**Chapter Thirteen -- Whispers In The Dark**
**The Next Morning -- October 3. 2010**
Abby climbed out of the bed quietly the next morning, being careful so that she didn't wake her lover. After showering and dressing quickly, she dried her hair while watching him sleep, making her smile. Pulling out the pad of paper that was in the nightstand drawer, she wrote out a quick note for him saying that she had some errands to run and that she would call him later.
Writing 'Love You' at the bottom of the note, she laid it on her pillow and left the hotel room, heading down to her car.
The Italian woke up almost two hours later, rolling over and moving to wrap his arms around his girl when he realized she wasn't there. Lifting his head off the pillow, he noticed the note that she left and read it, sighing heavily before pushing himself up.
He slid off the bed with a groan, his muscles aching. He cursed as he moved into the bathroom and started the shower, not wanting to admit that he was starting to get sick. Stepping into the shower, he leaned his hands against the wall and let the hot water run over his back, loosening his tense muscles.
Finishing his shower a few minutes later, he grabbed for one of the fluffy towels and wrapped it around his body, shivering slightly despite the warm air in the bathroom. Grabbing his boxers, he pulled them on quickly before making his way back into the bedroom, sinking down on the mattress exhaustedly.
Laying back against the pillows, he closed his eyes, willing sleep to come for at least a little longer. He pulled the covers over his body and snuggled deeper under the sheets, hoping to feel better when he woke up.
His body urged him awake just over an hour later, his throat hurting. A quiet groan escaped him as he rolled over on the bed, squinting at the clock on the table. Pushing himself up, he ran a hand over his face, whimpering quietly before he climbed out of the bed.
Despite the fact that Abby said she would call when she finished her errands, he wanted nothing more than to lay down with his girl until he felt better. He pulled on his jeans and one of his OSU t shirts before grabbing his keys and heading out of the hotel, immediately heading across town to the large white house Abby's family owned. Opening the car door once he arrived, he walked up to the door and knocked, smiling when Britty answered.
"Hey, Britty."
"Oh, hey, Tony. Abby's not here right now." She let the older man step inside and led him into the living room. "I'm surprised you're not with her, actually."
"She was gone before I got up this morning, left a note saying she had some errands to run. I just decided I'd come over and wait for her, since I got bored at the hotel."
"Oh. So...she didn't tell you where she was going?"
Tony shook his head, cocking an eyebrow at the redhead. "No...why?"
"She..." Britty hesitated, looking away from the Italian. "You know, she should be back soon." She pushed herself up, moving to leave the room. "Can I get you something to drink?"
He reached out and grabbed her hand gently. "Woah. That was a loaded statement. Where'd she go?"
She sat back down on the couch and sighed. "I shouldn't say anything, but she had a doctor's appointment today."
She watched as he face fell, his hazel eyes darkening. "She didn't...she didn't tell me." He responded, suddenly feeling like someone had punched him hard in the stomach. "I...I should go."
"Tony, wait." She said, stopping him from standing up. "I...I'm sure she meant to tell you."
"If she meant to tell me, B, she would have. I...guess we haven't made as much progress as I thought."
Britty felt her stomach sink to the floor as she looked at the hurt man sitting next to her. She placed a hand on his, cursing her friend for putting her in this position. "I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't know..."
"Britty, really, it's okay. I'm not feelin' very good anyway. I should go." He stood, shaking off her hand when she tried again to stop him. When he reached the door he stopped, turning to face her again. "Hey...could you, you know, not say anything to Abby? I don't...I don't want her feeling guilty."
The redhead frowned, standing up and joining Tony by the door. "Sure. I won't say anything."
He nodded and leaned down to peck her on the cheek before turning back to the door. "I'll see you later, B."
"Wait." She sighed heavily, touching his shoulder. "I have something to show you. Can you wait here just one second?"
"Yeah, sure."
She turned and ran into the kitchen, returning a few seconds later with a small piece of paper. "Here." She smiled, offering it to him.
Tony cocked an eyebrow at her, accepting the piece of paper cautiously. "What is it?"
"Turn it over."
He did as he was told, turning the paper over to reveal a small black and white photo. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes almost immediately, and though he already knew what it was, he couldn't help but ask the question. "Is this..."
"Your baby? Yes. That was...2 weeks ago." She looked up at the older man and smiled, pointing to the picture. "There's the head...and the feet." She paused, hesitating slightly. "Tony..."
"Thank you." He managed, his voice hoarse. "Really. Thank you."
"I'm sorry she didn't tell you. It's habit more than her not wanting you there. She...since she's been here, she's always gone alone. I don't think she did it to spite you."
He nodded, looking at her briefly before returning his gaze to the picture. "Can I...?"
"Of course. It's yours." Britty smiled. "Just...promise me one thing?"
"Anything."
"Give her a chance to explain...if you decide to talk to her about it? It...she's had a tough couple of weeks, with everything that's happened. Not to mention the hormone problems." She chuckled. "I know she can be a handful sometimes...okay, most of the time, but...she loves you very much, Tony. She's ready to fix this, to get her life back on track."
"I know. But that doesn't make it sting any less." He watched as she simply nodded before stepping away from the door. "Thanks again."
"See you later, Tony. Remember what I said."
He didn't turn back as he trekked back to the car. "I will." Climbing into the car, he tucked the picture into his visor and started the car, heading back to the hotel.
**Three Hours Later**
"B! I'm home!" Abby called, stepping out of her shoes at the door. "Where are you?"
"Living room."
The Goth frowned at the cold response, stepping into the living room to find her friend sitting on the couch. "I got new pictures, if you wanna..."
"What were you thinking?" Britty interrupted, not turning to look at the slightly younger woman.
"Um...I don't know what you're talking about, Britty."
"He left everything behind for you, risked his job...for you. And this is how you repay him? What the hell were you thinking?" She hissed, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest.
Abby opened her mouth to speak and the redhead held up a hand, stopping her. "No. I had to deal with him while you were at the doctor. He...God damn it, Abby, the man nearly cried. You go back to the hotel and make it up to him, now. Or I swear I will kick your ass even though you're pregnant."
Britty frowned at the tears streaming down her friend's cheeks, and knew that her words had been harsh but necessary. She wasn't taking Tony into consideration, and whether or not it was intentional didn't matter.
"I...I'm sorry."
"It's not me you have to apologize to. Now go."
She watched as the raven-haired woman left the house, her shoulders slumped slightly. Abby made her way to the car slowly, swiping at the tears that slipped down her cheeks. She knew that Britty was right, that she'd been wrong not to include Tony but it wasn't something she had done intentionally. Since leaving DC, she was simply used to doing things on her own, she hadn't even given the doctor's appointment a second thought.
Climbing into the driver's seat, she turned the key and shifted into drive, willing herself to stop crying before she saw Tony. She'd already made him feel bad enough for one day, making him feel even worse was the last thing she wanted to do. She pulled away from the house without so much as a glance back, praying that she hadn't completely destroyed what little bit of progress they'd made.
After dropping her car off with the valet, she headed up to Tony's room and slid the card key into the lock, opening the door. She walked inside, hoping that he would be awake so that they could talk, but she had no such luck. Toeing off her shoes, she crawled onto the bed next to him and curled up, burying her head in his neck and listening to him breathe.
"I love you." She mumbled, feeling him shift slightly to accommodate her.
Tony lifted his head and almost immediately pulled away from her, running a hand over his tired face as he sat upright. "How were your errands?" He asked, sniffling in an attempt to clear his stuffy nose.
"I..." She hesitated, reaching for his hand. He pulled it away from her and she could feel the tears behind her eyes again, making her frown deeply. "I'm sorry, T. I..."
He held a hand up, stopping her mid-sentence. "Don't be sorry. I shouldn't be upset. It was dumb of me to think we had made more progress than we have."
She closed her eyes briefly as a single tear escaped, willing the rest of them away. "I'll go." She mumbled, climbing off the bed slowly.
Tony simply watched for a moment, making no attempts to stop her as she made her way to the door. He could hear her quiet whimpers as she slipped her shoes back on and he frowned, pushing himself up and walking over to her.
"Abby..." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against his chest. He opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind, realizing he didn't have anything to say.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Tony. I...I hope this..." She paused, turning in his arms to face him and reaching up to touch his cheek. "I hope this doesn't ruin everything." She managed, swiping at the tears on her face.
Tony sighed heavily, hesitating for a moment before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. "I love you, Abby." He said quietly, smoothing her hair as he held her against him.
"Don't just say that because you think it's what I wanna hear, T. I understand if you're mad..."
"Baby, stop. I wouldn't ever say something like that if I didn't mean it. I promise you that."
She buried her nose in his chest, her body shaking. "Can I...stay with you for awhile?"
Tony leaned back from her, offering a smile as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Of course." He kissed her again, running his hands over her belly. "Of course, Abbygirl."
The Goth smiled, detatching herself from the older man and walking toward the bathroom. "I'll be right back, I'm just gonna wash my face."
He nodded, making his way back over to the bed and sitting down. She rejoined him a moment later, perching herself on his lap as she kissed him, running her long fingers through his soft hair.
Tony smiled when they parted, holding her close with a gentle hand on her back. "You're gettin' heavy, Mama." He teased, pressing light kisses to her shoulders.
"You like it?"
"I do." He smirked, nipping at her spiderweb tattoo. "I do, very much." He continued to kiss her as she relaxed, his hands running over her body. "I love every inch of you, you know that?"
"Liar. I look like a whale."
Tony laid her down gently on the bed next to him, kissing her deeply. "You're my whale." He whispered against her lips, leaning his body over hers as he slipped his hand under her shirt, touching her bare skin.
"Tony..."
"Hmm?"
"We...you..." She managed, moaning quietly at the feel of his lips on her abdomen. "Please..." She whimpered, pushing him back. "I...I don't want you to see me without my shirt."
"Abby..." He pulled his hands away from her belly, reaching up pressing feather light kisses along her neck. "You..." He whispered quietly, looking deeply into her green eyes. "You are beautiful. In fact, I think you're even more beautiful now than you were back in DC. You should never be ashamed of your body, with or without a shirt."
"You're only saying that because you haven't seen me without it on."
"So show me."
Lowering his lips to her mouth again, he reached up, tangling his fingers in her long black hair as he held himself over her. Raising her hand up, she ran her fingers through his brown hair, pulling away long enough glance up into his hazel eyes.
"Okay." She whispered.
Leaning down again, he kissed her lips before he slipped his hand under her shirt once more, smiling against her when he felt her shiver under his touch. "God, I've missed you." He mumbled, leaning back long enough to push her shirt up slowly, grinning when she sat up, allowing him to tug the fabric over her head. Sitting back on his heels, he looked down at her for a moment, taking her in.
She squirmed uncomfortably, wrapping her arms around her growing belly. "Tony! Quit staring."
"Can't help it...you're gorgeous."
"And you're high."
He chuckled lightly, though it quickly turned into a dry, painful cough. He doubled over for a minute, gasping slightly as he tried to catch his breath. Pushing herself up on her elbows, Abby cupped his face gently, frowning.
"Baby...are you okay?"
He nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little cough."
She reached out and pulled him back down with her, settling them both against the pillows on the large bed. "C'mere. I have something to show you." Abby leaned over and grabbed the small photos off the nightstand, offering them to him. "Here. That's our baby."
She grinned when she saw Tony's eyes begin to tear up slightly as he placed his hand on her stomach. "This...is inside you?"
"Yeah. In a few months, we'll even get to hold it." She kissed his cheek, placing her hand over his. "My doctor says I'm due on the 7th of January. I'm kinda hoping to get the team down here for the birth, but I know it probably won't happen, seeing as we're always the busiest around the holidays, but I'm still gonna..."
"Wait, Abby...here? You...I figured we'd head back to DC. You wanna have the baby here?"
"Well...I mean...yeah, I'd planned on it. BB's here, Britty's gonna be my midwife, my doctor isn't gonna just leave and come to DC...is it a problem?"
He shook his head, looking back down at the picture. "No. No problem at all." He smiled briefly before coughing deeply, cringing at how dry it sounded.
"Let's lay down for a bit, baby. You're clearly not feeling 100%."
He sighed, allowing her to pull him down against the pillows. "I'm fine, Abs. When have you ever known me to lie?"
"You want the most recent time? Or just any time in general?"
"Hey..." The Italian pouted, wrapping his arms around his lover's waist. "That wasn't very nice."
"I was just kidding." She grinned, snuggling under the blankets with him. "Maybe after we sleep I'll let you take me and your baby out for dinner."
"You'll *let* me, huh?" He chuckled, nuzzling her neck. "I think you've been pampered during your time away."
"Eh." She responded dismissively, barely stifling a yawn. "Maybe just a little."
Laughing quietly, he pulled her closer, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "Get some rest, huh?"
"Mmhmm. Feel better, baby." She mumbled snuggling as close as her growing belly would allow. "Love you."
"Love you too." Closing his eyes, he burrowed down under the blankets, his arm thrown over her waist as he allowed sleep to claim him, ignoring the slow burn in his chest.
**Later That Night**
"Tony, you sure you're okay?" Abby asked, running her fingers through his hair as she leaned over the end of the bed.
The Italian tried to hide his cough unsuccessfully, avoiding his girl's eyes. "'M fine, sunshine, I swear."
Tony had woken up unable to breathe in the position he had been sleeping in, and had found the only semi-comfortable place he could sit in without coughing was the floor, propped against the end of the bed.
Abby had woken up shortly after him, immediately concerned when she found him on the floor, his breathing rough as he flipped through the channels. He had managed to reassure her enough to convince her to watch a movie with him, though he insisted that she remained on the bed while he sat on the ground.
"If you say so." She mumbled, concerned about her lover. "Wanna order some dinner?"
"If you want, baby."
"Okay." She said, leaning down and kissing him on the cheek before sitting back and picking up the phone. "What do you feel like?"
"I'm not very hungry, Abs. Maybe just some soup?" He asked, leaning his head back against the end of the bed.
"Sure." She smiled, calling room service and ordering dinner. After she hung up the phone, she returned to the end of the bed, moving to sit next to him on the floor. "Hey."
"Hey, you. You shouldn't be sitting down here, hon, it's not good for your back."
"Well, it's not good for yours either. So, if you can handle it, so can I."
He sighed, draping his arm over her shoulder and pulling her close to him. "I've missed your stubbornness." He grinned, looking down at her. "Let's hope it's not hereditary."
"You know damn well it is." She grinned. "With me as the mommy and you as the daddy, we'll be lucky if we can control this kid."
"We'll do fine." He said, rubbing her stomach gently. "Well, I know that you'll do fine. You might have to train me."
"Oh, you want me to train you, huh?" The Goth grinned, leaning up to kiss him. "I think that can be arranged, Mr. DiNozzo."
Tony chuckled, returning the kiss quickly before coughing again. "Sorry."
Abby frowned. "Come on up to bed, T. You'll be more comfortable up there."
He conceded, upset with himself that the Goth was so worried about taking care of him when he felt it should be the other way around. Pushing himself up from the floor, he held his hand out to her, offering to help her stand. She accepted, allowing him to lead her to the head of the bed where he proceeded to pull back the blankets and help her climb under them. He joined her seconds later, wrapping his arm over her shoulders again, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.
"Let's finish our movie, huh?" He suggested, pulling her close to him, enjoying the feel of her warm body against his side.
She smiled, relaxing against him when room service knocked on the door. "There's our food." She kissed him again quickly before pulling away and making her way over to the door of the large suite.
After tipping the hotel employee and closing the door behind him, she brought Tony his bowl of soup before climbing back into the bed with a matching meal of her own.
"Abby, you should've gotten something more to eat." He yawned, realizing how tired he really was as he took a sip of his soup.
"It just sounded so good...chicken noodle soup. You know, they add a little bit of red pepper to it here. Makes it a little spicy, but really clears up your sinuses. I mean, I'm sure that when you taste it, you can tell, but it reminds me a lot of the soup Bradley used to make for me after my parents..." She trailed off, feeling the tears welling up behind her eyes at the unintentional mention of her deceased parents.
Placing his soup on the night stand, Tony turned back, pulling her into his arms and closing his eyes when he felt her trembling slightly.
"I'm...I'm sorry...its still hard to talk about them sometimes."
"You don't have to apologize." He reassured her quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Bradley doesn't under...understand." She sniffled, allowing the Italian to hold her tightly. "He had...more time with them then I did..."
"I'm sure he understands." He whispered, kissing the top of her head again. She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent, allowing it to calm her. "You okay now?" He asked after a moment, nuzzling her hair gently.
She nodded, still not trusting her voice as she pulled away, offering him a shaky smile. "Sorry. Hormones." She said, laughing nervously.
He chuckled quietly, wincing when it turned into another painful cough. He doubled over in the bed, his eyes watering slightly as he fought to force air into his lungs.
"Slow breaths..." Abby coached expertly, rubbing his back gently in an effort to soothe him. "C'mon, T."
It was nearly a full five minutes before the coughing spell was over and he fell back against the pillows, gasping for air.
"You're okay..." Abby said softly, running her fingers through his hair reassuringly. "You're okay."
He closed his eyes, his chest heaving in an attempt to force air into his scarred lungs. Abby pushed herself to her feet, groaning quietly as she made her way over to the mini-fridge, grabbing a bottle of water before she hurried back to him, holding it out. "Small sips."
He accepted the bottle, forcing what he hoped was a reassuring smile before he leaned over, setting it on the night stand. "I'm alright now." He promised, his voice hoarse.
"You sure? I really think we should call Ducky. You really don't sound good."
"I'm okay." He repeated. "Really. I'm fine."
She eyed him warily before she climbed back into the bed. "You need to finish up your soup." She reminded him. "It might make you feel better."
"I'm not hungry." He grumbled, his throat aching.
"Please? For me? You haven't eaten much of anything today."
"Abby! I said I wasn't hungry!" He snapped, the pain in his throat and the pained look in his girl's eyes making him regret the outburst almost immediately. "I...I meant..."
"Don't worry about it. Just...I'm just gonna get some more rest." She mumbled, putting her bowl on the nightstand and turning away from him, wrapping her arms around herself under the warm blankets. "You should too."
The older man rolled onto his side, his back facing the dark-haired woman on the other side of the bed. Frowning, he tugged the blankets up over his shoulders and sighed quietly, trying to find a semi-comfortable position to sleep in. He felt bad for snapping at her, and knowing that Abby wasn't very happy with him wasn't helping his guilt. Her emotions were all over the place because of the pregnancy, and although he hadn't been around many pregnant women, he could only assume that it was normal to some degree.
He settled against the pillows and began to relax, his shoulders tensing when he heard Abby's nearly silent whimpers in the quiet room. Turning to face her, he reached out and touched her shoulder hesitantly, frowning when she didn't move.
"I'm sorry." His voice was so quiet he doubted that she could even hear him. He removed his hand from her shoulder and turned back, relieved when her quiet sobs finally stopped. Her breathing was deeper, letting him know that she had fallen asleep. His chest tightened uncomfortably at the thought that his words had made her cry herself to sleep, and he resisted the urge to pull her into his arms and hold her closely, reassuring her that he loved her no matter what.
Instead, he decided to remain with his back to her, his stubborn male pride winning out once again. He allowed the rhythmic breathing of his girl to lull him to sleep, determined that he would make it up to her when they woke up.
Chapter End Notes:
"Whispers In The Dark" by Skillet