Gibbs: Never were one to disappoint, were ya Mike?

Abby let herself in before making her way towards the basement.

She was really starting to hate it down there.

"Hey…" She said softly, watching Gibbs glance up at her and squint. "It's me."

"I know who you are Abs…" He slurred through the statement before gesturing for her to come down. "You alright?"

She shook her head. "I'm not here for me."

He stifled a laugh. "I'm fine Abby…"

"But you just buried Mike…you cant be fine."

"That's where you're wrong." He nodded towards her. "Practice makes perfect."

She understood what he was implying. "You still feel pain…otherwise you wouldn't be staring at an empty bottle of bourbon…"

In an instant, he took hold of the bottle and shattered it towards the ground. "There, done staring."

She jumped at the sound, and stood in silence for a moment before turning back towards the stairs. "I'll go."

He watched her race up the stairs and it wasn't until she reached her car outside that he finally caught up with her.

"Hey," he reached to turn her back around and was met with a look he hadn't seen before.

"No…you don't get to do this again. You don't get to do this alone. It's not fair Gibbs!"

"Abby…"

"And don't stand there and tell me you aren't sad…or you don't feel pain…cuz that means I can't help you. And I want to help you Gibbs…I wanna be there for you, like you are for me all the time, but you'd rather hide in your stupid basement, with your stupid tools and break bottles of liquor on the ground…well fine, forgive me for caring… " She turned away from him when he turned her back around.

"Listen to me." He was firm with his tone, and knew she would oblige him. "This is the only way I know how to do this."

"Without me?"

"Without you." He affirmed it, regardless of the pain he knew it would cause.

"Why?" She was crying now, no matter how hard she tried not to.

"My pain. Not yours."

It was then she understood, and replied with her own logic. "Your pain, my pain."

Gibbs was characteristically silent, and buried his tears with more effort than usual. A few moments of silence passed before he responded.

"Open a new bottle with me?"

"Only if you let me hug you while you cry?"

Gibbs slipped an arm around her waist, and led her back inside. "Don't push it."