**Chapter One -- Naive Orleans Part One**

**May 22, 2009 -- NCIS Headquarters **

Tony sat at his desk in the quiet office, the dim lamp lighting the small area around him. He rubbed his left shoulder absently, relieving the pain in his arm momentarily. Staring at the phone he had sitting open on his desk, he reached up with his right hand and slapped the back of his head.

"What the hell are you doing, DiNozzo?" Contemplating his own question, he leaned back in the chair and scrubbed his hand over his face. He sighed as the elevator bell dinged, depositing someone on the third floor.

"Tony?"

He heard the familiar voice and closed his eyes, cursing himself internally. He had promised Abby a movie night when he got back from Israel, and here he was, at 2 A.M., waiting for a call that wasn't going to come. Abby made her way over to him and perched herself on the corner of his desk, looking at him with a knowing smile.

She glanced down at the phone that sat in the center of his uncluttered workspace, propped open with his eyes glued to it.

"Ziva?"

Tony growled under his breath, looking away from her as he picked up the phone and snapped it shut before shoving it in his pocket.

The forensic specialist chuckled. "Don't be angry, T. I know you better than you know yourself, remember?" She placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "That's what happens when you have a history with someone."

**10 Years Earlier -- New Orleans, LA -- Mardi Gras 1999**

He woke slowly, the pain he felt in his back only matched by the pain in his head the sunlight streaming through the windows met his eyes.

"Are you okay?" He closed his eyes again, turning his head slowly to meet the voice he had heard. He opened his eyes to find a pair of bright green ones staring back at him.

"Do you know your name?" The woman with the green eyes asked. Reaching behind her to grab a bottle of water off the table, she knelt next to his prone body and tipped the bottle to his lips.

"Tony." the dark-haired man said, taking a small sip of the water. He put his hand flat on the ground in a feeble attempt to push himself up when the woman put her hand on his shoulder and eased him back down.

"Don't move yet. Just relax."

"What happened?" Tony groaned, trying to relax unsuccessfully against the hard ground.

The woman chuckled. It was a pleasant sound that brought a small smile to Tony's lips. "You were on the stage doing an extremely drunk rendition of 'Young Frankenstein' with your friends when you decided to pass out."

Tony groaned again, this time from equal parts embarrassment and pain.

"How long have I been here?" He glanced around the room, looking for something that would remind him of where he had been the night before.

"Only a few hours. Your friends moved you back here and took off. I found you about an hour ago." She smiled, standing up and offering her hand to Tony. "I'm Abby."

"Nice to meet you, Abby." Tony took her hand and let her help him move from the floor to a chair. "You work here?"

"My uncle owns it." She sat in the chair next to him and handed him the bottle of water. "I help out as a bartender on weekends and during Mardi Gras." Abby smiled and handed him a couple of aspirin. "Here, I came prepared."

Tony swallowed the pills with a gulp of the water and almost immediately felt better. "So, what do you do when you're not tending bar and taking care of drunken strangers?" He flashed a smile at her.

Abby chuckled again. "I'm going to school right now. Getting my Master's in Forensics. Hoping to work in a crazy state-of-the-art lab when I graduate."

Tony nodded. "That sounds pretty cool. I graduated from Ohio State a few years ago. Majored in Physical Education." He paused, slightly embarrassed. "I work as a cop in Philadelphia now."

"I take it you don't like your job very much, huh?"

Tony flashed his million-dollar smile again and took another sip of the water. "Am I that transparent?"

She giggled and punched his shoulder lightly. "Just easy to read. I've always been good at that though, don't feel bad. Come on, I’ll take you to go get some breakfast. I know this great place."

They made small talk as they walked down the street to the small bistro on the corner. Entering the restaurant, she led him toward the back, slipping onto stools at the counter. As they looked over the menu, she could feel Tony's eyes on her, drinking in every bit of her lithe figure.

"See something you like?" She smiled, not taking her eyes off of the menu in front of her. His cheeks flushed slightly as he looked her over once more, her black pigtailed hair to her black corset-style dress and the calf-high combat boots that went perfectly with her long pale legs.

"I can never get enough of a beautiful woman." He smiled, looking back at his menu.

Abby leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a lip print behind from her dark red lipstick. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?"

Tony ordered his meal before answering. "I'd like to think so."

Abby ordered her breakfast and set her menu aside, turning to look him in the eye. "Let me guess. You tend to go through women like water; nice, short-term 'relationships'?" When he looked away from her uncomfortably, she touched his face, making eye contact with him. "I'm the same way. I understand how men think."

“Are you this friendly with everyone that passes through your bar?” He grinned, silently thanking the waitress as she brought their food to them.

The Goth smiled deviously. “Only the cute ones, much to the irritation of my family.” She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Being the baby sucks sometimes, you know? Everyone’s overprotective.”

He forced a small smile, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t know much about that myself, I’m an only child.” He took another bite, effectively dropping the subject of his family.

“So…” Abby could tell that he wanted to change the topic, so she indulged him. “How long are you in town?”

“Just for the weekend. I have to be back in Philly on Monday morning.”

She grinned up at him again before eating her omelet. They chatted more about everything from their ‘flings’ to movies, and two hours had passed before Abby realized that she had missed her class.

“Crap. Well, now I’ve got nothing to do!” Abby pouted, drinking the last bit of her soda before pushing the glass away.

"Hang out with me." Tony offered, taking her hand in his. "I'm sober now, and I have no idea where my friends took off to."

Abby hesitated before conceding. "Alright. But I told Uncle Charlie I'd be at work by 8 o'clock, and I need to go back to my apartment and change, I stink like stale alcohol."

After paying the bill, they walked back down the street to the bar where her car was parked. Climbing into the black hearse, Abby started it up and drove to her apartment building.

"So..." Tony looked around the inside of the car. "You drive a hearse all the time? Or just when you wanna try to scare a guy?"

Abby smirked. "All the time. I got it cheap from a friend who worked at one of the local mortuaries after the engine went out. Built the engine again from the ground up."

"Handy, are we?"

"Just a little." They pulled up outside of the small apartment building that looked to be something straight out of 'Interview with the Vampire’. "We're here! Come on upstairs."

Tony followed her as she walked into the one-bedroom apartment. She paused at the door to take off her boots, and then led him over to the couch.

"Sit." Her blood red lips formed a small grin as she pushed him back onto the couch gently. "Make yourself comfortable. I'm gonna go hop into the shower." Turning on her heel, she padded across the small living room and into the bathroom, partially closing the door behind her.

He grinned and watched her walk away before standing. Crossing the few steps to the large bookshelf on the wall next to the TV, he examined the items that sat on it, hoping to gain some insight into Abby’s personality.

"Voodoo dolls?" He raised an eyebrow as he picked one of the smaller dolls off the shelf and looked it over. Tony set the doll back where he found it, glancing over the rest of the shelves. "A shrunken head...handcuffs… Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, she does drive a hearse after all."

Grinning, he scanned the rest of the room, noticing the dog collars and various other studded accessories that were scattered around. "Definitely not like any girl I've ever met before."

He turned around to face the fireplace, studying the pictures that were hanging above the mantle. He couldn't tell what they were, but they looked interesting and surprisingly colorful, considering the amount of black that covered the rest of the room.

Abby stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in her silky black robe, tying the belt before walking out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair. "Pretty cool, huh?" She grinned, seeing Tony inspecting the picture above her fireplace.

He spun around quickly, not expecting her to sneak up on him. "I...uh..." He stuttered, looking her up and down quickly. “Yeah, it is. What’s it supposed to be, exactly?”

“It’s a MRI of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” She grinned at him. “I’m into the way things look from the inside. Used to sneak down to the dump when I was younger and look at the demolished cars, take pictures of them.”

He tried not to stare as she stood there, barely covered by the short robe she was wearing, instead focusing on the dog collars that were sitting on the table behind her. "You...uh, wear those collars?"

"Huh?" She tossed the towel on the back of the chair and saw the collars he was talking about. "Oh! These?" She picked one up and approached him, grinning. "Yeah. You should try one on! I bet you'd look good."

Tony raised his hands in protest as she started getting closer to him. "Nah...really, I don't think they would suit me very well."

"Come on! Don't be so tame!" Abby grinned, slipping behind him quickly and standing on her tiptoes, snapping the collar around his neck before he could stop her.

"Hey!" Tony spun around to face her, knocking her off balance slightly. He wrapped his arms around her as she stumbled, preventing her from falling against the fireplace. "Oops. You okay?"

Abby laughed. "I'm fine." She looked up at him, reaching to straighten the collar around his neck. "It looks good on you."

Tony cocked an eyebrow at her, his arms still wrapped around her waist. "I bet you say that to all the guys."

"Noo…" Grinning, she leaned up and pecked him on the nose before pulling away. "Not everyone can pull off a collar. You can." She turned around and headed for the bedroom to get dressed.

His hand went immediately to the collar around his neck as soon as she was out of view. He smiled, reaching around to the back and unclasping it, setting it down on the coffee table. *Maybe later tonight.* Tony smiled as he watched her walk into the bedroom, her hips swaying slightly. *Mmhmm.* He made his way toward the partially closed door slowly, not wanting to spook her when she walked out of the room.

Discreetly peeking through the door, he watched as Abby reached her arms above her head, pulling the tight black and red tank top down, covering the large tattoo of a cross that took up the majority of her back.

"Staring at me again, Tony?" She turned around, grinning at him as she walked over and pulled the door the rest of the way open.

Tony nodded, smirking. "What can I say? You're quite the temptress."

"I try." Abby smirked, poking her hip out and leaning against the doorframe.

"You do a good job. I bet you could tempt an angel into sinning." He licked his lips as he scanned her body, taking in every bit of her outfit. "The naughty schoolgirl. I like it."

She laughed, pushing herself away from the doorframe and stepping closer to Tony. "Most guys do." Reaching out, she took his hand in hers and turned it over, looking at his watch. "It's almost 3. I have an errand to run before heading back to the bar, you wanna come with me?"

"Sure." He flashed a charming grin as she dropped his hand lightly and walked over to the door, retrieving her boots.

Abby pulled them on and zipped them up quickly before grabbing her purse and the keys that she had left laying on the table near the door. "Let's go then."

Heading out the door, she made sure it was locked before walking down the staircase with Tony and across the courtyard to her car. "I'm glad you're coming, I like having someone there for an opinion when I buy lingerie."

Tony hesitated momentarily before sliding into the passenger seat of the hearse. *No way.* He shook his head, smiling. Abby put the car into gear and headed back in the direction they had come from earlier, pulling up to a small shop a few blocks away from the bar. “Lingerie, huh?”

"Yeah.“ She looked over at him as she parked the car. “Come on, I saw you checking me out earlier, you're not gonna get shy on me now, are you?" She walked over and met him on the passenger side of the car, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer to the boutique.

Tony started to protest, but Abby caught his eye and smiled brightly. "You really thought I was joking, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah..." He laughed. "Can't say I've had the pleasure of helping someone I've just met pick out lingerie."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh. Well, if you don't want to..."

Tony watched as she started to walk away, shaking his head. *She is a temptress.* He jogged the few steps to catch up with her, grabbing her arm gently and turning her to face him. "I didn't say I didn't want to." He flashed his million-dollar grin. "I only meant it was unexpected. But there’s a first time for everything, right?"

**Chapter Two -- Naive Orleans Part Two**

**NCIS Headquarters -- May 20, 2009**

The Senior Field Agent smiled weakly. "I'm fine, Abs. Really."

Unconvinced, Abby frowned. "Tony..." she paused, her thoughts interrupted by the cell phone that rang insistenly in her pocket. Pulling it out and glancing at the caller ID, she turned the ringer off and slipped it into her purse.

"You should answer it." Tony nodded toward her phone as he leaned back in his chair, stretching his long body out.

Abby pulled out her pigtails and ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head. "Nah, It's just BB. I'll call him back in the morning." She smiled brightly. "You're my number one priority right now."

He groaned. If there was anything Tony DiNozzo hated, it was being babysat. "Abby! I'm fine. Call your brother back. It's 0200. If he's calling, it's probably important."

Standing, she put her neatly manicured hands on her hips. "Everything is fine in the land of Sciuto, he's just calling to check up on me. Come on. We're going to my place and drinking."

"Aabby!" Tony whined. "Please. I don't want to drink tonight."

The Goth rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Come on! You'd love to drink right now, you'd just rather sit at your desk and sulk, staring at your phone while you do it." She reached out and grabbed Tony's hand, yanking him out of his chair before he could protest. "Well, that's not happening tonight."

**10 Years Ago -- New Orleans, LA -- Mardi Gras 1999**

Abby grinned as Tony agreed, jumping at him and wrapping her arms around her neck. Letting go just as suddenly as she had grabbed on, she turned and walked inside, greeting the salesperson. "Hey Britty!"

"Hey, Abs! How've you been?"

"Oh, you know the usual." She smiled brightly at the tall redhead, shifting her eyes quickly toward Tony.

Brittany looked over at the man standing near the door, starting to speak in sign language to Abby. *He's cute, where did you pick him up, the bar?*

Tony leaned against the wall, checking both of the women out as they started signing quickly to each other. "You two aren't talking about me over there, are you?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

"Of course not!" Abby grinned over her shoulder at Tony. "Why would we do that?"

Brittany snorted, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked at Tony critically. *Abby...* Her hands dropped as she hesitated, knowing that her friend wasn't going to like what she was about to say.

*Don't.* Abby signed to her friend, a serious look in her eye. *I know what you're gonna say, so just don't. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself.*

The long-legged woman poked her hip out and raised an eyebrow at Abby before signing again. *I promised your Mama I would look out for you, Abigail. You know I get nervous when you pick up guys at Charlie's.*

Abby rolled her eyes, twirling a pigtail around her finger absently. She grudgingly signed the same words she used every time her friend became overprotective. *I'll be fine, Brittany.*

Britty sighed, pushing past her raven-haired friend gently and walking toward Tony, looking him over. She studied him for a moment before speaking to Abby, not taking her eyes off of him. She grinned up at the man, her eyes holding the same mischievous glint he had seen in Abby's earlier. "So, you gonna introduce me to your new friend, or do I have to do all the work?"

Abby turned on her heel and walked over to them, smiling wide. "Britty, this is Tony. Tony, this is my best friend, Britty. She owns this place with her husband, Bradley."

Tony grinned, taking Britty's hand and kissing the back of it. "Married, huh? Damn. I knew my luck wasn't good enough to meet two beautiful single women in less than 6 hours."

The redhead rolled her eyes and planted her hands firmly on her slim hips. "Cut the suave act. I know all about guys like you." She stepped closer to him, nearly matching him in height with her stiletto heels on.

"Britty. Seriously?" Abby widened her eyes at her friend, pouting slightly.

She raised her hand up and wagged a finger at Abby, warning her silently to not interfere. Tony found himself smiling against his better judgment as he watched the two women interact with each other.

"You think this is funny?" Smirking deviously, she leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear. "I am well versed in the art of Voodoo. You should know that if you do anything to hurt Abby--and I do mean anything--you will wake up the following morning missing..." Brittany paused, flicking her eyes from his down toward his crotch. "...a very important appendage."

Tony's hands instinctively covered his groin as he smiled nervously. "Uh, you...you got it."

"Britty!" Abby stomped her foot on the ground, narrowing her eyes and signing rapidly. *You enjoy this, don't you?!*

*What do you think? It's totally worth it.* She turned back to Tony, grinning at him sweetly. "So, where are you from?"

"Uh..." He looked to Abby, unsure if he should take Britty at face value.

Abby rolled her eyes at Brittany and smiled up at Tony. "She just likes being intimidating. All. The. Time." She glared playfully at her friend. "Right, Britty?"

"I have to get my kicks somewhere, Abs. Bradley doesn't take well to being intimidated." She flashed Tony a provocative smile as he stood in front of her, looking confused. "Fortunately for me, your prospective boyfriends do."

"B! Stop harassing the customers!"

"Bradley?" Abby grinned, running toward the sandy-haired man that walked out of the stock room and jumping on him in a hug. "You're back! How was New York?"

"Good." Bradley gripped at the Goth's arms wrapped around his neck tightly. "Abs...air. Need. Air."

"Oops. Sorry!" She grinned sheepishly, letting go of Bradley's neck.

"No apologies necessary, Abs, you know that." He smiled and turned his attention to his wife, who was still standing toe to toe with Tony. "B! What've I told you about being bitchy to Abby's friends?"

Brittany rolled her eyes and leaned close to Tony's ear again. "See why I don't try to intimidate him?" She whispered, flashing him a friendly grin, letting him know that she was just joking around.

The dark-haired man breathed a heavy sigh of relief and Abby smiled. "See...I told you she was just joking." Grabbing Tony's hand, she led him over to where the other man was standing. "Bradley, this is Tony. I met him at Charlie's this morning. Tony, this is Brittany's husband, Bradley."

"Nice to meet you, Tony." He lifted his arm and shook Tony's hand firmly. "Don't let these women pick on you. They're just easily amused."

"Hey!" Abby cried, hauling off and punching him in the shoulder.

He rubbed the spot where she punched him, smiling. "You don't wanna know what will happen if that bruises, little lady."

She cocked an eyebrow at Bradley. "You wouldn't dare."

Brittany laughed and pulled her friend's hand. "Come on, Abs. We've got a bunch of new stuff in the back I've been dying to show you!"

Abby looked up at the two men. "Ready for a show, boys?" She smirked, following Britty into the stock room, her pigtails bouncing.

Bradley shook his head as they both watched Abby bounce out of the room. "She's something else."

"I'll say." Tony grinned, leaning against the counter and looking over at Bradley. "Your wife too...Brittany? She's smokin'." Recieving a warning glance from the blue-eyed man, he backpedaled. "Um, that's...you know that. Yeah...sorry."

Bradley grinned to himself, sitting down in one of the overstuffed chairs near the counter. "Don't be. I‘m comp..." He stopped, standing up as Abby walked out of the stock room. "Baby girl, you look gorgeous."

"You think so?" She ran a hand through her hair, hanging loose and wavy over her shoulders. Spinning around, she giggled.

"Wow. Abby, you...wow." Tony stuttered, looking her over. She twirled around slower, modeling the lacy, black lingerie.

Brittany smiled as she joined the trio from the stock room. "So, what do you think, Abs?"

The Goth smiled and looked at herself in the mirror, studying the skimpy item of clothing. "I love it." She ran her hand over the decoration on the corset-style front, grinning at Tony through the mirror. "Do they have it in red too?"

Tony felt like his jaw was sitting on the floor. *God Damn.* It was taking every ounce of restraint he had not to bend her over right then and there, in front of her friends. He couldn't hear anything over the sounds of his own thoughts, but he could see Brittany and Abby talking as they walked back to the stock room, leaving the two men alone.

"Fuck me. I can't wait for tonight." He licked his lips, thinking about the things he wanted to happen later. He turned to Bradley and smirked deviously. "You can't tell me that you see her in something like that and you don't think about bending her over and...mhmm...just screwing her brains out. I mean..."

Tony was cut off when the sandy-haired man smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow! What the hell?" His hand immediately rubbed the spot where he had been hit. "Afraid your wife's gonna hear? I'd say if she parades her friend in front of you in that outfit, then she's dying to see a reaction."

Bradley's hand connected again with the back of the other man's head, making him jump. "You wanna quit while you're behind?"

"Hey, hey! I'm just being honest!" Tony raised his hands in protest. "It's not my fault. She came out here dressed like that on her own free will. I'm just a man."

"Yeah? Well, you won't be much longer if you don't shut your trap about my baby sister." His blue eyes narrowed at the other man, silently daring him to say another word about Abby.

"She...she's your sister?" He visibly tensed, sensing the amount of trouble he was getting himself into. "Uh...well...I didn't know."

Bradley rolled his eyes and stalked back to the chair, plopping himself down. "Yeah, I figured that when you asked me if I ever thought about screwing her."

Abby bounced out of the back, redressed, carrying the two pieces of lingerie out on their little silky hangers. "BB, you're not trying to scare him off, are you?"

Her brother chuckled. "Trying? No. I think I've just about succeeded. You didn't tell him I was your brother?"

"Where's the fun if I tell him?" She grinned, pulling her hair back into pigtails as she winked at Tony. "So, I take it you liked the show then? Must have if you managed to rile up Brad."

Tony cringed. "I...um, I'm declining to comment in front of present company."

"You know I hate it when you call me Brad. Almost as much as you hate being called Abigail."

"Well, *Brad* If you didn't try to scare off every guy I meet, I would be more sympathetic to your plight. But seeing as you can't seem to help yourself...I'll just have to resort to name terrorism."

"*Abigail*...you don't wanna start this game. Remember what happened last time?" Bradley grinned, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in the chair.

Brittany moved between the siblings and glanced at her watch. "Oh wow, look at the time! Abs, don't you have to be back at Charlie's soon? It's nearly 7 o'clock."

She grabbed Tony's hand and glanced at his watch. "Oh crap, you're right. Are you going back with me, Tony? Your friends will probably come around looking for you."

Tony nodded and she dropped his hand, moving over to the overstuffed chair where her brother was seated. "I'm glad you're back home, BB." She jumped onto his lap and gave him another hug. "Dinner tomorrow? Will baby Jack-Jack be there?"

"Of course he will!" He leaned up and pressed a kiss to his younger sister's forehead. "We'll see you tomorrow night. Have fun at work." Shooting a quick look at Tony, he smirked. "Not too much fun, though."

Abby stood up and grinned. "Aw, you're never any fun, Bradley. Come on, Tony." She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him out the door of the boutique.

**Six Hours Later**

"There you go!" Abby smiled as she passed the beers to the customer standing in front of her.

"Well, hey there, pretty lady!"

She glanced in the direction of the voice that had called out to her, seeing Tony leaning against the end of the bar closest to the door. "Hey, Tony." She slid over to him with a smile on her face. "Want a drink?"

He grinned. "Only if you're gonna have one with me."

"Gimme just a minute." She knocked heavily on the hardwood of the bar in an attempt to get her uncle's attention.

Charlie looked up at his niece and smiled, signing to her. *What's going on? He causing trouble?*

She rolled her eyes before signing back. *No. He's a friend. You mind if I go now? He wants to grab a drink with me.*

*Go on.* He walked over and kissed her temple before signing again. *You stay out of trouble, Abigail. The last time you met someone here I never heard the end of it from Bradley.*

Abby smirked as she climbed over the bar. *I'll be fine. And if Bradley gives you any problems, you have him come talk to me.*

Tony made a feeble attempt to catch her as she hopped off the bar. "Oops." He wrapped his arms around her waist lightly as she turned to face him, leaning her back against the bar. "So...what you wanna drink?"

The Goth shivered when he leaned closer to her, feeling his warm breath on her neck. "I'll have a Tight Snatch."

He laughed lightly in her ear, pressing his body closer to hers. "I bet you will."

"Well, you'll just have to find out, won't you?" She grinned, turning her body around in the tight space between Tony and the bar. Ordering her drink, she turned back around and took a long drink. "Wanna dance?"

"Well...we could." He took the drink glass from her hand and set it on the bar, looking into her eyes. "But, I was thinking that we would have more fun at your place."

Abby leaned up and nipped at his jaw lightly. "You think so?" She shivered again as his left hand dropped from her hip to the hem of her skirt, brushing the bare skin on her upper thigh.

"Definitely."

"Well, let's go then." She took his hand that was resting on the bar behind her and slipped around him, leading the way out to her car.

He followed closely behind her, one hand gripping hers and the other resting on her hip. Grinning, he spun her around when they reached the car, pinning her back against the passenger door and kissing her neck. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

"And you're slurring." Abby smirked, scooting out from under him quickly and heading to the driver's side of her hearse. "Are we going to my place or not?"

Tony watched as she slid into the car before doing the same. He tried to speak in response to her question, but as she pulled her hair down out of the pigtails, his mouth went dry.

She giggled, running a hand through her now loose hair. "I'll take that as a yes." Shifting the car into gear, she pulled away from the bar and headed to her apartment. When they reached their destination, they exited the car and walked to her door.

Tony's hands found their way around her waist again, kissing and nibbling her neck as she worked on unlocking the door. She giggled, turning in his arms once they had stepped into the apartment. "Just a little impat..."

His lips crushed against hers hard when she faced him, interrupting her speech as his hands pulled at the buckle of the belt she was wearing.

Abby reached up and wrapped her arms around Tony's neck, moaning as she reciprocated the rough kiss. She smiled against his lips as he released the belt from her skirt and tossed it onto the couch before lifting her up, carrying her into the bedroom.

She groaned when he broke the kiss, stepping over to the queen sized bed and and tossing her onto it gently. "Didn't you start to say something about patience, Abby?" Tony smirked as he shed his button up shirt and pulled his undershirt over his head.

He took her boots off, tossing them on the floor with his shirts. Climbing onto the bed, he ran his hands up her legs slowly, watching her squirm under his fingers. "I...patience? Don't...no...I don't think so...not me."

"Not you, huh?" Tony cocked an eyebrow at her, reaching for the zipper on her skirt and pulling it down over her hips, letting it slide off the bed to join the other articles of clothing. He leaned down and kissed her hip, pushing her tanktop up to just under her breasts.

She arched her back as his fingers and lips began trailing their way up her stomach. "God...Tony..." Her hand found the back of his head and grasped his hair while she moaned, forcing him to look at her. "Stop teasing or you'll regret it later." Abby grinned and pulled his head up to hers, kissing him hard.

Their tongues began dueling as Abby's hands slid down his chest to his belt buckle, unclasping it quickly and unbuttoning his pants. She broke the kiss and licked his earlobe, whispering to him. "I want you...now."

Tony gasped as she pulled on his chest hair slightly, cementing her plea. "Now. Right. Yes, Ma'am." He pushed up momentarily and kicked his pants off before attacking her neck again.

Abby moaned loudly as he sucked and nibbled on the spider web tattoo on her neck, playing with the flimsy fabric of his boxers. "These...off."

He lifted his hips, allowing her to hook her fingers through the waistband and pull, though he never stopped the sweet assault against the skin on her neck. She tugged at the hair on his chest once more before moving her hand down slowly, her nails scraping gently against his stomach.

He hissed loudly as her fingers moved even lower, brushing against his tip gently.

“Ah,” she smirked, repeating the move, grinning when he bucked wildly against her hand. “You like that, hmm?” She teased as she reached up with her free hand, tangling her fingers in his hair, pulling him down for another rough kiss.

He moaned against her as she lifted her hips, grinding herself against him. “Ah… Fuck, Abby!”

“That’s… what I’m trying… to get you to do,” she responded, panting ever so slightly as she felt him press himself against her. He lowered his mouth to her neck once more, his teeth grazing her sensitive skin.

She released a sharp gasp as he nipped at her collarbone. “Fuck! Tony!” She moaned, lifting her hips wildly once more.

“Ah… I guess… I’ve found something… that you like,” he smirked. He felt himself harden even more at the low, guttural growl he received in response.

“I…need you…now…” She whimpered.

“How bad…do you need it?” He asked, not giving her a chance to respond before he thrusted forward roughly, burying himself inside of her.

A sob of relief tore from Abby’s throat as Tony filled her. Scratching her nails down his back, she grabbed his ass roughly, digging her nails into his flesh. He held himself above her, giving her a chance to adjust to his size, though it didn’t take long before her long legs wrapped around his waist, an invitation to continue.

Needing no more encouragement than that, he set a steady pace, his hips rocking against hers. She threw her head back against the pillows, a low moan escaping her as she bucked her hips to meet his, his name spilling off of her tongue as she cried out for more.

“Fuck Tony,” she gasped, her tone pleading. He merely grunted in response as he gripped her hip firmly with one hand, holding her down against the bed as he rocked harder.

It wasn’t long until she felt herself on the edge, each hard thrust sending her closer. She gripped the sheets firmly with both hands as he increased his pace, panting heavily.

“Ah fuck,” he moaned, lowering his head to the crook of her neck as he thrusted roughly, releasing her hip and moving the hand to her hair, tangling his fingers around the loose tendrils. “I’m almost…ah…”

“I’m…ready,” Abby whimpered, as she released the sheets, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly, bruising them. She lifted her hips again to meet him, their movements desperate.

With one final thrust, he managed to send them both over the edge, his entire body trembling. A low cry came from her throat as Tony collapsed on top of her, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

He rolled off of her and pulled her close to him. “My God…” She moaned, mumbling against his chest. “I don’t think I can move.”

“That’s one way of describing it…” Tony chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.

Abby lifted her head from his chest and grinned up at him, running her fingernails up his thigh gently. He groaned, grabbing her hair and pulling her up to meet his face before kissing her roughly.

“You’re all ready for a repeat performance, I see.” He pulled her soft body across his, situating her legs on either side of him, grinning. “Ready to set a record?”

**The Next Morning**

The phone in the kitchen rang loudly, jarring Tony out of his semi-deep sleep. He groaned, sitting up and scrubbing a hand over his face. Looking at the other side of the bed, he spotted Abby splayed out haphazardly, her hair mussed and the sheet wrapped around her waist, displaying the large tattoo of a cross that was on her back.

*Heavy sleeper. Now, there’s a trait I wish I had.* He shook his head, standing up and stretching as the answering machine clicked on.

Abby’s cheerful voice filled the small apartment as her outgoing message played. "Hi this is Abby. If you're listening to this message, I obviously don't want to talk to you so leave me a message and I'll get back to you later. Maybe." He found himself smiling at the giggle that she gave at the end of the message.

"Hey Abs, It's BB. Tried your cell, but you didn't answer. Just letting you know that I'm on my way over to your place, I need to pick up Jack-Jack's playpen. I'll be there in 20." The machine clicked off as Bradley hung up.

Tony bent down and gathered his clothes, throwing them on quickly before running a hand through his mussed hair. He glanced at Abby's sleeping form on the bed and felt a frown cross his face. *Sorry, Abby. Maybe I'll come by next year.* He thought about leaving a note for her but disregarded it, turning toward the door and moving to step into the living room.

"You leavin'?"

He stopped dead in the doorway to her bedroom, closing his eyes. *Shit.*

Abby groaned and rolled over, propping her head up on one arm as she looked at the tall man standing in the doorway, his back still to her. "So, what, you were gonna just leave? Not even wake me to say goodbye?"

"Well...um..." Tony stumbled over his words as he turned to face her. "I..." He dropped his head guiltily. "I just thought it would be for the best."

"For the best?" She scoffed, standing up and wrapping the bedsheet around her tightly. "You know, I'm not a child. So don't patronize me."

"No, I didn't mean it like that, Abby. I just meant..."

"Meant what?" She held her hand up at him, having changed her mind. "Nevermind. I don't wanna know. We're adults, Tony. I think we're allowed to have one-night stands." She shook her head, biting back an angry tear. "But you could have at least said goodbye."

"Abby..." Tony turned and stepped toward her, frowning when she turned away.

"Just..." She hesitated. "Just go, Tony. It's not important, no apologies are necessary. It's not like we were gonna see each other again anyway." She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he paused, searching for something to say.

Sighing quietly, Tony turned around again and walked to the front door of Abby's apartment. Looking back toward the bedroom a final time, he walked out the door and closed it silently behind him. *Good job, DiNozzo. You fucked it up again.*

**Chapter Three -- Probie**

**Abby's Apartment -- Present Day**

Abby laughed as she downed another shot of vodka, poking Tony in the side. "Your turn, Tony-boy. Truth or Dare?"

He smiled, leaning back against the couch pillows, his arm wrapped around Abby's shoulders. "Hmm...Truth."

"Okay!" She pulled away from him a little bit and poured another shot, downing half of it before asking her question. "Where..." She paused, giggling. "If you were to have sex anywhere in HQ...where would it be?"

"Hmm..." He grinned, answer in mind when he reached over and grabbed the Goth's wrist, pulling the shot glass she was holding to his mouth and downing it. "Definitely Gibbs' Conference Room. Yeah...definitely."

"Mmm..." Abby purred, watching as he gripped her wrist with his strong arm and stole her drink. "Conference Room, huh? That's hot."

Tony chuckled at her reaction, pulling her close to him again. "Like you've never thought about gettin' hinky in the elevator before! Come on, Abs. I wouldn't believe that if your priest told me himself."

She leaned close to his ear and whispered, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Who said anything about thoughts? You know what they say...actions speak louder than words."

"Re-he-eally?" He turned on her quickly, pinning her against the arm of the couch gently. "You know...I like to fancy myself a man of action." A devious smirk overtook his face as he leaned down and kissed her neck softly, making her moan quietly.

Abby's eyes widened when she moaned, realizing she was pinned under Tony, his warm lips on her neck. She quickly sobered, pushing his shoulders back and slipping out from under him. "We can't do this, T."

"Wha...I..." He frowned. "Why not? We're adults...friends." Tony paused and gave her a half-smile. "I'm having deja-vu. We've had this conversation before."

She sighed and subconsciously twirled a pigtail between her fingers, one of her nervous habits. "Yeah, we have. Remember how it ended?"

**NCIS Headquarters -- 8 Years Ago**

"You don't strike me as a Caf-Pow kinda guy."

"I'm not. It's for our forensic specialist." Gibbs hit the button for the bottom level of the building, watching his new agent fidget with his tie.

The elevator came to a stop on the sub-basement floor of the NCIS building and the doors were already reverberating from the loud music that came from the other side. "This is it. Ready?"

Gibbs cracked a small grin, amused by the look on the younger man's face. He looked confident, but the uncertainty he was feeling was clear if you looked into his eyes.

"I was born ready." The younger man smirked, stepping out of the elevator behind Gibbs.

Shaking his head, he motioned for the agent to wait at the door while he made his way across the large lab and turned off the stereo.

"Gibbs! Don't mess with my music!"

He walked up behind the forensic specialist and gave her a kiss on the cheek, pressing the Caf-Pow into her hands. "You're gonna go deaf if you're not careful."

"Yeah, yeah. You got the probie with you?" She spun the chair around and leaned back, taking a long sip from her drink.

Gibbs motioned for the new agent to join them. "Abby, this is Anthony DiNozzo. He's joining us by way of the Baltimore PD. DiNozzo, this is Abby Sciuto, our forensic specialist."

"Call me Tony." He put his hand out to her and she shook it. "You seem familiar. Have we met? Maybe worked on a case together?"

She grinned. "No, Gibbs is pretty protective of me, I don't work with local LEO's very often. But you do seem...huh. Oh well, we'll figure it out later, I'm sure."

The Senior Agent studied them before speaking. "DiNozzo. You've got paperwork on your desk. Go."

"On it, Boss." Tony grinned at the young woman before turning and taking the elevator back upstairs.

The silver-haired man watched as Tony stepped onto the elevator before turning back to Abby. "You know him?"

"I don't know, maybe. He seems familiar, but I can't place him. Probably just someone I met in passing."

"Alright, Abs. I gotta get back up there." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

**Two Hours Later**

"DiNozzo, you done with that paperwork yet?" Gibbs said, an impatient tone in his voice as he stood in front of Tony's desk.

"Just finished, Boss." Tony stood up and straightened his suit, handing him the folder. "Here you go."

Gibbs glanced over the paperwork quickly. "Good." He handed him a stack of reports. "Take these down to Abby. Tell her I said to fix 'em."

"You got it." He smiled and slipped the files under his arm, walking toward the elevator.

He whistled to himself on the ride down to the forensics lab, and when the doors opened he stepped off and walked inside.

"Hey there, Pretty Lady." Tony said, sliding up next to her as she stood at her computer.

Abby slammed her Caf-Pow down on the metal desk and punched Tony in the shoulder as hard as she could.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"You're THAT Tony?" She asked incrediously, looking him up and down. "Fuck, you are!"

"Wait, wait! What Tony?" He backed away from her, hands raised.

Abby frowned. "You don't remember? Wow. Now I don't know who to be more mad at, me for forgetting you, or you for forgetting me!"

She reached up and pulled her hair out of her pigtails, combing her fingers through it quickly.

"Oh my...Abby...I remember now." A devious grin crossed his face as he stepped toward her, only to be socked in the shoulder again. "Ow!"

"Yeah, definitely madder at you." She stomped off toward the office in the back of her lab, sitting down at her desk. "And just so you know, that chance ended when you tried to sneak out."

Tony followed her into the office, looking at the objects on her desk, attempting to avoid eye contact. "I tried to apologize for that! You wouldn't let me get a word in! And besides, YOU told me to go, if I remember correctly."

She kicked her foot out, sending her chair spinning. "Yeah, well...girls don't always mean what they say."

He sighed, watching her spin in her chair when a picture caught his eye. "Um, Abby?"

Abby stopped her chair and looked up at him. "What?"

"Is that..." He hesitated, pointing at the picture of a small boy, about 2 years old, with brown hair and bright green eyes.

She turned her head and saw what he was pointing to. "What? This?" She

picked up the picture, looking up at Tony's shocked face. "Wait, you..." She laughed. "You think...wow."

Tony frowned when she started laughing. "What?"

"This..." She pointed at the picture, setting it back on the desk. "Is my nephew, Jack."

Tony's eyes returned to their normal size as he exhaled deeply.

Abby smiled softly at him, unable to stay upset. "Okay, I'll be honest with you, since you just made my day with the whole picture thing." She giggled as Tony frowned at her. "Yeah, I was a little upset when you took off, but I got over it. Like I said back then, it was just sex."

Tony grinned and crouched down in front of her. "I know it's probably too little too late, but I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness." She chuckled at his confused look. "It's Gibb's rule, not mine. I don't think it has a number though."

"I guess I'll understand soon enough, huh?" He stood up and straightened his jacket. "How do I look?"

"Good." She stood and straightened his tie. "One request, before you go."

"Anything."

Abby blushed slightly. "Don't tell Gibbs. Don't mention it, don't act hinky around me, nothing. He's like a bloodhound, he'll sniff it out if you're not careful."

"Okay...can I ask why?" Tony looked at her closely, trying to read her with no luck.

"Just trust me, okay? I've worked with him for 2 years. You don't wanna get on his bad side." She turned him around and pushed him gently toward the door. "Get going, or he's gonna come looking for you."

"Okay, I'm going!"

Abby grinned, watching him walk briskly to the elevator. "Damn it. Gibbs is SO going to figure this out..."

**Three Days Later**

Abby bounced off the elevator when the doors slid open and walked over to Gibbs' desk, her boots making a loud clomping noise despite the carpeted floor.

"Mornin' Gibbs!" She chirped, perching herself on the corner of his desk.

He looked up at her curiously and flashed a small smirk. "Abs. How many this morning?"

She raised her hands, pretending to count on her fingers. "Lost count." She giggled when the older man rolled his eyes. "Only the one you brought me this morning when I got here, Bossman. I was trying to quit, but you always manage to make me fall right off the wagon."

"Well, you never tell me until after I've fed your habit."

"Huh. I don't, do I?" She fidgeted on the desk, tapping her heel against the drawers. "It's interesting, really. It's like my subconscious is telling me that I'm not ready, and I know that you will always be there to bring me my beloved Caf-Pow."

"Abby...did you just come up here to point out the fact that you're more hyper without caffeine?"

She paused for a moment, remembering why she was there. "Oh! I'm doing the probie roundup for Ducky." She glanced over at Tony's desk. "Where's DiNozzo?"

"He went to get me a coffee. 20 minutes ago."

Abby smiled. They had been attempting to keep Gibbs from finding out how well they knew each other, but she had a feeling he was close to figuring it out. Tony wasn't a very good liar, and he couldn't help but throw her a sidelong glance every time they were in the same room.

The elevator dinged, making Abby jump slightly. "Sorry I took so long, Boss, the line at the coffee stand was really long." Tony set the cup of coffee down on the desk and smiled at the Goth. "Hey, Abby."

"Hey, Tony." She continued to tap her heel against the drawer, glancing at him quickly over her shoulder.

Gibbs sipped his coffee and observed the exchange between them. They had been avoiding each other, and it made his gut go into overdrive. Abby was always excited to meet new people, but she had been acting different since Tony started 3 days earlier.

He set his coffee back on the desk and broke the awkward silence that hung in the air. "DiNozzo, you get to observe an autopsy today."

"I've observed autopsies before, Boss. Isn't there something more important for me to do?"

"It's a requirement for all new agents." Abby said, hopping off the desk. "Come on." She moved to walk toward the elevator when Gibbs grabbed her hand.

*Abby.* He finger-spelled her name and waited for her to acknowledge him before continuing to sign. *You two are seeing...*

*No.* She replied rapidly, cutting Gibbs off. *No, we're not seeing each other. Can we go?*

Gibbs sighed. *He goes, you stay. We're talking. Now.*

*Gibbs.*

He shushed her and spoke to Tony. "Go on down to autopsy. It won't take long."

The younger agent nodded and walked to the elevator, watching as Gibbs and Abby started talking in hushed voices.

"You're lying to me, Abby. You know how I feel about that."

Her eyes widened at the accusation. "I'm not lying, Gibbs! We aren't seeing each other! Rule 12, remember?"

"So, when you dated Burley after you started here, that doesn't count?"

*Gibbs!* Abby signed, unable to form words. *That's unfair. I didn't know about rule 12 then. And as soon as you told us, we ended it!*

"There's something going on, Abby." He studied her face. "I'll just talk to DiNozzo after the autopsy."

She visibly tensed, immediately understanding what Gibbs meant by 'talk'.

"Got something to say, Abs?"

Abby's hands dropped and started signing curse words. Gibbs chuckled to himself, watching her as she decided what to say.

"No. I mean yes, I have something to say, but no, don't talk to Tony." Her hands were still signing curse words at her side, but Gibbs doubted she was even aware she was doing it. "We aren't together. We never have been, we never will be. Especially not now. I mean, we're different people now, and I think that the two of us have agreed that we're not good for each other..."

The silver-haired man stood and moved Abby out of the way gently, beginning to walk toward the elevator.

"Gibbs! Wait!" Abby stumbled as she turned around and ran after him, stepping in front of the elevator doors and blocking them.

"You gonna get to the point, Abby? 'Cause as of right now, I'd risk DiNozzo losing his breakfast on my shoes if it gets me my answer."

He waited for her to respond, and when she didn't, he grabbed her shoulders and moved her away from the doors. He saw her sign something too quickly for him to decipher as he went to press the button on the elevator.

"What was that?"

Abby frowned and looked at the floor, signing again. *We slept together.*

Gibbs took her chin in his hand and lifted it, making her look him in the eye. "You what?" He growled, pushing the button a few more times, trying to make it come up to their floor faster.

*You understood.* She pulled her chin out of his hand and spoke. "It was over two years ago, Gibbs. One time, during Mardi Gras. That's it, I swear."

He pulled her inside the elevator with him as the doors opened. Pressing the button to Abby's lab, they rode in silence until the car stopped.

"Out."

"But..." She stopped, noticing his intense stare. Dropping her eyes, she stepped off the elevator slowly.

"We will be talking later, Abby."

**Autopsy**

Gibbs was fuming as he stepped off the elevator and walked through the sliding doors into autopsy. "DiNozzo!" The small group of new agents that were watching the autopsy turned, looking at Tony.

"Mmh, right here, Boss." He raised his hand from his seat near the trashcan in the corner of the room. "What's goin' on?"

He walked over to DiNozzo and looked down at him. "What the hell, DiNozzo? I thought you were a homicide detective. I'm sure you've seen worse than a simple autopsy."

Tony looked up at him and frowned. "I was, and I did see worse. I didn't have such...colorful explanations though."

"Duck, I'm taking DiNozzo."

The medical examiner looked up and nodded. "Oh, of course, Jethro. Okay everyone, eyes over here. This...is the liver." Gibbs shook his head as Ducky continued with his class, turning back to DiNozzo.

"Up. Conference room. Now." He grabbed Tony's arm and helped him to his feet, leading him toward the elevator.

"Uh, what's the matter, Boss? Did I do something wrong?" Tony questioned, hesitantly stepping onto the elevator behind Gibbs.

Gibbs stood silently in the elevator as it started up, letting it move for a few seconds before hitting the emergency stop switch. He turned toward Tony and stared, remaining quiet.

"Wow, I...uh, didn't know the elevator did that. I thought we were going to a conference room." Gibbs' stare didn't falter, and he found himself twitching nervously under the scrutiny. "Right. This is the conference room. No cameras in here...good for privacy, I guess."

He shifted from one foot to the other. "Um, Boss? Can I ask why we're in here? 'Cause, I gotta say..." He chuckled. "I'm getting a little claustrophobic in here."

"I think you know why we're here." Gibbs took a step toward DiNozzo, and he took a step back in response.

"Nah, Gibbs. I...I don't. I swear." He made eye contact with Gibbs. "Look, I'm really not feeling..."

"Abby."

Tony's eyes widened, the sick feeling in his stomach intensifying. "Ab...Abby? What about her, Boss?"

"You slept with her."

"I...I what? No, no...you've got me confused. Did she tell you this? 'Cause..."

Gibbs' voice remained calm, despite the angry look in his eye. "Don't lie to me, DiNozzo. It won't be pretty."

He shifted back to his other foot nervously. "It was Abby's fault, Boss."

"Abby's fault, huh?" His hand snaked around the back of Tony's head and smacked him. "Wanna try again?"

"Ow!" His hand immediately went to the back of his head, rubbing the sore spot. "I'm telling you the truth! She's the one that didn't want you to know."

"Rule 12, DiNozzo." Gibbs turned away and flipped the emergency switch off, making the elevator move again.

"Um, Boss? What's rule 12?" Tony asked, sighing heavily when the car stopped again a moment later, the doors opening to Abby's lab. The older man stepped over to the door of the lab and waited for the Goth to acknowledge him.

She paced back and forth in the quiet lab, mumbling incoherently to the dolls and stuffed animals that littered her desk. Her hands were signing furiously, a nervous habit that Gibbs had noticed just after she had started working for NCIS. The sight made him chuckle to himself.

"Gibbs!" Abby snapped out of her trance and ran over to the door, stopping just in front of him. "I..." She paused, seeing Tony standing behind him, looking confused. "Uh, oh." She turned away and started pacing again. "Okay, Gibbs. You see, I really can explain. I...we, Tony and I, we did have a night together. One night." She ran a hand through her hair. "God, Gibbs. Did you really have to talk to him?"

Gibbs stepped in front of Abby and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stop moving. "Abby." He said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Calm down."

He watched, frowning as she slumped her shoulders a little. "DiNozzo said it was your idea to keep this from me?" Abby nodded, averting her eyes again. "You knew I'd figure it out, Abby."

She signed slowly, her eyes looking at her feet. *It was a long time ago, Gibbs. A one time thing. There was never potential for something more than that.*

Gibbs sighed, kissing her on the forehead again before leading her to the office and sitting her in the desk chair. He hated seeing her upset, and it made him act in ways he never would with anyone else. *Ah, hell. I don't know what you've done to me, Abs. But you'll be my ruin.*

He turned and moved toward the door of the lab, missing the small grin that Abby gave when he walked away. Stopping just in front of Tony, he dropped his voice to a whisper. "If you hurt her, DiNozzo...I swear you will not like the consequences."

The younger man hesitated, unsure of how to react to Gibbs' demeanor. "Of course, Boss. I would never hurt her. She's a friend." Tony gave him a look that Gibbs could tell was genuine.

"You'd better not." He stepped onto the elevator, keeping a narrowed eye on DiNozzo as the doors closed in front of him.

Abby put her hands in her lap and dropped her eyes, feeling Tony looking at her. "I'm sorry, Tony. I never could lie to Gibbs when he asks me a direct question. It's something about his eyes. A little creepy."

"It's okay." He walked over and leaned against the doorframe of her office, smirking. "I'll forgive you this time."

She was slumped down in her chair, her feet kicking the floor gently when she scoffed. "You'll forgive me?" A small grin spread across her face as she made eye contact with him. "What about you? Sounds to me like you caved in the conference room, the way Gibbs was talking." She pointed a finger at him playfully. "You sold me out."

Tony rolled his eyes, not missing her playful demeanor. "Okaay!" He joked, stepping away from the doorframe and putting his hand out to help her stand. "Come on, I'll take you to lunch to make up for it. I've got some questions, and a feeling that Gibbs isn't exactly gonna answer them." He grinned. "Deal?"

"Deal." Abby smiled brightly, taking his hand and hopping to her feet. She slipped off her lab coat and hung it on the rack, allowing Tony to lead her out of her lab. "But I get to pick!"

**Chapter Four -- New Divide**

**Abby's Apartment -- May 20, 2009**

He pulled back and leaned against the couch, rubbing his hurt shoulder absentmindedly. "Tony..." Abby sighed, reaching out and putting a hand on his on his arm gently. "Don't do this, please? You know I hate it when you pout."

"Not pouting." He turned away from her and leaned his head against the back of the couch. "Jus' tired. Long few days. Look, 'm jus' gonna head home, okay?"

Abby frowned, moving off the couch and standing in front of Tony. "Nope, you're not going anywhere but to bed with me. Come on, babe." She grabbed his good arm and gently pulled him to his feet. She walked over to her dresser and opened the drawer that was reserved for his clothes, pulling out an OSU t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants before turning back to him.

"Go on, get changed. Your toothbrush is still in the medicine cabinet. I'll turn the bed down while you do that." She watched as he grumbled, standing up and going to the bathroom. She pushed the half closed bathroom door open a few minutes later and walked in wearing her pajamas, standing behind him and placing her chin on his shoulder. "Whatcha doin', Tony-boy?"

He watched her through the mirror as she grinned at him. "Don't think we should share tonight, sweetie. I've had a lot to drink..."

"That's silly. We've shared a bed before!" She kissed his shoulder and moved in front of him, starting to brush her teeth. She turned around a moment later, noticing how close they were standing. She grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom. "Come on. We'll be fine. Lay down with me." He relented, getting into bed and putting his bare feet under the blankets. She scooted closer to him and propped her head up on her hand. "That's better. How're you feeling?"

He groaned quietly as he relaxed, turning his head to look at Abby. "Better now, thanks." He flashed a small smile as he reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She shivered, feeling his hand wrap gently around the back of her head before pulling her down for a kiss. It lasted for a moment before Tony pulled away, resting his head back on the pillow. "Sorry." He mumbled, turning away as well as he could with a hurt arm.

Abby's voice came in a whisper. "Don't be." She reached over to stroke his cheek gently. "Don't be sorry, T." She smiled at him when he turned back to face her, laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping an arm around his waist. "Let's go to sleep. Everything will be better tomorrow."

**6 Years Earlier -- NCIS Headquarters -- November 19, 2003**

Tony didn't even look up from the file he was reading as the elevator doors opened in front of him.

"Hey, Agent DiNozzo."

His head snapped up at the sound of the voice. He closed the file and slipped it under his arm, seeing Agent McGee from the Norfolk office standing in front of him. Giving him a curious look, he stepped on, pressing the button for autopsy. "What are you doin' here, McGee? Aren't you supposed to be back in Norfolk?"

"I'm heading back later tonight." He smiled at Tony and straightened his jacket. "I'm gonna take Abby out to dinner before I leave."

"Abby, huh?" He could feel himself tensing at the thought of them together.

McGee nodded as the elevator stopped outside of the Forensics Lab. "Yep. I wanted to go for a cup of coffee earlier, but we got busy with the case, so I invited her to dinner instead."

Tony grunted in acknowledgement, stepping off the elevator with McGee. The two men walked into Abby's lab side-by-side and she smiled when she looked up from her desk. "Hey you guys!" She stood and hugged Tony tightly. "What are you doing down here? I figured you'd still be busy with your report."

"Just stopped by to say hey, Abs. You know me, can't go more than a few hours without seeing my favorite Goth." He pressed a kiss to her temple as she released him from the hug. "I...uh, actually I'd better get going. Gotta get this report back to autopsy for Ducky."

"Alright, T. I'll see you tomorrow?" She called after him as he made his way back to the elevator.

Tony turned around and smiled at her. "You bet, Abs. 'Night, McGee."

She turned back to McGee after Tony stepped onto the elevator, smiling brightly at him. "Ready to go?"

"Absolutely. Your choice, we'll go wherever you want." He offered his arm to her and they walked out of the lab, closing the door behind them.

Tony sighed as he stepped back into the squad room. *Can't believe she's going out with McGee. McGee!* He plopped down into his desk chair and began shoving the paperwork that littered his desk into his filing cabinet, slamming the drawer shut roughly.

Kate looked up at him from her desk as he continued to shove the items on his desk around and mumble under his breath. "Something wrong, Tony?"

"What makes you say that, Katie?" He said with a fake sweetness as he slammed another drawer.

"Well, you seem more irritated than usual." She leaned forward on her elbows and smirked. "You don't like Agent McGee, do you?"

Tony glared at her from across the bullpen. "It doesn't matter if I like McGeek or not. He's going back to Norfolk tonight and hopefully he won't be back."

"Who said McGee was goin' back tonight, DiNozzo?"

He flinched as Gibbs swept past him, taking a sip of his coffee before sitting down at his desk. "McGee did, Boss. In the elevator earlier on his way down to Abby's lab."

Gibbs chuckled lightly. "Go home, you two. Be back here at 07 tomorrow."

Kate smiled as she grabbed her bag and stood, taking her gun and badge out of her desk drawer. "Goodnight, Gibbs." She ruffled Tony's hair as she passed his desk. "Don't let McGee get to you. It's unhealthy, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." He watched her shake her head as she headed for the elevator. He rubbed his hand over his face, muttering under his breath.

"Got a problem, DiNozzo?"

He glanced across the bullpen at his boss before standing up and moving in front of the older agent's desk. "Did you know that he's taking Abby out tonight? Like *out* out. On a date." Gibbs shook his head slightly, but didn't look up to acknowledge Tony's statement. "Boss? You hear me? You're gonna let McGee just swoop in and take her out like that?"

Setting aside the file he was looking at, he made eye contact with the younger man, raising one hand and motioning for him to move closer. Tony leaned across the desk at the unspoken command, waiting patiently for what his boss had to say. "Yeah, Boss?"

Gibbs' hand snaked around the back of his head and smacked him. Tony straightened immediately, a surprised look on his face. "Thank you, Boss."

Tony frowned when Gibbs rolled his eyes and chuckled under his breath. "Um...goodnight, Boss." He turned back to his desk and quickly gathered his gun and badge from the drawer, shoving them into his backpack and heading for the elevator.

Once he was inside the car and heading for the parking garage, he slumped next to the button panel. He pulled out his phone and opened it, contemplating calling Abby. He got as far as dialing her number before snapping the phone shut and sighing heavily. Against his better judgement, he opened the phone again and dialed her number, this time hitting send before he could chicken out.

"Abby." She answered. He heard her giggle in response to something McGee had said and he cringed. "Hello?"

"Oh, sorry. Hey, Abs. It's Tony."

She covered the phone for a second and whispered to McGee. "Could you give me just a sec, Tim? I'll be right back." He nodded and she stepped away from their table before speaking again. "What's up, T?"

He stepped out of the elevator as it came to a stop on the ground floor and started walking toward his car. "Not a lot, Gibbs let Kate and I go early, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to come over tonight. Maybe watch a movie?"

Abby leaned against the wall where she stood near the bathroom of the restaurant and sighed. "Tony! McGee told you we were going out tonight, didn't he?" He didn't respond. She knew it, he never said anything when he had been caught by her. She could sniff out a lie of his from a mile away. "I don't know, Tony. Maybe, okay? I'll call you when we're done with dinner, alright?"

"Yeah, sure thing. It's no problem. Sorry I interrupted your dinner." He paused, expecting her to just hang up. "Abs?"

"It's okay. I forgive you. Talk to you later." She hung up the phone, slipping it back into her pocket before heading back to the table.

He tossed the cell phone into the passenger seat as he started the car and drove toward his apartment. He stopped halfway at the corner store and picked up a frozen pizza and a case of Jamaican beer before getting back into his car and finishing the trip home.

**Three Hours Later**

Tony paused the movie he was watching when he heard the sound of insistent knocking at his front door. "'M comin', 'm comin'." He stood up from the couch and stretched, noticing the empty beer bottles and half-eaten pizza that sat on his coffee table. He shrugged, shuffling over to the door and unlocking the deadbolt before opening it.

As soon as the door started to open, Abby pushed her way into the apartment past Tony. "What's your damage, DiNozzo?"

He rubbed a hand through his hair in confusion as he shut the door behind her and locked it again. "Uh, sorry? I think I'm missing something."

She cocked her hip out and crossed her arms in front of her, glaring at him. "You forget that you called me earlier? Interrupted my date with Tim?" Tony sighed. He opened his mouth to apologize but she held her hand up, stopping him. "I don't wanna hear it, okay? I don't need you to be my big brother. I have one, and trust me, he manages to drain the fun out of everything."

"Abs, I..."

"No!" She flung her arms up and started pacing across the living room. "I don't need you to protect me, Tony! I just got Gibbs to back off a little bit. It's bad enough that I've got Bradley *still* trying to baby me, and he lives 1,500 miles away. I'm a big girl, okay? I can take care of myself. I'm not some helpless woman who needs a man around all the time. Jeez!" She plopped down on the couch and let her head fall back against the cushion.

They sat in silence for a second before her head popped up and she turned around to face him, kneeling on the couch. "You're jealous!" Her eyes widened and she pointed a finger at him accusingly when he didn't defend himself immediately. "You so are! Oh my God."

Tony's mouth went dry as he searched for words. "I...I am not...wow, Abby." He chuckled. "I'm not jealous, okay? Especially not of McGeek."

"Don't call him that, Tony. He's sweet."

He pointed a finger in the air as if to make a point. "Exactly! He's sweet in the pants, maybe."

"TONY!" She shouted, glaring at him. "He was completely interested, if you know what I mean. Even kissed me goodnight. We're going out again next weekend."

He walked over to the back of the couch she was kneeling on and smiled down at her. "Lots of guys can kiss. Doesn't stop him from being McTootyFruity." He leaned down and kissed her. "See? And you know what I'm capable of."

Abby punched him in the shoulder and grinned. "You're not proving anything, Tony-boy. Only that you're more jealous of him than I previously calculated."

"Abby." He sighed, hopping over the back of the couch and sitting next to her. "I am not jealous of McGee, okay? I promise you that."

**11 Months Later -- October 13, 2004**

The loud knocking at the door resounded through the apartment, waking its owner with a start. He climbed out of bed, making sure to pick up the Sig that was sitting on his nightstand before making his way to the door.

"You're aware it is 0300, right? What could anyone possibly..." He opened the door and was surprised to see Abby standing at his door, soaking wet from the rain that was falling outside.

"I...I'm sorry." She shook her head, spraying him with small drops of water from the ends of her pigtails as she wrapped her wet jacket around her tighter. "I'll go. See you tomorrow...er...later today, I guess. Didn't mean to wake you."

Before she could turn around completely, he grabbed her arm gently, pulling her into his apartment and shutting the door behind them. "Abby...you okay?"

"I'm fine..." She barely got the words out between the chattering of her teeth. "Just a little...wet."

"Yeah, I can see that, Abs." He ushered her into the bathroom and helped her out of her wet clothes before wrapping her in his large bathrobe. "What happened?"

"We...we had a fight." She was still shivering as he led her into the bedroom, pulling her hair out of the pigtails and drying them with a towel as he sat behind her on the bed. "He was mad at me. It was pretty bad, Tony."

He ran his fingers through her hair gently after he dried it, untangling it. "Well, you two have been together for awhile now, right? You're bound to have a fight or two." Tony tried to hide the bitterness in his voice, but he knew it wasn't working when she shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't think I'll have to worry about that anymore." Abby swiped at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "We broke up tonight."

"Oh...Abs, I'm sorry, sweetheart." He rubbed his hands over her arms soothingly. "What was the fight about?"

She leaned back into Tony's arms awkwardly, unsure of what his reaction would be. They had drifted apart since she and McGee had been dating. It upset her, but she knew that Tony didn't approve of their relationship and she didn't want to be around him if all he was going to do was rag on Tim. He did enough of that at work.

"He doesn't like going to the parties I go to. I wouldn't let it bother me, except I always go to his stupid LAN parties with him! I mean, is it too much to ask that we do something I wanna do for once?" Abby sighed, exasperated.

Tony wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. He fell silent, not knowing what to say to comfort her as she continued.

"So, I had made plans to go to a party for one of my friend's birthday tonight and he didn't want me to. Wanted me to go with him to some LAN party instead. I said no, we fought, then I left."

He stood up, leaving her sitting on the bed. "Where are you going?" She asked, watching as he pulled on a pair of jeans over his boxers and threw on a OSU sweatshirt.

"I'm going to talk to McGee, Abby. Got a problem?" He slipped into his All-Stars and started to head out of the room, but she stopped him at the door.

"Don't." She put a hand on his chest, looking up at him with her big green eyes. "Please don't, Tony."

He sighed, looking down at her wrapped up in his too large robe, seemingly disappearing in the heavy black fabric.

"You and Gibbs, you're too much alike, you know? Neither of you know how to just *talk*. There's almost always some physical confrontation involved."

Tony snorted, thinking briefly about just moving her aside and going anyway. "Abs, come on. He obviously needs someone to talk to him. How long has he been like this?"

"It's not important, Tony. I didn't come to my personal bodyguard, I came to my best friend. Can you be my best friend tonight? Save the bouncer work for later...and preferably not on McGee?"

He turned and walked back to the bed, sitting on the edge. "Since when are we best friends, Abby?" He scoffed, pulling his shoes off. "We've hardly hung out at all since you've been with him, and now all of a sudden I'm supposed to be the best friend again?"

She frowned, upset at herself for hurting him. "Tony..." She walked over to the bed and sat next to him. "I'm sorry...I didn't..."

"Abby, you don't have to apologize, okay?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You never have to apologize to me."

She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I love you, Tony-boy."

Tony rested his cheek on her head and sighed. "I love you too, Abby-girl."

He picked her up carefully after a few minutes and laid her down at the head of the bed, covering her up with the blankets. He climbed in next to her and wrapped his arms around her waist before falling asleep.

**The Next Morning**

Tony woke once again to someone knocking at his front door. He sat up and swung his legs off the bed, being careful to not wake Abby.

He walked toward the door as the knocking became more persistent. "Hold your horses, I'm coming!"

McGee stood at the door when Tony opened it, causing a scowl to cross his face almost immediately. "What do you want, McControlling?"

"I was right, she did come to you. She always comes to you." He took a deep breath and shifted from one foot to the other. "I screwed up, Tony."

"Understatement of the century, I'd say." Tony scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.

McGee frowned, looking away from the older man's intense stare. "Is she here? Can I talk to her?"

"What do you think the answer to that question is, McGee? You really think I'm gonna let you see her? She showed up here last night soaked head to toe from walking in the rain."

"I know...I tried to stop her from leaving, but she just took off." The younger agent sighed, leaning against the wall facing Tony's apartment door. "I had an idea where she was going and thought I'd let her cool off before coming to talk to her."

Neither man heard Abby come out of the bedroom and stand in the kitchen silently, listening to their conversation as she made coffee.

"Do you really blame her for leaving, McGee?"

"No, Tony. I don't. I know that I was being selfish, I just wanted to come apologize and say goodbye."

Tony stepped closer to the younger man and glared at him. "Running away? You think that's gonna make things better?"

"Maybe not better, but less awkward for Abby. I just want her to be happy." The door to Tony's apartment flew open suddenly and Abby came flying out, taking McGee's arm and dragging him inside.

"Abby!" Tony followed them, not catching up before they ran into the bedroom and Abby locked the door. "Hey! That's my room, you know!"

"You're not leaving." She stated calmly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Abby, I just don't want things to be weird."

"Nope. Won't be unless you let them. I fought tooth and nail with Gibbs when he transferred you here. He wanted us to break up. Rule 12." She sat down on the end of the bed. "But I told him it would be fine. He trusted my judgement."

McGee fidgeted, eyeing the door. "I'm sorry, Abby. I didn't mean to upset you last night."

"You wouldn't have said the things you did if you didn't mean them, Tim." Abby frowned, looking away for a second before making eye contact with him again. "We're better off as friends, I think. We're too different."

McGee nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too." He walked over to where she was sitting and opened his arms. "Friends?"

"Friends." She stood up and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Wanna go see a movie or something?"

"Nah. I...should probably steer clear of Tony for awhile. He's pretty pissed at me." Tim leaned down and pecked her on the cheek. "I'll see you Monday, okay?"

Abby nodded. "Sure thing." She jumped back from him as the bedroom door popped open, revealing Tony holding his lockpick kit.

"Word of advice, Abs, don't go locking yourself in my room with another man ever again, okay?"

She blushed. "Sorry, T."

McGee slinked toward the door when Tony grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back.

"Tony!" Abby cried. She made a move toward him, but he held up a hand to stop her in her tracks.

He reached up and headslapped McGee before leaning close to the younger man's ear. "We'll talk later."

He nodded fervently before walking to the door and leaving the apartment.

Abby walked over to him once she heard the apartment door close and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What's that for?" Tony cried, rubbing his shoulder.

Abby frowned at him and then jumped into his arms. "I'm sorry, Tony." He lifted her off the ground and hugged her tightly.

He kissed her ear and smiled. "It's okay, babe." He set her back on the ground. "I dried your clothes last night, why don't we get dressed and we'll go see that movie you were talking about with McGoo."

**Chapter Five -- SWAK Part One**

**Abby's Apartment -- May 20, 2009 **

"Mmm..." Abby groaned at the loss of Tony's warm body as he climbed out of the bed. "Mornin' sleepyhead, come back to bed."

He froze, feeling her fingertips drawing circles on his back as he sat up on the edge of the bed. "Just...uh, gonna make some coffee."

"Noo...just a few more minutes of sleep! The alarm hasn't even gone off yet!"

He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "As much as I would love to, Abs...I really shouldn't. I'm gonna go make coffee. You want some?"

She propped her head up on her elbow and looked at him curiously. "Sure. I'll be out in a few." She watched as he walked out of the room, then flopped back on the pillows.

She rolled out of bed and padded to the kitchen, leaning on the counter next to Tony as he made the coffee. "You okay, T?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" He asked, turning the machine on and stepping toward the fridge.

"Oh, I don't know...could be something to do with the fact that you're avoiding me like the plague." Abby hopped up on the counter and watched him carefully. "I can only assume it's because we kissed last night, which I told you not to worry about, but you're letting it color your every decision this morning."

He turned and looked at her, setting the milk carton he had pulled from the fridge on the counter. "You wanna know why I'm upset about kissing you last night, Abby?"

She tensed up slightly. He was getting frustrated, and it rarely ended without a screaming match between the two of them. "Yeah, Tony. I do wanna know."

Tony crossed the small kitchen in a flash and stood in front of her, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her hips. He lowered his voice to a whisper, but she could still hear it trembling with emotion.

"I don't want to use you. You're too important to me, and I don't want you to be a place-holder for her."

Abby's eyes widened when she saw the genuine concern in her friend's eyes. "Is that what you think we would be? What I would be? A replacement for Ziva?"

He pushed away from the counter and tried to move to the other side of the kitchen, but she grabbed ahold of his arm. "Don't avoid me, Tony. Answer my question. Do you think that I would let you use me like that?"

He pulled his arm away from her roughly. "Yes!" He shouted at her, making her flinch slightly. "I do! I think you would do whatever it took to make me happy!"

Abby sniffed and closed her eyes tightly as she hopped down off the counter and walked toward him. "Screw you." She spat, pushing past him and walking down the hall to her bedroom.

**4 Years Earlier -- O'Malley's Pub -- May 9, 2005**

"I'ma walkin' trouble magnet. A fuckin' magnet." Tony slurred, slamming the shot glass onto the bar with the others. He ran a hand through his hair smoothly, sighing.

Abby giggled, downing her shot and leaning toward him. "How many times have I said that? A lot." She narrowed her eyes and pointed her finger at him drunkenly. "You don't listen t'me, y'know."

He rested his cheek on the top of her head and rolled his eyes. It wasn't the first time the two of them had ended up at the bar together, talking about one case or another.

"I do!" He cried. "S'times, listenin' t'you is the cause of my problems!"

"Hey!" She had a pained look on her face as she punched his shoulder. "'Snot my fault that you ran into that car headfirst, m'kay? I refuse to accept responsibility."

Tony laughed and kissed the Goth on the cheek. "Meh, I dunno. Gibbs'll kill me for lettin' him get away, though."

"Nah." Abby grabbed his wrist and turned it, looking at his watch. "We should go. Bossman's gonna want us in early-birdy."

"Alrighty, let's go then." Tony stood up and pulled out his wallet, tossing a few 20's on the bar before wrapping his arm around Abby's waist, helping her to stand. She leaned against him heavily, unsteady on her feet.

Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed the number for the local cab company and gave them the address of the pub. They stumbled out onto the street in the warm late-night air, sitting on the curb to wait for their cab. Abby leaned her head against his shoulder, his arm still wrapped around her waist. She yawned, closing her eyes momentarily. The cab pulled up after a few minutes, prompting Tony to nudge her gently.

"Abs. Hey, hon. The cab's here." He whispered. She grunted sleepily, acknowledging the sound of his voice. Shaking his head, Tony stood up and lifted Abby into his arms. He slipped her into the cab and took the seat next to her, directing the cabby to Abby's apartment.

He ran his fingers through her hair gently as the cab drove the short distance to her apartment. When they pulled up outside of the small building, Tony picked her up once again and carried her upstairs, asking the driver to wait for him to come back. Pulling his keys out, he grabbed the spare to her apartment and slipped it into the lock, opening the door and heading inside. She moaned a little when he laid her down onto her bed, rolling over onto her side as he pulled the sheet up around her. "Goodnight, sweetheart." He pressed his lips to her forehead and left the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him before getting back into the cab and heading home.

**The Next Morning**

Abby groaned as her cell phone rang impatiently in her ear. Rolling over in the bed, she snatched the device, silencing it mid-ring. "H'lo?" She groaned, her voice hoarse with sleep.

"Good morning sleepy head," Kate greeted, her smirk evident through the phone. "Gibbs wanted me to call and make sure you were okay."

"'M fine. Just hungover. Went out with Tony...got hammered...woke up at home. The in-between is pretty fuzzy."

Kate chuckled into the receiver. "Couldn't have been that bad, Tony's here. And he seems sober." She could hear Tony's indignant voice in the background.

"I AM sober, Katie. You know me, Boss. Can't get too drunk on a school night."

Abby smiled as she scrubbed a hand over her face and glanced over at the clock on her nightstand, her eyes widening at the time. "Kate! You didn't tell me it was so late!"

"You mean you didn’t figure it out when I told you that Gibbs wanted me to call and make sure you were still living? Because it’s not like Gibbs--"

Snapping the phone shut between her fingers, Abby threw the covers from her body and leapt from the warmth of her bed, ignoring her pounding headache. She showered and dressed in record time before she was out the door, slipping her darkest pair of sunglasses over her eyes. She checked her phone as she made her way down to her call, praying there were no angry voicemails from Gibbs. She breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted the two new texts. She was safe, Gibbs couldn’t text if his life depended on it.

--Hey, just wanted you to know that I made it home. Call me in the morning! Hope you sleep well. -T.--

--Gibbs is looking for your report. Where are you, hungover? :) Call me. -Tim.--

Deleting the two messages, she quickly dialed Gibbs’s number as she slid into the driver’s seat, sliding the key into the ignition.

“Gibbs. Speak,” his outgoing voicemail message commanded.

"Hey, Gibbs! It's Abby. But you knew it was me...who else would be calling and leaving you a message, right? Everyone else is there with you. Kate, Tony, McGee...I'm the only one who's not there. Plus you've got the caller ID, which also tells you who called. Sorry I'm not there by the way, I didn't mean to be late for work, I overslept on accident. I'll do anything to ma..."

Snapping the phone closed when the voicemail cut her off, Abby tossed the phone into the passenger seat beside her bag as she put the car in drive, pressing down on the gas just a little harder.

A Caf-Pow, a coffee, and three chocolate doughnuts later, Abby pulled up in front of the NCIS building, frowning at the sight of the rather large gathering of people on the lawn outside. Maneuvering into her usual spot, she threw the car into park and climbed out, the beverages and breakfast forgotten.

Closing the car door behind her, she crossed the parking lot and made her way through the throng of people, coming to a stop at the front of the crowd.

"Bobby,” she called, waving the front desk security guard over. “What happened? Is everyone okay?"

Jogging over to where the Goth stood, Bobby the guard placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Nothing to worry about, Abby. We had a minor scare and evacuated the whole building as a precaution.”

”What kind of ‘minor scare’? What’s going on?” She stood on her toes, glancing past his shoulder. “Where’s Gibbs?” His hesitation worried her. “Bobby. Where’s Gibbs? I don’t see Tony, Kate or McGee either. What the hell happened in there?” She asked, ignoring the burning behind her eyes.

“C’mon,” he said quietly as he pulled her aside, away from the crowd of people who had fallen quiet at her outburst. “We don’t have a lot of information right now,” he said, his voice soft. “All I know is that about 30 minutes ago, DiNozzo opened a letter in the squad room and released some sort of white powder. He was sent to decontamination along with Gibbs, Todd and McGee. They’re probably getting checked out by Doctor Mallard now.”

Turning back towards the building, Abby had taken three steps when Bobby’s hand clamped down on her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. “I can’t let you go in there, Abby. The whole building is on lock down!”

"I have to know that they're okay, Bobby! They're my family. My friends." She shrugged his hands away from her, looking toward the door again. "I can't just sit out here and not do anything to help!"

"Abby..." He started, pausing when his radio crackled. Stepping away from her, he responded quickly and turned back, holstering the device again. "They need you to go to the evidence garage and put on a containment suit."

She didn't have to be told twice. Pushing her way through the crowd, she made her way toward the evidence garage on the far side of the building and walked down the ramp.

"Ah, Abigail, there you are!" Ducky greeted as she entered the garage. Approaching her quickly, he could see the worried expression on her face and the tears that were just behind her eyes.

“What can I do?” She asked.

He tried to clear his own worried expression from his face, stepping toward her and placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Everything will be fine, my dear. You know Jethro wouldn't let anything happen to them."

Abby raised an eyebrow at the ME, shooting him a look of clear disbelief. "Ducky, don't lie to me. Please." She turned away from him and sat down, noticing his hesitation as he followed her to the bench near the containment suits.

She reached up and pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes, forcing the tears away before taking off her boots and slipping into the large orange suit. Pulling the hood up, she headed for the elevator without another word, her vision blurry with tears.

The squad room was nearly empty, save for the three members of the clean-up crew, working diligently to clear the room. She accepted the small box that contained both the SWAK letter that Tony had opened as well as all of the powder clean-up crew collected from the floor and the top of her friend's desk with a curt nod of thanks before heading back down to her lab to start the analysis.

*Keep busy, Abby. Everything will be okay if you just keep busy.* She chanted to herself in an effort to keep calm.

After an hour of pacing her lab and getting yelled at by Gibbs over the videophone from Autopsy, she was surprised to see two large blue containment suits containing Gibbs and McGee rushing into her lab. "Wow, didn't know it was Halloween already!" She joked half-heartedly, faltering slightly as the two men exchanged the worried glance that was her undoing.

Turning away from them, she moved into the back office, plopping herself into her desk chair and closing her eyes tightly, preventing her tears from falling.

"Abs..." McGee started after her, only to be stopped by Gibbs. He shook his head at the younger agent, motioning for him to wait before walking into the smaller portion of the office.

Gibbs walked over to her and leaned against her desk, tapping on her shoulder to get her attention. *Abby...They'll be fine, okay?* He signed to her. *We can go down and see them later on, but right now we need you to finish things here. Okay?*

Her hands shook as she raised them, signing back. *This is serious, Gibbs! It could be anthrax...smallpox...Tony and Kate could die.* She stopped trying to hold the tears back, letting them fall down her cheeks.

"Ah, damn. Abs..." He mumbled, moving forward to wrap his arms around her as best he could while wearing the containment suit.

McGee stepped into the back office and cracked a small smile when he saw Gibbs holding Abby tightly despite the large suit. He didn't know how he did it, but the older man somehow managed to make her calm down.

"Uh, Boss?" He tapped his shoulder gently. "Ducky's on the videophone for you."

Gibbs released Abby from the embrace and pressed a kiss to her forehead. *They'll be fine, my girl.* He stroked her cheek gently with the final sign before turning and walking to the videophone, motioning for McGee to stay with her.

Obediently, he stepped further into the office and pulled the forensic tech up into another hug. "Can you walk me through the evidence, Abs? Maybe there's something I can help you with?"

She nodded, hugging him back tightly. Letting go, she showed him what she had found so far pertaining to the letter that Tony had opened.

"That's all I have, I'm waiting for the CDC to give me the go ahead to irradiate it before I can do more." Abby stood up from her desk as Gibbs walked back in, his suit pulled down around his waist. "Gibbs...any news about..."

He cut her off with nothing more than a look. "Tony?" She whispered, her voice choking up.

He nodded. "All our blood tests were cleared except Tony's."

"He...he's sick?" She dropped her head into her hands when Gibbs nodded again, collapsing into her chair.

Gibbs knelt down in front of her, pulling her hands away from her face and holding them tightly. "He has the pneumonic plague, Abby."

"I...I need to see him, Gibbs! I can't just...I have to go." She gasped, pulling away from his grasp.

Abby attempted to stand but was held back gently by Gibbs' hands on her shoulders. "Abby...you can't go. He's still contagious, and I'm not risking you getting sick."

"What if he...Gibbs, he has the plague! He...I don't want him to be alone." Her voice was meek as she blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay.

He shook his head, continuing to hold onto her shoulders. "I know you don't. But I can't let you go."

"Gibbs!" She cried, struggling against the hands on her shoulders. "Please! Kate's there, I should be able to go too."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, whispering into her ear calmly. "Exactly, Abby. Kate's there. She'll watch out for Tony, okay? As soon as it's safe, I promise you that you'll get to see him."

She fell against him as her body gave out, the tears she had been trying to hold back finally falling down her cheeks.

**6 Hours Later**

Gibbs pulled out his cell phone as he drove toward Bethesda, calling McGee.

"McGee." He answered quietly, not wanting to wake Abby as she napped on the futon in her office.

"The bug had a suicide chain. Tony's not contagious anymore. Is Abby still sleeping?"

He glanced over at her sleeping form and frowned. She didn't deal with bad situations very well, usually letting herself get so worked up that she collapsed from exhaustion.

"Yeah, she's still out, Boss. Want me to wake her?" McGee walked over and crouched down next to his friend, stroking her hair softly.

"No. Let her sleep." Gibbs made the next left-handed turn, changing direction to head back to HQ. "I'm coming back now, I'll wake her up. She needs the rest. Don't know why that girl let's herself get so worked up."

Before McGee could attempt an answer, he heard the dial tone. He sighed and closed the phone between his fingers, leaning back against the cabinet next to Abby. He rubbed slow circles on her back, wishing he knew how to help her.

**Chapter Six - SWAK Part Two**

**May 22, 2009 - Abby's Apartment**

Tony watched as Abby ran down the hallway toward her bedroom, flinching when she slammed the door behind her. "Fuck!" He cursed, slamming his hand on the counter. He had known in the back of his head that his words would upset her, but he had half expected her to take them with a grain of salt. She hadn't, and now she was hurt. He slid down the counter to the floor and dropped his head in his hands. "God damn it."

"Screw you?" Abby scoffed, pressing the palms of her hands against her eyes as she paced the length of her bedroom. "What was I thinking? I shouldn't have pushed him. He's upset about Ziva, and I had to go and push him. God!" She ran her hands through her hair as she continued to pace. "What was Ziva thinking? Didn't she see how he feels?" She sat down on the edge of her bed and flopped back, staring at the ceiling.

"Abby?"

She sat up when Tony's voice came through the door, much softer than it had been only minutes before in the kitchen. She didn't say anthing, instead just drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, the stinging feeling that his words left coming back to the surface.

He knocked on the door softly. "Abs? Can we talk, please?"

Her voice came out at barely above a whisper. "It's open." She almost spoke again, slightly louder, when he opened the door slowly and stepped inside.

He leaned against her dresser and put his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants. "Abby..." He stopped when she raised her hand up, interrupting him. Tony walked over and crouched down in front of her, taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Don't, Tony." Abby pulled her hands away from him. "You made it clear how you feel. If you didn't mean it...then you wouldn't have said it at all. But I get it, I do. You love her...you miss her. But it was her choice. Her choice to leave us all behind. You think you're the only one who's hurt?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing up and walking back to the dresser. "I didn't mean to imply that you weren't hurting, Abs. I just...I don't want to lose you too. You're all I've got left."

"You have such little faith in me, in us and our friendship, that you think that would break us?" She snorted in disbelief. "It would've bothered me less if you had just told me you weren't interested, Tony."

"Abby..." He frowned. "You know that's not the case. Not in the slightest."

She stood up from her bed and walked over to him, not stopping until their bodies were nearly flush with each other. She leaned up on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. "Prove it."

Tony looked into her eyes and saw a sadness that hadn't been there since Gibbs left for Mexico nearly 3 years earlier. He reached up to stroke her cheek gently when the phone rang, startling them both. He cleared his throat before speaking. "You should...um...probably get that, babe."

She pulled away from him hesitantly and walked to the other side of the room to answer the phone. "Hello? Oh, hey Bradley." She turned away from Tony as she sat down on the bed. "Yeah, I know. I've been...busy. I'm fine, BB, I swear. Yeah."

Abby stood up again and walked back to Tony, holding out the phone. "Bradley wants to talk to you." She pushed the phone into his hand and walked out of the room, heading back to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

"Uh, Abs?" He questioned, looking between the phone and her retreating figure before finally putting it to his ear. "This is Tony."

"Hey, Tony. How you holdin' up?" Bradley paused, waiting for a response that didn't come. "That bad, huh?" He chuckled lightly and cleared his throat. "I...uh, just wanna thank you for lookin' out for Abby, man. It means a lot to me."

"Me? Looking out for Abby?" Tony snorted. "You must have her confused with Brittany. Abby looks after herself. If anything, I'm the one who should be thanking her for looking out for me." He shook his head, looking back at the door. "But I can't even manage to do that without fucking it up."

Bradley frowned. "What happened?"

"Nothing, Bradley. Just a tough night...for both of us." Tony leaned on the door frame and watched as she moved about the kitchen making some eggs for breakfast.

"She looks up to you, you know. Really respects your opinion. Don't screw it up." He spoke to someone on his end of the phone before speaking to Tony again. "I gotta go. Tell Abs I'll call her later, yeah?"

"Sure thing, man." He hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair before heading out to the kitchen to join Abby.

**4 Years Earlier - May 10, 2005 - NCIS Headquarters**

Gibbs stepped off the elevator and into Abby's lab carrying two cups of coffee and a Caf-Pow. He set them on the desk in her office and glanced over at the futon where he had left her sleeping a few hours before. He never had understood how she made herself seem so small at times, but there she was, curled up in McGee's lap as she began to stir, his hand tracing small patterns gently on her back.

The younger man looked up when Gibbs came in, nodding to him in acknowledgement of his presence. "Hey, Boss. She's just starting to wake up now."

He nodded and crouched down next to them, reaching his hand out to brush some of her disheveled hair from her face. "Abs. You with us?"

She lifted her head off McGee's chest and blinked her eyes a few times, adjusting to the dim light in the room. "Mhmm, I'm here. How's Tony?" She made a feeble attempt at standing, only to be stopped by both Gibbs and McGee.

"Just relax for a second, sweetie. Give yourself a chance to wake up." McGee cooed, continuing to rub her back.

"I can't just relax, Tim. It's not that simple." She looked up at Gibbs again. "How is he? Can I go see him now?"

"That's what I came to tell you, Abs. He's not contagious anymore. Give yourself a few minutes to wake up, then we'll go. Okay?" Gibbs stood, walking over to her desk and grabbing the beverages he left there. He handed McGee a coffee and Abby her giant sized Caf-Pow. "Meet me at the car in 10, McGee."

"Got it, Boss." He took a sip of his coffee as Gibbs walked out of the lab. "Come on, Abs." He stood, helping her to her feet as well. He grabbed her arm as she stumbled, her legs weak from sleeping curled up into a ball. "Woah, slow down."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her to the elevator, heading up to meet Gibbs at the car.

A few minutes later they were on their way to Bethesda. "Are we there yet?" Abby pleaded, wringing her hands in the passenger seat.

"I'm driving as fast as I can in this traffic, Abby. We'll be there in a few minutes." Gibbs replied, reaching across the console and patting her on the leg.

When Gibbs pulled to a stop outside of the hospital, Abby jumped out of the car and ran into the ICU.

"Abby, damnit!" Gibbs shouted after her, watching as she made a beeline for the hospital doors. "Park the car, McGee." He tossed the keys to his junior agent, stepping out of the vehicle and heading inside after the Goth.

When he stepped inside the building, Abby was standing at the nurse's station yelling about needing to get back to see Tony. He walked up behind her and calmly whispered in her ear. "Abby, a word. Now."

She didn't budge as the nurse have them a strange look, forcing Gibbs to grab her arm and drag her to the far corner of the room. "What did I tell you, Abs?"

Abby frowned. "I'm sorry, Gibbs. I just need to know that he's okay."

He took her by the shoulders and hugged her tightly. "I told you that you could see him and you will. But you need to calm down first. The last thing Tony needs is for you to be hysterical. Can you do that for him?"

"Yes, Gibbs." She nodded against his chest.

"That's my girl." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and released her from the tight hug. "Now, come on, let's go see Tony."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her toward the elevator, turning her to face him when the doors closed.

"He doesn't look like himself, Abby. You gonna be okay?" She nodded and Gibbs smiled, patting her on the back.

The doors opened and Abby walked off hesitantly. She was jarred out of her daze when Kate came over and touched her shoulder gently. She continued walking, Gibbs following closely behind her as she entered the isolation chamber. Her mouth went dry as she looked at Tony laying on the hospital bed, his skin pale and his lips blue despite the lights that tinted the room.

"T...Tony?" She whispered, talking another step toward the bed and taking his hand in hers.

His eyes opened slowly and upon meeting hers, he attempted to sit up unsuccessfully. "Abby..." He choked, unable to speak more before launching into a coughing fit.

She sniffled, trying to hold the tears back as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Don't move, hon. Relax."

"You shouldn't...be here..." Tony gasped, looking to Gibbs. "Why'd you...let her come?"

Gibbs snorted. "You try stopping Abby sometime, DiNozzo. She's like a freight train with no brakes. I'm not gonna get in her way."

"Go, Abby...please. Don't want you...getting sick too. Bradley would...kill me." He squeezed her hand tightly before letting go and motioning for her to leave the isolation room.

"I'm not going, Tony. Gibbs said you're not contagious anymore! I'm staying with you!"

He coughed hoarsely. "Abs, please. You...don't need to see...me this way." He reached his hand up shakily and touched her cheek. "Please."

She looked to Gibbs for support, but he merely backed away, leaving them alone in the room. She shook her head fiercely, ignoring his pleas. "I'm staying."

"Abby!" Tony cried, his voice cracking from the rawness of his throat. "I'm not asking...anymore. Go. Now." He broke out in another coughing fit before she could respond, and the next thing she knew she was being ushered out of the room by a nurse as his doctor rushed in.

"No!" She cried, fighting against the nurse. Gibbs and McGee met her at the doors to the enclosed space, pulling Abby away before she could hurt the nurse. "Let me go, Gibbs! I..." She collapsed to the floor, sobbing as she watched Tony's doctor give him a light sedative that would help him relax.

"Abby..." Gibbs warned, his voice low in her ear. "You can't do that. You're only gonna make things worse if he gets all worked up. Don't argue with him, okay? You know he's just looking out for you."

The Goth buried her face in Gibbs' chest, her tears soaking through his shirt. "He...he's my best friend, Gibbs. My best friend is dying...and he doesn't want to see me." She shook in his arms as the heavy sobs tore from her throat, the ability to form words quickly deteriorating.

Gibbs pried her off his chest and switched places with McGee before kissing the top of Abby's head. "He's not gonna die, sweetheart. I'll promise you that." He stood and walked into the blue-tinted room, standing over Tony's bed as he fought the inevitable sleep that came with sedatives.

"Is...Abby going home?" He forced, his voice weaker than it was even a few moments ago. He coughed lightly, wincing at the pain in his chest.

The older agent sighed. "You know as well as I do, DiNozzo, that she's not gonna go anywhere until you're out of here. There's not a damn thing I can do about that."

Tony frowned up at Gibbs before turning his head to see Abby sobbing in McGee's arms. "Force...her. Take her...please...she shouldn't see me...this way. Not a good...last memory."

"It's not gonna be a last memory, DiNozzo. I don't wanna hear those words from your mouth for the duration, you got me?" Gibbs pointed to Abby. "She's counting on you, Tony." His voice was hardly above a whisper in an attempt to hide his emotion. "You really gonna let her down?"

"No...choices, Boss. Not...in control...of the situation." He frowned at the older man. "Tell her...I love her, okay? Tell Tim...to take care of...her."

"You stop that shit right now. You're gonna tell them those things yourself." Gibbs reached up and tapped Tony softly on the top of the head. "You are not gonna die...you hear me? You don't have my permission."

The younger man nodded weakly. "Got it...Boss." He closed his eyes and let the sedatives take over, his body falling into a light sleep. Gibbs sighed, turning to leave the confined space only to be ambushed by Abby when he walked out.

"How...how is he? Is he okay?" He rested his hands on the younger woman's shoulders and pulled her close without saying a word. "Gibbs!" She cried, sobs beginning to rack her body again.

"Shh..." He soothed, rubbing her back. "He'll be fine. Sleeping now." He pulled back and chucked her gently under the chin, forcing her to look at him. "If you can be calm, you can go and sit with him."

Abby's green eyes stared into Gibbs' blue ones and she nodded sadly, wiping her face with the sleeve of her shirt. He flashed a half smile and patted her on the shoulder, moving out of the way so that she could enter the room. Walking in, she took a seat on the end of Tony's bed, drawing her legs up to her chest as she watched him rest.

Tony's eyes opened slowly when the mattress shifted, looking up to see Abby curled up at the end of his bed. "Baby girl..." He cooed, his voice raw. "C'mere." He lifted his hand off the bed and motioned for her to come closer. Abby crawled up the bed and Tony lifted the blankets, letting her crawl under them with him. She snuggled up to his side, tears streaming down her face silently. "Love...you, Abby." He kissed her forehead and smiled when she wrapped her arms around him before they both fell asleep.

**A Week Later**

"Psst. Abby." The voice came as a whisper, making her jerk her head off the pillow she was laying on.

"What! I'm up!" She glanced around frantically, her eyes finding Tony sitting on the edge of his hospital bed laughing. "Not funny, DiNozzo."

He chuckled. "Well, you shoulda gone home last night like I said. You're not getting enough sleep on that crappy couch, babe."

"I wanted to stay with you. Besides, I slept fine, thank you." She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.

"Yeah, yeah." Tony settled back against the pillows and patted the bed in front of him. "C'mon, I can see that crick in your neck from here, Abs."

Abby groaned as she stood up and moved over to Tony's bed, situating herself in front of him so he could massage her neck.

"What would you do without me, Abby? You'd have to rely on McGoogle for all your massages." He grinned and leaned closer to her ear. "I've heard gets a little handsy."

She closed her eyes tightly and took an uneven breath in an attempt to control her emotions. Tony stopped massaging momentarily and pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

"What's wrong?" He peeked over her shoulder to see her face and she shook her head, turning away from him. "Aw, Abby...I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

She sniffed, wiping her eye with the back of her hand. "I don't know how almost dying doesn't seem to affect you, Tony." She tried to move, but his arms held her tightly against him.

"It doesn't bother me because I don't let it. I'm a federal agent, Abby. Before that I was a cop. It comes with the territory. You learn to let go."

Abby frowned. "It shouldn't be that easy to just let it go."

He chuckled and kissed the back of her head. "When you've been hurt as much as I have, letting go is easier than dwelling on it. Trust me. I'd never leave my apartment if I did."

"Maybe you shouldn't leave your apartment then."

He turned her body to face him. "You'd never see me. What kind of friend would I be then, huh?"

That made her crack a small smile. "The safe kind." She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Don't you ever scare me like that again! I don't want to use my mysterious forensic powers to hide your body."

Tony gasped in mock horror. "You wouldn't!" He looked up as the nurse came in with his discharge papers. "She's threatening to kill me!"

The nurse giggled as she handed him the paperwork. "Just need you to sign these, Agent DiNozzo, then we can get you out of here." Abby glared at him playfully as he smiled at the nurse. "She's not really gonna kill me, I'm her favorite." He signed the papers and handed them back to her.

"I figured," The nurse smirked and placed a hand on Abby's shoulder. "I've worked in ICU for awhile now and I think you're the most dedicated visitor I've seen."

"See, T? I'm dedicated!" She flashed him a self-satisfied smile.

"Don't know if that's the word I would use...Ow!" He flinched when she poked him in the side. He pointed to himself. "Injured!"

"What happened to not dwelling?" Abby smirked, standing up from the hospital bed and slipping her shoes on.

Tony also stood and grabbed his duffel bag from the small closet. "You're the one that said I should be more aware of my injuries, Abs. I'm doing just that." He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. "Come on, I'm tired of this baby food! Let's go grab a pizza. Just you and me."

"Pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese?" She grinned, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Of course! Is there another kind?"

**Chapter Seven -- Kill Ari Part One**

**May 22, 2009 -- Abby's Apartment**

Tony leaned against the side of the fridge, watching Abby as she rummaged through it, looking for the ingredients to make breakfast.

"Abs, I..." He started, stopping when she stood upright and frowned at him.

"No more apologies, T. We need to be there for one another, not at each other's throats."

He pushed off the fridge and pulled her close to him, nearly crushing her with the force of his embrace. "I love you, Abby-girl. Always have..." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "And I always will."

Abby smiled as she rested her face against his firm chest and hugged him tightly. They held onto each other for a few minutes before Tony pulled back and smiled down at her.

"Let me buy you breakfast?" He asked, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Sure." She beamed, kissing the tip of his nose. "Let's go get dressed then, I'm hungry!"

Abby took his hand, lacing their fingers together as she pulled him toward her bedroom. She dug through her drawers, pulling out clothes for herself while Tony went to her closet and pulled out one of the suits he stored there for just this reason. After years of spending the night at each other's apartments, they had finally learned that having clean clothes at each place was probably a better idea than having to answer the questions that followed coming to work in the same outfit 2 days in a row.

He pulled his charcoal grey suit out of the closet and turned around to head for the bathroom, not surprised to see Abby half naked changing her clothes in the middle of the bedroom. "Hurry up, Tony-boy. If we don't go get breakfast soon, we'll be late for work."

"Breakfast?" He joked, dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder just before she covered it with her shirt. "What breakfast?"

She glared at him playfully through the mirror. "I know what you're thinking, DiNozzo. And no, *breakfast* in bed is not an option. You missed your chance on that train." She giggled as she pulled up her skirt, fastening the buttons on the side.

"Aww...you're no fun, Abs." He kissed her again, this time on the back of her neck. "I'll be right out." She smiled as he walked into the bathroom to change into his suit.

A few minutes later he emerged with his tie draped around his neck. Abby zipped up her boot and stood, walking over to him. "I don't quite understand why you insist on me tying these for you, Tony. You know how to do it yourself."

He smiled, watching her straighten his tie after tying it. "It just looks that much sharper when a beautiful woman ties it. Didn't you know that?"

Abby pushed his shoulder gently, turning him toward the door. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, Romeo. Let's eat."

**Four Years Earlier -- May 25, 2005 -- NCIS Evidence Garage**

Gibbs pulled the Autopsy van into the evidence garage and climbed out slowly before following Ducky and Palmer to the rear of the vehicle. He could feel the tears sitting just behind his eyes as they pulled out the gurney that held Kate's cold body wrapped in the black nylon of the body bag. He watched as they rolled the gurney into the elevator and headed for Autopsy, only to be joined seconds later by Tony and McGee as they exited the MCRT Truck.

"Tony." He said softly, surprising both of the younger men with his tone.

"I know, go pick up Abby." Tony straightened slightly, knowing the responsibilty of telling his best friend would be put on him. He started to turn away when he felt Gibbs' hand on his shoulder. "Boss? Was there something else?"

"Tony, I don't need you to pick up Abby just yet." Gibbs looked the younger man over, seeing that he still had drops of Kate's blood on his face and jacket. "I need you to call Abby's brother Bradley. Let him know what happened, that Abby's gonna need him here as soon as possible."

"Gibbs, he's 1,500 miles away. I know he'll do anything for his baby sister, but don't you think we can handle..."

"Just trust me, Tony. We're gonna need him here." He patted Tony's shoulder. "Do that, then get cleaned up and head back to the rooftop. I want you to find Ari's nest. Take McGee with you. The backup teams should be there to help." Gibbs walked toward the elevator, leaving the two men looking slightly confused.

"I'll...uh, I'll be right back, McGee." Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket and walked away from the younger agent as he dialed Bradley's home phone number.

A female voice answered the phone sounding confused, probably about the long distance number. "Hello?"

"Brittany?" Tony responded. "It's Tony, Abby's friend? Remember me?"

"Of course! How could we forget? Jack loves that NCIS cap you sent him for Christmas. Wears it everyday." She paused, sensing there was something wrong. "Tony? Is everything okay?"

He tensed, unsure of what to say. "Um, no. Not really. Is...uh, Bradley there?"

"Yeah, he's right here." Tony listened as Brittany pulled the phone away from her ear and called for her husband.

A minute later, Bradley was on the phone. "Tony? Is Abs okay?"

"Yeah, Abby's fine. Um, Gibbs wanted me to call you." Tony hesitated as his voice caught in his throat. "One of our agents...Kate, she was shot today. She, um...she died. Gibbs said something about Ab..."

Bradley cut him off, already throwking some clothes into a duffel bag. "I'm on my way, Tony. See you when I get there." He hung up the phone without giving Tony a chance to respond.

"Always with the hanging up of the phone...no wonder Gibbs and Abby get along so well, her brother is a carbon copy of him." He muttered, walking back to where McGee was loading up the MCRT truck. "Come on, McGee, let's get this over with. I don't wanna get caught in the rain."

**Abby's Apartment -- 0200 Hours**

Gibbs walked up to Abby's apartment door and pulled out the spare key, hesitating before slipping it into the lock and opening the door quietly. He stepped inside and looked around the dark apartment before making his way toward the bedroom.

"Abby?" He called softly, knocking on the door before walking in. He made his way over to her bed silently, tapping her on the shoulder. "Abs."

She sat up quickly, a knife in her hand as she turned on her lamp. "Jesus! Gibbs!"

He grabbed her wrist and pointed the knife away from him. "Put that thing away."

Abby pulled the sheath out from under her pillow and slipped the knife into it. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on a woman in her sleep?!"

"Obviously not. How many times have you pulled that thing on DiNozzo?"

Abby grinned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and glancing at her clock. "Enough times that he knows better than to sneak up on me in bed. What's goin' on, Gibbs? It's 2 AM."

Gibbs turned away from her bed and walked over to the window, looking out at the heavy clouds.

"Gibbs?" She asked again, slightly worried by his demeanor. She hadn't ever seen him this way. "Everything okay?"

He turned back to face her and studied her carefully, as if sizing her up. Gibbs could see her begin to tense up before she even spoke. "Abs..." He started, his voice hardly above a whisper.

"What is it?" Abby worried her bottom lip between her teeth momentarily. "Gibbs...you have to tell me what's going on! What happened?"

"Let's go, Abs. We need you down at headquarters."

Abby stood up and walked over to him. "No! I want you to tell me what's going on. Be honest with me. You've never lied to me!"

He sighed heavily, knowing already what was going to happen when he gave her the news. He headed over to her dresser and picked out an outfit, placing it into her backpack that sat on the chair in the corner of the room. "It's Kate, Abby. She was shot."

Abby stopped dead in her tracks. She moved to sit back down on the bed and caught the very edge, sliding off onto the floor. She didn't speak, slipping into an almost catatonic state. Gibbs had only seen her this way once before, shortly after she started working for NCIS, when her brother Bradley came up to tell her that their Uncle Charlie had passed away.

He grabbed a blanket off of her bed and wrapped it around her before picking her up. As he carried her out of the apartment, he snatched up the backpack he had packed for her and walked down to the car, putting the Goth carefully in the passenger seat. Sighing, he headed over to the driver's side and slid in, putting the car into gear and pulling away.

**NCIS Bullpen -- 0345 Hours**

Gibbs climbed out of the sedan after parking in his usual spot and walked over to the other side, unbuckling a still unresponsive Abby and lifting her over his shoulder. He headed inside after the security guards let him through and took the elevator up to the bullpen.

Bradley, Tony, and McGee were all sitting in the bullpen silently, the two agents contemplating changing into dry clothes, but not wanting to go until Gibbs got back with Abby. When the elevator bell dinged, all three men stood and watched as he carried the Goth off the elevator.

"Boss...Is she...?" Tony asked, concern clear in his voice. McGee stood silently beside him, staring at Abby as if he didn't comprehend what was happening in front of him.

"She's fine, Tony. Just in shock." Bradley explained, turning to Gibbs as he set Abby on his desk chair. "I take it you told her?"

Gibbs nodded. "Didn't have a lot of choice, she wasn't gonna leave unless I told her what was going on."

Bradley leaned over and kissed his sister on the forehead, brushing her bangs out of the way. "Yeah, she always did know when something was wrong. I used to call it her magic power. Then she grew up, and everything had to have a scientific explanation." They all chuckled. "I'm sorry about Kate, Gibbs. Tony told me what happened."

Gibbs frowned. "Thanks. More worried about Abs right now, though." He turned back to McGee and Tony. "Why don't you boys go change into some dry clothes. We'll meet you down in the lab."

The two agents looked at each other before looking back at Abby sitting in Gibbs' desk chair. "Yeah. Sure thing, Boss. Come on, Probie." He grabbed McGee's shoulder, manuvering him out of the bullpen and toward the elevators.

Bradley crouched down in front of his sister and frowned slightly. He hated seeing her like this and unfortunately for him, it had been an all too frequent experience when they were growing up.

"Abby? It's BB, hon." He took her hand in his and signed her name against her palm slowly. "Come on, baby." He grinned when he felt her sign his name. "I missed you, Abby-cadabby. It's about damn time I get to see this state-of-the-art lab you're always bragging about."

She blinked a few times before being able to focus on the man crouched in front of her. "Bradley? You're here?" She jumped up and nearly knocked him over with the force of her hug.

"The one and only, baby girl. You know, you sister and nephew miss the hell out of you."

Abby smiled. "I know. Been kept pretty busy between work and taking care of these guys." She shot up and grabbed her brother's hand. "My lab! It's like my dream come true, BB! You have to see it." She dragged him toward the elevator, Gibbs following closely behind.

They stepped off the elevator, Abby still gripping Bradley's hand tightly. "Tony! Timmy! What are you guys doing down here?"

McGee stood up and hugged Abby tightly. "Um, we're just waiting for you, Abby." He shot a confused look to Tony and shrugged.

Tony caught McGee's glance and joined Gibbs, whispering to him in a concerned tone. "She doesn't know, Gibbs? Someone should tell..."

He stopped the younger agent with a shake of his head. "Tony, now is not the time."

"When is the time, Boss? It's not gonna get any easier to tell her that Kate's gone the longer we wait!" Tony hissed at the older man, looking over at Abby talking to Bradley and McGee every so often. He shook his head angrily when he didn't respond. "You're not being fair to her, Gibbs. She deserves to know. If you guys aren't gonna tell her, then I will."

"DiNozzo." Gibbs warned, grabbing the dark-haired man's shoulder as he turned to walk away. "Wouldn't do that if I were you."

He pulled away roughly, the scowl on his face making it clear that he was more concerned about Abby's well-being than what Gibbs would do to him for disobeying. "Abby..."

Bradley turned at the sound of Tony's voice and excused himself, stopping the only slightly younger man from reaching his sister. "Tony, I really don't think now is the time. Please."

"Abby." Tony called for her again, ignoring Bradley's plea. The next thing Tony knew, he was being pulled into Abby's ballistics lab. "What the hell, Bradley?"

"I can't let you talk to her if you're gonna be like this." He sighed, seeing the confusion on Tony's face. "I can read lips. I saw what you were telling Gibbs. Did you think that maybe there was a reason she was acting that way when she got here?"

"So the ends justify the means? This..." Tony pointed to Abby talking animatedly to Gibbs and McGee. "isn't fair to her. She's gonna be hurt when she finds out Kate's gone."

Bradley sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Gibbs already told her when he went to her apartment to pick her up. She's doing this to herself subconsiously, Tony."

He looked back at the brother of his best friend. "What? Why would she want to..."

Bradley shook his head. "It's not a choice on her part. We don't have to tell her again because she already knows. Her mind just isn't ready to process it, so it's blocking the memory." He took a deep breath. "When our parents died, she was like this for days. I remember being mad at her because everytime I would bring it up, she would claim they were on vacation, that they would be back on Friday. I thought she just didn't wanna deal with it. She was 9. I didn't blame her, just wished I could have done the same thing."

Tony looked back into the larger part of the lab, watching Abby joke around with McGee, completely unaware that anything had happened. "So she's ignoring it. Ignoring the fact that Kate's gone."

"Not ignoring, Tony. She's aware of what happened, her mind just won't acknowledge it yet. When she's somewhere that her mind knows is safe, then it'll process."

"Sounds like ignoring to me." He scoffed, starting to leave the ballistics lab. "Kate deserves better than that. She can't pretend forever."

Tony stormed into the larger lab and grabbed Abby, turning her to face him. Bradley was right on his heels calling for him to stop. "Why are you ignoring the fact that she's gone? Why would you do that? Don't you think she deserves better?" He yelled at her, despite seeing the tears forming behind her eyes.

"Tony! Let her deal on her own terms, please! It's only gonna make things..."

"Down!" Gibbs called, grabbing Bradley and McGee's shirt collars and pulling them to the floor of the lab. Tony grabbed Abby's waist and threw her down, covering her body with his own as the sniper bullet hit the window in the lab, spraying glass everywhere.

No one spoke as Gibbs listened carefully for any other noises. He snuck around the room quickly, turning off all the lights before returning to the small group in the corner of the room. "We're clear. Stay low to the ground and head for the door."

McGee nodded, motioning for Bradley to follow him out of the lab and into the hallway. Gibbs followed them out, silently telling Tony to get Abby out as well.

"You okay, Abs?" He asked softly, leaning up off of her, looking for blood.

She shoved him off of her without a word and stood up, bolting out of the lab and past the men standing outside, heading into the women's restroom. She locked the door before turning around and leaning against it and slumping down to the floor, sobbing. He exited the lab a few moments later, joining the others in the hallway.

"What the hell we're you thinking, DiNozzo?" Gibbs hissed at him, glancing over at Bradley and McGee trying to get Abby to open the bathroom door.

Tony didn't speak. He had seen the hurt in Abby's eyes when she shoved him away, as the realization hit her that he was yelling at her, that Kate was gone, and that they had just been shot at. "Sorry." He mumbled. "I wanted her to..."

Gibbs cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Don't apologize to me, Tony. She's the one who was hurt. I get it, okay? I understand that you miss Kate, hell, we all miss Kate. Abby just deals with her loss differently."

The younger man nodded, walking over to the bathroom door. "Can I try talking to her?"

"Don't you think you've done enough, Tony?" Bradley bit out, angry at him for not listening. "You were pissed at her a few minutes ago because you thought she was dishonoring your friend's memory. What changed?"

"I didn't realize, Bradley. I'm sorry..."

"You're sorry?!" The sandy-haired man cut him off, swinging his fist and connecting with Tony's jaw, knocking him down.

"Hey!" McGee shouted, pulling Bradley back from Tony.

"Oww..." Tony groaned, holding his jaw as he laid on the ground. "Been waiting for that for 6 years."

Abby slammed the bathroom door open and rushed over to Tony's side, glaring up at her brother, still being restrained by McGee. "I can't leave you two alone together for 5 minutes, can I?" She spat, touching Tony's jaw gently. "Come on, T. We'll get you some ice."

"I'm fine, Abs." He said, climbing to his feet. He took her cheeks in his hands when she frowned, kissing her on the forehead. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She hardly had a chance to say anything before Tony wrapped her in a quick hug. He let go a second later, turning and walking to the stairwell.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted after him. "Back here, now."

Tony waved him off as he opened the stairwell door and headed for the bullpen to collect his things before going home.

**Chapter Eight -- When The World Comes Down**

**May 22, 2009 -- NCIS Headquarters**

Abby smiled up at Tony as the elevator came to a stop in the basement. "You better get upstairs, mister. Gibbs will tan your hide if you're any later!" She joked, hugging him.

"Yeah, yeah." He said, kissing her on the forehead. "I'll meet you later for an early dinner?"

"You betcha!" She said, bouncing out of the small car and into her lab.

Tony grinned as the doors slid shut, pressing the button for the third floor. He stepped off the elevator a few moments later and walked to his desk.

"Mornin' McGriddle." He said, dropping his badge and gun into the desk drawer before sitting down.

"Good morning, Tony." McGee responded, nodding at him while taking a sip of his coffee. "Oh! Did Abby get ahold of you last night?"

"Oh yeah, she got ahold of me alright." He winked slyly at McGee, chuckling when the younger man rolled his eyes.

"Um, excuse me? I'm looking for an Agent Gibbs?"

Tony stood up when he heard the young woman's voice, stepping out from behind his desk. "I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, can I help you?" He flashed his suave grin, extending his hand to her.

The young blonde woman shook his hand and smiled back. "Agent Pam Fletcher. I've just been assigned." She handed Tony her paperwork, all signed off by the director.

"Um, heh..." Tony stuttered, looking at the papers in disbelief. "Does Agent Gibbs know that you're here?" He threw a quick glance back at McGee, who shrugged.

She giggled. "I hope so, I interviewed with him and Director Vance yesterday for the open position."

Tony's jaw dropped as he turned to face McGee, who wore a similar expression. "Problem, DiNozzo? Gonna catch flies if you don't close your mouth." Gibbs set his coffee on his desk and looked over at the female agent. "Agent Fletcher. Here's your desk." He grunted, pointing to Ziva's vacated desk.

McGee watched as Tony's eyes turned dark when Gibbs ushered the new girl to Ziva's desk. "Uh, Boss?"

Gibbs looked over at McGee and shot him the 'Gibbs stare'. The younger man immediately say back down, only serving to make Tony angrier. He turned back to face the young woman, clenching his fists. "That's not your desk, Agent Fletcher. That's Ziva's desk."

"DiNozzo." The senior agent warned, glaring at him.

"Boss! That's Ziva's desk. Don't tell me you're gonna replace yet another team member this quickly! It's only been 2 days, for Christ's sake!" He fumed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Go." Gibbs said simply, pointing to the elevator. "Go. And don't come back until you can speak to me properly. I don't need this temper tantrum from you, DiNozzo. You're not a child."

Tony's jaw dropped yet again at the harshness of his boss' words. He grabbed his backpack off the floor behind his desk and stormed toward the elevators, hoping that Abby wasn't too busy.

**Four Years Earlier -- May 25, 2005 -- NCIS Headquarters**

Abby watched the stairwell door slam closed behind Tony before she turned back toward her brother. "Bradley! What the fuck!?" She yelled, punching him hard in the shoulder. "He didn't do a damn thing to you and you hauled off and punched him?" She landed another blow closer to the center of his chest, making him take a single step backwards.

Bradley didn't move, allowing his sister to land a few more hits before catching her wrist firmly in his hand. "Abby."

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp and struck him again. "Don't you 'Abby' me! I'm not a little girl! I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor, Bradley!"

"Okay, okay." Gibbs said, pulling Abby away from her brother. "That's enough, Abs. We get the point." He gripped her tighter around the waist when she struggled against him. "McGee, take her down to Autopsy. She needs to cool off."

"On it, Boss." McGee said obediently, leading Abby to the elevators with a gentle hand on the small of her back. "Let's go, hon." She allowed McGee to lead her around the corner and away from Gibbs and her brother before turning and going into the stairwell. "Abby!" McGee whined, watching her take off up the stairs.

She climbed the stairs quickly, hoping that she would be able to catch Tony before he left the building. When she reached the third floor, she pushed the stairwell door open to see that Tony's desk lamp had been turned off. She frowned, noticing her backpack laying on Gibbs' desk with a change of clothes inside. She picked it up and slung it over her shoulder, walking over to the elevator and heading down to catch a cab to Tony's apartment.

**Tony's Apartment -- 0530 Hours**

Tony's jaw was throbbing as he sank down on the couch, dropping his head back against the cushion. On the table, his phone vibrated obnoxiously, though he ignored it, his desire to be alone winning out over his curiosity as to who was calling.

Though he'd scrubbed his face raw once he got home, he couldn't forget the feeling of Kate's warm blood splattering against his face seconds before she hit the rooftop. Lifting the bottle of vodka to his lips, he took a long drink, praying that he could forget the last twelve hours.

He had just closed his eyes when the sound of fists beating loudly on his door startled him awake. He reached instinctively for his Sig, before remembering it was tucked away safely in his night stand.

Pushing himself unsteadily to his feet, he stumbled towards the bedroom before Abby's nearly hysterical voice stopped him.

"Tony! Open up! I know you're in there!"

He sighed, contemplating whether or not he wanted to let her in. The pounding continued, only making his jaw ache more. Taking another swig from his bottle of vodka, he walked toward the door.

"'M comin'!" He slurred, unlocking the deadbolt and opening the door.

Abby pushed her way through at the first opportunity, snatching the vodka out of Tony's hand and taking a long drink.

"Hey!" He whined, watching her as she took a second long gulp from the bottle. "Tha's mine!"

"Sorry," She said sheepishly, handing the bottle back and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Just needed a drink. About Bradley..." Her hand reached up and gently brushed the large deep blue bruise on his jaw, making him jerk away.

Tony shook his head, closing the door behind her and locking it again. "I deserved it, Abs." He walked over to the couch and flopped himself down on it, taking up his previous position.

"No you didn't, Tony. Bradley was out of line." She joined him on the couch, resting her head in his lap. The Goth smiled up at him, already buzzing from the liquor she had when she first came inside.

He pushed her bangs off her forehead and smiled back sadly, noticing her bloodshot eyes for the first time since she came in. He could tell that she had been crying. "You okay, Abby? I mean, you know, we got shot at...and Kate..." He took another gulp of the vodka, not wanting to delve deeper without more booze in his system.

"Yeah." Abby closed her eyes momentarily, willing herself to not cry. "I'm fine, T. Just need some more..." She plucked the bottle out of his hand again and took a swig. "...of this. Then I'll be good as new!"

Tony accepted the bottle as she handed it back to him, looking closely to realize there wasn't any left. Shrugging, he dropped the empty bottle onto the carpeted floor next to the couch, making a mental note to pick it up later. He ran his hand over her bare arm a few times, chuckling to himself when goosebumps appeared under his fingers.

Abby grinned up at him, her eyes drooping slightly from the alcohol. "Movie time, Tony-boy?" She giggled, lacing her fingers through his free hand and resting them on her stomach.

He grinned down at her, his gaze slightly unfocused. "Dunno 'bout that. Not really in a movie kinda mood."

"Oh yeah? What exactly DID you have in mind?" Abby asked boldly as she sat up, her fingers grazing the bruise that was forming on his jaw. He winced slightly, catching her wrist in his hand.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "'S it hurt bad?"

She rested one hand against his cheek as she moved closer, pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw.

Reaching up, he cupped the back of her head, pulling her pigtails free before he tangled his fingers in her hair. "Abby..."

"Shh. Let me make you feel better T," she mumbled against him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Abby..." he tried again, half whispering, half moaning her name.

"Shh," she repeated.

"Not here," he groaned, feeling himself harden against her as her lips trailed from his jaw to his lips.

"Bed. Now."

Not needing to be told twice, Tony stood, the Goth's legs locking around his waist, her arms around his neck. Stumbling slightly, he headed towards the bedroom, the woman in his arms nipping and teasing him with every step he took.

Dropping Abby to the mattress, Tony wasted no time removing his shirt before he joined her, her fingers gripping his soft brown hair as she tugged him down, her lips attacking his. He moaned against her as his fingertips trailed down her body slowly, coming to a rest above the waistband of her pajama pants.

"Tony," she gasped as she lifted her hips, allowing him to remove the offending fabric.

Throwing the flimsy material to the floor, Tony's hand found the creamy skin of Abby's thigh, his lips attacking her neck. His hands worked quickly as he finished removing her clothing. She shivered slightly as she watched him kick his pants off, positioning himself between her legs.

She tensed briefly when he slid into her, a cry of pleasure ripping from her throat. Nipping at her collarbone, he held himself still for a moment, allowing her to adjust. She wrapped her legs around him, her nails scraping down his strong back when he started moving again.

"More," she commanded breathlessly, lifting her hips to meet his, their bodies moving together. Tony slowed his movements deliberately, enjoying the pitiful whimpers that escaped her as he teased her.

"Tony!" She practically sobbed, her nails digging into his back as she thrusted her hips upwards.

"Tell me how you want it," he ordered, his warm breath tickling her ear.

"To hell with this!" She groaned, taking the opportunity to flip them over. She repositioned herself astride him, her hands gripping his shoulders as she moved against him. His hands gripped her hips in an effort to slow her desperate movements, but it was to no avail. He could feel her tensing around him as she grew closer to the edge.

"A-Abby...I'm..." he moaned, thrusting upwards.

She threw her head back, a strangled cry escaping her as she felt Tony explode inside of her. It was all she needed to send her over the edge. Her entire body trembled as she collapsed on top of him, his fingers drawing lazy circles on her back.

Tony kissed her shoulder gently. "That was..."

"Amazing." Abby mumbled, her face buried in his chest. He smirked, wrapping his arm around her waist and slowly slipping her off of him, causing them both to groan at the loss. She snuggled up close to his side and smiled. "Feel better?"

She rubbed her face against his chest as she got comfortable, her fingers resting lightly on his bare stomach and her legs wrapped around his thighs. "Baby? T?" She looked up from at him and smiled. Tony's was sleeping, his head leaned toward her with his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. Abby kissed his bruised jaw again, snuggling down against his chest before falling into a dreamless sleep.

**Tony's Apartment -- 0730**

"How do you even know she's here?" Bradley asked, disgust and concern lacing his voice as Gibbs knocked for the third time on his senior agent's apartment door.

The older man didn't respond as he listened, growing increasingly frustrated when he heard no movement inside the apartment.

"Isn't there anywhere else she would have--"

"No," Gibbs responded curtly, removing the small kit from his back pocket. He slipped the tools into the door, silencing Bradley with a single look when the sandy-haired man began to protest.

He couldn't help the satisfied smirk as the lock clicked quietly. "Keep your hands to yourself this time," Gibbs warned as he turned the knob, pushing the door open wide enough to slip in.

They walked into the apartment and Bradley immediately spotted Abby's shoes by the front door. He made a move to say something, but Gibbs silenced him with a raise of his hand.

"You wait here." Gibbs ordered, scanning the apartment as he moved through it silently. He made his way toward the partially opened bedroom door and snuck in.

Tony stirred at the sound of quiet footsteps on the carpet in his bedroom. He flexed his arms, feeling Abby still wrapped around his body tightly. He untangled himself from her warm body and pulled the sheets over her head, effectively hiding her. Sliding his arm out from underneath the light comforter, he opened his nightstand drawer, pulling out his Sig quickly before sitting up and pointing the weapon at the intruder.

"Damn it, DiNozzo, put the gun away."

"Sorry, Boss." He obediently slid the weapon back into its holster and placed it back in the drawer, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Did I miss your call?"

"Nope." Gibbs responded shortly, noticing the small lump in the center of the King sized bed that he could only assume was Abby. "She did, though." He reached down and pulled the blanket back just enough to see her bright green eyes staring up at him.

"Gibbs! I..." She started, sitting up and clutching the sheet to her naked form. She noticed Gibbs' eyes widen and she blushed sligtly. "Okay...before you go all papa bear, let me explain."

He held a hand up and stopped her from continuing. "Don't need to hear it, Abby." The Goth frowned, she could tell just by looking at him that he was dissapointed in them. "Your brother has been looking for you since you left the Yard."

Abby crossed her arms over her chest, feeling slightly self conscious with Gibbs staring at her. "Serves him right! He punched Tony for no good reason!"

"Abby?" Bradley called, hearing his younger sister's voice in the bedroom.

She slid back under the covers and glared at Gibbs. "You brought him with you?!" She hissed, keeping her voice low. She contemplated hiding in the bathroom, but her brother came storming into the room before she had a chance.

Bradley froze at the doorway, seeing his sister wrapped around Tony, a light sheet being the only thing that seperated their bodies.

"Abigail Elizabeth Sciuto!"

Tony chuckled and whispered in her ear. "He must be pissed, using the full name..." Abby simply snuggled closer to Tony, trying to hide herself from her brother's glare.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He yelled, taking a step closer to the bed only to have Gibbs step in his way. "Leaving the Navy Yard without telling anyone where you were going, just after being shot at?"

Abby remained silent, letting Bradley ream her from the other side of the room. Tony looked over at her, surprised that she would just sit there and let him yell at her.

He started to say something to Bradley when Abby's hand found his and gently squeezed as she shook her head, urging him to stay quiet. He had every intention of speaking up anyway, when Gibbs threw a pair of pants at him.

"Get dressed, DiNozzo. Then come with me." The older man said, walking out into the living room. Abby let go of Tony's hand and started climbing out of the bed, pulling one of the sheets tightly around her body.

"You're ignoring me. Real mature, Abby." Bradley shook his head as she brushed past him, grabbing her clothes out of Tony's dresser drawer. "You keep clothes over here? Jesus, how long have you been screwing?" He asked, looking between the pair.

She swung around quickly and slapped her brother across the face. "You can be a real asshole, Bradley." She said, tears stinging her eyes as she turned and went into the bathroom.

Tony stood up and slipped into his pants quickly before walking toward Bradley. "You feel better, Bradley? Now that you've yelled at your sister?"

"You're the one that took advantage of her." Bradley pushed Tony's shoulder.

Tony fumed, swinging his fist at the slightly older man, only to be stopped at the last second by Gibbs.

"DiNozzo!" He growled. "With me. Now." Gibbs pulled his agent out of the room and into the kitchen. "He's angry. But that doesn't mean you get to provoke him."

"I didn't take advantage of Abby, Boss. I swear."

"I know that, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, leaning against the counter.

Abby came out of the bathroom and groaned when she saw Bradley sitting on the bed waiting for her. "Didn't you get out everything you needed to say, Bradley?" She asked, hoping the irritated tone in her voice covered up the hurt she was feeling.

He grabbed her elbow as she tried to pass him, turning her around to look her in the eyes. "You let him take advantage of you, Abby." He scolded, his voice low. "What would Mom say?"

She rolled her eyes and pulled her arm away roughly. "Mama would know me well enough to know that he didn't take advantage of me." She scowled at him. "And how dare you use our parents against me!"

Bradley stood up and looked down at her. Abby rolled her eyes again and pushed him away, turning toward the door. "You may be able to intimidate Britty by being all dark and brooding, BB, but not me."

"You know, you've been nothing but rebellious since Mom and Dad passed. Always trying to deflect."

Abby spun around and pointed a finger into his chest. "I am an adult!" She shouted, her green eyes narrowed angrily at her brother. She knew that he was only looking out for her, but she suddenly felt like she was fifteen again, getting scolded for sneaking out. "I'll deal with my problems however I see fit. Because they're *my* problems, Bradley. Mine!" She could feel the hot tears sliding down her cheeks and she reached up to wipe them away while maintaining the arm's length between herself and her brother. "Kate was my best friend. And now she's gone! So...if what I wanna do is come over to Tony's and try to help us both feel something other than pain, that's what I'll do!"

Bradley threw his hands up and started signing, not wanting to risk bringing Gibbs and Tony back in here if he started yelling. *You know, I came here for you. I flew here in the middle of the night on the first flight I could find. For you. I don't even know why I bother sometimes, Abby.*

*I don't either.* She replied, her signs showing her anger with their sharp motions. Bradley scoffed as he pushed past her, leaving the bedroom and ignoring Gibbs and Tony as he left the apartment without another word.

Abby flinched when the front door slammmed, cursing herself. She turned around and exited the bedroom, walking into the kitchen to join Tony and Gibbs. "Don't ask." She said simply, grabbing a Red Bull out of Tony's fridge and plopping herself down on one of the kitchen stools, her head in her hands.

Tony walked over behind her and wrapped his arms around his friend, pulling her back against his firm chest gently. "Abs, you wanna talk about it?" He asked quietly, pressing a kiss into her hair.

She started to respond, but Gibbs cut her off. "You two can talk later. In case you forgot, we have a case."

Tony released Abby from his embrace as she stood up and grabbed her shoes from their place by the front door. "On it, Boss." He said, giving Gibbs a small glare as he headed into his bedroom to grab a clean shirt. The Goth was waiting patiently by the door when Gibbs came over and squeezed her shoulder.

"Everything will work out, Abs."

**Chapter Nine -- Kill Ari Part Two**

**May 22, 2009 -- Abby's Lab**

Tony stepped off the elevator and stepped into the lab, unheard by the forensic scientist over the throbbing music she was playing. He watched her, she had her back to the door, bouncing along to the music as she worked. Dropping his backpack near the door, he walked up behind Abby and flicked her pigtails, making her jump.

She spun around quickly, startled. "Tony!" She shouted playfully, punching him in the shoulder lightly.

He chuckled half-heartedly, moving to stand beside her and lean against the workbench.

Abby looked him over curiously, stripping off her gloves and tossing them in the trash. "You okay, T?"

"No." He mumbled, sighing when he caught her confused look. "You won't believe what Gibbs did."

"Stuck you on cold cases again for being late? I told you to hurry up and finish your breakfast!" She giggled, but the smile on her face quickly faded when she saw the seriousness in Tony's eyes. "What happened?"

"He replaced Ziva!" Tony fumed, pushing off the counter and pacing in front of Abby. "Just flat out replaced her! Already has a probie at her desk."

Abby watched as he paced in front of her. "Is this how I look when I'm frustrated?"

Tony stopped in his tracks and turned, shooting her a sharp glance. "Sorry." She apologized meekly, watching as he continued pacing. "T, you know it was her decision to leave. As much as we all love Ziva, Gibbs is...dealing. This is how he deals."

"How he deals?" He turned back to Abby and frowned. "Why are you defending him, Abs?"

"I'm not defending him, Tony! I'm just saying...she betrayed him." Abby shrugged. "She lied to us. Even you. I just understand where he's coming from."

Tony scoffed and brushed past her roughly, heading for the door.

"T! Wait!" Abby cried, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to face her. She could see the pain in his eyes at the thought of replacing Ziva. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Wrenching his arm from her grip, he turned away, though he didn't make another move to leave. He was angry. Angry at Ziva for walking away. Angry at Gibbs for wanting to forget her so quickly and without even fighting to get her back. Angry at himself for not trying harder when it could have made a difference.

And now, he was angry with Abby. He knew it was in her nature to be understanding, it was one of the things he loved the most about her. But right now, he didn't want her to be understanding. He wanted outrage on his behalf. He wanted her to agree that despite the lies and deceit, she had become part of their family and she deserved better than this. Even if it had been her choice.

Abby left him alone for a few minutes, letting him sort through his emotions as she watched him. "Tony?" She said cautiously, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He turned around to face her, the anger still sitting just under the surface. It frightened her, but she didn't recoil, wrapping him in a tight hug instead.

"You should give her a chance, Tony. You didn't like the idea of Ziva replacing Kate either, remember?"

"Replacing Kate wasn't Gibbs' choice!" He yelled, pushing her away. "He didn't have control over that! He made the hiring decision with this one. He replaced her. And its obvious now that no one cares but me." Tony turned and grabbed his backpack off the floor, exiting the lab before Abby could respond.

**Four Years Earlier -- May 26, 2005 -- NCIS Headquarters**

Tony stepped off the elevator on the third floor, mumbling to himself as he walked to his desk. "Telling us about rule 12. Ha! He doesn't understand..."

He plopped down in his chair and opened one of his drawers, pulling out a coffee cup with a toothbrush in it. "Didn't even let me get ready properly..." He grumbled. "Should be happy I'm still alive, I guess. Abby is practically like his surrogate daughter...not to mention the fact that he brought Bradley over..." Tony growled at the thought of Abby's brother in his apartment.

"You talk to yourself often?"

Tony spun his chair around at the sound of the lightly accented voice. He took the toothbrush out of his mouth and dropped it back into the coffee cup, offering a smile to the young foreign woman in front of him. "Only when I've had a particularly bad day. Can I help you with something?"

She smirked. "Somehow I do not think I am the one that needs the most help in this room."

Tony frowned. "I'm not having a good morning."

"What seems to be the problem? Other than your apparent case of estranged personality disorder?"

He looked at her strangely before he managed to put the pieces together. "I think you mean split personality disorder." He snorted. "Yeah...of all the problems I'm having today, that's not one of them."

The young woman stepped closer to his desk and leaned over it, grinning lightly. "Ah, I see. Girl problems then, yes?"

"You could say that." Tony leaned his chair back and ran a hand through his hair. "But when you're as good looking as I am, it's to be expected, right?"

She chuckled, pushing away from his desk. "Fine. Do not share your problems with me." She moved across the room and leaned on Kate's desk. "I am looking for Special Agent Gibbs."

"Well, he's unavailable right now. Anything I can help you with?" He asked, a cocky grin on his face.

"No." She stated, moving around the desk and sitting down in Kate's chair. "I will wait."

"Not married?" Tony asked, raising his hand and pointing to his ring finger when she shot him a confused look. "No ring."

"Yes." She shook her head quickly, knowing she had confused the words she intended on using. "I meant no, I am not married. I like having my options open. Many choices."

He nodded in agreement. "So, you're a commitment-phobe too. Good to know I'm not the only one."

"Commitment does not gauze well with my job. Emotional connections are a liability."

"Gauze? I think you mean mesh. Where did you say you're from again?"

"She didn't, DiNozzo." Gibbs stated, walking down the stairs from MTAC with a redheaded woman in tow.

"Ziva David, Mossad. You must be Special Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded at her, turning back to the redhead. "DiNozzo, this is Jenny Shepard, our new Director."

"Anthony DiNozzo. It's a pleasure, Director." His charming smile crossed his face as he shook her hand.

"And you, Agent DiNozzo." Jenny smiled.

"Tony!" Everyone turned their heads toward the elevator, hearing the voice before they saw Abby come barreling into the squad room.

"What is it, Abs?" He asked, standing and grabbing his friend by her slight frame. "Calm down for a second and talk to me." He looked over at Gibbs and the older man nodded, giving Tony permission to take Abby aside and talk to her.

He wrapped his arm around her and walked around the corner, leaving Gibbs to speak to the two women. "What's going on, Abby?"

"Bradley's leaving." She said, pulling out her cell phone. "He sent me a text saying that he's going home."

Tony couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Well, he does live in Louisiana, babe. He was gonna go home sometime."

Abby frowned and looked down at the text again. "He never texts me." She said quietly. "He always calls, even if he has to leave a message. He knows I like hearing his voice."

Tony looked at her, confused. "It's just a text, Abby. Not a big deal."

"It's not just a text, Tony. He's too mad to talk to me." She turned away and swiped at the tear that fell from her eye. "He's telling me he doesn't wanna talk to me."

He started to say something but stopped himself, realizing the impact this was having on her. Abby had told him on multiple occasions that not resolving problems with the people you care about was one of the worst things you could do.

Abby sniffled and turned back to face him, tears still in her eyes. "I'm going to the airport. I can't let him leave angry. I'll never forgive myself." She turned and started walking toward the elevator when Tony grabbed her arm.

"You sure that's a good idea, hon?"

"I have to go, Tony. What if something were to happen to him and I didn't get the chance to tell him that I love him? That even though we fight, we're still the only family each other has left?"

Tony sighed heavily and pulled Abby close, hugging her tightly against his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, stroking her back with his fingers. "Okay, Abs. Want me to drive you?"

She nodded against his chest. "What about Gibbs?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine." He reassured her, leading her back to his desk. He noticed that Ziva was speaking to the Director off to the side of the squad room, leaving Gibbs sitting at his desk reading Ducky's autopsy report.

"Hey, Boss."

Glancing up at the sound of his Senior Field Agent's voice, Gibbs cocked an eyebrow. "DiNozzo," he acknowledged.

"I need to take off for a bit," Tony said boldly, settling his arm around Abby's shoulder. "I won't be gone long," he promised.

Glancing over at his red-eyed Forensic Scientist, Gibbs nodded brusquely as he tossed the sedan keys to his agent. "Make it quick." he ordered as Tony headed for the elevator, Abby in tow.

Slipping passed the new Director and her raven haired companion, Tony stepped onto the elevator, pulling Abby in after him.

**Reagan International Airport -- 30 Minutes Later**

Tony pulled up outside of the airport and shifted the car into park, turning to look at his passenger. "Do you know where he's supposed to be?"

Abby glanced up at him, her eyes still slightly bloodshot from crying. "Yeah. I had McGee look up his flight number for me. His plane leaves in an hour."

He watched her carefully, noticing the slight hesitation before she climbed out of the car. "You sure about this, Abby? Maybe you guys should just let each other calm down, you can call him later."

"Can't." She said simply, walking toward the airport entrance.

"Yeah, I figured." He mumbled, jogging up behind her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

They walked together to the gate where Bradley was waiting and Abby broke away from Tony, running over to her brother when she spotted him.

"Bradley!" She called, hugging him tightly when he turned in response to her voice.

"Abby." Bradley said tersely, standing stiffly as she squeezed him. "What are you doing here?" He wrapped his arms around her when she started sobbing lightly against his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Come on, Abs. Don't do this."

"I...I can't believe you were gonna leave without saying goodbye to me." She choked out, grasping Bradley's shirt.

He sighed, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "You didn't seem to want anything to do with me."

Abby pulled away from her brother slightly and looked up at him, her cheeks damp from her tears. "How can you say that? You're my big brother!"

"Yeah. Yeah, baby girl...I am." Bradley pulled her back against him, noticing Tony for the first time since Abby had come over to him. He tensed, glaring at the younger man over his sister's shoulder.

The brunette crossed his arms over his chest when he made eye contact with Bradley, a stern look crossing his face. Nothing was said between the two men, Abby's well-being was more important to them than a petty argument.

After a few minutes of holding onto her brother for dear life, the Goth released him, smiling weakly as she wiped the wetness off her cheeks with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry, BB. I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't..."

Bradley stopped her with a finger pressed against her lips. "Don't, Abby. I gotta go." He saw her frown and chucked her on the chin lightly, making her look up at him. "I love you. Nothing's gonna change that. I understand, okay? I have B and Jack, you have Gibbs, McGee, and Tony."

She didn't miss the pained look that crossed his face at the mention of Tony's name, but she let it slide as she nodded solemnly, hugging him again. "I may have my boys here, but that doesn't mean I don't need my big brother. I love you, BB." She chuckled against his chest. "No more texts, okay? I know I take my hearing for granted, but I need to hear your voice."

Bradley pulled away from his sister when he heard his flight begin boarding. "I gotta go, Abby-cadabby." He whispered, calling her by her childhood nickname. "I'll call you when I get home, okay?"

She nodded, and smiled when Tony appeared at her side. "Have a good flight, BB. Give the munchkin a kiss from his auntie Abby."

"I will." He kissed her forehead and turned to Tony, holding his hand out. "Take care of her, huh? She's all I've got."

Tony nodded, shaking Bradley's hand. "I'd never do anything to hurt her, Bradley. Never." He wrapped his arm around the Goth, pulling her close to him.

Bradley nodded his acknowledgement of what Tony said, waving goodbye to his sister as he walked toward the gate.

The pair stood together and watched as Bradley boarded his plane, Abby raising her hand to sign *I love you* to him before he stepped aboard. Tony kissed the top of her head and turned her away from the gate.

"Let's go back to HQ, hon. We've both got work to do."

**Three Days Later -- May 29, 2009 -- Flight from Indianapolis to DC**

Tony leaned against the window of the small jet that had been lent to them by the director of the FBI, holding Abby as she snuggled against his chest. He smiled down at her closed eyes, enjoying the peaceful look on her face as she napped. Kate's funeral had come and gone, and despite the large amounts of alcohol in their systems, everyone was feeling the after effects of having to say goodbye to their friend.

Gibbs was the only other member of the team awake, considering Abby fell asleep on their way to the airport after the wake, and McGee had crashed out as soon as they boarded. He was sitting across the aisle from Tony reading a file when his Senior Agent spoke up.

"You seemed to know the new Director pretty well, Boss." It was an innocent statement, nothing more than an observation, but it made Gibbs' head snap up as he turned to look at Tony.

Before the older man had an opportunity to formulate a response, Abby stirred against Tony and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Tony?" She questioned, looking much younger than her 30 years. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere over Tennessee. Go back to sleep, Abs. I'll wake you when we land."

She shook her head and swung her legs out from under her, standing up unsteadily. "I have to use the bathroom."

Tony stood up, steadying her as she swayed sleepily. "Let me help you. I'll be right back, Boss." He lead her with a hand to the small of her back toward the rear of the plane where the bathroom was located. Pausing outside the small bathroom, Tony allowed his hand to linger on the small off her back longer than necessary before he pulled away.

"Hey Abs?"

"Hmm?" She responded sleepily as she turned, glancing up at him.

"Listen, I know this isn't...the best place ever, but I wanted to talk to you...about the other night."

Turning away from him, she bit her lip hard. She had dodged the bullet on this conversation several times already and stupidly she'd assumed he'd forgotten. It was just her rotten luck that he hadn't.

"Abby?" He touched her shoulder gently, making her flinch slightly.

She turned back to face him, a smile on her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Everything's fine, Tony. Better than fine."

The older man cocked an eyebrow at her curiously. "Abs, come on. We've known each other for how long? Almost 6 years?" He sighed. "We need to discuss this or it's gonna tear our friendship apart. I don't wanna lose you. Not over something as silly as one night together."

"We're fine, Tony. I promise. It was just sex. Nothing to get all up in arms about." She lied.

It was one of the reasons she had been avoiding this conversation. She hated lying, but she knew him well enough to know that this was a long time coming. He would want to smooth things over, make sure nothing had changed. And in the meantime, she would have to push her ever-growing feelings for him aside and write them off as collateral damage from being friends for so long.

He frowned slightly. He had expected the brush-off, but he was surprised to find that it hurt him more than he anticipated. Sure, they had been friends for a long time, their bond was stronger than a night spent together after a night of drinking and a friend's death, but the nonchalant tone in her voice felt like a shot to the gut.

"Okay. Well, I'll let you use the bathroom then, I guess." Tony chuckled, turning to walk back to his seat and get comfortable once again.

**Chapter Ten -- Bloodbath Part One**

**June 1, 2009 -- NCIS Headquarters**

"DiNozzo." Gibbs barked, jarring his Senior Agent out of his daze. "Take these files down to Abby."

"I'm really busy, Boss. Can't McGee take 'em?" Tony argued. It had been just over a week since the argument with Abby in her lab about replacing Ziva. He knew it was childish of him to be avoiding her, but he couldn't help but be angry about the whole situation. She was just easiest to avoid.

"Did that sound like a suggestion, DiNozzo?"

Tony dropped his eyes, standing up from his desk and taking the files from Gibbs roughly. "On it, Boss." He said curtly, turning and heading to the elevator. He had made it a point to stay out of the lab as much as possible, but that didn't stop Abby from trying to talk to him. She had left several messages on his answering machine, each one slightly more desperate than the last. He would know this if he had listened to them. Instead he chose to just delete them as soon as he saw who they were from.

He stepped onto the elevator and hesitated slightly before pressing the button to her lab. Tony knew her well enough to know that she would be upset with him for avoiding her. Closing his eyes, he wished he could go back just a few days and apologize to her. It wasn't her fault that Gibbs hired a new girl, and it certainly wasn't her fault that Ziva left. But he had been letting himself take his anger out on her, simply because she wasn't someone he necessarily had to see every day. And it was considerably safer than possibly punching Gibbs out of spite.

The elevator doors slid open and Tony stepped out, noticing immediately the lack of music in Abby's usually unbearably loud lab. It made him hang his head in shame, knowing that there were only a few times he could remember there being no music, and all of them related directly to Abby being depressed.

"Abby?" He whispered hesitantly, stepping into the lab slowly as to not frighten her.

"Done avoiding me, I see." She bit out, her back to him as she processed a background check at her computer.

Tony resigned himself to standing quietly, shifting from foot to foot as he waited for her to finish what she was doing.

Abby scoffed, turning to face him. "Great. I love being ignored by the way, so just go ahead and keep it up!" He noticed when she stepped closer that she wasn't wearing any makeup, and her pigtails were messy at best, obviously there out of necessity rather than her usual style choice. She snatched the files out of his hand and chuckled bitterly. "Were you aware that you were being sent down here for a recon mission?"

"Huh?" He asked, snapping out of his appraisal of the Goth's state of mind when she flopped the files open on the stainless steel workbench.

"Recon. Short for reconnaissance. Basically spying." She spat, pointing to the blank white papers that were inside the files. She sighed and turned away from him, returning to her background check. "Gibbs used you."

He sighed as he walked around the workbench and stood next to her. She wasn't typing anything, just staring at the empty screen, her usually bright green eyes looking abnormally dark.

"Abs..." He started, pushing off the desk and walking over toward the plasma screen, running a hand through his hair. "I know you're angry at me..."

She snorted and shook her head, breaking the staring contest she was having with the computer screen to look over at him. "Angry? I'm not angry. Disappointed? Sure. Confused? Hell yeah. But I'm not angry, Tony. You're angry."

"Cut me some slack, huh?!" Tony shouted, turning back to face her. He took two long strides and next thing he knew they were only inches apart with Abby backed up against her workbench, his voice barely a whisper when he spoke. "She's gone. And I'm not dealing like I should. I..." He stopped himself short of saying the only words he knew would diffuse the situation as he backed away, walking back toward the windows.

"Go." Abby whispered, still backed against the cold steel of the table. He turned to face her, a confused look on his face as he searched for the words he needed to dig himself out of his hole. She didn't give him the opportunity. "Go!" She shouted, pointing toward the door. "Get the fuck out!"

Tony's jaw dropped for a moment before he set it firmly and stormed out of the lab, leaving Abby alone. She slumped to the floor slowly, burying her head in her hands as she sobbed quietly.

**3 Years Earlier -- April 25, 2006 -- NCIS Headquarters**

"Oh hoho! What have we here?" Tony exclaimed, a large grin crossing his face as he walked into the lab.

"Don't start with me, DiNozzo!" Abby cried, pointing at him accusingly.

He tutted at her, taking her by the shoulders and spinning her around. "Love the Career Girl Barbie outfit, babe."

Abby rolled her eyes as she pouted, pushing Tony away half-heartedly when he stopped twirling her around. "Haha, happy now? You officially have blackmail material on me for the next year."

"Who said anything about blackmail?" He asked innocently, grabbing her waist and pulling her into a hug. "I like your court outfit. Especially the heels."

She hugged him back and smiled. "Of course you do. You better get back upstairs. I have to process that cocaine you guys found at the crime scene."

"Yes ma'am." Tony said, kissing her on the cheek. He smiled and pulled away from her, winking as he backed out of the lab and into the elevator, heading up to the third floor squad room.

"What are you so happy about, Tony?" McGee asked as the older man came into the bullpen, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, Probie..." He smirked, walking over and draping his arm over the younger agent's shoulders. "You should go to the lab. Right now." He winked at McGee and stepped away, sitting down at his desk.

"What are you talking about?" McGee asked, confused. "Does Abby have something already?"

Tony rolled his eyes. He hated spelling things out for him sometimes. "Just trust me, Probilicious. You can thank me later." He watched as the younger man stood hesitantly, making his way to the elevator.

McGee stepped off the elevator and stood outside the door to the lab, just barely peeking inside when he heard Abby's voice.

"McGee, you're lurking without a permit!" She said playfully, flicking her eyes quickly toward the door before looking back down at her drug test kit.

He stepped fully into the lab, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. "Sorry. I...um, came down to see if...you had something?"

"I told Tony I'd call him when I got something." She said, pausing for a moment before she turned to face him again. She had changed out of her court outfit and back into her regular attire consisting of a plaid skirt and a black t-shirt. "He sent you down here, didn't he?" McGee nodded and Abby chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Guess I shouldn't be too surprised. It is Tony, after all."

"He just told me to come down here, didn't tell me why." His voice was laced with confusion as he glanced around the lab, realization dawning on him when he saw her court suit hanging in her office.

"I was in my..." She stopped mid sentence, the smile falling from her face. "You smell that?"

"Smell what?" McGee asked, concerned my the look on Abby's face.

"Almonds. We have to get out of here!" She grabbed his hand and started for the door, keeping low to the ground.

"What?" McGee asked, following closely behind her, gripping her hand.

"Cyanide gas!" Before she could say anything else, she was on her back, being dragged out of her lab by McGee. Once they were outside, he slammed the door shut while Abby hit the emergency button that was just outside the door, the loud alarm blaring through the hallway.

Releasing the Goth's arm, McGee dropped to his knees beside her as he pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing Gibbs immediately.

"Yeah, Gi--"

"Boss, we need you in the lab. Now."

Gibbs hung up his phone and stood quickly, taking long strides toward the elevator. "Boss?" Tony asked, standing up, a look of worry crossing his face.

"Come on, DiNozzo. Something's happened in the lab."

He jogged after Gibbs, slipping onto the elevator just as the doors closed. They rode down in silence, Tony shifting nervously between his feet as he worried about his friend. When the elevator stopped on the bottom floor of the building, they could hear the alarm that signaled a biological emergency through the heavy metal doors.

The doors slid open and they stepped out, looking over the heads of the contamination clean-up crew trying to find Abby and McGee. Tony spotted them being ushered toward the decontamination showers and attempted to push past the decontamination team when Gibbs grabbed his arm.

"Relax. You know the drill. We'll meet 'em in autopsy. Come on."

Tony followed Gibbs into the elevator grudgingly, looking back over his shoulder as Abby and McGee were led into the decontamination showers. They rode the elevator to autopsy in silence and when they stepped off, Ducky was waiting for them.

"I heard the alarms, what happened to Abigail?" Ducky asked, concerned about their resident Goth.

"Not sure yet, Duck. The decon team was already there when we got down, didn't get a chance to ask questions."

They were interrupted a moment later by Abby and McGee walking through the rear doors of autopsy, wearing blue NCIS jumpsuits.

"Tony!" The raven-haired woman called, her ponytail swinging wildly as she jumped on him in a hug.

"You okay, Abby? What happened?" Tony asked, holding her tightly.

"It was just an accident." She said meekly, pulling away from him and sitting on one of the autopsy tables next to McGee so Ducky could check them out.

"You don't have accidents, Abs." Gibbs stated, leaning against the table opposite her.

"He's got a point, Abby." McGee said as best he could through an oxygen mask. "I shouldn't have distracted you."

"Okay, in my defense, what self-respecting drug dealer laces his cocaine with potassium cyanide?!"

"Obviously one that does not care about repeat business," Ziva said as she stepped into autopsy, file in hand. "However I do not believe this was an accident or a mistake on your part, Abby."

"C'mon. You're saying someone did this on purpose?" Tony snorted. "No way."

"Yeah, who would do something like that on purpose to Abby? It's not like she's Tony." McGee noted, taking off his oxygen mask.

"Watch it, Probie," Tony warned, his arm wrapped around Abby protectively.

"I'm just saying, you've probably got a long list of women who would--"

"Luckily for us, Abby has a short list," Ziva interrupted, handing the file to Gibbs. She never broke eye contact with the Goth as she spoke.

"You should have told us sooner."

"Told us what?" Tony asked, removing himself from Abby as he walked over to peer over Gibbs' shoulder. His eyes darkened slightly as he looked up at her. "Mikel?" He growled.

Abby's head dropped and her eyes closed as she groaned softly. "He didn't do this, Tony."

"Who's Mikel?" Gibbs asked, looking over the file as best he could without his glasses.

"I dated him for awhile last year. He's harmless."

"Abby, you bought him a straightjacket for his birthday!" Tony exclaimed, pacing the length of the autopsy table angrily.

"You have a restraining order against him." Ziva stated, reading from her notes.

Gibbs stepped closer to the Goth, putting his hands on the table on either side of her. "Why didn't you come to me, Abby?" He whispered, trying to control his anger.

"I wanted him restrained, Gibbs. Not beaten to a pulp with a baseball bat." She said, turning her attention to Tony. "He's really not a bad guy, T."

Tony chuckled bitterly. "Riight." He said, stopping mid-pace and turning to face Abby. "I never liked him, Abby. Coulda had something to do with that time he held you hostage in his apartment!"

Abby sighed, dropping her eyes again. "One time! And you proceeded to have him held on a 72 hour suicide watch, Tony. I was fine, he never hurt me."

"You called me, remember? Telling me how scared you were? What were my options?" Tony bit out, his voice raising without him noticing.

"Why didn't I know about this, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, stepping away from Abby and facing his senior agent.

"Abby asked me not to tell anyone, Boss."

"DiNozzo! Since when do you take orders from Abby?"

Tony frowned. "I don't, Boss." He said, slightly embarrassed for being called out.

"You two should be fine, you didn't inhale too much of the gas." Ducky said, stepping away from the table, giving Gibbs the unspoken permission to send them home.

"You're going home, Abby." Gibbs ordered, taking Ducky's hint before turning toward Ziva. "You got an address on this Mikel?"

"Gibbs!" Abby whined, hopping off the table. "I'm telling you, he didn't do this. He may be a little obsessed with me, but he'd never hurt me. And I can't leave, when my lab's cleared I have to finish processing the evidence."

"Abby. This isn't a discussion." The silver-haired agent said, turning to McGee. "Take her home. Keep her there. She's your responsibility."

"I...um...shouldn't Tony...?" McGee stuttered, stopping when he caught an angry glare from both Tony and Gibbs. "On it, Boss." He recovered quickly, sighing in defeat. "Come on, Abs."

"Great." She shot an irritated look at Gibbs and Tony. "Like I haven't been traumatized enough today." Turning around, she pushed past the group and out of Autopsy to press the call button on the elevator. "Come on, McGee!" She called.

**A Few Hours Later**

"I'm gonna set up my sleeping bag over here on the floor, okay? You can have the bed." McGee said, pulling his sleeping bag out of the closet.

"McGee, seriously? We're adults. We can share the bed. You're not sleeping on the floor." Abby rebutted, grabbing the pillow he had tossed onto the floor and putting it back on the neatly made bed.

"Only if you can promise to keep your hands to yourself." McGee smirked, picking up the sleeping bag and storing it back in his closet.

"You clearly haven't been." She noted, stepping into the kitchen and looking through her purse for her toothbrush. "You smell like . Glow. Damn it. I must've left my toothbrush in the car."

McGee stepped in front of Abby when she started for the door. He placed his hands on her hips out of instinct, feeling the smooth fabric of her panties under his fingers and the tickle of his dress shirt on the back of his hand. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To get my toothbrush." She said stubbornly, attempting to wiggle out of his grasp and push past him.

"No, no." He said, twirling her around with his hands still on her hips and dropping her on the worn out couch. "You're not leaving the apartment. Tony and Gibbs will kill me."

"I need my toothbrush, Tim. This isn't some sneaky ploy to get you to drop your guard. I swear." Abby grinned, holding up 3 fingers and saluting him. "Scout's Honor. And besides, if I don't have my toothbrush, I'll be forced to use yours."

He frowned, walking over and grabbing his jacket off the coatrack. "You stay here. I'll go get your toothbrush." He said firmly, opening the door. "Lock this, and do not open it for anything. I've got my key." He closed the door firmly behind him, checking the doorknob to make sure it was locked before he headed down the stairs to his car.

Abby stood up and grabbed a Red Bull out of the fridge in the kitchen, popping it open and leaning on the counter to take a drink when she heard a knock on the door. She hesitated slightly, shrugging it off when she saw McGee's keys on the counter. She chuckled as she walked to the door and unlocked the deadbolt, pulling the door open as she spoke.

"See, I tried to follow your instructions but you left..." She stopped mid-sentence and her eyes went wide when she saw Mikel standing in the doorway. "Go away, Mikel." She warned, stepping back.

He reached forward and grabbed her around the waist roughly, pulling her close to him before whispering in her ear. "It's okay, Abby." He said, holding her tightly despite her flailing arms and legs. "I'll keep you safe."

"McGee!" She screamed, trying to pry Mikel's arms off of her as he dragged her toward the door.

"Shh..." Mikel pleaded, walking into the hallway, moving slowly toward the back staircase. "He can't keep you safe, Abby. I can keep you safe!"

"McGee! Help!" She cried again, kicking Mikel in the shin as hard as she could without shoes on.

Mikel stumbled a little, though his grip on Abby's slim waist never faltered as he dropped to a kneel momentarily. "I didn't wanna hurt you, Abby." He said, taking her head in his hands and slamming it against the wall, leaving a little bit of blood behind as she fell unconscious in his arms. He looked around the hallway suspiciously before standing again, picking Abby up and draping her over his shoulder as he disappeared down the stairs.

McGee peered out into the hallway suspiciously as the elevator doors opened with a quiet 'ding', Abby's toothbrush in hand. Though he'd made it down to the car and back in record time, he'd halfway been expecting Gibbs or Tony to jump out of one of his neighbor's apartments and punch him for leaving their Goth alone for five minutes. Sometimes he'd almost swear that those two had some sort of sixth sense when it came to the Forensic Scientist.

Satisfied that his face wouldn't be compromised, he stepped out of the elevator and headed back for his apartment, frowning when he noticed the door sitting open.

"Abby?" He called, instinctively reaching for his weapon as he drew closer. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest as he pushed the door open wider and slipped in, his eyes scanning the apartment. "Abby!" He called again, while simultaneously pulling his cellphone from his pocket.

He skipped over Tony and Gibbs' numbers and dialed Ziva's, heading back out into the hallway.

"Ziva," she greeted coolly.

"She's gone!"

"What? McGee? Who is gone?"

"Abby! She's gone! I ran down to the car for five minutes and when I..." he trailed off as he spotted the smeared blood coloring the wall. "Oh my God."

Ziva growled when Tony plucked the phone out of her hand.

"Where is she?" He yelled, already heading toward the car.

"I...uh, well..." McGee stuttered nervously.

"Spit it out, McGee!" Tony snapped angrily.

"I...I..." He heard the older agent growl once again before hearing what sounded like the phone sliding across gravel, followed by the dial tone.

"Tony!" Ziva snapped, picking up the two pieces of her newly broken cell phone as they skittered toward her and holding them up to him. "You are aware that this was not your phone, yes?"

He narrowed his hazel eyes at her, and she knew that if looks could kill, she would barely be alive.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said sternly, narrowing his eyes at his Senior Agent. "You need to relax, we'll get her back."

"Relax?!" Tony snapped, turning his attention away from Ziva and onto his boss. "You want me to relax when that nut-job has Abby?"

Gibbs took a single long step forward and snaked his hand around the back of Tony's head, smacking him hard before stepping back.

"Thank you, Boss." The younger man responded through clenched teeth.

Gibbs nodded, turning toward Ziva. "You go to McGee's. Help him process the scene. Tony, you're with me." He barked, ducking into the driver's seat of the sedan.

Tony watched as Ziva jogged over to her mini-cooper before climbing into the passenger seat of the sedan just as Gibbs pulled away from his parking space outside the crime-scene cleanup business that Mikel owned.

"I shoulda taken care of him when I had the chance." He mumbled, looking down at his hands.

Gibbs looked over at him quickly before putting his eyes back on the road as they headed for Mikel's house. "What the hell are you talking about, DiNozzo?"

He looked up at his Boss, a pained look on his face. "I shoulda arrested him. Put him away for kidnapping last year when he took Abby. I let her talk me out of it."

"Yeah. You should've." Gibbs said simply, only serving to make Tony feel worse. "But you didn't and there's nothing you can do about it now. So stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Tony's jaw set firmly, a slight frown still visible on his face as they continued to drive down the road at top speed toward Annapolis in silence.

**Chapter Eleven -- Bloodbath Part Two**

**June 5, 2009 -- Abby's Lab**

McGee stepped off the elevator and into the lab, sighing when he didn't hear her music playing yet again. He was concerned, Abby and Tony had been extremely distant with each other, barely speaking except when forced.

"Hey, Abs." McGee said, setting the Caf-Pow! he was holding down in front of her.

"No thanks," she said simply as she pushed the large beverage away from her, her gaze never leaving the computer screen. She could feel his eyes burning into her back as he studied her. "What McGee? Don't you have anything better to do than stand down here and stare me to death?" She snapped.

"Hey." He said softly, putting his hand over hers and squeezing lightly when she tried to pull away. "Stop for a second, talk to me."

She pulled her hand away and looked up at him. "Did *he* send you down here to soften me up?" Her hand was firmly on her hip, an eyebrow raised at McGee suspiciously.

"No, Abby." McGee sighed, exasperated. He knew she was upset with Tony, but it had been almost two weeks and neither of them were showing any signs of giving in. "Tony hasn't even been in today."

The junior agent didn't miss the way her face fell ever so slightly before she set her jaw again, looking back to her computer screen. "Oh."

"Abby...what's going on with you two? I know you're both stubborn, but come on. Don't you think this is getting a little ridiculous?"

The Goth turned away from him and headed for her office. Rounding the desk in the opposite direction, McGee cut her off, holding onto her wrists gently when she tried to push him away, her eyes dark with anger and sadness. He wrapped his arms around her, not letting go despite her protests.

"You gonna tell me what's going on with you and Tony?" He asked when she finally stilled against his chest and returned the embrace.

"It's stupid." Abby mumbled, opening her mouth to say more, only to be interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. Stepping away from McGee, she picked up the phone off her workbench and glanced at the caller ID. "Great."

McGee cocked his head a little and watched as she tossed the phone back on the table without answering it. "Who was it?"

"Tony." She spat, turning back toward McGee. "I'm not taking his calls until he apologizes. If he wants to talk to me he can come down here and do it in person."

He groaned and rolled his eyes at the Forensic Specialist. "Abby...you have no clue, do you? No clue how completely unbearable he's been these last few..." He stopped suddenly, grabbing the chirping phone out of his pocket, answering without looking at the screen. "McGee."

Abby saw McGee's face go completely pale and immediately felt sick to her stomach. "Timmy..." She started, her voice small.

"Tony...calm down. Are you alright?" McGee asked, turning away from Abby.

"Tony!" She called, running up behind McGee and grabbing the phone from his hand. "T? It's me...are you okay? Where are you?" She spoke into the reciever frantically, her voice shaking. McGee traced small circles on her back as she spoke to Tony, knowing she was blaming herself. "We...we'll be right there."

**3 Years Earlier -- April 25, 2006 -- McGee's Apartment**

Stepping out of the stairwell, the first thing that Ziva noticed was her friend crouched by the wall outside of his apartment with his processing kit laying open on the floor beside him.

"McGee?" He didn't glance up when she spoke, though she saw him pause. "What are you doing?"

As she moved closer, she noticed the way his hand trembled slightly.

"They're going to kill me." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They're going to murder me in the most painful way possible."

"They are not going to kill you, McGee." Ziva reassured him, watching as he carefully put the bloody swab into a tube and sealed it.

McGee scoffed, looking around carefully for more evidence before snapping a few pictures with his digital camera. "You don't know Tony very well. Abby's like his sister. Nothing happens to her without him getting mad about it."

She reached over him and picked up the swabs, putting them into an evidence bag and packing up his processing kit. "There is no use crying over spilt cream, McGee."

"Milk. Spilt milk." He mumbled, correcting her English out of habit.

"Same thing. What is done is done and there is nothing you can do now but be strong for Abby. They will get her back safe and sound." She informed him, patting him on the shoulder as she stood up. "Come on, let's get back to HQ."

**One Hour Later -- Annapolis, Maryland**

Tony sat up a little straighter when they pulled up across the street from Mikel's house, setting his jaw firmly when he saw the car registered to him sitting in the driveway.

"Tony." Gibbs said, snapping his fingers in front of the younger man's face.

Gibbs fixed him with a firm stare when Tony made eye contact with him. "You gotta let me handle this."

"If you think I'm just gonna stand aside and let him explain himself, you're wrong, Gibbs." He explained, not too surprised when Gibbs' hand connected with the back of his head.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear, DiNozzo. You will let me handle this. You will follow my lead. This isn't a discussion."

Tony frowned and looked away from the older man. "Thank you, Boss." He followed Gibbs' lead and climbed out of the sedan, waiting for him to explain their plan.

"You go around the right, I'll take the left. Meet in the back of the house. See if you can get a visual on Abby."

The two men took off in their opposite directions, their guns drawn as they peeked through the windows on their way to the rear of the house.

"Nothing, Boss." Tony said, fidgeting slightly as they met at the back door.

Gibbs nodded silently, pulling his lockpick kit out of his pocket and unlocking the back door. They entered the kitchen, their guns up and flashlights out, and they cleared the room before Gibbs spoke again.

"Tony. Clear the house."

"But Boss..." The younger man started, stopping when he was met with a fierce stare. "On it." He conceded, walking out of the kitchen.

When he had left the room, Gibbs headed for the basement door on the right hand side of the kitchen. Opening the door quietly, he turned off his flashlight and readied his Sig, descending the stairs. Once he was at the bottom, he took a moment to observe the situation before announcing himself.

"NCIS." Gibbs called into the dimly lit basement, his Sig pointed at Mikel.

"I knew you'd come." Mikel said, pacing back and forth in front of a dirty mattress where Abby was sitting slumped against the wall, unconscious, with her hands tied behind her back.

"Oh yeah?" Gibbs asked, never taking his gun off the man pacing nervously in front of him. "How'd you know?"

"You think you can protect her. But not better than me. You proved that today. She could've died in her lab!" Mikel exclaimed, becoming more hostile by the second.

Gibbs took a step closer to him, not wanting to make any sudden movements that might scare him into hurting Abby any more than she already was. From where he was standing he could see the blood coming from her nose that looked like it was broken.

"Good thing I was prepared for you to come." Mikel smirked deviously, pulling a dagger out of his back pocket. Kneeling down on the mattress next to Abby, he pulled her unconscious body in front of him, putting the knife to her throat. "You should probably go. She's only in danger around you. She's safe here. With me."

"I can't leave. Not without Abby." Gibbs said, moving slightly to his left, trying to get a better shot at Mikel. The way he had Abby positioned across his body, he couldn't manage to get a clear shot without risking hitting Abby as well.

"You're gonna have to." Mikel snorted. "If you don't..." He pressed the knife against her throat a little harder, drawing a thin stream of blood. "There won't be anything worth taking back with you. And to think you drove all the way here."

Gibbs' could feel his jaw twitch as he tried to control himself. He'd been dealing with psychos like Mikel for years; the last thing he wanted to do was make a sudden move and agitate him any further.

"You don't really wanna hurt her, Mikel. So don't. Let me take her with me."

"She's mine," the younger man snarled, his eyes dark with anger. "And if I can't have her, neither can you."

Tightening his grip around the handle, Mikel pressed the blade harder to Abby's throat.

Upstairs, the sound of a gunshot reached Tony's ears. "Abby!"

With a strangled cry, he pushed off of the door frame in the bedroom and headed for the stairs, taking the two at a time.

He reached the bottom of the stairs in the basement slightly out of breath, immediately seeing Mikel writhing on the floor, gripping his shoulder in pain.

Tony glanced over to where Gibbs was hunched near the ground over a pair of legs that be knew belonged to Abby.

"Abby!" He called, hating the way his voice betrayed him by shaking. He pointed his gun at Mikel when he didn't get a response from his friend, preparing to shoot him.

"Tony." Gibbs warned, unsurprised when his Senior Agent didn't move a muscle. "Tony, she'll be okay. Call an ambulance."

He hesitated, but pulled out his phone and dialed 911, holding the phone to his ear.

"Gibbs?" Abby moaned, making Tony nearly drop his phone.

"Abs?" Tony asked, dropping to his knees next to her, stroking her hand. "It's me, hon."

Gibbs stood up and snatched Tony's phone, walking toward the stairs as he spoke to the dispatcher while cuffing Mikel and leading him to the sedan.

"T...Tony?" Abby whispered, reaching up to touch the shirt that Gibbs had pressed to the wound on her throat. "What...happened?" She choked out, her voice weak. "Mikel?"

"It's okay, babe." He said, pulling her weak body into his lap and rubbing her wrists where the rope had left raw marks. "We've got you."

Gibbs reentered the basement as he hung up the phone and walked back over to where Tony was sitting on the ground, holding Abby close in his lap.

"DiNozzo." He said, dropping the phone on the floor next to him.

Tony looked up at his boss and frowned. "Whatcha need, Boss?"

"Need you to go back to HQ. Put the bastard in holding and write up your report, then meet me at the hospital."

"I'll do my report tomorrow."

"Not a suggestion, Tony." Gibbs said, crouching down next to him and picking Abby up off Tony's lap. "You're not coming in tomorrow. You're staying with her." He turned away from the younger man, not waiting for a response before heading upstairs to where the EMT's were waiting.

Tony sighed and picked up his phone off the ground, flipping it open and dialing a number. "Bradley?" He asked when the other line picked up, heading for the stairs. "It's Tony. I just wanted to let you know, everything's okay now but..." He spoke quietly into the phone as he exited the basement and headed back to HQ.

**0145 Hours -- NCIS Headquarters**

Tony stepped off the elevator and set his jaw, immediately spotting McGee sitting at his desk working on his incident report. He balled his hands into fists and tried to calm himself down, but to no avail. Yes, Abby was safe and at the hospital with Gibbs, but the whole night had thoroughly pissed him off.

"McGee!" He yelled, stomping over to the younger man's desk and grabbing the back of his shirt, standing him up roughly and shoving him against a filing cabinet. "What the fuck were you thinking?!"

"I..." McGee hesitated, looking over to Ziva, who was watching them closely. "She left her t...toothbrush in my car. She wanted to...to go get it herself but..."

"You left her alone!"

Ziva stood and approached the pair slowly, seeing that Tony's anger was beginning to get the best of him.

"She's safe, right? He...he didn't hurt her, did he?"

Tony's eyes narrowed to slits as he snapped, clenching a tight fist and swinging it at McGee only to have his hand grabbed by Ziva at the last second and wrenched behind his back. She pushed him down face first on McGee's desk and twisted his wrist, successfully preventing his movement.

"You need to calm down, Tony." She said, continuing to hold him down despite his struggling against her. "This was not McGee's fault."

The Senior Agent stilled against the desk, his arm already sore from being pinned behind his back.

"Are you done?" Ziva asked, loosening her grip slightly.

"Yeah." Tony spat through clenched teeth. "I'm done."

Letting go of his wrist, Ziva stepped back, watching closely as Tony straightened his tall body and rubbed his wrist lightly. He started to turn away from them, taking only one step before swinging around and lunging at McGee again.

Ziva's fist flew up out of instinct, catching Tony firmly on the left cheek. He froze, his hand moving quickly to cover the sting of the punch. They stared at each other harshly for a moment, Tony breaking the eye contact first, growling at McGee as he passed him on the way to his desk.

The three agents sat in silence as they worked on their reports, completing them in record time despite the tense feeling that sat in the air. The ringing of Tony's cell phone was the only thing that had been able to stop the record-breaking quiet. He answered the phone and ended the call quickly, standing up and grabbing his jacket.

"Everything is okay, yes?" Ziva asked, watching as Tony dropped his report on Gibbs' desk, leaving the bullpen without any acknowledgement.

**0330 Hours -- Abby's Apartment**

Tony parked his Mustang outside and walked up the stairs, stopping outside Abby's door. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key she had given him, unlocking the door only to almost run into Gibbs as he walked inside.

"Hey Boss. How is she?" He asked, concern clear in his voice.

Gibbs looked his agent over carefully before responding, gauging his state of mind. "She's doing better. The doctors checked her out, she'll be back to work in a few days." He took Tony's chin in his hand and turned the man's head, seeing the bruise on his cheek. "What happened?"

"Nothing Boss." He said, pulling his chin out of Gibbs' grasp and pushing past him, dropping his jacket and the bag of movies and food he had brought over on the kitchen counter. "Ran into a wall on my way out. Got distracted."

"Uh huh." The older man agreed, disbelieving but aware he wasn't going to get a straight answer from him. "She's sleeping right now, asked for you a little while ago though."

Gibbs pulled open the door and was about to leave when Tony spoke up again, still standing in the kitchen. "Wh...what injuries does she have?"

"She's got a pretty good sized knot on the back of her head, nose is broken but should heal up pretty quick. The cut on her throat was taken care of, she's got a bandage on it that's gonna need changing. Other than that, she's in pretty good shape. Doesn't remember most of it."

"He drug her?" Tony asked. Gibbs could hear the hesitancy in his agent's voice, noticing how he was trying to keep himself calm.

He simply nodded, looking Tony in the eye. "Chloroform. Just knocked her out, no other side effects." He paused, looking at the younger man thoughtfully. "Night, Tony." He said, leaving the apartment and locking the door behind him.

Once Gibbs was gone, Tony released a heavy sigh and walked toward Abby's bedroom, seeing her curled up into a little ball in the center of her queen sized bed. He toed off his shoes and pulled his shirt and pants off, tossing them into her laundry hamper, leaving him in a white undershirt and his boxers.

He climbed into the large bed behind Abby and wasn't too surprised when she backed up against him, allowing him to drape his arm over her waist and hold her close.

"It's okay, Abs..." He soothed, combing a hand through her silky black hair as she relaxed against him. He could feel her start to shake against him slightly and he held her tighter, hearing her sobbing quietly.

Tony frowned, leaning down to kiss her shoulder gently. "It's alright...I'm here. You're safe now." He couldn't tell if he was reassuring Abby or himself, but he continued to hold her tightly as she cried, until they both fell asleep from exhaustion.

**Chapter Twelve -- Pressure**

**June 5, 2009 -- 15th and K -- Accident Site**

McGee had barely gotten the car to a complete stop when Abby jumped out, running as fast as she could in her heavy platform boots toward the scene of the accident.

She froze as she stepped closer to the crash, seeing a stretcher being loaded into the rear of an ambulance. "Tony!" She called, heading over to the ambulance, immediately thinking the worst.

"Abs." Tony said, reaching out and brushing her hand as she rushed past him. "I'm right here."

Abby swung around quickly and crushed Tony in a tight hug. He drew in a sharp breath, making her pull away from him quickly. "Are you okay?" She asked, looking him over and noticing his swollen nose.

"Yeah, Abs." He groaned, rubbing his ribs absently. "I'm fine, arm's still just a little sore."

"I bet, T." She said, sitting on the curb next to him. She noticed him rubbing his chest and frowned. "Let's get you to the hospital, get you checked out."

"Abby, I'm fine." He said, looking up when McGee approached them. "Hey, McGee. Thanks for coming to pick me up."

"Yeah." He said, watching how Abby was poking and prodding at Tony's chest, making him squeeze his eyes tightly in pain. "Abby's right, you know. You should go to the hospital."

"I am fine!" Tony emphasized, standing up while trying to hold back a groan.

"Toonny!" Abby whined, standing up next to him. "Just get checked out. Then we'll leave. Besides, I'm pretty sure your nose is broken." She pleaded, moving in front of him and looking into his eyes. "Please."

He groaned again, rolling his eyes at Abby and McGee. Leave it to them to guilt trip him into going to the one place he hated the most. At least it wasn't Gibbs. "Fine, Abby." He said, shooting McGee a glance that dared him to make fun of him for giving in to the Goth. "But I'm not going in an ambulance."

"Deal." Abby said, linking her arm with Tony's and leading him back to McGee's car. Once they were at the hospital, they went straight to the Emergency Room, where the doctor confirmed that he had re-broken his arm as well as his nose, and bruised 3 of his ribs.

"Can we go now?" Tony asked, looking at Abby pitifully after the doctor had patched him up.

Abby gave him a half-smile. "Yeah. Meet us in the car, Timmy?" She asked, turning toward McGee.

"Sure, Abs. I'll meet you guys out front."

As soon as McGee was out of earshot, Abby hopped up onto the bed next to Tony and frowned. "Tony..."

"Look, Abby. We don't have to do this." He said smoothly, trying to get her to drop the subject.

"Yes, we do." She said, looking down at her hands. "I've...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I did about Ziva."

"If you didn't mean it you wouldn't have said it, Abby. I know that much about you." Tony looked over at her, taking her chin in his hand. "Don't apologize for things you're not really sorry for."

"I am sorry though, Tony. I hurt you, and I didn't mean to. I...we already lost Ziva. I don't wanna lose you too."

"You won't."

Abby frowned again, knowing he wanted to drop the subject. She knew she wasn't going to get any more out of him unless he was the one to bring it up. Tony's doctor came over a minute later, his discharge forms in hand.

"Come on, babe." He said, standing up and taking the prescription the doctor had given him. "I wanna go home and relax."

The Goth hopped down off the bed and tucked her head under her friend's arm, smiling when he pulled her close to him and pressed a kiss to the top of her head as they exited the hospital.

**3 Years Earlier -- May 21, 2006 -- Abby's Lab**

Stepping into the lab, Tony didn't bother to hide his displeasure at the loud shrieks coming from the stereo. He crossed the room in a few short strides and punched the button on the machine, silencing the music immediately.

"Hey!" Abby protested as she placed her gloved hands on her hips, her puffy eyes narrowing into slits as she scowled at him. "This is MY lab, Tony! You can't just come in here and--"

"Well I did. So deal with it," he growled as he stalked back over to her, dropping the file onto the table beside her. "You get anything back on those blood samples yet?"

"I told you it was going to take awhile," she reminded him, trying to ignore his snippy tone. "We're looking at least another two hours."

"You have one."

"It doesn't work like that. You can't just throw out a time frame and expect results."

Tony snorted, looking at her incredulously. "It worked for Gibbs."

"You're not Gibbs." She mumbled, turning back to her computer.

"Yeah. Ziva and McGee have been reminding me of that all week." He said, starting to pace the lab. It had been just over a week since Gibbs left for Mexico with no explanation, and the team had essentially fallen apart.

"They don't mean it." She whispered, keeping her voice low in an attempt to calm him down. "They just don't know what to do right now. We all miss him."

"You shouldn't miss him!" Tony bellowed, stopping mid-pace and slamming his hand on her prep table. "He left! He left with no warning, and with no good reason as to why!"

"Tony..." Abby started, stepping closer and touching his hand gently, only to have him wrench it away.

"No!" He crossed his arms over his chest and started pacing again. "He left me in charge of a team that doesn't respect me. Hell, they'll probably never respect me. You're probably losing respect for me right now, aren't you, Abby? Probably thinking what Gibbs was thinking, leaving me in charge."

"I know what he was thinking, T."

"Oh yeah?" He chuckled coldly. "What's that? 'Let's see how long it takes before DiNozzo cracks?'"

Abby stepped in front of him and placed a gentle hand on his chest in the sign for 'I love you', the only sign she had taught him. "He left you in charge because he knows you can handle it."

His hand covered hers, squeezing it lightly. "I can't do it, Abby." He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Abby frowned at him, reaching up and slapping him on the back of the head. "How about now, Tony?" She asked.

He narrowed his eyes at the Goth for a split second before his usual cocky grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Those blood samples Abby--"

"I told you it would take two hours."

"You have one," he repeated sternly.

The forensic specialist eyed him for a moment before she nodded. "Okay then."

Snatching the file from the table, Tony tucked it under his arm and headed out of the lab. Turning back to her computer, Abby couldn't help but smile.

Stepping onto the elevator, Tony punched the button for the third floor, setting his jaw as he prepared himself to deal with his two agents. As soon as the doors opened, he stalked out, not bothering to glance at McGee or Ziva as he barked out his orders.

"McGee! You finished running our Sergeant's phone records yet?"

McGee glanced up at the older man as he passed by him. "I'm working on it, Tony."

"Work faster. Ziva, where are you at with his background check?"

"I have not yet started."

"There a reason for that?" Tony snarled as he narrowed his green eyes at the Israeli.

Ziva opened her mouth to retort, though the words never made it past her lips as he glared at her. "No. I suppose not. I am starting it now."

He sat down as he watched the two agents working, sneaking a glance across the bullpen at Gibbs' vacant desk. He hadn't yet been able to move his things over to the larger desk, more out of a reserved hope that one morning Gibbs would be sitting there when he came in and everything would go back to normal. He didn't feel he deserved the desk, much less everything that came with it.

Turning around in his chair, he looked up to the balcony above his head and saw Director Shepard standing there, smiling down at him. He returned the smile and stood up, sighing heavily as he headed up the stairs to speak with her.

"Director." He said simply, leaning on the railing next to where she was standing.

"Agent DiNozzo." Jenny said, smirking at him a little. "Did you think about the offer?"

"I did." Tony said, still looking down at the bullpen, watching Ziva and McGee. "I'll do it."

"Good. I had hoped you would." She said. Gibbs had told her on multiple occasions that Tony was a good asset to have on undercover missions, but she didn't feel that it was the appropriate time to bring that up. "Come with me, I'll brief you on the mission."

**Six Weeks Later -- July 3, 2006 -- Abby's Lab**

Ziva walked into Abby's lab and greeted the Goth. "Abby, you said you had some results for us?"

"I do." Abby said happily, turning to face the Israeli. "Where's Tony? He always comes when I have results."

"He said he had an appointment." Ziva explained, leaning against Abby's prep table. "He has been acting very even lately."

"Odd. Yeah, he has." Abby frowned, turning back to her computer.

"Do you know what is going on with him?"

The Goth turned back around and faced Ziva. "I wish. I've seen less of him than you have over the last month."

Ziva frowned at Abby, seeing that she was clearly bothered by Tony's absence. "I am sure it is nothing." She didn't miss the disbelieving look that the scientist shot her. "If it is bothering you so much, I could beat it out of him for you."

"No thanks, Ziva." Abby replied, a small smile on her face. "I'll do it myself if it becomes necessary."

Ziva chuckled and listened closely as Abby relayed the test results to her before turning to leave the lab.

"Hey, Ziva?" The Goth called just before she reached the elevator, standing in the doorway of her lab.

"Yes?"

Abby contemplated having the Israeli tell Tony to come see her when he returned, but thought better of it. He would come to her if he wanted to talk, she knew if she tried to force him it would only make him close up more.

"Tell Tony that I miss him, yeah?"

Ziva saw the look of sadness that flashed behind the taller woman's eyes and nodded. "Of course, Abby." She said, turning around and stepping into the elevator.

A few hours later, Tony finally reappeared in the bullpen carrying a cup of coffee and looking rundown, probably a combination of lack of sleep and more caffeine than his body was used to. Ziva stared at him suspiciously as he walked across the bullpen, making it clear that she wasn't going to let his disappearing act go as easily as she had been.

Tony glared at her as he sat down at what was once Gibbs' desk. He had finally decided to move a few weeks earlier, after the team had passed by Gibbs' house on their way back from a crime scene to see a 'For Sale' sign outside. He had gone to tell Abby, a bad decision in hindsight, but at the time he was upset with the way she silently clung to the hope that Gibbs was coming home.

It affected her every interaction with him, and he had felt the need to make her understand his anger, his resentment for the man that had trained him. She had cried, and as he held her close to his chest she beat her fists against him, not wanting to believe it. Her hope was lost, and she had shattered. *Mission accomplished, DiNozzo. Proud of yourself?*

"Good appointment, yes?" Ziva asked, snapping him out of his daze.

"Yeah. It was great. Who doesn't love going to see the dentist?" He replied sarcastically, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Mmhmm." The smirk on her face was almost enough to make him wonder if she had been following him, knowing in the back of his mind that she hadn't. She stood and walked in front of his desk, placing both of her hands on it and leaning down to meet his eyes. "Abby wants to see you, Tony."

"What for?" Tony watched as the Israeli pushed herself away from his desk, shrugging as she walked back to her own and sat down in the chair. Sighing, he stood up and straightened his suit, heading for the elevators.

The ride down to the forensics lab was the longest minute of his life as he thought of the things that could possibly be wrong with his favorite Goth. Between starting the undercover assignment that the director had put him on and being Special Agent in-charge, he hadn't had much time to come down to her lab and chit-chat like they used to.

"What's the problem?" He asked, walking up beside Abby as she worked on her computer.

She looked over at him, her green eyes ice cold. Turning back to face her computer with a flip of her pigtails, she frowned. "There has to be a problem now for me to see you?" Her voice was cold, the tone sharper than she had ever used on him before.

"I...I didn't say that, Abs."

"Feels like it. You get a new desk, a new girlfriend, and apparently quite a few dental issues, and suddenly I've fallen to the bottom of the nice list."

Tony sighed, seeing for the first time how poorly he had been treating her over the past few weeks. He couldn't remember even having seen her at all outside of work since he had started dating Jeanne, and that realization made his stomach churn.

"Abby..." He started, only to be cut off by his cell phone ringing. Jeanne. He cursed to himself, seeing her look at the phone and roll her eyes. "I'm...so sorry. I'll be right..."

Abby held her hand up to him, looking back at her computer screen. "Just go. Go talk to your stupid girlfriend. I know where I stand, thanks."

Tony hesitated, flipping the phone open and answering it as he stepped into the hall outside Abby's lab. She picked up Bert from his perch on top of the computer she was using and squeezed him, eliciting a loud fart.

"No, no, babe. You're not interrupting anything." Tony said, trying to keep his voice from carrying back into the lab. He knew it hadn't worked when Bert hit the back of his head, hard enough to make the toy release its farting noise.

Tony cringed at the impact and spun around in time to see Abby grabbing her jacket and purse, heading out the back door of her lab, to where the stairwell was located. "It...it's nothing, Jeanne. So, dinner tonight?" He recovered, running a hand through his hair miserably.

**0240 Hours -- Abby's Apartment**

He approached her apartment door hesitantly, not necessarily wanting to be there, but knowing that he couldn't let things get worse between the two of them. He knocked quietly, releasing a breath he didn't know he had been holding when he heard her voice coming closer to the door.

She unlocked the two locks and pulled the chain off before opening the door a crack, moving to push it closed again as soon as she saw who was standing there. His hand came up and prevented the door from closing as he caught her eyes.

"Please. I just wanna talk."

"No." Abby said, trying again to close the door. He countered, this time stopping the door with his foot. "Tony...I wasn't important enough to talk to this afternoon, what's changed?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean anything by it, Abs."

"Oh!" Abby exclaimed sarcastically, opening the door a little wider, leaning her boxer-clad hip against the doorframe. "Well that changes everything! You didn't mean anything by it?" She scoffed. "Seriously, Tony? You could have at least thought about what you were going to say before you came all the way over here."

His eyes went hollow as he looked her over, her words punching him in the stomach. He wanted to reach out and hold her, to apologize for not being there when she was dealing with the loss of her father figure. Instead he was breaking her, the reality hitting him as he realized she was wearing another man's clothes while she was talking to him.

"You're obviously not that upset, you still managed to find some random stranger to screw tonight. Hope you're being careful."

The words were out of his mouth before he knew that he had even thought them, and when her hand came stinging across his cheek, he realized he should have seen it coming. He took a step back out of surprise, and the door was shut and locked in his face before he got his bearings back.

He put his hand on the door, considering knocking again. He held it there for a second, trying to work up the nerve to tell her what he was thinking.

"God damnit, DiNozzo. Why can't you talk to her without digging a fucking hole?" He mumbled, leaning his head against the door momentarily before pulling away and leaving the apartment.

Abby leaned her back against the door after hearing his words and slid her body to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. The sound of his retreating footsteps filled her ears and she sobbed, pulling the well-worn dress shirt over her legs, letting it wrap her in his scent.

She should have let him into the apartment. She could tell that he was on the verge of apologizing for everything that had happened over the last month, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Part of her didn't want his apology, for fear that if everything went back to normal, she'd end up losing him too.

**Chapter Thirteen -- Fire & Rain**

**June 5, 2009 -- Tony’s Apartment**

The drive to Tony's apartment was silent, with Abby curled up against him in the backseat and McGee driving. McGee couldn't help but be a little jealous of the pair and their obvious closeness, despite the fact that he was happy they were finally talking again. Tony had been a thorn in all of their sides for the past 2 weeks, and he hoped things would finally get back to normal now.

McGee pulled up outside of Tony's building and shifted the car into park, turning to his friends in the backseat. "Need some help in, Tony?"

"Nah. We'll be fine. Thanks though, Timmy." Abby smiled, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course." She said, opening the car door and stepping out, holding it open for Tony to do the same. Once they were out of the car, McGee pulled away, waving at the pair as they made their way to Tony's apartment.

"You don't have to stay, Abby. You shoulda let McGoo take you home." Tony said, pressing the button for the elevator.

Abby looked up at him sadly. "I want to stay."

He rolled his eyes, not wanting her to go, but not necessarily wanting to deal with her babying him all night. The elevator stopped on the 4th floor and they stepped out, walking down the hall to his apartment door.

"Want me to make something to eat?" Abby asked, walking through the door to his apartment when he unlocked it. She took her boots off and placed them by the door before padding into the kitchen, looking through the fridge for something to cook.

"Not really, Abs." He said, pulling his jacket off carefully and hanging it on the coatrack. "I just wanna go to bed."

"Oh." She frowned, obviously a little disappointed. She had hoped that he would get home and relax, maybe have a beer, then they could talk about their relationship. Talk about the last two weeks, about Ziva, and what it meant for their 10 year friendship.

Tony started heading for the bedroom, stopping next to the Forensic Specialist as she stared into his nearly empty fridge, the disappointment written into the slight frown on her face. Leaning over, he pulled her close to him with his good arm and kissed her forehead.

"Let's go to bed, hon." He whispered, tugging her away from the fridge and shutting the door. "We'll watch a movie."

Abby smiled a little and wrapped an arm around his waist. "What movie?" She asked innocently as they walked into the bedroom. He unbuttoned his dress shirt and managed to get it off without too much of a problem, leaving Abby to peruse his DVD collection.

"Whichever one you want, doll." He said, grinning at her. The attempt he made to pull the clean 'I don't spoon' t-shirt on was more complicated than he had anticipated.

"Need some help, T?" Abby chuckled and walked over to him, helping him pull the shirt over his head and arms.

Tony blushed slightly when the shirt was finally pulled down over his chest. "Thanks, Abs." He pulled off his slacks and changed into a pair of pajama pants, tossing Abby one of his oversized Ohio State t-shirts. "Go ahead and pick the movie, I'll be right back."

Abby stripped off her skirt and t-shirt, slipping Tony's shirt over her head before heading to his DVD rack. She worked on pulling her pigtails out as she perused his collection, finally deciding on Evil Dead. Putting the movie into the DVD player, she hopped onto the left hand side of the bed and snuggled down, waiting for Tony to come out of the bathroom.

He climbed into the bed next to her and propped himself up against the pillows, reaching to the nightstand for the DVD remote. Abby moved a little closer to her friend, smiling when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her head down on his chest.

It wasn't long into the movie that Tony noticed her breathing had deepened, the rise and fall of her back against his hand slowing down as she drifted off to sleep. He shifted slightly on the mattress, ignoring the ache in his chest, arm and face.

"Mmm... T," she muttered, her voice husky as she burrowed closer to him.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before he settled back against the pillows. "I'm so sorry for everything Abs," he whispered quietly as he closed his eyes.

It was everything Abby could do to keep breathing evenly at his admission, though she couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. She snuggled even closer as she felt him pull the blanket over her body before he kissed the top of her head again.

"Sweet dreams, baby girl," he mumbled. "Sleep well."

And for the first time in over two weeks, Abby was sure that she would.

**Two Years Earlier -- October 18, 2006 -- Tony's Apartment**

Tony sighed when he heard the insistent knocking at his front door. Abandoning the suitcase he was packing, he went into the living room and opened the door, not bothering to look out the peephole first.

"Abby." He shouldn't have been surprised to see her there, her hair wet from the rain outside.

He knew that there had been rumors floating around NCIS for the past week that he was leaving and he had meant to talk to her, to explain, but between packing and scheduling his trip, he hadn't had the time.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Stepping into the director's office, Tony closed the door behind him quietly, before turning to the petite redhead.

"Director," he greeted smoothly.

"Agent DiNozzo," she smiled. "Please, have a seat."

Crossing the room quickly, Tony sank down into the chair, waiting patiently as the director pulled a file from her desk.

"How do you feel you did as team leader in Agent Gibbs' absence?"

"I think I did alright, considering." Tony chuckled, shifting in his chair nervously. "I'm getting fired, aren't I?"

Director Shepard smiled amusedly. "Not quite, Tony." She handed him the file. "A promotion. A team leader position has opened up, and I think you'd be perfect."

He accepted the file and opened it. "Rota." He looked back up at Jenny. "Spain?"

"Yes. Congratulations."

Tony was silent for a few minutes, staring down at the file in his hands. Gibbs had returned three weeks earlier and while Tony thought he was doing a good job at hiding his disappointment, it was clear that the Director had noticed.

"Wow. Um, thank you, Director."

"I hope you will seriously consider the position, Agent DiNozzo. It would be a fantastic opportunity for you." She smiled, standing up from her chair as Tony did the same. He nodded, turning and heading for the door to her office.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"So..." She started, her voice husky from crying and the cold outside. Her green eyes searched his for some kind of tell, frowning when she didn't find one. "It's true then. You're leaving."

He stood silently, unsure of how to explain his thought process to her. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Abs..."

She looked up at him, the disappointment burning behind her eyes. Tony grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, sitting her down on the couch next to the radiator. Grabbing a towel off the top of his laundry pile, he sat next to her and started drying her hair.

"Abby, let me explain, please. I'm..."

"What's there to explain, Agent DiNozzo?" She said, her voice low. He cringed at the name she chose to use, knowing he was in trouble. Before he had an opportunity to say anything in response, she was standing in front of him.

"We're supposed to be a family!" She shouted, her hands signing curse words furiously at her sides as she paced. "Families don't just leave. They don't just run out on each other with no reason and no warning."

"Gibbs did." Tony tried, keeping his voice down.

Abby stopped pacing and stared at him. "What?" She asked, exasperated.

"Gibbs left." He repeated. "He left this team in pieces that I had to pick up and put back together. And you know I'm not very good at jigsaw puzzles."

"You're not being fair, Tony."

He scoffed. "I'm not being fair? He's the one that left, pushed me into a position I wasn't ready for, and then came back only to demote me, and I'm not being fair?"

Abby stood still, not knowing what to do. She had seen him angry before, but it had never been directed at her. "Tony....I didn't mean..."

"What? You didn't mean to justify Gibbs leaving? You know, I bet you didn't run over to Gibbs' and yell at him about family and responsibility."

"He didn't leave me the chance!" Abby cried. "And I did get angry after he left. You were just too busy ignoring me to notice."

"You should go." His anger was reaching its boiling point, and he didn't want to do something he was going to regret. "I have to pack."

"Yeah." She agreed, recognizing how angry he was. "I guess I'll see you around."

**Later That Night**

Soft music filled the otherwise quiet restaurant. Across the table, his companion talked animatedly, and though he knew he should be giving her his full attention, Tony's mind felt a million miles away.

"So then, Hope comes into the lounge and she's telling us about this patient who...." Jeanne trailed off, her green eyes studying the distracted man. "Tony, are you sure you're okay?"

It took a second for the fact that she was speaking to him to register. He forced a smile as he reached across the table, clasping her hand in his.

"I'm fine, babe. Just tired, had a long day."

"Are you sure?" Jeanne asked, squeezing his hand gently. The waiter came back with the check and she smiled and thanked him.

"I'm sure." He said, picking up the check as he plastered on one of his charming grins. He pulled out his wallet and paid the bill, reaching for Jeanne's hand as he stood up. "Come on, back to your place?"

Jeanne nodded, linking her fingers with his as they stood up and left the restaurant. "Sounds good." She smirked, leaning up to kiss him quickly.

**3 Hours Later -- Jeanne’s Apartment**

Tony held Jeanne tightly to his chest, both of them panting heavily as he pulled the sheets up over their rapidly cooling bodies. They both closed their eyes and began drifting off into sleep when Tony's phone began beeping loudly, indicating a missed call.

"Shit." He groaned, rolling toward the side of the bed to grab his phone out of his pants pocket. Looking at the missed call, he saw that Abby had called him an hour earlier. "Hey, hon, I have to make a call quick, alright?"

She nodded, a sleepy smile crossing her face as she burrowed deeper into the sheets and fell into a light sleep. He stepped into the kitchen and hit redial, calling Abby's cell phone back. He cursed when the call went directly to voicemail, knowing something wasn't right. Abby always left her phone on. It was one of Gibbs' rules; Never be unreachable. He couldn't think of the rule number, but that wasn't what was important.

Tony walked back into the bedroom and gathered his clothes, sitting on the edge of the bed to pull on his pants. "Jeanne, baby..." He whispered. "I have to go, okay?"

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Jeanne asked quietly, her tired green eyes never leaving Tony's bare back.

Pulling his shirt over his head, Tony turned back to her. "I'm sorry," he said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," he promised.

Offering him a lazy smile, she pulled the sheet back up over her body as he sank down on the mattress to pull his shoes on. Turning back to her, Tony kissed her again before he pulled away and stood. "Sleep well babe. I'll call you in the morning."

"I'll be waiting," she smiled.

Tony exited Jeanne's apartment quietly and headed down to the parking garage where his car was waiting for him. He climbed in and started it up, driving toward Abby's apartment.

He pulled up outside and headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time until he got to the third floor. Walking down the hallway he had come to know very well over the past 7 years, he found Abby's door easily and knocked on it, wanting to give her the opportunity to answer without him busting in. They hadn't been on the best of terms over the last few months, and that had been as hard on him as he imagined it had been on her. They were both losing their best friend.

He waited patiently outside for over 5 minutes with no answer before finally pulling out the spare key he had on his key ring and opening the door. "Abs?" He called out, his hand on the weapon at his hip. He walked slowly into the living room, closing the door quietly behind him. "Abby? Are you here?"

"Tony!" Abby cried, running into his arms from the bedroom. He caught her, smelling the alcohol on her breath. "Wait." She slurred, pulling away from him. "Why're ya 'ere?"

"Why...You called me, remember?" Tony asked, looking her over quickly. She could hardly stand up straight without wobbling back and forth and the sight alone was almost enough to make him laugh.

"I did?" She giggled, stumbling into the living room. "When'd I do that?"

Tony sighed heavily, watching as she moved toward the couch. He had seen her drunk before, and every time it crushed him a little bit more. She didn't get this drunk very often, and when she did it was because something was bothering her. Only difference was that this time he knew that it was his fault.

"Ow!" He heard a crash and ran into the living room to find Abby laying on the floor, gripping her head. "Oww..." She groaned, looking up at him. "I think I hit m'head..." She slurred.

"Really?" Tony asked, fighting the urge to roll his eyes as he picked her up and laid her down on the couch, turning on the overhead light in the spacious room. "Abby." He said, snapping his fingers in front of her face, trying to get her attention. "Look here."

The Goth looked up at him and grinned. "Hey, Tony..." She said, reaching her arms up and wrapping them around his neck.

"Abby...come on." He said. "Sit up, you might have..."

Tony was interrupted by a sharp pull of Abby's arms and he suddenly found himself being kissed passionately. His mind was too shocked to respond and his body took over, reciprocating the kiss momentarily before his brain caught up, forcing him to push away from her.

"Abby. Stop." He said, taking her arms down from around his neck as she tried to pull him down again for another kiss. "We can't do this."

She frowned, standing up from the couch and walking into the kitchen. "'Course not." She slurred, falling into the liquor cabinet before she righted herself, kneeling down and removing a bottle of bourbon. "Ya got your stupid girlfrien' now. My bad, Tony! Don' know how I coulda forgot."

Tony groaned, dropping his head back against the cushion of the couch when he saw her taking a drink out of the bottle in her hand. "Abby!" He said, pushing himself off the couch and rushing into the kitchen, pulling the bottle out of her hand. "You've had enough." He put the bottle back into the cabinet and turned back to face her, blocking the small doors.

"Yeah?" Abby asked, looking up at him pitifully. "Says who?"

"Me." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at the inebriated woman standing in front of him.

She chuckled. "Riiight, Tony. When've ya ever stopped me..." Her words ended abruptly as she went pale for a second before throwing up all over the kitchen floor. "Oops."

Tony sighed and stepped around the vomit just in time to catch her as she passed out, falling forward into his arms. "Damnit." He cursed, hoisting her into his arms bridal-style and carrying her into her bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and opened the drawer on the nightstand, hoping to find the flashlight he knew she kept nearby in case of a power outage.

He had experienced enough concussions in his 12 years working in law enforcement to know what the signs were. Taking the flashlight, he pried her eyes open one at a time and checked her pupils. He had been checked out by enough doctors to know that 'equal and reflexive' meant no concussion.

He let out a deep breath and slipped her legs under the blankets, looking down at her protectively. Leaning over her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling when she turned into it and a little grin appeared on her face. "I love you, Abby." He whispered.

Tony moved away from the bed, leaning on the wall next to her closet and sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. He dropped his head into his hands, knowing that he had to do something to make this up to her, but he didn't know what.

He tugged on his hair momentarily before he pushed himself to his feet, glancing back at her for just a second. She hadn't moved from the position he'd laid her in and he had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

He left her bedroom quietly and headed out to the kitchen, wrinkling his nose as the smell hit him. "You definitely know how to go all out baby girl," he muttered to himself as he made his way over to the small closet.

As he cleaned up the mess, his thoughts get drifting back to the Goth in the bedroom. Up until a few months ago, the decision he had to make about whether or not to take the Rota job would have been a no brainer but things had changed.

"Tony..." Her voice was quiet and for a moment, he wasn't even sure he'd heard it. When she called again, he dropped the mop back into the bucket and hurried back to the bedroom.

She was still out, her eyes screwed shut as she shifted on the bed. "Tony..."

"Shh. I'm here baby," he said quietly as he neared the bed. "I'm here."

"Don' go."

Sinking down onto the mattress beside her, he brushed her long black hair out of her face and knew his mind was made up. There was no way he could leave.

**Chapter Fourteen -- We Are Broken**

**June 28, 2009 -- Abby's Apartment**

"No way." Tony said, glancing over his shoulder at Abby as he cooked dinner. "He would never grow his hair out."

Abby laughed, kneeling over the back of her couch, watching as her friend moved around the kitchen. "He let it grow when he went to Mexico." She pointed out.

He wiped his hands on the dish towel he had draped over his shoulder. "That's only because there wasn't a barber at the Cantina." He walked over to the Goth, pushing her back into a sitting position. "You're not supposed to be peeking."

"I can't help it!" Abby groaned, looking up at him as she dropped her head back against the couch cushion. "You're making me nervous being in there alone!"

"I can't believe you don't trust me to cook!" Tony scoffed, leaning over the couch and tickling her. "I am Italian, you know!"

Abby giggled as he tickled her, gasping for air after only a few seconds when he didn't let up. "T...Tony! Burning! Food!" She choked out, laughing too hard to form complete sentences.

"Shit!" He said, running into the kitchen and opening the oven door, releasing a cloud of smoke. "Damn it. Okay, so you were right, maybe I shouldn't cook."

Abby laughed again, joining him in the kitchen as he fanned the smoke into the fan above the stove.

Tony pouted. "You enjoying yourself?" He asked, turning to face her. "I try to do something nice for you, and you repay me by laughing?"

"Aww...poor Tony!" Abby said, taking his face in her hands and kissing his nose.

"That's right, it's not my..." Tony started, cut off by a knock on the door. Abby placed another kiss on his nose before pulling away and answering the door.

"Good thing I'm prepared!" Abby said, closing the door and turning back toward the kitchen, 2 large pizza boxes in her hands.

"Prepared?" He asked, turning to face her and seeing the pizzas. "You had such little faith in my cooking that you called ahead for pizza?"

"I've known you for a long time, Tony." She noted, setting the boxes on the coffee table. "Now are we gonna watch the movie and enjoy our pizza, or are you gonna mope about your failed cooking experiment?"

"You know, I should make you eat this monstrosity for making fun of me."

"You wouldn't." The Goth smirked, pushing him onto the couch. "You love me too much."

They sat next to each other with the pizza box between them as the movie started when Abby looked over at him, grinning.

"So," She asked, taking a bite of her pizza as the opening credits rolled. "What were you making anyway?"

Tony grinned sheepishly, swallowing the food in his mouth before answering. "Pizza."

**2 Years Earlier -- April 4, 2007 -- Tony's Apartment**

Abby pulled up outside of Tony's apartment, debating whether or not she should go upstairs and talk to him. McGee had come to her lab after everything had been taken care of at the bomb site, voicing his concern about his teammate. He told her about what happened to Paula Cassidy, and she knew immediately that he was going to need someone to lean on.

They hadn't been on the best of terms over the last few months, their friendship growing weaker with every broken dinner date or forgotten movie night. But regardless of all that, Abby knew he needed a friend, and she was determined to be there for him.

Climbing from her car, she headed into his building. She took the stairs, her heavy footsteps echoing in the stairwell as she made her way up to his floor.

The hallway was empty, though she didn't mind. She wasn't in the mood for forced smiles and made up explanations of why his neighbors hadn't seen her around for awhile. She came to a stop outside his door, hesitating slightly before she raised her hand to knock. She listened carefully, frowning when she heard no movement inside.

He wasn't home.

She debated using her key and going inside to wait, but she decided against it after a moment. It was difficult to see where their relationship stood, and she didn't want to cross any lines. Leaning back against the wall, she sighed as she sank down to the floor. Crossing her long legs in front of her, she leaned her head back against the wall and sighed as she settled in for what was sure to be a long night.

Tony stepped off the elevator a few hours later, stumbling down the hallway toward his apartment. After leaving the crime scene on Gibbs' orders, he had gone by Jeanne's to explain his new found feelings for her, but not before stopping at his favorite bar to drink the memories of Paula away.

Turning the corner a few feet away from his door he stopped, seeing Abby slumped against the wall, fast asleep. He sighed, knowing he shouldn't have been so surprised to see her there. She was bound to find out about what had happened, and she was the only other person he had told about the relationship he had with Agent Cassidy. If he was being honest with himself, he was happy she was there waiting for him. He needed someone to talk to, and the Goth was the only person that knew almost all of his secrets.

He dragged his feet, forcing himself to walk the remaining steps to his door. Sliding down against the wall to sit next to the Forensic Scientist, he leaned over to press a gentle kiss to her temple as she slept, coaxing her head onto his shoulder. "Abby..." He whispered, not wanting to startle her. "I'm home.

"Mmf..." She groaned, snuggling closer to his warm body as they sat on the hardwood floor of the hallway. "Sleepy."

"I can see that." He said, tensing slightly at the contact when she wrapped herself around him. "You shoulda let yourself in. You still have the key."

She felt him tense and immediately sat up, looking him over worriedly. "I heard about Paula."

He didn't respond, the nodding of his head being the only confirmation he had even heard her, his eyes vacant as he stared at the wall in front of him. She took in his posture, his legs pulled up to his chest, shoulders slumped slightly. He looked like a scared child, not like the confident Special Agent she knew.

Abby frowned, resting her head back against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him, letting him know that she was there. She nearly sobbed a moment later when he sniffled and reciprocated her embrace, pulling her into his lap and holding her impossibly close to him as he buried his nose in her hair, taking in her scent.

"I'm so sorry, Abby." Tony mumbled against her neck, trying to hide the tears that were flowing down his face. She could feel the collar of her shirt becoming damp, but she ignored it, enjoying the closeness she had been craving from him.

"Don't be." She whispered, running her fingers through the soft brown hair at the nape of his neck as he cried silently. "You don't have to apologize to me, T."

They held each other in silence for a while longer, with Abby pulling out of the embrace first. Pushing herself to her feet, she held her hand out to Tony, helping him up off the hallway floor.

They walked inside his apartment quietly, closing the door behind them. Abby pulled her boots off as Tony dropped his keys and service weapon in the drawer by the door.

He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Vodka, setting it on the counter and unscrewing the cap. Walking up behind him silently, she wrapped her hand around the neck of the bottle, pulling it away as she moved across the kitchen.

She pulled out two shot glasses from his cupboard without a word, filling them both with the strong, clear liquid before twisting the lid back on and setting it aside.

"Promise me something, Tony." She asked, picking up both of the shot glasses.

"Yeah?"

She handed him one of the small glasses. "This is it. We shouldn't be drinking right now and you know it."

He didn't respond as he lifted the glass, his hand trembling slightly as he brought it to his mouth.

"To Paula," Abby said solemnly.

Not trusting his voice, Tony merely nodded as he threw his head back, downing the shot. He winced slightly as the liquid burned his throat before he slammed the glass back onto the counter.

Setting her empty glass beside his, Abby reached for his hand. "Come on, T," she said softly.

Tony took her hand and followed her toward the couch. He sat down and leaned against the arm, pulling Abby down into his lap and holding her close to him once again. He began sobbing softly, his hands shaking as he gripped at the raven-haired woman's back.

Reaching up, she pulled his head down against her chest and shushed him, stroking his hair gently. "I'm here, baby. Right here."

"I'm sorry," he managed, his breath catching slightly. "I'm so sorry."

"Tony..."

"It could have been us. It almost was. And I didn't..if she hadn't..." His grip on her tightened as he trembled against her. "I'm so...I'm so sorry. For everything."

Pulling away from him, Abby cupped his face gently in her hands, using the pads of her thumbs to swipe at the tears on his cheeks. "I'm sorry too, honey."

"We were supposed to be on tip line duty this weekend."

Abby wrapped his hands up in hers and kissed his knuckles. "I know."

"Abs..." Tony looked at her, his eyes still wet from his tears. "It should've been us. Not Rick and Jim. Not Paula. Us." He paused. "Me."

"Anthony DiNozzo!" Abby exclaimed, placing one of her hands back on his face. "I don't ever want to hear you talking like that again. This was not your fault." She wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug, her own eyes stinging with unshed tears.

"I love you Abby," he mumbled against her as her fingers traced soothing circles on his back. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know you didn't, T." Closing her eyes, she felt him shift back against the arm of the couch, pulling her down with him as he settled against the pillows. It had been months since they'd been this close.

Shifting slightly against his chest, she sighed quietly. "I've missed you Tony-boy."

"I've missed you too," he said as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

**The Next Morning**

Abby woke up facing the back of the couch, Tony's arm wrapped around her waist, holding her to him tightly as they slept. She relaxed against him, getting comfortable when she heard him sigh heavily.

"You know what Gibbs told me?"

His husky voice broke the silence in the room, and she could tell that he had been awake for awhile. Probably crying, if the wetness on her shoulder was any indication. His grip on her waist loosened slightly, his large hand flexing as he spread it out wide against the fabric of the shirt covering her stomach.

She leaned her head back a little bit, resting it comfortably in the crook of his elbow as he propped up his head. "What's that?"

Tony sighed, dropping his forehead against hers and nuzzling her cheek with his nose. "I asked him if we were scheduled to be on tip line duty...how we managed to get out of it."

The Goth turned in his arms, rolling over to face him. "What did he say?" She asked, looking up at him with a gentle look in her eye.

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "It could be us every single day of the week, sometimes it has been. You wanna worry about something? Worry about tomorrow."

Abby smiled sadly at her friend. "That's good advice, Tony. He's right, you know. You guys have caught your fair share of bad breaks. We all have."

Tony pulled her impossibly close to him, dropping a kiss to the top of her head before resting his chin against the same spot. "I...I'm..."

She stopped him. "Shh. I don't want any more apologies. No more tears, no more pity. I just want to be here, in the moment. That's all we have for sure, T."

He nodded solemnly, cradling her close to him. They started to drift back to sleep, grateful for the 72-hour leave they had been given. Abby groaned a second later, feeling Tony's phone vibrating in his pants pocket. He reached down and pulled the phone out, seeing that Jeanne's caller ID was on the screen.

"I'll go." Abby stated, climbing off the couch when she saw who the call was from.

Tony put the phone down on the table, having directed the call to voicemail. "Wait."

"For what?" Abby her quiet voice laced with bitterness despite her attempts to hide it. "You have a...girlfriend, Tony. You shouldn't be spending the night curled up with another woman on your couch."

"You're more than just 'another woman', Abby." he reminded her quietly. "You were here first. Jeanne...she's important to me, but so are you."

Abby could feel the tears stinging her eyes as he brought her back down against his chest. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his fingers brushing through her hair slowly as she relaxed against him. They'd been through a lot together, but nothing had pulled them apart quite like Tony's new woman had. However, as she laid against him, she couldn't help but think that they might just get through this too.

**Chapter Fifteen -- Tell You Something**

**September 17, 2009 -- Tony's Apartment**

"That was the stupidest movie ever, DiNozzo." Abby whined, ribbing him gently as they laid curled up in his bed. "I can't believe you made me watch it."

Tony gasped, looking down at the Goth in his arms. "You haven't lived until you've seen Saw! It's one of the best modern horror movies!"

She buried her head in his shoulder, rolling her eyes. "I don't know what I'm gonna do with you, Tonyboy."

"Love me forever, of course!" He said cheekily, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

Abby groaned as she rolled out of Tony's embrace, reaching for her phone as it beeped on the nightstand.

"Shit." She said, reading the message on her phone. "I gotta go."

"Why?" He asked, watching as she rolled out of the bed and started dressing.

"Nichols got a case, they need me to come down and process the evidence. Its high priority." The Goth relayed, gathering her things. "Have you seen my other shoe?"

"In the corner." Tony chuckled, amused by her rushing around. "You coming back after you're done?"

"Maybe, depends on when I finish up. Might just head home if it's too late."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow for sure then?" Tony asked, relaxing against his pillows.

Abby grinned, leaning down and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Definitely."

He smiled at her and watched as she left his apartment, headed back to work. A few hours later, a loud knocking at the front door woke him up, making him groan pitifully.

"Abby!" He whined groggily, stumbling out from his bedroom toward the front door. "It's 3 in the morning!"

He sighed heavily as the knocking continued, unlocking the door and swinging it open. "I gave you a key just for this..." He froze, staring at the woman standing in his doorway.

"Ziva."

The Israeli woman stood in the hallway, the shadows obscuring Tony's view of her face. "Hello Tony." Her voice was completely emotionless, her eyes empty. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Tony's mouth had gone dry as soon as he saw her, flashing back to the last memories he had of her as they left her standing on the tarmac in Israel.

"That depends."

"On?" She asked, not moving an inch from her position in the hallway.

"Your mental state." He said, tilting his head slightly. "We weren't exactly on friendly terms when we last saw each other."

Ziva stepped forward, into the small strip of light that was streaming out of the door from Tony's apartment. His throat nearly closed up when he saw the bright red scars and the angry black and purple bruises that covered her once flawless face.

"Actually, that's why I came by."

**2 Years Earlier -- May 2, 2007 -- NCIS Headquarters**

The sound of the elevator caught Tony's attention. Glancing over, he offered his favorite Goth a smile as she stepped off, tugging nervously on her shirt sleeves as she drew closer.

"Hey," He greeted casually. "Bossman letting you out at a decent time tonight?"

"Yep."

"Wanna tell me what the trick to managing that is?"

"I asked," She replied simply, a smirk on her dark lips as she perched herself on the edge of his desk.

"That actually works?" Tony questioned, leaning back in his chair and propping his hands behind his head.

"It does for me," She teased. "I just thought I'd come up and say goodnight before I left."

"Big plans tonight?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Actually...yes. I've got a date."

She watched him carefully, noting the way he struggled to keep his face neutral. He almost succeeded, but the way his hazel eyes darkened gave him away. She decided that it wasn't the time to bring up Tony's underlying jealousy issues and opted instead for simply standing up.

"Well, I'd better get going. Our dinner reservation's at 8." Abby leaned down and pecked the Senior Agent on the cheek, leaving a little bit of a lip print behind.

Turning away, she stopped when he grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly. "Have fun, huh? Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

She squeezed his hand back before pulling away. "So, free rein, right?" She joked, flipping her pigtail over her shoulder as she stepped into the elevator. "See you tomorrow!"

Tony sighed as he watched the elevator doors close. He ran a hand through his hair, glad that McGee and Ziva had gone to pick up food.

He wondered when his feelings for Abby had changed, when he started being jealous of her spending time with other men. If he was going to be honest with himself, he had always been a jealous man, especially with Abby.

He was confusing himself. He had Jeanne, they were happy, even if the whole thing was only a version of the truth.

He threw his pen to the desk in disgust as he leaned back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair as he closed his eyes in an attempt to push thoughts of his Goth laughing at some other guy's jokes from his mind.

**2 Hours Later -- Cafe Atlantico**

"So Abby," The dark haired man began with a smile as he leaned forward, reaching for her hand. "Tell me...what do you like to do for fun when you aren't working?"

Offering her a date a smile, Abby politely pulled her hand away under the guise of reaching for her glass. She took a quick sip of her water, leaving a dark red lip print on the pristine glass. "I like to watch movies. Have you ever seen 'Evil Dead'?"

"Evil...Dead? No. I'm not really..."

"Oh man. It's a great movie! You've got to see it! I mean, it's not really a great movie. It's actually a terrible movie, but it was a staple for me in the eighties! It's actually a whole triology, but the first movie is by far the best. That's usually how it goes though, you know? Except for the Star Wars Triology. Return of the Jedi is clearly the best movie, even though Tony doesn't think so. We argue about it every time we watch them but..."

"Um, Abby?" Alex asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "I'm not really into movies."

She dropped her eyes back to the table. "Oh. Well, what are you into?"

"I like Nascar." He said, smiling at her.

"Oh!" She nodded. "I don't have cable. I mostly watch movies. Tony says Nascar..."

"I don't really care what *Tony* says." Alex said, taking a drink of his beer. "What's he, your ex or something? You sure you're over him?"

Abby glared at the man across the table from her. "He's not my ex. He's my best friend. And he's a great guy, you just have to meet him."

"I don't want to meet him. I don't know if you've been told this, but guys don't generally like it when their dates talk about other men."

"Yeah? Well girls don't like it when their dates are assholes either." She spat, standing up and leaving the restaurant. Stepping outside, she flagged a cab and had the driver take her back to her apartment for the night.

**Jeanne's Apartment**

"You okay, Tony?" Jeanne asked, looking over at her lover as he fumbled with his phone next to her, not paying any attention to the movie.

His head jerked up. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just had a long day."

She sighed, her big green eyes looking at him sadly. "Been having a lot of those lately?" She asked. "You've been really distracted the past few days."

"Yeah...just waiting on confirmation for film festival tickets for my class." Tony lied, checking his phone again.

He sighed, clicking his phone shut between his fingers and leaned back, wrapping his arm around Jeanne's shoulders. He closed his eyes, trying to shake the thoughts of Abby from his mind.

Jeanne curled up against him and rested her head on his chest as they finished watching their movie in silence. When the credits finally rolled, she turned to him once again. "Coming to bed?" She asked quietly.

He rubbed her back gently, smiling down at her as he pressed a kiss to her lips. "Not tonight, hon. I've got work early tomorrow."

She nodded slowly, standing up from her place on the couch and stretching out. "Okay. Well...I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Definitely." The Italian said, standing up and pulling the smaller woman into a tight embrace. "Love you." He said, kissing her once again before releasing her and heading for the door. "See you tomorrow, Jeanne."

Tony walked out of her apartment and shut the door behind him, cursing himself. He had been friends with Abby for years now, and never before had she completely overtaken his thoughts as she had tonight. Checking his phone once again, he growled when he still saw no calls from his Goth.

"Damnit." He cursed, climbing into his car and leaving the garage, subconsciously heading to Abby's apartment.

**20 Minutes Later -- Abby's Apartment**

As he approached her door, he hesitated, not really understanding what he was doing there. He had been upset when he left Jeanne's, though he couldn't explain why, assuming it was because she hadn't called him that evening and he was concerned if she was okay.

Sighing, he shook off his doubts and slid his spare key into the lock on the door, opening it quietly and stepping inside.

"What took you so long, T?"

"How...what are you talking about?" He asked, dropping his keys in the little dish behind the door and taking his shoes off, stacking them next to hers.

"I've been here for at least 3 hours. What took you?"

Tony walked into the living room and saw her curled up in the corner of her couch, back facing the door, staring blankly at the TV. She couldn't have seen him as he walked in, and he nearly chalked it up to a psychic ability when he saw the cordless phone sitting in her lap.

"Ah, Ryan called you when I came in. That's why you have a doorman, I guess." He chuckled, standing next to her. "Everything okay? How'd the date go?"

Abby chuckled, continuing to stare at the TV. "Oh you know, the usual. Found out things about myself I would have rather ignored, probably insulted him, left early." She paused. "You don't just pick up and leave from a dinner at Cafe Atlantico. Well, not if you have any brains. But I did."

"What happened to make you leave?" He asked. The Italian stepped around the couch and sat down next to her, noting that she was wearing one of his old t-shirts that was big on him, making her look as if she was swimming in fabric.

She broke her staring contest with the TV and looked over at him. "I don't really wanna talk about it, Tony. He was an ass."

"Ah. I'm sorry, guys can be that way sometimes."

She nodded. "Yeah, you're telling me. So, why are you here? Thought you were going to your girlfriend's place tonight."

Tony faltered slightly. "I was there. We watched a movie, but she...she has to work early and wanted to get some sleep."

"So instead of going home you drove 10 miles out of your way to come over here? You didn't even know if I was home or not."

"Ryan would've told me if you weren't here."

Abby sat quietly for a second, processing their conversation. "Oh. My. God." She pulled her legs under her and knelt next to Tony on the couch, staring at him with a smile in her eyes. "You...You're jealous!"

"No." The dark-haired man shook his head. "I am a lot of things, jealous is not one of them."

"You *SO* are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Tony threw his hands up. "I am not! Can we get past this?"

*Are too.* She signed quickly, knowing he wouldn't understand. "Okay. I'm over it. Jealousy is perfectly normal, you know."

"I'm *NOT* jealous!" He yelled, louder than he meant to.

She flinched, surprised by his tone. "Sorry." She whispered.

He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry."

They sat in silence for a minute, avoiding eye contact as they returned their gaze to the TV, not really paying attention to what was on.

"Tony..." Abby said after a minute, he green eyes fixed on the television screen as she muted the sound. "Can I ask you a dumb question?"

"That depends. Is it going to be about psychics or telepathy or--"

"Just forget it," the Goth mumbled. "It's late. I'm tired. You should go."

"Hey, come on now. I'm just kidding," he protested, grabbing her hand when she moved to stand. "I'm all ears. Ask away."

She turned back to him, allowing herself to be pulled back down to the couch. "Do you ever think about soulmates?"

"They were on Decca, right? Big hit, mid-70s? Sort of a disco thing?" He paused for a second, looking down at her. "Sing a few bars, I'll get it."

"You'll never get it." Abby said dismissively, standing up again.

"Abs." He grabbed her hand again, standing up with her. "What's goin' on?"

"It's nothing." She stated, trying to pull away from him. He held her hand firmly, letting her know that he wasn't going to just drop the topic. She sighed, looking up at his hazel eyes. "It's just...sometimes I think that I missed my chance with mine. You know, fucked it up."

"Oh. Well, I don't really get that stuff." He shrugged, looking down at her. "But...you know, I just want you to be happy, Abs. And if being with McGee does it for you, then by all means..."

The Goth was speechless for a moment before she frowned, looking away from his intense stare. "Yeah, I guess." She mumbled halfheartedly.

Abby cursed herself for even thinking that he would feel the same way. She had been holding back her feelings for him for years now, letting them slip out occasionally, only to have them interpreted by everyone as the product of a close friendship.

"I'm beat, T. I'm gonna go to bed."

"Please." The single word made her hesitate and look up at him. "Hang out for a bit. I promise I won't keep you up much longer."

She closed her eyes and sighed, contemplating his offer momentarily before leaning up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Lock the door when you go, huh?"

Tony watched as she padded off to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. He sighed and considered relaxing on the couch for a while, hoping that she would change her mind.

He stared at the bedroom door and ran a hand through his hair, walking over to the entrance to her apartment and slipping his shoes back on. He stepped outside and turned back to lock the door, pausing for a second before deciding to head home.

**Chapter Sixteen -- Bury Your Dead**

**September 17, 2009 -- Tony's Apartment**

Tony stepped away from the door, pulling it open enough so that Ziva could enter the apartment. They didn't speak as he lead her into the living room, sitting next to her on the dark leather couch.

His hand reached up to brush her cheek gently, surprised when she flinched slightly but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "What...what happened? I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want..."

"I was captured." She said simply, focusing her gaze on the OSU Buckeye logo on his shirt.

"Rivkin's mission?"

"Yes."

He ran a hand through his hair. He could tell that she didn't want to talk much about it, considering her short answers. "How...did you get back here?"

"I was rescued," Ziva explained, her gaze never leaving the small green and red emblem on the upper left hand side of his shirt. "During an offensive strike after 3 months of intelligence gathering missions."

Tony opened his mouth to speak again and her eyes looked up to meet his. "Stop." She said. "I would really rather not talk about it, Tony. Perhaps someday I will tell you the story."

"Okay." He nodded, accepting her answer as he looked her over quickly. Her clothes were freshly cleaned, but he could tell that they were the same ones she had probably been wearing the whole time she was in captivity. "Lemme get you some clean clothes."

"These are clean. Run down, perhaps, but clean."

"Worn out." Tony stood up and smiled at her. "I think I have something better for you. Go ahead and relax, I'll be right back."

The Italian walked into his bedroom and opened the top drawer of his dresser. The drawer was mostly Abby's pajamas mixed with a few of his shirts that she had pilfered from him. He removed a NCIS T-shirt and a pair of Abby's pants, closing the drawer before heading back into the living room.

When he stepped around the couch he was surprised to find Ziva asleep, sitting in the same position he had left her in. Smiling sadly, he set the clothes on the couch and picked her up, carrying her to his bedroom.

**2 Years Earlier -- March 7, 2007 -- NCIS Headquarters**

Snapping the cell phone closed between her fingers, Abby dropped the obnoxious little device onto the table, her frown deepening slightly.

She'd been trying all morning to reach Tony to no avail, and while she'd been mildly irritated at first, she was starting to become worried. Picking the phone back up, she shoved it in her pocket before heading out of the lab, chewing on her lip nervously.

The ride up to the squad room had seemed longer than usual, and by the time the elevator doors had opened up on the third floor, it was all she could do to keep from pulling her hair out.

"Has anyone heard from Tony?" She asked, her heavy boots pounding across the floor as she rushed into the bullpen. "'Cause I've been trying to call him since last night, and he hasn't answered. Not one call, not one text. He always answers...*always*. Even when he's busy. I mean, it's rule number 3...never be unreachable. I'm getting really..."

"Abby." Gibbs said, walking up behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder, shooting a look at McGee and Ziva, silently asking why they were letting her ramble on.

"Uh, yeah..." McGee started. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, Abs. Don't worry."

"Don't worry?! Obviously you don't understand, Timmy! Tony *always* answers me back!"

"Not today," Director Shepard announced as she made her way down the stairs, her face set in a frown. "Agent McGee, I need you to trace a number."

McGee eyed his boss momentarily, waiting for the older man to give him a curt nod before he sat down at his desk, fingers poised over the keyboard.

"Two zero two, five five five, zero one seven seven."

"DiNozzo in trouble?" Gibbs asked, walking behind his Junior Agent to watch over his shoulder as he worked on tracing the number.

Abby watched as McGee's fingers flew over the keyboard quickly, glancing up at the plasma as he pressed a button.

"Anthony...DiNardo?" Abby asked, confusion written all over her face. "What's...?"

"He was on assignment?" Ziva asked, equally confused.

"Special Agent DiNozzo's alias for an undercover assignment he's been working for the last year."

"Undercover? Why wasn't I notified about this, Jen?" Gibbs asked, unsuccessful at keeping the anger out of his voice.

"It was strictly need to know."

"And now?"

Releasing an irritated sigh, the red head didn't bother to hide her scowl as she opened her phone. "The woman that Agent DiNozzo has been seeing, Jeanne Benoit, is La Grenouille's daughter."

Try as she might, Abby couldn't contain her gasp. "But..."

Ignoring her, Director Shepard continued. "We had a signal that he was to use only in the event he thought his cover was blown and twenty minutes ago, he used it."

"God Damnit, Jen. McGee, you got a location on his phone?"

"Triangulating."

Jenny looked over at the younger man quickly. "I want this fed into MTAC with satellite coverage." She said, walking out of the bullpen and up the stairs.

Gibbs and Ziva started to walk away and Abby looked back at McGee momentarily before she began to follow only to have Gibbs turn and stop her. "No, Abs."

"But, Gibbs...!" She exclaimed, looking up at him anxiously. "Please. He...he's my best friend. I have to know he's okay."

The silver-haired agent sighed heavily, ushering the scientist in front of him. "Let's go. But if I tell you to leave, you have to go. Clear?"

"Crystal." Abby agreed, allowing Gibbs to lead her up the stairs to MTAC.

McGee joined them a few moments later, slightly out of breath as he entered the dimly lit room. "He's on 22nd Street Northwest, outside Monroe University Hospital. Moving, must be in a car."

Abby wrung her hands as she stood at her boss' side, staring at the large screen in front of her.

Jenny looked up at the younger man. "How long until we have satellite coverage?"

"P...probably at least 15 minutes." The Goth answered for him, shifting nervously from one foot to the other. It wasn't often that she claimed her 'gut' worked, but this was one of the times.

"Ziva?" Gibbs asked, looking at the Israeli who was trying to call Tony's phone again.

"Still no answer. Should I try his undercover phone?"

Gibbs nodded sharply and she put it on speaker when the answering machine immediately picked up. Everyone's head turned toward the phone as the message played, surprised at the message for 'Professor Tony DiNardo'.

Jenny looked away from Gibbs, his eyes burning into her. "His cover is teaching film online at American University." She explained.

Abby started to pace in a wide circle. "Tony? Teach? No wonder he's been compromised!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "He couldn't teach a fish to swim. Who's bright idea was that?"

Director Shepard turned to face the younger woman. "Mine." Abby's face immediately fell, her eyes looking down to the floor.

"We're in." McGee spoke up, breaking the awkward silence as he brought up the satellite feed of Tony's car. "That's his car." He said, pulling the license plate and running it. "Tony DiNardo's car."

Gibbs shot their Director a disappointed look, making they red-headed woman frown again.

"How deep is this cover?" Gibbs questioned, looking at her coldly.

"Deep enough." She reassured him, seeing the anger in his eyes.

"You better hope so."

Director Shepard dropped her gaze momentarily before she glanced back up at the screen.

"Ziva, try to call again," Gibbs ordered, dropping his hand to Abby's shoulder in order to still the nervous young woman.

Nodding in response, the Israeli dialed her partner's number again, shaking her head. "Still no response."

"God dammit, DiNozzo!"

"He must not be alone," Director Shepard mused. "There's no other..."

It happened so fast.

He'd been focused on Abby when he caught the flash on the screen out of the corner of his eye. He was positive he'd never forget the sound of Ziva's horrified gasp or McGee's quiet moan as the car exploded.

"No...oh Tony..." Abby managed before her legs gave out beneath her.

The silver-haired man gripped the younger woman's arms and he pulled her against his chest just seconds before she hit the floor.

Her body went limp against his as he lifted her into his arms, swallowing hard against the lump that had formed in his own throat.

"McGee...gas the truck. Ziva, get Palmer. Tell Duck to meet me in the lab."

Neither agent moved at first until he barked the orders again.

He watched as his two agents scrambled out of the room before he turned back to the Director, the Goth still cradled against him. "I'll deal with you later."

He carried Abby out of MTAC and down to her lab, crouching to lay her down on her futon just as Ducky walked in.

"My God, Jethro, what happened?" He asked, seeing the young woman curled up on the thin mattress.

He stood up after pressing a kiss to her cheek and signing something into her hand quickly. "Tony's car just got blown up." He spoke quietly, stepping into the larger portion of the lab. "We saw it happen upstairs on a satellite."

"Perhaps we should try to get ahold of Tony before we jump to conclusions. Surely there must be some mistake."

"I wish it was, Duck."

The ME was speechless for a moment as he looked between his friend and the young woman they all felt protective of.

Gibbs dropped his hand onto the shorter man's shoulder comfortingly. "I need you to keep an eye on her while we go to the scene."

"You aren't going to have another team go to the scene?" Ducky asked, frowning when the taller man scoffed and shot him a look. "I cannot believe you, Jethro! Have you not even taken the well-being of your remaining team into account? You don't think that this is affecting them in much the same way it is affecting Abigail?"

Gibbs fought to keep from rolling his eyes. "They're trained investigators, Duck. I don't think they would want another team taking this. And neither do I."

The medical examiner released a heavy sigh as he sank down into Abby's chair. "And you are positive that it was Anthony?"

Glancing back between the raven-haired woman and the distraught medical examiner, Gibbs have a slight nod.

He wanted to believe that a mistake had been made, that the car they'd watched hadn't belonged to the Italian that they were all so fond of, but even his gut was telling him that it was DiNozzo's car.

"I'll be back as soon as we finish. Look after her, Duck."

"Jethro..." Ducky called, hesitating slightly as Gibbs paused at the door. "You're going to call Bradley, I assume?"

Gibbs sighed. "Gonna have to, Duck. I think he's the only one who's gonna be able to help her."

**Three Hours Later**

"Ducky?" McGee called, walking into the slightly darkened lab.

The ME looked up from the file he was reading and waved to the younger man. "In here, Timothy."

He made his way into the back office, glancing around quickly to see Abby curled up on her futon, her body racked with sobs as she stared at the wall blankly.

"How long...?" The younger man asked quietly, watching his friend.

"Since just after Jethro left her down here to go to the scene. She calls for him every so often...I'm sure I don't have to tell you she's extremely distraught."

McGee merely nodded, kneeling on the floor next to her. He reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, frowning as she flinched away, the unshed tears burning behind his eyes. "Hey...it's me, Abs. It's Tim. C'mere."

Ducky stood silently and left the room, going to find Gibbs and giving the grieving pair some privacy. He smiled sadly to himself as he reached the door, hearing McGee whispering comforting words to his friend.

"C'mon Abs. Gibbs wants me to take you home. We'll pick up some food on the way, huh?"

She nodded, pushing him away when he attempted to help her stand. "'M fine." She mumbled, her voice saturated with tears.

Turning away from the Junior Agent, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and headed for the elevator with McGee right behind her.

When they stepped off the elevator, Trent Kort was standing in the center of the bullpen, surrounded by Gibbs, Ziva and the Director, speaking in hushed tones. They walked up and joined the group, obviously in the middle of the conversation.

"DiNozzo." Kort spat, shooting a firm look at Jenny. Abby's head jerked up and Gibbs immediately walked over to her.

*It's okay. Don't worry about him.* He signed, leading the Goth to his desk with a hand at the small of her back and sitting her down. *Stay here.*

Jenny looked at him with a smug smile. "I'm not telling you anything until you explained to me why you're looking for him so urgently."

Kort chuckled grimly before answering. "La Grenouille flew into DC this morning, he didn't arrive at his safehouse and his satellite phone is not on."

"Mislaid your arms dealer? That's gotta be embarrassing." Gibbs noted, rejoining the small cluster around the CIA operative.

"You are jeopardizing the most important long-term covert operation the Agency has ever conducted."

"Operation Lodestone?" Gibbs interjected, knowing it would rattle the other man.

Kort shot the older man a look of disbelief. "You're not read in on Lodestone." He said, turning away and heading for the elevator.

Gibbs motioned for Abby to stay as he followed Kort across the room to the elevator. "Special Agent DiNozzo's car was bombed this morning, but I guess you knew that."

"He wasn't in it." Kort said lowly, not bothering to look back at Gibbs as he pressed the button on the elevator.

The elevator door opened and Tony stood up straigter, offering a chuckle as he stood face-to-face with Kort.

"Hey, my car blew up this morning." He said, a light tone to his voice as he pointed an accusing finger at the man. "Did you do that?"

"Where did you go with La Grenouille?" Kort asked harshly, grabbing the younger man by the lapel of his jacket and slamming him against the wall of the elevator, only to have McGee, Ziva and Gibbs pull their weapons on him. He released Tony, watching as the brunette straigtened his tie.

"He prefers Rene. Arms dealers get touchy about their code names. The Frog has a bit of a slimy overtone to it, you should remember that for next time. Maybe use it for yourself."

Kort scoffed as he stepped into the elevator. "We will find him, DiNozzo."

"You might wanna take the stairs." Tony chuckled. "I had a little upset tummy this morning. Happy Frog Hunting!"

Tugging his jacket back into place, Tony waited until the elevator doors closed on Kort before he turned back to his astonished teammates, plastering a bright grin onto his face.

"What? No balloons?"

Abby could feel her entire body trembling angrily as she pushed herself up from Gibbs' desk, her vision still hazy with tears.

Glancing past his team, Tony's grin faltered slightly as he took in Abby's tear stained face and red eyes. "Hey. What's the matter? Hot Topic discontinue your favorite lipstick?" He teased.

"You...How *dare* you..."

"I'm just..."

The sound of the Goth's fist connecting with the Italian's jaw seemed to echo through the squad room. Gibbs watched as Tony stumbled backwards, his hand immediately cupping his face.

"What the fu...?"

Stepping forward, Gibbs caught the raven-haired woman around the waist as she drew back her fist again, hating the way she struggled against him.

"Abby..." He whispered.

"You...you sonofabitch!" She spat. "How...you *lied* to us! For a whole year, you lied to *me*! You..."

"Abby." Gibbs tried again.

"And then...you just...we all thought..." A strangled sob escaped her as she finally broke free from Gibbs' grasp, pushing passed the wide eyed Israeli and dumbfounded McGee, heading for the women's bathroom.

"Abby!" Tony tried, reaching for her as she brushed passed. His face fell as she shrugged away from his touch.

"I can't...I can't even look at you right now." She cried. "Just...go away and leave me alone."

Gibbs motioned for Ziva to check on the scientist as he placed a hand on the Italian's shoulder and led him away from the rest of the group.

"She's had a hard day, Tony." The silver-haired man defended, his voice softer than usual. "Cut her some slack."

Tony shook his head. "I'm not mad at her." He scoffed, turning to face the window. "She's right. I lied. To everyone. I deserved it. I should go talk to her."

"Go home, Tony. Get some rest. You'll get a chance to talk to her tomorrow."

He nodded solemnly, walking to the elevator and going to check a Charger out of the motor pool before heading home.

**Later That Night**

Gibbs walked into the lab, unsurprised to find Abby elbow deep in forensic tests from cold cases she had been working for months.

"Abby. You're supposed to be at home with McGee."

She didn't look up at him, instead choosing to focus on her computer screen. "I didn't want to. Don't wanna think right now."

He gave her a small smirk. "What is it you're doing then? I've never known you to not think while working."

"I'm distracting myself, Gibbs. I don't want to think about today, okay? I don't wanna think about how I punched my best friend." She hung her head, pulling her hands away from the keyboard. "He probably hates me."

"Nah." He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "He doesn't hate you. Now, go home. This will be here for you tomorrow."

She nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the lab, picking up her purse on the way out. Once they got to her car, he made sure she was inside safely and shut the door.

"Don't come back tonight. Security won't let you in."

Abby frowned at him before revving her engine and pulling away, driving in circles around the Navy Yard for a good 20 minutes before finally making up her mind to go talk to Tony.

Once she got to his apartment, she began having second thoughts as she spotted the Charger with government plates parked outside. She sighed heavily and walked in, taking the elevator to his floor.

Stepping out into Tony's hallway, she made her way down the hallway towards her friend's apartment, her shoulders slumped sadly.

Stopping in front of his door, she took a moment to collect herself before she raised her fist and knocked.

It had been a hell of a day, one in which her emotions had been all over the place, and now that she'd had time to cool down, she realized she'd overreacted in the squad room.

She'd been relieved...no, ecstatic when Tony had stepped off the elevator, alive and unharmed, but her relief had quickly turned to anger at the thought of the web of lies and deceit that he'd been spinning over the last year and she'd reacted before she could stop herself.

Sighing softly when she heard no movement inside. Lifting her hand, she knocked again. "Tony?" She called quietly, her voice hoarse. "I saw the Charger outside. I know you're in there."

She heard the sound of bare feet thumping quietly against the hardwood floor of his entryway before the lock slid out of place and the door fell open.

She'd come with every intention of requesting an explanation, but as she got a good look at him for the first time that day, she found she didn't need one.

"Oh Tony," she whispered.

Forcing a small smile, the Italian leaned against the door frame, looking completely and utterly defeated.

She could see the dark bruise that had formed on his jaw from where she had struck him and the very sight of it was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

"Can I...can I come in?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly.

Nodding, he stepped out of the doorway and allowed her in and for the first time, she noticed the bottle hanging from his hand. She followed after him, noting the way he stumbled slightly as he made his way over to the couch before he sank down with a quiet sigh.

"'M sorry," He slurred slightly, his eyes not meeting hers as he took a long drink of the clear liquid in the bottle. "'Bout t'day," He clarified.

"Tony--"

"Didn't mean t'make you cry."

Dropping to the couch beside him, she took the bottle from his hands, setting it on the table before she wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry, Tony," She whispered, burying her face against his neck. "I s...shouldn't have yelled at you today. I was just...I thought...I didn't think I'd ever see you again," She sobbed, losing the battle with her tears.

He could feel his chest tightening uncomfortably as he listened to her ragged sobs, the sound reminding him just how many people he'd hurt with his lies.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him as he pressed his nose into her hair.

They sat together for the better part of an hour, neither willing to let the other go. The buzz he had started to wear off and the realization of what he'd done hit him hard.

Abby could feel him trembling against her, and as she pulled away, she could see the raw pain in his eyes.

"You really loved her."

It wasn't a question, just an observation and it hit him like a punch to the gut.

"She was just an assignment," He lied, immediately bringing himself back from the edge of tears.

Abby knew exactly what he was doing, having seen him put on the same act a hundred times. It was on the tip of her tongue to call him on it, to question and prod and force him to admit not only to her but to himself as well that he'd fallen for his mark.

But something in his eyes stopped her.

Forcing him to admit the depth of his feelings for the woman would do more harm than good so she merely nodded. She watched the way the tension fell from his shoulders as he relaxed against the couch, though the mask slipped away as well.

"It's okay Tony," she whispered, settling back against his side.

"No, it's not. But it will be."

**Chapter Seventeen -- Goodbye To You**

**September 18, 2009 -- Tony's Apartment**

Sliding her key into the lock, Abby turned it before she pushed the door open, slipping inside the dark apartment.

"Tony?" She called, dropping her keys into the dish behind the door as she kicked off her shoes. She'd had every intention of going home after leaving the lab, but at the last minute, she'd taken the exit for Tony's apartment instead.

Glancing up at the sound of bare feet slapping against the wooden floor, she offered the man a tired smile.

"Hey Abs. I uh...didn't think you were coming back."

"Hope you don't mind but I figured I'd..."

"Tony?"

Cocking her head at the sound of the clearly feminine voice, she forced her smile to stay in place. "Oh...you've got company. Did you bribe them to call me in so your booty call could come over?" She teased, keeping her voice light despite the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Actually, you aren't...you aren't going to believe this but..."

"Tony, who is here?" Ziva asked as she stepped out of the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Oh...hello Abby," the Israeli greeted, dropping her eyes.

It felt like a punch to the gut.

One traitorous tear slid down her cheek as she forced a smile. "Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't...I should have called." she managed, her voice cracking. "I'm..."

Unable to find the words, she turned quickly and pulled the door open, snatching her keys from the table, though she abandoned her boots.

"Abby!" Tony called, reaching for her as she slipped out of her grasp. "Abby, wait!"

"My...I left Major Mass Spec running. I need...Its not good to leave him...on all night," she finished, barely able to choke back a sob.

"Abby!" He tried again as he followed her to the stairwell. "It isn't what it looks like! Would you just wait?!" He asked as he grabbed her arm.

Turning her to face him, he was surprised at the tears. "Jesus...Abby..."

Forcing a smile through her tears, she cupped his face gently before she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Go back to her." she ordered, her voice cracking again. "You've been waiting for this."

"Abs..." He frowned, catching her hand when she turned away. "Please..."

Pulling out of his grasp, she pulled the door open, a broken sob escaping her as she bolted down the stairs, leaving him alone in the empty hallway.

**1 year earlier -- May 22, 2008 -- NCIS Headquarters**

Abby paced back and forth across the floor of the bullpen, looking up toward the Director's office every so often.

"Abigail, my dear, please..." Ducky pleaded, sitting in Gibbs' chair and watching her pace in front of the desks. "You're going to wear out the carpet."

She stopped in front of Gibbs' desk and put her hands on her hips. "What do you think is going on up there?" She asked, pointing up at the catwalk.

"I'm sure everything is fine, Abby. You are worrying yourself over nothing." The ME explained, sighing when the young woman began pacing again.

After everything that happened in LA, she was worried about her friends. The new director, Leon Vance, had come in and made it very clear that he was disappointed with Tony and Ziva for leaving Jenny alone, an act that ultimately resulted in her death.

She had heard the news from Ducky, and while she wasn't particularly close to the director, it was never easy to hear that someone died. Especially not when two of your friends were supposed to be with the newly deceased, protecting her.

When Tony and Ziva had returned, the tension between them was thick, and despite the Israeli's best efforts to convince him otherwise, Tony blamed himself for the death of their director.

Abby stopped pacing when she heard the Director's door open, rushing over to the base of the stairs as she watched the team come down. She didn't miss the sullen looks on their faces, nor did she miss the three personnel files that Gibbs carried.

Gibbs was the first one to reach her, stopping the question she had on her lips with a single look. He brushed past her, reaching for her hand and squeezing it gently.

Ziva and Tony passed next, neither of them making eye contact as they made their way to the elevator.

"Tony!" She cried, moving to follow him when McGee reached out and took ahold of her hand, stopping her.

Gibbs watched from his desk as McGee pulled the Goth off to the side, wrapping his arms around her as he explained what had just happened upstairs.

He could see the tears falling down her face as the younger man told her that the team was being split up, that her best friend was being sent to sea for a tour as an Agent Afloat. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that he was going to do everything in his power to reverse the new Director's decision, but he knew it would be pointless.

**Later That Night -- Tony's Apartment**

The raven-haired woman stepped out of the cab and paid the driver before heading into the small apartment building. McGee had dropped her off at home, but after calling Tony nearly 20 times with no answer, she decided to disobey Gibbs' orders and go to Tony's apartment, hoping to talk to him before he left early the next morning.

She turned the spare key in the lock and pushed the door open, stepping into the apartment quietly.

"Tony?"

The sound of his closet door slamming shut made her freeze momentarily before she started down the short hallway, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey." He responded shortly, not looking up at her as he threw the shirts into a large NCIS duffelbag, no regard for his usual neatness.

"Hi." She responded quietly, her voice already wavering despite the fact that she promised herself she would not cry. She took a deep shuddery breath before she stepped further into the room, removing the shirts one by one from the bag before she began folding.

"I'm thinking about dying my hair red." She announced, focusing on the task at hand rather than her clearly distraught friend as he moved around the room, slamming drawers and throwing shoes.

He paused at the dresser, turning to face her with a raised eyebrow. "Are we talking...fire engine red or Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman' red?"

"Neither. I'm thinking more like...Gothic, Vampire seductress red. What do you think?"

"I think if you're going for a drastic change, you should go blonde. You looked good as a blonde." He smirked, recalling the memory of his best friend in her Marilyn Monroe costume the previous Halloween.

"You and Timmy liked that wig just a *little* too much, Tony-boy."

"Yeah, it wasn't the wig we were interested in." He muttered, laughing despite his dark mood when she threw a sneaker at him. "What? I meant the shoes were great too!"

Cocking an eyebrow at him, she shook her head playfully before she returned to the shirts. The mood was momentarily lightened and they fell into a comfortable silence as she continued packing the shirts and he went over his mental inventory.

"Gibbs is going to get you back." She said after a long while, her voice soft. "You know that, right T?"

She watched as his shoulders tensed for a moment before they sagged defeatedly. "Why would he even want to do that?"

Dropping the last shirt into the bag, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him from behind, kissing his shoulder and resting her cheek against his broad back. "Because you're his number two and he needs you."

"Gibbs doesn't need anyone."

"Oh please, Tony. There's a reason you've lasted so long on his team. Trust me, I'm pretty sure he doesn't keep you around for your stunning good looks."

"And here I thought Gibbs was secretly into me all these years." He said, his voice a little sharper than he had intended.

He pulled himself out of Abby's embrace and walked back to the duffelbag, seeing all his shirts folded. "Thanks." He whispered, immediately sorry for snapping at her.

Abby nodded, walking back toward the bed and sitting on the end, drawing her knees up to her chest as she watched him pack.

"I deserve this. Consider it my penance."

"You can't really believe that Tony. What happened to Jenny was not..."

"...I shouldn't have left her. I should have taken my chances and disobeyed her orders." The Italian stated firmly, packing his shoes into the bag.

The Goth frowned. She released her legs and flopped back onto the bed, sighing heavily. "So...you're just gonna accept this as punishment?"

"Jesus, Abby!" Tony shouted, throwing the jeans he was holding into the bag before turning to face her. "Don't make this harder than it already is! You think I wouldn't rather stay here? Trust me, if I could, I would. But there's not a damn thing I can do about it!"

His stance shifted from tense to remorseful the moment he saw the tear slide down her cheek before she rolled off the bed and headed for the door.

"Abby...wait!" He said, grabbing her hand just as she reached the door. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She tried to pull her hand away from him, choking back a light sob when his grip only tightened. "Tony, please." She whispered.

Pulling on her arm gently, he gathered her into his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm sorry. I...I'm not...I don't want to leave."

Abby looked up at him and nodded. "I know." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before pulling away from him and heading for the door. "I'm tired, T. I'll let you finish packing."

"Stay."

She paused, turning back to face him with a confused look on her face as she spoke quietly. "You have a lot to get done, and you're leaving early in the morning. You need your rest and me being here isn't..."

"Abby." Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Please...stay. I...don't wanna be alone right now." He smiled a little when she nodded, allowing him to lead her back to the bed. "You don't have to stay awake if you're tired...just don't go."

"Okay."

She climbed onto the bed and relaxed against the pillows, watching as her friend continued packing his bags. They sat quietly with some light jazz playing in the living room, simply enjoying the knowledge that the other was there. By the time Tony was done packing his bags, Abby had fallen asleep. He smiled and sat next to her, running his hand through her hair as she slept.

He looked over at his alarm clock and sighed heavily, realizing he needed to get to the airport to catch his flight. Reaching into his back pocket, he took out a note he had written when he had first gotten home, intending to slip it under Abby's door on his way to the airport. He set it on the nightstand, next to the clock so that she would see it as soon as she woke up.

"Bye, Abs." He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, not wanting to wake her, knowing that if anyone could talk him into disobeying a direct order to stay in DC, it would be her. He stood up and quietly exited the room, grabbing the two large duffelbags as well as his badge and weapon before meeting his cab outside of the apartment.

**Two Months Later -- August 4, 2008 -- Abby's Lab**

"I am so so so sorry I couldn't be there for the big 1-0, Captain Jack!" Abby said, looking at the computer screen sitting on her desk. "It's been super busy at work lately."

"I know, Auntie. It's okay." The boy on the computer screen smiled at her, holding up a badge that was almost the same size as his hand. "Look what Uncle Tony sent me from his ship!"

The Goth smiled at the shiny 'NCIS Agent Afloat' badge that her nephew held in his hand. "That's nice of him." She said, surprised that Tony had even remembered Jack's birthday, much less bothered to get him something.

Bradley stepped up behind his son a moment later and waved at his sister. "Yeah, tell him I said thanks for convincing Jack to be a NCIS Agent." He smirked, his tone clearly sarcastic.

She held her hands up and chuckled lightly. "I had nothing to do with it!"

The older man pulled the boy out of the chair and sat down. "Say bye to your Auntie, Jack, then go help your Mama clean up the kitchen."

"Okay." Jack sighed. "Bye, Auntie Abby." He waved to her before bouncing out of the room, clipping the badge to the belt he was wearing.

"Didn't expect for him to bring Tony up, Abs. I'm sorry."

Abby shook her head. "Nah, it's not a problem. I get postcards from him every week."

Bradley smiled at her. "You wouldn't lie to your brother, would you?" He asked, noticing the silver-haired man standing just behind his sister. "Hey Gibbs."

She jumped, spinning around to face her boss. "Hey...Gibbs." She smiled, sitting back down in her chair, pouting playfully. "I really hate it when you sneak up on me."

He smirked, nodding at the man on the computer screen. "Bradley. How's the family?"

"Everyone's good. Today's Jack's birthday. Just turned 10."

"That's good. I need to borrow your sister for a bit."

The younger man chuckled. "I thought she was being a bit of a slacker. We'll talk later, baby girl. Love you."

"Love you too, BB. Give Britty and Captain Jack hugs for me."

"Will do." He said, offering her a reassuring smile before ending their call.

"Captain Jack?"

Abby smiled, turning to face Gibbs. "Yeah! You know...Captain Jack Sparrow? Pirates of the Caribbean?" She chuckled at the blank look on the older man's face. "Tony used to call him that when the first movie came out. He loved it."

Gibbs continued to stare at her for a moment before he shook his head. "You get anything back on those fibers yet?"

Her face fell slightly as she turned back to her computer. "They're still running. I should have something back in about an hour."

"Call me when you do." He ordered before he turned and headed back out of the lab.

"Gibbs?" She called, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yeah?"

She didn't turn to him, focusing instead on the screen. "Have you talked to Vance yet? About...bringing him back home?"

"Abby...you know I'm doin' everything I can. He's on assignment, and it's not that easy to get an Agent Afloat off a carrier."

Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Oh. Okay." She watched him turn and walk away again, getting to the door this time before she ran after him. "Wait."

Gibbs sighed heavily, turning around as she stumbled to a stop right behind him.

"I have a favor to ask. About Tony. Well, not really about Tony, but more of a favor..."

"Abby."

She looked down at her hands and frowned slightly. "Could I set up a video call with him?" Catching the look the older man shot her, she tried backpedaling. "You know...not a long one or anything. I just...I wanna talk to him. Face to face."

"MTAC isn't a toy, Abby. I can't justify calling DiNozzo on the carrier so you can have a social call." He reached out to her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "Sorry."

"It's a sign of weakness." Abby said softly, not looking up at him.

He pulled back from her and leaned against the wall, looking her over. "What's this about, Abs?"

"I just miss him, Gibbs. I didn't even get to say goodbye. He just left a note."

"What?" He asked, watching as Abby walked to her postcard wall and pulled down the note Tony had left on the night stand for her.

Gibbs read the note quickly before handing it back to her and turning away, withholding his anger at his former Senior Agent. "He dropped this at your place? You just said you didn't see him."

"Not...exactly. I went over to talk to him."

"Abby. I told you not to go there for a reason." He sighed, clearly exasperated with the young woman.

"I fell asleep while he was packing and he was gone when I woke up."

The silver-haired man looked at Abby and saw that she was still having a hard time coping with Tony being gone. "You'll be fine, Abs. Call me when you get a hit on those fibers."

He turned and stepped into the elevator without another word, knowing that he wouldn't be able to say anything to make it better. The only thing that would work was if he managed to get DiNozzo back.

**Later That Night**

"Got it, McGee."

Gibbs snapped his phone shut as he stood up from his desk and headed to the elevator.

McGee wasn't on his team anymore, now that he had been transferred to Cyber Crimes, but he had called to let his former boss know that their favorite lab rat was still in the building despite the late hour. The Junior Agent had seen the hearse in the garage when he had left for the night and out of concern for his friend, called Gibbs to see if she was working on a case.

He stepped into the lab quietly, hearing Abby's whimpers before he found her sitting on the futon in her office, looking at yet another postcard from Tony.

"I miss him, Gibbs."

Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke to him, never taking her eyes off the postcard.

The older man sighed and walked into the office, sitting next to her on the futon. "I know you do. He'll be back soon."

Abby looked over to him and smiled sadly. "He seems to be doing well. I'm not sure he even misses me anymore."

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her down against his chest and kissed her head. "I can't see DiNozzo ever not missing you, Abs. He wouldn't be sending the postcards if he didn't miss you."

She nodded, tears falling down her cheeks and wetting the older man's shirt. "I...miss them all. Ziva and McGee too. We need to get them back, Gibbs."

"Just gimme a little more time, Abs. I'll get 'em back."

She pulled back and looked into his blue eyes. "Even Tony?"

"Even DiNozzo."

"Pinky promise?"

Gibbs chuckled lightly and hooked his pinky with hers. "I promise. They'll be back soon."

**Chapter Eighteen -- Home**

**September 18, 2009 -- NCIS Headquarters**

Tony didn't even bother going up to the bullpen to drop his backpack at his desk before he headed down to the lab. He knew based on the reaction he had received from her that morning that she was too upset to go home.

He stopped the elevator midway between the ground floor and Abby's lab, sighing heavily as he leaned against the wall. He was torn and he knew he shouldn't be. He'd been waiting for Ziva since the minute they'd boarded the plane in Israel without her and while they still had a lot to sort out, she was here. With him.

The choice should have been clear but for some reason, it wasn't.

Abby had been his best friend for years and yet after last night, he wasn't sure that was enough for him. Her reaction to finding Ziva at his apartment had been an eye opener for sure. After years of looking for something that he wasn't sure was there, she had finally showed him that maybe being 'just friends' wasn't enough for her either.

Torn didn't even begin to describe the way he was feeling, he decided as he flipped the switch to set the elevator into motion again. Maybe he had misread her reaction. Maybe she had been...overwhelmed by the sight of the woman she had been convinced she'd never see again. But either way, he had to find out.

"Abby?" He called, readjusting the bag on his shoulder as he walked into the lab. "You here?"

"Oh! Hey Tony-boy!" She greeted, walking out of her office carrying a file. He could tell by the pair of black ballet flats that she was wearing that she had been there since she left his apartment. "What brings you here so early?"

He scoffed incredulously, looking her over for any sign of the emotion he had witnessed earlier. "Are you kidding?"

Abby cocked an eyebrow at him but maintained her happy demeanor. "I'm fine, Tony. I overreacted earlier."

"Overreacted?" He sat his backpack down and unzipped it, pulling out her boots. "You bolted so fast you forgot your boots. Talk to me Abs."

"Thanks for bringing them back." He saw the mask slip slightly, even though the smile was still on her lips. She picked the boots up and walked into her office, dropping them next to her desk before turning back to him. "Okay, so I ran off. Sorry."

Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Abby...it wasn't what it looked like, with Ziva. She showed up..."

"It doesn't matter, T." The Goth struggled to keep her emotions in check, despite the aching in her chest. "You don't have to explain to me. It's unfair of me to ask that of you."

"It does matter, Abby. It matters to me."

She turned away from him as the facade slipped more, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

"Abs...look at me." He reached out to her and turned her around gently, tipping her chin up. "We need to talk about this. We...owe it to each other to figure it out. Together."

"There's nothing to talk about, Tony. Ziva's back. My feelings don't matter. They...they've never mattered."

The Italian dropped his hand from her shoulder, shocked by her statement. "Of course your feelings matter, Abby. What would make you think..."

"Then tell me when it changed, T. They never mattered before. Not when you were with Jeanne. Never when it came to Ziva. I was always second best to them."

He saw the pain that she was trying so hard to hide and he couldn't form the words to make her feel better. He stepped forward and cupped her face in his hands gently, leaning down and pressing a deep kiss to her lips. He felt her tense against him before she reciprocated, then pulled away, placing her hands on his chest for distance.

"You...we..." Abby stumbled over her words, the feel of his lips on hers still clouding her mind. "No."

"No?" Tony asked, taking her hand in his. "Abby...don't do this. Come on. We've been playing too long."

"I...I can't. You aren't all in, and you know it. So go and figure this thing with Ziva out. Because...until you do, it's not fair for either of us."

She turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of her lab alone. He watched her leave, wanting to go after her but knowing that she wasn't going to back down.

**1 Year Earlier -- September 23, 2008**

OoOoOoOoO

Tony stepped into the Sick Bay, preparing to say goodbye to his boss. "COD's launching in 10, Boss."

"Well, then grab your gear." Gibbs said, watching their suspect get his head wound cleaned up.

"My gear?"

"Yeah. Your collar. You ride him home."

"Home?" Tony's eyes widened slightly with surprise.

"Home, DiNozzo."

OoOoOoOoO

Home. It was the single word he had been wanting to hear more than anything else in the 4 months since he had been gone, and he was finally getting his wish, even if it was only for a few days. He kept telling himself that it was better than nothing, that getting there was half the battle. Convincing the Director to let him come back to Gibbs' team couldn't possibly be that hard if he was already in DC.

"Hey, Boss?" He spoke up, looking across the plane at the older man. "Does Abs know that I'm heading back for a few days?"

Gibbs looked up at the tanned man, clearly darker than when he had left due to the tropical climates he had been living in for 4 months. He shook his head, content to leave it at that. They were getting him back, he didn't want to ruin that by jumping down his throat 30 minutes from landing.

"Think she'll be happy to see me?"

"Yeah, but after the crap you pulled with that note, I don't know why." Gibbs responded coldly, not looking up from the file he was reading.

Tony frowned. "You know why I left it, Gibbs. We both know I wouldn't be here right now if I had woken her up to say goodbye."

The silver-haired man fell silent, knowing that his soon-to-be reinstated Senior Agent had a point. Gibbs he wasn't about to agree with what Tony had done, though he could understand why.

Neither man spoke during the remainder of the flight, and only Ziva's chatter as she filled Tony in on the last four months kept the car ride from being uncomfortable and awkward. When they pulled up outside of the NCIS building, Tony was the first one out of the car, enjoying the feeling of walking on solid ground for the first time in nearly 4 months.

The three agents walked into the building and took the elevator up to the third floor, stepping off when the doors slid open.

"McGoo!" Tony called, dropping his backpack behind his desk. "Wow. It wasn't just the camera."

McGee smirked. "Good to see you too, Tony." He said, shaking the older man's hand and patting him on the back.

Tony smiled back at the younger agent. "It's good to be back. Hopefully it won't be just a temporary thing."

"Speaking of, Vance wants to see you ASAP." McGee relayed, returning to his desk.

"Oh, well, I was gonna go see Abby..." He stopped himself, seeing the slight glare Gibbs shut him. "Or I could go see Vance first."

Gibbs nodded, watching as Tony trudged up the stairs to the Director's office. "What are you doing?" He asked, noticing Ziva making a phone call.

"I was calling..." She started, smirking slightly when Abby picked up the call. "Abby, you should come upstairs. We have just arrived back and we have a surprise for you."

The Goth hung up the phone quickly and walked out to the elevator, heading up to the squad room. When the doors finally opened on the third floor, she stepped off and automatically headed for Gibbs' desk.

"So? What'd he get me?" She asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Always wanting something. And here I thought I'd be enough."

Abby spun around and saw Tony walking toward the desks, having just come back from the Director's office. "Oh my...Tony!" She cried, running toward him and crushing him with a tight hug. "I missed you so much!"

He held her against his chest and buried his nose in her hair, smiling to himself. "I missed you too, Abs."

They held each other for another few minutes before they separated. "I told you Gibbs would get you back." She grinned.

Tony glanced over at his boss, who was preparing to leave for the evening. "Yeah. I know you did."

"So...you're back, right?" She asked, pulling back from him.

He chuckled. "I am."

"Pinky promise permanent reals?" She stuck out her pinky finger, grinning ear to ear.

He grinned back at her, hooking his pinky around hers. "Reassigned to DC, effective immediately. Vance just told me."

She jumped on him again, wrapping him up in her arms. "You're back, you're back, you're back!"

"This calls for a celebration. Come on, pizza and beer?" McGee suggested, standing up and grabbing his jacket.

Tony nodded. "Sounds good to me. Your treat, McMoneyBags." He placed his hand at the small of Abby's back and grinned. "You're comin', right, Abs?"

"Of course! What kind of welcome home party would it be if I wasn't there?" She smiled, leaning back against his hand slightly.

The younger agent rolled his eyes and smiled at the friends. "Yes, Tony. My treat. Come on, Ziva. Let's go celebrate."

The four friends gathered their belongings and headed out of the building, piling into McGee's car and heading for their favorite pizza bar. Once they arrived, Ziva, Abby, and Tony all walked to their usual booth while McGee ordered the pizza and beers.

"...So, he goes to Sick Bay, and they end up pulling this bag out of him, right?" Tony laughed, standing up to help McGee with the pizza as he approached the table. "Where was I?" He asked, sitting back down and taking a drink of his beer.

"The drugs were up the Petty Officer's ass." Abby grinned, taking a bite of her pizza.

He smiled. "Oh yeah. Anyway, the baggie was covered in shit, mind you. So I put like five pairs of gloves on so I could bag it for evidence, but I *still* managed to get it on my arm!"

"Still didn't have your sea legs, Tony?" McGee chuckled, finishing his first piece of pizza.

Tony pointed at him and smiled. "It was not my fault that there was a storm that day. But that wasn't the reason I got it on me. The stupid PA in the Sick Bay kept bumping into me. I think he had a thing for my shirt that day." He thought about it for a minute before speaking again. "Probably wears it. I did leave it in there after I got the poo on it. Creepy."

He reached over and grabbed the last piece of pizza, bumping hands with McGee in the process.

"Hah!"

"Tony, I bought the pizza, therefore I should get the last slice." McGee argued, looking to Ziva and Abby for support. "That's the way it's always worked."

"It is the way we usually do it when we buy pizza, Tony." Ziva argued, watching as the older man contemplated the slice.

He took a bite of the piece in his hand, watching as the younger man frowned. "I haven't had pizza in 4 months! You really wanna deny me this simple pleasure?"

"I haven't eaten all day. Just split the rest of it with me."

Tony shoved the remainder of the slice in his mouth, smiling at him. "Oops." He mumbled, his mouth full.

McGee frowned. "I hope you choke on that."

**2 Hours Later -- Abby's Apartment**

Tony stepped out of the bathroom wearing a pair of boxers, flopping down onto the bed next to his friend. "It's so nice to take a hot shower!" He said, smiling when Abby curled up next to him.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You've been quiet tonight. What's the matter?"

"Nothing." She smiled, looking up at him. "I just missed you, that's all. Happy to have you back. Everyone missed you. Even Gibbs. Not that he'd admit it, but he totally did."

"Yeah, I bet." He chuckled. "I'll be out of your hair tomorrow, Abs. I'll go talk to my landlord, I'm pretty sure she's been holding my apartment for me."

Abby shook her head, snuggling closer to him. "No rush. I know it's gonna take me a few days to realize that you're not leaving again anyway."

Turning onto his side, Tony draped an arm over her waist, pulling her closer before he dropped his lips to her cheek, lingering for a moment. "Its good to be back." He said quietly, his warm breath tickling her face. "I've missed this...missed you."

Abby blushed slightly, enjoying the closeness of their bodies. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax as his finger ran circles over her hip lightly.

"I know I'm not very good at showing my emotions, Abs. But I'd like to think that I've gotten better over the past year or so, you know, since..."

She reached up and pressed a finger to his lips gently. "You don't have to explain, Tony. I understand." Her voice was beginning to deepen, a sure sign she was getting sleepy.

He kissed her fingertip and slipped his arm under her head, pulling their bodies flush with one another. "I know, but I want to. Really, we should've talked about this a long time ago."

"T..." She started, looking into his hazel eyes with her green ones.

"Just...lemme say this, please? Before I lose my nerve." He took a deep breath, looking into her eyes again. "You deserve better from me. I mean..." He sighed. "We'll talk about it later."

"No no no...talk! Please. I'm...awake."

"You're dead tired, baby girl." He pressed his lips to her jaw lightly before rubbing his nose against hers. "Sleep now. We'll talk..." Smiling, he realized she had already fallen asleep. "Tomorrow. We'll talk tomorrow."

Laying back against the pillows, Tony stared up at the ceiling, his own eyelids growing heavy despite the thoughts currently racing through his mind. It had been a long 4 months and trapped in the confines of the ship, he'd had nothing to keep him occupied at times other than his thoughts.

More often than not, he found himself thinking about the woman at his side. Turning back to face her, he dropped his arm over her waist again and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you, Abby." he whispered quietly. "One day, I'll grow a pair and actually tell you. I promise."

He closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers, falling into a dreamless sleep almost immediately, comforted with the knowledge that she was there with him.

**0240 Hours -- Abby's Apartment**

Abby sat up with a start, catching her breath as she looked around the dark room. "Tony?" She whispered, feeling him stir.

"Mmm?" He asked, sitting up next to her. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"Sorry."

"Don' be." He whispered, laying back down against the pillows. "Bad dream?"

She shook her head, allowing him to draw her toward him, resting against his chest. "Not so much. Just...thought you'd be gone again."

Tony frowned, pulling her impossibly closer to him. He hadn't realized the impact his leaving had on her until that moment, when he heard the pain in her voice.

"'M so sorry, Abs. I didn't mean to hurt you when I left." He apologized, smoothing her hair as he held her.

"I know. I...was hurt, at first. I'm alright now. I know you were only following orders."

"That's not an excuse, baby. I should've said goodbye."

She smiled, pressing a kiss to his bare collarbone before closing her eyes again. "I forgive you." She whispered sleepily.

"Thanks." He said, rubbing her lower back gently. *Now I just have to forgive myself.*

**Chapter Nineteen -- All I Need**

**Three Months Later -- December 12, 2009 -- Tony's Apartment**

Ziva laid on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as Tony slept next to her. She rolled onto her side and curled up next to her lover of 3 months, taking in his scent as she rested her head against his shoulder.

He tried so hard to hide things about himself, like the fact that he was questioning whether or not he really wanted this relationship. She sensed his hesitancy to get close to her, especially when Abby was around.

Things between them were strained, to say the least. It seemed to her that the Italian was always one foot out the door, as she assumed he had been with his other relationships. Jeanne, it seemed, had been the exception. He had truly loved her, and Ziva suspected that it was only after everything had fallen apart with her that he truly realized what he had been feeling for Abby all those years.

She closed her eyes tightly, willing the tears that she felt building behind her brown eyes to disappear. She knew what her options were. Having been in Mossad for the whole of her adult life, she knew what it was like to make difficult decisions based on what was best for herself, for the mission at hand.

This wasn't like any decision she had made before. It was forcing her to take feelings into account that weren't her own, feelings she had no control over. It made the choice harder, but ultimately, she knew that it was for the best.

She sniffled as a rogue tear slipped down her cheek and dripped onto the older man's bare chest, the cold drip making him shift on the bed.

"Baby?" Tony mumbled, turning to face Ziva as he opened his eyes sleepily and studied her. "Y'okay?"

She wiped her eyes quickly, glad that it was still dark in the bedroom. "I am fine." She said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible. "I cannot sleep."

"Mmm..." He nodded, pulling her close to him and pressing a kiss to her lips. "C'mere."

"Tony, really, this is unnecessary. I am capable..." She stopped, half-heartedly pulling away from him as he moved his arms around her slim waist.

He smiled sleepily, burying his nose in her hair. "Jus' relax." He whispered, beginning to rub her back gently.

Ziva followed his instructions and relaxed against his fingers as he massaged her lower back, finding herself falling asleep only moments later. They slept tangled around each other, not willing to think about what the next day held in store for them.

**The Next Morning**

Sitting up in the empty bed, Ziva ran a hand over her tired face, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Despite the fact that she'd allowed Tony's relaxing touch to lull her to sleep the night before, she hadn't slept well, her mind working all night long.

She climbed from the bed, stumbling slightly as she wiped the sleep from her eyes before she made her way out to the living room.

Glancing up at the sound of her footsteps against the floor, Tony offered the Israeli a sleepy smile. "Mornin'." He greeted, patting the space beside him in invitation.

"Good morning." She responded quietly, making her way over to him. Sinking down on the couch, she tensed slightly as he dropped his arm around her shoulder before she relaxed, allowing him to draw her into his embrace.

"What are we doing, Tony?" She asked after a moment, her eyes never leaving the television.

"Uh...watching a movie?"

Turning to face him, she could feel the tears beginning to form behind her eyes again. "That is not what I am referring to."

Tony looked down at her curiously, noting the conflicted look on her face. "What's the matter, Zee?"

She picked up the remote and paused their movie, turning her body to better face him as they sat on the couch. "Tony...I..." She reached out and took his hand in hers. "We need to talk."

"What's the matter?" He asked, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

Ziva took a deep breath, figuring it was for the best if she just told him without hesitation. "I do not think we should see each other anymore."

"I...um, wait. Did I do something wrong?"

"No. Tony...we have been seeing each other since I came back three months ago, and you cannot tell me that you are truly happy."

Tony gaped, unsure of what to say. "Of course I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be? Everything's been going great."

"What are you talking about?" Ziva asked, feeling herself beginning to get angry. She took another deep breath, calming herself down before she spoke again. "Have we been in the same relationship, Tony?"

She watched as he shifted somewhat uncomfortably on the couch. "So, you know what I am talking about then?" She asked. "I care very deeply about you, and while I had hoped that we would work out...it is clear that is not going to happen."

"Ziva, I..."

The Israeli pressed a finger to his lips and smiled sadly at him. "It is unfair of me to take advantage of your guilt over what happened to Michael. You are clearly unhappy, and it is not helping either of us to continue pretending."

The Italian looked into her eyes and felt a piece of his heart breaking. He had never meant to hurt her, but that was what he had done.

"I'm not unhappy, Ziva. I..." He hesitated slightly. "I love you."

She smiled sadly at him. "Yes. As a partner and a friend. But not as a lover, Tony." Leaning closer to him, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "I think we both know you would rather be with someone else."

His face fell as he realized how transparent he had been. He had done everything he knew how in order to give himself and Ziva a fair shake. He had hardly seen Abby outside of work since the day in her lab when she told him that he needed to figure things out with Ziva.

"I'm sorry, Zee." He mumbled, unable to meet her eyes.

Taking his cheek in her hand, she made eye contact with him and frowned. "There is nothing for you to apologize for. We cannot help who we love, and the truth is, I do not know that I would change it if I could. You should talk to Abby."

She stood, stepping into the bedroom and changing before rejoining him as he stood against the counter in the kitchen. "Think about it, yes? You both deserve happiness." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek again. "I will see you at work on Monday."

She headed for the door, slipping on her shoes and walking into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She released a breath, ignoring the dull ache in her chest. She walked to the elevator and climbed on before she could change her mind, leaving him behind.

When the doors closed she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Abby's phone number.

"Hello, Abby?" She said, smiling sadly when the Forensic Specialist answered the phone. "I was wondering if perhaps you would like to meet up for lunch today."

**An Hour Later -- Cafe Milano**

Ziva smiled when she saw Abby's hearse pull into the small parking lot just to the side of the restaurant as she sat at the table in the front window. She continued to watch as she climbed out of the car, dressed in her heavy red parka with the hood up as she traipsed through the snow.

"Hey Ziva!" She called, walking into the cafe and wrapping the Israeli in a hug. "How's everything going?"

"Fairly well, I would say. Considering." She replied, taking a sip of her tea as Abby sat down across from her. "How have you been?"

"I'm good, getting my apartment ready for Christmas. Bradley, Britty and Jack are coming up this year."

"Oh. That is good, you do not get to see them very often, yes?"

Abby studied her friend for a moment before answering. "No, I don't get to see them nearly enough. What's the matter, Ziva? Something's bothering you."

"I...ended things with Tony this morning."

"You WHAT?" Abby cried, leaning forward. "Wh...he loves you, Ziva! You love him! What's the problem? I mean...there is a problem, right? You're not still holding the whole Rivkin thing against him, are you? Because you know that he feels terrible about that." She shook her head sadly. "I can't believe you just ended it! You two were so happy together."

Ziva chuckled dryly. "Are you finished, Abby?"

The young woman crossed her arms and sighed heavily. "Well, I guess."

"Yes, we love each other. One of us more so than the other." She sighed. "Tony was not content being with me. And that is the only thing that I want for him. I would like very much to see him truly happy for once." She smiled across the table at the Goth. "And I think I know what will make him happy."

Abby cocked her head to the side, confused. "What are you talking about, Ziva? Of course he was happy with you. He's been waiting for a chance with you since you started here."

"That may be. But it was misguided."

"You're nuts, Ziva." She scoffed. "He wants to be with you. Now, you go back to him and tell him you were wrong, that you were high this morning. I don't care what you tell him. You have to go back to him."

The Israeli smiled at her friend. "I cannot do that, Abby. You are both in denial. Do you not see the way he looks at you? You are *IT* for him, Abby! You always have been. It just took him awhile to figure it out."

"No, I'm not. I'm the friend, the little sister. Not the lover." She said. Ziva could hear the twinge of pain in the younger woman's voice. "He doesn't love me that way, Ziva."

Ziva frowned. "You really do not see it, do you? You do not see the way he looks at you? Or how when you are in the room, he cannot focus on anything else? *THAT* is love, Abby. Not the misplaced sense of obligation he feels toward me."

"No." She shook her head firmly. "I...we're just friends. I'm there when he needs someone to pick up the pieces. Nothing more than that."

"Do not deny yourself this, Abby. You will only hurt yourself more in the end."

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to prevent her tears from falling. "I...I have to go." She said, standing up and heading back to her hearse, pulling the heavy jacket tighter around her thin body. The last thing she wanted was for Ziva to see her crying.

Sliding into the driver's seat of the car, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. The day in her lab when she had told Tony to go and be with Ziva she had been hurting, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She remembered going home that night and crying, drinking half a bottle of vodka before finally falling asleep.

And then it started. Three months of awkward silences between them when they were alone, avoiding eye contact when others were around. They put a distance between themselves, hesitant to find out if they were capable of being 'just friends' anymore.

Wiping her eyes once again, she started the car and pulled away from the small cafe, driving absently with no particular destination in mind.

**2130 Hours -- Tony's Apartment**

Tony frowned into the amber liquid, wondering to himself why he had bothered dirtying a glass. He downed the contents and set the glass aside, his thoughts turning back to Abby and Ziva.

Leaning forward, he dropped his head to his hands, wondering how he'd managed to make such a mess of things.

He had always cared about Ziva, but everything she said had been right. He *had* felt responsible for a lot of things when it came to her, and in some misguided attempt at rectifying things, he'd only managed to screw them up even more.

Sitting back against the cushions, he ran a hand over his face. He knew what he needed to do. Ziva had given him an out, an opportunity to at least attempt to salvage his relationship with the one woman who had been a constant in his life, and he'd be damned if he was going to do her the disservice of screwing it up again.

He stood up and grabbed his keys off the table next to the door while he slipped on his shoes. Pulling on his leather jacket and a gray beanie, he headed downstairs with the intention to talk to Abby like Ziva had asked him to.

About a half an hour later, Tony pulled into a parking lot, stepping out of the car and scanning the area as well as he could in the dark. He had gone over to Abby's place, hoping to find her so that they could talk, but she hadn't been home.

After considering letting himself in to wait for her, he decided to check her favorite spot, a small playground on the top of a hill at Rock Creek Park. He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed up the hill, smiling sadly when he saw her bundled in her parka, sitting on a swing despite the snow.

"I was an idiot." He announced, stepping up and pushing her forward gently.

Abby tensed momentarily, relaxing when she recognized who it was. "Yeah, you were."

Tony smirked to himself, continuing to push her. "Think you can forgive me?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

She wiped a tear from her eye and smiled. "Are you done being an idiot?"

Tony stopped the swing, moving around it so that he was standing in front of her. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, smiling against her when she reciprocated.

"I love you, Abby." He said, pulling her up from the swing and wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you too, Tony. I just wish it hadn't taken us so long to figure it out."

**Christmas Morning -- December 25, 2009 -- Abby's Apartment**

Tony ran his hand through Abby's hair gently, holding her close to him while she slept. He hadn't been able to go back to sleep after having gone to midnight mass with her, choosing instead to let his mind wander. He smiled, pulling the black satin sheet up over her shoulders as his fingers grazed her bare back.

He couldn't remember the last time he was as happy as he had been over the last two weeks. The relationship he had with Jeanne was perfect, but even that didn't make him as happy as being in bed with his Goth.

"T?" Abby mumbled, shifting against his chest. "You're still awake?."

"Mhmm."

She pulled back slightly and pressed her lips to his jaw. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

He moaned quietly as she left a trail of kisses on his jawline. "You."

"Oh, really?" She grinned, finally reaching his lips. "What about me?"

The Italian rolled onto his side and pulled her close to him, running his hands over her bare skin. "How happy you make me. Sorry it took me so long to realize that."

Abby smiled, kissing him again. "I forgive you." She ran her hand down his chest slowly. "I'm just glad you finally grew a pair."

He grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the bed, grinning down at her. "Just 'cause I'm laying here naked doesn't mean you can grab me to prove your point."

"I thought you liked it when I touch you." She smirked playfully.

"Oh...trust me, I do." Leaning down, he kissed her hard. He moved his hand over her stomach lightly and he could feel her tremble under his touch. "You like it when I touch you too, I see."

Reaching up, she tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him down for another kiss. She moaned as he pressed himself against her, growing hard against her thigh.

He broke the kiss after a moment, moving his lips down her neck slowly.

"Mmm..." She moaned quietly, grinding her hips against him as he moved his mouth lower, his tongue teasing her breasts.

"Oh yeah...you definitely like when I touch you." He smirked before he moved up, reclaiming her lips again.

Wrapping her arms around him, she scratched her nails down his back, grinning against his lips when she felt him shiver.

"As much...as I'm enjoying the touching, I'm ready for something else now." She mumbled.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, his voice husky.

"Mmhmm."

"Like what?"

Lifting her hips again, she rubbed herself against him. "Like that."

"Don't need to tell me twice." He mumbled, kissing her deeply as he slid into her.

Wrapping herself around him, Abby gripped his shoulders, a quiet gasp escaping her as he started to move slowly, teasing her. His lips attacked her neck, his teeth grazing her collar bone as she arched her back, her nails digging into his skin.

"H...harder..." She commanded, already slightly breathless.

She closed her eyes, lifting her hips to meet his movements as she moved her hands to the sheets. She gripped the fabric in her fingers, her moans growing louder and more desperate.

"Oh God..." He moaned as he moved faster, feeling her tighten around him. "So...fucking..."

She silenced him with her lips, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pulled him down to her again. He could feel himself getting closer with each passing second, his movements becoming frantic as they both neared the edge.

"T...Tony," she gasped. "S...so close."

His pace quickened as she tensed beneath him and a low, strangled moan escaped him as he felt himself lose it.

Collapsing on top of her, he dropped his face to her shoulder, both of them panting heavily as he tried to gather enough energy to move. Pulling her close to him as he slipped out of her, he reached over to the nightstand, picking up a small box wrapped in black and silver paper.

"Merry Christmas, Baby." Tony whispered, dropping a lazy kiss to her lips as their breathing evened out. He handed her the box, smiling as he watched her open it.

Abby's eyes lit up when she unwrapped the box and saw the necklace resting inside, a cross with black and white diamonds intertwined with each other. "Tony...it's gorgeous! It must have cost..."

He silenced her with another lazy kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. "It doesn't matter what it cost. It made me think of you, that's why I got it."

"Thank you. I love it." She smiled, setting the gift aside as she reached under the bed for a box covered in blue wrapping. "Merry Christmas."

He accepted the box and sat up, unwrapping the paper. "Abs...wow!" He exclaimed, opening the box and pulling out the Complete Bond Collection. "I've been looking for this everywhere!"

"You like it?"

"Are you kidding? I love it!" Setting the box aside, he kissed her again. "Thank you."

When they pulled apart from the kiss, the Goth climbed out of their bed and stretched before heading into the bathroom.

"We should get ready, T. Bradley and Britty are gonna be here soon with Jack." She called over her shoulder, turning on the water in the shower. She jumped in and showered quickly, stepping back into the bathroom wrapped in a towel. "Shower's all yours, Big Boy." She chuckled, slapping him on the butt as she walked by.

"Mmm..." He groaned, rolling off the bed. "Fine, fine. I'll get up." He mock-whined, heading into the bathroom to get ready as well.

After dressing, he headed into the kitchen where Abby was making pancakes and coffee, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you." He whispered, kissing her neck gently, making her giggle.

"I love you too. I put on 'Dr. No', thought we could watch it with everyone." She smiled, nudging him with her hip when she heard the knock at the door. "It's BB. Go get it?"

Tony nodded, releasing her and heading for the door. "Merry Christmas!" He greeted, allowing Abby's family to come inside.

"Merry Christmas, Tony." Britty greeted, kissing him on the cheek.

"You're here!" Abby called, running out of the kitchen and into her brother's arms. "I missed you guys!" She pulled back from Bradley and hugged her nephew Jack next. "Oh my God, you have gotten huge. Last time I saw you, you were a munchkin!"

"I'm one of the tallest in my class." Jack smiled, hugging Abby tightly.

Tony chuckled, mussing Jack's hair. "I bet you are, kid." He turned to Bradley and offered his hand. "Merry Christmas, man. Glad you guys finally made it up here."

The older man shook his hand, nodding. "Well, Jack's never seen the snow, and when I heard that you and my sister were finally getting together after all these years, I knew I didn't have a choice but to come up."

Tony's jaw tightened slightly, eyeing Abby and Britty as they moved into the kitchen to serve the pancakes. "Hey, Jack, there's an Xbox in the living room if you wanna play. Breakfast'll be ready in a few." He turned back to Bradley when Jack ran off, taking a deep breath. "I'm not gonna hurt her, Bradley. I love her."

"I know you do, Tony." Bradley sighed, clapping him on the shoulder. "But you know, I'm still her brother, and I will still kick your ass if you ever do. She's all I've got."

"Breakfast!" Abby called, setting the plate of pancakes on the table. "Come and get it!"

**Two Days Later -- Plane from DC to New Orleans**

"He had fun, huh?" Bradley asked his wife, looking over as their son slept, leaning against the window of the plane.

"He did. Tony helped him build a snow fort in Gibbs' backyard. We should come up here more often, you know. We don't get to see Abby enough."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Britty smiled, taking her husband's hand in hers. "I know you're worried about her, Bradley, but didn't you see how happy she is with him?"

He nodded, squeezing her hand gently. "I do. And I want that for her, she deserves it."

"Then be happy for her, hon. Give him a break. They love each other, and no one's perfect. Not. Even. You." She whispered, leaning up to kiss him.

"I know. I'll back off, okay?" He conceded, returning the kiss. "But I'm gonna keep an eye on him."

The redhead sighed, resting her head on Bradley's shoulder. "I don't know what I'm gonna do with you."