To continue ... The team head out after a serail killer while Abby contemplates her love for Gibbs.
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CHAPTER TWO: Rule number four
Rule 4: If you have a secret, the best thing is to keep it to yourself. The second-best is to tell one other person if you must. There is no third-best.
When Gibbs left, Abby began pacing. He loves me … in his dreams and in his heart? What does that mean? I love him … in my dreams and in my heart. I know what that means. Could he mean the same thing?
Up on her screen is Lawrence T. Studebaker … serial killer. The DNA that Abby had matched to Seaman James Harold Keeler, belonged to Studebaker. Studebaker was wanted in six states for eleven murders … McGee tracked him down. The team had a pulse on him and Abby's gut was doing flip flops. Partly from Gibbs declaration of love for her … if that's what that was and partly from "the gut" speaking … as Gibbs would put it. Her nervous energy was wearing a path in her lab's sterile linoleum floor. She needed to talk to someone … but not just anyone. She called Ducky.
"Ducky, could you come to the lab please."
"I'll be right there Abigail."
Ducky came up to Abby's lab to find her pacing and chewing her nails. She wanted to tell him what Gibbs had signed to her before he left, but she knew that he must have signed to her for a reason. It was their secret language … it must have been a secret.
Ducky looked up on her screen and noted the name Studebaker.
"So that's the ruthless killer of our poor boy in autopsy."
"I matched his DNA from the evidence."
"Studebaker. Abigail, did you know that the Studebaker was first manufactured as an electric vehicle in 1902?"
"I don't think this is the same Studebaker, Ducky."
"No, I suppose not. Ducky moves closer to the picture of Studebaker. You can see that look in his eyes … he has the look of a killer."
"Oh my gosh Ducky, Gibbs is out there after him!"
"Yes of course Abigail, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and Tim."
"But Ducky!"
"Abigail?"
"I have a very bad feeling."
OOooOOooOO
McGee had traced Studebaker to several internet accounts, which lead to several bank accounts, which lead to several real-estate holdings, which lead to a cabin in the wooded area near Orange, Va. It took an hour or so to get there and an hour or so to hike through the woods to find the cabin.
Their intel put him in that cabin. Back up was moments behind. Gibbs wanted this dirt bag.
"McGee, you're with me. DiNozzo, you and Ziva go left and check out the back of the cabin."
"Right Boss."
Tony and Ziva flanked left, Gibbs and McGee went right. Tony was about half way around back, in front of Ziva, when she heard a snap and Tony went down. He screamed like she had never heard before. He grabbed for his ankle and tears immediately came streaming down his face. On the other side of the cabin, Gibbs met a worse fate. Lawrence T. Studebaker. Gibbs and McGee turned around when they heard Tony's scream of pain and anguish only to find Studebaker and the barrel of his gun. Studebaker put one round into Gibbs chest and McGee put three rounds into Studebaker. Ziva was yelling for help and Tim was yelling … "Gibbs' been shot … Gibbs' been shot!"
Tony could hear McGee over his own cries … "Ziva … go help Gibbs!"
"No, I'm not leaving you!"
Ziva discharged her weapon into the mechanism of the bear trap that Tony had stepped into. His ankle was obviously broken in several different places but his main concern was getting to Gibbs.
He wrapped his arm around Ziva and hobbled over to where McGee and Gibbs were.
McGee was applying pressure to the gunshot wound.
"We need to get him to a hospital, NOW!"
Back-up was arriving and EMS was on standby … Gibbs was transported to the nearest Navel Hospital in Critical condition.
Ducky and Abby were together when they received word.
"Oh Dear."
"Ducky … we need to do something!"
"Pray, Abigail … call the Sisters."
"Ducky, before Gibbs left, he signed to me."
Abby signs for Ducky.
"Abby, you know I don't sign … I do know that one of those signs are … I love you, and you know he does."
He also signed … in his dreams and in his heart. Ducky, could he mean more than what I thought … you know … like a little sister?"
"I don't know Abby. How do you feel?"
"Like I could get lost in those beautiful blue eyes."
"Let me drive you to the hospital Abby and find out what he meant by it. We must think positive that he will be able to tell you."
"Ducky … can we keep this between us?"
"Rule number four Abigail. Your secret is my secret."
OOooOOooOO
The following day at Bethesda Navel Hospital, Gibbs was on a respirator to help assist in his breathing. The bullet had punctured his lung and he had undergone emergency surgery. His eyes were open slightly when Abby walked into the room. He was very weak and she didn't know if he even realized that she was there, but she took the chance and signed to him anyway.
I love you too LJ Gibbs. My heart aches for you. My dreams are filled with you.
His eye's smiled. She knew, that he knew, that she was there by his side.
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Thank you for reading! Reviews appreciated .... Judy