Abby: Because when you hear Ducky got stabbed, you don't usually take that part for granted.

---

Jordan stirred in her sleep as she heard Ducky slipping out of bed. "What is it?"

"Seems there is someone at the door; you rest."

She turned to glance at the clock. "Who could possibly be coming by at 3am?"

A small smile crossed his face as he slipped on his robe. "I think I know."

----

He opened the front door to find his theory was correct. There she was, sitting with her hands folded on his door step. "Abigail?"

"Hey," she spoke in a whisper. "Sorry to wake you…but I just couldn't sleep and…"

"You need not whisper my dear. I am awake now."

"Well I don't want to wake Dr. Hampton…"

Ducky smiled; she was becoming more like Jethro by the minute. He took a seat beside her and placed arm around her shoulder. "I don't suppose you'd like to continue this conversation indoors?"

"Nah, I like the cold." She admitted, snuggling closer to him. "How's your hand?"

He continued to smile. "You came all the way here to ask about my hand? I do believe they have this invention called the telephone…"

"I wanted to see you." She looked up at him. "There's nothing like the real thing you know? I mean, I'm lucky to see Gibbs twice a day…I could call him, text him, page him, send him an email…okay, maybe not the last one. But you get my point. I needed to see for myself that you were okay…and before you ask. No, I couldn't wait until the morning…I haven't been sleeping…I feel like I'm turning into a vampire…"

He listened to her ramble on patiently. After all, she'd done it for him often enough. "Mother would always put on a spot of tea to soothe me. When I was a lad she used to say that drinking tea was like magic. It would make every fear just disappear."

"Really? My mom said the same thing about scotch."

He stifled a laugh before moving closer to her. "What fears need to disappear my dear?"

"How about the next time my phone rings…it'll be Gibbs telling me your dead, or Tony, or Ziva, or McGee…or one of them telling me Gibbs is dead. How about that for starters?"

"Abigail, you mustn't worry about the future. There is nothing that can be done to predict it…one must live in the moment."

"I know," she said sadly. "I try to put all the scary thoughts out of my head but I keep replaying the phone call in my head…and thinking of you hurt. I flipped out on the way to the hospital…I almost ran a red light…froze at green ones…before realizing that if I didn't stop freaking out, I'd be in the hospital with you…in the mental ward…"

"Well, you'll be happy to hear that worrying is not a symptom of insanity. In fact, quite the opposite."

She noticed him starting to shiver. "What's sitting on a friend's doorstep at 3 am in sub zero temperatures a symptom of?"

He kissed her forehead before ushering her inside. "Family."