Title: Just A Month
Author: CJ aka WritinginCT
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Abby/DiNozzo
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, suspension of civil liberties
Categories: Romance, Drama
Feedback: Love it? Hate it?
Disclaimer: I don’t own the recognizable characters I’m just inspired by them. Hopefully they’ve had fun playing in my sandbox.
Summary: In an world where personal choice has become extinct, and it's illegal for anyone over the age of thirty to be unwed, can Tony and Abby find a way to beat the system and be happy?
Status: WIP

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Tony glared at the letter on his desk. He verified the dates on it as he put in a request for IMC leave. He muttered curses under his breath as he filled out the triplicate form. He finally finished it and signed the thing in irritation. He noticed that Gibbs wasn't at his desk and wondered how angry he would be when Tony handed him the loathsome form.

----------

Little did Tony know but Gibbs was already in a fury caused by the IMC. He was down in Abby's lab hugging a sobbing Abby for all he was worth, her own letter from the IMC crumpled in her hand. Her words cut right into him, and there was absolutely nothing he could do, "It's not fair, Gibbs. They shouldn't be allowed to do this. It's not right. It's just not right. Make it go away, Gibbs. Please. Please make it go away."

He stroked her hair and whispered, "I'm sorry Abs, I'd fix it if I could. It's just a month. It'll be over before you know it."

It took her a long time to finally calm down enough for him to let her go. And he stayed with her as she filled out the required triplicate form.

He left her to at the entrance to the ladies room, so she could wash her face and he headed back up to the bullpen.

----------

Tony could see that Gibbs was in a foul mood as he entered the bullpen, and that he already had an IMC form in his hand. Tony approached Gibbs' desk, and waited for the furious man to look up at him. Soon enough the blue eyes lifted to meet Tony's and seeing the look on Tony's face and turning his attention to the form Tony was holding out to him he sighed heavily. He couldn't take his anger out on Tony, it wasn't his fault.

"Sorry, Boss." Tony said quietly.

Gibbs scrubbed his face with his hands and looked back up at Tony, "It's not your fault, Tony." He quickly glanced at the form Tony handed to him and did a quick comparison to Abby's. "Looks like you and Abby are assigned the same month and the same facility."

Tony looked at the second form in Gibbs hand as what Gibbs just said sank in, "Is she alright, Boss?" The last time that Abby had to fulfill her requirement she had cried for a week solid and had just about broken everyone's hearts.

"Not even close, DiNozzo."

Tony sighed and raked his hand through his hair, "Isn't there some loophole we can find for her, Boss? There's got to be something."

"I've tried. I was able to postpone it because she had to testify in court, but I can only do that so many times. She's got to put the time in and get it over with. Same as you."

"I hate this, Boss. This'll be my fourth go'round. You'd think they would get the hint that its never going to work. This is Abby's second time right?"

He could see Gibbs gritting his teeth, and he knew that the idea that there wasn't anything he could do for Abby was tearing him up inside. Gibbs frowned at the two forms in front of him before quickly signing both. "Yeah." he said, tossing the pen down on the desk.

Gibbs took the paperwork and headed up the stairs to the Director's office leaving Tony alone in the bullpen with his thoughts.

---------------
tbc....


a/n - this is a weird little plot I've had buzzing in my head for a while. It's an odd odd AU.

---------------

The night before he was supposed to report to the International Marriage Council facility, Tony packed carefully. He knew what he was allowed to bring and what was forbidden. The last three times he had tried to dress nicely, and respect the process and the other forced participants. This time around he was going for comfort. Ratty t-shirts, his softest, most faded jeans, and sneakers that were one good rainstorm away from falling apart entirely. He just didn't care.

The next morning he was waiting for the IMC shuttle bus to arrive and escort him to the facility. Participants were not allowed to have personal vehicles at the facility. He sat on the stairs to his apartment with his mp3 players drowning out the world. He smiled thinking about the one good thing that would happen during the course of the first day, he would have a follow up session with his previous pairing, Catherine. Unlike his first two pairings he had actually liked Catherine. Smart and funny, with a trivia knowledge that almost beat out his, she had made the three weeks of isolation bearable. They had both talked plainly about the IMC process and how they both hated it. They were also honest about the fact that although their personalities meshed nicely that they just weren't physically attracted to each other. His eyes grew soft as he thought about how on their last night in isolation that they had fallen asleep together on the couch in their suite and woken up holding each other. They had parted as friends and he was honestly looking forward to seeing her again.

The shuttle picked him up and delivered him to the facility. He was able to bypass the first-timers line and went to the repeat participant line and smoothly checked in and had his bags searched for forbidden items. Finding none they gave him his information packet and sent him to the dormitory. He found his assigned bed and footlocker that he promptly dumped his bags into. He looked around the cavernous room filled with a hundred such beds and footlockers. This was one of four such dormitories. In each participant cycle there were two hundred men and two hundred women. Half of which were repeat participants, the other half being first-timers.

Grabbing the key from his locker and stuffing it in his pocket he headed out to the main lounge area. He found a comfortable chair where he could watch the comings and goings, waiting to see Abby. The area served as not only a lounge but as a the main thoroughfare to get to the administration offices, the infirmary, the recreation rooms, and the personality testing center.

He chuckled to himself as he saw a couple of obvious first-timers being shuffled off towards the personality testing room. He didn't envy them, they were going to spend the rest of the day filling in ovals with a number two pencil as they shuffled through the reams of testing until they were cross eyed.

He flipped through his packet as he waited. He was scheduled to visit with a placement counselor mid-morning to update his file. He snorted at that thought, it would be a quick meeting seeing as how nothing had changed since he was here six months ago. His follow up session with Catherine was scheduled after lunch. Then he was on his own for the next seven days, when the observers watching all of the interactions in the common rooms would pair him with someone that he had interacted with that met with the personality profile match requirements. Then he would be stuck in isolation with that person for three weeks.

He closed his packet with a sigh and flopped his head back against the chair. The last time wasn't so bad. He had "bonded" with Catherine in one of the smaller rec rooms where a James Bond marathon was playing on the television. The two of them quoted the movies word for word and shared a lot of laughs to the chagrin of the rest of the people in the rec room. She was pleasant and easy to be around. She was a pediatric nurse, and Tony could just envision her putting sick kids at ease. Short and full-figured with a sweet smile and a gentle laugh she could put anyone at ease. They shared a love of movies and football and bad jokes. And Tony was only a little surprised when he had opened the door to the isolation suite to her there waiting for him. They had a good laugh over it and muddled their way through the awkwardness of the situation.

The other two times he had been here were just nightmares. And he refused to even think about it.

He was sitting with his eyes half open when he saw Abby enter the room. His heart broke for her as he took in her deflated appearance, no pigtails, big baggy skater pants and sweatshirt instead of her normal mini skirt, and a pair of All Stars peeking out the bottom of the pants. There was normally such an effervescent air around her that it almost hurt to see it missing. She scanned the room briefly and then her eyes locked on Tony and grew huge. He and Gibbs had decided to surprise her and hadn't told her that Tony was going to be at the facility at the same time. He grinned at her and a slow smile spread over her face. He stood to go help her with her bag when she launched at him and he suddenly had Abby's body plastered to him and her arms squeezing the life out of him.

He hugged her back and they just stood there for the longest time as he held her tightly and whispered, "Everything's going to be okay, Abs. We'll get through this."

Her voice wavered on crying as she replied, "Tony, I don't want to be here. It's horrible. It's not fair."

He rubbed his cheek against her hair , "I know, Abs. I know."

It took a couple more minutes for Abby to calm down and when they parted he gave her a little kiss on the forehead. Both of them forgetting that there were camera's and observers everywhere. And that their actions had been duly noted.

---------------

tbc...

---------------

They found Abby's assigned bunk and unloaded her stuff then went in search of coffee at the cafeteria, trying to kill time until their scheduled appointments. The got their coffee and a couple of donuts, because if nothing else at the facility, the cafeteria was well varied and stocked. As they headed for a table he teased her, "So what's with this new look of yours, Abs? You look like you raided your brother's closet."

She very playfully and maturely stuck her tongue out at him in response, "I'm not giving the ogre any help. If he wants to undress me with his eyes, he's gonna have to work for it. Besides what exactly are you wearing?"

He shrugged, "Same thought I guess, I don't want to worry about someone being attracted to my Armani rather than me." He sipped his coffee and asked gently, "So an ogre huh?"

Abby hadn't told anyone the details about her first experience at the facility. She would just say that it had been horrible, but she wouldn't share anything else about it. Tony always suspected that something not quite right had gone on but she never said. It had taken her weeks to get back to her normal perky self the last time, and Tony had personally wanted to pummel the moron she had been isolated with for making her so miserable.

Abby looked down at her donut and sighed, "Yeah. I really don't want to see him again, Tony. He's a jerk. And a touchy-feely jerk at that." She picked up her donut and bit into it viciously.

All of Tony's creep senses started tingling at her words. Did this guy put his unwelcome hands on Abby? Did he try to force her? Participants in isolation were permitted to have consensual sex, and even encouraged to do so as part of the getting to know one another process, but the emphasis was on consensual. Tony had heard a couple of rumors about women being forced, but there were supposed to be safeguards in place to prevent that in the form of the observers. If this this slimeball hurt Abby, Tony was personally going to kill him with his bare hands. He was seeing so red at the thought that he didn't realize his hands were balled into fists on the table.

Abby saw his reaction and realized where his mind must have gone. She placed a gentle hand on his, "Tony, he didn't...he just kept wanting to hug me and rub my shoulders and stuff. It was just creepy."

His eyes met hers and the red haze fell away, he turned his hand over under hers and squeezed, "I'll keep the ogres away, Abs, I promise."

Her eyes twinkled with humor, "My knight in shining armor."

He looked down at his holey sweatshirt, "The armor's looking a little threadbare today."

She closed her eyes dramatically and teased, "I'm picturing you in Armani in my mind."

They both laughed and went back to their donuts, but the observers noted that they never let go of each other's hands.

---------------

They made their way back to the main lounge as their appointment times grew close. They found a little couch and sat side by side, Abby laying her head on Tony's shoulder as they waited.

Tony's meeting was called first and he left a forlorn Abby alone on the couch. The meeting went quickly, he hadn't had any major lifestyle changes or epiphanies in the past six months since his last stint at the facility. As he made his way back to the lounge area he heard Abby's raised voice, "Can't you take a hint? I'm not interested. Now go away and just leave me alone."

Tony rounded the corner to see Abby almost backed up against a wall with what had to to be one of the most disgusting men Tony had ever seen encroaching her personal space. Heavyset with long, greasy, unwashed hair Tony could smell the man halfway down the hallway. His food stained t-shirt and sweatpants were so dirty they could almost stand up on their own. The man was just a pig. Actually Abby had aptly named him, an ogre. And the ogre was whining to Abby and reaching his filthy hands out to touch her, "Oh, come on, I know you've missed me in the last nine months. Gimme a hug and we'll go tell them to hook us up again."

"Keep your hands to yourself if you know what's good for you." Tony said coming up behind the ogre, "She said she's not interested."

The man turned around to see a furious Tony looming over him by a foot with blood in his eye but he didn't back down, "Screw you, we're all equal in here. I can talk to whoever I want, pretty boy."

Tony took a step forward, close enough for the man to feel the heat from Tony's anger, but not touching him, and spat out, "I am federal agent, and I am telling you right now that if you lay so much as a finger on her I will arrest you for assault."

The ogre tried to sputter out something about Tony not having jurisdiction in the facility, to which Tony rattled off all of the national and international codes that governed the facility, which included the fact that as a federal agent he maintained his arrest privileges. By the time he was done with his rant, the ogre was visibly pale with an expression of pure terror on his face. Tony ended the situation by saying, "You will leave her alone. Because if you don't you will have to deal with me. And I'm a lot like the David Banner, you really won't like me when I'm angry. Got it?" And with that he stepped between the ogre and Abby and putting his arm around her shoulder protectively, led her away from the ogre.

Abby was floored, completely floored. She knew Tony was a good cop, a good agent, but the rant with all the legal jargon was something else. She also knew that he loved and treated women with tenderness and caring. But she had never seen this protective side of him. And the idea that he would be so protective of her sort of confused her. Because for a second it felt not like he was protecting her as a friend, but protecting her like she was his, like he would a lover. And the way he put his arm around her and got her out of there was certainly possessive.

As soon as they were away from the crowd that had formed, Tony stopped and turned to face her. He rubbed her upper arms and asked gently, "You okay?"

"Yeah. I think so."

He squinted at her as if trying to determine if she was telling him the truth or not. "The ogre I presume?"

She looked down and signed, then replied in a little broken voice, "Yeah."

He pulled her into a hug that she melted into, "I'm so sorry, Abs. Nobody should ever have to be isolated with that thing."

They stood there for a long moment, ignoring the looks they were getting from passersby in the corridor. She squeezed him harder and said very softly into his shoulder, "I could get used this."

He caught what she said but wanted to be sure, "What did you say, I missed it."

She pulled back and shook her head, "Nothing. It was nothing."

He gave her the look that said he didn't believe her but didn't press. "C'mon let's go have ice cream for lunch."

She smiled and nodded and they walked to the cafeteria shoulder to shoulder. And the dutiful monitors had documented every scrap of the incident.

---------------

tbc...

---------------

They were nestling up to some big bowls of hot fudge laden ice cream at a table near the windows when Tony heard his name called across the cafeteria. He and Abby both looked in the direction of the voice to see a short, plump woman with a big smile making her way towards them with carrying a lunch tray. A matching smile crossed Tony's face and he stood took her tray and put it on the table to give the woman a big hug.

They both started talking animatedly at once and then laughed at themselves. Abby smiled, this must be the infamous Catherine. Tony had described her to Abby and he didn't have enough nice things to say about her. It was nice to see that the woman was just as glad to see Tony as he was her.

"Oh, hey, sorry. Catherine this is Abby Sciuto, Abby this is Cathrine Spinelli, the poor woman that had to put up with being in isolation with me the last time."

Catherine smiled warmly and shook Abby's hand, Tony had spoken often of Abby, and he seemed extremely fond of her. "It's nice to meet you Abby." She glanced around with a frown, "Well maybe not under these circumstances. But what can you do?"

"You too, Catherine. Tony told us all about you. And we all decided you deserved a medal for being cooped up with a cranky Tony." Abby teased.

Catherine winked conspiratorially, "He was only a little cranky."

Tony whined playfully, "I AM in the room."

Both women turned to face him, "We know."

They all laughed and sat down to talk and eat lunch. "So your boss must not be too pleased to have you both here at the same time." Catherine prompted.

That started their conversation going and Abby found herself very at ease with Catherine and the feeling was mutual. They talked for quite a while as they ate. Finally Tony gave Catherine one of his “I'm trying to figure you out” looks and asked, “Okay, something's different. Tell me.”

A hesitant little smile crossed Catherine's face and she said quickly, “I met someone.”

It took Tony a second to digest that, “What? Not here?”

Catherine laughed, “No. Although he'll be here later, we have an appointment with the the Participation Suspension officer after the follow up session.”

A wide smile crossed Tony's face, “Okay, now I really need details. That is great news.”

“Well his name is Stan, he's an obstetrician that started at the hospital while you and I were in isolation, I met him when I went back to work. It started out as coffee in the hospital cafeteria and one thing led to another and we've been talking about getting married. We're having the meeting later to get our paperwork approved so we'll have a year to either get married or start participating in the isolation sessions again. He's a really great guy, Tony. I think you'd like him.”

“Any guy that can put a smile that big on your face has got to be a great guy. I am so happy for you, Catherine, I really mean that.”

“Catherine, that is so awesome. I'm glad you met someone the old fashioned way.” Abby said a bit wistfully.

Catherine had been watching the two of them throughout lunch and coupled what she saw with all of the things Tony had told her about Abby when they were in isolation. He had spoken often of her, always so warmly and his eyes had grown soft. She had suspected that deep down Tony was halfway in to being in love with Abby even if he didn't know it. And now watching the two of them together she realized that they were good together, similar senses of humor partnered with a seriousness when they needed to be, and most importantly an obvious physical comfort with each other as they unconsciously touched each other often as they spoke. She wondered what would happen if they were isolated together.

---------------

The afternoon follow up session was held in one of the larger rec rooms where the staff had placed the chairs in a large circle. Tony sat with Abby on side and Catherine on the other. He had to struggle not to smirk as the ogre entered the room and upon seeing Tony took the seat furthest away from Abby as he could get and still be in the room.

The counselor started the session and they all spoke freely about their last isolation session, and whether or not they wanted a repeat session with the same person to try again. Most everyone said no, but there was one couple that requested a second session.

Tony noticed a guy across the circle from them that kept looking at Abby. Dressed in black jeans with a black t-shirt, he was a handsome guy in a metro-sexual sort of way. He was younger than Tony and his short spiked dirty blond hair made him look even younger. He had some intricate tattoos showing on his forearms and heavy silver rings on his fingers. There was certainly a gleam of interest in his eyes as he looked at Abby that Tony wasn't quite sure how to feel about.

The session ended and they all made their way out of the room. There was a man standing in the hallway waiting for someone. He was on the short side for a guy, dressed conservatively in khakis and a golf shirt, his dark hair neatly trimmed and his expression pleasant but neutral. Until he saw Catherine. Then an enormous smile spread across his face and his brown eyes lit up.

Catherine dragged Tony and Abby over and introduced them to Stanley. Tony could almost see the sparks flying between them. And he couldn't have been happier for them. They chatted for a few minutes before Catherine and Stan had to go to their appointment.

After they left Tony scrubbed his face with his hands, realizing that he didn't have anywhere else to be, and he didn't know what he wanted to do.

When he dropped his hands he immediately saw a smirking Abby and he couldn't help but smile, wondering what she was up to now.
She took his hand and pulled him off towards one of the smaller rec rooms, “Let's snag one of the game consoles and blow up mutants. It will make us feel better.”

Tony just laughed and went along for the ride, glad that she was feeling a little better and smiling again.

---------------

tbc...

They played video games until they both decided that they were starving and headed to the cafeteria. The two of them sat at a small table for two and tried to ignore everyone else around them. Tony had her in stitches laughing as he recounted a McGee anecdote from the first case they had worked together.

She in turn shared some stories about her college years and had him laughing just as hard. It was easy for them to forget about everyone else for a while.

One of the monitors was going table to table passing out a schedule of the recreational activities available for the week. There was everything from pickup basketball in the gymnasium to ballroom dancing lessons in one of the rec rooms. The IMC really didn't want the participants to be bored out of their minds, and provided a wide variety with the hopes that participants with similar interests would gravitate together.

They read through the lists, finding things that interested them both, and some things they wanted to do on their own.

After dinner Tony felt the need to burn off some energy in the gym on the treadmill. Abby was going to find a nook and snuggle up with a new technical manual that she had been wanting to read and try and avoid ogres.

---------------

Tony ran until the burn in his lungs was too much to take and he cooled down and got off the treadmill. The gym was surprisingly busy. All of the treadmills were in use and there were folks waiting patiently to use some of the stations.

He wiped his sopping face and head on a towel and heard a woman's voice from behind him ask, “Are you done with this one?”

He turned and tried not to let his mouth fall open like a teenager at the sight of the woman. About thirty, she was petite and the little sports bra and shorts set she was wearing showed off that she was extremely toned. Adding that she was very tanned with blond hair and blue eyes, she was just gorgeous.

His brain tried to engage and think of something clever, but it didn't work. “Yeah.”

She grinned, but he noticed there was tension in her expression, and the smile didn't reach her eyes, which were a little frosty, “Great.”

When he didn't move so she could get to the treadmill she prompted, “Um, kinda hard to get by.”

He broke his obvious stare and in an instant, his usual flirty self was back and he found himself teasing her even though he didn't think she would be receptive, “Oh. You want to use the treadmill. I thought you were just asking if I were done so we could trade life stories over a bottle of water.”

She scrunched up her nose and shook her head, “Nope, sorry. Just need to run.”

Tony could take a hint and stepped aside and waved his hand towards the treadmill, “All yours.”

She stepped past him and stood on the treadmill and started programing in her workout as Tony headed for the door. He paused and turned to looked back at her and to his surprise her eyes met his and she smiled lightly, one that warm and friendly. He gave her a little wink and headed for the showers.

---------------

Abby had found a favorite little hiding place during her first stay at the IMC. It was a little alcove tucked away on the backside of the music room. She enjoyed listening to the music as she read, and the variety of people at the facility guaranteed that the music would be varied and interesting.

She heard someone playing piano, not well, but with obvious enjoyment. And it only took her a moment to realize that they were playing themes from movies. A few minutes later the piano stopped an the music room was quiet.

Abby lost herself in her book until the deep sounds of a cello being played pulled her attention back to the music room. The music was both familiar and strange all at the same time, until she realized that whoever was playing, was playing some of her favorite techno tunes on the cello. She listened with a smile.

The cello player was a master, and when they switched from the techno tunes to the movie themes she figured out that it was the same person that had been playing the piano. After a few of those themes they played Lux Aeterna and Abby was completely mesmerized. When that short piece was done another haunting piece started. Achingly beautiful, it moved Abby to near tears. She somehow knew that the piece was an original. And she just had to see who it was that created something so beautiful.

She rounded the corner and looked through the window of music room door to see the gorgeous blonde guy from their session earlier sitting in profile playing the antique cello with his eyes closed, and unbridled passion on his face. His silver rings glinted as his hands moved effortlessly over the instrument.

Abby could only stare. And somehow he must have felt her stare on him because his eyes opened and he turned his head towards the door to meet her eyes. They held the gaze for a long moment and the music never stopped. Abby finally blushed and smiled and he returned it. She gave him a little wave through the glass and turned and walked back towards the dormitory.

---------------
tbc...

Abby had gotten up bright and early, desperately wanting to get out of the dormitory. She showered and did her hair and makeup and dressed considerably more “Abby-like” than she had been the day before. She headed for the cafeteria for a caffeine fix and hopefully a decent donut. There was a feng-shui class that she was planning on attending mid-morning that Tony had scoffed at taking so she was on her own.

She was flipping through the newspaper when a soft spoken male voice said, “Hello. May I join you?”

She looked up to see the blonde cellist standing there with a tray. It took her a second, and she sat there blinking before shaking her head and saying, “Um, sure.”

He smiled and put his tray on the table, then extended his hand to Abby, “I'm Stefan.”

“Abby.”

“So I have to ask, they really stuck you isolation with that slob from yesterday?” He grimaced playfully and Abby couldn't help but chuckle.

“Oh, you mean the ogre?”

---------------

Tony sat up in his bunk and scratched his head, he hadn't slept well, just like he hadn't slept well the other three times he had been here. He stumbled his way through a shower and headed for the cafeteria to get coffee.

He got his coffee and a donut and headed for the seating area and stopped dead in his tracks seeing Abby sitting with the spiky haired blond guy from their group yesterday. And he was hit with a completely unexpected bolt of jealousy as he took in the two of them laughing together and obviously enjoying their conversation.

Tony was trying to decide to go over and interrupt them or just disappear when a voice from behind him teased, “I hope that's not all you're having for breakfast.”

He turned to see the blond woman from the gym with a tray of what he would call health food, a banana, some orange juice, and small bowl of granola cereal. “Yeah actually.”

She looked at his coffee and donut with disdain and added, “As a nutritionist I can tell you that is a horrible combination to put in your body first thing in the morning” She smiled brightly, trying to be friendly.

Before Tony could reply he heard a loud, “No way!” in Abby's distinct voice and he whipped around to see her arms flailing about in laughter at something the blond man had said. Tony's eyes squinted and his brow furrowed of its own accord.

Without even saying anything to the woman he had been speaking with, he walked away, so intent on Abby's table he didn't even heart the woman say, “Jerk.”

He plunked his coffee and donut on the table without invitation and sat in the other chair next to Abby, across from the other guy, “Good morning, campers. Are we having fun yet?”

“Tony!” Abby exclaimed happily, much to Tony's relief.

“Morning, Abs. Sleep well?”

“Um, no. You have to ask?” She was eying his donut, and after comparing it to her own, and in move so similar to what she did all the time to him at the office, she reached over and swapped their plates efficiently stealing the donut with the coveted sprinkles.

Stefan watched the exchange curiously and decided to take the initiative and reached a hand across the table, “Hi, I'm Stefan.”

Tony grabbed a napkin and wiped his hand before shaking Stefan's hand, “Tony.”

Abby was busy communing with her donut and ignoring both men, and didn't realize that she was groaning over her donut in a way that had both men just staring at her. When she finally realized it she just said, “What? It's good.”

“Abs, you never met sugar you didn't like.” Tony teased.

“Good point.”

Stefan was curious and asked, “Do you two know each other?”

Abby answered, “Yeah, we work together.”

“Oh.”

Tony added, “We've known each other a long time, what almost five years isn't it, Abs?”

She nodded and teased, “In thirty-seven days it will be.”

Stefan raised an eyebrow, “You're counting?”

Abby looked at him confused much to Tony's delight, “Well yeah, every year we go out and celebrate, it's a tradition of ours.”

“Oh. That's... nice.”

“So, Abs, you still doing that feng-shui thing this morning?”

“Yeah, Stefan and I were going to go together. Why? Change your mind and decide you want to come?”

“Yeah, maybe I can figure out how to rearrange my desk to avoid getting smacked on the back of the head.”

Abby laughed at the inside joke, leaving Stefan completely out of the loop, which was Tony's full intent, and both Stefan and Tony knew it. And Stefan's eyes met Tony's as if to say “game on”.

---------------

Tony sat through the feng-shui class only half paying attention. His mind was trying to analyze why he felt so jealous over the attention Stefan was giving Abby. The guy seemed like an okay sort, and he and Abby seemed to have a lot in common. Tony knew Abby dated, but he had never actually seen her with another guy. He wondered if vaguely if way down deep if he had hidden feelings for Abby, feelings he had kept even from himself given their working relationship. That flash of jealousy earlier had been strong, very strong. And he wondered if he should actually talk to Abby about it. She was the one person he was always able to talk to about anything, but how would she take this? And what would it do to their friendship? He just didn't know.

---------------
tbc...