Stop fooling Yourself
Author: AbbyGibbs
Disclaimers: Well, I do not own them and that is pretty unfair – they again belong to DPB! Why does he always have to own the best shows and the best characters? Could someone explain that to me? His characters are always suffering too much. So I have decided to borrow them for a little while, the length of a story, but I promise to give them back though I really wish I could keep them for myself. Dawn Wilkerson is mine
Classification: hurt/comfort/romance
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs. What else?
Rating: T (for now)
Spoilers: none.
Summary: It's time for special agent Gibbs to face the truth about his life and his feelings.
Author's note: This story, I wrote for myself, in the first place because I really thought for a moment, that I was completely done with writing, but thanks to my really great friends Maria, Laci and Michelle to whom I'm dedicating this story, I'm still here, doing it. Mention of some Characters of JAG just for the purpose of this story. Don't own a damn thing!
Thanks to Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, David McCallum and all the other for giving life to the wonderful characters of NCIS.
Feedbacks: well, I'd love them, of course – who wouldn't? But please, only if you respect my work because it takes a lot of time and energy to get a story together. I love writing; I wouldn't allow anyone to discourage me from doing so, never. I don't have any problems at all with readers who choose not to go for this, but I decidedly do with those who write disrespectful mails just because they didn't get the ending they would have wanted. If you want to tell me what I might have done better within the story I made up, you're always very welcome to let me know. But if your only concern is to rant about it, then please, do it in private, okay? Thank you.
But those who like it drop a review, please!
Stop fooling Yourself
Chapter One
This was crazy, Abby thought. Gibbs was finally back from Mexico. He came back to stay, she had what she wanted, so why did she feel betrayed? Abby couldn't stop thinking that Gibbs had betrayed her.
He left, leaving her behind without any explanation or consideration for what she felt. Didn't he respect her more? Wasn't she his best friend, like she always thought she was? Gibbs was her boss, sure, but they had developed a tie bond. At least that's what she thought, but obviously she's been wrong.
If they had, he wouldn't treat her the way he did. Best friends were supposed to talk to one another... thank goodness, this time, he didn't leave without saying goodbye, but still. Abby was heartbroken by the way Gibbs had handle things.
000
"Don't you think, Abby, is acting strangely?" McGee asked Tony as they were on their way to the car.
Tony thought about his colleague's question for a minute. It was true, that he thought Abby different lately. There was something off about her. She seemed more distant with all of them. And the vivid sparkle in her eyes was gone. It had all started when Gibbs resigned from NCIS. Tony would never forget that day. Gibbs had given him the leadership of his team. Everything was different from that moment on.
"Yeah, actually, she is."
"I thought it would have been better by now. Now that Gibbs is back, but the fact that the boss is back seems to make it all worse." McGee remarked.
DiNozzo couldn't deny that Tim was right. Since Gibbs' return, she was even more distant. All the time he'd been in Mexico, all she'd wanted was for their boss to come home to D.C., and now that he had, she didn't talk to him anymore. She even seem to avoid him. It had come to the point, he would sent one of them to her lab to get the test results instead of collecting them himself.
Something in their relationship seemed to be broken, the strong bond they seemed to have for so many years had been shaken. Tony really hoped that it could be repaired, he really hoped it with all his heart because all the team was suffering from the situation. But the one who was mostly affected by it was too damn proud to make the first step.
DiNozzo sighed heavily "I know, McGee. But I think our boss really hurt our forensic scientist."
"Well, let me remind you that, he hurt us all by leaving for Mexico even if today, I can understand why he did it."
"You're right, but I think he broke Abby's heart."
McGee stopped walking at Tony's remark and pulled at his arm to make him stop as well. "Hey!"
Timothy ignored the furious look in his friend's eyes. "What do you mean, you think he broke Abby's heart?"
"Think about it, McSmarty. First Gibbs almost dies in a explosion, because of that explosion he ends up in a coma, when he come finally out of it, all he remembers is the time he's spent with his wife and daughter. He doesn't remember us or Abby ... and to top it all when he finally does. He tries to prevent people from a certain dead, but no one listens, and what does are boss do in responds? He leaves."
"You mean, you think, Abby, took his departure as a betrayal?"
"Yes, McGee, that is exactly what I think. Even if he said goodbye this time. He didn't give any of us, an explanation, he just left without even looking back as if we didn't matter."
McGee nodded remembering the events and how Abby's eyes had watered when he'd kissed her cheek. He had felt helpless himself and that feeling had grown deeper when he had watched the doors of the elevator close up on him.
"We can't let this escalate more between them, Tony we have to find a way for them to talk to each other again."
"I couldn't agree more with you on that, probie."
"I'm not a probie anymore," McGee started to protest, but Tony just smiled before started to walk toward the car again. Tomorrow was a brand new day he thought has he dropped Tim by his place, before going to his apartment.
Let's sleep on it.
000
DiNozzo knew McGee was right; they had to do something and fast our the family they had all built together as a team would explode soon. The question was... what exactly could they do to prevent the worst from happening? He decided to first try and go talk to Abby. She might listen. Hopefully she would listen.
He headed for her lab and was surprised, she wasn't there. He went to see if she wasn't with Ducky and Palmer, but she wasn't there either and they told him they hadn't seen her yet today. Tony went back to the bullpen then and was about to ask Ziva if she had seen Abby, but the latest member of the team wasn't there either.
Okay, since when does everyone disappear? And where's Gibbs?
"Where is everyone, Timothy McGee asked as he entered the bullpen carrying coffees in both his hands.
"That is a very good question, but I'm afraid, I can't provide you an answer for this one." Tony said to his colleague and friend.
"Here, Tony." He said handing a coffee.
"Thanks, to what did I deserve this?" DiNozzo asked curious.
"Nothing." McGee smiled a bit mischievously.
The other man eyed him suspiciously then something in his eyes shifted and Tim knew Tony had understood the gesture.
"Thanks, probie." he then took a sip of his coffee, and looked at his watch.
Lunch, yes, they could have gone after their lunch, or Gibbs could have gone after coffee. But still he found it pretty strange that none of them had said anything. And it didn't help him to find out where Abby was.
What was the right thing to do? DiNozzo thought for a minute then decided to ask McGee to trace Abby's cell phone. Tim looked at him surprised. The surprise then turned into concern and uncertainty. He wasn't sure this was the right thing to do.
"Just to it. You want to help her or not?"
He nodded his head and his fingers started to move on the keyboard. A few moments later a red circled showed up on the screen.
The two men eyed each other when they realized where Abby's cell phone was located. "Vietnam Veterans Memorial"
"What is she doing there?" They both wondered out loud.
Of all the places where she could have been going to, this one wasn't an option they would have considered. Then McGee traced another cell phone number.
"Ziva's with her." Tim announced then.
One of Tony's eyebrows lifted up in surprise. "Do you think Ziva thought the same way we did about the boss and Abbs?" He wondered looking at the man who was still standing at his desk.
"I'm not sure she really thinks the same way we do, Tony, but I'm certain she noticed Abby's strange behavior toward Gibbs. Maybe she decided to go talk to her, with Ziva David, you never know."
A smile appeared on Tony's lips at McGee's remark. "You sure right about that one." He took another gulp of coffee and thought for a moment. He still wondered why Gibbs had left as well, at first he'd been certain the man went for a coffee, but as he checked his watch once again, the special agent realized, it was taking him too much time.
As he looked over at Tim, Tony noticed that he suddenly seemed to look embarrassed about something. "What is it, McGee?"
"Huh... the boss..." he started.
"What about the boss?"
"He is... he is..."
"He's what, McMutter? Talk for god's sake."
"He's at the Reflecting Pool" He finally told DiNozzo.
"And how can you be so sure of where he is?"
McGee then look as if he were a kid again, who had just done something he wasn't supposed to. Tony really did his best to suppress a smile.
"I traced the boss's cell phone too."
"You did what?"
"I trac..."
"I heard you, I'm just surprised you found the guts to do so," Tony commented.
"I wouldn't have done so if the circumstances didn't demand it, Tony. The happiness of our family depends on it." He looked at DiNozzo with a stern gaze.
Anthony didn't say anything, he simply nodded his head, his friend had just voiced his own thoughts. He reached for his cell phone then. Tim watched as his colleague flipped open the device, his thumb pressing one digit before he placed the phone close to his ear.
"Ziva?"
["Yeah, Tony?"]
"Is Abby with you by any chance?" He asked her. He didn't want her to know he actually knew where she was, and with whom she was and he definitely didn't want to be engaged in a conversation where he would have to explain why McGee had traced her phone as well as Abby's and Gibbs's.
["Yes, she is."] Ziva answered as she looked at Abby.
"Okay, then. I was starting to get worried, I wanted to check on her earlier, but couldn't find her anywhere."
He heard Ziva excuse herself toward Abby for a minute and, he guessed that Ziva David wanted to tell him something, she didn't want, their mutual friend to hear.
["Tony we have to do something to help Gibbs and Abby to talk to one another again, for everyone's sake. The situation is getting out of hand, here. I never thought she would reacted the way she did. This is so... so..."]
"Un-Abby-like?" He finished for her.
["Yes! Un-Abby-like."]
"I know Ziva, I know..." He sighed heavily.
["She doesn't even want to listen to what I try to tell her, I tried to tell her that Gibbs probably had his reasons and that I'm sure he felt betrayed by the military and everything he believed in when the boat exploded. That it is why he left for Mexico. Tony she simply doesn't want to hear any of it. To her he betrayed her."] Ziva explained to the man on the other side of the phone and he couldn't help but feel sad when he heard the sadness and defeat in her voice.
"He broke her heart. Where are you, guys?"
Ziva couldn't help but think that Tony was right. She'd only been with NCIS for a year, and had observed them and she couldn't deny that Gibbs and Abby's relationship was in so many ways different than the relationship they shared with the other members of the team. They cared deeply about each other.
It was so easy to read Abby's feelings for Gibbs on her face, definitely during his time away in Mexico. And though their boss wasn't so easy to read as an open book, agent David suspected that he shared the same feelings. His problem was that he was afraid — afraid of those feelings, and probably afraid to expose her to any potential danger. He forgot one thing though that the decision was hers to make.
She really hoped for everyone's sake that they would find a way to talk to each other and be able to repair what had been broken.
["We are at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Abby asked me if I wanted to accompany her and I said yes, in hope that maybe, she would talk to me about what had happened and how she felt about it all, but so far she hasn't said a word..."] Ziva told him.
"Well, I think I have a solution for you, Gibbs is about 0.3 mile away from both of you. Our boss is at the Reflecting Pool." Tony said.
Hearing that, Ziva couldn't help but smile. ["You ask McGee to trace his phone?"]
"No. It was his own idea."
["Give our MIT graduated, a kiss on the cheek for me." ]
"Huh? You seriously want me to give him a kiss on the cheek? I wouldn't mind, but I'm not sure he would really like it." He teased.
She chuckled, "I bet he wouldn't."
"Give him one yourself when you get back. So what do you plan on doing for our 'parents'" he asked her, referring to Gibbs and Abby as if they were a real family.
"Don't worry, our 'parents' won't get a divorce, I'm even sure they'll renew their vows when they'll finally talk."
Ziva heard her friend laughing at the other end of the line, and smiled as well. It felt good to hear him laugh not that she would ever confess that to him or anyone else for that matter.
"You'll call me if there is any progress between them, right?" Tony asked her.
["No, I won't."] She couldn't help but say.
"Ziva." He said her name in a frustrated voice.
["Tony what kind of a question is that, of course, I will call if there is any development between them."] She said.
"Sorry, I'm just a bit on edge, I guess."
["We all are, Tony, we all are. Talk to you later."]
"Later," he answered before ending his phone conversation.
He then saw Ducky coming out of the elevator, and the ME seemed slightly agitated.
Ducky stopped a few inches from him and looked at him seriously before saying, "We've got to do something for Jethro and Abby."
Tony smiled as well as Timmy. And they both answered Dr. Mallard in unison. "We're working on it."
Ducky looked at both men questioningly. In answer they both pointed out toward the screen. The NCIS medical examiner went closer to the screen to take a better look and asked what he was looking at, just to make sure he understood what his eyes were seeing.
Tim explained everything to Ducky before Tony told him what Ziva had told him and the older man laughed at that. "Yes, they will renew their vows indeed."
TBC...
Thanks for reading. Next chapter will be posted, tomorrow