Chapter 19

Abby felt her blood run cold. She tried desperately to get Gibbs's attention but he studiously ignored her. She listened wide eyed with fear as he goaded Ari in an attempt to get him to shoot him and not her. Abby had never felt so afraid in her life, not because Ari was pointing his gun at her but because if Gibbs succeeded he would die in front of her as she sat there helpless. Abby gritted her teeth as a tear rolled silently down her face. She couldn't let Gibbs do this, but she didn't know what she could do to stop him. She opened her mouth to beg him to stop but as she did she paused, watching as Gibbs stepped ever closer to Ari, as Ari's anger increased. She tried to ignore the tears threatening to blind her as suddenly she noticed something that neither of the men had seen.

Abby swallowed hard and tried to still her heart, praying that Liz could get a shot off. She tried desperately not to look at her friend peering in at the window. She knew that if she gave Liz away then it would all be over, either for her or for Gibbs. Abby turned her attention back to Gibbs and Ari praying for this nightmare to be over, praying for Gibbs to live. She watched as if in slow motion as Ari swung his gun from her towards Gibbs. Without even realising what she was doing Abby swung her legs out and aimed a fast and furious kick at Ari's legs. She never knew if she connected as suddenly everything was happening at once.

Time seemed to stop as Abby heard the shoots firing, watched as Ari fell slowly to the floor, she saw wood splintering around her, glass glittering in the light. Abby was unable to look away as she watched Gibbs fall slowly to the ground, his eyes staring at her before they slowly closed and he lay silent next to Ari.

Abby didn't realise that the scream echoing around the house was her own. She struggled desperately at the ties that still bound her to the chair, her eyes never leaving Gibbs's face as he lay so still and silent. She never felt the hands that stilled her frantic struggles and freed her body from the chair. Abby never even realised she was moving until she was on the floor next to Gibbs, her hands reaching out to touch him. She pulled him close to her, not noticing the activity around her, the voices calling to each other, she never saw Tony kick Ari's gun away before he bent down to check for a pulse. She rocked Gibbs in her arms, the world just a blur around her as she felt his blood staining her hands. She held him tightly, unable to speak as her fears choked her. She rocked him as a mother would a child, her tears falling silently onto his face. She felt a hand touch her shoulder trying to get to Gibbs, and she fought them off, unable to let him go, unable to stop the scene from replaying in her minds eye. Suddenly McGee was there, pushing her away, his eyes desperate as they met hers. She saw his mouth moving but she heard no words, all she heard was the sound of the bullets leaving the gun,the sound ofGibbs's body hitting the ground. Suddenly Abby was flying through the air, her feet not touching the ground as Tony pulled her bodily away from the man she loved. She felt another pair of hands grasping her, a voice trying to talk to her. She struggled to make sense of what was happening but all her mind kept screaming was his name. She never realised that the sound was not in her mind but echoed around the room as Abby screamed for Gibbs, her hands reaching out, struggling against the hold Liz had on her.

She watched as Tony and McGee bent over Gibbs, and then suddenly she felt nothing as the world around her faded to black andthe darknessclaimed her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Abby awakened to darkness, she lay there trying to work out where she was and what had happened. Suddenly the images came rushing into her mind and her breath caught in her chest, pain flooding her body and mind.

"Abigail" she heard from the shadows, for a moment Abby lay still in fear at the softly spoken word, her mind only registering an accent. Slowly though it impinged that the voice was English.

"Ducky" she sobbed, turning to where his voice had come from, seeing him crossing from the chair in the corner of her room. "Gibbs…" she tried to ask unable to say more, as she felt the tears stream down her face, her last image of him lingering in her mind.

"Jethro is in a much bettercondition than you my dearest Abigail" Ducky informed her as he took her cold hands in his, careful not to jar her shoulder. "His injury looked far worse than it was" he whispered as he pointed to the other side of her bed. Abby turned her head to where he was pointing and saw the shadow of a figure laying in a bed next to her. Abby felt her heart stop beating at the still figure, her confused and tired mind unable to fully grasp what Ducky was saying. Suddenly she understood and threw back the covers, her feet hitting the cold floor before the covers had even settled at the bottom of the bed. Ducky walked rapidly around the other side of her bed, taking her weight as her legs gave out at the sight of Gibbs laying there silently, his head covered in bandages.

"A flesh wound" Ducky informed her softly as he held her. "The bullet glanced his forehead, he will have a rather dashing scar and a terrible headache for a few days." He informed her softly as he lowered her into the chair next to Gibbs's bed. "But he will be fine" he continued calmly and with emphasis.

Abby stared at Ducky stupidly, trying to marry what he had said with the images in her head. She turned and stared at Gibbs again, as slowly her mind accepted the truth. There were no machines connected to him, no tubes keeping him alive, just the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Abby stared at Ducky a smile creeping onto her face, her eyes sparkling at what she saw.

"He's not dead" she whispered with a laugh, she stood and threw her arms around Ducky "He's not dead!" she repeated with a giddying sense of relief.

"Keep shouting and I might wish I was" Abby heard from the bed beside her.

She spun away from Ducky and stared at the blue eyes watching her. Abby threw herself onto the bed, feeling Gibbs's arms enfolding her tightly. Abby's tears turned to ones of joy as they held each other, both basking in the joy that they were alive and together.