Author's Note: I guess I got a good response on this story! I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far, as sad as it may be. Anyway, please leave a review so I know how I'm doing! Thanks.
SIDE NOTE: The italicized parts are flashbacks.
I sang my princess fast asleep,
Because she was my dream come true
Oh, Abby, believe me, I loved you
The pads of his fingers traced circles around her waist. "You awake?" he whispered, needing to move but not wanting to wake her up.
She responded with a mere groan, but he decided to stay.
What had initially started out as McGee doing Abby a favor- her car was in the shop overnight and he offered to take her home- turned into something more. At this point, he was holding her closely as she drifted in and out of a light sleep.
He shifted slightly and sat up, not wanting to cause her too much discomfort. She sat up moments later, drawing a frown from his face.
"Did I wake you?" he asked guiltily.
She grinned and shook her head sleepily. "Nah, I was just laying there."
McGee smiled and checked his watch. "Shoot… It's 12:30 in the morning. I should probably head home," he grimaced.
He reluctantly stood, but Abby reached out and tugged at his sleeve. "Wait… Can you stay?"
He licked his lips and paused for a moment. Seconds later, he kicked off his shoes with a grin and rejoined her on the couch.
"Mind if we watch 'Alice in Wonderland'?" she asked, waiting for his response before popping the movie in.
He nodded. "We can watch whatever you want."
She slid the disk into the DVD player and sat back on the couch.
About halfway through the movie, McGee looked down at Abby, whose face was lit by the flickering pictures across the screen.
"You falling asleep?" he asked, smiling a little. She nodded against his chest and snuggled closer to him.
He began to sing "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol softly into her ear, his surprisingly pure, vibrato tone soothing her.
"If I lay here… If I just lay here… Would you lie with me, and just forget the world?"
Soon enough, she was fast asleep in his arms. He bent his neck down at a slight angle and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Goodnight, Princess," he whispered. With one last loving look at her sleeping figure, he tightened his grip around her shoulders and leaned his head back on the couch, and fell asleep.
Ziva interrupted his thoughts. "Tim?" she spoke cautiously.
He looked up blankly, his eyes glassed over. "What is it?"
"Gibbs said to go home and get some rest," she explained.
His eyes flickered dangerously. "To hell with Gibbs," he growled, scaring Ziva.
She took a few small steps backwards, distancing herself from the angry McGee. "Well, if you're staying, then I am staying," she spoke firmly.
He looked up and nodded, but a split second later, the tears were streaming down his face again.
Immediately she flew to his side, one hand on his back; the other in his hand.
"Shh," she said softly. "Please." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze as Tony walked into the room.
"Gibbs told us to go home, but I'm not leaving. He's back in the other waiting room down the hall," Tony explained. He took a seat opposite McGee.
"Maybe it would be good for you to get some sleep," Tony offered halfheartedly, knowing that McGee would put up a fight if anyone suggested he sleep or leave. "You've got the dark bags goin' on." He gestured to the circles underneath his eyes representing a lack of sleep.
McGee clenched his jaw. "No," he replied adamantly.
"I can see you're stressed-" Ziva began.
McGee glared at her. "No shit, Sherlock," he quipped sarcastically.
Ziva momentarily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Like I was saying, you might just need to take a walk. Fresh air might help you."
Now it was McGee's turn to take a deep breath. "Yeah, I get it. Sorry for snapping. I'll be back in a few." He pardoned himself from the room and stepped into the moonlit lot.
The thin air was harsh against his lungs as he inhaled deeply. His breath puffed out as he opened his mouth.
Hands deep in his pocket, he walked slowly around the empty parking lot, accompanied by a few lonely owls.
Looking up at the moon, he smiled.
The moon had always reminded him of Abby. It was bright and lit up the darkest spaces.
Moments later, a light sprinkle began to fall through the dark night sky.
The spray refreshed him as it seeped through his skin.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him.
"Tim?" Gibbs' voice resounded through the parking lot.
McGee whipped around and swallowed. "Any word?" he asked, his voice tinted with anxiety.
"Yeah. They said we can see her," he explained.
Without hesitating, McGee rushed back into the hospital, walking bewilderedly through the hallways to find Abby's room.
He stopped, out of breath, when he saw Tony and Ziva huddled together outside a doorway. He looked to them, then to the door.
"We thought you would like to see her after Gibbs did. We… thought it would be right," Tony managed to explain. Ziva's eyes were welling up with tears, and McGee looked at her softly.
"I'll try and hurry so you can see her," he said sadly.
Ziva shook her head. "No, no, take your time," she choked.
He licked his lips and nodded, and sucked in his breath as he turned the doorknob.
He stepped nervously into the room, his eyes resting on Abby's small frame. He rushed next to her and touched her arm lightly, not wanting to disturb the seemingly thousand wires that were attached to her, all over.
"Abby…" he whispered. He rolled a nearby chair next to her bed and took a seat, all while maintaining contact with her.
He held her hand closely as he studied her face.
Her lip was split and she had many small cuts and scratches from the broken glass of her car window. Small lacerations ran down her neck and arms; a few of them were still bright red and swollen.
"Oh God," he breathed out shakily. "Oh my God…"
"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her unconscious figure. "This is my fault. I was so selfish. If we hadn't left work early so I could take you to some stupid restaurant so I could…" his voice faltered, "So I could tell you I loved you."
He shook his head with a humorless laugh. "Trust me, Abby. You were my dream. My dream-almost-come-true. I love you. I don't know what I'm gonna do now, because there's nobody like you. You're the one and only Abby Sciuto. You're… You're the one and only love of my life."
Suddenly, her fingers twitched ever so slightly, but enough for him to feel it against his own skin.
A smile tugged at his mouth; a smile he couldn't control.
"Good, Abby," he grinned sadly. "That's good. Please hang in there for me, baby. I just don't want you to hurt anymore."
The tears flowed again.
"I don't want you to hurt… Not anymore. No more pain…" he managed in between sobs. Looking up, he caressed her scarred face gently, and bent down to give her a light kiss on the forehead.
"I'm going to go now, but Tony and Ziva are gonna come inside in a second. When they leave, I'll be right here, baby. I promise," he whispered into her ear. With one last gentle squeeze of her hand, he exited the room and allowed Ziva and Tony to step in.
Eyes filled with tears, Ziva moved to the side of Abby's bed and took the seat where McGee had occupied just moments before.
"Hi Abby," she whispered. "I've missed seeing you for the past few… Hours," she let out a soft laugh.
"We miss your smile, baby girl," Tony ran his eyes over her body.
Ziva looked up at Tony, the corners of her mouth tugging downwards. "Yes, we've missed your smile. And we can't wait to see it again after this whole thing is over," she choked.
Tony massaged Abby's hair ever so gently with the tips of his fingers. "We miss you," he said softly. "Ziva and I really do love you like a sister, Abby. How could this happen?" he gasped slightly.
Ziva pressed her lips together and ran her thumb over Abby's jawline.
"How could this happen to our baby…?" Tony frowned, tears beginning to roll down his face.
Simultaneously, Tony and Ziva pressed a gentle kiss to either of Abby's cheeks.
"Bye, baby girl," Tony whispered wistfully as he and Ziva slipped out the door.
Ziva spotted McGee in the corner of her eye, hunched in a chair down the hall.
"I've never seen him like this," she said sadly.
Tony pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Ziva. I just want you to know, okay?"
She looked up at him, confused. "Tony-"
"Don't say anything," he interrupted. He held her in his arms and closed his eyes. "I love you."
Author's Note: And END Chapter Two! So, how did you like it? Review please!