So I hadn't thought that I was going to do this as quickly as I did, but I found myself on a roll, and well, it was different than what I had planned. Thanks, all, for your patience and continued support. :)

Abby was silent for the entire car ride home. If Gibbs hadn't already known something was wrong, that would have tipped him off. She watched the landscape roll by out the window, as if unaware that Gibbs were even in the car, let alone driving.

"Long day?" Gibbs hoped some prodding might get her started.

Abby shrugged, still watching the traffic that passed them as they paused at a stoplight. "Just slow, really."

He had never found himself trying to hold up a conversation with Abby before. "I guess in a strange way that's a good thing. Less crime."

"Not so much less crime – just less elaborate crime."

The car fell silent again.

Gibbs tried a different approach. "Craving anything in particular for dinner? I could make steaks in the fireplace."

"Sure. Sounds good."

He sighed inwardly and decided to give up for the moment. Several minutes later he pulled into Abby's apartment parking lot where they were stopping off to pick up more of Abby's clothes for the week. Gibbs followed her into the building, glancing at a few men that were hanging around on the corner of her building, possibly in the midst of a drug deal.

Abby unlocked the door to her apartment and made her way inside, dropping the keys onto the table that stood next to the door. Gibbs followed closely behind, looking into the hallway before closing the door behind him.

"Abbs, why don't you go ahead and pack up for the month?" He hadn't liked the look of the guys on the street, and while he normally knew she could take care of herself, he knew she wasn't quite the same after the last couple of weeks. He found Abby tossing some clothes haphazardly into a small suitcase in her bedroom.

"It's fine. I'll just grab more stuff next week." Abby shook her head and pulled a black camisole out of her dresser to add into the suitcase.

"Why waste the gas? Besides, I didn't like the look of the guys downstairs. I really wish you'd move, Abbs."

"They're always there, Gibbs. It's no big deal."

Gibbs crossed over the room to stand next to Abby. Abby could feel herself tensing up at his closeness, and suddenly found herself unsure of why she was suddenly uncomfortable around the one person she'd always trusted. She shook the feeling aside and packed the last pair of socks, zipping the case closed.

"Abbs."

Abby ignored him, instead grabbing the suitcase off of the bed.

"Abby. Talk to me."

"Okay, Gibbs. What would you like to talk about? Climate change? The economy? Oh, Plastic Death is coming out with a new album."

"Tony came to me today, Abby. He knows something's up."

Abby's false cheerfulness vanished. "Tony went behind my back?"

"He's worried about you."

"Nothing to be worried about."

"He knows better than that, Abby." Gibbs remained standing closer to her bed, having not moved despite Abby trying to leave the room with her suitcase.

"Like you do, I suppose?"

"You've shut down, Abbs. It's noticeable. To everyone."

"And what, I'm not allowed to be quiet? I have to be happy, perky Abby all the time?" Anger slowly filled her, taking place of the exhaustion that had been hovering over her all day.

"No, course not."

"Then what's the problem?" Abby demanded, her grasp tightening on the suitcase handle.

"Just worried about you is all." Gibbs's voice remained even and calm.

"I'm fine, dammit! Stop asking!" Abby spun around towards the door, the suitcase flying around with her abruptly.

Gibbs followed close behind and grabbed her, turning her towards him. "You're not fine."

Abby's mind flooded with her nightmares as she struggled to push them aside, the images of Hendricks and Carter and Gibbs swirling around viciously. "Let me go, Gibbs. I said I was fine. Just drop it."

"No. Not until I have my girl back."

The nightmares grew more vivid as Abby took in Gibbs's hands wrapped around her arms. Though his grasp was light, she felt herself panicking at the touch, and tried desperately to talk him into letting her go. "Please, Gibbs, just give me time." If he continued to hold on to her, she wasn't going to be able to hold it together much longer. She could do this, she could fight the urge to run.

Gibbs let her go and Abby breathed deeply, focusing on her suitcase so she could rid her mind of the images that had conjured themselves up.

Abby dropped the suitcase to the floor, where it bounced lightly and fell on its side. "I want to stay here."

The look on Gibbs's face was one she normally would have enjoyed – it was rare that she caught him off guard.

"What?"

"I… I need some time alone. I want to stay here."

Gibbs cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. "The last thing you need right now is to be alone."

"Don't tell me what I need, Gibbs!"

He studied her silently, considering her outburst, then did something else that would have shocked his entire team. He pleaded with her. "Please, Abby. Please come home with me. I'm worried about you."

Abby's mind was racing full force with images of her nightmares, with the overwhelming feeling to curl up into a ball or run screaming from the apartment. She couldn't focus. She loved Gibbs, didn't she? And he loved her, right? They'd had that conversation? He'd finally admitted his feelings. Or had she dreamt that? That was it. She'd dreamt it. Surely he couldn't love her. Not after what they'd been through lately. Not after what he knew about her. He was just doing this to protect her. Because it was his job.

"Stop acting like you care for me, Gibbs. Leave me alone." Abby made to vanish into her bedroom, but Gibbs caught her.

"What are you talking about, Abby? Of course I care for you."

She shook her head in response. There were too many images in her mind. Gibbs was no longer trying to convince her of his feelings, now Hendricks was in front of her, saying he cared for her. Abby screamed and dodged away from him only for Hendricks to come towards her, one arm outstretched, repeating her name.

"Stop, stop. Just make it stop. Please. I will do anything, just make it all stop." Abby sobbed, ducking into her bedroom. She attempted to close the door behind her, but Gibbs followed her in quickly, already pulling his cell phone out to find Ducky's number.

"I know you won't hurt me Gibbs, but then you're there and you're laughing with Hendricks and then you're joining in with him. I just want to sleep, and I want you back to normal. I want it all back like before; before I was terrified that I was going to fall asleep and you were going to rape me and laugh about it and be someone I never knew. Please…I just want it to stop." Abby was curled up on the floor next to her bed.

Gibbs sat on the floor, far enough away from Abby to keep from alarming her further.

"Hello, Jethro. How may I help you?" Ducky's voice rang clearly through the phone.

"Duck, I need you at Abby's. ASAP."

Ducky paused, taking in his meaning. "On my way, Jethro."

The call ended and Gibbs sat, watching a sobbing Abby and unsure of what to do next. Her words were echoing in his mind as he waited for the Doctor. Of all the things he had imagined were wrong with Abby, nightmares of him being involved with her rape were the furthest from his mind. Abby was still curled into a ball, the sobs having subsided but tears still streaming down her face.

Silent and feeling more helpless than he had in years, Gibbs leaned against the bed, and felt two tears slide down his cheeks as he watched the woman he had loved for so long in a pain he couldn't stop.