"You know, I never stopped loving you Abs."
"Oh please not now Charlie." Says Abby
"What's up Abby?" Charlie asks
"Nothing." She says looking down.
"Oh come on," says Charlie lifting Abby's chin up with his finger so she is looking him in the eye "you aren't your usual self. Something is bothering you and we both know it."
"Okay, you really wanna know." Says Abby, "Two really great guys at work have admitted that they are in love with me and at firs my only problem was which one I liked best, but then they both start acting like jackasses and now…I don't know what to do."
Charlie listens to Abby and stares silently at her. Lost for words.
"I know, I know. It's a stupid thing to be upset about and I'm sorry." Says Abby, "I just wanna get steaming drunk and have nothing to worry about."
"Great, bring it on!" says Charlie, there is something odd about the way Charlie is looking at her and also in the way that he is speaking but Abby doesn't quite know what, after all, she has had three shots of Tequila already.
Throughout the night both Abby and Charlie kick back a lot of alcohol but Charlie stays strangely sober. Of course, Abby is too drunk to notice. Eventually she is so drunk that she can no longer sit up on the bar stool. Charlie helps her up and half carries her out of the bar and puts her into his car.
"Ughhh…" groans Abby waking up the next day with a major hangover. She tries to get up but she can't. "What the hell!!" she says. She is strapped to a wooden chair with belts, fluffy handcuffs etc. She looks around. She recognises the furniture, the curtains and the carpet and instantly, even though her head is pounding with a hangover from hell she realizes exactly where she is and screams "Charlie!!"
"Oh your awake." Says Charlie, cheerfully as he enters the room with a cup of coffee and sits down on the sofa to drink it.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at? Abby shouts.
"What do you mean Abs."
" Don't you bloody ‘Abs' me you lousy son of a bitch!!! You know exactly what I'm talking about!" she shouts, getting gradually angrier and angrier. "Why the hell am I strapped to a chair with belts and Lucifer knows what else!" she says looking at the pink furry handcuffs holding her wrists to the arms of the chair.
"It's for your own good Abby" Charlie says, still calm, almost smiling.
Charlie puts his coffee down, stands up and comes over to where Abby is sitting strapped into the chair. He puts his hands on both of the arms of the chair, on top of Abby's wrists, and bends down so he is nose to nose with Abby and looking her in they eye.
"Well I suppose it isn't technically for your own good. It's more for my own good. After all, people go to jail for things like this. And I can't have you escaping now can I?" he says
"Charlie?" Abby asks, calmly, she thinks she knows why Charlie is behaving the way that he is.
"Abby."
"Have you been taking your medication?"
"Of course I have" he says looking away.
"Don't lie to me Charlie"
"Fine I haven't. But what does that matter? They're for crazy people Abby. I'm not crazy."
"I never said you were crazy. The medication is to help you, you know that."
"There's nothing wrong with me I don't need help!" Charlie yells pushing Abby's chair away from him. "I don't need help." He repeats weakly, sitting back down on the sofa.
"You know you do Charlie. And I can help you. No one will judge you I promise. All you have to do is let me out of this chair."
Charlie looks up. A nasty looking gleam in his eyes, he is almost smiling. Standing up he shouts, "No! You'll just get doctors and psychiatrists. They all think I'm crazy. They'll send me to an institution. I'm not going to an institution!!"
"You w-" starts Abby.
"…besides, I can use you." He interrupts.
"for what asks Abby, almost scared to hear the answer.
"Well…I know two certain guys who will do anything to make you think they're your knight in shining armour, here to win your heart." Charlie says with a gloating grin.
‘Oh shit, why did I tell him!' thinks Abby.
"Yeah, and what can they do about it anyway. They don't know where you live or even that I have been kidnapped."
"Good point." Charlie mumbles. He leaves the room for a few minutes. Abby struggles trying to break free of the bonds holding her to the chair. The chair falls over and Abby hits her head on the floor. She is suddenly very aware of her hangover again. She groans loudly.
Charlie comes back into the room. He lifts Abby's chair back onto its legs roughly. Hurting Abby's arm.
"Ow!" she groans. "What have you been doing?"
"I've just phoned your NCIS buddies. No doubt they will be trying to contact you very soon."
You know they'll be able to trace the phone call easily." Abby says thinking, ‘God he's a stupid jackass!'
"Ah, but that's exactly what I want my dear Abby! Says Charlie with a wild grin on his face. Leaving Abby wondering why Charlie would actually want Gibbs or McGee to find him. She knew either one of them would blow his head off in a second.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Abby goes out for a drink with Charlie