teased. "Feeling a little better?"
The Italian drained the can of soda and set it on the bedside table, looking over at McGee sleepily. "A little. God, I really hoped the nausea wouldn't be as bad this time."
"Sorry, T." He wrapped his arms around the older man's firm middle, pressing himself against his side. "Let's just relax for a bit, okay? Then maybe we'll take the opportunity to make something other than pancakes for breakfast."
Tony chuckled lightly, the noise reverberating through McGee's chest. "That sounds good," he sighed, closing his eyes before allowing himself to drift back to sleep.
::::::
Wednesday Morning...
McGee groaned loudly when the alarm started blaring in his ear, rolling onto his back with a tired sigh. Reaching up, he rubbed his eyes tiredly, frowning when he realized his lover wasn't beside him in the bed. Pushing himself up, he stifled a yawn. "T?" He sighed, climbing out of the bed as the sound of retching reached his ears.
He'd hoped that Tony's morning sickness wouldn't be too bad, and despite the small bout with nausea at the beginning of the week, it hadn't been too bad. In fact, this was the first time he'd actually heard him vomiting.
"T? You okay?" He called as he crossed the room, pushing the bathroom door open with a dark frown. The older man was hunched over the toilet, his entire body tensing as he spilled the contents of his stomach into the bowl, a pitiful whimper escaping him after a moment. "Hey... you okay?" He asked again as he knelt behind him, rubbing his back gently in an effort to soothe him.
"Nerves," the older man replied hoarsely. "That's all. Just nerves." He sat back on his heels, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he released a shaky breath.
"You havin' second thoughts?"
Tony looked over at the younger man with a frown. "I don't... I don't know. It's too late now either way so it doesn't matter. Just hope this makes Abby happy."
"You know as well as I do that it will. This is gonna make her year."
"Better damn well make her next ten years," he muttered, pushing himself off the floor with a pained groan. "I've got a feeling that this is gonna be the death of me."
"You're gonna be okay," McGee responded with a roll of his eyes. "You made it last time."
"This is different," Tony moaned. "It's worse this time."
"You said it yourself: it's just nerves."
Tony opened his mouth to respond, though he snapped it closed a moment later before he practically dove for the toilet, gripping the sides of the bowl with both hands as he vomited again.
Cringing slightly, McGee grabbed a washcloth out of the closet and ran it under the water before he held it out in offering to his lover.
"I can't... I can't do this again, Timmy. I can't," he gasped, his breath coming out in ragged spurts as he trembled slightly.
McGee dropped to his knees behind Tony again, pulling him back against his chest. "Hey," he coaxed gently, running his fingers through the older man's hair. "It's okay. You're gonna get through this. You know it doesn't last too long. You're gonna be okay."
"Do..." he trailed off, swallowing hard in an attempt to fight off his nausea, "do I have enough time to go lay down for a little longer? I don't... I need to go lay down."
"Yep," he said with a nod, helping him to his feet. Wrapping an arm around Tony's waist, he helped him into the bedroom. "You want me to let Gibbs know you won't be in today?"
"No... I'll... I'll be fine in a minute," he managed, moaning quietly as he sank down onto the mattress.
Frowning slightly, McGee pressed a gentle kiss to the older man's forehead before pulling away. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"
Rolling onto his side without a responding, Tony grabbed the pillow from his lover's side of the bed, hugging it to his chest. That, he thought miserably, is a good question.
::::::
"Did you have a rough night, Tony?" Ziva asked with a smirk as the two men stepped off the elevator, McGee practically pulling Tony along.
"Ha. Freakin'. Ha," he responded dryly as he made his way over to his desk before he sank down, sighing in relief. The morning had gotten off to a rough start, though thankfully, after he'd gotten out of bed the second time, the nausea seemed much more manageable.
"You want me to go grab a soda out of the machine?" McGee asked, ignoring Ziva's curious look. "It might help settle your stomach."
"No, I'm fine," he muttered, leaning back in his chair as he attempted to force a smile to his face. "I'm okay."
"You sure?"
"Positive. I'm fine."
"Are you ill?" The Israeli asked, eyeing him warily.
"I'm fine," he responded, his tone sharper than he'd intended. Taking a deep breath, he pinched the bridge of his tone and released a sigh. "Sorry. I'm fine," he repeated.
"Whatever you say, Tony."
The older man dropped his head to the desk with a quiet sigh, closing his eyes as he willed himself to keep from being sick again.
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked as he stepped off the elevator, barely containing a smirk when he jumped up from his desk.
"Wasn't sleeping, boss! Just meditating. Found that it helps me, you know, concentrate more."
"Save it. Go see Ducky."
Tony's shoulders slumped slightly before he sank back down into his chair. "I'm fine, Gibbs."
"You go see Ducky, or I call Abby," he threatened.
"Boss!"
"No arguments. You look like crap. Now go."
Pushing himself to his feet, he offered McGee a pitiful look before he trudged over to the elevator, punching the button for autopsy.
It wasn't that he minded being sent downstairs. Usually, he looked for any excuse to get out work. The problem was, he knew that there was absolutely nothing that the older medical examiner could do for his pregnancy-related nausea so really, what was the point?
Besides, the fact that he was carrying a baby for Gibbs and Abby wasn't something that he wanted to broadcast, at least not until he absolutely had to. The less people that knew, the better.
Stepping off the elevator, he made his way into autopsy, stopping immediately as the smell of the room hit him full force.
"Oh God."
Turning at the sound of the voice, Ducky offered the young man a bright smile until he saw the pained look on his face. "What on Earth is wrong with you, Anthony?"
"Ugh... Did you change the cleaning solution in here or something?"
"Not that I'm aware of, unless Mr. Palmer did it without my consent. That boy," he said with a sigh before he shook his head. "What can I do for you?"
"Nothing," Tony muttered, "but Gibbs made me come down here anyway."
"Well, you don't look like you're feeling well, my boy. Perhaps he was under the impression that I could help you. What seems to be the problem?"
He sank down in the chair the Medical Examiner offered him, dropping his head into his hands. "Just nauseous is all, Ducky. I'm just peachy other than that."
"Any other symptoms? Fever? Chills?"
"Nope."
"Hmm. Well, there's not much I can do for you, but maybe a bit of tea might help."
"I don't want any," he sighed. "I don't like tea."
"You may not like it, but it'll help settle your stomach. You just relax for a moment. I think I have some of that peppermint tea you preferred last time."
Lifting his head, Tony eyed the medical examiner for a moment. "It's got nothing to do with that, Duck."
"With what, my dear boy?" He asked, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.
Rolling his eyes, Tony leaned back in the chair, his arms wrapped around his middle as he attemped to fight off the nausea.
Ducky returned a moment later, a cup of tea in hand. "Drink this. The peppermint will help soothe your stomach."
"Thanks," he responded with a sigh, accepting the cup. He took a small sip, wincing as the liquid burned his throat.
"So, perhaps I should stock up again, hm?"
"Ducky..."
"Just an observation, Anthony."
"Well, you're observing wrong."
"Perhaps. Regardless, you know you don't have to be concerned about me saying anything. Doctor/patient confidentiality and all that."
"Thanks, Duck."
"I assume you are taking care of yourself, correct? You've been to see a doctor?"
"Today at 1300," Tony said after a moment, his eyes never leaving the cup in his hands. "Supposed to be confirming it then, but I'm pretty damn positive already. I went a good 10 years without puking before I had Josh, then when I was pregnant it was all I could do to not run to the bathroom every 10 minutes!"
Ducky chuckled quietly, patting the younger man on the shoulder. "Just remember that it'll all be worth it in the end. They always are."
"Yeah..." Tony responded with a nod. "Yeah, you're right." Feeling a little better, he pushed himself to his feet slowly, pleased when he didn't feel as though his stomach would try to force its way out of his mouth. "Thanks for the tea, Duck."
"Anytime, Anthony." Watching him go, Ducky shook his head with a quiet laugh before he sank down into the chair at his desk.
::::::
Tony stepped out of the restroom and frowned, seeing the concerned looks of his lover and best friend as they sat in the waiting room.
"Are you okay, Tony?" McGee asked, rubbing his partner's back as he took the seat next to him.
"'M fine, just hungry," He groaned, resting back against the younger man's hand.
"We'll ask the doctor about something for your nausea, T," Abby said, patting his knee as she wrote another question down on her piece of paper.
"Going in well prepared, huh Abs?" Tony smirked, holding his stomach to stave off the nausea.
"Yep. I wanna know what's gonna happen so I can be there to help you out! I even got some pregnancy books at home if you wanna read them with me."
"You do remember I've done this before, right?"
"Yeah well, you weren't exactly prepared then, now were you?" She smirked. "I just think that maybe if we read these books, then we'll be better prepared."
Glancing over at McGee, he rolled his eyes playfully before slumping back against the chair, blushing slightly when his belly grumbled loudly.
"When's the last time you ate?" Abby asked, cocking her eyebrow at her friend, a frown tugging on her lips.
"I don't know... I guess dinner last night?"
"Tony!" She scolded, narrowing her eyes at him. "You have to make sure you're taking care of yourself!"
"I'm trying! It’s not my fault that I've been nauseated all day! Blame that one on the super spawn."
She rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help the grin on her face. "Do you really think it worked?" She asked hopefully.
"Oh yeah," McGee smirked. "It worked. He's already as crabby as he was last time," he teased, leaning over to peck Tony's cheek.
“Ha freakin’ ha,” he responded with a roll of his eyes, settling his arms over his stomach as they waited. “Listen, you try running to the bathroom every five minutes to puke your guts out and then we’ll talk, huh?”
“I’m only kidding,” McGee retorted, swatting his thigh playfully.
“I know,” he sighed, dropping his head back against the wall. “I guess I am pretty crabby, huh?”
“Just a little,” Abby smiled. “But you know we still love you.”
“Well good. If you love me so much, go ask what the hell is taking so long. I’m starving.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Glancing up at the sound of the amused voice, Tony couldn’t help the slight blush that crept onto his cheeks as Doctor Reynolds stepped out into the waiting room. “Oh… uh… it’s not a problem.”
“Good to know,” she smirked. “You ready to come on back and see what we’ve got here?”
“Pretty sure I already know, but yeah. Lead the way.” Pushing himself to his feet, he reached for McGee’s hand, grinning at the slightly bewildered look on the younger man’s face.
“You uh… sure you want me to come back with you?”
“Don’t be stupid. Of course I do.”
Following after the Goth and the older man, McGee swallowed hard, the reality of the situation hitting him hard. Though he, like Tony, was already pretty positive that the procedure worked, the thought of having it confirmed was nearly enough to send him running to the bathroom.
“We’ll go ahead and get you set up in here,” Doctor Reynolds said, smiling broadly as she opened the door to one of the rooms. “Go on and make yourself comfortable. Melinda will be in momentarily to do the ultra sound and then we’ll chat, okay?”
Tony waited until Doctor Reynolds backed out of the room, closing the door behind her before he climbed onto the table warily. He could feel his hands trembling slightly as he laid back, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself.
“You okay?” Abby asked quietly, reaching out to grasp his hand in hers. “You aren’t… regretting this, are you?”
“Of course not,” he responded, squeezing her fingers reassuringly, though deep down, he knew that wasn’t really so. “Just a little nervous, that’s all.”
Stepping closer to his lover, McGee grabbed his other hand, lacing their fingers together. Glancing over at the younger man, Tony offered what he hoped was a confident smile, though he could feel the color draining from his face as the door opened again.
"Good afternoon!" Melinda smiled, pushing the ultrasound cart into the examination room. "How's everyone doing today?"
"We're good!" Abby beamed, squeezing Tony's hand gently.
She grinned at the Goth, not missing the pale skin of the man sitting on the table. "Alright, let's lean back and we'll take a look inside." Reaching over, she lifted his shirt carefully, offering him a reassuring smile.
She squeezed some of the cold gel onto his abdomen, making him shiver slightly. "Sorry, I know its a little cold." She smiled again, turning on the monitor and placing the wand over the Italian's belly. "Alright...And… There we are!"
Reaching up to the screen, she pointed out the small object on the screen that looked like a jellybean. "That's your baby."
Abby could feel the tears burning in her eyes as she stared at the screen, unable to bring herself to look away.
On the table, Tony pushed himself up on his elbows, his face deathly white as he swallowed hard.
"Tony? You okay?" McGee asked, frowning at how hard the Italian was gripping his fingers.
"I'm... I'm not..." He managed. He could feel his head spinning as he tried to climb off the table and it was only McGee's firm hand on his chest that kept him from face-planting.
A quiet whimper escaped McGee as he felt his lover slump heavily against him. "Tony?!"
"Lay him back," Melinda instructed, moving to the other side of the table to help guide him down.
"W... What's wrong?!" Abby asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"He'll be okay. We're just going to let him rest for a few minutes."
"What happened?!"
"He fainted. He'll be fine. It's more common than you think," Melinda said reassuringly. "I'll go get Doctor Reynolds."
McGee watched as the woman hurried from the room before he turned back to Tony, brushing his hand over his forehead gently. "C'mon, T," he coaxed softly. "Wake up."
He pulled away when the door opened again. Hurrying inside, Doctor Reynolds offered Abby and McGee a smile before she made her way over to Tony.
"He'll be just fine." Dr. Reynolds reassured them, opening Tony's eyes one at a time and shining a light in them, checking his pupils. "Has he eaten today?"
"No, he's been too nauseous all morning. Hasn't been able to keep anything down." McGee said, continuing to run his hand through Tony's hair.
The Italian's eyes opened suddenly, slightly glazed over. "Wha...?"
"There we are," Doctor Reynolds said with a smile. "Tony, do you know where you are?"
"I... Doctor?"
"Very good. I've got some water here. I want you to take small sips, okay? You think you're able to sit up?"
Swallowing hard, he tried to push himself up, moaning quietly when his stomach turned uncomfortably.
"Alright, lay back down. Melinda?" Accepting the cup of water from the young woman, Doctor Reynolds turned back to Tony, pressing the cup into his hand. "Small sips," she warned.
Leaning over, McGee pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You okay?"
"'M fine," he mumbled, taking a small sip of the water, as instructed.
"You had us worried," Abby scolded gently, running her fingers through his hair. "Told you that you should have eaten this morning."
The mere mention of eating anything turned his stomach again and it was all he could do to keep from getting sick.
"I want you to take a moment, let your stomach settle and then we'll talk, okay?" Doctor Reynolds asked, patting his shoulder comfortingly.
Abby watched as the two women left the room before she turned back to Tony, pleased to see some of the color returning to his face. "You okay now?" She asked, reaching for his hand again.
"Still a little shaky, but I'm okay," he managed.
"You scared me there for a minute," McGee said, leaning down to peck his lips gently.
"'M sorry. I just... I got really dizzy and light headed for a minute."
"Because you aren't eating!" The Goth scolded. "In one of my books, it says you should be eating several small meals a day."
"Yeah, which is all fine and good, but I can't keep anything down," he replied, his tone sharper than intended.
"How do you know if you haven't tried?"
"Abby..." he groaned, dropping his head back.
"I'm just saying, Tony! I want to make sure you and the baby are healthy!"
"We'll talk about it later, okay?" McGee interjected, offering the Goth a pointed look before turning back to his lover. Grabbing a few paper towels from over the sink, he wiped off the remainder of the gel on Tony's belly before he tugged his shirt back down into place. "You wanna try to sit up again, T?"
The older man allowed his Goth and his lover to pull him into a sitting positon before he slumped against McGee, trembling slightly.
"You're okay," he whispered, rubbing Tony's back gently. "Everything's okay."
Releasing a shaky breath, Tony pulled away, offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm good," he said with a nod before he turned back to Abby. "So... I guess you're gonna get your baby after all, huh?"
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Wow. I'm still alive! First of all, I want to apologize for how freakin' long this chapter took! I never intended for it to take so long, but after receiving a not-so-very-nice review concerning another story, I found myself blocked, unable to write anything! With the help of my bfflx2093847562 Kelley, I was finally able to get this chapter out. A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed after the last chap! Please don't forget: Tony loves reviews more than blow jobs and peppermint tea ;)