Thank you to Finlaure, who took the time to proofread!

Thank you guys! Means a lot to me that you keep coming back :) As promised another chapter!

ENJOY!

-12-

Ducky was already waiting when Gibbs and Abby entered the morgue, while Tobias made his way to the bullpen where he was filling out the witness form surrounded by the rest of the team.

"Abby dear, what happened?" The scientist let Gibbs help her sit on the slap.

"I'll tell you once I've found out myself, Duck-man."

Seeing the worry not only on Gibbs' handsome face but also on Ducky's face let her wonder how bad her forehead really must look.

The ME changed a glance with his friend and got to work, checking her forehead and the reactions of her pupils with a small light.

Satisfied that they reacted the way they were supposed to be he began with the rest of the medical interrogation.

"Are you feeling dizzy my dear?"

"Oh Yeah!" Abby answered still holding on Gibbs' forearm with one hand while the other one was gripping the edge of the table for balance.

"Feeling nauseous?

"A little."

"Are you in any pain?" Ducky asked while he lowered his eyes from her forehead to her hands.

"As much as could be expected after kissing the concrete with your forehead."

The ME chuckled softly, "I see, you haven't lost your sense of humor."

She grinned at the doctor and nodded softly.

Regret set in immediately as the movement let her head ache.

After much begging and pleading with Ducky and taking two aspirin pills with a glass of water she was allowed to leave. She also had to promise Gibbs she would lay down the rest of the day and Ducky that as soon as it got worse, she would go to the ER without resistance.

About half an hour after arriving at the building, the couple emerged from the elevator.

The expectant looks were annoying as was the worry she could see on about everybody's face. While Tobias got up from Jethro's chair and walked to the free area between Tony's and Tim's desk, leaning against the metal file-cabinet, Gibbs spoke up, "Ducky didn't find anything serious, she has a mild concussion."

By the end of Gibbs' sentence Abby sat down on the newly vacated chair and said, "I should avoid driving and another bump on the head."

Jethro looked at his team and Tobias and spoke out loud what had entered his mind on the way to the coffee shop a little while earlier, "I think we have a problem, I think someone is after Abby."

Silence. Everybody stared at him and then at Abby, while Abby sat at the desk on the chair of her boyfriend, staring at said with a what-are-you-talking-about-expression.

If her head and stomach didn't have something against movement she would be pacing by now instead just looking at Gibbs while the Agent was looking right back at her.

Nowhere near convinced Abby spoke up.

"You can't be right, Gibbs!"

Gibbs placed his hands on her cheeks and began to gently stroke her skin, not caring about the stares, "My gut tells me I am right; there are just too many close calls for a normal work week Abs."

The Goth was afraid he'd mention his gut. "Why would someone try to kill me?" Abs asked, paused and stared up at him while images of the various near death situations she had to face came to mind. Eventually she answered the question for herself, "Right I'm a professional scientist, who put many, many bad people behind bars."

An attempted smile on her face she focused on Gibbs and spoke up again. "At least you can save the trouble of checking my boyfriend, I'm pretty sure he isn't a nut job."

His answering smile was teasing and his voice soft, "Some might think otherwise."

He dropped his hands to her shoulder, caressing the tense muscles he could reach that way.

After a few seconds of silence Tony spoke up not able to hide his nosiness, "I didn't know you were seeing someone, you always tell me." He sounded a little hurt by the end of the sentence.

The Israeli spoke up before Abby could, "Curiosity killed the dad." without turning his head toward her, Tony answered his friend, "Cat Ziva, curiosity killed the cat."

Ziva raised an eyebrow, and looked at Abby, "Whatever. Can you be sure that he isn't a maniac?"

Abby couldn't hide the grin, "Ask Gibbs, he knows him very well."

McGee stopped his typing altogether and stared at Abby. Ziva just looked toward the couple without giving really away what went on in her mind.

And Tony, Tony slid forward on his chair 'till he sat on the edge of said, leaning forward till his chest was pressed against the crossed arms, which were resting on top of his desk.

Three voices came to life speaking in unison. "He does?" Two sounded very hurt. Without even looking in the two men's faces she could tell what they were thinking, *how come that he knows*

Ziva sounded not that surprised. She probably figured that Abby would Gibbs let meet all new boyfriends that she had.

Tony had the guts to ask. "Since when are you seeing someone, is it serious?"

"A few days," she answered without turning to look at him, addressing Gibbs with a question: "What do you think? You know him, is it something serious?"

"Knowing him as well as I do I'd say very serious."

"Why does Gibbs know him already?" Abby grinned from ear to ear, despite the situation, she had fun. "Gibbs knows him for ages."

From one moment to the next Abs became serious, changing the subject.

"What happens now?"

It was again Tony's voice that became audible. "We do what we always do, investigate, find the bad guy and afterwards we are going to question your new boyfriend to make sure he is good enough for you."

"Don't worry Tony, he is good for her."

There was confidence in Ziva's voice. Gibbs and Abby looked to her, while

Tony got to his feet and walked around his desk into the middle of the bull pen, pointing his finger at Ziva.

"Why do I get the feeling you know something?"

"I think I have met him once or twice." The Israeli leant back against the chair-back, turning the pen in her hand over and over.

She met Abby's eyes before she searched for Gibbs. "I think he is a good, honest man, and I think he loves Abby very much, but that is just my opinion after a short observation." She ended with her eyes on Abby.

"Cause after all" her eyes wandered back to Gibbs. "If he would hurt her in any way I would have to hurt him as well." With that the pen in her hand snapped into two pieces. Tony and McGee looked from Ziva to Gibbs and further on to Abby.

"Why do I get the feeling I just missed something vital?" Ziva and Gibbs smiled at each other, understanding each other perfectly. "He doesn't intend to hurt her." Jethro said to Ziva, thereby only adding to the confusion of Tim and Tony.

With a curious expression Tony wandered to Tim's desk and leaned against it. "I think we missed something, Probie."

Eventually Gibbs spoke up again. "Go back to work or you are going to miss something else. I'm sure Abby is going to introduce him to all of you when the time is right."

Abby sighed and leant back against the chair, watching Tobias who had just observed the whole conversation without interrupting. Abby got the feeling that he also had a fair idea who her boyfriend was, especially since she had called him Jethro, while fighting for consciousness.

Bringing the conversation back on topic she spoke up.

"Someone wants me gone, why?"

"We are going to find out." She looked to her slightly shaking fingers and then upwards again "While you do that, could I lay down?" The dizziness hadn't subsided yet and Abby just wanted to rest. "The pill didn't work yet?" She shook her head and regretted it immediately.

He stepped into the booth his desk created, pushed Abby out of his way and opened the second drawer.

With a chocolate bar in his hand he closed the drawer again.

"Here, let's try some sugar, if that isn't going to work we go see Ducky again."

Now tell me, what do you think?