This is the inspiration for Abby's dress… you just gotta fix the link where I've put (dot) instead of .
www(dot)flickr(dot)com/photos/ladykat81/2475473776/
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"Yes, that too. But if you want to talk about it, I am here for you. It must be difficult living with Fornell and then realizing you are falling in love with him."
"Yeah… wait WHAT?"
"I am here for you if you want to-"
"You think I meant Fornell?" Abby slapped her hand down on the table top and laughed.
"But you said-" Ziva thought for a moment. "But if it isn't Fornell, then… oh."
"Yeah. Oh."
---
In some ways Abby was glad to be going back to Fornell's house. She wasn't sure how he managed to convince Gibbs that she would be safe there, but she felt most comfortable following routine, and living with Fornell was a routine she was used to.
Fornell met her at the door. "How are you?" The concern was evident in his voice and Abby almost felt bad about his busted lip. Once things had settled down the day before, Tony enjoyed the story of how Gibbs had punched Fornell, making Abby tell it again and again.
"I'm okay." Abby stepped inside and dropped her bag by the door and then held up the garment bag. "I found my dress for the party. Hi Russ." Abby waved at the agent.
"Oh? Do I get to see it?"
"If you want? It isn't a wedding dress, so it isn't bad luck if you want to see it." Abby unzipped the bag. "It's a really cool vintage-inspired dress; black, of course, but no spikes or chains or other FBI-unapproved decorations."
Fornell couldn't help but laugh. He had to admit, when he first met her, he had been more than wary, unsure if she was truly sane, but the better he got to know her, and the more he heard from Jethro, he grew to realize she was smarter than most. "It's nice, but what did this dress set me back?"
"Only $150."
"Only?"
"I thought about a designer dress to make me feel better about nearly being killed, but then I changed my mind."
"Thank you." Fornell watched as she tucked the dress safely back in the bag and then started for the stairs. "Wait, Abby?"
"Hmm?"
"Will you come and sit at the table with me? There are a few things I need to tell you about."
"Uh sure, I just want to hang this upstairs so it doesn't wrinkle." Abby hurried up the stairs and hung the dress on the back of the door. She dropped her bag at the end of her bed and then returned down to the kitchen where both Russ and Tobias were waiting.
Abby sat down across from them. "Why do I feel like I'm about to get in trouble?"
"You aren't in trouble, Abby. Things just need to change bit around here, that's all." Tobias explained. "For starters, you need to stay home for a bit. The FBI has agreed to supply NCIS with a substitute forensic specialist."
"Wait, what?! I can't go to work?"
"No."
"So I have to stay here all day?"
"Not all day. We can go out after I get home, but we'll plan ahead and have the place checked out and have a few undercover agents around as well."
"What am I supposed to do all day?"
"I'm sure you've got reading to catch up on, or you could watch movies, or…"
"This was Gibbs' idea, wasn't it?" Abby paced back and forth, worrying her lower lip. "I can't believe-"
"Not completely. Abby sit down." Fornell tried to talk her into staying, but he knew it was a lost cause as Abby marched back up the steps and slammed her bedroom door shut like an angry adolescent. Fornell turned to Russ, "I can't wait until Emily reaches her teenage years."
---
"Yeah, Gibbs."
"Gibbs!" Abby shrieked into the phone. "Why are you forcing me to stay here like a prisoner?"
He had been expecting her call. "Calm down, Abbs. You aren't a prisoner. We're just going to be extra busy here the next week and I don't feel like I can keep an eye on you. There are so many people coming and going here, I just don't trust security."
"But I'll be a pris-on-er."
"It's only a week, and then we'll take it from there. You'll be fine Abby, you're always talking about all the reading you need to catch up on."
"Can't I sit in the squad room with you and the team?"
"No Abby." His voice was firm but soft. "Please."
"I'll talk to you later." Abby flipped her phone shut to cut off the call. She knew it was rude and childish, but out of everyone, Gibbs was the one person that knew how much her work meant to her. She was as much a workaholic as he was, and a week with nothing to do while her friends worked was cruel punishment.
Abby glanced at her alarm clock - it was just past seven p.m. She wasn't tired, but she had no desire to go back downstairs to talk to Fornell and Russ. Instead, she dug her iPod out of her purse and let the sound of Android Lust lull her to sleep.
---
Abby woke with a start Monday morning. The sun was shining through the window and for a brief moment she thought she had accidentally slept through her alarm. Shit…
When she remembered that she wasn't headed to work, she lay back and took a deep breath. This is going to be a long day.
She brought her clothes across the hall and took a quick shower before heading down the stairs to see what Donny was up to. He had made breakfast again; there was a plate waiting for her in the oven, and he hovered over her as she settled at the dining table to eat.
"Abby, I'm really sorry. I'm an agent, I should've known better than to let someone in the house like that. I never should've let you open the door."
"It's okay. I opened the door. It was my fault."
"But still, I'm sorry."
"Me too, Donny. Me too." Abby finished her breakfast and then moved to the living room to watch TV with Donny.
"Really? Oprah?"
"Yeah. The guys at the office make fun of me for watching, but I bet I know more about social behavior and stuff compared to them."
"You're learning about social behavior by watching Oprah?" Abby tried to suppress a laugh. "I see." She watched a while longer, but as soon as a second episode was about to start, Abby excused herself to watch a movie upstairs on her laptop.
She heard the familiar sound of Fornell's car as he pulled up outside later that evening, but rather than go down to meet him, she stayed in her room. She kept quiet until she heard a soft tap on the door. "Come in."
Fornell pushed the door open and leaned against it. "Hey."
"Hey."
"Long day?"
Abby shot Fornell a look. "What do you think?"
"Abby, this isn't a punishment; it's to keep you safe."
"Who are you? Gibbs? What do you care? I would be perfectly safe at NCIS."
"Jethro cares about you, we all do. He's busy this week, and we just feel that it's for the best that you stay home. Once they finish up their latest case and things calm down, or once we have Vincent in custody, you can go back."
Abby gave an irritated sigh.
"But anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite to eat?"
"Not tonight. I'm not really hungry."
"Alright." Fornell pulled the door closed behind him as he left, and Abby rolled over to start a new movie on her laptop.
---
Monday went by in a blur for Gibbs. They had an open case, a string of murders involving several naval officers that kept them on the go well into the evening. It wasn't until he had arrived home shortly after mid-night that he had realized he hadn't spoken to Abby. He debated calling her, but wasn't sure if she was still angry or not, and while he could usually deal with an upset Abby face-to-face, but over the phone was so impersonal.
He worked on his boat awhile, giving Abby the chance to call, before he climbed the stairs to bed.
---
Tuesday at NCIS was just as busy as Monday. Tony, Ziva and McGee kept their mouths shut when Gibbs barked orders. They were well aware that although the case was stressful, with the bodies stacking up in autopsy, the real issue was that Abby wasn't bouncing around in her lab offering a brief reprieve from the case.
---
Tobias left work early on Tuesday, deciding that another evening bowling with Sister Rosita and friends was just what Abby needed. He found Abby and Russ in the living room watching reruns of Oprah, and laughed at the look of anguish Abby gave him. "You're home early."
"I thought you might enjoy an evening of bowling with the nuns."
"Really?" Abby was up off the couch and hugging Fornell in a flash. "I'll go get ready." Abby was upstairs in a flash and into her bowling outfit. She had written off the idea of bowling this week with all the extra security, but on the ride to the bowling alley, Fornell explained that several sets of agents would be there in plain clothes, bowling as a group of friends.
Abby rushed forward to hug sister Rosita. "Rosita!"
"Abigail, my dear, it's so good to see you. I see you've brought your boyfriend." Rosita smiled at Fornell. "Nice to see you again Tobias." Fornell nodded and then moved off to get bowling shoes and find a ball. "So how are you, Abby?"
"Honestly?"
Rosita raised an eyebrow.
"Miserable."
"He's treating you well?"
"Yeah, there has just been a lot of drama, that's all."
"You'll be fine sweetheart. The Lord will see you through your difficult times."
The other nuns waved them over, so Abby put on a happy face and made her way across the bowling alley. Abby pulled out her bowling ball and smiled sweetly at Fornell, "You ready to lose, Tobias?"
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TBC…