**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 End Notes:
"Fire & Rain" by Matt Kearney