A/N: Okay, I am really really sorry that I haven't posted in forever. See, I had an emotional breakdown because of my mother about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Amazingly, I wasn;t really punished too much. All she did was tell me I can't use the computer, and that was because all the things I was feeling (rejection, anger, hatred, pain, depression... Yeah, all of those horrible things...) I was also posting on the internet. Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled. So, naturally, I am sneaking on here whenever I can so that I can post for you guys. It may be awhile before the next post. I promise that I'm working on typing Chapter 4... Oh, and on True Colours? My mother burnt all of the things that I had left to type on it, so I have to start over from the last bit of posted stuff... Sorry!

Abby sighed as she lifted her head to look at Kate, Tony and Ducky. God, how lucky was she? First there was her best friend, Kate. Abby knew that Kate thought of her as more like the sister she never had. The feeling was mutual. Abby would do anything for Kate, even if it meant forfeiting her own life. And then there was Tony, her substitute younger brother. Ironically enough, Tony was actually older than her... Well, based on chronology anyways. As for Ducky, he was- for all practical purposes- the perfect daddy. Her biological dad- well, she didn't want to think about that. And then her stepfather had been abusive... among other things. Ducky had filled the gap- and so much more. Abby wasn't sure what would have happened to her if it hadn't been for Ducky. She suspected that it had been Ducky who had convinced Gibbs to hire her. Which brought her to her boss... Gibbs was probably the only member of the team that she didn't know exactly how she felt about. On the one hand, he was an amazing boss who also knew how to treat her like a person and a friend. Yet Abby couldn't help but feel like she wanted more. Until recently, she had only subconsciously liked him as anything other than a friend. But about a week ago- if even- she had figured out that she just might be feeling something more. She didn't dare to tell anyone, for fear of the rumour spreading and getting back to him. God, what would he think?

"Abbs...?" Gibbs looked worriedly at his lab rat and took away his hand. She looked deep in thought, but she still managed to remain virtually expressionless. God, how did she do that?

Abby forced herself to come back to earth. "Yeah, sorry... Um, what were we talking about?"

Kate and Tony exchanged nervous glances with Ducky. What in the hell was going on?

"Abbs," began Gibbs gently. "You were about to explain to us exactly what had happened."

"Oh... yeah... I was, wasn't I?" She was chickening out already, and if they would only let her stall for another five minutes or so, she would be able to get out of it.

But Gibbs could tell what was about to happen and quickly corrected it. "Abbs, you know we only want to help you. And we can't do that unless you tell us what happened in the first place..." She sat there, not moving and looking as though she was about to bolt. "Come on..." He decided that having his hand on her shoulder certainly wasn't hurting anything, and at any rate it would stop her from running away.

'Oh, what the hell!' thought Abby as she contemplated the worried expressions on her friends' faces. Maybe she could manipulate the situation a little and make it seem like it was just casual thing. "Well, I guess it's nothing really. I mean, it was just a one time thing and I swear it won't ever happen again, but I was-" Abby realized she was babbling and talking much faster than usual. She took a deep breath and started again. "Okay, so I was at a bar with a friend last night, but I didn't get drunk because I knew I had to work today. Anyways this friend needed-" Abby's cell phone rang and she quickly pulled it out of her pocket. Glancing quickly at the number on the screen, she knew that no one could overhear this conversation.

She stepped into a corner, away from the prying eyes of her co-workers and lowered her voice. "Hello?... Uh-huh... Yeah, okay I know..."

Gibbs could only hear Abby's end of the conversation, but he knew it was definitely not one she wanted to be having in front of all of them, which- naturally- only made him even more curious.

"God, I'm trying to tell them, okay?... Yeah, I know, but I can't while I'm on the damn phone!" Abby yelled the last part so loud that the rest of the lab technicians on the floor could probably hear her too. She slammed her phone shut, her eyes blazing.

"Abby, what was that all about?" Tony looked carefully at her. He had never heard Abby raise her voice to anyone- especially not at work.

She looked over at them as though only just realizing that she wasn't alone. "That? Oh... I was just- Um, I mean- Well, see I ordered some stuff off of the internet and it was supposed to come today and I only bought it because- Well, I mean, it'll be fun to mess around with, but I actually bought it to speed up my computer and help you guys solve the cases faster. It turns out that it won't be here for at least another two weeks... Maybe even more..."

Tony gave her a sceptical look. Nobody was really buying her cover story, but they were all too concerned to say anything.

Well, everyone but Gibbs, who seemed oblivious to the fact that Abby wasn't quite feeling up to telling them. "Okay, how about the truth Abbs?"

"Th-the truth? What do you mean the truth? I am telling the truth!"

Gibbs looked pointedly at her.

She glanced nervously at them all. Oh God, here it came- she was going to be fired... at best. "After we left the bar last night, I invited him home with me because he doesn't live here, but he's looking to move. At about ten thirty or eleven o'clock, I started feeling a little tired, so I went upstairs to put on my pyjamas." She paused to take a deep breath. "So apparently I left my bedroom door open while I was getting changed. Anyways, I was just about to throw on my shirt when he came in and..." Oh God, she was so damn screwed... She cleared her throat and continued. "Well, I never quite got to finish putting on my pyjamas." Okay, well, her plan to make this into nothing hadn't quite worked, but hopefully nobody would criticize her.

The room was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. Of course, no one had a death-by-Gibbs wish, so no pins were dropped.

Finally, Ducky spoke up. "Abby my dear, just what are you trying to tell us?"

Gibbs sat silently, knowing what was coming... He also feared that he knew what had really happened. God, poor Abby! And Ducky didn't get it? Gibbs looked carefully at his long-time friend. So, Ducky just wanted to hear Abby say it? What the hell was he thinking? Hadn't she suffered enough? Obviously this was tearing her to pieces inside.

"I- I don't- I mean, I-" She was annoyed at herself for stuttering. "Oh honestly! I had sex, okay?"