Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or make any profit from the show. Depressing, I know.


Abby's POV

I didn't trouble myself to put my pigtails in today. No make-up on my face either. I just got out of my coffin bed this morning and threw on some clothes. For some reason, today my black pumps felt extra heavy. I didn't bother to put them on until I pulled into a parking spot outside work.
Thankfully, my friends/co-workers weren't in the squad room yet. Don't get me wrong they're like a second family to me. It's just that I didn't want them to badger me about my "non-Abby" mood. I didn't feel like jumping around or even putting on some music. My feet dragged across the little space from the elevator doors to my lab.
Slowly I shut the door and abruptly plopped into my desk chair. As my head started to feel heavy, I placed it in my arms on the evidence table. Its surface was cool to the instant touch of my unusually warm arms. God it felt nice! Without my regular Caf – Pow slurping, my body morphs from the energy of a 6 year old to one of a dying old lady.
That's what I concluded my hinky behavior to be from. I watched the entrance door for Gibbs and his morning coffee in one hand and my Caf – Pow in the other. Although, every time I blinked my eyelids would come back up even more slowly than the last time. They got irritated with my pushing to stay conscious. Before I knew it I was asleep.

McGee's POV

Briefcase in hand, I walked into the squad room. Ziva and Tony were at each other's throats with their usual bickering. I rolled my eyes and sat at my desk. After about five minutes of paperwork I looked up in curiosity. Usually Abby would be clomping over to my desk to give us her latest report on the evidence on a case we're investigating. We had just been assigned one yesterday. So...where is she?
"What's wrong Probie?" Senior field agent DiNozzo asked me, ignoring Ziva's witty jab at him moments ago. I blinked at him, not really listening. His voice sounded so distant. I shook my head.
"Something's not right Tony." I sighed. Tony leaned back in his chair with a smug look on his face.
"It's because Abby isn't here for you to gawk at right?" I gave him a look filled with daggers before looking back at the elevator. Where was she? Ziva, obviously noticing what Tony couldn't, walked over and patted my shoulder.
"Maybe she found something that needed more racking." She suggested.
"Cracking, Ziva." Tony corrected her, standing between us now.
"Maybe you're right." Though I couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Without a thought of what I was doing, I glided over to the elevator. I could feel my partners' eyes on my back. I didn't care though. I didn't even care if Gibbs would yell at me for not being ready to investigate. All I could think about was Abby.
The elevator dinged as they opened. Idiotically, I slanted my head to face my feet as I collided into the lab door. That's not good...her door is never closed. I walked in, expecting to draw back from some kind of deafening music. To my bewilderment, it was quiet. This was setting off all types of alarms in my mind.
Something caught my eye at the metal evidence table. It was Abby! Without delay I was at her side. Then I noticed that she was just asleep. Her skin was the color of a china doll my sister Sarah had treasured when she was a younger. On her face was the look of pure tranquility. Flash backs of the past burst through my skull. The thought brought a sudden twinge to my heart.
I decided to try and creep out. I didn't want to wake her or take on any more pain. Just this much was all I could bare for some time. As I turned to tiptoe out I heard a gasp. It wasn't a 'oh you surprised me' gasp, it was more of an 'I'm going to scream' kind. Looking back, I saw the peaceful trance on her face replaced by one of horror. Like the ones you see someone use when they see someone else die. Like I said before; something's not right.

Gibbs' POV

"DiNozzo! Where's McGee?" I hollered at him. He was reading one of his magazines, practically drooling over a picture of a girl in a green knit two-piece. As I sat down at my desk and sipped my coffee he was already looming over my desk. I glared at my senior field agent, waiting for a response. He looked particularly fidgety. He better have a good answer.
"Boss" he started. "McGee was worried 'bout Abs. She hadn't come up with an evidence report this morning. We tried to tell him that she could still be working on it. He just left for her lab a few minutes ago." Taking another sip of my coffee, I sighed. That boy had it bad. It was so obvious even Tony could realize it. I chuckled inwardly as I looked at DiNozzo's face. His eyes were shut tight and his face was scrunched up. Clearly expecting to be head slapped. Ignoring him, I slipped my attention to Ziva.
"David, what do you got on our missing petty officer?" She picked up her notepad to read.
"He has a sister, Michelle Dett, who lives in Norfolk with their father; Michael Dett. He's a honorably discharged Marine who got wounded in Combat in Vietnam. Mother, Diane Dett, died two years ago. Michael Junior's fiance, Madeline Swan, is a nurse at the hospital on base. She reported him missing yesterday after coming home to seeing his car in the driveway with blood on her open front door and porch."
"Nice work Ziva." a hint of a smile came across her face but was quickly replaced with a blank poker one. I got up and head slapped DiNozzo. "What was that for?" he complained.
"For reading magazines on the job!"

I walked into MTAC; my gut was telling me two things at the time. One was that Abby wasn't okay. To what extent, I did not know. Second was, McGee could handle it on his own. Like she told me before; she's not the same woman I met some odd years ago.