Abby stood in front of Director Vance's desk with her hands linked in front of her as he looked over the piece of paper she had just handed him. She waited, albeit, impatiently, as he read, reread, and she was sure re-re-re-reread the letter. Finally he sighed a deep stressful sigh and looked at her. "You sure about this, Ms. Sciuto?"

"Absolutely," she said, mentally adding not to the sentence.

"Out of everybody who works here, I thought you were the happiest about your job."

"Oh I am!" she said enthusiastically. "But my Mother is getting up in her fine age and not as able as she used to be. Plus, my brother just moved back home. I think it would be nice for us to all be together," she lied.

"So you already got a job in Louisiana?"

"I'm waiting to hear back, but I'm pretty positive it's mine."

"You know, I could make it very difficult for you to leave here. I could even stop you from getting your other job."

Abby swallowed hard. She was hoping he wouldn't do this but was prepared in case. Before she could start her case, however, Vance continued, "However, I know you would never just up and leave us if it wasn't for a good reason. You love this place more than anybody and I know. You didn't come to this decision lightly." It was true. Abby had not come to her decision at all lightly. In fact, she spent the whole last two days since hearing Tony and McGee carping about their situation thinking and rethinking about it. Leaving was the only was she could see in fixing the team. Reconciling with Gibbs seemed far beyond reach anymore. Vance signed Abby's letter of resignation and put it in a top drawer. "Just so you know though, I won't be looking to replace you right away. Calvin is more than capable of taking over for you for a while. So if you feel like coming about after a week or two, the job will still be yours."

"Thank you, Sir, but I don't see how that is possible at the moment."

"Give it time, Ms. Sciuto. Give it time. This place tends to grow on you and in you." He stood from his desk and held out his hand. As she shook it, he smiled. "Good luck, Ms. Sciuto. You will be sorely missed here." After giving a polite smile, Abby left the office wondering if she just made the biggest mistake of her life.


"Not that I mind, free food and all, but why are we all out to lunch together, Abbs?" Tony, Abby, Ducky, and McGee were all sitting at an outdoor café together eating lunch. "And why aren't you eating?" Tony asked with a mouth full of food.

Abby put her fork down and pushed her plate aside. She had been playing with her food just about since she had gotten it. "I wanted to tell you all something." She took a deep breath to steady herself as she tried to tell the team she was leaving. She had been trying to do it since the beginning of lunch and they were now near the end. It was a lot harder than she thought. She just needed to build up her courage a little. Maybe she should have done this after work while they were drinking. No. It had to be now. Having this secret was hanging over her. "I'm leaving," she finally blurted out. She closed her eyes and waited for the onslaught of questions that were about to be bestowed upon her. When nothing happened, she peeked one eye open. Seeing three blank and confused faces looking back at her, she opened both eyes. "What?"

McGee was the first to swallow his food and answer. "What do you mean by 'leaving'?" he asked slowly.

"I got a job offer in New Orleans. Before anyone can say anything-!" she started to say, holding her hand up to stop them, "I just wanted to say that this wasn't an easy decision to make. I love it at NCIS, but its time for me to move on."

The three guys looked back and forth from one another back to her. All three had arguments they wanted to make with her, but they knew her family lived in New Orleans still and that once Abby's mind was made up about something, that was the end of it. What they didn't know was that she hadn't completely made up her mind yet. "Well, my dear." Ducky said, setting down the spoon from his French Onion Soup onto the table. "If this is what you think is for the best, then I wish you the best of luck on your new adventure. But, please know that we will miss you."

"We'll miss you a lot," McGee said.

"Thanks, you guys."

Tony was the one who surprised everyone with his response. "Don't go."

"Tony-."

Tony looked down, closed his eyes and shook loose his head. "No, I mean I know you want to and you most likely will, but for the record, I don't want you to leave."

"He is correct," said Ducky. "We, of course, would rather you stay, but we want you to be happy."

Abby was still looking at Tony who was still looking at her as well. "And it may not be my place to say," McGee said, "but it seems you haven't been happy lately."

"The happy has left the family," she said, looking directly into Tony's eyes. A flash of recognition of the words appeared on his face and she knew that he knew right away why she was leaving. He stood from the table, tossed his napkin on to it and left. Abby felt a hole in her chest, just like Tony had left her heart. "I'm sorry guys. I know I have been a pain lately, but things just aren't working out here anymore. I know you have both noticed."

"Things have been…stressful, to say the least. But it happens from time to time. I remember a time when-."

"When do you go?" McGee interrupted. "I mean, when are you leaving?"

"In a week. I mean, I know its short notice, but I need to get my stuff packed up and moved down there as soon as possible."

The table was one again awkwardly silent for longer than Abby was comfortable with. "If you need help packing or moving, we'd all be glad to volunteer, " McGee offered.

"Thank you so much. That sounds great and may have to take you up on that. There's just one thing I ask of you right now."

"Anything, Abigail."

"Please, no one tell Gibbs. I want to be the one to tell him." She really didn't want to be, but knew he should hear it from her.

"When will you tell him? And is it just Gibbs or everyone else?"

"Let's not tell anyone else just quite yet. I appreciate guys. So so so much!" She leaned over to one side of her and hugged Ducky then to the other side and hugged McGee. "I love you guys!"

"And we love you," Ducky responded.


"Tony! Tony, wait up!" Abby called out to him as she rushed back into the building. She could see him about 40 feet in front of her and wanted to get to him before he got to Gibbs and told him what she had announced at lunch. That is, if he hadn't told him already. Tony stopped when he heard Abby call out for the fifth time and hung his head. He waited for Abby to touch his should to look at her. She could see hurt in his eyes. "Tony, please-."

"Don't let him drive you away."

"He's not."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"Shh!" She glanced around an no one seemed to notice what he had said. Or no one cared. "Can we please keep this quiet for now? I'm not ready for everyone to know."

"By everyone you mean Gibbs?"

"Please, let me tell him."

"Fine by me," he said and took a hold of her arm. He lead her towards the elevator. She didn't even bother asking where they were going or what he was doing. She had a fairly good idea. They got off the elevator at the squad room. They walked over together and Tony sat at his desk while Abby stood in front of Gibbs' desk. He looked up at her briefly, somewhat surprised to see her standing there.

"Abby," he said very professionally as he went back to his work. McGee entered the squad room and sat at his desk. Abby didn't move from his desk. Gibbs finally looked back up at her and didn't say anything for a while either. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked as he took his glasses off.

"I'm leaving!" she blurted out louder than she had been meaning to. Something passed over Gibbs' face she couldn't be sure about. Was it fear, sadness, hurt? It was so quick for one look with so many emotions playing out. Maybe it was her own insecurities she was in him rather than his own.

"Where you going?" he asked.

Abby swallowed, "New Orleans." He continued to look into her eyes. It was the most he had looked at her in two weeks, combined. "On vacation!" she added for some unknown reason. She wasn't sure why she said it, what made her, but she had and now wasn't sure how to take it back.

"You're going to new Orleans on vacation?" Abby nodded, feeling like crap. Gibbs looked her over carefully and went back to his work. "When do you leave?" he asked casually.

"One week."

"Well, I hope you have fun."

"Thanks." Abby stood at his desk for a moment collection her thoughts on what she had just done. She lied. To Gibbs. She lied to Gibbs! Good God, what has she done?! She hung her head and walked away.

Tony and McGee both sat at their desks, looking at the top of them. They couldn't believe what they had just heard, both at lunch and just now. Though not a field agent, Abby was just as big a part of the team as anyone else, if not bigger. She was their rock, the thing that kept them constant and sane. Now she was gone. They were losing another member of the team and neither one of them were sure how to handle it.