**Chapter Seventeen -- Goodbye To You**
**September 18, 2009 -- Tony's Apartment**
Sliding her key into the lock, Abby turned it before she pushed the door open, slipping inside the dark apartment.
"Tony?" She called, dropping her keys into the dish behind the door as she kicked off her shoes. She'd had every intention of going home after leaving the lab, but at the last minute, she'd taken the exit for Tony's apartment instead.
Glancing up at the sound of bare feet slapping against the wooden floor, she offered the man a tired smile.
"Hey Abs. I uh...didn't think you were coming back."
"Hope you don't mind but I figured I'd..."
"Tony?"
Cocking her head at the sound of the clearly feminine voice, she forced her smile to stay in place. "Oh...you've got company. Did you bribe them to call me in so your booty call could come over?" She teased, keeping her voice light despite the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Actually, you aren't...you aren't going to believe this but..."
"Tony, who is here?" Ziva asked as she stepped out of the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Oh...hello Abby," the Israeli greeted, dropping her eyes.
It felt like a punch to the gut.
One traitorous tear slid down her cheek as she forced a smile. "Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't...I should have called." she managed, her voice cracking. "I'm..."
Unable to find the words, she turned quickly and pulled the door open, snatching her keys from the table, though she abandoned her boots.
"Abby!" Tony called, reaching for her as she slipped out of her grasp. "Abby, wait!"
"My...I left Major Mass Spec running. I need...Its not good to leave him...on all night," she finished, barely able to choke back a sob.
"Abby!" He tried again as he followed her to the stairwell. "It isn't what it looks like! Would you just wait?!" He asked as he grabbed her arm.
Turning her to face him, he was surprised at the tears. "Jesus...Abby..."
Forcing a smile through her tears, she cupped his face gently before she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Go back to her." she ordered, her voice cracking again. "You've been waiting for this."
"Abs..." He frowned, catching her hand when she turned away. "Please..."
Pulling out of his grasp, she pulled the door open, a broken sob escaping her as she bolted down the stairs, leaving him alone in the empty hallway.
**1 year earlier -- May 22, 2008 -- NCIS Headquarters**
Abby paced back and forth across the floor of the bullpen, looking up toward the Director's office every so often.
"Abigail, my dear, please..." Ducky pleaded, sitting in Gibbs' chair and watching her pace in front of the desks. "You're going to wear out the carpet."
She stopped in front of Gibbs' desk and put her hands on her hips. "What do you think is going on up there?" She asked, pointing up at the catwalk.
"I'm sure everything is fine, Abby. You are worrying yourself over nothing." The ME explained, sighing when the young woman began pacing again.
After everything that happened in LA, she was worried about her friends. The new director, Leon Vance, had come in and made it very clear that he was disappointed with Tony and Ziva for leaving Jenny alone, an act that ultimately resulted in her death.
She had heard the news from Ducky, and while she wasn't particularly close to the director, it was never easy to hear that someone died. Especially not when two of your friends were supposed to be with the newly deceased, protecting her.
When Tony and Ziva had returned, the tension between them was thick, and despite the Israeli's best efforts to convince him otherwise, Tony blamed himself for the death of their director.
Abby stopped pacing when she heard the Director's door open, rushing over to the base of the stairs as she watched the team come down. She didn't miss the sullen looks on their faces, nor did she miss the three personnel files that Gibbs carried.
Gibbs was the first one to reach her, stopping the question she had on her lips with a single look. He brushed past her, reaching for her hand and squeezing it gently.
Ziva and Tony passed next, neither of them making eye contact as they made their way to the elevator.
"Tony!" She cried, moving to follow him when McGee reached out and took ahold of her hand, stopping her.
Gibbs watched from his desk as McGee pulled the Goth off to the side, wrapping his arms around her as he explained what had just happened upstairs.
He could see the tears falling down her face as the younger man told her that the team was being split up, that her best friend was being sent to sea for a tour as an Agent Afloat. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that he was going to do everything in his power to reverse the new Director's decision, but he knew it would be pointless.
**Later That Night -- Tony's Apartment**
The raven-haired woman stepped out of the cab and paid the driver before heading into the small apartment building. McGee had dropped her off at home, but after calling Tony nearly 20 times with no answer, she decided to disobey Gibbs' orders and go to Tony's apartment, hoping to talk to him before he left early the next morning.
She turned the spare key in the lock and pushed the door open, stepping into the apartment quietly.
"Tony?"
The sound of his closet door slamming shut made her freeze momentarily before she started down the short hallway, leaning against the doorframe.
"Hey." He responded shortly, not looking up at her as he threw the shirts into a large NCIS duffelbag, no regard for his usual neatness.
"Hi." She responded quietly, her voice already wavering despite the fact that she promised herself she would not cry. She took a deep shuddery breath before she stepped further into the room, removing the shirts one by one from the bag before she began folding.
"I'm thinking about dying my hair red." She announced, focusing on the task at hand rather than her clearly distraught friend as he moved around the room, slamming drawers and throwing shoes.
He paused at the dresser, turning to face her with a raised eyebrow. "Are we talking...fire engine red or Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman' red?"
"Neither. I'm thinking more like...Gothic, Vampire seductress red. What do you think?"
"I think if you're going for a drastic change, you should go blonde. You looked good as a blonde." He smirked, recalling the memory of his best friend in her Marilyn Monroe costume the previous Halloween.
"You and Timmy liked that wig just a *little* too much, Tony-boy."
"Yeah, it wasn't the wig we were interested in." He muttered, laughing despite his dark mood when she threw a sneaker at him. "What? I meant the shoes were great too!"
Cocking an eyebrow at him, she shook her head playfully before she returned to the shirts. The mood was momentarily lightened and they fell into a comfortable silence as she continued packing the shirts and he went over his mental inventory.
"Gibbs is going to get you back." She said after a long while, her voice soft. "You know that, right T?"
She watched as his shoulders tensed for a moment before they sagged defeatedly. "Why would he even want to do that?"
Dropping the last shirt into the bag, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him from behind, kissing his shoulder and resting her cheek against his broad back. "Because you're his number two and he needs you."
"Gibbs doesn't need anyone."
"Oh please, Tony. There's a reason you've lasted so long on his team. Trust me, I'm pretty sure he doesn't keep you around for your stunning good looks."
"And here I thought Gibbs was secretly into me all these years." He said, his voice a little sharper than he had intended.
He pulled himself out of Abby's embrace and walked back to the duffelbag, seeing all his shirts folded. "Thanks." He whispered, immediately sorry for snapping at her.
Abby nodded, walking back toward the bed and sitting on the end, drawing her knees up to her chest as she watched him pack.
"I deserve this. Consider it my penance."
"You can't really believe that Tony. What happened to Jenny was not..."
"...I shouldn't have left her. I should have taken my chances and disobeyed her orders." The Italian stated firmly, packing his shoes into the bag.
The Goth frowned. She released her legs and flopped back onto the bed, sighing heavily. "So...you're just gonna accept this as punishment?"
"Jesus, Abby!" Tony shouted, throwing the jeans he was holding into the bag before turning to face her. "Don't make this harder than it already is! You think I wouldn't rather stay here? Trust me, if I could, I would. But there's not a damn thing I can do about it!"
His stance shifted from tense to remorseful the moment he saw the tear slide down her cheek before she rolled off the bed and headed for the door.
"Abby...wait!" He said, grabbing her hand just as she reached the door. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."
She tried to pull her hand away from him, choking back a light sob when his grip only tightened. "Tony, please." She whispered.
Pulling on her arm gently, he gathered her into his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm sorry. I...I'm not...I don't want to leave."
Abby looked up at him and nodded. "I know." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before pulling away from him and heading for the door. "I'm tired, T. I'll let you finish packing."
"Stay."
She paused, turning back to face him with a confused look on her face as she spoke quietly. "You have a lot to get done, and you're leaving early in the morning. You need your rest and me being here isn't..."
"Abby." Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Please...stay. I...don't wanna be alone right now." He smiled a little when she nodded, allowing him to lead her back to the bed. "You don't have to stay awake if you're tired...just don't go."
"Okay."
She climbed onto the bed and relaxed against the pillows, watching as her friend continued packing his bags. They sat quietly with some light jazz playing in the living room, simply enjoying the knowledge that the other was there. By the time Tony was done packing his bags, Abby had fallen asleep. He smiled and sat next to her, running his hand through her hair as she slept.
He looked over at his alarm clock and sighed heavily, realizing he needed to get to the airport to catch his flight. Reaching into his back pocket, he took out a note he had written when he had first gotten home, intending to slip it under Abby's door on his way to the airport. He set it on the nightstand, next to the clock so that she would see it as soon as she woke up.
"Bye, Abs." He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, not wanting to wake her, knowing that if anyone could talk him into disobeying a direct order to stay in DC, it would be her. He stood up and quietly exited the room, grabbing the two large duffelbags as well as his badge and weapon before meeting his cab outside of the apartment.
**Two Months Later -- August 4, 2008 -- Abby's Lab**
"I am so so so sorry I couldn't be there for the big 1-0, Captain Jack!" Abby said, looking at the computer screen sitting on her desk. "It's been super busy at work lately."
"I know, Auntie. It's okay." The boy on the computer screen smiled at her, holding up a badge that was almost the same size as his hand. "Look what Uncle Tony sent me from his ship!"
The Goth smiled at the shiny 'NCIS Agent Afloat' badge that her nephew held in his hand. "That's nice of him." She said, surprised that Tony had even remembered Jack's birthday, much less bothered to get him something.
Bradley stepped up behind his son a moment later and waved at his sister. "Yeah, tell him I said thanks for convincing Jack to be a NCIS Agent." He smirked, his tone clearly sarcastic.
She held her hands up and chuckled lightly. "I had nothing to do with it!"
The older man pulled the boy out of the chair and sat down. "Say bye to your Auntie, Jack, then go help your Mama clean up the kitchen."
"Okay." Jack sighed. "Bye, Auntie Abby." He waved to her before bouncing out of the room, clipping the badge to the belt he was wearing.
"Didn't expect for him to bring Tony up, Abs. I'm sorry."
Abby shook her head. "Nah, it's not a problem. I get postcards from him every week."
Bradley smiled at her. "You wouldn't lie to your brother, would you?" He asked, noticing the silver-haired man standing just behind his sister. "Hey Gibbs."
She jumped, spinning around to face her boss. "Hey...Gibbs." She smiled, sitting back down in her chair, pouting playfully. "I really hate it when you sneak up on me."
He smirked, nodding at the man on the computer screen. "Bradley. How's the family?"
"Everyone's good. Today's Jack's birthday. Just turned 10."
"That's good. I need to borrow your sister for a bit."
The younger man chuckled. "I thought she was being a bit of a slacker. We'll talk later, baby girl. Love you."
"Love you too, BB. Give Britty and Captain Jack hugs for me."
"Will do." He said, offering her a reassuring smile before ending their call.
"Captain Jack?"
Abby smiled, turning to face Gibbs. "Yeah! You know...Captain Jack Sparrow? Pirates of the Caribbean?" She chuckled at the blank look on the older man's face. "Tony used to call him that when the first movie came out. He loved it."
Gibbs continued to stare at her for a moment before he shook his head. "You get anything back on those fibers yet?"
Her face fell slightly as she turned back to her computer. "They're still running. I should have something back in about an hour."
"Call me when you do." He ordered before he turned and headed back out of the lab.
"Gibbs?" She called, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yeah?"
She didn't turn to him, focusing instead on the screen. "Have you talked to Vance yet? About...bringing him back home?"
"Abby...you know I'm doin' everything I can. He's on assignment, and it's not that easy to get an Agent Afloat off a carrier."
Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Oh. Okay." She watched him turn and walk away again, getting to the door this time before she ran after him. "Wait."
Gibbs sighed heavily, turning around as she stumbled to a stop right behind him.
"I have a favor to ask. About Tony. Well, not really about Tony, but more of a favor..."
"Abby."
She looked down at her hands and frowned slightly. "Could I set up a video call with him?" Catching the look the older man shot her, she tried backpedaling. "You know...not a long one or anything. I just...I wanna talk to him. Face to face."
"MTAC isn't a toy, Abby. I can't justify calling DiNozzo on the carrier so you can have a social call." He reached out to her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "Sorry."
"It's a sign of weakness." Abby said softly, not looking up at him.
He pulled back from her and leaned against the wall, looking her over. "What's this about, Abs?"
"I just miss him, Gibbs. I didn't even get to say goodbye. He just left a note."
"What?" He asked, watching as Abby walked to her postcard wall and pulled down the note Tony had left on the night stand for her.
Gibbs read the note quickly before handing it back to her and turning away, withholding his anger at his former Senior Agent. "He dropped this at your place? You just said you didn't see him."
"Not...exactly. I went over to talk to him."
"Abby. I told you not to go there for a reason." He sighed, clearly exasperated with the young woman.
"I fell asleep while he was packing and he was gone when I woke up."
The silver-haired man looked at Abby and saw that she was still having a hard time coping with Tony being gone. "You'll be fine, Abs. Call me when you get a hit on those fibers."
He turned and stepped into the elevator without another word, knowing that he wouldn't be able to say anything to make it better. The only thing that would work was if he managed to get DiNozzo back.
**Later That Night**
"Got it, McGee."
Gibbs snapped his phone shut as he stood up from his desk and headed to the elevator.
McGee wasn't on his team anymore, now that he had been transferred to Cyber Crimes, but he had called to let his former boss know that their favorite lab rat was still in the building despite the late hour. The Junior Agent had seen the hearse in the garage when he had left for the night and out of concern for his friend, called Gibbs to see if she was working on a case.
He stepped into the lab quietly, hearing Abby's whimpers before he found her sitting on the futon in her office, looking at yet another postcard from Tony.
"I miss him, Gibbs."
Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke to him, never taking her eyes off the postcard.
The older man sighed and walked into the office, sitting next to her on the futon. "I know you do. He'll be back soon."
Abby looked over to him and smiled sadly. "He seems to be doing well. I'm not sure he even misses me anymore."
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her down against his chest and kissed her head. "I can't see DiNozzo ever not missing you, Abs. He wouldn't be sending the postcards if he didn't miss you."
She nodded, tears falling down her cheeks and wetting the older man's shirt. "I...miss them all. Ziva and McGee too. We need to get them back, Gibbs."
"Just gimme a little more time, Abs. I'll get 'em back."
She pulled back and looked into his blue eyes. "Even Tony?"
"Even DiNozzo."
"Pinky promise?"
Gibbs chuckled lightly and hooked his pinky with hers. "I promise. They'll be back soon."
Chapter End Notes:
"Goodbye To You" by Michelle Branch