Disclaimer: Totally not mine. Wished it was tho... sigh... Only thing that belongs to me is Cassandra (and Tom). And the crazy idea that started all this. Drat those SIMS!

A/N: Anything in italics represents thought. Sorry it took so long for an update! Been terribly busy, etc. But here is my latest chapter, and hopefully it's been worth the wait! Note tho... can't remember for sure where Kate was buried, or if her brother(s) lived nearby or not, or even if she had a brother named Bill! So if there is any confusion, please forgive me!


Chapter 7

She had arrived at midnight, shimmied over the fence, and sat upon the grave for hours... in fact, she was there, still. The groundskeeper had alerted the family of the decedent, and was quite worried. When one of the brothers had shown up, he waved off the man, having heard by now the news of her, and alerted the team. They showed up as quickly as possible, frantic to get to her, wondering just what in the hell she'd been thinking. The sun was rising in the east; golden rays washed over the headstones, and cast light into the darkest corners. It warmed the earth, and brought life forth. But the dark figure that lay on the ground before Caitlin Todd's grave appeared silent and unmoving.

Ominous in repose.

Gibbs stared and with his heart beating madly in his chest, he strode forward... Abby was as still and pale as death, but her chest rose and fell with each soft breath she took, and he could feel his heart slam back into his chest as his worst fears went unfounded.

She's ok... my Abbs is ok... what a fool I've been...

Almost as if she had sensed he was there, green eyes snapped open to meet his blue ones. "Gibbs? Is that... is this... is it really you?" She looked confused and bewildered, somewhat. "Yes Abbs. It's me." He smiled gently at her, but was then shocked as she sat upright quite suddenly and frowned at him. She looked around him, to see the rest of the team, including Cass, and Bill, one of Kate's elder brothers standing there. She narrowed her eyes suddenly. "Why are you here, Gibbs? What's going on?" He was confused by her hostility, but tried to answer her honestly.

"I missed you, Abbs. I kept thinking of you, every damn day. Wondering if you'd ever spent any time in your entire life on a beach, because you were so pale. Admiring a sunset and thinking about how much you would have enjoyed it too. Seeing some kid blaring out some loud music that sounds like something you might blare out of your lab at mach levels. Just... well... everything made me think of you, made me realize that you weren't there, and I couldn't just call your name and you'd be there, you were somewhere else. Somewhere where I wasn't. So I had to fix that. I'm sorry Abbs. I'm sorry I didn't realize before this. I'm sorry I broke your heart. Just... please Abbs. Talk to me."

She took it all in. She had to, she had no other choice. His voice was so hurt, and his tone spoke of panic and worry. She idly wondered why... in fact, they ALL looked worried and panicked and then a thought struck her. Of course they would go there. She'd been obviously depressed. She came to Kate's grave. She was saying goodbye. And they... well... they all got it wrong.

"It's not what you think."

Her words, as quietly spoken as they were, rang in the morning air, loudly. Gibbs looked confused, and it was Tony, who asked. "What do you mean, Abbs? What isn't?" He came forward now, standing next to Gibbs and regarding her curiously. "This." Gibbs and Tony both frowned. It was then that Abby truly noticed the condition of her boys faces. "What's been going on? Gibbs? Tony? Have you been playing nice?" Both looked moderately ashamed, and Tony wouldn't really meet her eyes. She sighed. She reached up a pale hand to both of them, gently caressing each handsome face. "Boys, boys, boys. You shouldn't fight. What was it over?" She would expect an answer, and so Tony blurted one out. "You." She looked mildly shocked, but took it well. "Well that was a silly thing to do!" Her chipper tones seemed deceiving, and both seemed to show this. She sagged slightly. Explanations would be demanded. Would they understand? She cleared her throat and tried to will the words into existence.

"I... I know I seemed down, I... ok, I was depressed. Like I could really tell you guys what was going on? I... that wasn't an option to me, alright? So I decided to do the only thing I could... I..."

"Abbs." Gibbs and Tony both went to interrupt her, and both frowned as they realized what the other had attempted. She watched their interaction. She understood what was going on. She shoved them both away from her. "How did you know I was here?" The question seemed harsh, falling from her lips. Bill spoke up then, "Tim told me that you had disappeared and seemed to be very depressed. When the groundskeeper called to say a young woman was here at Kate's grave, I figured it had to be you, Abby. Please tell me you weren't here to end it all." He looked so worried, and Abby felt both touched by his concern, and slightly ashamed that she had worried the man who was still grieving his sister.

"Actually... the truth is that I was here to say goodbye." A collective gasp went up around the group. "I didn't want to tell you all, but I had made some arrangements. I've got a plane ticket for Mexico. I was going to go to Gibbs."

For the next few seconds, confusion reigned as everyone tried to make sense of Abby's words.

"Mexico?"

"She was going to Mexico?"

"What's in Mexico?"

"But you blog made it sound like..."

"I called people! They said nothing, NOTHING about getting you tickets to Mexico Abbs!"

"What the..."

"Abbs?"

She held up a hand, and everyone fell silent once more. "Ducky, Ziva, yes. Mexico. Bill, Gibbs was in Mexico. McGee, my blog sounds like a goodbye because it IS one. A 'goodbye, because I'm off to Mexico and by the time you realize it, I'll be long gone and hopefully sipping Mai-Tai's with Gibbs on some beach, while I try to not let the sun scare me away'-type thing. Cass. Do you really think some of the people we know would willingly tell you if they'd really heard from me or not? Especially when it's so obvious I'm trying to go somewhere? Tony. What do you think? And Gibbs... I'm sorry. I wasn't going to call, I was just going to go, I..."

He cut her off. "If you were coming to me in Mexico, where's your stuff? Huh, Abby? Where is your stuff? Would you really just leave it all behind you? Leave your home and follow me to Mexico without a damn thing, not even sure if I would let you stay or not?" He hadn't meant to scream at her like this, but he couldn't help it. Fear was making him shake, and rage that he had driven her to such extreme measures was threatening to swallow him whole.

She flinched as Gibbs yelled. And then she quietly spoke again. "Gibbs. All I need is you. Yes, I'll leave it all behind. All my junk, all my clothes, my CD's, my computer, my everything. I've got a box full of photos, and Bert in my car. That's all I was bringing with me. It's all I really need next to you. I came to say goodbye to Kate, and I was going to go to you, Gibbs. I was hurting so bad... so I was going to go to you, and have you make it all better. You're all I need! You're all I want! You left me behind! And I was going to follow you there, yes... follow you there, unsure if you'd even let me stay and unsure as to how you really felt about me, but ready to take the chance because otherwise, I'd be just as good as dead. I really would. ALL I NEED IS YOU!"

By this time she was yelling... her voice sounded raw and tears flowed down her cheeks, unheeded. She looked like a little girl; so small and vulnerable. The rest of the team watched as she fell apart, unsure of what to say. Tony looked to Gibbs, who was standing there, looking dumbstruck. And then Gibbs was crushing Abby into his arms, and holding her tightly. "Gibbs! Oh Gibbs! Why did you leave me? It hurt so bad... so bad..." she whimpered and cried and clung to him. And Gibbs let her, making soothing noises, trying to explain, but mostly, just crushing her tight to his chest. Tony turned and led the rest of the team away from them.

Bill gave a small chuckle. Everyone looked at him questioningly. He shrugged. "Kate once said that Abby had a severe thing for Gibbs and that although Gibbs didn't know it yet, he had something for Abby too." Bill shook his head, a sad smile playing on his lips. "Katie always had a knack for matchmaking, and said her life's goal would be to get those two together. I wonder if she realizes that in her own way, she did." Ducky sniffed loudly then, and walked off with Bill, talking quietly. Cass stood near Tim, looking a little worse for wear, and decidedly tired. Tony led them off to the cars, trying to avoid the temptation of sneaking a peek at Abby and Gibbs.

Meanwhile, Abby had finally stopped talking, just clinging and making small whimpering noises into Gibbs's chest, as he stroked her hair. Finally, in the silence, he whispered into her ear, "I love you, Abbs. I'm an old man, set in his ways, but I do love you. I don't know if I can go back to the job or not. I don't know what I want to do with myself. But I do know this; I want you in my life. All I need is you, too." She was looking up at him now, with amazement in her eyes. "Oh Gibbs! I want to be in your life! I'm happiest wherever you are. Who cares about everything else?" He smiled then. His first real smile since the accident. And then his lips were crushing into hers.