Abby's road weary eyes looked suspiciously at the door in front of her. It was the correct address and Gibbs' car was parked in the driveway. She breathed in deeply and knocked.

Nobody answered so she knocked again, harder.

The door swung open and an angry Gibbs looked at her. His eyes grew wide with shock. His face softened a bit, but barely.

"Gibbs…I…" she looked at him helplessly.

He stepped out onto the front porch and shut the door behind him.

"Can…can we take a walk?" Abby asked carefully.

He didn't speak, but he gave a curt nod and he stepped out onto the sandy beach in his bare feet. He was wearing khaki shorts and a grey t-shirt. Abby slipped off her shoes and followed him.

"Jethro…I want you to come back to NCIS," she looked at him and he gave no reaction.

They walked in silence for a bit until Abby mustered enough courage to reach out and attempt to lace her fingers in his. He jerked away and kept walking. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him around to face her. She held his wrists in her hands as he stared blankly into her eyes.

"I am sorry, Jethro. There is nothing I can say to fix this quickly. There is seemingly nothing I can do. You want me to kiss you but you don't want to kiss me. You want to hug me but you don't want to hug me. You want to love me but you don't want to love me. You want me to love you but you don't want me to love you," she looked at him sadly.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and she continued, "Maybe you don't know what you want, but I know what I want. I was scared before. That's why I freaked out. I didn't know what to do. I was so afraid I was just going to be another notch on your belt. I was so afraid of commitment. I don't know what you want but I want you. I want you, all of you, for the rest of my life. If I can't have that, then I still want you to come back to NCIS. I want you to come back home," she said.

He continued to look at her but still, he said nothing.

"I know there are so many things I don't know about you. I know that you have been badly broken and I know that I just broke your heart. It kills me, Jethro, it honestly does. But the wounds you won't let me see will be the hardest ones for me to try and heal…"

"Have you ever been hurt so badly you think it will never end but it eventually starts to heal? To finally scar?" He whispered.

"Yes," she breathed.

"Have you ever had that scar torn open again and again?"

"No," she said as her eyes began to water.

"That's what happens every time I look at you. There is nothing about me that deserves you. I deserve to sit here in my misery with my bleeding heart. You don't want to be with me Abby," he said.

"I don't see why you can't just accept me, Jethro," Abby said pleadingly.

"I want so badly to accept you Abby. I want to hug you and never let you go. I want to stand here with you forever. But life isn't rainbows and butterflies and a life with me certainly wouldn't be anything near that," he said plainly.

"Maybe I don't want rainbows and butterflies. Look at me; do I look like a rainbows and butterflies kind of girl? To be completely honest, I would rather spend the rest of my life in hell with you than with anyone else,"

"Abby, you don't mean that. You don't know what you are saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying."

Gibbs held up his hands, "These hands have killed. This mouth has torn out people's hearts and souls with just mere words. These eyes have seen horrible things. These legs have run from problems for years. These arms have failed to protect my family. This heart….this heart beats in a million pieces."

Abby placed her hands on his face and stroked away his tears with her thumbs, "These hands will wipe all your pain away. This mouth will kiss you in your darkest hour. These eyes will watch as you heal and grow in love again. These legs will chase after you when you run. These arms will hold you when you fail. This heart will love you until the end of time."

Jethro pulled his hands up and wrapped them around her wrists, "Abby, you have no idea what you're getting into…" He said as he walked towards his car.

"Where are you going?" She called.

"Back to work!" He yelled over his shoulder.