I Know You Can Feel This Too

A/N: As expected, Fornell confronts Gibbs...

Chapter 8 – Confrontation

No sooner had the elevator begun moving than Fornell hit the emergency stop switch and angrily faced Gibbs. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Gibbs? You can be pissed at me all you like, but don't take it out on Abby."

"Take what out on her?" Gibbs folded his arms and glared right back.

He wasn't about to be intimidated in his own elevator by Fornell or anyone.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. I've just come from Abby's lab where I found Ducky comforting her. She was in tears, Gibbs. Tears... and all because you upset her." Fornell was furious. "You really are a piece of work sometimes, you bastard, it's no wonder three wives divorced you."

"Don't push it, Tobias." Gibbs ground out between gritted teeth. "It's none of your business."

"Isn't it?" Fornell demanded. "I don't like to see my friend upset."

"Your friend?" scoffed Gibbs. "You're behaving like she's your girlfriend."

He wanted to pace but the space wouldn't allow for it, so he settled for leaning back against the wall, hands clenched in an effort not to put his fist through Fornell's face.

"And what if I am?" Fornell snapped right back at him. "What business is that of yours anyway?"

Gibbs paused, trying to get his anger under control. "What are you up to, Tobias?"

"Up to, Jethro," he glanced at Gibbs, sharply, crossing his arms and looking up at the tall figure in front of him.

"You heard me. Don't act dumb. You know what I mean," muttered Gibbs, tightly.

"Oh, now we're getting to it. I wondered when this was coming. Go on then, do your worst..." Fornell spread his arms wide. "What d'ya wanna do? D'ya just wanna hit me and get it over with?"

Gibbs virtually snarled at him. "If you hurt her Tobias."

"I have no intention of hurting her, unlike you who seem to have taken every opportunity this week to do just that."

He'd been livid with Gibbs when he saw how upset Abby was.

But Fornell was equally angry with himself that he hadn't been there in time today to deflect the Marine's anger away from Abby. He'd seen this coming and had been determined to be there when Gibbs exploded, but he'd messed up and, as a consequence, Abby had taken the brunt of Gibbs' temper.

"Well, you would know, seeing as though you're here every five minutes." Gibbs slammed his hand against the wall.

"Oh, so that's it. Well, unless you've gone blind, Abby's a wonderful woman and we happen to enjoy each other's company... not that it's any of your business. And anyway, since when did you get appointed her surrogate father?" He saw Gibbs wince at that and knew he'd hit below the belt. "Or is that it, Gibbs? That fatherly feelings are the last thing you're feeling right now?"

Gibbs exploded, "She's my... " He swallowed hard as rage threatened to overwhelm him, "my friend and I don't want to see her used."

"I'm not using her," snapped Fornell, angrily, thinking that Gibbs had some nerve, given what his own private life looked like to outsiders. "I'm very fond of her. She's not yours, Jethro. You had your chance. God dammit, you've had her in front of your nose for ten years and done nothing."

"It's not like that…" Gibbs began but Fornell cut him off.

"Isn't it?" demanded Fornell. "Well, that's how it's looked sometimes. Or did you think you'd somehow marked your territory already and she wasn't allowed to look at anyone else until you decided it was time to get your head out of your ass and do something?"

Gibbs glared at him but didn't reply.

Fornell had worked up a good head of steam by now and was practically shouting. "Well, tough. I've no idea if this is going anywhere, but I enjoy Abby's company and she seems to enjoy mine, and Emily adores her."

Gibbs paused, before forcing out through gritted teeth, "I never said she shouldn't see who she likes."

"No? Well, you're doing a damn good job of giving the impression that you'll tear apart anyone she does see," snarled Fornell. "For God's sake, Gibbs, Abby's not a mind reader. How the hell is she supposed to know how you feel if you don't tell her, but no, that'd be too simple for you, wouldn't it?"

Gibbs leaned against the opposite wall and eyed Fornell, angrily. "I told ya, it's none of your business."

But Fornell wouldn't back down. "You made it my business when you upset her. You've done nothing this week but take out your bad mood on Abby, and she doesn't deserve that."

Fornell paused, trying to get his own temper under control, remembering how he'd wanted to give her a hug, hold her just now, feeling that it was just as much his fault that Abby was upset... that he was the one who'd made her a target. "Did you think she'd wait for you forever?"

"She doesn't..." Gibbs trailed off, irritated beyond words at Fornell's needling.

"Doesn't what? Feel that way about you? You sure about that? Besides, you're being a bloody hypocrite, Gibbs," he goaded. "Don't you think you're hurting Abby enough by flaunting that lawyer in front of her?"

Fornell wondered if he'd gone too far with that remark.

Baiting this particular Marine in a confined space probably wasn't the smartest idea he'd ever had if he wanted to get out of this elevator with his neck intact. But what he wasn't prepared for was the sudden guilty look that washed over Gibbs' face at his words, or for his anger to suddenly drain away, leaving the Marine looking deflated and tired.

"It's not... it's not what it seems, Tobias. It's complicated." Gibbs ran his hand over his head, feeling suddenly worn out.

Not in the mood right now to puzzle out what the hell Gibbs was up to, Tobias shot back, "Yeah, with you it always is, Gibbs. But all Abby can see is you're with another woman and yet somehow that's okay, and she's got to accept that without question. Well, I don't wanna see her hurt either so I'm not going to let you upset her any more."

With that, Fornell slammed his hand back on the switch and they continued the journey to the ground floor in tense silence.

TBC