Tony stood at Abby's door, knocking hard. It was a few hours after they had left for the day and he decided that he couldn't just let what Abby had done or said slide like that. After what felt like forever, he knocked again. "Jesus, Tony!" Abby exclaimed once she answered. "Why don't you knock harder? I don't think you disturbed my neighbor upstairs."
"Yes, he did!" called a voice from above them. Abby smirked with a surprised face.
"Sorry!" Tony called up. "Can I come in now?" he asked Abby. She stepped aside to let him enter. He saw that she already had some boxes spread around her living room but they all appeared to still be empty. "Are you really going?"
She looked around at the boxes in the room as well. "Yeah, I am. Mom's aunt's cousin works at an FBI field office down there. He's been offering me a job for years. Said he would hire me whenever I found myself in need. And I'm in need."
"It's a little soon isn't it? I mean, a week to pack up everything and leave?"
Abby shrugged and lightly smiled. "I work better under pressure."
He stepped up closer to her and put his hand on her arm. "I don't want you to go. I don't want to lose another member of this family." She reached over and hugged him tight. "You heard me and Tim the other night, didn't you?"
"Yeah," she mumbled into his shoulder. "I didn't know things were so bad for you two."
"They aren't bad, Abbs. Not really. You're the only bright spot we have most of the time. Without you…I don't know how we'll get by."
She pulled back. "You'll be fine. No more fighting. Everyone will be happy again."
Tony started feeling angry at her outright deniability. She knew things wouldn't be better. She had to. "Gibbs won't be happy."
"Don't, Tony."
"What the hell was that about earlier?" It came out sharper than it meant to, but he was losing control of his anger quickly.
"Tony, please-".
"No, Abby. You're gonna tell me. You straight up lied to Gibbs' face earlier. Why didn't you tell him the truth?"
"I don't know."
"Abby!"
"I don't know, Tony! I just couldn't say it. He looked upset and I already hurt him so much."
"And you thinking lying is the way to go? That he won't be hurt when he finds out? This is ridiculous, Abby! You cant hide this from him. You have to tell him!"
"I will." She turned to walk away.
"When?" he asked following her into the kitchen.
"I don't know."
"You gonna wait until your last day?"
"I don't know."
"You're on the plane?"
"Tony, I don't know."
"Or just wait for him to figure it out when you don't come back?"
"I don't know! I don't know, Tony! I don't know what the hell to do!" Her voice cracked and she slumped against the wall. She started shaking and sobbing. Tony stood frozen in place. She slid down the wall to the floor and looked up at him. "I don't know…" she whimpered.
"You need to figure it out. Time's running short, Abbs." He turned and headed back out her door. Once it was shut, he leaned his back against the door. He could hear Abby crying from out in the hallway and his heart broke but he couldn't go back in there. He was mad at her and if he went back in there he would just end up making things worse. He needed time to cool off. He momentarily hesitated at the sound of Abby still crying, before heading back out of the building.
Half way home his cell phone rang. "What?" he barked into it.
"You talk to her?" McGee asked over the line.
"Yeah, we talked."
"And? What did she say."
Tony sighed. "She needs time to tell him."
"But she will tell him?"
"God, I hope so."