Title: Break
Rating: T to be safe
Spoilers: Outlaws & In-Laws, and a teeny-tiny pseudo-reference to Truth or Consequences
Author's Note: From Chirugal's 2010 Hiatus Week 10 prompt "Break".

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except what I write. NCIS and all its characters, plots, and quotes are all Mr. Bellisario's…I just play with them every now and then.

Gibbs was rummaging around in his refrigerator for some leftover takeout that wasn't quite too old to eat when his front door opened and Abby slipped through. He could tell it was her by her hesitation – Tony would just stroll in, brash as ever; Tim would call out "Boss?", politely, with his head through the door but the rest of him still outside; he wouldn't hear Ziva. Giving up on the fridge, he moved instead to the drawer where he had his considerable collection of takeout menus.

"Chinese okay, Abbs?"

"What? Oh. If you want."

"What is it, Abby?" He'd never heard her quite so distracted and noncommittal – even when she was drunk, she was very definite. Well, he was pretty sure he knew what the problem was, and hopefully he could fix it.

He flapped the menu at her; she waved it back to him. Motioning for her to go into the living room, he called in their usual order before grabbing a beer for himself and the Caf-Pow for her that he'd picked up on his way home (he'd been pretty sure that she'd show up at his house at some point). Passing through the doorway, Gibbs saw Abby sitting with her head down, staring at the floor, definitely not meeting his eyes. The rattle of the Caf-Pow cup didn't even get her down next to her, he put he drinks on the table and wrapped an arm around her. Tugging her closer to him, he murmured, "Tell me, Abbs."

"The Kelly…" she sighed. "Gibbs, I'm so sorry! I never wanted to take her apart –" Her voice broke. "I just wanted to find out what happened – to help Mike, you know? – and science – my life, everything I believe in – made me destroy something so perfect. And…" She finished the sentence to quietly for him to hear.

"Hmm?" He nudged her with his shoulder.

"And…something so precious to you." It was still barely audible, and her timid voice made his heart clench.

"Abbs…" He knew what he wanted to say, but as a functional mute – as Tony kindly referred to him – he wasn't sure he could say it. He settled for putting a finger under her chin and tilting her head until she met his eyes. "You needed to do it – I needed you to do it."

"Really?"

"Yep. I made her…when I made her, for the reasons I made her, and then I let her go. My Kelly will always be special to me, but I don't need the boat to remember her."

"So…you're not mad?" Her eyebrows scrunched – not the puzzled scrunch she'd get when evidence was being particularly tricky, but the one that showed her deep-seated fear of losing someone she loved.

"Nope. Could never be mad at you at you, Abbs."

She reached for their drinks; handing him his beer, she tapped her Caf-Pow against it before leaning back into his embrace. "Love you, Gibbs," she whispered.

"Love you, too, Abbs," he said, pressing a soft kiss into her hair.