A.N. – Just read and hopefully enjoy… I'll talk in the second Author's Note.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Enough said.
Chapter Four: Frustrated Phone Calls
"What do you say we head over to my place for some dinner and afterwards I can come over to take a look at your car?" Jason suggested as they drove away from the coffee shop - and unknown to Abby, Gibbs as well.
"Alright," Abby agreed. "What's on the menu?"
"What do you think about spaghetti? My brother's ex-wife had a great recipe that she used to use for it," he said, his voice changing pitch for a moment. Abby caught the slight tremor in his voice and looked at him in concern.
"I'm sure it'll be great," she said kindly with a friendly smile on her face.
They rode in silence for a bit longer before Abby decided to ask Jason about his brother and the relationship that seemed to have ended painfully. Just as she opened her mouth to speak though, they pulled into a small driveway.
"We're here," Jason said with a smile as he parked the car. He got out and once again jogged to the passenger door, to open it for Abby.
"Ever the gentleman, aren't you Jason?" she teased as she grabbed his extended hand while getting out.
-0-
"Damn it," Gibbs growled as he fought with his cell phone to call McGee, running all the while towards the Navy Yard.
"Agent Timo-"
"McGee! Get a location on Abby's cell; see where she's headed. Tell Ziva and DiNozzo to stop packing up, they're not going anywhere yet."
"Sure, yeah, on it Boss." McGee said into the receiver. In the background Gibbs could hear DiNozzo grumble about 'another long night' just barely over McGee's fingers pounding the keys.
"Uh, Boss?" McGee asked uncertainly as he continued to type. "Abby isn't in any sort of trouble is she?"
"Just do it McGee! I'll be there in a minute. You get anything before I'm there, call me." And with that Gibbs snapped his phone shut, hurrying as much as he could to get up to his team.
-0-
"What is going on McGee?" Ziva asked the agent as he typed commands into his computer at a furious pace. "Is Abby hurt?"
Both she and DiNozzo were now standing in front of McGee's desk, looking expectantly at him.
"Give me a minute, guys." McGee told them as he picked up his desk-top phone and dialed a number quickly.
"Abby?" he asked into the phone. "Where are you?"
"I'm at a friend's, having dinner. Why, do we have a case?" Abby's voice could be heard replying.
"No, we don't have a case, but Gibbs just called and asked me to trace your cell… he sounded worried."
"Geeze, McGee! Can't I ever have a night off? I'm fine, okay?" she shouted, causing McGee to hold the phone away from his ear.
"Okay, okay. Sorry. Just give him a quick call. Please? Before he goes and hunts you down. Gotta go!" McGee hung up just as the bell rang, signaling the arrival of the elevator.
-0-
"I'm really sorry, Jason," Abby said as soon as she hung up with McGee, flushing slightly at the volume she had used. "Sometimes my co-workers forget that I have a life. I just have to call my boss and then I'll help you with that spaghetti, okay?" She asked, hoping to make up for her rude behavior.
"Don't worry about it, Abby; I understand. You call that boss of yours while I get the meat and sauce started." Abby nodded as he went around the corner and down a hallway to the kitchen.
Looking back down at the phone in her hand, she dialed Gibbs' cell from memory. After a single ring, he answered.
"Abby," he said frantically. "Where are you?"
"Out, Gibbs," Abby said, a bit more bite in her tone than she meant. "I'm out with a friend. Look, if it's not case related can we do this some other time?"
"No, Abby; we can't do this some other time. Do you know who you're with right now? Do you have any idea who your friend is?"
"Yes, Gibbs, as a matter of fact, I do know who I'm with. Why does any of this even concern you?" Abby snapped into the phone. 'What is his deal?' she asked herself.
"Abbs trust me, please. You're not safe there – wherever you are." Gibbs tone was insistent, pleading even. Just as he began to start speaking again though, she cut him off.
"Gibbs, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. I don't need you babying me, okay?" and with that, Abby snapped her phone shut. Staring at the screen for a moment or two, her cheeks flushed both in anger and regret at what she had said. She wouldn't take it back though.
He was treating her like a child – his child, and that's the one thing that Abby never wanted from him. She could handle being on the sidelines, she could handle being just his friend, but she would not stand for being a replacement for the daughter he lost. She was nobody's replacement, and she certainly felt far more for him than any daughter should.
-0-
Gibbs looked at his phone in confusion. Did Abby, his Abby, really just hang up on him? That never happened, not with Abby. She hated it when anyone hung up without saying goodbye, especially him. So why would she do it herself then? Mentally shaking the thoughts from his head, he looked at his team currently huddled around McGee's desk. All had anxious looks on their faces, not sure what to say or do but needing his guidance.
"McGee, you got her location?" he asked in his sharp, no-nonsense voice that was used during cases. McGee glanced to his left slightly, looking to Tony and Ziva as if they possibly knew what was going on before nodding and answering in the affirmative.
"Good. DiNozzo, you're with me," he said as he made sure his badge and gun were still on him. Storming towards the elevators with purpose, he barely waited once he was through the doors for Tony to catch up.
"I'll, uh, send you the coordinates then," McGee shouted to Gibbs as the elevator doors closed with the usual chime. His fingers flew across the keyboard for a moment before he completed that task and turned to Ziva. "Do you know what's going on?"
"No, McGee, I do not," Ziva said as they both stared at the closed elevator doors. "But, I am sure that Gibbs has good reason for his actions."
"And… Abby?" he asked uncertainly.
"Gibbs will bring her back. Safe."
-0-
"Hey Jason," Abby said softly when she entered the kitchen after putting the phone in her pocket and the conversation in the back of her mind. "What can I do to help?"
"Could you keep an eye on the noodles? I need to get some seasonings from the pantry in the hall."
"Sure, no problem," she said, taking the slotted ladle and gently stirring the noodles.
Leaving the kitchen, Farrow headed down the hall. He passed the pantry without pausing and headed to a door further down, entering it and shutting the door silently behind him.
A.N. (Part Two) – I figured I'd put this all at the end, that way you could get to what you actually came for first. No excuses, just dumb writer's block and lack of a reliable internet connection. Part of the reason for the writer's block, though, is because the last chapter didn't come out the way I had planned. Therefore, I had to alter the storyline a bit so that this chapter (and the following ones) would make sense. I'm still not completely happy with this, but an update is an update, right? Oh, and this would have been up on the first if I hadn't gotten sick and had a few fun days in the hospital… All better now though!