"You should all go home. It's going to be a long couple of days. I'm fine, you don't have to stay," he insists.
"McGee, we're..." Tony begin to reassure him.
He cuts him off, "No, go."
They nod. Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs leave the room. Abby sits in a chair, in the corner of the room.
"Abs, you too."
"I'm fine," she argues.
"You're tired, please go home."
"I don't want to go home. I don't want to leave."
"Please, do this for me."
"I am doing this for you."
"Abby, stop being so stubborn. Please just go home. I would feel better knowing that you got some sleep."
"I'm not going to get any sleep, at home."
"I don't expect you to stay."
"I want to stay."
"Abby whatever happens..."
She shakes her head, "I don't want to hear this speech. I don't false assurance."
"What do you want? Tell me what you want."
"I want..." she trails off.
"You want what?"
"I want a do-over. I want to start this day over, and change what happened."
"But we can't. We can only move forward."
"How are we going to move forward? We're always going to carry the past around with us."
"The past is a reminder of the things we did wrong. We have to carry it around, so we don't repeat the same mistakes."
"Do you think that this was a mistake?"
"What? Was what a mistake, Abs?"
"You know what I'm talking about. Do you think it was a mistake. If you do..."
"No, Abby, I don't think that it was a mistake. I think that it was unplanned. I think that it was a surprise, but I don't think that it was a mistake. I would never think that."
"Are you sure, because..."
"Everything happens for a reason."
"I just wish I knew the reasons."
"One day you will."
"McGee..." she stops.
"Abby, whatever you need to say, you can tell me."
"I'm so scared."
He smiles, "I know," he motions for him.
He pulls her into a hug. "I know that this is scary. I know that this is hard. Whatever challenges this may bring, we will get through together. I'm here. Even if I can't be there for you physically, I am still going to be there. No matter what. I promise."
"Don't make a promise that you can't keep."
"Never," he promises.
"What are you doing here?"
"I know that I shouldn't be here, but I just... I didn't want to leave the things they were. I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep, until we talked."
"What is there to talk about?"
"You know what."
"I don't want to go there."
"Why not?"
"I am not ready to go there."
"Are you ever going to be ready?"
"Maybe, one day, if I can believe you."
"Why wouldn't you be able to believe me?"
"It is not your fault."
"It's the others who came before me?" he guesses.
"Even if I wanted this, and I am not saying that I do, but if I did, I could never be ok with giving you my heart, not now. I do not want to give you a broken heart. That isn't fair. You deserve more."
"I don't think that you get it."
"Get what? What is there to get? You are confused."
He grabs her arms, to keep her from running away. "No, I'm not confused," he looks her in the eyes. "I'm not confused. I know what I said. I meant what I said."
"How? How can you mean what you said?"
"Sometimes our heart, it refused to communicate with our brain. Sometimes our heart sends impulses to the brain, but the brain doesn't want to respond."
"In other words?"
"My heart has wanted this for a very long time, but my brain refused to hear my heart out. One day I couldn't take it anymore. My brain says it's a bad idea, but my heart doesn't care."
"Is that what you are really thinking with? Your heart?"
"What else would I be thinking with?" he lets go off her.
She shoots him a look. "The other thing you usually think with."
"My stomach?" he furrows his brow in confusion.
"Lower," she answers.
"Oh."
"If that is what you are thinking with... I might be able to handle that."
"Wait, a minute. You are telling me that you would be willing to have sex with me, but you wouldn't be willing to be in a relationship with me? You would rather be friends with benefits, than take the risk that comes along with a possible commitment?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"People tend to stick to the things that they are good at."
"Meaning?"
"I am good with a gun. I am good at catching criminals. I am good at sex. I am not good at relationships."
"Is it because of me or..."
She shrugs, "You don't understand."
He smiles at her.
"What?" she responds.
"When did you start using so many contractions?"
"It is a conscious effort."
"Why are you making a conscious effort?"
"Something you said."
"You do listen."
"Don't flatter yourself."
"I just want you to give this a chance."
"Can't we compromise?"
"How?"
"I do not want to make a promise that I cannot keep. I do not want to ruin what we already have."
He cuts her off, "How is that a compromise?"
"Let me finish."
"Ok," he nods.
"I don't know if I can give you forever. I don't know if I can give you tomorrow. All I can give you is tonight."
"What if I want more?"
"I am willing to try, but I am not ready to make a long term commitment. I can give you tonight. From there I will make no promises. I can only take things one day at a time."
"Ok."
"Ok?"
"I'll take what I can get."