Chapter 3

Abby stood on the porch and took a deep breath, not sure she really wanted to do this, but knowing that she had to. Her hand trembled very slightly as she raised it to press the buzzer, quickly dropping it as if afraid that if he caught her in the act it would be so much worse somehow, she waited tensely for sounds of life on the other side but she heard nothing, she was tempted to turn around and leave but she knew she couldn't do that and so with determination she reached and pressed the buzzer, leaning on it for a few moments, to get his attention.

She didn't have to wait long for the door to swing open suddenly

"What?" Gibbs barked before realising who was at his door, the only concession he offered her was a slight softening of the eyes, but the stare he levelled at her was still hard and cold

"Hi" Abby said trying to keep her voice from cracking under the pressure of that gaze, wishing now she had run like hell, oh well she thought, into the lions den and she ducked under his arm that held open the door

Spinning to face him, hoping he didn't have his gun handy, the mood he was in he was likely to shoot unwanted guests she thought ruefully

Gibbs turned and stared at her for a moment before slowly closing the door and crossing silently to his living room, he ignored Abby as he went through the door to his kitchen.

Abby stood and watched him, sighing looking longingly at the front door before squaring her shoulders and following him into the kitchen, but finding it empty she crossed to the open door on the other side and poked her head down into the basement

"Is it safe to come down, or are you waiting with a shotgun to blast my head off" she called out to Gibbs

"Abby" he called warningly, in no mood for her or anyone, knowing full well though that she wasn't going to go away

"I take it that means no shotgun, cool" she said as she slowly descended the stairs, her eyes growing wide at the sight of his boat

"Cool baby" she said slowly circling it, her hand caressing the smooth wood, she paused and spun round the room before resting her dark gaze on Gibbs

"How are you going to get it out when its finished?" she asked him quizzically "Or do you think its going to take so long that they will have developed teleportation by then?" she asked him seriously, knowing that he had been working on it for years and it was still just a shell.

Gibbs watched her quietly, sipping from a chipped and scarred coffee cup that Abby didn't think actually contained coffee, he grinned slightly

"You're the first person ever brave enough to ask Abs" he said quietly, watching her grin, and slowly find her natural ease with him

"Yep that's me brave and fearless Abby" she grinned at him "That's why they sent me into the lions den" she added with a grin, that Gibbs couldn't help but warm to

"Thought they would send Ducky" Gibbs said thoughtfully reaching up to a shelf and pulling a bottle of Jack down, angling it at Abby in question. Abby looked at him and nodded, grinning

"But I get the cup not the bottle" she told him happily, knowing that there would be no other glasses down here. Gibbs regarded her for a moment then handed over his cup, topping it up slightly first.

"Peachy" she said taking a sip and smiling, walking back to the boat "So how long will this take you, now that you don't have a job?" she asked turning to stare directly at him

Gibbs watched her thinking with admiration she would make a good interrogator, he hadn't expected her to get to the point so quickly.

"A while" was all he said, taking a swig out of the bottle "I have things to do first" he said quietly, knowing that Abby knew exactly why he had quit, knowing that they all did, he didn't work with idiots, only the best.

Abby looked at the bench Gibbs leaned against and slowly pulled herself up so that she was sitting on it, next to him.

"She was my friend too" she said unexpectedly, her dark eyes swimming slightly in unshed tears

Gibbs watched her silently, unsure what to say or where this was going

"I know she was Abby" he said softly, stepping closer to her, and pulling himself up onto the bench next to her

"She would be the last one who would want you to do this" Abby said, her eyes large under her dark fringe "She cared about you Gibbs, she would hate that you're throwing it all away" a tear falling gently onto her top

Gibbs put his arm around Abby and pulled her into his side

"I have to Abby, I can't let it go" he said softly, amazed that this girl woman could make him talk, amazed that he wanted to explain it to her.

"He killed her to get back at me, and because she stood with me, I can't let him get away with it Abby" he said quietly.

Abby laid her head on his shoulder and listened to him, wishing she could make him see that it didn't have to be this way, that it didn't have to cost him everything, knowing though that he wouldn't listen to her, wouldn't listen to anyone. The only thing she could do was let him know that she and others would always be there to help him.

"Cosy" Farnell said as he walked down the stairs, seeing Gibbs and Abby sitting together

"Hope you weren't planning to pass him information Miss Sciuto" Farnell said caustically, knowing that it would needle Gibbs.

""Nope I was planning to feed him grapes and seduce him, but you've ruined my plans now" Abby said happily, choosing to ignore the FBI agent, she turned slightly as she jumped down, pleased to see Gibbs smile slightly at her words

"I'll call you on the decoder phone when I have any hot new leads" she said to Gibbs before knocking back the last of the JD in her cup and heading up the stairs, her long black coat floating like a witches cape behind her

"Interesting woman, if a bit young for you Jethro" Farnell said, reaching for the cup Abby had put down, fascinated that Gibbs had allowed her to use it, seeing if he could get away with it

Gibbs reached it first, his eyes glittering and angry

"What do you want Farnell, or haven't you heard? I quit" he ground out pouring more JD into the cup and handing the bottle to Farnell.

"I heard and that poses me with a problem" Farnell said taking a careful sip and grimacing at the taste, preferring ten year old single malt "You weren't supposed to, you were supposed to ignore orders and get the bastard" Farnell told him carefully.