Fall of Recovery
A/N: Spoilers for episode 8 – Gone and partly written for the Gabby Shipper Forum Hiatus prompt – 'relief.'
Chapter 10 - Miles Away
Tony grabbed for the 'oh shit' handle above the passenger side door and hung on grimly as Gibbs accelerated. He pressed the phone closer to his ear so he could hear Abby above the growl of the car engine.
"We're about twenty minutes out, Abbs, although from the way Gibbs is driving, better make that ten... Yeah... yeah, okay, I'll tell him... what was it you hit him with again?"
Tony saw Gibbs glanced briefly in his direction, the anger clear in the clenched jaw and blue eyes. Tony watched the Marine's hands tighten further on the steering wheel and fully expected to see it buckle under the pressure.
"Wow. Remind me never to piss you off, Abby, especially when you're near a kitchen. Yeah... okay. That's a relief... As long as you're all okay, that's the main thing."
Tony closed the phone and glanced over at Gibbs. "Abby says they're all fine... including Ziva who's got a bump on the head but is otherwise okay."
A grunt was the only reply but in his years of speaking 'Gibbs', Tony interpreted it as one that didn't bode well for Ziva, who'd let a perp get the better of her... in Gibbs' house.
"What happened?" Gibbs eventually ground out, taking the next corner fast, ignoring the chorus of car horns in his wake.
Tony hung on until he stopped swaying in the seat before he spoke, relating what had happened succinctly, sensing this wasn't the time to elaborate and try to cover Ziva's ass.
"Lights went out. Lydia and Abby went upstairs but Ziva was surprised, got hit over the head."
Even as he said it, Tony winced internally. He wouldn't want to be in Ziva's shoes later. Either way you cut it, it didn't sound good that a trained Ninja could be overpowered by one guy when she was the only armed agent in the house.
It had been almost an unspoken order that, in tasking Abby and Ziva to look after Lydia, it was expected that Abby would look after her emotionally while Ziva was charged with protecting Lydia physically... and as Tony well knew, ensuring Abby's safety was always way up there on the Gibbs' list of priorities too.
The fact that his house had been broken into, his agent nearly killed, his precious teenage witness almost kidnapped and his lover put in danger, would not sit well with the Marine.
Tony almost hoped Ziva did have concussion because it was the only thing likely to save her from one at the hands of Gibbs when he got there. Tony would have to be prepared to get between the angry bear and Ziva if he got the chance.
He also understood Gibbs' haste.
Even if he knew everyone was okay, Gibbs wouldn't be satisfied till he saw that with his own eyes.
Neither would he.
"Guy had a gun," Tony elaborated when his Boss stayed silent, merely overtaking the car in front, and Tony momentarily closed his eyes at the familiar sight of rapidly oncoming traffic and alarmed drivers' faces. "Apparently Ziva was struggling with the guy when Abby whacked him over the head with a frying pan."
Tony tried not to sound amused, but Gibbs took his eyes off the road and flicked a glance his way and Tony could have sworn his mouth twitched at the corner, just a tiny bit, before the thunderclouds descended again.
"Lydia stayed upstairs the whole time this was going on, so she's okay."
"But Abby didn't." Gibbs stated flatly.
Uh-oh.
Tony wasn't sure what to say but sensed that Ziva wasn't the only one Gibbs would be angry with. He knew Abby could stand up for herself but couldn't help wishing he could deflect the Marine's wrath from his lover too, even though Tony knew Gibbs' reaction was based on intense worry.
"Sounds like it was a good job she didn't stay upstairs, Boss. And she doesn't scare easily... but then you don't need me to tell you that." When Gibbs didn't reply, Tony went on, changing the subject slightly. "Abby was busy telling me all the things in the house she could've used instead of the frying pan..."
"She shouldn't have needed to use anything at all," Gibbs snapped back and Tony subsided.
There was no getting through to Gibbs in such a mood.
Tony settled back in his seat, feet braced against the floor and got a firmer grip on the handle as they raced back towards Gibbs' house.
Gibbs barrelled through his front door with Tony following behind more slowly, taking in the scene before him in the darkened hallway. Ziva was sitting at the dining table, the attacker on his knees feet away in the hallway, his hands cuffed behind his back... a gun resting on the table.
Holding her torch, Ziva was covering the suspect with her gun and even in the dim light, Gibbs could see a bruise already blossoming over her eye.
Gibbs looked the guy over, his gaze narrowing as he recognized a familiar face from the bowling alley.
The man was overweight and didn't exactly look the type who should have gotten the better of a trained ex-Mossad agent. The guy was eyeing him warily but wisely kept his mouth shut when he saw the Marine's face.
Gibbs raised his eyes and Ziva met his gaze. Gibbs nodded, his voice curt. "David."
Ziva picked up on his anger and merely nodded back, not offering any excuses. "Gibbs..." She inclined her head. "Lydia is upstairs and Abby is trying to fix the electricity."
"No, Abby has fixed it." At that moment Abby appeared from the basement and flicked on the light as she came back into the kitchen. "It was simple, once we got outta this creep what he'd done to it." She glared at the guy on the floor, who threw her a sour look but kept quiet.
Abby continued into the hallway, smiling at Gibbs and Tony. The smile on her face looked slightly forced, her face tired but something eased inside Gibbs to see she really was unharmed.
"Hey, Abbs..." Tony greeted her with a smile, making a show of looking at her hands. "You're not still armed, are you?"
Abby chuckled. "Not any more... was gonna make some coffee." She glanced at Ziva covering the attacker before looking back at the two men. "Although... you're probably not staying, are you?"
Gibbs glanced behind him. "DiNozzo."
Tony nodded, moving past Gibbs to haul the attacker to his feet. Gibbs clenched his hands, fighting the urge to grab the guy.
Tony pushed the suspect towards the door. "C'mon, big guy. Let's go before Abby goes for a larger frying pan… or there's a pretty lethal looking egg whisk hanging on the wall."
Gibbs stared at the attacker as they drew level, almost daring the guy to speak. Tony could see Gibbs giving the full Mark Five glare which he reckoned could intimidate Superman so it was hardly surprising when the guy paled, shifting nervously on his feet as he broke eye contact.
Gibbs jerked his head at Tony. "Get him outta here."
"Do you wish me to stay here, Gibbs?" Ziva asked, somewhat warily.
Gibbs nodded. "You able to?"
"Yes, I am fine."
"How's the head, Ziva?" Tony asked softly.
"I am fine, Tony," Ziva snapped back before her expression softened. "Really, it is nothing."
"Well, she will be fine if she lets me put something on it," Abby broke in. "You're gonna have a helluva bump, Ziva, if you don't let me ice it."
"Perhaps in a few minutes," Ziva conceded. "When he is out of the house."
They heard footsteps on the stairs and Lydia appeared, still dressed in Gibbs' red hoodie. She smiled nervously when she saw Tony and Gibbs, her eyes anxiously flitting to the attacker.
"You okay, Lydia?" Tony called out, turning the guy so he couldn't see the young girl. "Hey, eyes front. She doesn't need to see your ugly face."
"I'm fine, Tony, thanks. Ziva and Abby were totally awesome." Lydia walked over to Abby, who grinned down at the young girl.
Tony smiled. "They always are."
He was aware of Gibbs silently staring at Abby, who Tony could see was trying not to show her nerves. She had to have anticipated the Marine's disquiet and was presumably now reading the warning signs.
Abby swung with both arms as if still holding the frying pan. "I should take up baseball I think, or tennis... work on my forehand."
Gibbs glanced over his shoulder. "Why are you still here?"
Tony jumped slightly. "Sorry, Boss." He tightened his grip on the attacker and hustled him out of the door, throwing an encouraging smile over his shoulder at Abby. "Get some rest, Abby... you too Lydia."
When Tony had disappeared, closing the door behind him, Ziva sighed and let her gun drop slightly, sagging back into her chair. She looked between Abby and Gibbs as they stared at one another before turning to the young girl. "Lydia, would you give me a hand in the kitchen... unless you are going back to bed."
"Sure, Ziva. I couldn't get to sleep, heard the voices and came down for a drink." Lydia followed Ziva into the kitchen, leaving Abby and Gibbs alone in the hallway.
Gibbs stared at Abby for a moment, trying to consciously unclench his hands and ease his shoulders. He moved forward a few steps and that was all it took for Abby to launch herself at him. He wrapped her up in his arms as Abby reached him, burying his face in her neck, his body gradually losing its rigidity as he held her, soaking up her warm presence.
Gibbs felt her lips pressed against the side of his face and heard her murmur against his skin. "I'm okay... really."
He tightened his arms around her but didn't reply, feeling his throat close up.
When she eventually pulled back, he saw her gnawing her bottom lip, her eyes worried but before he could say anything, Abby launched into speech. "Don't be mad I didn't stay upstairs, Gibbs. I had to come down when I heard the struggle. I'm sure Ziva woulda done something sneaky and Ninja like sooner or later but I really had to try and help."
Gibbs cupped her face, stroking his thumbs across her cheeks, finally finding his voice. "You coulda been shot, Abby."
"But I wasn't... and if I'd stayed upstairs and he'd have knocked Ziva out, then he'd have been downstairs with a gun and we'd have been upstairs... without one… and too far away from the frying pans." She smiled briefly before leaning in to kiss him softly. "Don't be too hard on Ziva."
His jaw set stubbornly and he didn't reply immediately.
He'd deal with Ziva later.
He leaned his forehead against hers, drawing in a deep breath, allowing the relief everyone was okay to finally flood through him. "Scared the crap outta me."
Abby raised her hands to frame his face, nuzzling his nose and kissing him before stepping closer again, burrowing beneath his long coat to wrap her arms around him. She nestled her face into his neck. "I'm okay... and Lydia's okay and so is Ziva. That's the main thing, right?"
His hand cradled her head as he kissed her temple and his other arm slid round her waist. They held each other for a few moments more before Abby spoke again. "You gotta go, I know."
Gibbs nodded.
He wanted a piece of this guy in interrogation.
Abby drew in a deep breath. "Okay... we'll try and see if we can get Lydia to rest and I'll see you later back here... when you can."
Gibbs tilted her head up, kissing her again. "Okay... might be late."
"I know."
He gazed at her for a moment. "Frying pan, huh?"
Abby grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Yup... the heavy one."
He shook his head, mouth twitching, a surge of pride going through him at what she'd done, despite himself. He glanced towards the kitchen as something else struck him. "Why is Lydia wearing my sweatshirt?"
Abby giggled. "Because I gave it to her to wear tonight after she took a shower. I told her it makes me feel safe when I'm wearing it... which it does, coz it smells like you."
Gibbs rolled his eyes. He cupped her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs, wanting to find the words but not sure what to say.
He relived in his head the gut wrenching fear that had overtaken him when he'd first heard the news.
He couldn't face losing someone else he loved.
Not again.
He just couldn't.
Abby studied his face for long seconds before placing a finger over his lips, as if sensing his struggle. She smiled gently, turning her head to kiss his palm. "Go... you can moan at me later, when you're home."
His heart warmed at her easy use of the word 'home' and he nodded, stepping back and letting her close the door behind him, waiting till he heard it being locked before walking to the car.
TBC...
A/N: This series of Seasons tags continues with Winter Squall hopefully soon!