**Chapter Fourteen -- Meet Me Halfway**
**October 4, 2010 -- 0330 Hours**
A quiet whimper escaped Abby as she attempted to roll over in the bed, realizing that Tony was holding her tightly against him. Kicking the sheets from her body, she forced her tired eyes open, nudging Tony gently.
"T..." She whimpered. "Move over."
"Mmm?" He groaned, running his hand over her belly lazily, not opening his eyes.
"I'm hot. Move over."
He tightened his grip on her waist, making her whimper again. "Tony, please wake up."
The Italian opened his eyes immediately and sat up, coughing deeply before turning to his girl. "Are you okay, Abs? What's wrong?"
"It's hot." She rolled over and looked up at him, cringing when she heard another dry cough tear from his throat. "Baby, you're getting worse."
"Nah, I'm fine." He said, brushing her hair out of her face. "Was I hurting you?"
She shook her head, sitting up next to him as best she could with her belly. "You know you have to be careful, Tony. Your lungs can't take you being sick." Reaching up, she cupped his cheek in her hand, frowning when she felt the heat radiating off of him. "You've got a fever."
"No, I don't. I'm fine, Abby."
"You always say that, T, but you're running a fever. I'm gonna call the doctor." She said, picking up her cell phone off the nightstand.
"Abby." He said firmly, snatching the phone from her hand. "I. Am. Fine. Let's go back to bed, please."
"At least let me get you a cool cloth." She said, pushing herself off the bed and walking into the bathroom, wetting a washcloth and going back to the bed. "Lay down."
He did as he was told, resting his head against the pillow as she joined him and placed the cloth on his forehead. It made him shiver at first, but he had to admit that it felt good against his flushed skin. Abby smiled and curled up next to him again, resting her head on his shoulder.
Tony fell back asleep quickly with his girl running her fingers through his hair to relax him. She stayed awake for most of the night, checking her lover's temperature every so often. She finally fell asleep sometime around 0600, finally having gotten Tony's temperature down to a reasonable level.
The Italian woke up suddenly, his stomach twisted in knots. He moved the Goth off of his chest gently, not wanting to wake her, before making his way to the bathroom. Abby woke up at the sudden loss of his warm body and sat up, hearing his vomiting.
"Tony?" She called, rolling off the bed slowly and making her way toward the bathroom.
He met her at the doorway, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You should be sleeping, baby."
"I'm fine T. You're the one who's sick."
"Abby, I told you last night I'm fine. Come on, let's get back to bed." He said, resting a hand at the small of her back and leading her back to the large bed.
She allowed the Italian to help her into bed and frowned over at him. "I really wish you would let me take you to the doctor, T. It would make me feel a lot better."
"Listen, I have a thing about doctors, okay? I just don't like them." He sighed, realizing his voice was a little more tense than he had intended. "I'm sorry. Let's get some more sleep and if I'm still coughing when we wake up, I'll call Ducky and see what he says, okay?"
Groaning, she conceded, relaxing against the pillows with him. "Fine. But if he tells you to go to the doctor, you have to go, okay?"
"Yes ma'am." He grinned, pulling her close to him. "I love you and your persistence, Abs, but I swear I'm fine. If anything, it's just a little cold and I'll be over it in a few days."
"Uh huh, sure." She brushed his fast growing hair off his forehead and leaned up to kiss him quickly. "At least your fever's gone down. You know, Gibbs would kill you if he saw your hair right now. All shaggy."
"Maybe, but you love it." He smirked, closing his eyes.
Shifting slightly on the bed, she smiled when she felt him snuggle up closer, holding her against him. Though she'd been worried about her lover during the night, she was hopeful that it was just a fleeting thing. Releasing a quiet sigh, she lowered her head to his chest, allowing the sound of his breathing to lull her to sleep.
**Two Hours Later**
Abby woke up to her lover's raspy breathing in her ear and sat up, shaking Tony's shoulder firmly.
"Tony. T, wake up."
"Mmf. Go to sleep, babe." He mumbled, coughing deeply as he ran a hand over her leg.
"T..." She groaned, dropping her head back against the headboard. "Please..."
Looking back down at him, she found that he was already back asleep, his hand resting on her hip. Shaking her head, she ran her fingers through his hair, pausing on his forehead and frowning when she realized his fever had back gone up.
She reached over to the nightstand and picked up her phone, dialing the number for her brother's house, knowing that Britty would still be there after dropping Jack off at school.
"Hello?"
"B, I need a favor."
The redhead immediately recognized the distraught tone that her sister-in-law was trying to hide. "Abby, what's wrong?"
"Tony's sick. Do...do you have anything, like for, I don't know..."
"Hey, calm down. What's going on with Tony?"
"He...he's been coughing, he's got a fever, his breathing is raspy...he had the plague, Britty! His lungs are scarred, they can't handle him getting sick."
"Abs, breathe. I'll be over in a few with some medicine for him."
"Okay." She said, looking down at Tony again. "We're in room 508. Thanks, Britty."
"Sure, hon. I'll see you in a bit."
The Goth snapped the phone shut and snuggled back down in the bed, allowing Tony to pull her close and wrap his arms over her growing belly while he slept. She tried to relax while waiting for Britty to show up, climbing out of the bed quickly when she finally heard the knock on the door.
"Wha? Abs?" The Italian managed, opening his eyes sleepily as his girl climbed out of their bed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin' baby, its just the door. Britty brought you some medicine."
Tony groaned and rolled over, covering his head with a pillow as he coughed. She opened the door and let the redhead in, smiling when she handed over the medicine.
"Abby, how much sleep have you had?" She asked, noticing her friend's slumped shoulders and the dark circles under her eyes.
"I'm good, B. Just worried about Tony."
"You have to get your rest. And I'll bet you were up all night with him, weren't you?"
Abby frowned, watching as her lover tossed and turned on the bed. "He's sick." She whispered, turning back to the redhead. "He won't take care of himself, so I have to do it for him."
She laughed, setting her purse on the table. "You both are bullheaded, you know that? You need sleep for that baby, Abby."
The slightly younger woman opened her mouth to retort when a quiet moan coming from the bed caught her attention.
"Tony?"
Struggling to untangle himself from the sheets, he practically fell from the bed before he bolted for the bathroom. Abby took off after him, kneeling next to him on the bathroom floor as he vomited.
She got him another washcloth when he sat back, letting him wipe his mouth before standing up. "Tony, I'm calling Ducky right now and having your medical file faxed here. You're going to the doctor." Abby said, her hand shaking nervously as she rubbed his back.
"No, I'm not. I'm..."
"If you say fine, DiNozzo, I'll kick your ass to the hospital myself." Britty said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
"I just need some more sleep." He said, coughing again. "The cough is nothing, its just a cold."
"I don't think so, Tony. C'mon, you're coming back to the house with us." She said, looking at Abby. "Pack him some clothes, huh?"
She watched as the raven-haired woman left the bathroom before turning back to Tony who was leaning on the counter. "She needs her rest, Tony, and she's not getting it because she was up all night worried sick about you."
"I agree, and I didn't know she had been up all night. Take her, I'll stay here. I can take care of myself."
"You're leavin' me with no choice." She warned, pulling out her phone and dialing Gibbs' number. "Hi Gibbs, it's Britty, Abby's sister..."
Tony pushed himself off the counter and grabbed the phone from Britty, covering it with his hand. "You called Gibbs?" He hissed.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." She smirked, plucking the device out of his hands. "Yeah, Gibbs? Sorry about that, your senior field agent stole my phone. Anyway, he's sick and refuses to see a doctor despite Abby begging him to and its starting to affect her sleep." She paused, letting the older man speak. "Talk to him? Sure." She grinned, holding the phone out to him.
He scowled at her as he took the phone and put it to his ear. "Hey Boss."
"Why you bein' difficult, DiNozzo?"
"I'm not! I just don't wanna go to the doctor, you know I don't like that stuff Boss!"
Gibbs remained silent for a moment before speaking. "You had better stop stressing Abby out and start cooperating, DiNozzo, or so help me I'll be on the next flight there and goin' to the doctor will be the least of your worries. We clear?"
"Crystal." He mumbled, snapping the phone shut and handing it back to Britty when Gibbs hung up. "Fine, I'll go."
"I knew you'd see it my way."
**Later That Night**
A quiet sigh escaped Tony as he shifted on the comfortable couch, his eyelids drooping heavily. It had been a long day, and if he was being completely honest with himself, he still felt like crap. His entire body ached and his chest hurt from coughing, though he'd never admit as much to Abby.
"You okay baby?" She asked, reaching over to run her fingers through his hair.
"'M alright," he mumbled, his voice hoarse.
"You ready to go to bed?"
"We can sit up a little longer." He coughed deeply, bending at the waist as he tried to clear the phlegm from his lungs.
"C'mon, T. Let's go upstairs, you need your rest." Abby said, pushing herself off the couch before offering her hand to Tony.
He coughed again, brushing her hand away as he stood up and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I can walk, sweetheart."
"Abby, can we talk for a sec?" Britty asked, poking her head into the living room.
"Sure." She said, resting her hand on her belly and turning to Tony. "Its the second door on the left, baby. I'll be up in a minute."
He nodded and made his way up the stairs to Abby's bedroom. The Goth walked into the kitchen and sat on a barstool, watching as her friend washed the dishes from dinner. "What's up, B?"
The redhead looked over at her friend, noticing the tired look on her face. "Maybe you should take J's room, Abs. He can camp out downstairs tonight."
"No, I'm not taking Jackie's bed. I'll be fine in the room with Tony."
She chuckled. "You two better get some sleep, I don't wanna hear you goin' at it all night."
The Goth could feel her cheeks reddening at her friend's teasing. "We haven't... We aren't..."
"Well why the hell not?"
"That...that's how we fixed everything before. I don't want this...us...to be all about sex again. It didn't work last time." She paused, noticing how Britty rolled her eyes.
"You know, sex usually helps make relationships stronger. It's a piece of yourself that you're giving to the other person."
"You don't believe that, B. You and I both know it. If you did, you wouldn't have slept with..." She was interrupted by her friend's hand covering her mouth.
"We agreed we weren't going to discuss that ever again. You promised." She smirked. "Anyway, I learned that in my Human Sexuality class junior year. I just can't believe you two aren't back to sleeping together yet. When I was pregnant, I couldn't get enough of Bradley."
"Well, he's too sick anyway, so it doesn't matter." Abby sniffled, looking away from Britty.
"What's wrong?" The redhead asked, studying the pregnant woman.
The Goth sniffled again before she dropped her head into her hands, starting to shake as she sobbed quietly.
"Hey, hey..." Britty said, wrapping her arms around the younger woman. "Don't cry, Abs. It's okay."
"I...I'm sorry. I...he's so sick, and...and I just want him to be okay." Abby managed, allowing the slightly older woman to hold her while she cried.
"Shh..." She soothed, rubbing her back softly. "He'll be fine, honey. Tony's tough, you know that better than anyone."
The raven-haired woman sniffled, looking up at her friend. "Yeah, I know."
"He'll be better in a few days, okay? He got his medicine from the doctor..." She stopped, looking up when Bradley appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Abby?" He started, moving toward his sister and touching her cheek. "What's the matter, baby girl?"
"She's alright." Britty said, smiling at the her husband. "Just needs some rest. Go on upstairs, we'll see you in the morning for breakfast."
She nodded, swiping at the tears on her cheeks before heading up the stairs silently, leaving the couple alone in the kitchen.
"She's a wreck." Britty said, turning back to finish the dishes.
"Yeah, I can see that. That why he's here instead of his hotel?"
"You saw her, Bradley. She wasn't about to leave him alone in that hotel and she needs her rest. She hasn't slept since yesterday morning."
"You shoulda called me. I would have gotten her home without a fuss." He boasted, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist.
"You really don't want him here, do you?" She asked, drying her hands again and turning in his arms to face him. "You feeling threatened?"
"I just like having my wife's full attention. And I can't say I enjoy you playing nursemaid to my sister's boyfriend."
"Would you rather I play nursemaid to you?" She smirked, running a finger over his jaw playfully.
Bradley groaned, dropping his lips to her neck and nipping gently. "Upstairs." He whispered, releasing her and smacking her ass lightly. "Now."
She arched an eyebrow at him and pulled her t shirt over her head, tossing it on the floor at his feet before turning and heading up the stairs. "Yes, sir."
He followed the trail of her discarded clothing, picking it up as he made his way up to their bedroom, closing the door behind them.
**Abby's Room**
Abby stood in the doorway to the bathroom, leaning against the frame as she watched her lover sleep. Walking slowly over to the bed, she sat on the edge and dropped her head into her hands again, crying quietly.
It seemed like everything had finally hit her in the past few days, and on top of everything she was going through with her mood swings, Tony was sick and not willing to take care of himself.
Rolling over at the sound of her quiet sniffling, Tony forced his tired eyes open, barely stifling a yawn. "Baby?"
"Go back to sleep sweetheart," she responded quietly, her voice thick with tears.
Pushing himself up, he ran a tired hand over his face, squinting in the darkness. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, T," she said, turning to face him with a forced smile. Leaning over, she pressed a kiss to his forehead, pleased when she realized he didn't feel quite as warm. "Go back to bed, huh? You need your rest."
"Lay with me?" He asked, his mouth turned down in a frown as he eyed her carefully. He knew she'd been worried about him, despite the fact that he tried to assure her he was fine. "C'mon," he tried again, reaching for her hand to tug her closer to him.
Allowing herself to be pulled against his chest, she settled against him, swiping discreetly at the tears on her cheeks.
"What's the matter?" He asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, his voice hoarse.
"You have to start taking better care of yourself, Tony," she blurted out.
"Abby," he sighed, hugging her against his side. "It's not that I'm not taking care of myself, but you know I have a thing about doctors."
"But it's ridiculous!"
"Yeah, you say that because you haven't had the plague. Listen, I know I have to be careful because of my lungs, but I just...I don't expect you or anyone else to understand but I can't do doctors, okay?"
"I know that, Tony. I know how much going bothers you, but you have got to take care of yourself! It's not just me who's depending on you anymore," she cried, losing the battle with her tears again.
He was silent, resting his large hand over her belly and smiling sadly when he felt their child move inside of her. "I know. But there's plenty of people around that are willing and able to help you if need be." He said, attempting to reassure her.
"You're an idiot." The Goth spat, pulling away from him and moving to leave the room.
Tony reached out for her, grabbing her arm gently. "Abby, wait! What did I do?"
"You think I want to rely on someone else to help me raise our child? I want *you* to be there. Not Bradley or Gibbs or McGee. You."
His grip loosened and she pulled away from him, choosing to sit on the edge of the bed again, her back to him.
"Abby, sweetheart..."
"Just...just go back to sleep, Tony. I don't feel up to talking about this right now."
He laid back against the pillows, knowing better than to argue with her when she got this way. She would come to him when she was ready to talk. A few minutes later he felt her lay down, her back still to him as she attempted to get comfortable.
After awhile, the Italian turned over and touched her shoulder gently. "You awake?"
"Mhmm."
He sighed, pressing a kiss into her hair. "I didn't mean to upset you." He whispered, reaching over to tug her back against his chest. "I'm sorry."
"You just...you don't get it, Tony. I need you. I can't do this without you."
"I'm not goin' anywhere, Abs." Tightening his grip around her expanding waist, he pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair as he breathed in her scent.
Another tear slid down Abby's cheek as she closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his arms around her as they fell asleep.
Chapter End Notes:
A/N Hey guys, firstly I would like you all to know that I haven't written this chapter, it's all Alisa so if you review can you make sure you address them to her (you can do it through the review button as normal but please make sure she gets a lot of the praise because all I've done is the formatting and thrown some ideas in there)
Just a quick warning to you all, this is heavy on the angst for our poor Tony boy and though it seems like we are Tony and Ziva bashing, I want you all to remember everything has a place and we do have a plan.
Anyway, Alisa, I love this chapter, well done hon and hope you all enjoy as much as I did
Oh, and it's another long one lol
Shelbylou x
Just a quick warning to you all, this is heavy on the angst for our poor Tony boy and though it seems like we are Tony and Ziva bashing, I want you all to remember everything has a place and we do have a plan.
Anyway, Alisa, I love this chapter, well done hon and hope you all enjoy as much as I did
Oh, and it's another long one lol
Shelbylou x