**October 3othâ€"1345 Hours**
Ziva shook her head as she looked across the bullpen at her partner. "Oh Tony… That is disgusting."
"I'm sorry, Zee-vah, but I can't help it. My stomach's all…I don't know, but it's makin' me burp. It's just as unpleasant for me as it is for you."
"I seriously doubt that," she responded with a roll of her eyes. "Perhaps if you would stop eating the corn canes, thenâ€""
"Candy corn," he corrected automatically, leaning back in his chair as he grabbed another handful from his bag. "And they're delicious. You can only find them this time of year, you know."
"And there's a reason for that," McGee smirked. "Who eats candy corn?"
"I do," Tony responded.
"Apparently," Gibbs scoffed as he walked into the room, wrinkling his nose as he spotted the half eaten bag of candy on his Senior Agent's desk. "What…" he trailed off, wrinkling his nose again. "What is that God awful smell?"
Offering his boss a sheepish smile, Tony offered a half-shrug. "Sorry, Boss."
"Stomach still botherin' you?"
"You mean you really cannot tell?" Ziva asked dryly, covering her nose with her hand. "He has been awful today, Gibbs."
"Go down and see Abby. I'm pretty sure she stocked up on Pepto with Halloween comin' up. She does every year."
Pushing himself to his feet, Tony winced as his stomach turned uncomfortably though he forced a smile when he spotted the almost concerned look on his boss' face.
He made his way over to the elevator and slumped against the wall as he rode down to the Goth's lab. When the doors slid open, he stepped off, his head already beginning to pound at the loud music she was listening to.
Without hesitation, he walked over to her stereo and turned it off before he dropped into the chair at her desk. "Tony," she growled, rolling her eyes at his low moan. "You know better than to mess with my…" She started, frowning darkly when she noticed him gripping his stomach. "Still sick, huh? Good thing I picked up the Pepto Bismol this morning."
"Thanks Abs," he groaned quietly. "It's that damn candy corn, I think."
She cocked an eyebrow at him, handing over the pink bottle. "You hate candy corn, Tony."
"I know, and trust me, I'm paying for it. Ugh, I've already stunk up the squad room," he muttered, squinting down at the bottle in his hand.
"You know… it may not be from the Halloween candy this year."
"What?
"I just mean… have you thought about seeing a doctor?" She asked almost hesitantly. "You've been nauseous for almost a week and you are seeing that mystery guy pretty regularly."
"I haven't seen him in a couple weeks, Abby. And quit calling him 'Mystery Guy'. Please." Releasing a slightly indignant sigh, he uncapped the bottle quickly. "How much of this can I take again?"
"Just the two tablespoons for right now. You take too much, and you won't be able to leave the bathroom. Remember what happened last Halloween?"
He cringed at the memory as he poured the pink liquid into the cap before he swallowed it quickly, wincing at the taste. "Ugh. I hate this stuff. It has an awful taste."
"But it'll make you feel better, "she reminded him, leaning over to peck his cheek as she plucked the medicine out of his hand. "So, you'll see a doctor? Soon?"
"There's no need. It's just an upset stomach. Nothin' a little Pepto won't take care of," he said, forcing a smile as he pushed himself to his feet, dropping a kiss to her forehead. "Thanks for takin' care of me."
"You're welcome," she responded, though her face slipped into a frown as he made his way to the doorway. Though Tony had always been careful when it came to his male partners, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe he hadn't as careful as he thought this time around.
**Two Days Laterâ€"0545 Hours**
Rolling over in the large bed, Tony released a quiet whimper as he burrowed deeper into his blankets. He immediately regretted the movement, however, when he felt his stomach turn again for the second time that hour. He barely managed to grab the trashcan off of the floor near his bed before he retched again, groaning quietly as he emptied what little was left in his belly.
He'd been up half the night, unable to sleep thanks to the horrible nausea that had been plaguing him for nearly a week. It was after 0330 that he finally vomited, giving his stomach the relief it had been begging for.
Finishing up, he rolled onto his back and whimpered again, reaching for his phone on the night stand. Swiping the back of his hand across his mouth, he flipped the device open and pressed '1' on his speed dial.
"Yeah, Gibbs."
"Hey, Boss."
"Tony?" The silver-haired man asked, his tone clearly concerned. It wasn't something that Tony was used to hearing and to be honest, it startled him. "Everything okay?"
"Uh… no, not really. I uh… I don't feel so good, Boss. I've been up pukin' half the night."
"Finally caught up with you, huh? Stay home today. Get some rest."
"Are… are you sure? I mean, I can come in if you want me to. I was just callin' toâ€""
Gibbs growled quietly. "What did I say, DiNozzo?
"To stay home and rest," he repeated, his voice flat.
"Then quit arguin' and do it," was the clipped response.
Exhaling a sigh, Tony opened his mouth to speak again when another wave of intense nausea hit him, forcing him over the side of the bed.
A dry sob escaped him as he heaved despite not having anything left to bring up. A second later, he realized his boss was still on the other end of the phone.
"Oh shit," he moaned, snapping the device shut between his fingers before he dropped it to the floor beside his trashcan. Flopping back against his pillows, he wrapped his arms around his middle, willing the nausea to go away. His entire body ached from the effort and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep.
"This… really sucks," he muttered to himself as he rolled onto his side, one hand resting on his belly. Closing his eyes, he released another sigh and prayed for sleep to find him.
**Tony's Apartmentâ€"1100 Hours**
The first thing he became aware of was that he was not alone. He could feel a large hand resting on the top of his head, long fingers threading through his hair. His first instinct was to go for the gun but somehow, without even opening his eyes, he knew he didn't have to.
Snuggling closer to the source of the warmth, he released a content sigh before he stretched out lazily on the bed. "Mmm… What're you doin' here, Boss?"
A quiet chuckle escaped the older man. "How'd you know it was me?"
"Sawdust," Tony responded, forcing his tired eyes open to glance up at Gibbs. "Shouldn't you be at work terrorizin' Probie and Ziva?"
"I'm right where I need to be."
"Jetâ€""
"That was not a good feelin' this mornin', Tony. Don't like when you're this sick. It isn't normal for you."
"I'm fine," Tony responded, pushing himself up into a sitting position as if to prove his point. "I took Abby to a Halloween party last night because McGoo had one of his Elf Lord things and I binged on candy. It's not a big deal. I felt a little better as soon as I threw up."
At his side, Gibbs said nothing though he continued to study him carefully.
Leaning over, Tony pressed a shy kiss to Gibbs' lips before pulling away. "I appreciate the concern Jethro, but really, I'm fine," he promised.
Nodding, Gibbs swept his fingers through Tony's hair once more and pulled away, pushing himself up off the bed. "Good. I'm gonna head in to the office, but you shouldâ€""
"I'm comin' in too," Tony responded, throwing the covers back from his body. He shivered slightly as the chilly air in the room hit his body, but he pushed himself to his feet and offered Gibbs his usual smile.
"DiNozzo…"
"C'mon, Jet! I feel better, I'm not contagious and I'm gonna go nuts if I have to lay around in this apartment all day. Please?"
Releasing a slightly irritated sigh, Gibbs nodded again. "Alright. It hasn't been too busy today anyway and I'm sure McGee and Ziva could use the extra help."
"What exactly are they doing?"
"Re-filing cold cases," Gibbs responded with a smirk.
"You know what, Boss? It's the funniest thing, but suddenly, I'm not feelin' so hot."
"Nice try. See you at the office in 30."
"Can I at least stop and grab lunch first?" Tony asked hopefully, a sheepish smile on his face. "Now that I don't feel like I'm gonna puke, I'm starvin'."
**NCIS Headquartersâ€"12:35 Hours**
"Y'know," Tony sighed, leaning against the cold metal wall of the elevator, glancing over at his boss, "I didn't need an escort down to autopsy. I know how to find my way."
"Didn't want you to pass out in the elevator," Gibbs responded automatically, offering his Senior Agent a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And you keep quiet or I'll send you right back into the squad room to help Ziva and McGee."
"Shutting up now."
"That's what I thought."
"I really do feel fine now, Boss."
"Yeah, I could tell by the way you inhaled that sub you had for lunch," Gibbs responded, the slightest trace of a grin on his face as the elevator dinged, depositing them onto Abby's floor. "You help her get caught up cataloguing the evidence and when you're done, I'll find somethin' else for ya."
"Got it," he grinned, stepping off the elevator. He waited until the doors closed before turning away, tugging at his slowly shrinking suit jacket in an attempt to straighten it as he made his way in to the lab.
"Hey Abs!" He greeted, making his way over to drop a kiss to her cheek.
She turned around, her hands immediately finding her hips as she frowned at him accusingly. "Feeling better?"
"I'm fine. A hundred and ten percent. But I'm glad to see that an upset tummy is good gossip around here these days."
Narrowing her eyes at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You didn't seriously think that Gibbs wouldn't tell me you threw up this morning, did you?"
The older man groaned, dropping his head back. "He was overreacting, whatever he said."
"You should be flattered that he cares. I know for a fact that last month when Palmer thought he had swine flu, Gibbs told him to quit contaminating autopsy but he certainly didn't make a house call after he sent him home."
"Abbyâ€""
"Maybe the Bossman has a crush on you! Oh my gosh, you guys would be too cute together! You want me to try and get a feel for him? I couldâ€""
"Abby! C'mon, enough."
"Well, I'm just sayin'."
"Yeah, well quit sayin' that," he responded, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at her pointedly. "Now… what did you need my help with?"
"Cataloguing evidence," she responded, turning back to her work bench. Snatching a pair of gloves from the box, she tossed them to Tony before she snapped her own in place, offering him a bright smile.
He rolled his eyes playfully, though he dutifully slid his gloves onto his hands before he made his way over to her. "Okay. So what are we doing first?"
---
It was nearly an hour later when they finally finished retagging and cataloguing the box of evidence on her table, and as grateful as he'd been to get out of desk duty, this hadn't been much better.
Sagging just slightly against the table, Tony pulled the rubber gloves from his hands and dropped them into the trash before he ran a hand over his tired face.
"I think that may have been even more boring than re-filing cold cases," he announced, pushing off from the table as he followed his friend back into her office.
"But the best part is Gibbs isn't hovering so I get to take as many breaks as I want," she responded with a smirk as she sank down into the chair behind her desk.
"I knew I trained you well," he grinned, perching himself on the edge of her desk with a groan. While he had initially felt better, the nausea that had been plaguing him for the last week had returned, though it was nowhere near as bad as it had been.
"You okay, Tonyboy?" Abby asked, grabbing her lunch bag from the shelf behind her desk.
"I'm fine," he muttered, forcing a smile for her benefit.
"You're lookin' a little green. Stomach botherin' you again?"
"I'm just…" He swallowed hard, wincing as his stomach turned. "Ugh."
"Here," she responded, pulling a banana out of her bag. "Eat that. It'll help settle it."
"I don't… I don't know if that's such a good idea, Abs. Already feels like lunch is gonna come back up. Might not be a good idea to put anything else in there."
She rolled her eyes and shoved the banana into his hand. "Trust me, Tony. Eat it or I'll sic Gibbs on you."
Offering her an irritated glare, he glanced down at the banana in his hand before he peeled it slowly, a low moan escaping him as the smell hit him full force. "I'm gonna…" Dropping the piece of fruit to her desk, he pushed himself up and bolted to the bathroom.
Pushing the door open, he dropped to his knees in front of the toilet, retching violently as he spilled the contents of his stomach into the cool bowl. His entire body trembled as he heaved and behind him, he could hear Abby's tense voice as she drew closer.
"Tony… Are you okay?" She asked, sinking to her knees behind him, resting a gentle hand against his back.
"I don't… I don't think so," he managed seconds before he heaved again.
Behind him, she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Gibbs' number, rubbing her friend's back in what she hoped was a soothing manner.
"Gibbs," the voice on the other end of the phone barked.
"I need you in the lab," she said by way of greeting.
"Abby? What's goin' on?"
"Tony's getting sick again. Hurry," she responded, snapping the phone closed. Shoving the device into her back pocket, she pushed herself to her feet, wincing at the sound of him retching again. "I'll be right back," she promised, hurrying out of the bathroom.
Sprinting back into her office, she grabbed a clean cup off of the shelf behind her desk and released a sigh of relief when she heard Gibbs and Ducky's voices in the hallway.
"Abby?"
"He's in the bathroom, Gibbs."
Not needing to be told twice, the older man hurried over to the bathroom and shoved the door open, cringing when he found his agent and sometimes lover hunched over the toilet, vomiting violently.
Dropping into a crouch behind him, Gibbs rested a gentle hand on his back, his frown darkening when Tony pulled away from the touch.
"DiNozzo…"
"This… this really sucks, Boss."
"Gonna get Ducky to take a look at ya, then we'll get you home," Gibbs promised, dropping his hand to Tony's back again. This time, the younger man leaned into the touch and it was all Gibbs could do to suppress his smile.
"Let's get him down to autopsy, Jethro. I'll be able to get a better look at him there."
"No," Tony managed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I… I feel better now."
"Tony, I really think you should let him check you out," Abby said as she slipped past the medical examiner to the wink, filling the plastic cup with cool water before she handed it to him.
"I'm fine… I just…" He took a small sip of water, rinsing his mouth out before he leaned over and spit it into the toilet. "I'm okay now."
"Wasn't a suggestion, Tony," Gibbs said softly, running a gentle hand over his back before helping him to his feet. "Let's go."
The elevator trip down to Autopsy was short and before Tony knew it, Gibbs had him up on one of the cold steel tables, his large warm hand running through his hair again.
Making her way over to where he was resting, Abby shrugged her lab coat off before offering it to him as a makeshift pillow.
"Thanks Abs," Gibbs said, accepting the balled up fabric from the scientist's hands. Easing Tony up carefully, he placed the coat under his head.
"Lay back now," he commanded gently, his hand resting against the agent's shoulder.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Abby watched as Gibbs' hand returned to her friend's hair, her eyes never leaving the pair. In all the years she'd known Gibbs, she'd never seen him quite so comfortable around anyone other than herself.
The two were oblivious to the attention she was paying them, and Ducky was far too concerned with the younger agent to notice much else. She watched them carefully until the examination was over, trying to figure out if she'd missed something or if it was all a figment of her hopeful imagination.
"C'mon, Tony. Let's get you home," Gibbs said, helping the younger man down off the table, careful not to jostle him too much.
"Gibbs…"
"Again, not a topic for debate. You're goin' home. I never should have let you come in today anyway."
"I can take him if you want," Abby offered, reaching for her friend's hand, anxious for a moment alone with Tony.
"No need," Gibbs responded with a shake of his head. "I'm gonna get him settled in and then I'll be back."
"Boss, I can drive myself home," Tony groaned, his voice hoarse. Though the need to vomit was no longer there since he'd emptied his stomach, he still felt incredibly nauseated and his throat almost felt raw.
"I would feel better if I knew you had someone drive you home, Anthony."
"Duckyâ€""
"No arguments," Gibbs growled, reaching up to tap his agent on the back of his head, though he offered him a half smile. "C'mon, let's get outta here."
Releasing a sigh of indignation, Tony allowed his boss to lead him over to the doorway, though he stopped when Gibbs turned back to Ducky.
"Anything in particular you think he'll need, Duck?"
"Perhaps some ginger ale to settle his stomach but unfortunately, I think this is just one of those bugs that he's going to have to ride out."
"I coulda told you that," Tony muttered, a quiet moan escaping him when his stomach turned again. "Ugh… Boss…"
"Alright, let's go," Gibbs said, turning back to the younger man quickly. Wrapping an arm around his waist, he allowed the agent to hang onto him as he led him out of autopsy and to the elevator.
**Tony's Apartmentâ€"1800 Hours**
Tony let out a small chuckle at the episode of Magnum, P.I. that he'd been watching, taking another small sip of his ginger ale when he heard a loud knocking at his front door. Dropping his head back against the pillow, he groaned quietly, hoping that it wasn't Gibbs or Ducky coming back to check in on him. "It's open," he called, leaning forward to set his glass on the coffee table.
Half a second later, Abby pushed the door open and came barreling into the living room, her arms crossed off her chest as she offered him an accusing glare. "You've been hiding from me."
"Have not," he replied, offering the Goth a bright smile. "I've been watchin' Magnum and resting."
"So that makes it okay to not answer your phone?" She asked incredulously, cocking an eyebrow at him.
"Did you come here to lecture me, Abs? Coulda done that over voicemail and saved yourself a trip."
Plopping down onto the couch beside him, she socked him in the arm, her frown darkening. "Not funny, DiNozzo. I've been worried sick about you all afternoon!"
"You've got a funny way of showing it!" He growled, rubbing the sore spot on his arm before he leaned forward and took another sip of his drink, wincing slightly as he swallowed. "I just keep waitin' for it to come back up."
"Still not feelin' well?" She asked, all traces of annoyance gone from her voice.
"I'm better, but my stomach still feels a little weird."
"Tony…" She sighed, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. "I know you don't wanna hear this, but I really think you should see a doctor."
"Abby, we're not doing this."
"Just hear me out… please?"
Crossing his arms over his chest, he pulled away from her touch and focused his eyes on the television. "We are not doing this."
"The symptoms are there and just ignoring them won't make this go away. You've been nauseous for over a week, you've got an aversion to foods that you used to love and you've been eating candy corn like it's going out of style."
"So?"
"So? Tony, you hate candy corn but you've been craving it! That doesn't seem the least bit weird to you?"
"No," he muttered stubbornly.
"Just… take a test. If it's negative, you won't be out anything and I'll quit bugging you about this."
"It's not possible. We were always careful and…" he trailed off. "Oh, God."
"What?"
"The… the condom. The last time we were together, it broke and… Oh God," he said again, leaning forward as he dropped his head into his hands. "What am I… Abby, what am I gonna do?"
"The first thing you're going to do is calm down," she said, resting her hand against his back gently. "Take a couple deep breaths," she instructed. "The last thing we need right now is for you to get worked up and make yourself sick."
"I don't… I'm not feelin' so good."
"Shh… deep breaths. C'mon. We're gonna get up and go into the bathroom. You gonna be able to stay with me?"
"Y… yeah, I think so."
"Good. C'mon then." Pulling him to his feet gently, she wrapped an arm around his waist in an attempt to steady him as they made their way to the bathroom.
She helped him to sit down on the edge of the bathtub before dropping her back to the bathroom counting. Sifting through it, she found what she was looking for and turned back to him, holding a pregnancy test in her hand. "Time to face the truth, T."
"Abs… God, you know those things are only half as reliable on men."
"It's better than nothing and I can't draw blood on you until tomorrow. Wouldn't you rather know sooner than later?"
"Not if it's a false positive! Then I'm gonna be freakin' out over nothin'."
The Goth reached over and smacked the older man on the back of his head. "Take the test. I'll be outside."
"You mean you don't wanna stand there and make sure, Nurse Ratched?"
Offering him a glare, she shook her head and slipped out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind her. Sinking down onto his bed, she kicked her boots off and pulled her knees up to her chest, glancing over at the clock with a quiet sigh.
It was less than a minute later when the door opened and Tony stepped out.
"That was a pretty quick ten minutes."
"I just… didn't want to wait by myself," he muttered, making his way over to the bed before he dropped down onto the mattress beside her.
Leaning over, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. "I know this is scary, but… no matter what that test says, you know we'll all be here with you."
"I know," he responded quietly, attempting a brave smile.
It was the longest ten minutes of their lives, Abby decided. The clock beside his bed taunted them as each minute passed at an excruciatingly slow rate, though finally, it was time. "Tony?"
"You do it. I can't… I can't look at it."
Nodding, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead before she pushed herself up and made her way towards the bathroom. Swallowing hard, she pushed the door open and slipped inside, grabbing the small white test from the counter. Glancing down, a quiet gasp escaped her as she spotted the little blue plus sign.
"Oh, Tony…" Blinking back the unexplained tears, she turned back to the bedroom, but by the look on his face, she could tell he already knew.
"What am I gonna do, Abs?"
"Well first… you're going to have to tell Gibbs."
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: First of all: HOLY COW YOU GUYS! I never expected to get as many reviews as I did for the first chapter, and I am so flattered and pleased that so many people liked it! As a reward for all the amazing comments, this is a pretty long chapter so I hope you enjoy that! A huge thank you to my friend Kelley for all her help with this chapter and the last. I couldn't have done it without her. Please don't forget to review when you're done reading because remember: Reviews help me writer faster and it gets you longer chapters ;)