CHAPTER 10

Abby was nervous from the minute Cutis walked out the door, minute by minute the nervousness grew and morphed into panic, she wept, she shook, she chewed her nails, she alternated between cowering in the kitchen and hovering next to the front door.

As the minutes Curtis was gone stretched into hours, the panic subsided into a gnawing worry, she was certain something awful had happened, She wanted to go out to look for him, but she was too afraid to open the apartment door.

Weak daylight started to filter through the drawn curtains. Abby woke up from the exhausted daze she had fallen into a few hours before, a quick check of the apartment revealed Curtis had not returned. Suddenly she knew that Curtis was not coming back and that Gibbs was behind the disappearance.

White hot anger flashed through her filling her with purpose and strength, she wrenched open the apartment door and ran out of the building.

She slowed her pace as she realised she had no destination in mind, or a plan for what she would do and say when she got there. Passing a coffee shop she overheard a young couple talking about a hit and run the night before. She stared at them in shock, desperate to ask for more details but terrified to initiate any contact.

She walked back home, slowly, knowing she had to find out for certain what her gut was already telling her, Curtis was dead.

Once home, she connected her laptop and logged on, she found multiple references to the hit and run but not one site had either a name or a description.

Abby called both the hospital and the police, trying to find some detail that would confirm her fears; she never once considered the hit and run had nothing to do with Curtis.

Eventually, by telling one young LEO she needed a copy of the police report to complete the forensic file, she got what she was looking for.

Suddenly she couldn't bear to be in the apartment and she took off as if her life depended on it, once outside, she found she could breathe again. For hours she wandered the city in a daze, staying as far away from people as she could, on some level she knew she was being paranoid but she couldn't help think that every single person was working for Gibbs, spying on her and reporting back. When this became too much she reluctantly went back home, checking several times the door was properly locked.

She needed something to dull the pain that consumed her and she reached for a bottle of bourbon, as she cracked it open the smell reminded her of Gibbs and made her violently sick. She put the cap back on the bottle and lifted a bottle of vodka instead. It didn't take long for the alcohol to have the desired effect and she sank into a welcome oblivion.

Abby didn't know how long she spent in her alcohol induced stupor, she was aware that it was evening and that she was thinking clearly. No way was this a hit and run, it was murder and Gibbs was behind it. She knew this and she wouldn't stop until she had proof.

Abby knew she had to move quickly, Gibbs was a master at covering his tracks and he would have help, she was on her own but her hatred and loathing of her former friends would be enough, she resolved not to rest until she had made them all, but Gibbs especially, pay for what they had done.

She had to confront him, now, before she lost her nerve. She got into her car, rehearsing what she would say all the way to Gibbs place.

She didn't knock, she didn't feel he deserved that courtesy, but both the front and the back doors were locked tight. She was banging on the door and yelling to be let in when one of Gibbs neighbours appeared and told her that Gibbs had left about an hour before.

Assuming he had been called about a case, Abby drove to the Navy Yard but none of the team's cars were there. Lost for an alternative Abby drove aimlessly and found herself in Ziva's neighbourhood, her car wasn't in its usual spot. Driving to Tony's took less that 10 mins, his car was also missing.

Her eyes narrowing in suspicion Abby started to drive again.

They are all together, laughing, joking and congratulating themselves on killing Curtis and leaving me with no-one. If they think I'm going to running back to them, they're insane, I will make them pay for this, I hate them all.

Driving through Georgetown, she spotted Gibbs car first, Ziva and Tony parked next to each other a few meters down the street. Ducky's! They were all at Ducky's.

She felt the white hot anger flare up in her again and again she used it to override her fear and walk into the building.

The front door was unlocked; as she pushed it open she could hear voices and laughter. For a split second an overwhelming sadness threatened to de-rail her plans but she fought against it, seizing the anger and holding that at the forefront of her mind she burst into the dining room.

The table had fallen silent at her entrance "you killed him" she accused.

"Abby?" Gibbs stood up, his arms outstretched.

He wants to hug me? After what he's done, he wants to HUG me?

She stepped back, away from him "DON'T. TOUCH. ME."

Abby noted the unexpected expression on Gibbs face, he didn't look guilty, she paused momentarily before turning away from him, accusing the group once again.

She couldn't understand it; none of them looked like they knew what she talking about, until her eyes met Ziva's.

Ziva? My god, how many people has Gibbs poisoned against me?

Abby glared at Ziva as she said for the third time "you killed him"

"Abby…I…."

It was all the confirmation Abby needed. "Save it for the police" she backed out of the room, terrified to turn her back on the room. As soon as she felt the door she turned and fled.

Abby raced home as fast as she could, breaking speed limits, cutting up other drivers and running red lights. She needed the safety of her apartment, she needed a plan. Now that they knew that she knew, they would come after her, she knew it, it was just a matter of time.

Inside her apartment, Abby's strength drained away and she slumped onto the floor. Without really knowing what she was doing she picked up the faxed police report and stared at without seeing it.

Sometime later she was aware of someone standing in front of her, without looking up she said in an emotionless voice "The official line is that he was killed in a hit and run accident. A joy rider in a stolen car, no leads, no apprehension likely"

The person standing said nothing, Abby raised her head, meeting Ziva's eyes "It was you, you killed him" Abby's voice sounded weird even to her own ears.

"Yes, you are correct I did kill him. What he was doing to you, to our family, I could not allow that to continue"

What Curtis was doing? It was them who had caused all the problems; did they really think they could switch the blame on to Curtis?

"Jealousy, you killed him out of jealousy"

"Oh wake up Abby! How can you believe the lies he has told you about your friends? After everything you have bee through together, are you really so blinded that you cannot see what this is doing to them?"

Something in Ziva's voice, something in her words made Abby's mind flip, one after the other she was seeing flashes of images, Tony with the plague, Gibbs in his basement, the whole team after Kate's murder, the look on Gibbs face tonight, the nights spent together watching movies and hanging out, Gibbs kissing her, hugging her.

Before she could speak, Ziva continued "Every one of them has put their jobs on the line for you, everyone would die for you. Everyone feels responsible for the pain. This is tearing them apart"

The flashing images got faster and clearer, Tony watching as she destroyed her lab, Gibbs face when he took her to see Sara, Gibbs promising to protect her.

Abby got to her feet, wanting to get away from Ziva but Ziva was closer and she didn't have the energy to push past her.

"Curtis, what he was doing to you, was slowly killing Gibbs and there is nothing I will not do to prevent that. There was a time you felt the same"

Abby struggled against the images in her mind, trying to find something to anchor herself on, he mind provided an image of Curtis, a flash of him telling her how she means nothing to Gibbs, how he just uses her, time after time, year after year.

"NO! I mean nothing to Gibbs"

The slap was unexpected and hard, Abby felt like the side of her face was on fire she stared at Ziva in shock "Gibbs loves you"

Abby stared in horror at Ziva, she could see the concern in her eyes, she suddenly recognised the look on Gibbs face tonight as being love.

Curtis lied to me, they did love me. No, Curtis was right about so many things, he can't have been wrong about this. He was wrong, I can't believe I've hurt Gibbs like this, what have I done? You've done nothing wrong, it's all them, this is just another trick.

The conflict was too much for Abby's mind, it started to shut down, Abby slid down the wall, back to her position on the floor. She stopped being aware of her surroundings, stopped even being aware of her own body. She didn't feel the flinch as she cowered away from Ziva nor heard the whimper that escaped her constricted throat.