Chapter 7: dreaming with your eyes open

Disclaimer: See chapter 4.
Spoilers: none.
Beta: Tino-channn

A/N Hi everybody!
I'm writing this at 8 pm with my cute little sister cuddled next to me, trying to read the text on the screen. It's really funny cause she still learning how to read (she's a 6-year-old) and, well, she's not exactly English. So with a lot of effort she reads: "c-h-a-p-t-e-r… Kaptur?" The word chapter has no meaning in Dutch and she's doesn't really understand what a different language is. Awww. :)

I'm really touched that everyone seems to like my chapter. It really boosts my self confidence!
You should hear me when I'm writing a chapter. It's just… I'm missing the words. Sometimes I'll run to my friend in misery because of some stupid word I can't remember. She's great even though she can be verrrrry mean (yes I'm talking to YOU, Tino). Well, I love you all –sorry for the long A/N! You can start reading now!

Preview
Gibbs took off, pressing the accelerator all the way down. The car shot forward with a bang. With renewed force he raced down the highway, desperately hoping his gut was right.

McGee had tracked down the satellite footage the moment they arrived. Every team member watched in horror when they say Abby being dragged off in a black van by three unknown men. Ziva gasped, McGee's face turned really red out of anger and Tony got real pale. But Gibbs just smashed his jaw together. He knew it. He'd known something was really, really wrong when he opened his front door, only so few hours ago. The imagery was very fuzzy so they could barely make out any faces, but as by a miracle they could make out a license plate. It didn't just give them hope. It gave them a lead.

The gas station seemed closed down when they approached it. But when they parked in front of the little building, they saw flickering candlelight shining through the small windows.
"Wow," Dinozzo said, impressed. "This vibe I'm getting is just like… What's that movie again? You know," he poked McGee in his side. "The movie with the spooky gas station and all those zombies..." Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Except Gibbs, who just gave him a penetrating glare. In response, the senior field agent gave them an apologizing smile. "Shutting up now, boss." His boss gave him an extra angry look and got out of the car without saying a word.
"What? What did I do?"
Ziva patted Tony's shoulder, giving him look that said: if-you-don't-know-that-then-you're-stupid.
"No one wants to hear about zombies at 5 o´clock in the morning, Tony!" McGee added.
Dinozzo thought about that for a second, then looked up confused.
"What? Who doesn't want to hear about awesome zombie movies? I mean, you could wake me up anytime for a Resident Evil movie marathon. Have you seen that main character? I would love to get a taste of those-"
"Come on McGee, we're getting out!" Ziva interrupted, by swinging the car down open en pulling a sleepy-looking Tim with her, leaving Tony alone. He followed them soon enough into the building. Gibbs was hovering over a short man. His body language showed his team that their boss was not very happy.
"I said: I don't freaking care about a warrant so ya better show me the camera footage NOW." Gibbs was definitely pissed off and luckily for the owner of the gas station, he got the message. He swiped the sweat from his forehead with a bright red handkerchief.
"Okay, okay! Listen: my shift has just begun so I don't really know about boxes or some truck, but I'll show you cops the footage right away, sir." He turned a computer screen that looked like it barely survived the dinosaurs and opened a file. Black-and-white popped up on the screen.
"I know it's not really good quality," the man said, nervously lightning up a cigarette, "but we ain't buying a better camera." He mumbled it so soft that no one really heard him except Tony, who chuckled. That earned him a few disapproving looks. Now the senior field agent was really offended. He pretended not to see the camera footage anymore when suddenly he noticed everyone staring at him.
"Eh, sorry, what did I miss?" he asked sheepish. Ziva rolled her eyes and the other two agents just sighed annoyed. After that he decided to pay attention anyway.
Meanwhile, Gibbs was rubbing his eyes, cursing his diminishing eyesight. The footage was indeed of very bad quality and he just wished he could send it to Abby so she could work her magic. But the chances of finding her today where growing less and less by every minute that passed. They saw the boxes being dropped off by a big truck.
"McGee," he growled. "Stop the tape around… 4 am and play it slowly." The youngest agent of his team pressed a few keys.
"Right… the truck should have been here around… now." He pressed the pause key.
"Look!" Tony pointed at the edge of the screen. "That's gotta be the black van! Continue to play it, probie." They all watched the black van appear in the screen and stop in front of the gas station. A man jumped out with something in his hand.
"That's gotta be Abby's cell phone!" The man looked around and they got a good view of his face.
"I'm gonna get a possible ID out of that picture, boss!" McGee yelled enthusiastically, his fingers flying over the keyboard. The stranger on the camera saw the boxes and let the phone slip in, between some empty bottles. After that, he ran back to his car and disappeared in the opposite direction. Gibbs slammed his hand on the table. These people were way smarter than he thought. They had followed a false trail. They had wasted so much time! He growled and shoved his chair back in one swift move.
"We're taking the footage with us," he demanded and left.
He had no other choice.
There was only one thing he could do now.

…..

Abby was sitting in a corner of the way too familiar room. Danai was sleeping in her arms, her head resting against Abby's shoulder. Her arms were cradled around the child, pressing her against her chest. Softly, she stroked Danai's blonde hair and noticed that the girl's cheeks were still wet. The child had fallen asleep crying. Abby almost started crying herself again. To lock up little children, you had to be pure evil. Right after Sarah and her helper left, Danai had broke down completely. None of them could make her stop crying. So Abby had grabbed the child in one of her hugs and started singing. When she was a little girl she would go to church and there was this one song, that had always calmed her down when she was sad or angry.
Be silent, be patient, everything will be alright, in heaven and on earth. Be silent, be patient, everything will be new. On heaven and on earth.
And finally, Danai stopped sobbing. She rested her head down on Abby's shoulder and just passed out from exhaustion.
It hurt the forensic scientist the most that she was so powerless, that she couldn't stop the man from hurting the kids. Victor had fallen asleep too, sometimes coughing in his sleep. He probably also passed out, like all the others.
Now, with nothing to do except to listen to the breathing around her, Abby focused on Gibbs.
She didn't really believe in telepathy and that kind of stuff, but it could never hurt to try, right? So she closed her eyes and thought of Gibbs.
His piercing blue eyes, his crooky smile that he only showed her. The moments when they flirted, just to mess around… but there were times when he even dropped his beloved coffee to come to her aid. But also the time when he started to change around her.
She didn't really know when it started, weeks, months back? He smiled at her and suddenly she knew. He was her boss, he was older, and yet…
Yet their relationship didn't feel like merely friendship anymore.

You can hear me Gibbs? Cause if you can, it would be awesome. Then we don't even need sighning anymore. But I guess you can't cause otherwise you would be here already.
I wanna bet you're out there right now, searching for me. That's good, but please don't worry too much! It's not good for you!
She hesitated, what was she going to say?
I'm in Mexico, Gibbs, and you gotta be fast because those children won't be able to hold on for very long anymore.
Now that she was in Mexico, it wasn't going to be easy for him. But she was sure. He would come. And when he did, all hell was going to break loose.
But he couldn't hear her and she knew she was going to need the energy that she got out of sleeping, but she simply couldn't. She had to do something. She couldn't let Gibbs do everything.
So, with one child sleeping in her arms and the others close to her feet, Abby Sciuto started to think like the forensic scientist she was, on a plan how to escape.

Oh, and Gibbs, since you won't hear this anyway…
Please, please be careful. Because you´re Gibbs. Because you´re my silver-haired fox.
And because I love you.

After that, she also closed her eyes. And slowly, a plan started forming in her head.