Reflexes

McRaider

Summary: The after affects of Frame Up, Abby doesn't quite get away unscathed. No pairings just family love.

She was exhausted, beyond words, her vision occasionally wavered in and out of focus despite her desperate desire to continue finding the bastard who'd tried to frame her Tony. Her Tony, her big over protective bear of a brother. The man who hid insecurities behind a wall of jokes, sexist comments and movie references. She wouldn't let anyone hurt her big brother, she couldn't.

When her phone disconnected, it didn't quite register in her mind as to why it would occur, so when she turned to see Chip holding a knife out at her it was when everything finally clicked. She'd been working with the bastard who'd tried to hurt Tony. "You!" the disgust filled that one word, as if she was looking at the most offensive item in all the world.

She listened to him prattle on about his plans, as her mind tried to remember everything Tony and Gibbs had taught her, but she felt fuzzy, exhausted, she was so tired her muscles didn't even want to respond anymore. He dove towards her and she threw her Cafe Pow at him, before darting over behind one of the tables. She needed to disarm her, that had been her chance, Tony had taught her how to twist a wrist to get someone to drop a knife. Suddenly she couldn't remember, she wanted to scream and cry in frustration.

He came after her again and she pushed the table into him, causing a loud crash of noise as it hit the floor, as she turned to run he grabbed out at her pigtails, yanking hard, causing her to cry out in pain, he forced the knife to her throat, ready to slit it. Suddenly she remembered one thing, and she knew Tony would appreciate it, SING.

First she elbowed him, right in the solar plexus, he gasped, his hand dropping away from her neck, but it sliced into her arm on the way down. She did the next move, instep, slamming her foot down on the inside of his foot, she heard a satisfying clatter to the ground. She nailed him in the nose, then turned around and rammed her knee as hard as she could into his groin. He went down like a sack of potatoes. She said a silent thank you to Sandra Bullock for that memory, before she grabbed the duct tape off the counter and began to hog tie him.

Once finished she collapsed into her chair, unaware that blood was dripping down her arm and staining her clothes, she closed her eyes and sighed, trying to remain awake. She heard the feet running towards her lab and was caught be frustrated for the assistant and desperate to go home.

Upstairs, Gibbs was glad to see Tony back, he'd never admit how much he loved the boy like a son, though he was starting to wonder if perhaps he should say it. All the same he took the court documents in hand and started to flip through the first couple pages, when he spotted a picture, he dropped the document on his desk, terror filling his body, he heard rather than saw Anthony follow without a moment's hesitation. He took the stairs, everyone thudding behind him.

He'd almost lost one kid today, he sure as hell wasn't about to lose Abby, he raced down the stairs and towards the lab, gun drawn and out, "Abby!" he shouted as he raced into the room, he felt sick at the sight of a body slightly hunched forward in a chair, thankfully it was Abby's, but she could be dead. He saw the blood on the floor near one of her hands, and he started to take a step forward when she whirled around and stood, pointing to Chip who was hog tied with duct tape on the floor, covered in Cafe-Pow.

"Now can I work alone?" she asked as everyone eyed her, caught somewhere between disbelief that she was safe and had taken the bastard out, and concerned for her safety.

"Ziva, McGee, get him out of here," Gibbs ordered as he holstered his weapon and moved closer to her, "You're bleeding," he whispered, pointing to her arm, it looked relatively superficial but it was bleeding.

Her knees gave out and he had to catch her from missing her chair, "Tony go get my car, Ducky," before he even finished Ducky was at his side. "Jenny could you go get Ducky's medical kit?"

"Of course, consider yourselves all off duty for the next few days," she ordered before rushing out of the room.

Ducky grabbed some gauze from the first aid kit on the wall and pressed it to the girl's forearm, raising the arm above the height of her heart, "You were very brave Abby," he soothed.

"So tired," she murmured.

Jethro reached out, stroking her cheek, "You and Tony are coming home with me, it's okay, then you can sleep."

Jenny returned with Ducky's bag first, followed closely by Tony, whose face was filled with concern. Once Jenny had dropped off her item she smiled and gave Tony's shoulder a brief squeeze, "Go home with them, relax some, you guys did good work today."

He nodded his thanks before he moved closer to the woman he considered like a little sister. "How is she?" he questioned.

Ducky was prepping a needle of something, "She needs a few stitches, Abby this is a local anesthesia, your arm may fall asleep, nothing to worry about," he soothed before poking it into her arm near the cut and emptying the contents. "She's suffering from extreme exhaustion, and I'm not sure when she's eaten last. I fear our girl needs a little extra love from you two to be back to her normal self."

"Don't worry, Duck," promised Gibbs.

"We'll take care of her," Tony swore.

Ducky made quick but efficient work of the stitches, making them small enough that it wouldn't scar. He then wrapped it in gauze, "Change those out for clean ones in the morning, I'll come check up on her tomorrow."

Ducky glanced up at their Abigail and smirked knowing she'd fallen fast asleep already. Tony had noticed too and smiled, "Boss?"

Gibbs nodded, accepting the keys from the young man, before Tony eased his arms under her shoulders and knees and lifted. He swept her up, holding her close to his chest, her head lulling against his neck and chin. He took a moment to adjust to her weight and height, before he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. "Let's go home, sweetheart," he murmured.

The trio headed to the elevator and made their way quickly outside, "Might be easiest to put her in the passenger's seat," Gibbs suggested. Tony nodded, and watched Gibbs open the door, before depositing his precious cargo into the seat, easing her head back on the head rest and buckling her in. He then climbed into the back of the car, while Gibbs started it.

Tony eased back against the seats and closed his own eyes, feeling the exhaustion winning over the fear and sadness he'd felt earlier today. It wasn't exactly a long drive to Gibbs' home, but one minute Tony was in the Navy yard and the next his shoulder was being shaken, "Come on, son, I can't carry you both in," Jethro reasoned, as he helped a mostly sleeping Abby out of the car and into the house.

Tony followed and the trio headed right up the stairs to the extra room, "You can stay in here with her or sleep on the couch," Gibbs offered.

"I'll stay in here…I need to be closer," he answered, hoping his boss would understand. He was glad when Gibbs did just that with a nod. "Some of your clothes are still in the dresser, make sure she changes too."

"Yes boss, you going to be in the basement?"

Gibbs nodded before heading out the door, not quite ready to let his guard down over everything that had occurred today. No, he needed to get his mind off everything before he could surrender to sleep.

Tony turned to Abby to see two glazed over green eyes studying him, "I'm sorry," she whispered.

His brow furrowed, "What on earth for?" he asked as he pulled out an oversized shirt, a pair of shorts for her and a pair of boxers and t-shirt for himself.

"It's my fault, I almost sent you to prison," she murmured, a tear coursing down her cheek.

He knelt in front of her, hands on either side of her legs, and gripping her hands in his, "Abby, you did your job. You did what you're always meant to do, there's nothing wrong with that. You figured it all out, and I knew you would," he soothed. He handed her the clothes, "I'm going to the bathroom, you need anything?"

She shook her head and watched him leave. She sighed when she realized all she could manage was getting her skirt, socks and boot off and getting the shorts on. She'd need help pulling the shirt off. That's when she felt it, a sense of overwhelming…helplessness, looking back she'd blame the small temper tantrum she had on exhaustion, because next thing she knew she was hurling a show across the room with one arm and bursting into tears.

Tony came rushing into the room, having heard the thus against the floor, he could hear Gibbs coming up the stairs too, "Hey, hey, it's okay," Tony knelt in front of her again, wiping her tears away. She began to sob, so he took her in his arms, sitting against the head board and just rocked her. "I'm here, everything's okay," she pressed her face into his neck, tears soaking his neck. He didn't mind, he just kept reassuring her it was okay.

"Tony?" Gibbs stood in the doorway, looking concerned.

Tony wasn't sure honestly, he didn't really understand women as well as he should, "Abbs, do you need help changing?" Gibbs questioned, all too aware of the frustration of not being able to use an arm due to pain or numbness from an injury.

She nodded miserably, Gibbs nodded, "Tony, close your eyes," Gibbs requested. The other agent didn't hesitate, he kept her close while keeping his eyes closed. Gibbs remained behind her, gently removing her shirt first, then touched the bra and waited until he saw her gentle nod. He unhooked it, letting it slide off her shoulders. He then opened Tony's shirt enough that she could slide her arms in, and he covered her torso with it, "There," he murmured, kissing the side of her head, "How about you get some sleep?"

"Don't leave?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Both men answered, smirking slightly at that. Tony eased her onto the bed and off his lap and he climbed in under the blankets, Gibbs pulled them back helping Abby scoot down and back against Tony, until he was close enough he could wrap an arm around her waist and pull her against him. "You're safe, I'm safe," Tony assured in her ear.

Gibbs covered them both up, smiling and reached out, caressing Abby's hair which had been taken down at some point. He climbed on the bed on her other side and just watched as his two favorite people fell asleep, finally giving into all the exhaustion. He said a little prayer to a god he hadn't believed in for quite some time that they were both safe and sound. Feeling his own exhaustion finally taking over he closed his eyes and allowed himself to be pulled into sleep for the first time since Tony had been arrested.

The End