„Ok, honey. You go up and get dressed for bed. We'll be up soon, ok?"
Tony asked after dinner and Lil nodded. Then he turned to Abby.
„I don't want to throw you out but Lil wants to sleep with us tonight and it's already nine so she should get some sleep soon."
„That's fine, Tony. There's just something I wanna tell you, since you're my father."
She said and looked at Gibbs. He frowned and wondered what was coming now.
„You didn't only get a daughter today."
She said and Tony looked puzzled.
„No, I got two daughters."
Gibbs said and smiled at Tony but Abby shook her head.
„That's not what I meant. I meant...you're gonna be a grandfather."
Both Tony and Gibbs looked at her with big eyes. They changed a look.
„You're...you're pregnant?"
Abby nodded and Tony only stared at her.
„McGee?"
She nodded again.
„But he doesn't know. I'm nine weeks along. I'm sure I'm gonna show soon so I thought it's better if you know."
Suddenly Gibbs started to smile brightly.
„You know we're gonna help you with everything, Abby. You can always come to us."
He said and stood up. She hugged him tightly and then kissed him on the cheek.
„Thanks...Dad..."
She said and left. Gibbs looked stunned after her.
„Was quite a while since somebody called you that, huh?"
Tony said and wrapped his arms around him from behind.
„Yeah. Let's get to bed. Lil needs some sleep."
The night was long and more than once Lil woke up from a nightmare. They didn't get up till nine AM, very late for Gibbs. He took Lil to the next grocery store since he thought she'd like to go out of the house.
After not even an hour they came back. Tony was talking furiously on the phone.
„I don't care! Just get him on the damn phone!.......I'm the best paying....NO! I need to talk to him right NOW!!....Fu...."
„Tony!"
Gibbs said and put his hands over Lil's ears. She looked up at him then at Tony. The younger man looked at them and mentioned Gibbs to bring her upstairs.
„Yes...Ok, I'll be there....Thank you, Robert."
Tony said and hung up. Gibbs looked asking at him.
„I needed to talk to my lawyer. I have an appointment at two PM tomorrow."
„And why? I'm sure it's not about a ticket you got. You were really pissed."
„I have every reason to be!"
Tony said his voice getting angrier again.
„Tony, relax."
„Relax? How can I relax? Steve's trying to take my baby away from me!"
„What?"
„There! It's a date for a hearing! He said I'm not capable to raise her!"
He said and gave Gibbs the letter from the court. He stared at the letter and then at Tony.
„How can he do that? I mean, you're her father!"
„I know! I don't understand it! I have no idea why they did the hearing! He wasn't even her guardian!"
Tony cell rang and he answered annoyed.
„DiNozzo?...Oh..yeah...No, I'm not at home. No...I'll give you the adress."
Five minutes later he hung up and looked at Gibbs.
„That was...Ms. Lime, she's from child service. She wanted to check my place."
Gibbs looked blankly at him.
„She wanted to make sure it's...good for Lil. She's coming over."
„Where did she have your cell phone number from?"
„It seems that she had called at the office. And landed with Director Sheppard. And Madame Director, as lovely as always, didn't hesitate to give her my mobile number."
Gibbs buried his face in his hands.
„Ok, that was...very nice indeed. Anyway, anything in here that we'd have to get away before she turns up?"
„How about the man I live together with? Homosexuality is...difficult, Jethro."
„Who said you're living with me? You're just staying around until you managed everything...does that sound better?"
Tony paced the kitchen up and down.
„No...I'll stand up for who I am...I'm good for my daughter and you are, too. Steve..."
The doorbell rang and Gibbs quickly gave Tony a peck on the lips before he opened.
„Mr. DiNozzo?"
The woman in front of him asked and gave him a once over.
„Em, no, Ma'am. I'm Jethro Gibbs...that's Tony DiNozzo."
He stepped aside and Ms. Lime shook hands with Tony.
„I hope my visit isn't inconvenient?"
„No, Ms. Lime, just unexpected."
Seeing her now Tony and Gibbs had a quite good feeling. She was around Tony's age and was smiling nicely at both of them.
„Ok, so, before I take a look around I'd like to talk a bit to you."
„Sure, care for some coffee?"
Tony said leading into the kitchen.
„Yes, please. Well, Mr. DiNozzo, I know this comes all quite quickly, it's been only a few days since Ms. Robbins passed, my sympathies, by the way."
„Thank you, and yeah, it all quite crashed over me. But I think I managed quite well."
„So, you and, em, Mr. Gibbs, you live together here?"
„Em...yes, we are."
She nodded and noted something on her pad.
„Ok, don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with homosexual partnership and I know that that can be just as good for a child as a „normal" relationship",
She made quotation marks in the air.
„But a lot of people think different. I understand you've got a date for a hearing?"
„Yeah."
„Who's your judge?"
Tony frowned and took the letter.
„Judge Daniels."
„You seem very lucky. She's a really nice and fair judge. Ok...could I take a look around?"
„Sure, just...like you said, it's been only a few days so...we hadn't had time to do much around the house."
Tony said and Gibbs immidiatly jumped in.
„We were thinking of renovate the spare room for Lil. Making it more approbriate for a child. Right now it's just....a spare room."
„Oh, don't worry. We don't expect this to be a child's paradise. Just show me around."
Going through the house Nicole, Ms. Lime later asked them to call her Nicole, had only a few things they would have to change. Mainly it was that Gibbs would have to get a lock for the basement. Moreover Nicole told them they should call her if there ever was a problem with Child Service.
„Just how do you manage it to charm people even when you tell them that you're with a man?"
Tony shrugged and grinned.
„I think you were a big help. Thanks."
„No problem. Wouldn't want Lil with that guy...talking about that guy. You said something at the hospital...he really had a sexual relationship with a fifteen year old?"
„Yeah...he claimed that he didn't know, she didn't say anything at all. Verdict was not guilty but for me not guilty doesn't mean innocent."
„You think he knew?"
„It doesn't matter. I saw the girl, even if she didn't tell him that she's fifteen, she didn't look older than 18. He knew what he was doing and I'd rather give Lil to a child's home than to that bastard."
There was heavy knocking on the door. Frowning deeply they both went to answer.
„McGee will freak!"
Abby stood in the door and both noticed that she had been crying but neither mentioned it.
„What's the matter, Abs?"
She went into the living room and sat on the couch. Tony and Gibbs took position on both sides of her.
„I was at the doctor...and he...he said...it's gonna be twins."
Tony mouth gaped open and Gibbs gave him a glare.
„Ok, listen, what ever happens, this door is always open to you...although it will be locked from now on."
„Thanks, but...what do I do with McGee? I'm starting to show and I'll have to tell him sooner or later."
„When Amanda told me, I was...to be honest I thought I was falling down a cliff."
Abby buried her face in her hands.
„But then I thought about it and I realized that having a child was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Lil is my life now and I never regretted a single moment. I was there for the birth and all the classes before. When Lil had the chicken-pox I sat at her bed with Amanda and kept her from scratching. And McGee is more grown-up than I was. And he really cares for you. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if he proposed you."
„Don't make it worse!"
Abby suddenly said laughing. She hugged them both tightly.
„Thanks, guys. You'll make a great job with Lil."
„You could tell that the judge."
Gibbs said and Abby stopped smiling.
„The judge?"
„Steve, Amanda's boyfriend wants custody for Lil. It's a long story."
Abby nodded. That night they ordered chinese and stayed in the living room talking until late at night. Abby stayed on the couch and in the morning Tony and Gibbs were witnesses of her first morning sickness.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony and Gibbs don't get a chance to get used to their new family because their luck is threatened. Abby's got a whole different problem.
Chapter End Notes:
Wow, half a year, but finally, I found my way out of inspirational darkness and here it is. Hopefully it won't take this long for the next chapter. Not betaed and thanks for the pushing feedback. More of it, please!
JOIN NCIS ROLEPLAY
http://nciscrimes.proboards103.com/
JOIN NCIS ROLEPLAY
http://nciscrimes.proboards103.com/