A/N: Here comes Abby! I know you've been waiting for her to kick Tony's ass.

Chapter 7: Intervention

Tony left the break room but didn't go back into the office and headed for the elevators instead. He needed some fresh air. When the doors of the elevator opened he found himself face to face with Abby.

"Tony! Exactly the one I was looking for", she cheered and pulled him inside the elevator.

"Abby, can it wait?" he moaned. "I am not in the mood right now."

"No, can't wait. Don't worry, it won't take long."

Sighing, Tony accepted his fate and waited silently until they reached the right floor and then followed Abby into her lab. When the electric doors slid shut behind him he was surprised to hear the lock close. He turned around and tried to reopen them, but failed.

"Abby, I think the doors are …"

"There's nothing wrong with the doors", she said.

Tony looked at her in confusion. "Did you lock us in?"

Abby had already taken some steps inside the room, but now came back to Tony and stopped right in front of him. "We need to talk", she said, expression serious.

"About what?"

"About whatever problem there is between you and Kate."

Tony rubbed his forehead with one hand and sighed deeply. Then he tried a smile. "Come on, Abs. Abbyyyy. You can't be serious about that. I mean locking us in so that I don't escape this conversation … Don't you think that's a bit childish?"

"If I were you I wouldn't insult the single person who knows how to unlock the doors."

"Fine", Tony sighed. "Let's start. First of all: Why do you think Kate and I have a problem?"

"Because I'm not blind, Tony! Kate looks like hell and now that I mention it – you don't look much better. You lack sleep, both of you, and you are definitely very upset about something."

"Why don't you ask Kate? I thought the two of you were best friends."

"She was here this morning."

"Really?"

Abby nodded seriously. "I know she's hurting, but she wouldn't tell me why. I only know that it has something to do with you."

"And that's why I'm here?"

"That's why you are here."

They looked at each other for some seconds, then Tony sat down on one of the chairs in front of a computer and waited until Abby joined him. She pulled out a second chair, sat down in front of him and made an impatient gesture for him to start talking. So he talked:

"The day before yesterday I went over to Kate's place after work because I had the feeling she needed some company. She was really upset because of the case and we talked it through. But then she started crying and I didn't know what to do, so I hugged her." He stopped and looked at Abby.

"Okay", she said slowly. "So far I can't see what you've done wrong."

"We kissed", Tony finally admitted.

"I knew it!" Abby yelled. She jumped up from the chair, started to jump up and down and danced around Tony who just looked at her in disbelief.

"You knew what?" he asked.

Abby calmed down a bit and returned to her chair. "I knew that there was something going on between you. Ever since she stayed with you in the hospital it was quite obvious. And now you kissed. How was it?"

Tony shook his head. Abby had obviously completely forgotten why they were having this conversation. "I hadn't finished the story yet", he told her. "Remember? You wanted to know why Kate and I were so upset."

"Oh, sure, sorry. Go on."

"Well, so we kissed. But that's not all that happened. We ended up in bed together."

He could tell that Abby did her best not to start dancing again. But this time she seemed to notice that there was still a part of the story missing. "So the two of you had sex", she stated. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that it shouldn't have happened. Kate had been crying, she was so upset. She needed comfort and there I was. But she didn't mean for that to happen, she …"

"Wait. She told you that?"

"Well, no, actually, but isn't it obvious? I mean, she hasn't been able to look at me or talk to me since then and you said yourself that she's obviously hurting."

"So you haven't talked about it yet?"

Tony shook his head. "I couldn't handle the situation and I knew Kate wouldn't be able to either, so I left."

"Left?"

"Yeah. When she had fallen asleep, I left."

Abby stared at him in disbelief. Then she suddenly stood up, took one step forward and hit him over the head. Hard.

"Ouch!" Tony screamed. "What was that for?"

"What was that for?" Abby echoed. "You idiot, you moron, Tony, you are … you are such an ass!"

"What?"

Seemingly exhausted Abby fell back into the chair. "I can't believe you did that."

Tony didn't say anything. He knew why Abby was so angry, but she didn't understand. And he didn't know how to explain, so he remained silent.

"Were you sorry for what had happened?" Abby asked.

"You mean for sleeping with her? No, I wasn't. But now I am. Because it has messed things up completely."

"Then I don't understand why you left."

"I know you don't. I don't really know myself, it's just … at that moment I … I didn't know what else to do. I imagined that Kate would wake up in the morning, see me and throw me out of the house."

"Why would she want to do that?"

"Because I used her", he said almost inaudibly. "I took advantage of the situation because I wanted to sleep with her and I didn't think about … about … Actually, I didn't think at all."

Abby leaned forward on her chair. "So what you're saying is that you're acting strangely around Kate because you think she is angry with you for having slept with her?"

"In simple words, yes."

"Oh my", Abby sighed. "Okay, Tony, I'm going to ask you a question and I'm really trying to put it as simple as possible so that even your masculine brain will understand: Have you ever considered the possibility that Kate might be upset not because you slept with her, but because you sneaked out in the middle of the night after it had happened?"

After that Tony stared at her for such a long time without speaking that she started to get really worried. But then he blinked several times and asked: "Did Kate tell you it was like that?"

"No, Tony. I told you, she hasn't talked to me at all."

"But you think it could be possible?"

"Actually I think it's very likely."

Tony buried his face in his hands and shook his head. "I can't believe this", he groaned. "But how do I find out what it really is?"

"How about you go and ask her?"

Tony nodded, then he stood up. "Let me out, will you?" he murmured.

In the elevator he leaned against the side wall of the car and closed his eyes. What was he supposed to do now? If Abby was right, the only way to get Kate to admit her true feelings was that he opened up to her first. But if he was right, then by telling her how he felt he offered her a great possibility to tear his heart into pieces. And he wouldn't put it past her, considering the mood she was in.

Slowly he walked into the office – only to find Kate's desk empty.

"McGee, where's Kate?" he asked.

"She went home half an hour ago."

"Oh." Tony stared at Kate's desk for some more seconds, then he turned around on his heels and headed back to the elevator.

tbc …

A/N: One more chapter to come. The more reviews I get, the more motivated I am – and I write faster when I'm motivated!