Sequel to my story "Please Remember Me", if you didn't read that story, basically Gibbs and Abby were together, and then they caught a case where a man murdered his wife and daughter. Gibbs lost it, started seeing himself murdering Shannon and Kelly, and he starts drinking more, and telling Abby to stay at her apartment, not to come back to his house. He finally decides that he can't love Abby like he loves her, and tells her that. He needs a break in their relationship, and she tells him that there is no such thing, and then she leaves, resigning from NCIS and going somewhere. Everyone's upset with Gibbs, and Gibbs is heartbroken, but he thinks Abby's better off without him. That's where I stopped, and this story starts a year in the future. Things change, a lot, but I'll explain. Enjoy!
--
Got a picture of you
I carry in my heart
Close my eyes and see you
When the world gets dark
Got a memory of you
I carry in my soul
I wrap it close around me
When the nights get cold
"Abby, can you watch Lee for us? We're planning on actually having dinner and a movie out tonight," Abby's brother Mark called from the house. Abby was playing catch with 3 year old Lee, Mark's and Jennifer's daughter, Jennifer being Mark's wife.
"Sure," Abby called, having got off work early. She was the forensic scientist for the New Orleans lab, having good referenced from NCIS when she resigned over a year ago. It amazed Abby that it had been a year since she had last seen Gibbs, the man that still held her heart. She didn't even know if she still held his, a year was long enough for someone to move on, but hope still blossomed in her heart that he still loved her.
Her newfound friends knew about Gibbs, just didn't know him by his name. They had all told her to go back to him, but she couldn't walk back into a life of hurt and pain again. Still, his image haunted her dreams night after night, soothing her instead of causing her pain, as the real Gibbs did. Dream Gibbs was loving, kind, and sometimes sarcastic.
Mark and Jennifer had given Abby looks when she arrived, like 'are you okay' kind of looks, and they still did, but now the look they got back was 'I'm fine' instead of 'no I'm not' looks. A lot can happen in a year, but her family's concern was one thing that couldn't be changed.
Jennifer appeared in the door, wearing a pair of jeans and a sparkly blouse. "Thank you, Abby," She said gratefully, and Abby waved her hand, saying,
"Go on, before I change my mind,"
"Gladly," Jennifer said wryly, disappearing back into the house they all shared in New Orleans, and Abby heard Mark honk as he and Jennifer got into the car and drove off.
"Well, Lee, it looks like we've got a girl's night in!" Abby exclaimed, looking down at the little girl with a fond smile.
"Yea!" Lee said happily, bouncing up and down, feeling Abby's excitement. Abby laughed as she swung Lee into her arms, bouncing her up and down as she walked into the house and locked it.
As she popped "Cinderella" into the DVD player on the TV, her minds strayed to the surprise get-together her friends back at NCIS had thrown in New Orleans the other week.
--
She had gotten a letter from Tony, telling her to meet him at Happy Harry's Hangout in downtown New Orleans. When she got there, everyone's smiling face greeted her.
Tony, Ziva, McGee, Jenny, Ducky and Palmer were all there, but the face she most wanted to see, Gibbs, wasn't there. A grin snuck onto her face as she hugged them all enthusiastically, babbling about how she was doing, and asking how they were doing. By the time they all settled down at their table, Abby had explained how she lived with her brother, sister-in-law and niece.
Ziva and Jenny took Abby aside to talk without the guys listening in, and Ziva told Abby quietly that she and Tony had started seeing each other, but only Jenny, and now Abby, knew. Jenny told her she was going on a second date with this guy she met, Alex Normandy. The three girls gossiped for about 10 minutes before Tony snagged Abby's arm and dragged her back to their table.
The next few hours were the happiest she had been since moving to New Orleans from Washington. Ducky shared tales of his mother, while McGee discussed the latest war games with her. Tony got into a deep discussion with her about them movies that had come out over the past year, and Palmer talked about how working with her was easier than with the new guy. At this, everyone glared at Palmer for bringing work up, and he just hastily said, "Well, I miss you, Abby, a lot,"
"Aw, I miss you too, Palmer," Abby had replied, and gave him a hug.
The NCIS group stayed for a few days, but then they had to get back on a plane and go back to DC, where Gibbs was waiting, as they had an important case. Abby saw them onto the plane, and tearful goodbyes and hugs had been passed around. They all promised to keep in touch, and then they boarded. Abby watched the plane disappear into the sky, and then trudged back to her car, driving home.
--
Abby snapped herself out of her memories, and found the movie credits already rolling, and Lee was asleep on her lap. With a gentle smile, Abby carefully stood up, cradling Lee in her arms as she walked slowly to her room. As she put Lee down in her bed, her cell phone rang.
If you ask me how I'm doing
I'd say just fine
But the truth is, baby,
If you could read my mind
With a jolt of shock, her eyes read the name on the caller ID: Gibbs. Her whole body froze, and the cover-up of lies she had masked herself with in the past few months crumbled. Her brain screamed at her hand to pick the phone up, but her hands weren't cooperating. A few rings later, the phone stopped chirping, but a new voicemail showed up on her screen.
This time her hands worked, carefully flipping the phone open and dialing her password to access her voicemails. She didn't even realize she was holding her breath as she listened,
"Abby, it's Gibbs. I, uh, I just needed to hear your voice," He confessed, and then paused for a moment, taking a breath and continuing, "I hate living vicariously through the stories I hear from everyone else, and I just had a bad feeling that something had happened. Just, give me a call back whenever you get this, if you can ever find forgiveness for me. I'm sorry, Abbs. Bye." He rushed through the last few sentences, like he was saying them before he lost his nerve.
Abby's mind whirled with the implications of Gibbs' apology, and she went to hit redial when her phone chirped, but the caller ID this time was her brother's cell. "The house is still standing, Mark, I promise," She said exasperatingly, but then a voice other than her brother's said,
"Um, who is this?"
"Abby Sciuto. Who is this?" Abby asked, hearing that cop distinction in his voice, and knew this phone call wasn't going to end well.
"Officer Eric Meriden, miss. Are you Mr. Mark Sciuto's sister?"
"Yes I am. What happened? Is Jennifer there?" Abby asked desperately, already going for her coat.
"I'm afraid Mr. and Mrs. Sciuto were involved in a drunk-driving accident on the freeway. Both were killed instantly, Miss Sciuto, I'm sorry," Officer Meriden said gently, and Abby almost dropped the phone. Grief clouded her face and she sank to the couch, saying,
"Oh my God,"
"Can you tell me your address, Miss Sciuto?" Officer Meriden asked quickly, knowing what grief-stricken family members were capable of. Abby rattled it off absent-mindedly, and then hung up. She let her phone fall to the ground, and dropped her head into her hands, letting sobs wrack her body as she tried to imagine her life without Mark and Jennifer.
Suddenly she bolted to her feet, dashing to Lee's bedroom, where the little girl slept peacefully, and her heart broke into pieces, thinking of how she didn't have parents anymore. Abby decided right then and there that no matter what, she would take Lee and raise her as her own, and the Child Services people couldn't argue, as she was the last blood relative that Lee had.
It was times like this that Abby really wanted Gibbs to be in the next room, to hold her and let her snuggled deep into his chest to hide from the world. There wasn't a single day that went by without that wish stuck in Abby's mind, with Gibbs' memory locked into her mind.
Not a day goes by
That I don't think of you
After all this time
You're still with me it's true
Somehow you remain
Locked so deep inside
Baby, baby, oh baby,
Not a day goes by
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End of chapter 1! I'll probably have 3 chapters, like I did in "Please Remember Me". Next chapter will be Gibbs' life since Abby left, and then the third chapter will possible be both of them, not sure yet. Thanks so much for reading, and let me know what you think! Thanks! Adios for now!