Disclaimer: My Civics' teacher promised my group cake and coffee after winning a competition in general knowledge. I told him that I would much rather have NCIS and its characters but he looked at me as if I was crazy. Apparently that meant 'no' and was not negotiable.
A/N: I'm terribly sorry for not updating in a while. Believe me it has nothing to do with a lack of reviews, I feel more like spoiled when it comes to those, and neither does it have anything to do with me not planning on finishing this story it's just that this month is insane and I hate May just as much every year. Soon it'll be over though and I can welcome the lazy days of summer, London, my dear host mum and James (You know I love you, please hang in there.) and the rest of the people that I miss all year long until I feel like my heart's bleeding.
Again, thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews. I love them and I love you guys for reading and commenting. I think we all know how encouraging it is to hear both good and bad things about your work… I happen to be very fascinated with a little process called the process of learning.
More McAbby in this chapter, which I know will be appreciated ;) Nothing too steamy… not steamy at all really but they spend some quality time together.
Through Troubled Nights Chapter 6: Tears And Thunderstorms
Somewhere far, far away he thought he heard a voice he knew… a voice sweet as honey but filled with pain and fright. The voice of someone he cared deeply for. Someone he'd do anything for. He just couldn't place it.
A slight weight was placed on his chest and he felt the warm tears escaping her eyes drip on his shirt. He was freezing for some reason and as small fingers had laced his fingers he wanted to cry out as her warmth had almost burnt him.
His eyes still closed, and without moving at all he searched his brain for the name of the person holding his hand and speaking to him. Soothing words… warm encouraging words. He knew this voice, he knew he did…
Just as he felt as if he'd figure it out the words, beautiful as a song to his ears, stopped coming. The small warm body pressed against his own relaxed and fell silent. Don't give up! He thought. Don't leave me… you can do this... Kate… yes that was it,… Kate.
Realising who the small woman next to him was made him fight the darkness that possessed his body and his mind. He had to fight his way back to her. The reason for them being there came rushing back to him like a cold wind, whirling around him like a hurricane. He had been running… running to catch the man who'd hurt Kate. He came around the corner, and then a flash of light followed by darkness accompanied by a splitting pain in his head. Don't think about it, he told himself as he once again concentrated hard on fighting the darkness and emptiness that surrounded him, Kate needs you… feel her… remember her…
He fought with himself and he felt like he fought with the entire world.
Tony scrunched his face together and let out a low moan as he finally forced his eyes open.
A ceiling lamp? That's new…
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"This is… it is…. Way beyond hinky Timmy!" Abby sighed and threw herself down on McGee's couch with a thud.
"Want to stay here while I go and pick up some stuff for the night for you?" McGee asked from the kitchen, checking if he had something for them to eat for dinner, didn't look like it. "And swing by the store to pick up some dinner?"
No answer.
"Abby?" he poked his head out.
She knew she should answer him and felt him staring at her as she sat looking into space thinking about everything in the entire world without being able to grasp a single thought. It all just raced through her mind… she knew it was all there even though she couldn't really pin point what it was. Pretty much like when she talked. She knew she had a message in there somewhere and the words just came flying out of her mouth without her having to think twice about it.
"Abby?" there it came again. Her name. Yeah she knew that one.
She felt him come closer to her and could sense him worrying about her. The air in the room felt like there was about to be a thunderstorm. Like heat and cold collided and kind of danced around each other, vibrating and twirling, until something would finally snap and release all of that energy that both forces beheld.
Him being super sweet McGee and all she was pretty sure she was the one to blame for both the cold and the heat roaring in the room building a tension that threatened to make her scream.
His hands on her knees startled her and she lowered her gaze from the wall in front of her finding McGee crouching in front of her, searching for her eyes. As he reached out and lightly as a summer rain touched her pale cheek she felt the thunder in the room explode and her world shake. Her eyes red and her skin feverish under Tim's fingers she let her tears fall.
She took a big gulp of air. "We should have seen it, Tim. She was there and we we're there and she ended up in the hospital and Tony was a mess and we could have prevented it. I could have prevented it. She didn't tell me about it, she didn't feel like she could trust me enough to actually tell me about what had happened and I feel like crap and that makes me feel guilty and even more crappy 'cause I don't have the right to feel like crap at all not after what Kate's been through, if we even know what she's been through, she won't tell us!"
She knew what she was saying so why worry about something as silly as pace?
McGee squinted at her… he knew there was enough words in there for a normal person to say in a week and Abby had just spilled it in under… 20 seconds or something.
He gave her a small smile and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I managed to catch 'Kate' and 'mess' out of that… you speak too quickly Abbs".
She felt as if a ton had been lifted from her tired shoulders. She felt as if the tears that had threatened to fill her entire chest if she held them in any longer were all released with McGee's light touch. Her whole body ached. Being brave in front of Gibbs and the others was exhausting.
She smiled at him, looking a bit more like the Abby they all knew from the lab. "No McGeek… I do not speak too fast; you're just listening too slow"
He smiled back at her. "Of course… You're always right. You know what else you are?"
She bit her lower lip nervously.
"You're a fantastic friend to Kate and she will open up to you about this when she's ready. If Kate would have wanted us to realize something was wrong this morning, we would have." He took her hands in his and helped her stand up.
They slowly walked towards his bedroom. She looked up at him with puffy eyes and her black hair tousled. "So you did hear what I said?"
"No… Lucky guess" he smiled back at her. "Now, let's do something that I haven't done since… ever, I haven't ever done this but I've heard that it's supposed to be something really special" he winked at her and she giggled, tears still in her eyes.
"It's really not that hard Tim and-"she started out.
"Pizza in bed Abby. Let's have pizza in bed." He shook his head as he pulled back the covers. "I'll call and order and have it delivered, why don't you get out of those clothes and get in to bed? I'm sure you can wear something of mine" he gestured towards his wardrobe, before leaving the room.
"Thank you…" she whispered to his back, "for not leaving me tonight"
He hadn't heard her, she knew that, but she didn't care. She needed to say it anyways.
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Mitchell pressed the ice pack against his ankle and sighed loudly. That had been close… way too close…
He hadn't counted on her bringing someone home with her and he definitely hadn't counted on a big fast-running guy, probably from work.
I thought you understood Kate… I thought you knew what is at stake here. Mitchell's thoughts wandered towards her sister and niece in the park. Yeah, won't be hard to find them again… he smiled wickedly before trying to put some weight on his sprained ankle. He grimaced in pain, returning to his sitting position in his kitchen. He didn't know how much time he had. He didn't know how much Kate had spilled about their little adventure and he did not want to be there when her stupid team came kicking his door in, ready to shoot him.
That guy came way too close to catching me tonight, he thought again, I'll have to lay low for a while and get out of this apartment.
It was not his intention to kill Tony with the blow to his head, just put him out for a few minutes. Things had almost gone terribly wrong tonight and murder needed some planning… murder was supposed to be enjoyed. Like the difference between love and lust, Mitchell thought, and I love you Kate.
Not caring about his ankle anymore he limped towards his bedroom where he threw together what he thought he might need for the next couple of days. His prints would be all over her car and she would know his address so he had to make sure they couldn't find him. I knew that stupid job of yours would mess things up, he sighed as he took what he needed from the bathroom and threw it together with his clothes, down in the duffel bag he had found in his closet. He grabbed his laptop and had to bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming out in pain as he jogged down to his car again.
He knew where to go…
I can't believe you sent someone after me Caitlin. You'll both pay for that. Yes you will…
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Letting his tired and aching head rest on the floor Tony let his free hand wander. He soon felt his fingers connect with what he had been looking for, Kate's back. She lay completely still and if he hadn't been able to feel her heartbeat against his chest he would have thought she was dead. Her hand lay limp in his other hand and he had to momentary close his tired eyes to gather enough strength to squeeze her hand in his.
"K-Kate?" he croaked. He hadn't really planned for it to sound so fragile and… pathetic but it was all he could do at the moment.
He pressed his chin against his chest, trying to get a glimpse at her face, resting on his chest.
She stirred.
That's it Katie-girl, wake up… we have to get out of here…
He took a deep breath to muster some more strength and rubbed his free hand across her back trying to sooth her back to consciousness.
She turned her head, finally waking up, pressing her chin down into his chest, her face now inches from his. Her eyes widened as her evening came back to her. Flashes of his feet there on the floor… his pale and cold hand on the floor stretched out towards her.
"This is some kind of wicked dream, right?" she sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. She had cried enough for one night.
"Wish it was, Kate. We need to get out of here."
Her eyes left his and she looked down the dimly lit hallway. She did not know for how long they had been out but it couldn't have been that long since no one had found them.
"Kate…?" he whispered her name so lightly that she wasn't even sure he'd actually said anything. Her gaze met his, her eyes questioning.
With a low grunt he popped himself up on his elbows ignoring his throbbing head. She looked up at him, her glazed eyes never leaving his.
Without knowing why she crawled up his body, closing the newly formed gap between them. Her breathing was uneven and her mind seemed a bit foggy again but as soon as she felt his lips on hers everything seemed crystal-clear again and as she breathed his oxygen she felt as if she was a part of him. He deepened the kiss, sucking on her lower lip, his tongue playing with hers, and smiled against her mouth as he felt her tremble against him.
"You were just knocked unconscious and you can do that! I think I've underestimated your blond bimbos… now I know why they're all putting up with you" she giggled as they parted.
"We need to get going…" Tony smiled.
She gave a small nod and reluctantly crawled off of him. She steadied herself against the wall and heaved her sore body to a standing position. She extended one of her hands to help him up but Tony shook his head, regretting it immediately as a wave of nausea hit him. He needed to get up on his own to prove to both her and himself that he was not seriously hurt.
He followed her example and steadied himself against the wall as he stood up.
"We're going to my place." He said as he made his way out of the building on weak legs.
"What?" Kate glanced towards the spot where they'd just been laying and then hurried after him, steadying herself against the wall now and again as the floor tilted slightly. "We need to get to the hospital!"
Tony looked back at her and held the front door open. "Are you feeling worse?"
She looked at him, confused. "No…" That was true… sure she felt a bit sore and shaken up but the painkillers that her doctor had given her had kicked in and her side was quite numb.
"Then we're going to my place. It's not safe for us to stay here…" he drew his fingers through his hair. He retreated them as he felt them become sticky and wet with his own blood. He'd found the spot where he'd been struck earlier. He brushed it off against his pant leg. "I'm fine Kate, now lets go. That bastard got away, who knows what he'll try next. You have some telling to do sweetheart."
Kate walked outside ahead of him. Walking backwards towards his car she tried to understand what had just happened. "What happened in there Tony? You were passed out when I came in after you. I doubt that you're fine."
He sighed and helped her into the car. He got in on his side.
"He hit me with something on the head. I am fine though Kate. If I would have had a concussion I would have thrown up and not been able to get up… we're not going back to that hospital. You need to get some sleep and I need an Asprin and some ice. I'll get Gibbs to send a team to your building to get any DNA that our guy might have left behind. See if they can find whatever he hit me with, there might be prints"
As Tony started the car and pulled into traffic again he found his cell phone in the car and called Gibbs.
"Hey Boss…"
"No, no… she's okay. We had a little incident at her place though. The guy showed up and I ran in to him… literally."
"He got away Boss but I'm pretty sure he left some evidence behind. We need to catch this guy"
Gibbs read Tony's mind and assured him that a team would be sent to Kate's building and after once again making sure that both his agents were fine and finding out where they were headed he hung up.
The rest of the drive to Tony's was made in silence.
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"Damn it!" Gibbs slammed his fist onto his coffee table causing his cup to tip over and spill its contents all over books and magazines. He didn't care. He wasn't much of a reader anyway and he did not have time to care about spilled coffee right now. Kate's attacker, whoever he was, had been waiting for her. So beating her up once wasn't enough, huh…
He threw his coat back on and headed for his car. Running down the street he dialled McGee's number. No need calling Abby, he thought, she's most definitely with McGee…
Gibbs wasn't as blind and self-centred as many of his colleagues thought; he knew what was going on around him. He'd been through it himself… he knew that Tony and Kate would have to do something about that sexual tension, that they had had between them for almost three years, sooner or later and he could see how much Tim cared for Abby.
Then again, he'd been through it himself and if it turned ugly, it turned really ugly. They did not have the safest jobs and that was why he needed a set of rules to make it just a little bit safer. Rule #12 was one of them and he was not about to let that one go easily. We'll have to discuss this once this guy is behind bars, he thought as McGee finally picked up.
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"Shoot" McGee quickly detangled himself from Abby's sleeping form as he heard his cell phone ring out in the kitchen. Gibbs had sent them home but they weren't supposed to be back in the office until the next morning… unless something happened, McGee thought tiptoeing out of the bedroom. He did not dare to expect good news in the middle of the night and he doubted that the director would assign them to another case after agreeing to letting them handle this thing with Kate. Bad news about Kate was the only thing he could imagine.
"McGee"
"Hey Boss… what? Yes. At her place?"
"But they're okay?"
He rubbed his hand across his face. "Yeah… yes Abby's here. We'll be right there."
He turned around to go back and wake her but she was already up, standing in the doorway.
"What's happening?"
McGee sighed. "We're going to Kate's. The guy paid her and Tony a little visit…"
She gasped, her eyes wide.
"Are they alright?"
"They're fine according to Tony… which only means that Kate's okay… don't know about him, the bastard got away though and Gibbs needs us to go over the scene. See if we can find some prints. He's meeting us there."
Abby nodded and went to get changed back into her own clothes. Nap time was over.
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Tony had to shake Kate awake as they reached his apartment. About half way there she had finally given in to her own body's plea and closed her eyes. Tony was sad to have to wake her up as he was thankful for every undisturbed minute of sleep she got and normally he'd been able to carry her up those two flights of stairs but he didn't want to push his luck tonight. His head was still hurting as hell.
He wanted to kiss her again as she opened her big sleepy brown eyes. They were filled with confusion but also trust. Trust in him. She looked beautiful there in his car, her hair all messy and her eyes tired eyes glazed.
"I'm pretty sure we've not been followed. We should be safe here. Let's get you into bed, alright?" No need for jokes this time.
She nodded and coming around to her side of the car he helped her out, careful not to let his own pain show. His head was still throbbing and his whole body felt tense and sore.
He put her to bed, like he'd promised, the minute they got inside. He kissed her goodnight lightly on the lips and then one more time on her cheek.
"I'll be right outside, alright?" he whispered to her sensing that she'd be completely out of it in just a few seconds. She must be exhausted, he thought.
"No," she mumbled, gripping his wrist and holding on to it with all the strength she could muster, which wasn't that much. "Don't leave. What it Mitchell comes back?" Her eyes fluttered shut and he took her hand from his wrist and kissed the inside of her palm. The name 'Mitchell' registered in his mind.
"I'll take care of my head and I'll be right back, I promise."
He hated to leave her when she'd begged him not to. Kate did not do a lot of begging and in his fantasies she'd begged him to do other things than just stay around… He forced those thoughts away as he entered the kitchen. He was on a mission. He needed to locate some Asprin and take a look on that bleeding on his head.
After having completed both tasks, Tony, pleased to find that the bleeding had stopped on their way to his place, he kept his promise to Kate and returned to his bedroom.
He got rid of his shoes and jeans before crawling down next to her. He kept his gun next to his bed together with his cell phone in case Gibbs needed him… or they needed Gibbs. Laying so close to a sleeping Kate made him feel a bit guilty and… well he could practically hear Kate telling him he's a pig. Deep down he knew he shouldn't feel guilty or bad. She'd asked him to stay with her… hadn't she? Thinking about it Tony wasn't sure that's what she'd done earlier but she hadn't asked him to stay away from her either.
We did kiss… and she didn't kill me for it. She trusts me… she does… she should. Maybe I should-
His inner debate was interrupted as he felt Kate snuggle into his side. Or I could just hold her tonight and feel guilty about it some other day…?
Tony closed his eyes after glancing at his alarm clock, 2.54 am, and turning on his side so that Kate was leaning against his chest he draped his arms loosely around her, careful not to harm her in any way. He felt extremely tired and knew that he would fall asleep soon as well but for now he was happy with holding her close to him and listen to her breathing.
"We won't let his Mitchell guy come close to you ever again Katie…" his voice was barely a whisper.
He kissed her on top of her head.
"My Katie…"
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"Mommy…" The little girl crawled into the big bed, teddy bear under her arm.
The sleeping woman that occupied the bed was suddenly not so much asleep anymore.
"What is it honey?" she asked, taking the little girl in her arms, holding her tight.
"A man was staring at me…" she mumbled, settling in her mothers warm embrace.
The woman stroked her daughters light brown curls. "Bad dream?" She pulled the covers over them both and kissed her cheek. "Let's go back to sleep, sweetie."
The girl lay curled up next to her mother.
"…. It was not a dream mommy"
Ally Todd yawned and held her daughter even closer. "Sure it was honey… just a bad dream."
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That was that. I hoped you liked it. It's super late and I should be asleep or studying for my Science test tomorrow morning but I'm obviously not so I'm sure there's mistakes in this chapter that I in broad daylight would have detected that I've missed now and for that I'm sorry.
Edit: Well… just as I said… mistakes, I've corrected the biggest one; the fact that I confused Kate's sisters name with the name of a character in one of my WaT fics I'm working on. It's supposed to be Ally not Emily. I'm sorry if it confused anyone.
You know I love your reviews, I really do so tell me what you think :)
/Malin