Unusual in dress and mannerisms…refused to testify due to being overwhelmed by traumatic events…Why did this sound so familiar? Ziva frowned, staring at the file as Abby flitted back and forth between her computer and the evidence all over the place.
"Hey, have you seen Bert?" Abby called to McGee, who had just entered the lab with his coffee.
"Um-I think I stepped on him," McGee stammered, picking up the stuffed hippo. Abby squeezed it tightly, and grinned when it let out its signature noise. McGee chuckled and shook his head.
"Bert! I thought I lost you forever!" She kissed the hippo and set him next to the keyboard.
"Palmer didn't want his coffee, so I'm just going to leave it here, okay?" McGee set the coffee cup aside.
"Sure thing, just make sure it doesn't get all over Major Mass Spec here, he is hard at work on matching up the partial license plate," Ziva detected a faint hint of vanilla and hazelnut from the coffee cup.
"Huh, how can Palmer turn down hazelnut?" Abby wondered aloud just as the computer beeped and revealed a list of matches. She spun around to read the screen. Ziva took this as her cue to leave the lab. Gibbs entered Abby's domain just seconds later, the man of perfect timing.
"Oh, Gibbs, right on time!" Abby smiled, her dark lips perfectly accustomed to the friendly feeling of happiness.
"Looks like this partial license plate did a lot of narrowing down," McGee said, peering at the list of numbers and letters. "Only four vehicles with this combination were near the area at the time of the killing-"
"Got it, McGee," Gibbs interrupted. "Who's the owner of the Toyota?"
"Donner McCarthy, boss," A second later, Gibbs was gone.
"Have you ever considered putting a tracer on Gibbs?" Abby asked.
"Not if I want to live," McGee replied. "Besides, the tracker will probably read, 'Sorry, but we cannot track your target at this time due to the fact that Gibbs's gut has destroyed the mechanisms of this device,'" Abby laughed loudly, tossing her head back and smiling at him. McGee felt his heart skip a beat when he looked into her eyes. They were what always threw him off no matter what her expression happened to be. Such an intense shade of green…Pull yourself together, probie. This is Abby we're talking about, not some hot chick worthy only for Tony.
"Whoa, McGee, did you see the analysis of this rope?" Abby exclaimed suddenly, snapping him back to reality.
"No, tell me," McGee said quickly, leaning over her shoulder.
"Well, according to the chemical compounds here, some sodium chloride here, and hydrochloric acid here…this piece of rope was in saltwater, and was also disconnected with the hydrochloric acid," McGee could smell her perfume from here. It sent his pulse racing, and it was making it hard for him to concentrate.
"Well.." McGee cleared his throat and tried again. "We need to find out where this rope came from, and that acid. Think you could run a trace on that?"
"I'm a scientist, McGee," Green eyes looked straight into him with an intensity that could rival Gibbs's.
"I know you are," he whispered. She gave him a strange look and turned back to the computer screen, typing away once again. McGee lost his footing and accidentally knocked over the coffee cup. It spilled all over the floor, and he could smell the vanilla o hazelnut flavoring. Abby bent down to mop up the mess. McGee caught a glimpse of something sitting on the table, at the very end. It was a cold case file that had been left unattended. He remembered Ziva was looking through a file just like this earlier today. McGee picked up the file and took the elevator back to the bullpen, planning to hand deliver it to her. But the desk was empty. On the desk was Kate's old sketchbook. It was open on the picture of Abby as a bat. Was Ziva trying to tell him something? He set down the file and went over to his desk to get his coffee, feeling exhausted. Last night had been an all-nighter trying to make the deadline for the publisher. It was amazing how popular his novels had been getting over the years; rather than fizzle out like most fiction, they had gained more revenue as time went by.
"Mr. Palmer, where is my coffee?" Ducky asked. "I wanted vanilla hazelnut since my mother recommended it last night-" The door banged open to reveal Abby with a half empty coffee cup.
"So sorry about this, but McGee was being such a klutz," Abby explained. "I heard this was supposed to be yours. I hope you don't mind the contents got a little reduced…I'll have Tony bring in a fresh batch on the next coffee run,"
"Thank you, Abigail," Ducky said. Palmer glanced at the cup guiltily and then quickly looked away. She smiled at both of them and skipped out of autopsy straight into her lab. She had to finish all her work before Gibbs checked up on her again. As she entered the all too familiar second home of science, Abby started to feel very strange. A sort of tingly feeling started to take over as she absentmindedly adjusted her wrist cuffs and stared at all of the evidence. Something wasn't right. She had no idea how, but someone had discovered her hidden demon she had tried so hard to hide…a choked gasp escaped from her lips. Ziva. She found that cold case that-Abby shook her head and shoved away the thought. But how? She had hidden it away so well behind that wall of strangeness that nobody had even bothered to question. No…she started sinking to the floor, memory starting to engulf her mind all too quickly, and there was nothing to do to stop it.
"Avery's coming!" Abby cried out, jumping for joy and hugging her friend. "I'll love you forever for this, Jamie!"
"Hey there!" Avery grinned at the girls. "I'd like to talk to Abby, my new girlfriend as of five minutes ago,"
"See you later," Abby mouthed, still grinning so hard she was in danger of damaging her facial muscles.
In the locker room, they were alone. Abby tried to slow her heart rate, all to no avail. She just did her best to at least look calm as Avery walked in, looking composed as ever.
"Ready to go to the concert?" Abby looked at him in confusion.
"I thought we were seeing a movie at my house,"
"Nonsense! Come on!" He started to pull her forward.
"I wanted to see that movie with the green alien from Mars," Abby said. His grip tightened ever so slightly. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable.
"What did you say?" he demanded in a dangerous tone.
"I don't like concerts!" Abby told him. "I don't even like the Rolling Stones!" Avery squeezed her wrist a little tighter. Now it was beginning to hurt.
"One more time…I don't think I quite heard you," His grip became tighter with each word. Tears stung Abby's eyes.
"I…suppose I don't mind the Rolling Stones all that much," she sniffled, feeling hurt and confused. What had she done wrong? Finally he let go, and the blood started to flow to her fingers again.
"Oh, did I hurt you?" he asked, feigning apology in his eyes. "Sorry about that. Let's go, okay? We are gonna be late," Abby felt a tear fall down her cheek as she inspected her wrist on the way out of the school. It was beginning to throb and a bruise would probably form there.
Ziva went into the lab and discovered Abby curled up into a ball on the floor. She was whimpering and crying quietly.
"Abby?" She pulled the girl to her feet.
"How?" Abby croaked. "How did you find it?"
"I don't understand," Ziva stammered, struggling to pull her thoughts together.
"That file was hidden for years and years and you just…find it?" Suddenly, the pieces came together to a head. The cold case file had a victim who was still traumatized, and now here was the answer standing right in front of her. Abby was the still living victim, caught in her past. Shock froze her solid.
"Calm down, Abby, I'm not judging you," Ziva said softly. But Abby didn't seem to hear her. She was still hyperventilating, breathing very quickly. Ziva noticed her eyes had a strange look in them…she suddenly recognized herself after her return from Somalia. She could put a name to that very look. Haunted. Ziva shuddered, wondering what she should do to help her suffering friend. Finally, she pulled out her cell phone and just called Ducky. He would know exactly what to do.
