Title: Misconceptions 11/?
Author: Ceindreadh
Email: Ceindreadh@eircom.net
Genre (general, hetero or slash) : Slash, M-PREG, Angst/hurt-comfort
Pairing/Characters: Gibbs/DiNozzo, McGee/Jimmy
Rating: T
Warnings: THIS IS AN M-PREG FIC. If you don't like M-Preg then don't read it. If you read it anyway, then don't go complaining to me that you don't like it *because* it's M-Preg
Later chapters *will* feature minor character death, just so you know.
Disclaimer. I don't own the NCIS characters, I'm only borrowing them, and I promise to return them in minty fresh condition when I'm finished.
Notes: Thanks to FatCat for her Beta'ing
I was going to go into this whole pseudo-scientific explanation as to how M-Preg works in this universe, but then I thought, Feck it. It works, and that's it.
Previously on NCIS
Gibbs's and McGee's relationship was strained following Jimmy's accident.
Mrs. Mallard died, and Jimmy was on his way to inform the Director when he got stuck in the elevator with Gibbs.
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[11]
"What the hell's going on?" said McGee, his face like thunder. "Get your hands off him, Gibbs."
McGee couldn't believe it. He'd been standing outside the elevator for what seemed like hours waiting for it to start running again. Knowing the way Jimmy felt about being trapped in small spaces, there had been all sorts of scenarios running through his mind. The only thing worse than the thought of Jimmy being trapped...was the thought of him being trapped with Gibbs.
The last time Gibbs and Jimmy had been in the same space, one of them had ended up in hospital, and if Gibbs had so much as breathed too heavily on Jimmy, by God he'd pay for it.
When he heard the sound of the elevator car moving, McGee breathed a silent sigh of relief. The worst was over...only a little while longer and Jimmy would be safe. The doors opened, but McGee's greeting died on his lips as he saw Jimmy, looking a little pale and shaky...and with Gibbs's arm around him.
"What did you do to him, Gibbs?" McGee asked accusingly.
"It's okay, Tim," said Jimmy quickly. "It...it's not what it looks like..."
"What the hell happened in there...are you all right?" McGee practically snatched Jimmy away from Gibbs, one arm going protectively around his lover, the other cupping Jimmy's face.
"I'm *fine*, Tim," said Jimmy. "Thanks to Gibbs...if he hadn't been there...if I'd been stuck in the elevator on my own...I'd have panicked...you know what I'm like..." He squeezed McGee's hand gently. "Everything's okay."
McGee shot a look at Gibbs, "I suppose I should thank you for looking after Jimmy," he said, stiffly.
"Don't bother," snapped Gibbs.
"Okay guys, time out," said Abby, making a big T with her hands as she stepped into the middle. "Enough is enough, you guys have been giving each other the cold shoulder routine for months now and we're all sick of it."
Ziva mumbled something indecipherable.
"What?" said Tony.
"She said they're behaving like a pair of angry dogs who keep marking their territory...and she's right. You two have been behaving like children and Tony and Jimmy are getting caught in the middle. This is supposed to be one of the happiest times of their lives, and you guys are messing it all up because of this stupid little squabble."
"Abby," Gibbs started to say, but Abby wouldn't let him finish.
"No Gibbs," said Abby. "This ends *now*. Either you both shake hands and start behaving like civilized adults from her on in...or..."
"Or what, Abs?" asked McGee.
"Or I'm getting Ziva to push you both in the elevator car and I'll cut the power until you're speaking to each other again."
"Abby," protested Gibbs, "We don't have time for this...Ducky's mother just died..."
"I know, Gibbs and that's why we don't *not* have time for it," replied Abby. "Ducky's gonna need us and we need to all pull together...for *his* sake." She stood there, arms folded, tapping her foot impatiently.
Gibbs sighed, knowing that Abby was about the only person in the world who he couldn't win an argument with.
Reluctantly he held out his hand, "McGee..."
Jimmy squeezed McGee gently on the arm and half pushed him towards Gibbs's outstretched hand.
"Gibbs," said McGee as they joined hands.
"McGee...I want to say again...how sorry I am about what happened with Jimmy...I understand completely why you're angry over it. If it had been Tony...if anybody had laid a hand on him, pregnant or not...I'd have been just as angry." Gibbs was looking McGee straight in the eye and didn't see the flash of delight that appeared on Tony's face. "What I did was uncalled for, I should never have lost control like that. I am so sorry that Jimmy got hurt as a result."
"I know," said McGee, "And I accept your apology...and...and I should have accepted it a long time ago. It's my fault that things have been strained." He looked around at Tony and Jimmy and added, "I'm sorry guys..."
There was a small ripple of applause from the group as the two shook hands.
"Now hug," said Abby.
"Abby!" McGee glared at Abby and then looked back at Gibbs who shrugged and opened his arms.
The hug was a little awkward at first but felt oddly reassuring to both men.
Abby nodded approvingly, "Now grab his ass, Gibbs, and McGee, slip him some tongue."
"ABBY!" said everybody, except Ziva, who was still unable to speak clearly following her visit to the dentist.
"What?" shrugged Abby, "It was worth a try!"
Gibbs and McGee hurriedly broke contact and took a step back.
"I have to see the Director," said Jimmy. "To tell her about...about Mrs. Mallard."
"We know," said McGee, wrapping his arm around Jimmy and hugging him close.
"But how?"
"I was in my lab when the power went," said Abby. "First I thought I'd blown a fuse cause I was trying to see if I could increase my CPU time by linking..." she saw Gibbs's face and quickly continued, "anyway, when the power stayed off, I figured I'd better check in with you guys. I knew where Tony, McGee and Ziva were, and Gibbs can take care of himself."
"Gee thanks, Abby," grunted Gibbs.
"Anyway, " continued Abby. "Nobody was answering down in Autopsy so I tried Ducky's mobile. Boy, I felt really bad when he told me what had happened." For a second, even Abby's pigtails looked a little less perky. "So when I'd finished talking to Ducky, I tried Jimmy's mobile and that wasn't getting me anywhere, so I grabbed my flashlight and went Palmer hunting." She squeezed Jimmy's arm. "Didn't want you getting lost."
"Mmfhphhghg," said Ziva. The men looked at her blankly and she growled with frustration, wishing the local anesthetic would wear off soon. Next time she vowed she'd just tell the dentist to go ahead without it. "Abmhy!"
"Ziva showed up when I was in the stairwell," translated Abby. "We checked with maintenance and they said some agent had used the emergency phone to say he was trapped in the elevator with a pregnant guy, and when they mentioned how pissed he was, I figured it had to be you and Jimmy. So we've been waiting here for you to get out."
"We got back about ten minutes ago," explained Tony. "They'd just got the power back on. Probie here," he clapped McGee on the back, "was all set to climb down the elevator shaft..."
"But the maintenance guy said they'd have the elevator running in a matter of minutes," added Abby.
"So we waited," said McGee, still not letting Jimmy go.
"So what are you still waiting for?" said Gibbs. "Get back to work, *now*!"
"Guess things are back to normal," said Tony with a grin.
"Not quite," said Jimmy, sadly.
"Yeah," said Tony, his grin fading slightly.
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Ducky was possibly the only person surprised by the numbers that turned out for his mother's funeral. "One of the penalties of living to ninety eight years of age," he had observed to Abby as she sat next to him in the front row. "One tends to outlive most of ones friends and acquaintances. I really didn't think there'd be so many people."
Abby patted him on the hand, "They're here for you Ducky, all these people...I know some of them knew your mother as well, but most of them...they're here for you...and so are we."
It wasn't just friends and colleagues that had shown up. There were a number of relatives from both sides of Ducky's family tree. But as far as Ducky was concerned, the closest family he had now were the six young people who had sat with him during the service and then traveled with him as he escorted his mother one final time.
"Cremation?" Ziva had asked Ducky when he'd announced the funeral plans. "I did not think it was quite as...traditional."
"It was one of Mother's last requests...back when she was still lucid for most of the time. She'd had my father cremated many years ago...and one of her last requests was to be reunited with him...on this plane as well as the next."
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After the short ceremony at the crematorium, Ducky had requested that Gibbs and his team, together with Abby and Jimmy, accompany him back to his house.
"It's very dark in here," commented Ziva, as Ducky disappeared into the kitchen to put the kettle on.
"It's traditional," said Gibbs. "Close the drapes when somebody dies...don't open them again until after the burial...or in this case, cremation."
The gathering started off as quite a somber occasion, but as usual with Gibbs's team, it didn't stay that way for long.
"And then she tells Kate to show her, her knickers," said Tony, laughing through a mouthful of sandwich. "Something about knowing her intentions from the type of underwear she had on."
"I can see that Mrs. Mallard was definitely your kind of woman, Tony," said Ziva.
"She's just lucky she didn't ask Tony to show *his* underwear," said Gibbs.
"Why's that, Gibbs?" asked Jimmy.
Gibbs shrugged, "Cause there's a fifty-fifty chance he wouldn't have been wearing any!"
"Hey," said Tony, with mock indignation. "I resent that remark" He took another bite of his sandwich and said with his mouth full, "It's more like sixty-forty...we Italian Gigolo furniture moves have a reputation to uphold!"
Abby moved a little closer to Ducky, "How're you holding up, Duck man?" she asked him softly. "I can tone things down a little if you'd like."
Ducky patted her gently on the arm, "My dear, it does me good to know that my mother will be well remembered, even after I'll no longer be around."
"Oh don't say that Ducky, you'll be here for a long time yet," said Abby firmly.
Ducky just smiled sadly at her.
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"So what are you gonna do now, Ducky?" asked Gibbs as they were all helping clean up.
"Well the dogs will have to be fed," said Ducky, "And I'll have to make a start on sorting through Mother's things. You know she was an incessant hoarder."
"You know that's not what I meant," said Gibbs. He patted Ducky on the arm. "I've spoken to Jen, and she's offered you as much compassionate leave as you want to take. Your job will still be there when you come back, no matter how much time you need to take off."
"Please tell her that her offer is most appreciated," said Ducky. "However, I'm not sure that I'll be taking advantage of it."
"You should take some time, Ducky. Going back to work too soon after a death in the family...it's not a good idea."
"Oh you misunderstand me, Jethro. I meant that I don't think I shall be returning to N.C.I.S. at all."
There was a loud crash as Jimmy dropped the cup he'd been holding.
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To be continued
Chapter End Notes:
I wrote a fic called Reality Check, which featured an M-Preg dream. Feedback was so positive that I decided to do the real thing.