*This was not intended on being as long as it is. And I'm not even sure how many I'm going to wind up with because I'm only at Chapter 10 and I've got tons more to put in this story. So far this story(as a whole) has more words than any other story I've ever written and published on this site. So that is really exciting to me. Anyway onto Chapter 10! As always please read and review.*

Chapter 10

Director Sheppard's Office

"Director, Miss Sciuto would like to have a moment of your time." Cynthia's voice came over the intercom.

"Send her in, Cynthia." Director Sheppard said. She quickly saved her work on her computer and waited while Abby entered the room.

"Hi." Abby said meekly, shutting the office door behind her.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" Jen asked.

Abby paced back and forth, "Um…better than before…I…um…"

Jen got up out of her chair and crossed the room to where Abby was standing. She gently touched Abby's elbow and led her to the couch, "Talk to me."

"I think I need to take another week off." Abby said nervously.

"Why?" Jen watched as Abby picked at her fingernails, "Because of today?" Abby just nodded her head, "If you want to take it you can. But, you don't have to take a few days off. We can shift some of your responsibility of to the other members of the team or to another forensic tech, that way you are still here but have a lighter work load." Jen said.

"I think I should take at least a few days off. After what happened earlier today I realize that I'm not ready to work. I'm not back to old self again. I just need…" Abby trailed off.

"What? What do you need?" Jen asked concerned for the young Goth.

"I need to…just forget it all." She said quietly, "I need to just stop hurting and I don't know how…I…" Abby stuttered.

"Talk. That's how you can stop hurting. Talk to me, McGee, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, talk to anyone that will listen. It will help to talk about it."

"I tried talking about it today and I needed to be sedated." Abby sighed.

"But you've talked about it with Ziva, McGee, and I without panicking." Jen soothingly rubbed Abby's back.

"You and Ziva are different. Even McGee is different. But to talk to Gibbs or Tony is so...It's just that, Gibbs and Tony are…Gibbs and Tony." Abby explained, "That's why I started to panic. I can't talk to Gibbs about this."

"Why not?" Jenny said softly.

Abby looked downward and mumbled, "Idontwanthimtoobemadatme…"

"Huh?"

"I don't want Gibbs or Tony to be mad at me." Abby said quietly.

"Honey, why would they be mad at you?" Jen tilted her head to the side.

"Because I couldn't….I couldn't…" Abby felt her chest start to tighten again.

"Abby breathe. Take slow, deep breaths." Jen said slowly and determinedly. Abby closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "You OK?" Jen asked.

"I don't want Gibbs and Tony to be mad that I couldn't keep Chip off me. I don't want them to be ashamed that I let Chip rape me."

"Abby, you didn't let Chip rape you. Did you say 'no'? Did you tell him to stop? Did you want him to stop?"

"Of course I did." Abby cried, "I yelled 'no', I screamed it at him and he did it anyway. I tried to fight him off." Abby's voice caught in her throat.

"Then you didn't let him do anything. You did your best to get him to stop."

"But my best wasn't worth it was it?" Abby cut Jenny off. Jen inhaled sharply and pulled the younger woman into her arms. Abby swiped the tears from her face, "I just can't bring myself to talk about this with Tony or Gibbs." Abby leaned her head on Jenny's shoulder.

"If you can't talk to them about this can Ziva and I?" Jen asked, "They are just concerned and want to know what happened so they can help you." Jen placed her arm around Abby's shoulders.

"If they have to know." Abby closed her eyes, "I just want it all to stop. But I don't know how to get it to stop. How can I get the pain to stop?" Abby looked up at Jenny, her eyes pleading with Jen's.

"It will be alright." Jen soothed, purposely not answering Abby's question, "It will get better."

"I think I just need a few more days." Abby said, hoping that she could get away from everything.

"OK, but know that you don't have to take the time off if you don't want too."

"Thanks." Abby said. Before Abby could continue they were interrupted by Gibbs walking through the Director's door.

"I didn't know you had…company." Gibbs said noticing Abby with the Director.

"It's alright. I'm done. I'm going to go home." Abby said, getting up from where she was sitting.

"Abby you don't have too…" Gibbs started.

"Yes, I do. I need a little more time off." She said, interrupting him. She turned back towards the Director, "You or Ziva don't have to stop by tonight. I think I just want to have some time alone." Abby quietly slipped out of the Directors office and shut the door behind her.

"Are you going to let her be alone tonight?" Gibbs asked as he took Abby's place next to Jen.

"I know she doesn't want me or Ziva to be 'mothering' over her. And she defiantly doesn't want you or Tony there. I can only assume she doesn't even want McGee there. She needs a little space. Ever since…" Jenny stopped herself trying to find the best way to articulate what she was thinking, "We have all been right on top of her every second since she has been back. She needs some space. She needs time to think by herself instead of us trying to get her to talk to us at all times."

"I still don't think she should be alone." Gibbs said. He looked over at Jenny, "Can I call and check up on her?"

"Once or twice." Jen smiled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bullpen

As Abby walked out of the Director's office and into the elevator she was acutely aware of three pairs of eyes watching her.

"Probie. Why was she in the Director's office?" Tony asked throwing a ball of paper at the younger agent.

"Why would I know?" He said turning back to his computer as the elevator doors upstairs closed. He did want to know but he also knew that if he asked Abby she would tell him in private.

"I wonder if the Director is forcing her to go home." Tony theorized.

"Maybe she just needed someone to talk to." Ziva said, filling out paperwork.

"I don't think the Director would force her to go home if she didn't want to." McGee chimed in.

"But after what happened earlier…" Tony said

"I wouldn't send her home just because she had a panic attack." Jen said appearing behind DiNozzo's desk with Gibbs beside her, "She wanted to go home. So I let her. Ziva she asked that neither of us stays over tonight. She just wants to be alone."

"Boss." McGee said.

"She'll be fine." Gibbs said cutting him off.

"Are we sure she's going to be OK alone?" Tony asked, his concern for Abby showing in his voice.

"She needs time alone to figure some things out." Gibbs said sitting behind his desk.

"But Boss…" Tony said.

"She'll be fine." He repeated, "If the only way to help her is to leave her alone then I suggest we all do it." He said, determined to make the team understand that they had to play by her rules.

"OK." Tony said, dejectedly.

"I understand." Ziva nodded.

"But Boss…" McGee started.

"McGee." Gibbs warned. He knew how close the two were but he didn't want to go against Abby's wishes. McGee held Gibbs' glare for a few minutes. McGee was the first to cave as he bent his head back down and continued typing on his computer. Gibbs looked over at Tony and Ziva who quickly started getting back to work. Silently he prayed Jen was right about this, because the repercussions of her being wrong were too vast for him to imagine.