Title: I Think He Needs His Abby
Summary: Tim calls Abby to tell her that she needs to come home. Gibbs is struggling and Tim thinks that maybe, Gibbs needs his Abby.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Written on request…a long time coming.
Tim had noticed it almost right away. It had happened slowly, and it was only after Abby left that he really noticed it. It had started with Morrow; ended with Jack.
"Hello?" He had waited until it was late afternoon in Washington to call London. He wanted to make sure he didn't wake Abby.
"Hey, Abby? It's Tim." He said, he'd been so happy to hear her voice.
"Timmy! How are you?" She asked, she sounded the same but different, it wasn't a squealy Abby that spoke to him. It was grown up Abby.
"I'm good. Have you spoken to Tony lately?" He asked.
"Yeah, just last week. We're only an hour different so it's easy." She said.
"How's Tali?" He asked.
"She's growing so fast! I told him to send a video to you." She told him.
"I'll look out for it." He promised.
"What's up, Tim? You sound confused." She said, she could always tell.
"How do you do it? Well, I'm calling for a favour." He said.
"Anything, ask and if I can it will be done." She had always been the one that he could rely on. And he really hoped he was doing the right thing.
"Gibbs is struggling. He is losing us one by one and I don't think he's dealing too well with it. After Quinn left and you and Tony, I think it's like the kids are growing up and leaving home…he's not doing too well. After Tony left, he still had you. Then Quinn, but you were still around. And finally, you left for Europe. I think…I think he needs his Abby." Tim said.
"Well…His Abby is on her way! First red-eye to Washington. I'll call you with the details." Abby chirped, sounding a bit more like the old Abby.
Abby set her coffee cup down and looked across the breakfast bar to the tall, green-eyed man who stood in front of her. He sipped his coffee one last time and sighed heavily.
"I'm not sure how I feel about this new look for you, Abs." He said.
"I can't be goth all my life, can I? Besides, I like it." Abby replied. She wasn't dressed in her usual black and red, today it was blue jeans, a dusty red t-shirt and flat white trainers.
"So, tell me again what McGee said…Gibbs needs you." He said.
"Needs someone, Tony. Timmy said Gibbs is struggling with everybody leaving. Tim said he might need 'his Abby'." Abby said. Tony laughed.
"It sounds like he needs you, Abs. Not me. I'm not his Abby. You were the one that kept him together after I left." He said.
"He knows why you left, Tony. You had to look after Tali." Abby pointed out.
"I could have done that in DC." He said.
"So why come to Paris?" She asked.
"Ziva always liked Paris. And this isn't Israel or America. We are free and clear of our families. Well, Senior visits every now and then. But otherwise, it's just us." Tony said.
"Where is Ziva?" Abby asked.
"She's not here yet. She knows where we are but she's not here." Tony said, but Abby picked up on the note of sadness in his voice.
"Tony, what are you not telling me?" She asked.
"I got notification from the Israeli Embassy – Ziva's been…" he dropped his voice, "shot…died on the way to the hospital." He said.
"Oh, Tony." Abby frowned.
"It's ok, Abs. Really. It still hurts and I'm devastated, but I have to be strong for Tali." Tony said, she could tell that Tony was trying to sound like he wasn't letting it affect him, but it did.
"Should I tell Gibbs?" Abby asked.
"You can if you like, but I think that might just break him." Tony said honestly. They talked for another hours before Tony said she'd better go if she wanted to make her flight.
"I'll call you when I land." Abby promised, as she hugged him to say goodbye.
"Please." Tony smiled as they stepped back from one another.
Abby stood at Gibbs' front door, waiting for the courage to open his door. She knew he was there; his car was in the driveway. She had asked Tim to call and ask if he wanted company. He said he didn't but that proved he was home. Taking a deep breath and thinking of how Tony would just walk in, she plastered a smile on her face and opened the door.
"McGee! I said I didn't need any company!" Gibbs' voice shouted from the basement. Abby remember she wasn't wearing her platforms and hadn't for months – so of course he couldn't tell it wasn't McGee. She simply ignored him and made her way down into the basement.
"Didn't you hear me, McGee? I said I don't-" He froze as the unexpected voice the finished his sentence.
"Want any company. I heard you, Gibbs. But I'm not McGee." He looked at her as if hadn't seen her before. And in honesty, he hadn't seen her – not dressed like this.
"Abby?" He breathed, unable to grasp that his surrogate daughter – not Kelly's replacement but someone who meant almost as much – was standing in his basement.
"Hey, Gibbs." She smiled.
He huffed out a laugh, "where's the black, the skulls, the boots…your pigtails?"
"It was time for a change. What do you think?" She asked.
"I think I'll miss the old Abby…but I like this one." He nodded in approval, "What are you doing here? Wait…McGee?"
"He was worried about you. Said you might be having a hard time with everyone leaving." Abby explained.
"It is difficult. I mean…the replacements weren't all bad but it was hard to adjust. I mean Kasie is doing a wonderful job…but she's not you. Torres is good at his job, but he's not Tony. I guess I'm thinking too much on it. I mean it's not like you're dead. I could always call you or Tony if I needed to talk." Gibbs said.
"I don't think I've heard you say that much, ever." Abby grinned, "and I'm the same girl I was. I've just grown up a little." Gibbs looked her up and down. Yes, he reasoned, she has grown up. He still felt like a father to her and he knew that he always would. His little girl had come home and he couldn't help but embrace her tightly.
"You know you'll have to talk to someone. I'm always a phone call away, as is Tony. I'm sure he'll listen if you ask him to." Abby said. Gibbs shrugged.
"He's got a daughter now, and Ziva. A family." Gibbs said, sounding maybe just a little annoyed. Almost as if he were angry at the fact that he had let Tony go.
"Yeah…but if you get the time right – Tali could be asleep. And Tony told me that he got contacted by the Israeli Embassy…Ziva's gone." Abby said.
"Gone? Ziva?" He gasped.
"Yeah. Tony's devastated but he's holding strong for Tali." Abby said.
"Ziva was such a strong woman. Unbreakable. I can't believe it." Gibbs said.
"Perhaps she just wasn't strong enough for this." Abby said.
"I just can't believe it. Ziva…" Gibbs felt his knees start to buckle.
"Gibbs? Look at me. I'm here. You have a team that cares. Timmy, Torres, Ellie – you've got Kasie and Jimmy. And the Duckman. They all love and care for you. They are all there to help you and take care of you." Abby reminded him.
"But it's not their job." Gibbs sighed.
"It never had to be. It doesn't have to be our job, but we do it because we love you." Abby said, "and even if Tony and I are miles away, we still love you and we will help you in any way we can." Abby said.
"What did McGee tell you…when he asked you to come? What did he say?" Gibbs asked.
"He said that you were struggling and that perhaps you needed 'your Abby'. He told me that he thought you needed me. Your Abby."
"Well…I say he was right. I'll always needed my Abby. And occasionally…my Tony." Gibbs said, honestly.
"And we'll always be right here with you to help in anyway we can. You can count on that, Bossman." Abby grinned, embracing him again tightly and like she used to hug him. Like he remembers from before she left, from before Clayton. And he hoped she never lost that.