Mac came in early the next morning.
"So, have they figured out what's wrong, Tony?" I took a deep breath, Brad looked to me.
"You promise not to tell Gibbs?" I almost sounded like a child, begging not to get in to trouble. Mac looked at me, puzzled.
"Yes, of course. I only report to him on how well you're doing at work." I nodded and I looked up at Brad.
"Umm, can you tell him for me? Hell, I don't think he'll believe me!" Mac looked at me kind of funny at that, then as Brad started to tell him my news, I think he got why I didn't want to tell him! He looked at me and I lowered my head, running my hands through my hair. Brad stood up and left. Great. Thanks, Brad, for leaving me alone. Mac walked over and sat on the bed, he cupped my chin and looked me in the eyes.
"Gibbs?" I nodded and sighed heavily.
"He was over about two months ago and we got into a fight about me coming back and, well, he kissed me and we ended up in bed. Afterwards, I told him that he was too late."
Mac had become a father figure in the last three months. Since I started I think he noticed that I came to him broken. So naturally, I wanted to tell him. I wanted someone to know I looked to him.
"Can we keep this from the team, right now? I don't think I am ready to deal with it. Hell, I just found out and I am not dealing too well." Mac laughed quietly and nodded.
"Got my word, Tony, but when you get to four or five months, you're going on restricted duties. If your doctor says you have to sooner, then you're going to have to. Understand? That basically means you will be doing paperwork and evidence at the lab." I nodded, I'd expected something like this. I leant back again.
"Guess I should have read the part about pregnancy on the job, huh?" I said with a joking tone. "Mac chuckled at me and shook his head. He stood up and tossed me some clothes.
"Get dressed." He went to look out the window. "You are going to tell Gibbs, aren't you? You told me he is trying to be friends with you now, right?" I slid my pants on.
"Yeah, he wants to keep some contact with me 'cause we have a history, so he wants to be friends. He promised not to push me to come back." Mac nodded and he turned around.
"I think he figured that, if he pushes you too much, you will just run again, to some place he can't find you. So he doesn't want to lose you completely." I nodded. I didn't want that either but if I am pushed too much, I do run.
"Yeah, I think he sees that. I mean, I'm not a coward and it's rare someone can push me to do something like that. But I think he sees that things are a little different with this situation." I slid my shirt on and sat on the bed, putting my socks and shoes on, while we continued discussing the situation.
"We need to stop at a pharmacy, Tony?" I nodded, pleased that Mac had gotten me the prescription for pre-natal vitamins and the morning sickness pills.
We stood in the pharmacy, waiting for the prescriptions. Mac didn't talk and I had so much to think about. I think he saw that, but after a bit he spoke.
"Tony, you're part of my team now and I am here for you. When you're ready to tell the rest, you know they will be there for you, too. Now, I am sure that Danny and Don will tease you some, but they have become friends just like the rest of us." I nodded and looked at him as he smiled at me.
"Yeah, I know, Mac. And that means a lot, that I have friends here." I don't thing I'll ever be calling anyone "Boss", ever again. That right was reserved for Gibbs. Was there times when I thought I was going to go back to NCIS and D.C.? Yeah. I think Mac and the team knew there was a possibility of that as well. But for now, I really didn't want to. I don't see myself going back for a long while, if ever. Even if I am carrying Gibbs' child and there's a small chance that there could be something between us. I had told Gibbs that he was too late. What I'd really meant to say was that I couldn't handle a relationship with him right then.
"You know, when you tell Gibbs, I don't think he's going to be mad at you, Tony. Don't be scared of that fact!"
The creepy thing about Mac was that he had, in common with Gibbs, the ability to read my mind! I guess it wasn't all that creepy! It was a comfort, in a strange way, 'cause he made me talk when I needed to and that was a good thing.
"I don't know about that. I think that he's going to want to kill me." Mac laughed and leaned back a little.
"Nah, I have known Gibbs a long time and ever since he lost Shannon and Kelly, I think he wished for a family. That's why all three marriages happened, he was trying to replace Shannon. He had loved her so much, she was a sweet woman." I froze
"Wait! Back up, there! The boss was married before those three wives?" Mac looked to me.
"Guess he didn't tell you about when he was in Desert Storm? He had been married and had the cutest little girl, Kelly. Shannon witnessed a crime and she was going to testify. She had an NCIS agent watching over her. When they were out driving one day, the agent was shot and killed, the car was crashed, killing Shannon and Kelly."
I looked at him, thinking back. "That could explain a lot about Gibbs. I mean, sometimes when we had a case with a child where we had to watch them, I'd see something in Gibbs' eyes and I always wondered why he was so good with babies!" Mac nodded, we got my prescriptions and headed back to the car. We didn't say anymore on the subject. There wasn't anymore to say.
"Hey, Mac. Can I go to work today?" He looked to me out of the corner of his eye.
"Yeah, sure, but take your pills and if you feel dizzy, I want you to sit down. If any of the team ask what you're doing, you tell them that I gave you orders to take it easy if you got dizzy." I nodded. They would ask me questions. I knew it, truth be told, I think I could tell Stella and Hawk. Danny and Don were another story! I didn't think they would hate me or stay away from me, just, God, they were going to tease me to hell and back
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