Whoops! Sorry about the delay – the holidays got in the way.

---

Abby tried to tell herself that he hadn't asked her to dance because he didn't want to break her cover, but deep down she felt maybe she was being punished for the stunt she had pulled with Donny, maybe even for agreeing to the whole situation with Fornell. She watched until he disappeared into the crowd. Fornell began pull lightly on her arm so she stood and followed him toward the dance floor.

They stopped so Fornell could introduce her to a few of his co-workers, but Abby missed their names and what exactly they did at the FBI, instead thinking of why Gibbs was there and why he left without saying more than a few words. Not like he's mister chatty, Abby thought to herself. But –

"Come on Abby, how about we take a round on the dance floor. Shall we?"

Abby nodded and wordlessly followed Fornell out on to the dance floor. She stepped up to Fornell and tried not to think about the fact that she'd rather be dancing with Gibbs. They made a slow rotation, the music slowly relaxing her. This isn't so bad, it could be worse, she told herself. After another slow circle on the dance floor, Abby's eyes caught on the familiar sight of the silvery back of Gibbs' head. She was almost ready to pull out of Fornell's arms when Marie Whitson, the red-head FBI agent from the bathroom, stepped up to him. Abby watched for as long as possible, until Fornell turned her back toward the bar. As they turned again, she expected the agent to be pointing to where Abby was dancing, but instead she was accepting a drink and leaning entirely too close to Gibbs for Abby's comfort.

Fornell hadn't seen Gibbs at the bar, so he grimaced when Abby's fingers dug into his shoulder. "Abby?"

"I'm fine." Abby closed her eyes and tried to shake the image of Gibbs and Marie at the bar. There is nothing to be jealous of, she told herself again. She had a role to play and she was going to play it. To the best of my damn ability.

The music picked up and Fornell asked if she would prefer to sit back down or continue dancing. Abby's first thought was to sit back down and then excuse herself to go in search of Gibbs. When she glanced back toward the bar to find that Gibbs and Marie were no longer standing there, she gritted her teeth and then smiled sweetly at Fornell. "Let's dance."

Fornell smiled and they moved about the dance floor. Abby was tense, but after he spun her around, she had loosened up and appeared to enjoy herself. Tobias couldn't help but laugh when he dipped Abby and she giggled like a school girl.

"Wow Tobias, I didn't think you could dance."

"Diane made me take lessons before our wedding."

"Ah, and here I thought you had been out clubbing."

"Right." Fornell dipped Abby again, pulling her up slowly when the music slowed. She was relaxed in his arms, but he could tell that as the music slowed Abby let her mind wander again. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I just, I don't know." Gibbs and the red-head. God, it's just like how the whole thing got started. Gibbs at the bar with a red-head and I'm stuck with Tobias.

"It's Gibbs." He didn't have to ask, he already knew.

"Why is he here?"

Fornell stopped dancing and stepped away from Abby, then extended a hand. "Why don't we step into the hallway and have a little chat."

Abby took Fornell's outstretched hand. "Okay."

----

It took awhile for him to shake the pretty red-head who introduced herself as Agent Marie Whitson. She was attractive, smart, and on a normal day he would've charmed her to perhaps gain insight to any FBI cases that might cross paths with NCIS. But it wasn't a normal day, and he could care less about other cases. His thoughts were centered on Abby. He was irritated when Agent Whitson leaned into his space and tried to engage him in conversation. It took five minutes longer than he'd hoped for her to pick up on the fact that he wasn't interested. He couldn't keep an eye on Abby from the bar, so he went in search of a better view point.

Gibbs peered down over the railing of the balcony. He watched as Fornell spun Abby around the dance floor; she moved gracefully in her 50's inspired formal dress. He knew he shouldn't be feeling the jealousy that balled in the pit of his stomach, but he couldn't help it. There was something about the way Abby held on to Fornell and laughed at whatever he was telling her. Fornell dipped Abby and then pulled her up slowly. They moved gracefully to the new song the band was playing.

He couldn't see the look on Abby's face when Tobias stepped back and then reached for her hand to lead her off to one of the back hallways. He felt anger boil up inside and threaten to spill. His friend was moving in on Abby and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had almost convinced himself to go home when he noticed a man dressed in a black suit duck into the hallway after them.

----

"Abby, you've got to tell me what's bothering you!" Fornell led her further down the hall and they turned into a small room that looked like it had once been used for storage.

"Why is Gibbs here?"

"I told him not to come."

"Why?"

"Abby, you know he's here to look out for you. He's concerned about your safety, and I don't blame him, but it's because of this that I asked him not to come. You get all worked up and distracted when Jethro is around. When this is all over you really should figure it out." Fornell frowned at the blank look Abby had given him. "What is-"

"What? Don't believe your girl loves you, Tobias?"

Fornell spun around and found himself face to face with a man in a black suit. He didn't recognize him, but there was something familiar about his eyes. "Vincent."

"It's been awhile, but we finally meet."

"Let her go, this is between us." Fornell motioned back at Abby, urging her to start moving around Vincent, toward the door.

"I don't think so." Vincent pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it toward her head until she moved to stand beside Fornell, Vincent the only thing standing between them and the door.

Fornell's fingers itched to reach for a gun he knew he wasn't carrying.

"All you had to do was save my girlfriend, but you failed. She died because you couldn't do your job." Vincent ran a hand through his hair and his voice waivered slightly. "All you had to do was save her and you failed." He pointed the gun toward Fornell and then at Abby. "And now you'll pay. The same way I did. We'll be even and then, just maybe, I can move on with my life."

"Set the gun down, we can work this out. My men and I, we tried our hardest. If you do something drastic, you won't get out alive. This place is swarming with FBI. You don't think they'll hear the gunshot?"

"Don't you think I know that? I'm not dumb, I have a silencer!"

"Abby's not even my girlfriend, you saw us at the bar that night with mutual friends." Fornell couldn't let Abby go down for his mistake.

"No." Vincent thought a moment. "I've seen you two together, you can't lie to me."

"I don't love him, it's been an act to try and get you out. I've practically been a prisoner the past four weeks in his house, playing the happy girlfriend because of you! I don't love him, I love someone else!"

"Abby!" Fornell snapped. "Not helping."

"Helping?!" Abby shouted back at him, momentarily forgetting her fear. "Tobias, why don't you start helping? You're the one that got me in to all of this in the first place!"

"Stop it! Just stop! SHUT UP!" Vincent paced, waving his gun wildly through the air.

"If you'll just calm down…"

"I said, SHUT UP!" Vincent pointed his gun and fired.

----

TBC…

Sorry, just had to flex the whole cliffhanger muscle.