A/N: I didn't get many reviews last time. I guess you've all given up on me then, eh? What a shame, what a shame. For those of you still reading, let me know what you think about the end of this chapter... I promise, there can be good connotations.


Gibbs pulled sharply into the parking lot, narrowly missing the old car he knew to be Ducky's. Not to say that Ducky would have been particularly surprised had he hit it, but it was still the principle of the thing. He carefully backed up and paid attention, at least while he parked. Having accomplished this, he threw open his door, which caught in the wind and would have pulled him out of the car and to the concrete, except that Gibbs had a deathly grip on it, for reasons unbeknownst even to himself. He slammed the door shut, perhaps a bit harder than necessary. His car rocked in its wheels with the force, as though the wind itself wasn't enough to make it tremble ever so slightly.

In the same manner, Gibbs stormed into Headquarters. Under any other circumstances, he would have been outraged even more by the fact that Kate and Tony were nowhere to be found. However, right now, he didn't want them around, and even if he had, he wouldn't have- couldn't have- blamed them for skipping this autopsy out. Gibbs yanked the door for the stairs open so hard that he could have thrown it to one side without much, if any, more effort on his part. His thundering footsteps echoed loudly in the narrow stairwell, drowning out the fury and noise of the storm currently raging outside the building. At the bottom of the stairs, he didn't even bother with the handle and just kicked the door open, not knowing or caring if he did any damage. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing that could stop him. And whenever Leroy Jethro Gibbs was concerned about something of this magnitude, there was no questioning whether he was right or wrong.

The doors slid open all too slowly for Gibbs. At the sight of a human-shaped lump under a sheet, Gibbs mouth went dry and his strength left him. A single pale hand dangled lifelessly off the edge of the table, just as it had done in the farmhouse. Gibbs felt his stomach knot and try to empty itself, but he forced it down. He tried to speak, and found that he couldn't. Tears threatened to come up and pour out, but he wouldn't let them. He held his composure, his eyes once again taking on that impassive and uncaring glazed over look.

Ducky came out from his small office and looked at Gibbs long and hard before he said anything. "Jethro, you and I both know we can't bring anyone else in for Abby. And someone has to do it…"

Gibbs cleared his throat hurriedly. "I know Duck, I just-" he whispered, his voice trailing off into nothing.

Ducky's eyes softened. "Jethro, I'm going to go and get some tea. Would you like some coffee, perchance?"

"Yes, please." Gibbs knew that Ducky was giving him a much needed chance to truly say goodbye, without the interruptions of the others and before the- The funeral. And the offer of coffee was, as always, one he couldn't refuse.

As Gibbs heard the doors swish shut behind his friend and coworker. He smiled wryly at Abby. "I guess some things never change, do they Abbs?"

Barely aware of what he was doing, Gibbs walked closer to the table and pulled the sheet back just enough to see her face. She still looked so calm; so peaceful; so serene. It was almost like she was sleeping, really. Except, of course, for the colour of her skin, which had an unearthly grey tint as though she had once been a charcoal drawing done by one of the most detailed and elaborate artists in his prime.

"Oh Abbs, I'm so sorry." He knelt by her side and tucked her hand under the sheet, refusing to look away from her face as he did so.

He suddenly felt a need to explain himself to her, despite the fact that it was too late. Or maybe, he realized guiltily, because it was too late.

"Look Abbs, I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't know what I was doing, or what I was thinking." He thought about that for a minute. "Well, okay, I guess that's not entirely true. I wasn't thinking about the consequences. I was just thinking about you, and me, and how we could be so perfect together. And I guess I was trying to be kind of like you. You're just so damn unpredictable. I wanted to make you fumble for words; I wanted to have the same affect on you that you always seem to have on me. And your face was right there, like you were inviting me to kiss you."

He sighed. "Ah hell Abbs, this is entirely my fault. If I hadn't been so focused on leaving you alone, you wouldn't have been kidnapped in the first place. And Kate even warned me that it was bothering you. But I couldn't work up the courage to come and see you." He chuckled mirthlessly as he came to a new realization.

"It wasn't even that I was afraid you'd be mad or anything. I can take yelling, I can take rejection; I can take almost anything like that that you could ever do to me. Ironically enough, I was afraid you would say something… I don't know, something that would make me need you more, or something that would indicate that maybe I didn't do something to be mad at you for. Or maybe that you would completely avoid the topic and you wouldn't even yell at me."

He bit his lip thoughtfully. "I think- I think I really loved you Abbs," he whispered, almost inaudibly.

Gibbs stood there, motionless but for the trembling of his lower lip. He thought about everything he and Abby could have shared, to be sure, but more than that, he thought about all that he and Abby had shared. After all, while it made no sense to dwell on what could have happened, there was nothing wrong with remembering her as she had been. So Gibbs' mind wandered to when he met her, knowing almost instantly that she would be the one to get the job.

A fairly short young woman with jet black hair was led over to Gibbs by the Director. Her hair hung loosely in her face in soft ringlets, and her clothes were neatly pressed. She looked overly nervous, for someone who was simply touring the building and getting interviewed for a job, yet she held herself with a dignified and self-respecting air that made Gibbs truly realize what self confidence really was.

"Jethro, I'd like you to meet Ms. Abigail Sciuto."

The girl smiled nervously and held out her hand. "It's actually Abby, if you don't mind."

Gibbs was shocked, almost to the point of amusement. No one had ever greeted him by correcting the director. He took her hand and shook it lightly, already liking her. "Abby then." Gibbs turned to Director Morrow. "I can take it from here, thanks."

The Director nodded, obviously pleased, and left for his office.

Gibbs strode purposefully across the bullpen, Abby's first test. She hurriedly followed him, letting him stay ahead, but keeping closely on his tail, in case she missed something. At the same time, she didn't come anywhere near close enough to crowding him. Very well then, Abby had passed thus far.

Without looking at her, he walked to the elevator and motioned her inside.

"Oh, um, thanks." She flashed a quick smile, looking slightly more at ease.

Gibbs shrugged and left it at that as the doors closed on them.

Abby looked at him. "So how'd you get into this line of work?"

Gibbs was slightly taken aback. Alright, so the girl either loved to talk or simply refused to let things get awkward. "Marine Core. You?"

He saw her reflection on the elevator wall grin. "We had a wrecking yard practically on our property back home. The whole action and reaction of car wrecks got me into a job at the morgue, and things kind of went from there."

It was then that Gibbs noticed the sophisticated southern accent hidden carefully under her pronounced speech. Now involved in the conversation, and even more intrigued by his guest, Gibbs asked her a question.

"Where are you from?"

"New Orleans, born and raised. I moved to New York for Grad school though." She grinned again, showing off her flashing white teeth. "It hides the Southern accent, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Gibbs smiled. She had been observant too, that was for sure, and the only one to ever pick up on where he was from. She had pegged him perfectly in that simple elevator ride to Ducky's.

A small tear slipped unchecked down Gibbs' face. "I swear Abbs, if I could do it again, I wouldn't make those same mistakes. I swear it." He lapsed into silence again, just looking at her, before uttering his final promise. "And I swear I'll make this bastard pay in more than just blood."

Had Abby not been dead, Gibbs would have sworn that he saw her lips twitch ever so slightly into a faint smile.


So tell me... What are the thoughts on this?