Title: The Edge (3)

Rating: T

Spoilers: Hiatus

Warnings: Mention of suicide

Pairing: Gibbs/Abby

Disclaimer: NCIS and characters are the property of CBS and DPB. No infringement intended.

A/N: I really appreciate the reviews! I wish I had time to write a longer chapter, but I'm really busy with moving.

***

Abby slept most of the way back to DC; Tony watched her closely in case of any trouble, but her chest rose and fell evenly and her pulse remained steady throughout the trip. When they arrived, he shook her gently. "Abby. Abby, wake up. We're at NCIS. We have to let Ducky check you out."

"Hmm?" She blinked, then opened her eyes wide and stared at him. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"It's okay, Abbs. I'll help you stand."

Her legs were weak and she felt confused, plus her head felt as if a jackhammer was drilling through her skull. She groaned as Tony pulled her to her feet. "I can walk." She took a step forward, then started to collapse to the floor of the garage. Fortunately he was ready for this, and so was Ziva. They both caught her, then led her to the elevator.

Gibbs stood in a dark corner of autopsy, trying to contain his anxiety. Ducky watched him sympathetically. He was feeling his own guilt about the situation – he had not noticed anything wrong with Abby, so to find that she had been actively contemplating suicide was eminently disturbing.

The elevator doors opened and Abby was half-carried into the room by Ziva and Tony. "Where should we put her, Duckman?" asked Tony.

Dr. Mallard nodded to a table that he had covered with a blanket. As they were helping Abby sit down, Tony spotted Gibbs in the shadows and grinned widely. He started to speak but was stopped by his former boss shaking his head, one finger to his lips. Tony nodded, understanding.

"Abigail, how are you feeling?" Ducky asked, his voice a mixture of sternness and concern. He checked her pulse and blood pressure, then listened to her heartbeat.

"Terrible. What happened?" She rubbed her eyes and winced, as this seemed to make her headache worse.

"We hoped you could tell us, my dear. Do you remember anything?" He collected a syringe and other supplies to take a blood sample, then returned to her side.

"Not – not much," she whispered, lowering her head to avoid eye contact.

The elevator opened to reveal McGee and Jenny.

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Ducky asked, drawing the blood.

"I was driving, and it was dark. I don't know where I was going. I just know I had to get there quickly." Her voice had begun to crack, and when she looked at him he saw pure agony. "Ducky, I just couldn't take it anymore."

He handed the vial of blood to Tony, who nodded and left to have it analyzed. Then he hugged Abby tightly, allowing her to cry against his shirt. "There, there, dear girl," he murmured. "I know. Everything is all right now."

Gibbs felt he couldn't take it anymore, either, so he started to leave his corner, but at Dr. Mallard's steely glare he decided he would have to wait.

"What was the thing you couldn't take anymore?" Jenny asked, earning her own glare from Ducky.

But Abby managed to answer, albeit obliquely. "Why did he leave me?" she asked, the desperation painfully evident in her voice.

Startled, Jenny glanced in Gibbs' direction. She could see the guilt on his face. "You mean Gibbs?"

Abby nodded, raising her head a bit. "Ducky, I'm really tired…" She fell forward against him, unconscious again, and he gently lowered her head to the pillow, then covered her with a second blanket.

"What do we do now, Doctor?" Jenny asked.

"Well, I'll keep an eye on her until I get the tox screen back and find out what she took. In the meantime, I suggest you take Jethro upstairs and make him rest. He needs to get his strength back before he talks to Abby -- I think they might have a few things to discuss."

"I'm not going anywhere," Gibbs announced.

"Yes you are," Jenny countered.

"Jen, I don't work for you anymore, so you can't give me orders, now can you?" The anger was evident in his face and in his voice.

"No, but I am in charge of this agency and I can have Security remove you if needed." Her voice softened at his horrified expression and she added, "Do what Ducky says, Jethro. It's the best thing for both of you." She took by the arm and led him to the elevator – he went with her, but just barely. As the doors closed he cast a longing look back at Abby.

"I am surprised," Ziva said quietly.

Ducky had forgotten that she was still standing behind him. "About what, Ziva?"

"I knew Abby missed Gibbs – she has his picture everywhere – but I did not know she felt so strongly. To attempt suicide –" Ziva shuddered at the thought.

"Yes, I agree. I feel quite badly about it – I should have realized something was wrong." He shook his head sadly.

"How could he know if she was so skilled at keeping it from us?"

Ducky shrugged. "Perhaps she told him."

***

Abby travelled in her sleep, her mind taking her to a beach far away from DC. She was walking through the sand in her bare feet, listening to the sound of distant hammering. Peering ahead, she spotted a small house and began to run towards it. As often happens in dreams, she was there only seconds later, and she saw him. "Gibbs!" she cried, jumping up and down and waving her arms. "Gibbs, it's me!"

A/N2: I am getting ready to move, so I won't post updates to my stories for a few weeks. But I promise to finish them once I'm settled! :-)