I NEVER CRY, NEVER EVER.

Abby's Lab. Abby is seated at her desk staring at a piece of paper that is resting on her keyboard.

"Hey Abby. This is the last of the stuff we bagged at the crime scene. Where do you want it?" DiNozzo is so focused on not dropping the boxes he's carrying that it takes him a moment to realise there's no music playing.

"Oh, just leave it over there " she replies unenthusiastically.

"Is something wrong Abby?" Tony enquires with concern. For Abby not to be thrilled at having new evidence to analyse he knows something must be really wrong. She looks up at him and he is stunned to see the mascara tracks caused by tears on her cheeks.

"No! Why would anything be wrong DiNozzo?" She glares at him but even as she does so another tear trickles down her face. Emotional scenes are not something Tony DiNozzo feels at all comfortable with. He would almost rather take on an angry suspect, an irritated Ziva or an annoyed Gibbs than deal with a crying woman but this is Abby, Abby his friend who never cries and he would have to do something to help even if he has no idea what that could be.

"Well. There's no music playing and as a senior field agent my brilliant investigative skills tell me you've been crying." She gives a weak grin. "Is it something Gibbs did?"

"No."

"Ziva?"

"No."

"Probie? I'll head slap him for you if you like."

"No, it wasn't Tim. I was cleaning out my desk today and I found this." She hands him the piece of paper. It is a cartoon of Abby as a bat and he remembers at once the time he first saw it. The time when right here in the lab they discovered Kate's hobby of sketching and saw those she'd done of him and Abby.

"Oh, Tony I know it's only been six months but it still hurts like it was yesterday. I miss her so much." She jumps to her feet and hugs him.

"Me too Abs. Me too." They pull apart. "I could get it framed for you if you'd like? Maybe Gibbs could do it."

"Thanks Tony. That's a great idea. Now show me what evidence goodies you've got for me."

Smiling now she begins to examine the evidence as Tony makes a mental note to ask Gibbs about the framing the very next time he sees him.