A/N: Okay, I'm impatient. I just had to get the second chapter up! (I've already written the third chapter, too!) It starts to get a little more serious in the third chapter, and the fourth chapter is when it really gets bad, so don't bail on me because nothing too serious has happened yet. This chapter isn't as detailed as the last one, and it's a bit shorter, but I wanted to concentrate more on their conversation than the surroundings this time. And yes, for a short period of time, I was afraid of escalators.

Karieflybabe – Don't worry, it's nothing life-threatening… Yet. grins evilly

Rinne – Thanks, you have no idea what your comment means to me! Hopefully, by the time I'm 40, I'll be able to publish a book :D

bailymay – Yeah, the eyes. (bashes head into keyboard) I can't believe I got the eye colour wrong! Thanks, I'll remember for future reference.

lissa-bhw – Yeah, it's kinda sad, but I wanted to give the idea that she throws herself into her work so much until one day she wakes up and realises that she has no social life (note the working while everyone else is socialising). It's a bit early, but it should get blatantly obvious in Chapter 4. Good job for at least having a think about it, though!

jewelbaby – Couldn't wait to write more!

LaurieBeth – Thanks, I hope I don't disappoint you!

sabrina – Glad you enjoyed it – and thank you so much for reviewing my other story!

MacCartney – Oooh, good guess. But the cold is from the temperature of the day – he was just rugging up in a fun way (I've done it before, lots of fun). Sorry, I should have clarified that. Hopefully this chapter is clearer. Kudos to you for guessing! (hands you a lollipop)

LenaLocket – No, none of them are right, but you gave it a good shot! (hands you a lollipop) I'm beginning to think I didn't write the symptoms clearly enough – don't worry it'll get clearer as time goes on. It's just a really hard condition to write about accurately.

DinozzoFan – I live in NSW, but I've been to Victoria. Had a terrific time there. I've seen you and hikarisailorcat around the site – I love your username, by the way!

hikarisailorcat – Ooh, closest so far! (hands you two lollipops) But it's not as deadly. It's more… one of the symptoms of a brain tumor? But it stands as a condition on it's own… Bet I've got you confused now!

shirik – Gah! I'm really bad at writing symptoms! Alright, he has no fever, but he does forget and does behave strangely. Not your fault – hopefully this chapter is better.

"I always get them mixed up – is it escalator or elevator?"

Abby listened with some amusement to Tony's ramblings as she ran some prints through the military database. Tony often came down to the lab to chat when work was slow, or he just wanted some 'interesting conversation'. (At least, that's what he told Abby. Of course, he hadn't known that both Kate and McGee were behind him at the time.) He had stationed himself on top of a desk, after providing Abby with a sufficient offering in exchange for conversation – Caff-Pow.

"Isn't elevator the one that gave me nightmares?"

"You got nightmares because of those things?"

"I'm trying to figure out if I did – I either got nightmares, or the burning desire to press every button I saw."

"I stuck gum on them and watched people get their fingers all sticky."

"Escalator buttons?"

"Elevator buttons."

Tony groaned. "Man, I can never remember these things!"

"Don't worry. Someday, when you're older, and a lot maturer, you will be able to differentiate between the two."

"Fine. From now on I'm calling them 'The Scary One' and 'The Boxy One'."

"Why is it scary?" Abby glanced up interestedly, taking a large slurp of her Caff-Pow.

Tony hesitated.

"Oh, come on, who am I gonna tell?"

"Kate."

"Okay, you have me there, but if I promise not to tell, will you tell me? Please, pretty please with sugar on top?"

"Alright, alright! I… I had a nightmare when I was a kid."

"Vampires?"

"No, a different one. You know those… uh… moving stairs?"

"Yeah."

"You know where they join the normal floor?"

"Uh-huh."

"Ever noticed how much that area looked like teeth?"

Abby grinned at this newfound information.

"That is weird! You've held on to a phobia of escalators just because one part of it looks a bit like teeth?"

"I do not want to be standing on something that could potentially eat me."

"Tony, you are paranoid," stated Abby, sounding very pleased.

"I am not! It's a legitima… mag… ah… tal…pah…gah…"

Abby glanced over at Tony, puzzled.

"Tony? You okay?"

He was muttering and swaying, looking as if he was daydreaming. Picking up a pen, he proceeded to play with it as if it were a toy plane, his eyes following its progress through the air. He then made a stabbing motion with it through the air beside him, looking as if he was concentrating very hard on this task.

"Tony?"

"Hmm? What, was I saying something?"

He had set down the pen, and was no longer swaying.

"Yeah, you were."

"Oh, sorry, must have lost my train of thought there. Oh, It's 12:30 already! I gotta go get… uh…" He made various wild motions with his hands, indicating something round, and then tilting his head back, as if drinking.

"Coffee?" Abby remembered him mentioning it before.

"Yeah! We don't want Gibbs' caffeine levels to drop while he's in a building with us. Okay, I'll see you later! Thanks, Abby!"

"No problem!"

Abby frowned at her monitor as it continued flashing fingerprints as Tony left, taking 'The Boxy One' back to the office. It wasn't like him to be this inarticulate, and to daydream in the middle of a conversation? Something had to be going on. Stress? Too much pressure from Gibbs, maybe. Or maybe it was nothing. Perhaps she was getting all worked up over a lack of sleep on Tony's part.

But her gut told her it was definitely something.

And she planned on finding out exactly what.

Please Review! Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed the second chapter! Thanks to all who reviewed - it's helped me write the third chapter:)