A/N: This could be a trigger for people. I didn't think about it when I was writing it, but there are mentions of rape and abuse. Please do not read if this will negatively impact you!

Gibbs felt like he had been punched in the chest. The air rushed out of him, the room spun and his world came crashing down around him. He had finally managed to tell her how he felt about her, but she was with someone else. She was…he wouldn't even let himself finish the thought. He jumped up and took a step away from her. She reached for him and he knocked her hand away from him. He frantically tried to gather his thoughts and catch his breath. Her tears were pouring down her checks again. All he wanted to do was to comfort her, to love her, but she'd betrayed him. No, he corrected himself. He had waited too long. He pulled the mask back on and gave her a smile. Through gritted teeth he said, "Congratulations," and headed towards the door.

"Gibbs! Wait! It's not like that," she said, rushing after him. She couldn't let him get away. She ran out the door and yelled, "I love you, Gibbs! Please…" her voice trailing off as he spun around to face her. There was fury in his eyes as he headed towards her. The rage barely contained as he reached her.

"Don't lie to me Abby," he bit out each word. His teeth clenched and his hands balled into fists.

"I'm not lying Gibbs. I've always loved you" she said, tears spilling down her cheeks trying to gather the courage to look into his eyes. She raised her eyes to meet his, and whispered in a barely audible voice, "I was raped."

The rage evaporated instantly from Gibbs' body. "What? When? Are you? Abs…." his voice trailed off, unable to complete a thought. He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her to the door.

He led her to the couch and sat her down then plopped down beside her, unsure how to proceed. He had been such a jerk. Someone had hurt her and he had the audacity to scream at her?

They turned to face each other and in unison said, "I'm sorry." Their joint apology broke the tension and they both smiled warmly.

Gibbs reached a hand out and brushed the tears off her cheeks. For the first time he noticed the deep dark circles under her eyes and how thin she was.

"I'm so sorry I yelled, Abby. I was…it doesn't matter. I'm just sorry I yelled at you. Tell me what happened."

"Eight weeks ago I was taking a bath. I heard a noise in the living room and before I knew it he was on top of me. It was awful. He slapped me around for awhile, then he…" she swallowed hard, and brushed away a few tears before continuing. "He raped me. It felt like hours, but then he was done and he left and I just sat there."

"Eight weeks ago? Did you call the police?" He questioned gently, holding her hand and rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

"No. I didn't want anyone to know. I took a rape kit, dusted for prints, and brought all the evidence to the office. I ran the DNA and found a match." She said quietly, looking away from his piercing blue eyes.

"Good girl, Abby. Who was it?"

"It was Mikel Mauher."

"The Mikel Mauher that you used to date? The one the stalked you and we put behind bars?" Gibbs pressed gently.

"Yeah. I didn't know that he was out of jail…I'm sorry Gibbs, I should have told you. I just didn't want you to run away from me."

"Abby, I'd never run away from you. Not for that."
"I just wanted you to keep thinking of me as strong and fierce."

"Abs, you'll always be strong and fierce. What do you want me to do with this information?" Gibbs asked, knowing that he wanted to find this guy and put a bullet between his eyes.

Abby was shocked that he'd even ask. He always took charge and did whatever he wanted to do. It's part of the reason she hadn't told him about the incident in the first place. She finally looked him in the eyes and saw a gentleness that surprised her. He had always had a special place in his heart for her and she knew it, but she usually only caught fleeting glances of his kindness before he hid behind his mask of fearless leader.

"I don't know. He's still out there. What if he comes back?" she asked, her voice cracking and tears once again rolling down her cheeks.

"I'll protect you." His voice unfaltering and completely genuine, giving her a sense of safety she hadn't felt in weeks.

"I'm so tired. I don't think I've slept since that night," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Abbs, when was the last time you ate something?" he asked, worried almost as much to hear the answer as he was about what to do with all the information she had given him.

"I think I had breakfast this morning…maybe part of Tony's bagel?" she asked unsure if she was willing to tell Gibbs that it had only been one bite of bagel and it might have been yesterday morning.

"First, we eat. Then you get some rest. When those are done, we can figure everything else out. Okay?" he asked gently.

"Okay, but I don't have any…oh yeah, Ducky brought groceries. Did he bring anything good?" she asked standing up and making her way to the kitchen.