**Chapter Six - SWAK Part Two**
**May 22, 2009 - Abby's Apartment**
Tony watched as Abby ran down the hallway toward her bedroom, flinching when she slammed the door behind her. "Fuck!" He cursed, slamming his hand on the counter. He had known in the back of his head that his words would upset her, but he had half expected her to take them with a grain of salt. She hadn't, and now she was hurt. He slid down the counter to the floor and dropped his head in his hands. "God damn it."
"Screw you?" Abby scoffed, pressing the palms of her hands against her eyes as she paced the length of her bedroom. "What was I thinking? I shouldn't have pushed him. He's upset about Ziva, and I had to go and push him. God!" She ran her hands through her hair as she continued to pace. "What was Ziva thinking? Didn't she see how he feels?" She sat down on the edge of her bed and flopped back, staring at the ceiling.
"Abby?"
She sat up when Tony's voice came through the door, much softer than it had been only minutes before in the kitchen. She didn't say anthing, instead just drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, the stinging feeling that his words left coming back to the surface.
He knocked on the door softly. "Abs? Can we talk, please?"
Her voice came out at barely above a whisper. "It's open." She almost spoke again, slightly louder, when he opened the door slowly and stepped inside.
He leaned against her dresser and put his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants. "Abby..." He stopped when she raised her hand up, interrupting him. Tony walked over and crouched down in front of her, taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"Don't, Tony." Abby pulled her hands away from him. "You made it clear how you feel. If you didn't mean it...then you wouldn't have said it at all. But I get it, I do. You love her...you miss her. But it was her choice. Her choice to leave us all behind. You think you're the only one who's hurt?"
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing up and walking back to the dresser. "I didn't mean to imply that you weren't hurting, Abs. I just...I don't want to lose you too. You're all I've got left."
"You have such little faith in me, in us and our friendship, that you think that would break us?" She snorted in disbelief. "It would've bothered me less if you had just told me you weren't interested, Tony."
"Abby..." He frowned. "You know that's not the case. Not in the slightest."
She stood up from her bed and walked over to him, not stopping until their bodies were nearly flush with each other. She leaned up on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. "Prove it."
Tony looked into her eyes and saw a sadness that hadn't been there since Gibbs left for Mexico nearly 3 years earlier. He reached up to stroke her cheek gently when the phone rang, startling them both. He cleared his throat before speaking. "You should...um...probably get that, babe."
She pulled away from him hesitantly and walked to the other side of the room to answer the phone. "Hello? Oh, hey Bradley." She turned away from Tony as she sat down on the bed. "Yeah, I know. I've been...busy. I'm fine, BB, I swear. Yeah."
Abby stood up again and walked back to Tony, holding out the phone. "Bradley wants to talk to you." She pushed the phone into his hand and walked out of the room, heading back to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
"Uh, Abs?" He questioned, looking between the phone and her retreating figure before finally putting it to his ear. "This is Tony."
"Hey, Tony. How you holdin' up?" Bradley paused, waiting for a response that didn't come. "That bad, huh?" He chuckled lightly and cleared his throat. "I...uh, just wanna thank you for lookin' out for Abby, man. It means a lot to me."
"Me? Looking out for Abby?" Tony snorted. "You must have her confused with Brittany. Abby looks after herself. If anything, I'm the one who should be thanking her for looking out for me." He shook his head, looking back at the door. "But I can't even manage to do that without fucking it up."
Bradley frowned. "What happened?"
"Nothing, Bradley. Just a tough night...for both of us." Tony leaned on the door frame and watched as she moved about the kitchen making some eggs for breakfast.
"She looks up to you, you know. Really respects your opinion. Don't screw it up." He spoke to someone on his end of the phone before speaking to Tony again. "I gotta go. Tell Abs I'll call her later, yeah?"
"Sure thing, man." He hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair before heading out to the kitchen to join Abby.
**4 Years Earlier - May 10, 2005 - NCIS Headquarters**
Gibbs stepped off the elevator and into Abby's lab carrying two cups of coffee and a Caf-Pow. He set them on the desk in her office and glanced over at the futon where he had left her sleeping a few hours before. He never had understood how she made herself seem so small at times, but there she was, curled up in McGee's lap as she began to stir, his hand tracing small patterns gently on her back.
The younger man looked up when Gibbs came in, nodding to him in acknowledgement of his presence. "Hey, Boss. She's just starting to wake up now."
He nodded and crouched down next to them, reaching his hand out to brush some of her disheveled hair from her face. "Abs. You with us?"
She lifted her head off McGee's chest and blinked her eyes a few times, adjusting to the dim light in the room. "Mhmm, I'm here. How's Tony?" She made a feeble attempt at standing, only to be stopped by both Gibbs and McGee.
"Just relax for a second, sweetie. Give yourself a chance to wake up." McGee cooed, continuing to rub her back.
"I can't just relax, Tim. It's not that simple." She looked up at Gibbs again. "How is he? Can I go see him now?"
"That's what I came to tell you, Abs. He's not contagious anymore. Give yourself a few minutes to wake up, then we'll go. Okay?" Gibbs stood, walking over to her desk and grabbing the beverages he left there. He handed McGee a coffee and Abby her giant sized Caf-Pow. "Meet me at the car in 10, McGee."
"Got it, Boss." He took a sip of his coffee as Gibbs walked out of the lab. "Come on, Abs." He stood, helping her to her feet as well. He grabbed her arm as she stumbled, her legs weak from sleeping curled up into a ball. "Woah, slow down."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her to the elevator, heading up to meet Gibbs at the car.
A few minutes later they were on their way to Bethesda. "Are we there yet?" Abby pleaded, wringing her hands in the passenger seat.
"I'm driving as fast as I can in this traffic, Abby. We'll be there in a few minutes." Gibbs replied, reaching across the console and patting her on the leg.
When Gibbs pulled to a stop outside of the hospital, Abby jumped out of the car and ran into the ICU.
"Abby, damnit!" Gibbs shouted after her, watching as she made a beeline for the hospital doors. "Park the car, McGee." He tossed the keys to his junior agent, stepping out of the vehicle and heading inside after the Goth.
When he stepped inside the building, Abby was standing at the nurse's station yelling about needing to get back to see Tony. He walked up behind her and calmly whispered in her ear. "Abby, a word. Now."
She didn't budge as the nurse have them a strange look, forcing Gibbs to grab her arm and drag her to the far corner of the room. "What did I tell you, Abs?"
Abby frowned. "I'm sorry, Gibbs. I just need to know that he's okay."
He took her by the shoulders and hugged her tightly. "I told you that you could see him and you will. But you need to calm down first. The last thing Tony needs is for you to be hysterical. Can you do that for him?"
"Yes, Gibbs." She nodded against his chest.
"That's my girl." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and released her from the tight hug. "Now, come on, let's go see Tony."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her toward the elevator, turning her to face him when the doors closed.
"He doesn't look like himself, Abby. You gonna be okay?" She nodded and Gibbs smiled, patting her on the back.
The doors opened and Abby walked off hesitantly. She was jarred out of her daze when Kate came over and touched her shoulder gently. She continued walking, Gibbs following closely behind her as she entered the isolation chamber. Her mouth went dry as she looked at Tony laying on the hospital bed, his skin pale and his lips blue despite the lights that tinted the room.
"T...Tony?" She whispered, talking another step toward the bed and taking his hand in hers.
His eyes opened slowly and upon meeting hers, he attempted to sit up unsuccessfully. "Abby..." He choked, unable to speak more before launching into a coughing fit.
She sniffled, trying to hold the tears back as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Don't move, hon. Relax."
"You shouldn't...be here..." Tony gasped, looking to Gibbs. "Why'd you...let her come?"
Gibbs snorted. "You try stopping Abby sometime, DiNozzo. She's like a freight train with no brakes. I'm not gonna get in her way."
"Go, Abby...please. Don't want you...getting sick too. Bradley would...kill me." He squeezed her hand tightly before letting go and motioning for her to leave the isolation room.
"I'm not going, Tony. Gibbs said you're not contagious anymore! I'm staying with you!"
He coughed hoarsely. "Abs, please. You...don't need to see...me this way." He reached his hand up shakily and touched her cheek. "Please."
She looked to Gibbs for support, but he merely backed away, leaving them alone in the room. She shook her head fiercely, ignoring his pleas. "I'm staying."
"Abby!" Tony cried, his voice cracking from the rawness of his throat. "I'm not asking...anymore. Go. Now." He broke out in another coughing fit before she could respond, and the next thing she knew she was being ushered out of the room by a nurse as his doctor rushed in.
"No!" She cried, fighting against the nurse. Gibbs and McGee met her at the doors to the enclosed space, pulling Abby away before she could hurt the nurse. "Let me go, Gibbs! I..." She collapsed to the floor, sobbing as she watched Tony's doctor give him a light sedative that would help him relax.
"Abby..." Gibbs warned, his voice low in her ear. "You can't do that. You're only gonna make things worse if he gets all worked up. Don't argue with him, okay? You know he's just looking out for you."
The Goth buried her face in Gibbs' chest, her tears soaking through his shirt. "He...he's my best friend, Gibbs. My best friend is dying...and he doesn't want to see me." She shook in his arms as the heavy sobs tore from her throat, the ability to form words quickly deteriorating.
Gibbs pried her off his chest and switched places with McGee before kissing the top of Abby's head. "He's not gonna die, sweetheart. I'll promise you that." He stood and walked into the blue-tinted room, standing over Tony's bed as he fought the inevitable sleep that came with sedatives.
"Is...Abby going home?" He forced, his voice weaker than it was even a few moments ago. He coughed lightly, wincing at the pain in his chest.
The older agent sighed. "You know as well as I do, DiNozzo, that she's not gonna go anywhere until you're out of here. There's not a damn thing I can do about that."
Tony frowned up at Gibbs before turning his head to see Abby sobbing in McGee's arms. "Force...her. Take her...please...she shouldn't see me...this way. Not a good...last memory."
"It's not gonna be a last memory, DiNozzo. I don't wanna hear those words from your mouth for the duration, you got me?" Gibbs pointed to Abby. "She's counting on you, Tony." His voice was hardly above a whisper in an attempt to hide his emotion. "You really gonna let her down?"
"No...choices, Boss. Not...in control...of the situation." He frowned at the older man. "Tell her...I love her, okay? Tell Tim...to take care of...her."
"You stop that shit right now. You're gonna tell them those things yourself." Gibbs reached up and tapped Tony softly on the top of the head. "You are not gonna die...you hear me? You don't have my permission."
The younger man nodded weakly. "Got it...Boss." He closed his eyes and let the sedatives take over, his body falling into a light sleep. Gibbs sighed, turning to leave the confined space only to be ambushed by Abby when he walked out.
"How...how is he? Is he okay?" He rested his hands on the younger woman's shoulders and pulled her close without saying a word. "Gibbs!" She cried, sobs beginning to rack her body again.
"Shh..." He soothed, rubbing her back. "He'll be fine. Sleeping now." He pulled back and chucked her gently under the chin, forcing her to look at him. "If you can be calm, you can go and sit with him."
Abby's green eyes stared into Gibbs' blue ones and she nodded sadly, wiping her face with the sleeve of her shirt. He flashed a half smile and patted her on the shoulder, moving out of the way so that she could enter the room. Walking in, she took a seat on the end of Tony's bed, drawing her legs up to her chest as she watched him rest.
Tony's eyes opened slowly when the mattress shifted, looking up to see Abby curled up at the end of his bed. "Baby girl..." He cooed, his voice raw. "C'mere." He lifted his hand off the bed and motioned for her to come closer. Abby crawled up the bed and Tony lifted the blankets, letting her crawl under them with him. She snuggled up to his side, tears streaming down her face silently. "Love...you, Abby." He kissed her forehead and smiled when she wrapped her arms around him before they both fell asleep.
**A Week Later**
"Psst. Abby." The voice came as a whisper, making her jerk her head off the pillow she was laying on.
"What! I'm up!" She glanced around frantically, her eyes finding Tony sitting on the edge of his hospital bed laughing. "Not funny, DiNozzo."
He chuckled. "Well, you shoulda gone home last night like I said. You're not getting enough sleep on that crappy couch, babe."
"I wanted to stay with you. Besides, I slept fine, thank you." She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.
"Yeah, yeah." Tony settled back against the pillows and patted the bed in front of him. "C'mon, I can see that crick in your neck from here, Abs."
Abby groaned as she stood up and moved over to Tony's bed, situating herself in front of him so he could massage her neck.
"What would you do without me, Abby? You'd have to rely on McGoogle for all your massages." He grinned and leaned closer to her ear. "I've heard gets a little handsy."
She closed her eyes tightly and took an uneven breath in an attempt to control her emotions. Tony stopped massaging momentarily and pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
"What's wrong?" He peeked over her shoulder to see her face and she shook her head, turning away from him. "Aw, Abby...I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."
She sniffed, wiping her eye with the back of her hand. "I don't know how almost dying doesn't seem to affect you, Tony." She tried to move, but his arms held her tightly against him.
"It doesn't bother me because I don't let it. I'm a federal agent, Abby. Before that I was a cop. It comes with the territory. You learn to let go."
Abby frowned. "It shouldn't be that easy to just let it go."
He chuckled and kissed the back of her head. "When you've been hurt as much as I have, letting go is easier than dwelling on it. Trust me. I'd never leave my apartment if I did."
"Maybe you shouldn't leave your apartment then."
He turned her body to face him. "You'd never see me. What kind of friend would I be then, huh?"
That made her crack a small smile. "The safe kind." She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Don't you ever scare me like that again! I don't want to use my mysterious forensic powers to hide your body."
Tony gasped in mock horror. "You wouldn't!" He looked up as the nurse came in with his discharge papers. "She's threatening to kill me!"
The nurse giggled as she handed him the paperwork. "Just need you to sign these, Agent DiNozzo, then we can get you out of here." Abby glared at him playfully as he smiled at the nurse. "She's not really gonna kill me, I'm her favorite." He signed the papers and handed them back to her.
"I figured," The nurse smirked and placed a hand on Abby's shoulder. "I've worked in ICU for awhile now and I think you're the most dedicated visitor I've seen."
"See, T? I'm dedicated!" She flashed him a self-satisfied smile.
"Don't know if that's the word I would use...Ow!" He flinched when she poked him in the side. He pointed to himself. "Injured!"
"What happened to not dwelling?" Abby smirked, standing up from the hospital bed and slipping her shoes on.
Tony also stood and grabbed his duffel bag from the small closet. "You're the one that said I should be more aware of my injuries, Abs. I'm doing just that." He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. "Come on, I'm tired of this baby food! Let's go grab a pizza. Just you and me."
"Pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese?" She grinned, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Of course! Is there another kind?"
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