**Twilight**
**May 22, 2005 -- Abby's Lab**
"That was a stupid move, DiNozzo."
He scoffed, shaking his head as they laid on the floor of her lab, his head resting on her stuffed hippo that farted every time he made a move. "You're startin' to sound like Gibbs, you know?"
"Well!" Abby cried, glancing over at him quickly before refocusing her glare at the ceiling panels. "It was. You take too many risks."
"Part of the job." He said simply, shifting again and rolling his eyes when the hippo farted. "You know, I'm beginning to regret gettin' this for you."
"Blasphemy! I love Bert!"
Turning his head to the side, the toy released another of its farts as he looked her over carefully. "What's really the problem, Abs? The fact that I almost got blown up saving McGee and Kate? Or somethin' else?"
The Goth shook her head, not looking at the older man that laid next to her. "I..."
She was interrupted by Gibbs walking into the lab and standing over them. "Evidence, Abby?"
*Saved by the gruff Marine* She thought, thanking God silently for stopping the conversation before it became too awkward. "Don't have a lot, Gibbs."
The Italian found he was only half-listening as she went through the little evidence they had from the scene as he stared at the ceiling, trying to process what his best friend was feeling. It certainly hadn't been the first time in the past 4 years that he had been hurt, but he couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head.
"C'mon, DiNozzo. We got work to do."
"On your six, Boss!" Pushing himself up from his prone position on the floor with little more than a quiet groan, he tossed Bert to his owner and gave her one of his famous DiNozzo grins. "Lunch?"
She nodded, giving him what he knew to be a forced smile. "You got it, Tony-boy."
He paused in the doorway, leaning against the frame and turning back, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I will figure you out one day."
"Oh yeah?"
"DiNozzo!"
He jumped, cocking an eyebrow at Abby before turning and jumping into the elevator beside his boss. It would have to wait until later, but he would get to the bottom of what was bugging her.
**That Night -- 2230 Hours -- Tony's Apartment**
Tony watched her from his end of the couch, a million questions running through his mind as Evil Dead 2 played on his TV. It was one of his favorite movies, but he couldn't bring himself to watch it when he needed to work out what was going on with his friend.
"Tryin' to see through my clothes, T?" Abby asked, continuing to watch the screen.
"Sorry." He mumbled, returning his focus to the movie for a few seconds before regarding her again. Reaching for the remote, he paused the movie and turned to face her. "Talk to me, Abs."
She shrugged, pulling the warm quilt from his bed tighter around her body. "Nothin' to talk about."
Cocking an eyebrow at her, he lifted his leg onto the couch and poked her with his toe. "When was the last time we sat this far apart on a movie night, Sciuto? Don't tell me nothing's wrong."
The Goth pulled her eyes away from the TV and made a move to stand up when he stopped her with a gentle hand on her wrist. "I'm serious. Don't run away, talk to me."
"I can't do this anymore. I can't sit around and watch you go out to scenes only to have you come back hurt." She sighed, covering her face with her hands. "I can't get close if you're not gonna be more careful."
He stared at her silently for a moment, surprised by her words. The knowledge that she didn't like him being hurt wasn't a surprise so much as the fact that she was pulling away because of it. He was snapped from his daze when she stood up and dropped the blanket to the couch, making her way toward the door.
Jumping up, he reached out and groaned quietly as he took ahold of her hand, squeezing it gently. "Don't go,"
She turned back to him, a deep frown set on her face. "You're back still bothering you?"
"Nothin' I can't handle." He said, mentally kicking himself for letting her see that he was in pain. "I'll be better if you stay though."
Abby closed her eyes briefly before nodding, taking the hand that he had laced with hers and pulling him down the hallway toward his bedroom.
"You're all about the extremes, aren't you?" He teased, following her willingly. "All or nothin', huh?"
Reaching up, she cuffed him on the back of the head. "I'm not completely over bein' mad at you yet."
"But you're takin' me to bed anyway?" He smirked deviously. "Have I told you I'm a fan of angry make-up sex?"
"You can have some with your hand when I'm gone. Until then, keep it in your pants, Tiger."
She pushed him forward gently and walked over to his nightstand drawer, digging through it for some massage oil. "Shirt off, on your stomach, eyes closed."
"Mmm...who knew it would take me gettin' blown up to have you go all dominatrix on me?"
"Oh..." The Goth leaned over his body, whispering into his ear. "You like bein' tied up?"
"Only by beautiful women."
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmhmm..." He said, laying down on the bed, pillowing his head on his arms. "Want me to put my hands up for you?"
"Not gonna tie you up. Not tonight anyway." She said, straddling his hips and resting her hands on his shoulders.
She started massaging his upper back, reveling in the small moans and whimpers he released.
"You know, Tony...I meant it when I said I can't deal with this. It kills me everytime you get hurt."
He barely heard her words as his eyes fluttered shut. "'S good, Abs."
She sighed quietly, knowing that she wasn't going to get through to him. Her hands continued to massage his back absently until he tugged her off of his back and against his chest, wrapping his arms around her slim waist.
"Sleep, Abs." He mumbled, pressing his nose into the back of her neck, pulling their bodies flush.
She did so, knowing better than to try and argue with him when he was half asleep himself. His grip was tight on her hips and she knew he wasn't planning on letting her go.
Abby jerked awake a few hours later, sweat covering her forehead, making her bangs stick to her skin. Her breathing was heavy, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark room, she finally managed to relax.
"Abby?"
She jumped slightly at the sound of Tony's voice, his cool hand resting gently on her heated back as he rubbed his eyes. "You okay?"
"I just..." The Goth hesitated, not sure if she wanted to tell him about the nightmare that had woken her up. That she had seen him with blood and sweat on his face as he laid on a rooftop somewhere. She didn't know if he would believe her. "It was just a bete noire. Nothing to worry about, I'm fine."
He chuckled quietly, pulling her back down against his chest. "I'll keep the monsters away, huh? Go back to sleep."
As he held her against his chest, she found herself sneaking glances at him, making sure the blood she had seen wasn't real. Sighing quietly when she felt his breathing deepen, she stared at the ceiling, knowing she wasn't going to get any sleep for the rest of the night.
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