Chapter 26

Liz smiled her thanks once more at the doctor, who had told them that Abby would be fine in a day or two. She was suffering from exhaustion and exposure but other than her arm had no lasting damage. Abby was scheduled for surgery in the morning to re-set the arm, but again doctor had assured them she would be fine. Liz smiled at the relief on McGee's face and wondered about the history there. Abby certainly had a fan club going Liz thought to herself. As she and McGee walked back towards Abby's room she turned and smiled at McGee

"I think we should go and rescue Tony" she said grinning at the mental image she had of Tony being locked in a room with Shirleen for too long. McGee looked at Liz out of the corner of his eyes.

"I don't" he said straight faced, Liz kept walking but grinned again

"Issues McGee?" she asked sweetly, pretty sure she knew the answer.

"No, just pay back" McGee replied, a wicked grin breaking free from his normally worried look.

Liz laughed at the way McGee looked, a cross between a naughty school boy and the class geek. "well you get to choose, go rescue Tony or go interrupt Gibbs with Abby" she warned him, laughing out loud at the look of dismay that crossed McGee's face "Tony" he stuttered, knowing he would live through that, not sure anyone would live through the current Gibbs.

"Ok then" Liz said, totally unconcerned about Gibbs's reaction.

As they approached Abby's door McGee shot Liz a worried frown but didn't stop, instead he hurried down the hallway to find Tony, out of dangers way.

Liz smiled as she watched him hurry away, and then gave a quick knock on the door before entering.

Liz stopped in the doorway when she saw Abby alone and crying. She crossed over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it.

"Hey, he isn't that bad is he?" she asked Abby teasingly, her expression and voice gentle. Abby slowly sat up, wiping her eyes with her good hand. Liz reached across to the bedside cabinet and pulled out a tissue, handing it to Abby.

"Who?" Abby asked wiping her eyes and blowing her nose loudly and making Liz smile slightly.

"The great and hunky Gibbs" Liz replied, handing another tissue over and taking the used one off of Abby, before crossing the room and tossing it in the waste bin. When she turned back she found Abby staring at her.

"You think he's hunky?" Abby muttered, a frown on her face at the thought that Liz might fancy Gibbs

"Yeah, don't you?" Liz replied, pretty sure that Abby did. Abby just stared at her, her tears forgotten as she thought about what Liz had just said. Then she grinned

"Yep, he is a total silver haired hot fox" she said with a small smile, just before her eyes darkened again, "and he hates me" she whispered to Liz.

Liz crossed over and sat back down, automatically putting her arm around Abby

"I doubt that hon." Liz told her sincerely, "I doubt he could ever hate you" she said as she hugged Abby for a moment. As she pulled away she smiled softly at Abby "Gonna tell me what happened?" she asked gently. Liz sat, and listened quietly as Abby told her about Gibbs, Ari, Kate and the confusion she felt.

…………………………………………….

Gibbs stormed out of Abby's room, knowing that he had to get out or scare her with his reaction. Gibbs stormed down the hall, his anger fuelling his pace. As he rounded the corner Tony ran smack into him.

"Hey Boss" Tony said, stepping back and brushing his jacket "how's Abby? Not fallen in love with Ari has she?" Tony said jokingly. Gibbs saw red, his hand coming up and grabbing Tony around the throat, pushing him back against the wall and squeezing very slightly.

"Don't be so bloody stupid." Gibbs enunciated carefully, his face just inch's from Tony's, his eyes hard and cold. Tony tried to gulp but gave up at the pressure in his throat

"Ok" he managed to wheeze, grateful when Gibbs let him go, not caring that he crumpled to the floor like a rag doll. Tony watched worriedly as Gibbs marched down the hallway. Slowly he stood up and turned to see Shirleen standing watching him

"Don't think ya should 'a said that honey" she murmured to Tony, watching as Gibbs rounded the corner.

……………………………………

Gibbs stood outside, his head turned up to the rain that had started to fall, his anger slowly draining away as he recalled what he had just done to Tony. He crossed the car park and headed to the bar he could see in the distance.

By the time he reached it he was soaked to the skin but didn't notice. He pushed open the door, not caring that it was a dive and walked over to a table in the corner, motioning for the waitress as he went.

"Bourbon, straight," he said when she walked over; ignoring the smile she angled at him. He sat and watched as she filled his order and then placed it on the table with more lean than was necessary. Normally Gibbs would have appreciated the obvious ploy but today he just didn't notice, his mind lost on what Abby had said.

He knocked the drink back straight away, then angled the glass at her

"Just give me the damn bottle" he muttered placing a pile of notes on the table, the waitress reached over, her eyes lighting up, before squirreling the money away

"Whatever you say sweet cakes" she murmured with a grin and a sashay.

Gibbs never noticed when she deposited the bottle, his mind replaying the words Abby had used, words that he himself had used with Tony. We're at war, cross the line, a soldier each word was like a knife wound, digging in to his core.

Gibbs reached for the bottle and splashed more bourbon into his glass, spilling some and not caring. His mind flashed to Kate sitting in the coffee shop his eyes, his eyes looked kind, the words she used searing his emotions. Ari flashed into his mind, the time when they met in the morgue for the second time. Gibbs remembered when he asked why he had did what he did and the response Ari had given the same reason you do. Could it be true? NO his mind screamed it wasn't true, he was nothing like Ari, he didn't kill innocent women. But was Kate innocent or was she a soldier like Ari claimed? Gibbs swallowed another shot of bourbon, welcoming the fire it created in his gut, wishing for the oblivion it offered but held back.

Gibbs tried to block out the voices, but they carried on, haunting him, taunting him and making him doubt who and what he was.

Gibbs knocked the drinks back, hoping with each one that finally the voices would stop but they didn't, they kept coming. Gibbs never noticed Liz walk in, her eyes scanning the gloom until she finally spotted him and crossing over to stand by his table.

"Is this a pity party for one? Or can anyone join in?" Liz asked quietly, not waiting for an answer before sitting down. She turned and motioned for the waitress to bring her a glass.

"What the hell do you want?" Gibbs demanded angrily, resenting that she had found him, that she dared to intrude.

"To kick your ass" Liz replied softly, leaning over the table, "you left her thinking you hate her" she told him softly, her voice quiet but filled with enough power to carry across the table. Liz slowly took the bottle from him and poured herself a drink, sipping at it before grimacing "you taste in drinks suck, even if you taste in women doesn't. She told him meeting his angry eyes squarely.

"Go to hell" Gibbs snarled in response. Liz sat back in her chair and smiled at him,

"Been there, done that and I didn't like the T shirt" she told him softly "Abby told me what Ari said and I heard what you told Tony" she said quietly. When Gibbs didn't say anything she leant forward again. "So is he working for Mosad?" she asked quietly, taking a sip of her drink as she waited for Gibbs to either answer or kill her.

Gibbs watched her long and hard, his eyes narrowed and cold.

"Yes" Gibbs whispered more to himself than to her, knowing that Ari had been telling him the truth all along, and hating him all the more for it.