Two inches to the Right

Topic: NCIS

Pairing: Kate/Abby

Rating: M (later)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or I would be writing episodes not fanfics…

Summary: What if there had been wind that day and Ari's shot had only skimmed Kate's head? How would the fear of losing Kate effect Abby and their relationship?

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Chapter 3 – Hug a Kate

Abby and McGee had been in the garage for well over an hour and she was currently pulling 308's out of McGee's SUV. She had a nasty feeling they were going to match the casings Tony had found of Ari's and from the way Gibbs' face had fell when McGee had told him they had found them he obviously did too.

"Where were you before you took cover?" Gibbs asked McGee. The Probationary NCIS Officer moved around the car and ducked down.

"Uh, right here" McGee replied confidently. Abby could see exactly what Gibbs was looking at. One of the bullet holes was right behind McGee's head. It made her feel sick again that Ari had targeted another one of her friends. All the feelings she had felt in the lab after she had been shot at came flooding back and she held back the urge to vomit.

"Tony's right. You do owe that terrorist a thank you" Gibbs stated calmly. Abby was sure that their boss was furious that Ari had targeted yet another member of his team but he was hiding it well. McGee looked at the bullet hole before standing up; he looked a little lost for words. Just as he opened his mouth to finally say something the elevator door swung open and Tony swaggered in. Abby hadn't seen him for a while, not since he'd went with her to fill the incident report in over an hour before. He glanced back over his shoulder and a bandaged figure followed him out of the elevator and into the garage.

"Kate!" Abby squealed, forgetting her previous nauseous feeling at the site of her friend. Her legs reacted the same time her mouth did and she ran the few metres separating herself from Kate and leapt onto her, totally forgetting about Kate's injury in her excitement even though she wore a bandage around her head. The smaller women didn't even flinch or waiver as Abby's full weight landed on her and she wrapped her arms around the forensic scientist as vigorously as Abby was doing to her.

"I was so worried" Abby told her as they continued to hug. Kate squeezed her a bit tighter before letting her slide onto her feet again. They continued hugging even when Abby was supporting her own weight again.

"I was worried about you too" Kate replied honestly; "Tony told me about what happened."

She stroked Abby's hair as they finally pulled apart and Abby wanted to reach out to her and touch her face and bandage but she resisted. She did think that Kate may actually be attracted to her too but she doubted she would ever act on it. So such a show of affection by Abby would probably not be appreciated especially in front of the others. Still for a second they held eye contact for longer than was necessary for two concerned friends.

"It's good to see you Kate" McGee called from behind Abby, breaking the spell. Kate glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"I'm glad I can still she you" she quipped back to him. Abby turned to face McGee and Gibbs too so her, Kate and Tony stood in line. She had almost forgotten he was there whilst she had been hugging Kate. He had been surprisingly quiet, none of the normal girl on girl comments you would usually expect from him. Instead he seemed more focussed on Gibbs who was walking past them and towards the elevator door.

"He didn't police his brass again" he informed their boss. "Metro PD found a .308 casing in the park next to tire tracks."

Gibbs stopped and looked at him like he'd grown three heads. When Tony didn't say anything else Gibbs sighed loudly before starting to instruct him.

"Tell Metro PD to…"

"Bring the evidence here ASAP? Already did, Boss" Tony interrupted with a huge smirk on his face. Gibbs rewarded him with a dirty look before getting into the elevator. "Oh, and by the way, the director wants to see you up at MTAC."

Tony put his thumbs up at Gibbs and their boss threw another dirty at him as the elevator door closed. Tony turned back towards Abby and Kate and smiled. He looked incredibly pleased with himself.

"Why are you pissing Gibbs off?" Kate asked him. Giving Abby a questioning look to which the forensic scientist just rolled her eyes in Tony's direction.

"He was being too nice" Tony complained, "I don't like him nice!"

Kate gave him a look that screamed you big child at him but Abby couldn't resist taking it one step further and smacking Tony on the back of his head.

"Hey!" Tony cried out, "What was that for?"

Abby just smirked and returned to McGee's car. She had just finished her examination of the car as Gibbs came in and she needed to pack up her equipment. Kate followed her over and stood and watched her as she packed, stooping every now and again to pick something up for Abby. Abby could feel Kate's stare on her the whole time and every now and again Tony called McGee over and was taking too him quietly. The pair kept glancing over and Abby was sure Tony was relaying some kind of order from Gibbs to him about her or Kate. Finally McGee headed back over to them and Tony left.

"Your lab is all sorted Abby so we can head over there when you are ready" McGee informed her.

"We?" Abby asked, wondering why he was coming with her.

"Gibbs wants me to stay with you and Kate" he admitted. He looked a bit sheepishly at Kate who looked a little frustrated but didn't comment. She'd obviously expected to be kept off active duty for a bit.

"I'm all done here" Abby replied, "so grab a box and make yourselves useful."

Abby had sat and processed the bullets and other evidence she had found in the garage whilst McGee had sat at the table in the corner playing on some sort of online game. Kate had asked the odd question about what Abby was doing but had been stood across the room for a while staring at the bullet hole in the wall. Abby wondered what she was thinking and it was seriously distracting her from her work. When she was sure McGee wasn't looking she stole glances at the female Special Agent. Even with the bandage around her head she looked beautiful and graceful. Abby was finding it harder than ever to ignore her feelings for Kate now she had come so close to losing her.

"McGee can you go get me some Cafpow please?" Abby asked the Probationary Agent. "I'm sure Kate would like a coffee and maybe we could have a couple of muffins or something too."

McGee paused his game and looked around the computer at her and then at Kate. He looked very unsure about what to do as he glanced between the two of them. Kate turned away from the wall to face the two of them and smirked at McGee's discomfort.

"Erm…Gibbs said not too leave you…." McGee began to protest before Kate cut in on him.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind you going to get us a drink" she chastised him; "you are hardly protecting us if you dehydrate us McGee. And….I do have a gun."

"And she used to guard the President" Abby chirped in, spinning round in her chair to face him fully. "So I'm sure she can hold the fort for the ten minutes in which you are gone!"

"Okay" the Probationary Agent stressfully rubbed his face before standing up and putting his jacket on. "You better not move a muscle from this room whilst I am gone."

The forensic scientist was relieved he had agreed to go. It wasn't she didn't appreciate Gibbs' concern or enjoy his company but something was going on with Kate and she wanted privacy so they could speak. Abby waited a couple of seconds after McGee walked out of sight before asking Kate if she was okay just in case he was still in hearing distance.

"What's so fascinating about that wall?" Abby asked as she swivelled her chair back in the direction of the desk and the beautiful Special Agent. Kate glanced back at the bullet hole and run her hand over the hole.

"I can't believe you nearly got shot" Kate explained softly. "I'm just looking at this hole and the trajectory it must have come in on and I can see it's your head height. It's just…the sooner we catch him the better, right? I don't want to lose you."

Abby caught eye contact with Kate at was surprised what she saw in those pretty brown eyes. Fear; Kate was scared but not for herself even though she had been shot at herself. Fear for Abby. As much as Abby wanted to run to Kate and kiss her she knew now was not an appropriate time…if there ever was an appropriate time to do something so crazy. Instead she went down the only other route she could see open to her; good old humour.

"I have bullet proof glass now" she smiled at Kate and gestured towards her brand new and very clean window panes.

"There is no such thing as bullet proof glass Abby…"

Abby couldn't help but chuckle at the fact Kate reacted the same way she had when Gibbs had said it to her. It seemed neither of them where that easily fooled.

"I know" she admitted, "but I have you to keep me safe Kate."

The beautiful brunette stepped away from the wall and towards her, stopping on the other side of the lab bench and looking at her with such honesty in her eyes.

"I'll always keep you safe Abby" Kate promised. Abby felt her heart skip a beat in her chest at the way Kate was gazing at her. She felt like she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, when the beautiful woman in front of her looked at her like that. She knew she had to focus on her work, especially if they were going to ever catch Ari. Coming up with a creative solution to finding out more about what equipment Ari was using was the only way she could help keep her friends safe. Kate's eyes were so intense though that it was hard to look away and it was the Special Agent who finally broke eye contact not her.

"What are you working on?" Kate asked as she made her way around the bench and behind the seated Abby. She leant over the forensic scientist so their cheeks were almost touching and Abby stopped breathing again at her proximity.

"I'm trying to find a way of working out what fired those 308's" she said unsteadily. "I'm coming up blank at the moment though."

"Try to relax" Kate placed her hands on Abby's shoulders and began to rub them softly. "You are really tense; if you relax you may find it easier to focus."

Abby was 100% sure that Kate's hands being on her would not help her think! To be fair on Kate though it was relaxing, especially when she started applying more pressure and using her thumbs to work out any knots in her muscles. She had been given a Kate shoulder massage before but this one was even better than last time.

"It's a shame you haven't got any footage to work with" Kate spoke up as she continued massaging and rubbing Abby's shoulders. "We might have been able to identify the weapon from the muzzle if an NCIS' Security Camera had been on this side of the building."

"No footage" Abby mumbled, "Only some audio of McGee being shot at by Ari and the terrorists."

Abby had her eyes closed but then they suddenly shot open. An idea was forming very quickly in her super powered brain and she was sure with Kate's help they could make her idea work.

"The terrorists were all using handguns!" she declared loudly, causing Kate to stop massaging and turn Abby's chair so they were facing each other. Abby gazed up at her with a huge smile on her face and Kate tilted her head to the side quizzically.

"I'm not following you" she admitted. Abby jumped to her feet and began pacing from Kate to the window and back again making Kate cringe every time she got near the window.

"Well I can isolate the sound of Ari's Sniper Riffle firing because it will be distinctly different from the handguns. Then once we have the sound of it firing we just need to compare all the models that fire 308's. We should be able to narrow it down considerably…"

"Is there a database of guns to compare it too?" Kate inquired, her eyes following Abby the whole time. Abby halted by the window and Kate twitched nervously, but Abby was deep in thought and was oblivious.

"No…so we are going have to make one" Abby instructed, "We should have most of them if not all of them here in the building."

She began pacing again but as she reached Kate the Special Agent grabbed her shoulders and brought her to a sudden halt. Abby looked at her in surprise because for the normally reserved Kate it was kind of rough.

"Will you stay away from the window" Kate shouted at her. Abby jumped slightly in surprise but then grasped Kate's arms gently to calm her. Kate's hands when from Abby's shoulders to her face and she cupped Abby's cheeks. It looked very much like she was going to kiss her and god Abby wanted her to but of course the moment had to get ruined. Just as Abby was reaching up to cup Kate's cheeks too McGee waltzed into the lab and Kate instantly dropped her hands back to Abby's shoulders. Abby placed her hands back on Kate's wrists and gave them a squeeze before dropping her hands to her side.

"Everything okay?" he asked as he placed the tray of food and drink down on the table by his laptop. "I heard shouting…"

Kate shifted away from Abby and put her hand up apologetically. McGee looked at Abby for answers, obviously taking his role as their body guard far too seriously.

"We think we have a way of identifying the weapon Ari is using" Abby informed him. She knew it wasn't really what he was asking about but he really didn't need to know that Kate was terrified for her safety. It was their personal life after all.

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