Disclaimer: NCIS is the property of CBS and all those folks.

Post-Ep for Ex-File so obviously it contains spoilers for Ex-File

Gibbs's Basement

"That's private." Gibbs said to Hollis Mann after the tape of his daughter and wife finished playing. He stared at her and the statement came out sharper than he intended. "It's private, it's not for you to listen to because you're bored." She looked stricken and for a moment he considered apologizing, sign of weakness or not.

"Jethro. That's not..." She said, tears in her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Me not wanting to talk about Shannon and Kelly has nothing to do with you or our relationship." Gibbs stood up and walked down the stairs.

"I'm beginning to understand that most decisions you make have nothing to do with me." She looked at him, anger behind the hurt in he eyes.

"I don't want to have this conversation right now." Gibbs said looking her in the eye.

"Will you ever want to?" She asked, softly. He looked away.

"Not tonight."

"That's not what I asked."

"Let it go." He grabbed his jacket and his keys.

"Where are you going?" She asked incredulously.

"I need to not be here right now." He walked up the stairs without another word. Leaving Hollis alone in his basement their dinner.

Twenty minutes later, Gibbs was in a bar, two blocks away from Abby's apartment. It wasn't an accident that he was so close to her home as he finished drink after drink as he watched sports highlights on the large TV hanging over the bar. He stopped himself from driving directly to her apartment.

There was a time when he wouldn't have even thought about it before going directly to Abby's. He would have knocked and she would have welcomed him in with open arms. They would have stayed up late talking into the morning hours while sharing a bottle Jack Daniels.

It had been while since one of their late night sessions. It had been months or as he had put it, "many many weeks" since he showed up on her doorstep to be welcomed with unquestionable love and devotion.

Three hours went by and Gibb's stood on Abby's doorstep with almost no recollection of his walk there. He knocked softly, knowing that she would not be sleeping deeply after the day they had. He could hear her on the other side of the door. Her feet moving quickly to the door, he could almost feel her hand leaning against the door as she looked through the peephole.

"Gibbs." She said through the door. He could hear the smile in her voice and it cheered him immeasurably. He waited as she unlocked the two separate deadbolts he had personally installed on her front door.

"I was just thinking about you." Abby opened the door and smiled at him.

"You weren't sleeping?"

"No, but neither were you." She looked at him, noticing the distress in eyes. "Come in."

He walked in and settled on her large couch. She brought him a glass of wine,

"It's all I have in the house." She explained, curling up on the couch next to him. She didn't ask him what was wrong, sensing that he didn't want to talk.

The sat next to each other and drank their wine, wordlessly. Listening to the music softly rising from speakers hidden around Abby's apartment. She rubbed his neck gently, and he visibly relaxed at her touch. They finished their drinks and she poured them each another.

He took the glass she offered and set it down on the table. He reached for her hand and pulled her towards him. He lay bag against her couch and held her close to him. He pressed his lips against the top of her head, and closed his eyes. Within minutes he was asleep, with Abby soon to follow.

Thanks for reading. One shot for now.