Tony sat, the warm, weary weight of Abby on his arm. He didn't have the heart to ask her to move, nor was he particularly motivated to move himself.

Numb.

Abby had been weeping, for hours it seemed, which was a distinct improvement over the body-wrenching sobbing she had been doing earlier. Tony figured it was possible to cry one's self out. Not that he could cry.

Too numb.

He had seen this, of course. Nobody stayed a cop for any amount of time without seeing partners lost and the utter grief that followed. Tony had figured he was smart; move on before he got attached.

Of course, it figured the one time he figured he was safe enough, he was protected enough, the one time he got attached...

Crack--thud--splat.

He scrubbed his cheek in almost-horrified memory. Too numb to process, Tony had just reacted, looking for the shooter, calling Ducky, helping Gibbs...

Tony shuddered slightly. He was used to gore. It was his job, after all. But he had never expected to see his partner's brains on the floor.

Or on his face.

Paula had called later, jubilant at being in port, hoping to see him... Tony had blanched and cut her off, bluntly. Then he hung up and stared out the window, feeling somewhat guilty. Gibbs' voice had penetrated, sharp with unexpressed anger. "You should see her."

Tony had just shaken his head. McGee didn't say a word.

Abby had screamed.

Somewhere along the line, Morrow had given them all leave. Tony had ended up taking Abby back to his place, because McGee and Gibbs had disappeared, and she had nearly lost it again when he drove up to her apartment.

Everyone had their own ways to work through grief, after all.

He let her cry and cling and collapse around him.

Tony was dying for a drink. His throat was tight, and he thought a shot of scotch might help, but he didn't want to disturb Abby's restless sleep. He stroked her hair affectionately.

The interminable crying jags had worn her down. She looked like hell, with streaked makeup, some of which was surely on his shirt. Tony didn't care. It was Abby, after all, and he was going to protect her.

The knock at the door made them both jump. Abby blinked groggily, and frowned. "You expecting anyone?" Tony shook his head.

"Nope." He shrugged out from under her head. "Let me up, Abs." She rubbed her face, still distraught, and nodded as she curled away. Tony shook out the pins and needles and lurched to his feet, pistol coming automatically to his hand.

He wasn't sure who he expected to see at the door; he was shocked as hell to see Gibbs there, haggard and with a hand raised to knock again.

"Where's Abby?"

Tony nodded behind him. "She's here, Boss. She didn't want to be alone."

Gibbs grunted and nodded back as Abby appeared in the hallway, arms wrapped tightly around herself. "Hi Gibbs," she said, weakly.

"You got anything to drink, DiNozzo?" Tony stepped back and let Gibbs in. Seeing him at the door was surprising enough; asking about a drink was more than Tony could comprehend right now.

Tony went into the kitchen and grabbed the good scotch. If not now, when? He poured a good measure into three glasses and carried them carefully out to the living room. Gibbs was in his spot, letting Abby squeeze his hand, and Tony bit down an inappropriate flare of jealousy.

Tony slammed his drink back and let the burn wash away a bit of the numbness.

He looked up. Gibbs' drink was gone, but Abby was staring at her glass.

"Abby?" he asked, tentatively. "You don't have to drink. I just thought..."

"Nick--h...her brother--She told me a story about Nick and the bottle of scotch and..." Tony scrambled to his feet as Abby started hyperventilating.

Gibbs was already there. He held her as the storm climaxed and she was nearly ripping holes in his jacket with her nails, short as they were.

Tony got the glasses out of the way, unsure and uncertain where to go. He stood and watched as Abby stilled and Gibbs took a deep breath.

Gibbs pulled Abby from the sofa, gently. "Where's your bathroom, DiNozzo?" Tony led the way and watched, somewhat stunned, as Gibbs wiped down Abby's face with a cool washcloth. She sniffled again, and Gibbs sat her on the edge of the tub. "Breathe for me, Abs."

She nodded, shakily, and Gibbs glanced up at Tony. "Think it's time to put her to bed. You mind?"

Tony didn't protest. He only had the one bedroom, but it wasn't like he hadn't slept on the couch before. And Abby needed the bed more than he did.

The two men settled Abby on the edge of the matress, and Gibbs knelt in front of her, hands on her arms. "Don't fall apart on me, Abs. Stay here and sleep. I promise I'll get that bastard."

Tony shivered at the menace in Gibbs' voice, and Abby looked about ready to cry again. Gibbs pulled her up.

Her hands were pale and white-knuckled against the dark blue sheets. "Abby, just... just lie down, please?" Tony begged and pushed gently on her shoulders. She crumpled a bit, and folded down, and Tony stood, walking over to where Gibbs was watching from the doorway.

Gibbs took a deep breath before asking, "You need anything, Tony?"

Tony shook his head. "I'll just crash on the couch. Unless you want it." Gibbs opened his mouth to reply, but the voice came from behind them, quiet and small.

"Don't go. Please."

The two of them turned to look. Abby was curled in a ball, in the middle of Tony's dark sheets, and she somehow looked frighteningly fragile.

Her voice cracked. "I can't... I don't want to be alone."

"Go ahead. I don't mind." Tony deferred to Gibbs, moving out of the way. "I'm used to the couch. Really." Gibbs' face was indecipherable, but he went in and sat down beside Abby, shrugging his jacket off.

"Tony..." Her voice stopped his retreat. Tony turned and saw Gibbs looking between the two of them, confusion shading his features. "Don't... stay here too? Please?"

He blinked, surprised, then echoed Gibbs' shrug. What could it hurt? Gibbs swung his legs up, pulling Abby close, and Tony got to the other side of the bed, yanking his shirt off and dropping it on the floor. He crawled up behind Abby and rested his forehead on her shoulder.

They breathed like that for a few long minutes before Abby giggled hysterically. "Wait. Just a moment."

She sat up, and did a thing with her shirt that involved twisting around and removing her bra through the sleeve, tossing it to mingle with Tony's shirt, before settling back down. Tony squashed his wayward arousal down, and curled behind her again.

They dozed that way for a while, although Tony couldn't exactly sleep.

Embarrassingly, he found himself pressing his hard-on into the cleft of Abby's ass. He groaned inwardly at his body's reaction to a girl's proximity, and could just hear Kate calling him a horndog...

And it suddenly hit him. Hard.

Tony sat up, pain curling in his chest, squeezing his guts, making him retch.

She was gone.

Crack--thud--splat.

Kate.

Acid on his face, finally etching the blood away, and he was vaguely aware of a hand stroking his shoulder. Tony shook as a scream of agonizing grief and impotent rage ripped his throat to shreds.

Tony never could remember how he got back down onto the bed, two sets of hands holding him. He was just suddenly aware of a mouth on his, sharing the pain, making it somehow easier to bear.

Another mouth attached to his shoulder, a calloused hand holding his hip down, and Tony didn't, couldn't think about the surreal-ness of it all. He just responded, just reacted, just needed to erase the last twelve hours.

Somehow, Abby ended up in the middle again. Tony pressed against her back, his dick rubbing against the cleft of her ass. Her skirt was ruched up, panties twisted out of the way by Gibbs' hand as he worked her clit. She was shuddering and crying as she came, head tossing back onto Tony's shoulder.

Tony found himself following shortly thereafter, letting the sensation of orgasm wrench the last of his tears out. He collapsed against Abby's back, barely hearing Gibbs groan.

Sticky, they all lay there, quickly drifting into unconsciousness. Tony closed his eyes as he listened to Gibbs' snores and Abby's breathing. He wasn't happy--far from it--but he was here and alive, and that would be good enough for now.

The rest would wait for morning.