A/N: I think 'sorry' doesn't really cover the fact that it took me about half a year to update this story, and I know it's a sign of weakness and everything, but still: I'm really, really sorry. The main reason is that I've lost interest in NCIS for a while, but I'm back in business now and plan on updating frequently! *smiles convincingly* Really! I promise! Anyways, on with the story.

Warning: Child abuse! Plz don't read if that makes you uncomfortable.

Chapter Six:

Tony held Abby close as she broke down. "Ssshh, it's okay, I'm here. Everything's going to be okay." He knew the words were meaningless, but he said them anyway. It was better than nothing.

"I-I never sh-should h-h-have let h-him do-do that…" Abby cried. "Sh-should have kn-known better…"

"Sshh, it's not your fault, Abby," Tony shushed. "You were just a kid and he took advance of that."

He kept saying comforting words and holding her until she'd calmed down a bit.

"Thank you, Tony," she said with a watery smile. "I'm glad you came down to my lab today."

He returned her smile. "Any time, Abs, any time. Listen, I could really use some caffeine right now. Can I get you a Caff-Pow?"

"Sure…" she said hesitantly.

"I'll be right back." Tony flashed a smile at her and walked towards the elevator. He knew it was a bit insensitive to leave the Goth alone right now, but he needed a few minutes to get his own mind straight and process everything he'd just heard. He got into the elevator, flipped the switch Gibbs was so familiar with and sank on his knees.

"Damn it," he whispered, not noticing the tear making his way down his cheek. "Damn it to hell." He sat there for a few minutes. Then, after thinking 'get over yourself, DiNozzo' he got up and flipped the switch again. He quickly went to the Caff-Pow machine, groaning when he saw McGee standing near it. He really couldn't deal with any of his questions right now.

"Hey, Tony!" McGee said as soon as he saw him. "Have you been to see Abby yet?"

"McGoo," Tony sighed as the conversation turned out to be inevitable. "Yes, I have, and if you'll excuse me, I'm about to buy her a Caff-Pow."

"Is she alright?" McGee asked. Tony thought about lying, but then he saw the look at his Probie's face. He was just as concerned about her as Tony was.

"No, she isn't right now, but she will be," Tony answered, hoping he was right.

"Then what's going on?"

"Her uncle died." Technically speaking, that wasn't lying. Just not telling the whole truth. Tony didn't know if Abby wanted anyone else to know, but if she did she would have to tell her themselves, he decided.

"Listen, Tim," – why did he say Tim? Now McGee would only think things were really serious. Right, they were – "I'm going to talk to her for a little bit longer, and I think she's going to be fine after that, okay? Don't worry."

McGee nodded, seemingly relieved, and walked away. Tony quickly finished his run for coffee and Caff-Pow and returned to the lab. Abby was still sitting at her desk, staring at Uncle David's picture again.

"Hey there, gorgeous," he said, hoping to make her smile. And she did. "Hey there, handsome. What took you so long?"

"McGoo," he said casually.

"What did he want?" she said, alarmed by his tone. "Tony, what did he want?" she repeated when she didn't get an answer.

"He's just worried about you, Abbs. We all were."

"So what did you tell him?"

"That your uncle died."

She was quiet for a while.

"Abbs, maybe you should consider telling him. And Ziva."

She looked at him. "I don't know if I can, Tony."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. But you could let me of Gibbs do the talking. At least, I assume Gibbs knows?"

She smiled. "Yes, he does. Who do you think got me out of there?"

The little girl was happy when her parents came to pick her up. She hadn't enjoyed her stay with Uncle David and Aunt Jessie. The things that had happened were just… wrong, but she didn't know why. It hadn't felt right.

~Thank you so much for taking care of our little girl,~ she saw her mother signing to Uncle David.

"Sure, not a problem," Uncle David answered. She knew her mother would read his lips without trouble. "She can come back any time she wants."

~Would it be possible for her to stay here next week too? We have got a business trip to attend,~ her mother signed.

No! she wanted to yell, even though she wouldn't be able to hear it. Don't make me go back here! I don't want to!

"Of course, I'd be happy to," Uncle David smiled. "We had a great time, didn't we Pumpkin?"

He put his arm around the little girl, squeezing her shoulder just a little too hard to be comforting. "Didn't we?" he asked again, squeezing even harder.

"Y-yes," she said. "It was great."

"I went again the week after that, and the one after that too. Every night he would come to tuck me in and repeat everything. I knew it wasn't supposed to happen, but I didn't know what to do about it. And I was also ashamed."

"Didn't your parents know?" Tony asked. "Didn't they suspect anything?"

"They almost did," Abby answered thoughtfully, "that one time we had a family dinner. It was about seven months after the first time."

The little girl liked the family dinners. It would fill the normally quiet house with cheerful voices. She loved her family, her grandparents, her cousins and all her aunts and uncles. Well, almost all of them. When Aunt Jessie and Uncle David came in, her smile faltered for a second. But she didn't want that tiny fact ruining her day. So she just sat down in between Grandpa Charles and cousin Toby and enjoyed dinner.

It all went surprisingly well, until Uncle David asked her to show her room. Her mother had enthusiastically told everyone about her painted walls and new closet, so to everyone it was a normal request. But the little girl knew better. She knew what happened when she went into a bedroom with Uncle David.

Aunt Jessie looked like she was going to say something, but she stayed quiet. As she always had.

"Come on Pumpkin, show me your room," Uncle David said. "You painted them pink, you said?"

She reluctantly got up and took him to her room.

"It looks really nice," he said, looking around. Then he said down on her bed and motioned her to sit next to her.

She squeezed her eyes shut en shook her head frantically. "I don't want to anymore."

"Pumpkin, calm down. I'm your uncle, I wont hurt you. You know you can trust me." And he smiled at her. So she sat down. And he touched her. She hated his touch on her skin. And then he told her to touch him. That it was okay, that all the nieces did that with their uncles. And he took her hand and placed it on his body. And she screamed.

"My parents are deaf," Abby said with a wry smile. "They didn't hear me. But the rest of my family did, and they came up to my room."

"What's wrong, where is the fire?" Aunt Elizabeth asked.

Uncle David had quickly gotten of the bed and straightened his clothes. "Abby saw a spider and she was scared."

The little girl sat on the bed, crying. Surprisingly, Aunt Jessie sat down next to her, trying to comfort her. "It's okay, baby, spiders aren't that bad. You will probably see them again in your life, but that's alright. There is nothing you can do about it, just make it alright for yourself. And there is certainly no reason to scream about it. Not everyone has to know you just saw a spider."

"Wait, she told you to just put up with it?" Tony asked shocked. "While she knew what he was doing?"

"It was the only reason he didn't leave her," Abby explained softly. "If he could find a substitute for… certain things, than he would stay with her for the other ones. She just really loved him."

The people left the room one by one. Eventually, only Uncle David was left.

"Don't ever do that again," he whispered in her ear. "If you ever do that again, I'll make you regret it. This is our little secret, Pumpkin, just you and me. No one is coming between that." And then he left too.

The little girl stayed, shaking with fear. From that moment, Uncle David was a Monster.

A/N: Are there still people interested in the story? The next chapter: Gibbs to the rescue! And my take on how they met.