Ellick "Painless"

Chapter 48- Especially Me

Trigger warning: mentions of assault

Jack's POV:

I rush out the door and after Ellie, knowing I'm the best one for her to talk to. I don't have to imagine the fear. I know it first hand.

Turning into her room, I lock the door behind me so the rest can't walk in on us.

"Ellie." I say softly.

She looks at me with a hundred different emotions in her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"A pregnancy test?" I whisper gently.

"It's just a precaution. I don't think I'm actually-" she swallows hard. "I hope I'm not actually..." she looks at me. One emotion begins to rise above the rest. Fear. "I don't feel any different." Ellie whispers, her voice shaky and I hug her tightly.

"What if he..." she starts.

"It's okay Ellie, it's okay. It'll be fine, no matter what. We'll be here for you, all of us."

She pulls away. "It would kill Nick. If I'm pregnant, I have to deal with it. Nick doesn't! What if he leaves me? What if doesn't take it in like it's his own? Why would he take it in? I don't want to take it in!"

"Ellie! Ellie, calm down! You don't even know if you're pregnant! There's a really good chance you're not!" I reassure her and she takes a deep breath.

"You're right, you're right." She repeats to herself over and over again.

"And Nick isn't going to leave you! I haven't seen anybody look at someone with so much love in their face as Nick when he looks at you. You couldn't pay him to leave you."

She nods and there's a loud thump on the door, followed by an "owww".

After glancing at Ellie to get her approval, I unlock the door to see the nurse standing there, rubbing his nose.

"Why'd you lock it?!"

"Girl stuff."

"I'm. A. Doctor! I've heard all the girl stuff."

"Private girl stuff." I say again and he just shakes his head. "I'm going to need to ask you to leave. We need to run some tests."

"Can't she stay?" Ellie asks desperately.

"I'm afraid not." And with that he pushes me out of the room and closes the door.

I scoff at the closed door and head back to Nick's room. Upon entering, everyone's eyes are on me.

"What?" I ask innocently.

"What do you mean what?!" Nick asks. "What happened?? Is she pregnant?"

"She's taking the test now."

"Does... she think she's pregnant?" Jimmy inquires.

"She's not sure what to think, but I told her we'd support her no matter what. Especially you, Nick."

Everyone choruses in agreement, and Nick asks "Why especially me?"

"Cause you're her boyfriend, Nick!?!?" McGee practically shouts.

"No I know! I know! Of course I'm going to support her! But why especially me? Like what happened to make it especially me?" He exclaims.

"Well, she's a little worried you're going to leave her if she is pregnant since it wouldn't be your kid."

"That's ridiculous! I'd never leave her!" He stresses.

"I know that!" I say. "I told her she couldn't pay you to leave her."

Nick nods fervently in agreement.

"You could pay me to leave Ziva." Tony says absent mindedly.

Everyone's jaws drop and Ziva punches him.

"What did you just say?!" She hisses quietly in his pained face, anger and hurt in her face.

"I said-" he sucks in a breath of air uncomfortably, "you could pay me to leave you." He sucks in again as Ziva takes a step back, the anger being overpowered by the hurt.

"And then," Tony continues. "I'd take the money... and go back to you... pyramid scheme type thing (insert movie reference. I don't know any movies like that 😅😅) he winces in pain.

"It was supposed to be a joke." Tony explains, standing straight and still breathing heavily. "To lighten the mood... God, Ziva! I think you broke a rib."

"Good thing we're already at the hospital." Jimmy laughs, but quickly stops after seeing everyone. We don't want to react to the situation until we see how Ziva does.

The hurt lessens in her eyes and I see her stance relax slightly.

"Well it was not a funny joke." She huffs, taking a step back to where she was before, taking his hand again. "I should not have reacted that quickly." She says quietly. 

"Oh, no Ziva, that's what I like best about you. You can beat up on people without thinking twice." Tony smiles, taking her hand in his.

Ziva glares at him through the corner of his eyes, but squeezes his hand.

"Sorry. Not helping things." Tony says awkwardly, letting out an uncomfortable laugh.

After a few seconds, everyone goes back to focusing on Nick, but I continue to watch Ziva and Tony.

"I'm sorry, Ziva." He says and kisses her hand.

She looks up at him, giving a reluctant grin, which turned into a sincere smile after a few seconds.

"Yeaaah." Tony smiles. "You miss beating up on me, don't you?"

Ziva laughs and Tony kisses her on the head.

I grin and look away from Ziva and Tony finding myself wishing I had someone like that in my life. When I focus my eyes again I see that I'm staring right at Gibbs, who is talking to Nick. Blinking rapidly, I change my aim and watch Vance and McGee.

A few minutes later, the door opens and the nurse enters. Seeing me, he gives an exasperated smile.

"It's happening again. I'm kicking you out. Except this time it's of the whole hospital. Visiting hours are over."

"Is she pregnant?" Nick asks.

"That's for her to reveal."

"I'm her boyfriend! Isn't that some... legal... thingy? You can tell me?" Nick asks, searching for some clause that allows the doctor to tell him whether she's got a baby growing inside her.

He just shakes his head and kicks us all out of the room.

"Then let me go see her! Please?!" I can hear Nick pleading with the doctor.

I'm the hall, I can see Ellie backing out of her room and wiping her eyes.

S**t. She's crying.