Chapter 5
That night Gibbs took Abby home with him, and re-introduced her to the Caff-Pow.
"This stuff is like, amazing," she gushed to him after her first sip. They were in the kitchen and he was making dinner.
"I didn't know you could cook," she said as he pulled a dish of steaming chicken covered in a yummy looking sauce out of the oven.
"You did once," he said guiltily, not meeting her eyes.
"Stop it," she ordered him, standing up, " What happened to me and Tony is not your fault. Ziva told me all about it. Stop blaming yourself." Gibbs cracked a very small smile, if nothing else she was at least beginning to sound like the old Abby. To avoid replying, he quickly changed the subject.
"Dinner, is served," he told her, handing her a plate.
"Don't think we're done talking about this, mister," she said in a mock motherly tone, while laughing. He just smiled a little bigger, and served her a piece of chicken.
The next day, Tony was cleared to leave the hospital. He had gotten over his infection quickly, and to celebrate, Abby had insisted on taking him out to lunch. Gibbs, trusting neither of them to drive, agreed to play chauffeur.
They were dropped off around noon, at an old Italian Pizza place. They made quite the pair. Tony's bruises had begun to fade, but were still a dull blue/gray, and Abby's wrist was still in its cast, with her bruises barely visible. Ignoring the stares they were getting from their fellow patrons, they sat down at a table, near the window.
"So how's it going, really?" he asked, watching her carefully, "I mean it's gotta be weird for you, not remembering and everything."
"Yeah, it's pretty weird, like I'm living in déjà vu. Everyone's been nice though, Ho-" she began, but the waiter had arrived. After giving them their orders she continued.
"How are you, really?" she asked, turning the question onto him.
"Oh, well, I'm alright, I guess. But…" he paused as he realized something, "This is exactly like that one movie, ‘Broken Minds'! With Kara O'Neil and Sam Riley! The acting was fantastic, but the special eff-" Abby interrupted him laughing.
"Could you focus for like, five seconds?" Their pizza arrived as she spoke. After thanking the waiter Tony replied.
"Sorry, I get distracted when in the same room as a pretty girl," he said, echoing the last conversation they'd had when they were prisoners, forgetting that she wouldn't remember it.
"Tony DiNozzo are you flirting with me?" she asked, unknowingly playing along.
"Did it work?" he asked eagerly.
"Maybe," Abby said softly, her eyes filling with tears. It was as though a door had opened in her mind and from behind it all of her memories came rushing out.
"Abby, what is it?" Tony asked concernedly, moving around the table to comfort her. The tears were falling fully now.
"I remember," she whispered, giving a small sniff. Pulling away from his embrace, she quickly dried her tears and ran over to Gibbs, who had just entered the room. She threw her arms around him in a huge bear hug that pinned his own arms to his sides and told him firmly.
"It's not your fault." He simply nodded and told her:
"Okay, but…Abs?"
"Yeah?" she asked.
"I can't breath." She let go of him quickly.
"Sorry!"
Author's Chapter Notes:
The title says it all. Abby has lunch with DiNozzo and the conflict is solved.