Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, its characters, or its script.
Spoilers: Escaped
A/N: Sorry I couldn't post last night! My internet was down until a few minutes ago. Hopefully it will be okay tomorrow.
Enjoy!
---

"Paulson could be after any one of a half dozen witnesses," Michelle says to Abby while sorting out evidence in her lab. "I've never seen a convicted felon file so many appeals. It's an abuse of the system."
"We're all entitled to our day in court," Abby states.
"Not according to Agent Gibbs."

Everyone knew that Michelle was newer to NCIS than most others. But everyone - even the newest probies - should know how guarding and protective Gibbs is of Abby, and how sensitive and defensive Abby is of Gibbs.

Apparently, Agent Lee never got the memo.

"I've been going over his case files, he seems to prefer a more…biblical approach to things. If you ask me, the agency's better off without him."

'WHAT?!' Abby slams down the next file in her hand and turns to the lawyer. She crosses her arms.
"Oh," Lee says, surprised, and looking a bit afraid.
"I like you, Michelle, so I'm just gonna' pretend that you didn't say that." Even with her large, protruding belly, Abby still looked threatening. "NCIS is lucky to have Gibbs back."
"Except he's not staying."
"You do realize-"
"You can kill me without leaving any forensic evidence behind? Yeah, you mentioned that."

"Good then. Settled. Gibbs is staying. He has to. Right, Gibbs?"

Gibbs stands in the doorway, holding a black coffee for himself, and a healthier decaf for Abby. He has absolutely no idea how Abby knew he was standing there. A spectator would consider the theory of her having another pair of eyes, but no one could be sure.

Maybe it's just because 'A pregnant woman knows all.'

Abby puts the picture of Gibbs back up on the screens. "What've you got for me Abby?" Gibbs asks.
"Paulson's fingerprints on the gun case and on McGee's computer."

"And he's also visited over a dozen people-search sites. I think he's looking for someone."
'Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious.' Abby's eyes moved to the ceiling as blew on her bangs in an annoyed manner.

'Ya' don't say?' "Yeah," Gibbs responds, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "I got that part."

Gibbs may be a bit dependent on others when it comes to technology, but he was no moron.
That was clear. Crystal, in fact.

"No names yet, but I'm using the FBI's mainframe to decrypt the search-"Abby says, and at that moment, a message appeared on her screen saying 'Decryption Complete'. "Huh. you always did have really good timing."

"Mickey! Where the hell is Mickey, you tramp!" an old woman yelled from the computer screen.
"Mickey isn't here," Abby tells her, then shuts the window.
"It's Mickey's online playmate," Abby explains to Gibbs. "She keeps breaking through my firewall."

"Russel Nash," Gibbs reads off of the screen.
"Apparently," Lee begins, "he's-"
"The only accomplice Paulson didn't kill."
"Yeah, and the one he really should have; Nash copped a plea and testified against Paulson. Paulson got life and Nash walked in eighteen months. Skipped out on his parole, hasn't been seen since."

"If the money was never found," Abby says, "then maybe Paulson is looking for Nash because he thinks that Nash has the money."

"Or maybe Paulson is looking for something a little more…" Gibbs turns to Michelle. "Biblical."
---
Later…

"Unless we find someone more familiar with the Paulson case, it'll take us days just to catch up to speed. Much less anticipate Paulson's next move," Lee says in the bullpen.
"Relax, Gibbs brought in Mickey Stokes," The Director assures, seeing Gibbs walk out of the elevator with Mickey. "No one knows Paulson better than him."

"Is he even a lawyer?" Lee asks.
"Well, we can't all be lawyers, Agent Lee," Tony comments.

"So what changed your mind about my boy?" Mickey questions Gibbs as they make their way to the elevator.
"Who said I changed my mind?" Gibbs asks. "If Paulson was framed, then we need to find out how."
"Thank you. I've waited a long time for someone to listen."
"Don't thank me just yet," Gibbs says, "the jury had two weeks, they didn't buy that Paulson was framed."

The elevator doors open to reveal a glowingly beautiful Abby. She's wearing the outfits that she would usually wear before her pregnancy, mini-skirt and all - minus the platforms that would no doubt be painful for someone as far along as her. Or anyone else for that matter. In their place are softer, more comfortable flat sole slip-ons.

"You have one day to convince our forensic scientist otherwise," Gibbs states.

"You must be Mickey," Abby says to the man.
After his eye's finish trailing over her long legs, pregnant stomach, and breasts, Mickey responds, "I'll be whoever you want me to be," Mickey responds, then takes her hand and kisses the back of it.

"You'll be just fine, Mickey." Not only did Gibbs' overprotective sense kick in, but his jealousy registered as well. Because of these two things, the words ended up being growled.

Abby, too amused to pass up the invitation, signs to him.

*My, my, Gibbs, did you just growl?*

Abby smiles mischievously at him then, before Gibbs can respond, she turns to enter the elevator with Stokes.
"I like your outfit," he did indeed appreciate the view.
"Thank you," Abby smiles at him.

Gibbs' features form an amused look after he turns away to return to the bullpen.

"My dog has a collar like that…"

That evening...

Due to Gibbs house being on sale since his retirement to Mexico, he had no place to stay. And Fornell offered Emily's room, since she was at his mother's. Sadly, Tobias could not afford a house with a guest bedroom because of his marrying Gibbs' ex-wife - whom Gibbs had strongly warned him about.

After they had the discussion about the case, and the possibility of them having made a mistake four years prior in the Paulson case, Gibbs seems to be distraught about something else.

"Jethro," Fornell begins, "Is there something bothering you?" Gibbs glares at him. "Other than the case, I mean."

'You fathering Abby's baby? Nah, I'm just fucking fine with that.' "Do you really think I'm going to talk to you about it, Tobias?"
"Come on," Fornell says, "No one can keep secrets in a room filled with pink, stuffed animals pink," Tobias looks around the room, "and Strawberry Shortcake memorabilia."

Gibbs would have chuckled had he not been so pissed.
"Nothing's bothering me," he would have sounded more powerful if he wasn't sitting on a floral, pink bedspread when he'd said it.

But he was.

"Do you know who the father of Abby's baby is?"
Tobias analyzed Gibbs for a moment before answering. "No. Did you expect me to know?"
Now how should he say this… It was a difficult situation for him to go through without falling out of his tough, confident, and always-knows-something-before-you-do exterior. 'Just say it, Marine!' "Did you sleep with Abby?"

"What?!" Fornell was genuinely shocked. "You- you think that I - Tobias Fornell, of the FBI, whom you've known for several years - fathered your favorite lab rat's child?! What kind of drugs do they have in Mexico, for God's sake?!"

That was all Gibbs needed to hear.

After a few minutes of pacing , Tobias sat back down. "I know that you really like that woman, Jethro, I'd never take her from you," It seemed to Gibbs that Fornell knew a little more about something than he was letting on. "Honestly, did you really think that?"

Gibbs smirks, but sighs in relief on the inside. "Nah."

---
The next day…

…
"The only thing I'm missing right now is Happy Hour at Carlos' Cantina." And with that, Gibbs goes into the autopsy level elevator, and picks Abby's floor. She'd heard what he just said via the video chat 'doo-dah'.

Gibbs folds his arms behind his head, looks at the ceiling, and flips the 'Emergency Stop' switch. 'What the hell is going on?!'. He'd come back from Mexico to help Ziva, found out that Abby was nearly nine months pregnant, succeeded in helping Ziva, left for Mexico again, got a call from Fornell, and came back.

It's so different just because Abby is pregnant. Abby…is pregnant. Abby… is pregnant. Pregnant! He'd missed so much just because he became weak and solved his problems by running away.

He remembered a time when Abby had told him something poetic, that he knew he'd never forget.

'The only time you should run is if you're chasing after something.'

He never thought he'd have to use that saying against himself.
But he ran away, and he had to face the consequences.

He flipped the switch again and continued his descent to her lab.
===

"You are security, right?" Abby asks NCIS Security on her cordless desk phone while pacing around her lab. "Don't let Gibbs leave the building!…I already told you why, Tom."

"Abby," Gibbs calls, entering the lab.
"Never-mind, false alarm," Abby says quickly into her phone then hangs up. She goes over to Gibbs and hugs him tightly. "Gibbs! Oh my God, I was sure you'd be half way to Mexico by now."

Gibbs feels something cold and metallic clamp around his wrist. Abby holds up both of their hands, now joined by handcuffs. "Sorry," she says, "you're a flight risk."
"Abby!"

It's not like he wasn't enjoying it, though. He'd imagined being handcuffed to Abby many times.

But with less clothing.

"We're gonna' figure out this case Gibbs, we always do," she assures him.

"You already figured it out?"
"No, but you're going to. I wanna' know how Paulson knows."
"Knows what?" she asks.
"Everything," Gibbs uses his hands to gesture a large area. "Everything that we seem to."

Abby smiles brightly and hugs him, momentarily forgetting that their hands were joined.
Gibbs grunts in pain as his hand is twisted around his neck.

Even though his shoulder hurt like hell, he did enjoy the hug.