**Chapter Two - Look After You**
**Three Days Later - December 23, 2013**
"JJ..." Emma moaned, sitting up in her bed.
Jack's eyes popped open at the sound of his cousin's voice and he sighed heavily, slightly irritated at the little girl for having woken him up. The toddler had begged him to sleep in her room for the past two nights, telling him that she needed him to 'keep the monsters away'.
"Mimi, go back to sleep, baby. It's too early to wake up."
"Tummy hurts." She said, her voice slightly hoarse.
Jack almost told her to lay down, that her stomach would feel better in the morning, when she released a deep cough. Sitting up, the teenager frowned, climbing out of the sleeping bag at the foot of the girl's bed and moving to sit next to her.
He pulled her close to his side and pressed a gentle hand to her forehead, his frown deepening when he felt her burning up. "Em, c'mere."
She obeyed wordlessly, allowing her cousin to pick her up and carry her to the bathroom, sitting her on the counter as he dampened a washcloth with some cool water. He applied the cloth to her forehead and smiled sadly, taking in her pale skin and droopy eyes.
He cradled her to his chest as she sat on the counter, rocking her back and forth quietly when she suddenly pulled away and turned toward the sink, vomiting violently. Jack pulled her blonde curls back away from her face and held them, rubbing her small back until she was done.
The little girl was sobbing uncontrollably, not quite understanding what had just happened to her. She allowed Jack to stand her on the floor and take her soiled pajamas off, tossing them into the laundry hamper that sat behind the bathroom door. He wrapped her up in a large fluffy bath towel to keep her warm and rinsed out her mouth, reassuring her that she was okay the whole time.
"It's alright, Mimi. You didn't do anything wrong." He said, smoothing her curls back and wiping her eyes with a corner of the towel she was wrapped in. "I bet your tummy feels a little better though, huh?"
Emma nodded, tears flowing down her cheeks as she sniffled, reaching up to wipe her nose. "I wan' my Daddy!" She cried, fresh tears mixing with the ones that were beginning to dry.
Jack hesitated, not wanting to disturb his aunt and uncle, although he was sure they would want to know that their daughter had woken up sick. "Um..." He said, his chest tightening at the sound of his cousin's sobs. "Okay, okay, baby girl. C'mere."
She reached out for the teenager, curling into a ball in his arms when he lifted her, burying her face against his neck. He stepped out of the bathroom and down the hallway, pausing outside of the door to the master bedroom.
Shifting Emma in his arms, Jack released a sigh and raised his hand to knock loudly on the door, praying that his aunt and uncle weren't in the middle of anything.
"Auntie Abby?" He called, frowning when Emma's cries intensified.
Forcing his eyes open, Tony frowned at his daughter's cries. Glancing over to make sure his girl was still asleep, he climbed from the bed, pulling his boxers on before he made his way over to the door.
The Italian frowned when he saw his nephew standing at the door holding his sobbing daughter wrapped up in a bath towel. "What's wrong, Jack?"
"Daddy..." The toddler sobbed, reaching for her father. She immediately calmed once she was in his arms, burying her face in his neck the same way she had with her cousin. Her little fingers curled in his chest hair gently, an action that provided comfort for her, letting her know that she was close to her father.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Tony. She woke me up coughing, when I got up I saw she had a fever, so I took her to get a wet cloth, then she threw up in the sink." He hesitated again, shifting from one foot to the other as he looked at his sick cousin. "I'll clean up the bathroom. I mean...I don't think she wants anyone but you, and it really should get cleaned."
Tony nodded, reaching out with his free hand and patting the teenager on the shoulder. "Thanks for takin' care of her, J. Means a lot."
He nodded, offering a half smile. "I just hope she feels better soon. I know it sucks bein' that sick." Leaning over, he pressed a soft kiss to Emma's upturned cheek and squeezed her little hand gently. "Feel better, Mimi."
The older man smiled, watching Jack retreat to the bathroom to clean up where his daughter had vomited. He re-entered his bedroom and grabbed a pair of his workout sweats from the drawer before heading into Emma's room to grab similar items for her, as well as her stuffed bear and her favorite pink blanket.
She was still sobbing quietly when he made it to the bottom of the stairs, turning into the living room and sitting on the plush leather couch. He shifted his little girl, settling her on the couch next to him.
"Here we go, Princess. Let's get some warm clothes on you, then we can watch a movie, okay?"
She nodded weakly, her body limp as Tony dressed her in the pair of long johns he had grabbed from her drawer. When he was done, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and leaned her against the pillow on the couch, standing up to pull on his own sweats before grabbing the blanket off the back of the recliner.
He settled himself in the corner of the long couch and pulled his daughter over to cuddle with him while he found a movie for them to watch. Emma was asleep against his chest before he had the opportunity to start their DVD, her thumb in her mouth and her blanket threaded between her fingers. Her head rested on her father's chest, rising and falling with his breathing pattern.
The Italian pulled the heavy blanket over their bodies and dropped his head back against the couch cushions as the movie played, hoping to sneak in a few hours of sleep before Emma woke up again.
**Four Hours Later - 0600 Hours**
Abby woke up as the alarm went off, rolling onto her back and stretching sleepily. She turned her head to the side and was surprised when she saw that Tony was gone. Climbing out of bed and pulling her robe on, she made her way downstairs, wondering silently where her lover had gone, when she heard the TV on in the living room.
Walking in, she saw the title screen for one of Emma's movies playing, and she moved further into the room, smiling at the sight of her daughter sleeping soundly on Tony's chest as they laid on the couch.
She leaned down and smoothed her little girl's hair, frowning slightly when she felt the heat radiating off of her head.
A quiet whimper escaped Emma as her eyes fluttered open sleepily. "Mommy?" She sniffled, lifting her head off her father's chest.
"Hi baby." The Goth responded, offering her daughter a smile. "What's the matter? Is my girl sick?"
Abby frowned when she saw the tears welling up in her eyes. Reaching out, she moved to lift the little girl from her father's chest when Emma accidentally caught Tony between the legs with her knee.
The older man's eyes shot open as a quiet groan escaped him before he moved to double over, holding himself.
She gasped, shifting the toddler on her hip as she tried to restrain her laughter. "Are you okay?" She asked, covering her mouth when a little giggle escaped.
"Not...funny." He managed, still groaning as he tried to straighten his body out. "Hurts."
Emma whimpered, seeing the tense look on her father's face. "I sorry, Daddy. I give you boo-boo."
His expression softened almost immediately when he saw his little girl's tears. "Oh, no...Princess. It wasn't your fault, sweetheart. Daddy's not mad at you." He stood up and reached out for her, pulling her close when she wrapped her little arms around his neck. "Daddy's not mad."
"How long have you two been down here, Tony?" The raven-haired woman asked, rubbing her daughter's back as she held tightly to her Daddy.
He glanced at the clock on the DVD player and shrugged. "I think Jack woke me at...2? I'm not really sure, baby." He offered her a small smile as their toddler stopped crying, her remaining tears soaking into Tony's sweatshirt. "He said she was coughing, she had a fever, and she threw up in the bathroom."
"Oh...Em..." Abby frowned deeply, pressing a kiss to the back of her daughter's head. "Why didn't you wake me, T?"
"You've got a lot of stuff to do today, and I knew you needed your sleep. I had it under control, baby."
"I know. I..." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'll call her doctor. I'm gonna have to put off the wedding stuff until next week."
"Abs." Tony protested, lying Emma on the couch when he noticed she was back asleep. "C'mon, baby. I'll stay here with her, okay? Her fever's gone down since last night, and if anything else comes up, I'll call. Her doctor's only gonna tell us to give her fluids and let her rest."
She hesitated, looking down at her little girl curled up on the couch. "I...I don't know, T. I've never left her when she's sick."
He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. "Abby...everything will be okay. I promise. It'll be a Daddy-Daughter day. We'll hang out and watch movies. If she gets hungry, I'll fix her some lunch."
"Yeah." She chuckled, turning in his arms and pressing a kiss to his lips. "That's what worries me."
"You wound me, baby." He pouted, returning her kiss. "You'll be back soon enough, okay? Let me hold down the fort."
The Goth sighed. "Okay." She pulled away from him and took a deep breath, looking back at her little girl. "Okay."
"Go get ready, sunshine. Zee's coming over soon, isn't she?"
Abby nodded. "Yeah. I gotta wake Britty up too. When she gets here, could you get the door?"
"Sure thing." Tony agreed, pecking her on the cheek before she took off up the stairs. He smiled and sat down on the couch next to his sick daughter, rubbing her back gently as she continued to sleep.
Emma stirred just long enough to crawl onto her father's lap, curling up against his chest again. He grinned to himself and held her close, relaxing against the cushions and allowing himself to fall back to sleep as well.
He woke about an hour later to his daughter's hoarse coughs, the sound startling him slightly. He stifled a yawn as he sat up, glancing down at Emma's face, surprised to find her still asleep. Laying her down gently on the couch, he stifled another yawn and pushed himself to his feet, surprised to see Bradley, Jack and Jeremy huddled around the kitchen table.
"How's Em?" Bradley asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Still asleep." The Italian responded, clapping Jack on the shoulder as he passed. "Thanks again for takin' care of my girl last night, Jack."
The teenager blushed slightly, dropping his head as he took another bite of his cereal. "No problem, Uncle Tony." He muttered.
Rubbing a hand over his tired face, Tony poured himself a cup of coffee and had just taken his seat when the sound of a knock on the door caught his attention.
Pushing himself to his feet with a groan, he made his way to the front door, offering Ziva a smile when he pulled it open. "Mornin', Zee."
"Good morning, Tony." The Israeli greeted, looking him over carefully with a slight smirk on her face. "Abby kept you up last night, yes?" She teased.
"Emma, actually. My girl is sick."
"Oh, poor baby. I hope it is not that flu bug that is going around."
"Me too." He nodded, stepping aside so his partner could enter the house. "Abby! Britty! Ziva's here!" He called, smirking at the younger woman. "Want some coffee? They'll be down in a minute."
"No, no coffee for me. Do you have any of that tea that Abby drinks?" She asked, dropping her purse on the table in the entry hall.
"I think so. She just went to the store yesterday, so I'm pretty sure she picked some up. Go on, sit. I'll get you a cup." He ushered the younger woman into the kitchen, grabbing a cup out of the cabinet. He filled the cup with some boiling water and picked up the box of assorted teabags that Abby had purchased at the grocery store, setting both on the table in front of her.
"Daddy!" Emma cried, coughing hoarsely.
"I'm comin' baby." He called, exiting the kitchen to join his daughter in the living room. "Hey sleepyhead."
She sat up on the couch, rubbing her eyes as she sniffled before she held her arms out to him. Lifting her up, he cradled her against his chest, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
"Auntie Ziva's here." He told her, grinning when she snuggled against him. "You wanna go say hi?"
"Auntie Zeebra?" She asked, putting her finger into her mouth. "I go say hi."
He carried the little girl into the kitchen and set her down, smiling brightly when she ran over to Ziva and hugged her tightly.
"Auntie Zeebra!"
"Hello, Emma!" The Israeli greeted, pulling the toddler into her lap. "I heard that you are not feeling very well today."
"Uh uh. My tummy hurts. Daddy take care of me." She smiled, looking up at her father. "And JJ."
"JJ?" The brunette asked, looking up at Tony curiously.
Bradley chuckled. "It's her nickname for Jack."
"Hey, Ziva!" Abby said, stepping into the kitchen with Britty in tow. She turned to her lover and looked at him worriedly. "Are you sure you'll be okay? BB's takin' the boys shopping, so you'll be here alone."
"Abby..."
"I'm just asking!"
Tony smiled, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her deeply. "I love you. Now, you girls go on and get your stuff done. Em and I will be fine."
The Goth sighed heavily, dropping her head to his chest as she conceded. "Okay. C'mere, Em." She held her arms out for her, smiling. She lifted her daughter into her arms and hugged her, smoothing her blonde curls back. "Mommy and your Aunties have to go out, but Daddy's gonna stay here and take good care of you, okay?"
The toddler nodded, offering her mother a brave smile. "Daddy watch Lilo?"
"I'm sure your Daddy would love to watch Lilo and Stitch with you." She confirmed, flashing a grin at her Italian. She nearly laughed when he dropped his head back, rolling his eyes. "You be a good girl."
"Love you, Mommy."
"Feel better, Munchkin. I'll see you in a while." Abby pressed a kiss to her forehead before handing her to Tony. "We'll be back by 3. Promise."
"Take your time, baby. Now go, before I have to kick you out." He waved as Britty and Ziva pulled his girl toward the door, not giving her an opportunity to protest. "Stubborn, that one."
Bradley scoffed. "I tried tellin' you all those years ago, but no one listens to me. I only raised the girl, so I don't know anything about her personality." He picked up his coffee cup and walked into the kitchen to rinse it out before turning back to his sons. "Jack, take your brother up and get ready to go. We're leavin' in 15 minutes."
Lifting his brother from the chair, Jack led Jeremy up the stairs, leaving the two men and the little girl alone.
"Daddy..." Emma whimpered, snuggling down against her father's chest.
"Shh, shh. You're okay, baby." He cooed quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "We'll go watch our movie in just a few minutes, okay?"
Bradley couldn't help but grin at the sight of his soon-to-be brother-in-law and niece. "You're really good with her."
Tony couldn't help but grin at the compliment. "Thanks, man."
"No problem." The older man said dismissively. "We'll be back in awhile. Need anything while we're out?"
"Nah, I think we'll be good."
Nodding, Bradley hurried upstairs to finish getting ready. Carrying his little girl into the living room, Tony laid Emma down on the couch while he looked for her movie.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"I go s'eep in your bed?" She asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"Yeah, we can go lay in my bed, sweetness. Let me find your movie and we'll go upstairs, okay?"
She nodded tiredly, releasing a quiet sigh as she curled up on her side. After finding the movie, Tony lifted Emma into his arms again and made his way toward the stairs.
"You guys have fun." He called, passing Bradley, Jack, and Jeremy on his way up.
Pushing the bedroom door open, he laid his girl on the bed and popped the movie into the DVD player before he turned back to the bed, frowning when he saw Emma curled in on herself, sniffling pitifully.
"What's the matter, Em? Does your belly still hurt?" He asked, sinking down on the side of the bed before he pulled her into his lap.
She opened her mouth to respond when she vomited violently again, her entire body trembling as she retched.
Tony swallowed hard as he looked down at his soiled sweatshirt. "Oh, Em..."
Her sobs reached his ears, the sound making his chest ache. "I sorry." She sobbed, coughing deeply as she trembled in her father's arms.
"No, no." He said, standing the small child on the floor. He pulled his sweatshirt off and balled it up, tossing it aside before reaching for his daughter again. "Arms up, baby."
Emma followed her father's instructions, allowing him to strip her dirty clothes off and toss them over with his discarded shirt. He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom, helping her to brush her teeth quickly before retreating to the master bedroom again, tucking her in on his side of the bed.
"Daddy's gonna get you some clean jams, baby. You watch your movie."
When the Italian returned a few minutes later, the toddler was fast asleep. He couldn't help but smile as he slid into the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her securely and relaxing against the pillows, falling asleep himself moments later.
**Later That Night - 2100 Hours**
Tony woke up slowly, stretching his arms above his head and blinking his eyes, trying to focus in the darkness of the bedroom. The sun had gone down and when he glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand, he was surprised to see that it was nearly 9 o'clock at night.
"Damn. Slept the day away, DiNozzo." He mumbled, moving to push himself up when he realized he couldn't move due to his daughter being wrapped tightly around his chest. Flopping back against the pillows, he sighed heavily, surprised to see the little girl dressed in the pajamas he had grabbed before he fell asleep.
The bedroom door opened slowly and he looked up, smiling sleepily when he saw his girl walk in. "Hey, lazybones." She teased, sitting next to him on the edge of the mattress and running a hand through his hair. "Sleep okay?"
The Italian yawned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "Guess so. Been out for 12 hours. How was the excursion?"
"Good. We got quite a bit done, actually." Abby said, resting her head on his shoulder. "And I narrowed down my dress to 3 choices."
"Oh really?" He grinned, moving to kiss her when he coughed deeply. "Sorry, baby."
"You'd better not be gettin' sick, DiNozzo. You're not gettin' out of Christmas Mass this year." The Goth reached up and brushed his forehead with the back of her hand, frowning deeply at the heat coming off his lightly tanned skin. "Baby...you're burnin' up."
"'M fine, Abs. Been under this down comforter for 12 hours. Of course I'm hot."
She cocked an eyebrow at him, though she quickly turned her attention to her daughter when the little girl stirred.
"Mommy?"
"Hi baby." Abby greeted, offering the little girl a smile. "You ready to get a bath?"
Emma didn't respond, though she held her arms out for her mother, snuggling against her when she lifted her into his arms.
Stretching out lazily on the bed again, Tony breathed deeply before he doubled over, coughing again. He pushed himself up and stretched his arms above his head, groaning when he felt his back give a satisfying pop. Pulling a tshirt on, he headed downstairs to find something to eat.
"You look like shit, Tony." Britty said, looking over her shoulder at him as she did the dishes.
"Wow. Thanks for that, B." He smirked, opening the refrigerator and looking for something quick to cook.
"There's some leftover spaghetti if you want." The redhead mentioned offhandedly. "On the bottom shelf in the blue tupperware."
The Italian smiled and pulled the container out, setting it on the counter. "I do love it when Abs makes her spaghetti."
She chuckled quietly, continuing to wash the dishes as he reheated some of the leftovers. "How's Emma feeling?"
"She seems to be doin' okay. Slept all afternoon as far as I know."
"That's good. It's always hard seein' your baby sick."
Tony nodded, pulling the plate out of the microwave. "I can only imagine how hard it'll be to send her off to school."
"Eh, you get over that one pretty quick." She reassured him. "Gettin' your days back is always nice."
He sat down at the kitchen table and started eating. "I don't get many days to myself as it is. I think I'd rather spend 'em with Em and Abs than with anyone else."
"Where have you been all my life, heartbreaker?" Britty teased, swatting him gently with the kitchen towel.
"Right here, baby. Your sister-in-law just found me first."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." Laughing, she turned back to the sink when Tony suddenly jumped up, running past her to the bathroom. "Tony? You okay?" She followed after him, frowning when she saw him vomiting in the toilet. "Abby!" She called up the stairs. "Better get down here!"
"Coming!" Abby called, heading downstairs with Emma dressed in her nightgown, her hair still wet from the bath. "What's wrong?"
"Your hubby's sick." The redhead said, lifting her niece out of the Goth's arms. "You handle that, I'll put Emma to bed."
"Thanks, B." She watched as her friend took the little girl upstairs before turning back to the bathroom. Stepping inside, she immediately knelt next to her lover, frowning when he heaved again. "You okay, T?"
He shook his head, shifting back so he was resting on his heels. "I feel better now than I did a few minutes ago."
"C'mon. Let's get you to bed. Hopefully you'll feel better in the morning."
The Italian allowed his girl to help him up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before flushing the toilet. She led him up the stairs and down the hall to their bedroom, peeking into Emma's room to see Britty finishing the story she had been reading to their daughter, despite the fact that the little girl was already asleep.
They continued to their bedroom, with Abby pushing the door open quietly. "Whatcha think about a massage?" The Goth asked, a smile spreading across her face.
"Mmm...I get my Christmas present early?"
"One of 'em. Lay down on the bed, big boy."
"Yes ma'am." He joked, coughing deeply again as he peeled of his shirt and laid down, resting his head on his arms.
She frowned as she walked into the bathroom, grabbing the trash can from under the counter before returning to the bedroom. She placed the can on the ground next to their bed and pulled open his nightstand drawer, pulling out the small bottle of massage oil they kept there.
The Goth crawled onto the bed like a cat and straddled her lover's hips, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck. "All ready?" She asked, popping open the oil and squeezing some into her hands. She massaged his back gently at first, using only her fingertips as she ghosted over his already warm skin.
"Mmm..." Tony moaned quietly, closing his eyes. "You sure you weren't a masseuse in a past life?"
Abby chuckled, moving to rub at the tense muscles in her Italian's shoulders. "Pretty sure I wasn't, but I did learn from the best."
He smiled at her over his shoulder before coughing again. His face immediately fell when his stomach turned. "Abs...up. Up, please."
She scrambled off his back and grabbed the trash can off the floor, handing it to her lover just as he retched again. She ran her fingers through his hair until he finished, leaning forward and kissing his temple.
"You okay, T?"
The older man fell back against the pillows, rubbing a hand over his face. "Think I got what Em had. I should probably go sleep downstairs. Don't need you gettin' sick too, sunshine. Not on Christmas."
"Shh." She said, sitting next to him and pulling his head down against her chest, threading her fingers through his hair. "You're not sleepin' anywhere but in your own bed. I'll be fine."
"Abby..."
"No. Don't 'Abby' me, DiNozzo. Just relax."
The raven-haired woman massaged her lover's scalp gently, smiling sadly when she felt him relax against her chest as he fell asleep. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to the top of his head gently.
"Hope you feel better, baby."
Chapter End Notes:
"Look After You" by The Fray