Okay. New fic. I'm mainly posting this for two reasons: one, to see how I'm doing (meaning, review please!), and two, to give myself incentive to brainstorm and keep writing. So, reviews will give me that incentive to keep writing! Pairing is Abby/Gibbs, of course.

Chapter 1

Abby glanced at her watch as she hurried back into headquarters. Only a few minutes late back from her lunch break. If she hurried, and made it into her lab without anyone seeing her, no one would ever know. She could do that. She dashed to the elevator, pressed the button, and hurried in as soon as the doors opened. Press the button, watch the doors close, and… this was a really slow elevator.
Okay. A minute's worth of standing there and she was bored. She dug through her purse to give herself something to do, locating a blue bouncy ball. "What's this doing in here?" she wondered out loud. Figuring that it was at least something to play with, the slung her purse back over her shoulder and dropped the bouncy ball on the ground, catching it as it bounced back up. She repeated this process a few times before actually tossing it down, not really expecting the results.
The blue sphere bounced easily from the hard floor of the elevator all the way up to the ceiling, ricocheting off onto the wall before Abby could stop it. She hurried to try and catch it, but it seemed as though the little ball had a mind of its own, trying to get away from her. She found herself chasing it around the large elevator, unable to help but giggling at the pure humor of the situation. Maybe the bouncy ball wasn't such a good idea.
The elevator doors opened as the bouncy ball hit the back wall and bounced straight out, quite surprising a waiting Gibbs as it bopped him on the head.
"Oh, God, Gibbs, I'm sorry! Wow, I'm sorry. I didn't… the thing… bounced, and… it sorta went everywhere, and… then the doors opened, and you were there, and… yeah, you were there."
He chuckled slightly. "Yes, Abby, I was here. And this…" he held up the bouncy ball, "apparently was too."
Abby grinned shyly. "Yeah. Apparently." She stepped out of the elevator, not wanting to get stuck in it again if and when the doors closed. Gibbs watched her, trying to hide his amusement.
Abby suddenly remembered she was late. There went her ‘no one seeing me' plan. And now bouncy ball would be confiscated, though she could always get another, and… not the point right then. "Well, um…sorry, again… I should get to my lab, huh?"
Gibbs smiled slightly. "Might be a wise idea."
Abby nodded. "Yeah. So… see ya!" She darted off down the hall before she could do anything else stupid or embarrassing or in the get-Abby-in-trouble category. Halfway down the hall, she heard Gibbs call out "Hey Abbs!" She half-skidded to a stop and turned around, half expecting to be able to be told off for her lateness or for goofing off.
"You forgot your bouncy ball," he informed her, tossing it to her as he stepped backwards into the elevator. Startled, she almost missed catching it. By the time she looked back up, the elevator doors had already closed. She stared after him for a moment before grinning, putting the bouncy ball back into her purse, and heading off towards her lab, a good deal more cheerful than she had been.
The first thing she did upon entering the lab was to turn on the music – Lacuna Coil, a band she had recently discovered that she quite liked. Next the computer was started up fully, her starscape screensaver disappearing to a list of all the programs she had left open while she was gone. She sat down in her computer chair, humming along with the music while she tried to think of something to do. They didn't have a case, for once; nothing top priority to work on. It was a Gallipoli day, but her model was done and gone, sitting at home on a shelf with many other ‘art projects' of hers.
After a moment, Abby dug through one of the desk drawers; one she aptly called her fidget drawer. It was filled with fidgety things: Silly Putty®, clicky pens, a spinning top, a metal puzzle thing that could be manipulated into many different shapes, one of those gel-filled stress balls, her first attempts at the people for Gallipoli… all sorts of things with which she could amuse herself. She pulled out one of the Silly Putty® eggs, bumped the drawer closed, and began playing with the Silly Putty®, stretching and squishing and making little people while she let her mind wander.
Gibbs hadn't yelled at her. That was good. Then again, he almost never yelled at her… even when she showed up late and hit him on the head with a bouncy ball. That was actually kinda funny, she thought, allowing herself a laugh at that. Store that in the ‘amusing memories' file in her mental cabinet. She needed to sort through that; it was getting rather full. And kinda messy.
Gibbs was always so nice to her. He wasn't mean, really, to anyone, but she couldn't think of a time where she could ever say he had been at all mean to her. Gotten ticked off at times, raised his voice once or twice, but never been mean, never gotten really angry. She was glad for that; she didn't know what she'd do if he ever got really mad at her. She didn't think she could take it. Not just because she hated when people were mad at her, either.
Okay, maybe that was part of it, but it wasn't all of it. She just felt like Gibbs was different, like it would really break her up somehow. She cared about him too much to let him be mad at her.
Woah, where'd that come from? Yeah, she cared about him, true, but… she didn't… or did she? There's a new thing, but maybe it's not, because somehow she didn't feel too terribly surprised. Maybe she did. Maybe she did actually love him. Maybe? Hell with maybe. She knew she did. "Oh," she muttered to herself, then suddenly "Oh! Oh, wow. Duh, Abby! And people say you're all smart and stuff and you just now figure that out?" Now she had a bit of a conundrum, though… "What do I do about it?"
Putting the Silly Putty® back in the drawer, she stood and began pacing the lab, muttering to herself. "It's not like I can just tell him that. That'd be majorly awkward. And kinda hinky! Weird thing to suddenly discover." She sighed. The chances Gibbs would feel the same way? "Keep dreaming, Abby," she muttered dejectedly, leaning forward against a table, hands holding onto the edge of it to keep her weight even.
She was so lost in thought that she never noticed the presence approaching behind her, never heard the footsteps, never suspected a thing until strong arms closed around her like a vise, drawing a frightened scream from her a second before a hand clamped over her mouth and a deep, unfamiliar voice whispered in her ear "Well, hello there, sweetheart."

Okay, chapter two! Yay! I got this one out pretty quick… can't promise that for all of them, though, ‘cause the chapters I already have written I have to type up, and then I have to finish writing the rest of it. But I have a plan, so I may actually finish this one! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and keep it up; convince me that I should continue before I loose the urge to write!

Chapter 2

Abby struggled against the arms that held her, but the grip was too tight for her to break. "Calm down, now, you're just going to make this harder," the man told her, tightening his grip around her ribs until she whimpered in pain and calmed a bit, still tense but not struggling quite as hard. "There now, good girl. See, it's easier when you cooperate. Now, you've screamed once, so I'm sure help's coming, good for you. So there's no reason to scream again; I'm sure we both agree on that?" Not sure what would happen if she disagreed, Abby nodded slightly. "Okay, then." The hand fell away from her mouth, but the man's other arm still held her tightly, preventing her escape.
A sudden prick on her arm caused Abby to yelp slightly, twisting enough to see that the man holding her had jabbed a needle into her upper right arm, injecting her with something. She started to struggle again, but he only tightened his grip, cautioning her "Now, now, don't want to break the needle, do we?" Before she could do anything, he removed the needle, pocketed the syringe, and wrapped his free arm around her waist.
"I hope you'll excuse my frightening you, sweetheart, and again for not releasing you just yet. I believe it will be to my advantage to keep you close for a while is all, it's nothing personal."
Gibbs chose that moment to rush into the lab, gun drawn. "Abby!" He was quick to assess the situation, aiming the gun towards the man even though it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to shoot; this guy was using Abby as an effective shield. "Let her go!"
Abby noted that the man's whole demeanor seemed to change instantly, from the almost polite way he had spoken to her, as though she were a small child, to a cocky, overbearing attitude towards Gibbs. "Oh, demanding, aren't we?" He tightened his grip again, making her wince; Gibbs took a step closer, searching for an opening to get at the guy. "But she's such a pretty little thing." He held her close, not allowing Gibbs the opening he was looking for.
"If you hurt her, I'll…" Gibbs started, but the man cut him off.
"Oh, I'm afraid you're a little late. She's not injured, no, but I think you'll find my way just as effective, if not more so."
"What do you mean?" Gibbs asked, glaring. The man fixed him with a piercing stare, his eyes so dark they seemed almost black.
"It's an interesting story, really, but for the sake of time – as I'm afraid there's a surprisingly small amount of it – I'll just give you the short version. I'm a scientist of sorts. A doctor, if you will. I don't cure illnesses, no… I invent them. Much more fun, much more of a challenge. And this dear little thing," he rested his chin on top of Abby's head, making her squirm a bit, "has just become my first human test subject." Leaving Gibbs to think about that, he directed his next words towards Abby. "I'm sorry about this, sweetheart, I really am. But all in all, I think you can feel honoured to be a part of such an experiment."
"What did you do to her?" Gibbs demanded angrily, seeing slight fear in Abby's eyes.
The man sighed, seeming put off by Gibbs slowness to understand his clues. "I created a biological weapon, and Abby – I assume, by the way, that Abigail is the full name? Only fitting that such a pretty girl has an equally pretty name – is now the person I'm testing it on."
Abby's eyes widened in fear; Gibbs stared at the man in shock and disbelief, anger shining in his eyes. Seemingly oblivious to this, the man continued, infuriatingly calm. It's actually rather benign. I could have made worse ones, of course, but for my first I decided to keep it simple. Fever, breathing trouble, pulse changes, a few little painful surprises… and there I must apologize to you, sweetheart, but it can't be helped now." He looked at Gibbs, smiling slightly; an unpleasant, sly sort of smile. "But it's not contagious, so only dear Abigail here has to suffer. Oh, and before you start doubting that I'm telling the truth, just wait a few hours. You can expect a headache, fever, chills, feeling lightheaded; symptoms that increasingly get worse. It's the fever that kills, mainly, although I expect the pulse changes could be too much for one." He shrugged slightly. "Abigail seems a strong one, though. And you do have a doctor here… Abigail, sweetheart, it you will assist me, I simply cannot remember the dear doctor's name."
"Ducky," she answered automatically, still trying to process everything the man was saying. She could see Gibbs looking for a way to get to the man, but he had her in a pretty tight situation and all three of them knew it.
"Ah, yes, Ducky. Of course. But he is a pathologist, of course, not really the same type of doctor as may be useful here, but he still may be able to make you more comfortable; make things easier for you, and that certainly is a good thing." He looked over at Gibbs. "But, certainly you won't want her to die, and I'm afraid there's nothing dear doctor Ducky can do about that. Which is where I come in… again." Gibbs started to say something, but the man cut him off. "This would be a good time to listen, as I'm only saying this once and it is a matter of life and death…" he smiled cruelly down at Abby, "Hers. So for her sake, just stay quiet. I made this weapon, and I know it would have been very unwise of me not to make an antidote. Must be prepared for any accidents. So, naturally, I made one, and, as you would expect, I have it. Not with me, now, I know better, and besides, you will want some proof that I'm telling you the truth. You let me walk out of here, and in twenty-four hours I will contact you. I'm certain that we can arrange something."
"What do you want?" Gibbs asked suspiciously, watching as Abby made another unsuccessful attempt to pull away.
"Well, as I'm certain you can guess, manufacturing biological weapons is not exactly cheap… that's all I'm going to say now. We'll talk again in twenty-four hours. Oh, and so you know… the final deadline, for you to consider, is seventy-two hours. If you don't administer the antidote by that time, I'm afraid it will be too late to save her." He looked down at Abby, something vaguely resembling sympathy in his expression. "Again, sweetheart, I am sorry about this… but it is science, you know. And maybe your friends will save you. I can only hope; it would be quite sad for the world to loose someone so pretty." This said, he shoved Abby forwards towards Gibbs. She yelped in surprise, not expecting it, and Gibbs moved quickly to catch her. By the time he looked back up, the man was gone.

Chapter Three

Gibbs took a quick glance around the lab to make sure the man was gone before turning his attention to the woman in his arms. "Abby, are you okay? What'd he do? Did he hurt you?"
"No, I… he just… stuck me with a needle…" she glanced at the tiny red spot on her arm. "Which kinda hurt, but I'm okay."
"He did stick you? Was it like a shot of something?" Gibbs asked, concerned. His worry grew when she nodded. "Okay. Alright then… Ducky. I should get Ducky," he decided after a moment. There was a chance that the guy - terrorist, now, if he was making biological weapons - was telling the truth. But there was always the chance that he wasn't, too, right? No reason to panic yet… but it certainly wouldn't hurt to get Ducky's opinion.
Abby looked up at him, fear suppressed but still noticeable in her eyes. "Would you?"
Gibbs nodded slightly, hugging her a bit awkwardly in an attempt to comfort her. "Sure. Of course. Will you be okay here for a few minutes?" Abby nodded and Gibbs reluctantly released her, promising "I'll be right back" as he turned and left the lab.
Abby stood in the middle of the lab for a moment before taking a step back to lean against the table. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. She was scared, she'd admit it; she hadn't liked the description the guy had given. She thought it was likely he had told the truth, too; he'd seemed so sure of himself, so confident that by the twenty-four hour mark Gibbs would be willing to meet whatever demands he had. Abby didn't like that; she didn't want to be a liability, didn't want Gibbs doing something he didn't want to in order to save her. But, then, she didn't want to die, either. She had always hated being sick, and now…
Okay, calm down, she told herself. Everyone else would probably be worried enough. There wasn't anything she could do about it now, anyways, and worrying would just… well, worry her, and that wouldn't be good. Who could think straight when they were freaking out? No one she knew. So she'd make herself stay calm, so she could think logically. Nothing good came from panicking like that. So she'd stay calm, and try to keep the others calm, too. Or, at least, she'd do her best.
A moment later, Kate and Tony hurried into the lab, both looking confused and worried. "Abby! Are you alright? What happened; Gibbs told us to come here and he seemed all worried," Kate blurted, moving to her friend's side.
"And you know how rare that is," Tony pointed out, making Abby smile slightly.
Calm, she reminded herself, answering "I'm okay, guys." She paused for a moment, trying to think of how to explain the situation without freaking them both out. She was saved from having to do so by Ducky coming into the lab, followed by Gibbs. Ducky wasted little time in hurrying to Abby's side, wrapping his arms around her in a light but comforting hug.
"Are you alright, my dear? Here, now, let me see your arm…" While he examined the small red spot left by the needle, Gibbs explained the situation to Kate and Tony. Abby heard Kate gasp as Gibbs repeated the man's claim.
"Oh, God, Abby!" Kate was instantly back at her side, a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, God. What did this guy want? We have to get that antidote."
"Money, I'm assuming," Tony guessed. "We'll find some way to get the stuff from him and get this jerk behind bars where he belongs."
"How much money? We'll get it somehow," Kate commented worriedly, never taking her eyes off Abby.
"Okay, aren't we reacting rather fast here? Not that I don't appreciate it, but…" Abby shrugged. "There's no assurance the guy was telling the truth, right? I mean, what if he was lying?"
"But Abby, maybe he wasn't. We have to consider that possibility and be ready for it," Gibbs told her.
Abby nodded. "Yeah, okay, I get that. But I feel fine right now. And, heh, even if he wasn't lying… we've got Ducky! He can fix anything." She smiled at the man standing beside her, and he gave her a small smile in return.
"I'm afraid that's not completely true, but that you for the vote of confidence, my dear." He wrapped an arm lightly around her shoulders.
Gibbs took a deep breath. "Abby's right. There's no reason to panic. Right now, our priority is to find out who this guy is, how he got in, and where we can find him."
Abby nodded. "See, now, that's sensical."
"Senseical? Is that a word?" Tony asked, looking a bit confused.
"It is now," Abby claimed. "But that's not the point. I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel like standing around worrying. I'm gonna do something productive." This said, she moved over to her computer to find some work to do.
Kate watched Abby for a moment before glancing at the other three people in the lab. Tony was making an attempt at his signature grin, but not quite succeeding, worry obvious in his eyes. Ducky looked thoughtful, probably thinking of what would need to be done if the terrorist hadn't been lying. Gibbs, though, she couldn't read; he was staring at Abby, such a mixture of emotions in his expression that she couldn't begin to guess at what he was thinking. One thing was certain: he was worried. They all were. Kate sighed slightly… she could only pray that Abby was right; pray that the terrorist had been lying. But somehow, even as she thought that, some part of her knew he hadn't been, and she couldn't make that feeling go away.

Chapter Four

"Jethro, do stop pacing," Ducky requested, leaning back against a table as he watched him. "You're making me nervous, and I doubt Abby finds it easy to concentrate with you walking back and forth."
"Sorry, Duck," Gibbs replied, halting his pacing to stand again behind Abby's computer chair. He was getting nervous as well, honestly; it had been nearly two hours of waiting for something to happen. So far, Abby seemed fine…Gibbs knew, though, that that could well change quite suddenly.
Though it had taken her a while, Abby had convinced Kate and Tony to leave her lab, claiming that she couldn't think when there were so many people hovering over her. They were now examining the tapes from the security cameras, trying to figure out how the terrorist had gotten into headquarters, as well as to get a good screen capture of him.
Abby had attempted to get Gibbs and Ducky to leave as well, but they had both refused. Gibbs wanted to keep an eye on her, to make sure he knew what was going on; Ducky thought it best he stay near her ‘in case he was needed'. Abby had actually given up on trying to talk them into leaving rather quickly. Honestly, she felt a bit better, having them there.
She had spent the past two hours experimenting and running tests on just about anything she could find to experiment and/or run tests on. Anything to keep her mind busy. She had even debated running various types of blood tests and such on herself, except that she didn't want to be stuck with another needle. One was more than enough for a day.
She now sat at her computer, diverting herself by messing with the car crash simulator, creating various wrecks and hit-and-run scenarios, seeing what was possible, what wasn't… and what wasn't possible, but she managed to create anyway through a little manipulation. Gibbs watched over her shoulder, amused at the odd ways she managed to tweak situations, making them work the way she wanted them to.
After a moment, Abby leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and resting her head in her hands. Gibbs was immediately concerned, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder as he asked "Abby? Are you okay?"
She nodded slightly, smiling at him. "Yeah. I just have a headache… probably been staring at the computer screen for just a little too long."
Gibbs though for a moment. Had headache been one of the symptoms the terrorist had mentioned? Yeah, he was pretty sure it was. "Are you dizzy?"
"No."
"Feeling lightheaded?"
"Aren't they sorta the same thing?"
Gibbs reached around her to place a hand on her forehead. She felt a little warm…he could be imagining it, he told himself. Maybe she was right; maybe she had just been sitting in front of the computer for too long. While half of his mind though that, the other half was already considering what had to be done if it wasn't just that. "You still have that futon in here, Abbs?"
"Yeah," she answered, looking a bit confused. "Why?"
Gibbs glanced over at Ducky, slightly pleased to see that he had already moved to set up said futon. Gibbs knew that they'd need somewhere comfortable for Abby to lay; somewhere that they could keep an eye on her. He was sure Ducky didn't like the idea of laying her on an autopsy table any more than he did.
He turned his attention back to Abby, who was tapping her fingers idly on the desk, pretending to pay attention to her computer while really trying not to worry. Sure, working at her computer for a couple hours had never given her a headache before, but there's a first time for everything, right? Okay, well, maybe not everything, as some things are impossible, but all possible things could potentially happen, however low the chances might be, so…
"Abby?" Gibbs' voice broke into her thoughts. She looked over at him as he continued. "Maybe you should do something else for a while."
"Oh. Yeah. Sure, okay," she agreed, standing. Maybe she could fiddle around with a microscope or something. She took a few steps before the room suddenly seemed to start spinning; she stumbled, and Gibbs was instantly at her side, putting an arm around her waist to steady her. "Okay, woah, dizzy now," she said softly, leaning against him slightly.
"Gibbs held her for a moment, concern flooding through him. His mind seemed to start working again a minute later, and he gently directed Abby towards the futon, keeping a steadying arm around her. "Okay, Abby. Come on, let's get you over here and you can lie down."
Abby nodded slightly, leaning against him as they walked. She was immensely grateful for his supporting arm around her; she was pretty sure that walking on her own would have meant bumping into tables or something equally unpleasant. Even after he gently lowered her onto the futon, she had to sit for a moment, trying to convince the world to stop spinning, or at least to slow down a bit.
Gibbs watched as Ducky felt Abby's forehead, checking for a fever, and then took her wrist to check her pulse. After a moment, he carefully directed her to lie down on the futon. "How is she?" Gibbs asked quietly, keeping his worried gaze on Abby.
"She does seem to have a slight fever, but her pulse is normal and she seems to be breathing regularly. Nothing to worry about yet." Gibbs didn't like the ‘yet,' seeming to claim that there would eventually be something to worry about. "But it is a wise idea to keep her here, not up and around much if at all, and to keep her comfortable."
Gibbs nodded, moving to sit down on the floor beside the futon. Abby smiled at him, and he managed a small, worried smile in return. He had a feeling these next few hours would be rather long. He could only hope that the terrorist had exaggerated his own skill; hope that Abby wouldn't get much worse… hope that the ‘yet' never became ‘now.'

Chapter Five

The sound of coughing pulled Gibbs out of his doze in Abby's chair. Mentally berating himself for falling asleep, he scrambled to his feet. Ducky was already kneeling beside Abby, who had moments ago also been sleeping, but now was quite awake, pushing herself into a sitting position and trying to catch her breath. Gibbs hurried over.
"I'm okay," she managed after a moment, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh. Ducky kept a supporting hand on her back, while taking a gentle hold of her wrist to check her pulse, then moved up to brush across her forehead. Gibbs kept a careful eye on his face, trying to judge his expression. What he saw didn't make him feel much better. Sliding his arm around Abby as Ducky moved away, Gibbs carefully lowered her back onto the futon.
"You alright, Abbs?" he asked softly. She smiled and nodded.
"I'm fine. Coughing isn't gonna kill me." Gibbs couldn't help but wince at her choice of words, and that didn't escape her notice. "Seriously, I'm okay." She glanced around. "What time is it?"
"1832," Gibbs replied automatically with a glance at his watch.
"6:32?" Abby translated. "I was out that long?" She sat up rather quickly and tried to stand, but Gibbs pulled her back down.
"Where do you think you're going, Abby?"
"I just slept for a good two and a half hours, Gibbs! I have work to do, and…"
"No, you don't Abby," he cut in. "The work can wait. You need to stay here and rest."
"I just took a long nap, what more rest do I need?" The look Gibbs gave her stopped her from arguing anymore. She sighed heavily. "Well, am I at least allowed to get up and go to the bathroom?"
"That can be allowed." Standing, Gibbs pulled Abby up with him. "You need help?" Abby smiled at him.
"I think I can find it on my own, Gibbs." At his look, she rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, Gibbs. If I'm not back in ten minutes, then you have my permission to come looking for me if you really feel you need to." She headed out of the lab, though Gibbs did note that she kept a hand either on a table or the wall, he assumed for balance.
As soon as the doors closed behind her, Gibbs turned to face Ducky. "What's up, Duck?"
Ducky sighed slightly. "Fever's gone up, pulse is a bit uneven, and I think we need to watch that cough." He shook his head. "All together, it does appear to be following the descriptions we were given." Glancing over at the door, he noted, "At least she doesn't appear to be as dizzy as she was earlier." Catching Gibbs' glance, he added, "Always good to look on the bright side."
Gibbs paced back and forth for a moment, thinking. Finally, he looked back up at Ducky. "Should we get her to the hospital, Ducky?"
The doctor shook his head. "Jethro, if what we were told is correct, there is nothing they could do for her."
"But what if…"
Ducky continued as if Gibbs hadn't said anything. "And, also, Abigail would not consent to it. She hates hospitals, Gibbs. I'd almost go as far as to say that she is quite frightened of them. She would not willingly go, and I don't think it would do any good to fource her, because again, there is nothing they could do." He looked at Gibbs. "They would likely listen to our story, quarantine her on the chance it may actually be contagious, make her as comfortable as they could, and wait for her to die." He shook his head again. "We would not be able to see her, Gibbs, and we couldn't do anything. Even if we brought the antidote to them, they wouldn't allow us to get to her, and might not administer it if we gave it to them. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have her here. And I'm certain that this is where she would rather be."
Gibbs sighed. "Is there anything we can do here that they can't there, Duck?"
Ducky nodded. "Many things, Jethro. We can keep an eye on her. We can keep her comfortable. We can talk to her and keep her calm." He looked Gibbs in the eye. "We can approach the situation with her life in mind, not her death. And when we get a hold of the cure, we can be certain to be able to administer it."
"Is there anything we can do for her medically?"
Ducky was silent for a long moment. "Yes, Jethro. We can pray." Gibbs sighed and went back to pacing. And when Abby came back in, stumbling slightly and looking a bit paler than usual, he couldn't help but think, as he helped her over to the futon, that the ability to pray didn't feel like it was enough. Not enough at all.