Okay. I got a challenge to write an Abby/McGee fic…ugh. ::shudders:: Not the kind of thing I'd normally be caught writing, at all. Usually, in my fics, McGee's the bad guy! But, the perk is, I'm the author, so I can write this however I want. So I'm going to do things MY way… hey, maybe I can still make McGee the bad guy! Yay! Remember to review, please.
So much for my happy ending…
Abby stood just inside her lab, leaning against the wall. She could barely believe what she had just seen… of all the days to come in to work early; maybe she should have stopped off at the café for tea like she usually did. But she had decided not to… how could this have happened? How could he do this to her?
The picture seemed stuck in her mind, McGee and that girl. She didn't even know who the other girl was, and at the moment she didn't care. Why had she been here, though? Must have come to see him at work… McGee would know when Abby usually came in; maybe this happened often. All she knew was that she had stood and watched as they talked softly to each other, as they flirted, as they kissed, as McGee promised to see her later. Abby hadn't stuck around much longer, fleeing to the relative security of her lab.
What was the worst, really, is she had gotten a pretty good look at the girl. Blonde, tan, good figure and, she had to admit, quite pretty. She had been wearing a tight pink shirt and tight jeans… Abby wouldn't be caught dead in an outfit like that, and she'd readily admit it. This girl seemed to be everything she wasn't. She knew she was…different, not like most girls. McGee had always seemed to accept that, even like it, and it hurt to think that he really didn't.
So much for my happy ending…
Hearing someone coming, she pushed herself off the wall and occupied herself at her computer, turning on her music and grabbing her lab coat off her chair. She had moved just in time, in her opinion; McGee walked in about two seconds later. "Hey Abs," he said casually.
"Hey," she replied, her voice sounding monotone even to her. McGee didn't seem to notice this, though, or at least didn't acknowledge it, coming up behind her and putting his arms around her. She tensed involuntarily, squirming away from him before she could stop herself. He looked at her strangely, and she slipped into her lab coat as an excuse for something to do. Taking a deep breath, she turned to him, deciding to go ahead and get it over with.
"McGee? I think maybe we need to talk."
Let's talk this over,
It's not like we're dead.
Was it something I did?
Was it something you said?
"Okay," he said, leaning back against a table. "What about?"
"Well…um…I… did I do something wrong?" she asked him uncertainly, staring at the floor as she spoke.
"Well, no. What makes you think that, Abby?"
Ignoring his question, she asked another one of her own. "Are you mad at me?"
"No. Why…"
"Is there something you don't like about me? Something you want to change about me?"
He hesitated on this before answering a bit uncertainly "No."
"Are you sure?" Abby asked, noticing the hesitation in his voice.
"Well…nobody's perfect, Abs. But you are the way you are. I like you."
She looked up at him now, looking him in the eyes for a moment. "Do you?" she asked softly before looking away.
Don't leave me hangin'
In a city so dead,
Held up so high
On such a breakable thread.
"Abby, what is this about?" McGee asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off.
"You don't know?" she said incredulously, shaking her head. "Or are you just acting again?"
"Abby, what are you talking about?"
Abby shook her head. He was really good at this, acting very convincingly like he really didn't know what was going on. Unfortunately, at least for him, she could see him fidgeting, avoiding eye contact. She knew he was perfectly aware of what she was talking about, and hoped that maybe she would drop it. Which she was highly tempted to do… but she couldn't just leave this off like this.
"McGee…I know about…her." She sighed slightly. "The other girl."
You were all the things I thought I knew,
And I thought we could be.
"Abby…I…there…there is no other girl, Abs," he told her, purposely using her pet name. "There's only you." He moved to hug her, but she pushed him away.
"Stop it! Stop lying to me! I saw the two of you! Outside, just five minutes ago." Seeing his uncertainty, she sighed. "I saw you kiss her. You told her you'd see her right after work. I saw it, McGee. So please, don't lie to me."
He looked at her for a long moment before turning away. "What do you expect me to say, Abby?"
"I don't expect anything. I just…why?" She looked at him. "Why didn't you tell me? Am I not good enough for you?"
He sighed. "You wouldn't understand."
You were everything, everything
That I wanted.
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it.
All of our memories so close to me
Just fade away.
All this time you were pretending,
So much for my happy ending.
So much for my happy ending.
"What wouldn't I understand? Try me."
"It's just…everyone says… Abby, you're different. Okay? You know that."
"Yeah…I guess I am…" she admitted softly, staring at the floor.
"Yeah. And…you want a lot, Abby, and haven't given too much in return, he told her, speaking with surprising calmness.
"What haven't I given you? I gave you my love, I gave you my time…you've stayed in my house…" she shook her head. "Just because I'm not ready to give you everything, I don't give much?"
"You're a difficult person to understand… you're just difficult all around, really," he pointed out.
Abby looked up at him for a second before resuming her examination of the floor. "Is that you talking?" She sighed. "How long have you been hiding this from me? How long have you been hiding her?"
"Michelle and I met a month ago," he said, emotions apparently gone as he just stated the facts.
"Her name's Michelle?" She nodded slightly. "Nice name. Nice girl, from the look of it… pretty. Normal." She looked at him, almost pointedly. "Not gothic."
"No, she's not gothic."
You've got your dumb friends,
I know what they say:
They tell you I'm difficult,
But so are they;
But they don't know me,
Do they even know you?
All the things you hide from me,
All the shit that you do.
McGee sighed, looking at Abby for a moment. She really looked dejected, obviously quite upset about the situation. He took a step towards her, wrapping his arms lightly around her. "Abs…"
She tensed in his embrace. "Don't call me that," she told him, pulling away. "Please, just…go…"
McGee stared at her for a moment before sighing, turning and walking out of the lab, leaving Abby standing there with her arms wrapped around herself, holding back tears.
You were all the things I thought I knew,
And I thought we could be.
It took Abby a good few minutes to pull herself together…if that was the proper term. She sat down at the computer, turning up her music to blasting, and then stood again, grabbed a tray of test tubes, and attacked her work with a vengeance. Anything to keep her mind occupied.
She had no idea how much time passed - could have been minutes, could have been hours - before Gibbs and Kate walked in.
"Hey, Abs, got anything on that blood sample yet?" Gibbs asked, handing her a cup of coffee, which she took willingly.
"Not yet; I'll put it on top of the priority list," she said, scanning through the test tubes before finding the right one. "Give me maybe an hour at most."
Gibbs nodded and smiled at her. "Thanks, Abs. I'll be back for it." He turned to leave, but Kate hovered, looking at Abby curiously.
"Are you okay, Abby?" she asked, seeming a bit concerned.
"I'm fine," she replied, keeping her eyes on her work.
"You sure? You seem a bit down."
You were everything, everything
That I wanted.
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it.
All of our memories so close to me
Just fade away.
All this time you were pretending,
So much for my happy ending.
"Are you okay, Abby?" she asked, seeming a bit concerned.
"I'm fine," she replied, keeping her eyes on her work.
"You sure? You seem a bit down."
"Yeah, I'm…" Abby glanced up in time to see McGee walking by the window, chasing after Gibbs to tell him something or other. She sighed sadly, looking back at what she was doing. "I'm fine."
Kate followed her gaze, nodding knowingly. "Having a little relationship turmoil?"
"More than just a little. It's over."
It's nice to know that you were there,
Thanks for acting like you care
And making me feel like I was the only one.
It's nice to know we had it all,
Thanks for watching as I fall
And letting me know we were done.
"Oh, Abby. What happened?" Kate asked, walking over to stand beside her friend.
"I…I don't want to talk about it," Abby said hesitantly, looking at Kate. "Not right now, okay?"
Kate put an arm gently around her shoulders. "Of course. You don't have to tell me now. Just whenever you feel like talking…know I'll be willing to listen."
Abby smiled slightly. "Thanks, Kate." She sighed slightly, looking back out the window at McGee, who had managed to stop Gibbs and was apparently boring him with whatever they were discussing. "I really thought he might be the one, you know?" she asked, as Kate nodded sympathetically. "He seemed like everything that I wanted…"
He was everything, everything
That I wanted.
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it.
All of our memories so close to me
Just fade away.
All this time you were pretending,
So much for my happy ending.
Kate looked at her for a moment, not sure what to say to comfort her. "You'll find someone else…I guess it just wasn't meant to be."
"I guess… but I really thought… I really thought it was." She shook her head sadly. "Was that so stupid of me?"
"No! Of course not," Kate insisted firmly. "It wasn't stupid at all, Abby."
Abby sighed. "Then why do I feel so stupid?" She stood silent for a moment before turning back to the blood sample she had to test. "I should probably get to work…I promised Gibbs this in an hour."
Kate nodded, giving the girl one last around-the-shoulders hug. As she turned to leave, she glanced back over her shoulder at Abby. "Remember what I said…if you feel like you need to talk later, I'll be glad to listen."
"I know. Thanks, Kate."
You were everything, everything
That I wanted.
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it.
All of our memories so close to me
Just fade away.
All this time you were pretending,
So much for my happy ending.
Abby watched Kate walk out of the lab, stood staring at the door for a moment, and then shook her head and moved to get to work. And to think, this day had started out pretty well; just about an hour ago she'd been in a great mood. It was funny how these things could change so quickly.
So much for my happy ending…
After a few minutes, Abby glanced out the window, out of more curiosity than anything. Gibbs was gone, having escaped from McGee a while ago, but McGee still stood there, leaning back against the wall and staring at the ceiling as though he found it very interesting. Abby assumed he was supposed to be in helping her, but she also found it safe to assume that he'd be avoiding her for a while…and she, likewise, would avoid him. With a small sigh, she turned her attention fully to her work, but not before muttering sadly "Well, so much for my happy ending…"
So much for my happy ending…