Disclaimer: I do not own 'em... no matter how many temper-tantrums I pull

A/N: Very Dramatic beginning of this chapter… Needless to say I'm opening with a big VERBAL fight… Reviews are overly welcome as always…

Part III:

He blinked once, and swallowed hard as he looked into their eyes. Eric and Stephanie were standing there like deer in the headlights, Eric in only his jeans, which were falling off anyways, and Stephanie in the bathrobe Gibbs had gotten her, among other things, for her birthday the previous year. To add insult to injury, Eric still had his arm around her waist.

Gibbs face hardened, and stepped out from the bottom of the stairs, Eric took his cue to exit, he ran down the stairs and out the door. However, Gibbs didn't return to the bottom of the stairs, he could bare it. He was shocked at how much he had known that it was this in the back of his head the whole time. He had never expected it to be Eric with his wife, some nameless stranger, yes, but not his buddy.

That was the most hurtful thing about the whole ordeal, he almost expected it from Steph, but not Eric. He stared at the blank stretch of wall holding up the stair case. He was sure Stephanie was still standing at the top, but he could let her die there for all he cared at that moment. Then he heard her coming down the stairs. And he turned away.

"Jethro?" She said cautiously, "Can you say… something?"

"What do you want me to say, Steph?" said Gibbs turning to face her, "It's pretty obvious what happened here, don't have to ask, unless to explain why you were screwing around with my buddy!"

"No reason, but really Jethro, nothing, I'm sure you and your little forensic scientist haven't done," She retorted.

"Oh really?" said Gibbs, temper flaring at the mention of Abby, "Steph, I haven't even kissed her other than on the cheek, when she cracks a case. I'm pretty sure he kissed more than your cheek!"

"Doesn't really matter if you slept with her, or not," said Stephanie tears starting to fall, "You're more in love with her than you ever where with me."

"She doesn't want me," said Gibbs angrily, "I'm a rough, marine, carpenter type guy, she needs a strong nice sweet guy. I'm not good enough for her."

"But you want her," said Stephanie if not more angrily, "And you're not good enough for her? What about me, you're good enough for me, but not for her?"

"Well clearly, you're not even good enough for me. I've loved Abbs for a while now, but never did anything out of loyalty to you," said Gibbs harshly, and he went and sat down on the couch, after a few minutes of deathly silence he spoke again, "Why Eric? Why couldn't you pick somebody else to screw?"

She chose to ignore his inquiry about Eric.

"And the fact that you think you're not good enough," She chose to remind him wickedly, "But Jethro, She does want you, only God knows why, but she does."

"You didn't answer my question," replied Gibbs as he stared into the fire.

"I don't know, but I'm glad I did now," said Stephanie and Gibbs gave her a death glare, "He's a sweet, kind, nurturing guy, Jethro."

"Oh yeah, real sweet," said Gibbs sarcastically, "I guess loyalty means nothing to you."

"You two are friends," said Stephanie giving him a death look, "How can you say-"

"Was," said Gibbs angrily, "Was my friend, I can't do this right now. But the sad part is I almost expected this from you."

He walked out of the living room and went down into the basement. He took out his sand paper and started to rub the boat in slow rhythmic movements. Then he stopped and threw the paper to floor, before sitting at his workbench. He didn't know what to do. He'd ordinarily call Eric, first on his list, but he knew he wouldn't be able to stomach the sight of him. He knew he had to get out of the house; he wouldn't kick Steph out, not until morning anyways.

"Hey, Duck?" Gibbs as he called his oldest friend.

"Ah, Jethro," said Ducky, he was sitting in his own living room reading when his cell had rang.

"Hey, mind if I come over?" said Gibbs, and it was something in his tone that let Ducky know something was wrong.

"Yeah, no problem, Jethro," said Ducky, "Is everything ok?"

"No, I'll be there in ten," said Gibbs and he hung up a little too violently, and shoved his phone into his pocket.

He raced up the stairs, and tried to leave the house without Stephanie noticing, but she stopped him, he barely noticed her tears.

"Where are you going?" asked Stephanie, tears rolling, but he didn't care.

"Not that you should care, but I'm going to Ducky's for the night," said Gibbs, "And I want you out of here when I get home tomorrow."

"You want a divorce?" said Stephanie, she seemed shocked.

"Yeah, that's kinda what happens when a guy comes home to find his wife and best friend getting it on, and he could really care less except for the fact that it's his friend," said Gibbs and he brushed by her as he left the house, slamming the door as he left.

He walked out into the driveway and got into his car. It's was raining harder than before, and he did his best to ignore it. He got into his car and drove away.

He was almost to the Mallard residence when he realized what he was about to pass, he stopped short and pulled over to the side of the road. He looked up at the small apartment complex out his window to the right. Knowing inside was Abby. He refused to let himself go in, he was upset and hurt, and would not let himself hurt her.

So, he sat in the car as the rain came down, gazing out the window and to the building, fantasizing about what it would be like to just know that she was his. He had to wait, and he knew that, he had to end things officially with Stephanie before moving on to Abbs, he wanted everything to be right.

As he pulled back onto the road, his mind was still on Abby. How it would feel to finally hold her in his arms, to confess to her just how much she was to him; to bring his lips to hers. His thoughts were interrupted as he pulled into Ducky's driveway, passing his slightly eccentric mother, and parking next to Ducky's Morgan.

Gibbs let himself in, and went and sat on the living room couch, head in his hands as Ducky appeared wit ha silver platter with tea on it. He sat down on the couch next to his old friend and placed the tea tray down on the coffee table.

"I don't drink tea, Duck," said Gibbs not removing his hands from his face.

"I know that Jethro, this tea is for me," said Ducky as he poured himself a cup and turned his attention to Gibbs, who pried his hands from his face.

"I'm gonna need some advice, Duck," said Gibbs leaning back on the couch, reluctant to admit a weakness.

"Well then, Jethro, that's a start, but I'm afraid I am going to need to know what happened in order to give you some good advice," said Ducky solemnly.

Gibbs slowly and reluctantly explained to Ducky what had happened, skillfully leaving Abby completely out of it. As he spoke, Ducky's face steadily acquired more stone like properties, until Gibbs was finished. The good doctor was frozen, tea cup to his mouth as his brain processed all the new information.

"Dear God. Did she give a reason, Jethro?" Ducky asked finally after a good long silence.

"She thought I was sleeping with Abbs, Duck," said Gibbs in quick reply.

"That's preposterous," said Ducky putting down his tea, "She's had her little, well humungous, crush on you for some time now, Jethro, but-Oh no, you didn't-"

"No, I didn't," said Gibbs truthfully and then he processed the rest of Ducky's words, "And why am I always the last one to know these things?"

"I presumed you knew," said Ducky picking up his cup of tea, "Anyways it's not as if--"

This time Gibbs remained silent, but Ducky's mind compensated for it. Ducky let out a long sigh.

"How long Jethro?" said Ducky setting his tea back down.

"I don't know it crept up slowly, I guess almost three years now," said Gibbs in a sheepish tone that went entirely against his usual nature.

"So how have you handled it so far?" asked Ducky remembering his original mission.

"I stepped aside and let Eric leave the house unscathed, told Steph I didn't want to see her at my house when I got home from work tomorrow," said Gibbs lounging on the couch.

"Did you mention anything to Abigail?" said Ducky curiously.

"Nope, not going to till the divorce is finalized and it's been at least a week," said Gibbs.

"Very noble of you, Jethro," said Ducky, "Waiting."

Gibbs acknowledged the compliment and rested his head on the pillow at the other end of the couch.

"Just get some sleep, we'll deal with this messy affair when you wake," said Ducky standing as his choice of words hit him, and he chuckled as he went to fetch his mother from the yard.