Gibbs crossed the hall and noticed the door to the storage room was slightly ajar. He smirked, opening the door, “Maggie, I know you can hear me,” he began. He stopped short when he saw her laying on the floor, unconscious, her clothing in a heap beside her. He rushed to her side, checking to see that she was still breathing and had a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she was fine; only sleeping deeply. He was unable to rouse her. He sat next to her and pulled her into his lap. He pulled her blouse over her shoulders and carefully buttoned it. He then began attempting to put her skirt on her. This proved to be very difficult – like dressing a child who is half-asleep. After getting her clothes on her, he shoved her underclothes into his pockets so they wouldn’t be seen, and then gathered her into his arms. He carried her down to Abby’s lab like you would carry a sleeping child.
“Abs, do you have any idea how long she’ll be out,” he asked, concerned.
“Noah said the one time she changed after only being in wolf form for 45 minutes she was unconscious for about an hour,” Abby responded, speaking quickly. “She was probably in wolf form for less than 15 minutes this time. I have no idea how long she’ll be out, or how this might affect her.”
“Where’s McGee?” Gibbs asked.
“He took that information to Fornell for you, remember?” Abby reported, curious at his not automatically expecting that is where he would be, since he gave the order.
“Oh, that’s right,” Gibbs said, distracted.
“What did you need?” Abby asked.
“I was going to have him take Agent Sullivan home and stay with her,” he responded. “I want someone to be there with her this afternoon, to make sure she’s okay and that she doesn’t come back into the office later.”
Abby was taken aback. Unless someone was dying, he thought they should be working. “I think Noah…” she began.
“No,” Gibbs interjected. “I’m not sending her with him.” He sounded very determined.
“What’s wrong,” Abby asked.
“I’m still not sure how I feel about what I learned today. I know I didn’t like what he did to you in the least. To me, it was like he violated you right in front of me. If you hadn’t been standing there telling me you were okay with it, I would have kicked his…”
“Awwww,” Abby said, kissing his cheek. “I love when you get all protective.”
“I’m serious, Abby,” he said. “I’m just not sure…”
“I understand,” she said. “But Tony…”
“No, not Tony either,” Gibbs said. “It would have to be McGee.” Gibbs knew he should trust Tony, and he did when it was about work. He just wasn’t sure he could trust him alone with a very attractive, very vulnerable woman.
“Okay…” Abby said, not sure what to say.
“I’ll take her myself,” he said, turning to leave. “I have my cell if you need me,” he called on his way out the door. Now the question was, could he trust himself.
* * *
McGee crept up behind Abby slowly. He reached out with both hands, careful not to make a sound.
“I know you’re there, Tim,” she said, exasperated.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sensing her frustration.
“What’s wrong is that I just told the biggest secret about myself that I’ve ever told, to more people than I ever thought I would tell, including the man I love and am currently involved with, and not one person has stopped by to talk, and that makes me nervous, McGee!” Abby rambled so quickly he couldn’t get a word in.
“Awww,” he said, attempting to embrace her. She sidestepped his embrace and turned on him with her eyes downcast.
“I can’t believe you aren’t even upset with me for not telling you,” she said to him suspiciously.
“So let me get this straight,” he said. “You’re upset at me because I’m not upset with you?”
Abby giggled through what sounded like the beginning of tears. “It sounds like of silly when you say it like that, but yeah! I want you to care SO MUCH that even the thought of someone knowing something about me that you don’t know disturbs you. I want you to be upset when I keep a secret from you. I want you to love me as much as I love you, and I don’t think you do,” her voice broke on the last few words. She leaned on her hip against the counter next to him, but turned her back away from him.
“Abby,” he said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “You are unlike any person I’ve ever met. I love that about you. You are so tough and wild, yet completely sweet and vulnerable. Your capacity to love others is amazing. When I think about you loving me with everything you have in your heart it scares me a little bit. Not because I don’t love you, but because I love you so much,” he assured her, rubbing her shoulders while she cried. He kissed the top of her head, and then turned her around to face him. He reached out and pulled her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Abby Sciuto, I love you with all my heart and will for the rest of my life. When I heard your secret this morning, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. You are such an amazing person and you overwhelm me every day. I was a little upset that you hadn’t shared it with me yet, but I assumed you were waiting for the right time. I’m sorry if I’m not macho enough, or whatever, to…”
She interrupted him by grabbing him and kissing him hard. He pulled her tightly into his arms and deepened the kiss. Abby sighed in the back of her throat, making him moan. Neither even heard Tony and Ziva enter the room.
“Geez! Get a room or something,” Tony said with a huge grin, not bothering to turn away. Abby pulled away from McGee to respond.
“Shut up, Tony!” they answered in unison. The smiled at one another, then picked up where they left off as Tony and Ziva left the room.
* * *
“That was kind of sweet,” Ziva said, smiling.
“Sweet?” Tony responded. “I thought he was going to swallow her.”
“You’re so romantic, Tony,” Ziva said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Her hands automatically reached up to finger the pendant that hung around her neck. Her thoughts wandered to Noah. She could hardly believe their friendship had progressed as quickly as it had. She didn’t have a problem sexually, but… Her fingers moved to the faint marks that remained on her neck. Although no longer visible, she could still feel them. She smiled in remembrance. She had actually surprised herself by suggesting to him that he feed from her. He told her it had been his experience that women were a little freaked out by that, and he probably wouldn’t have suggested it for some time. She remembered his “demonstration” with Abby from earlier that morning, jealousy flashing hot into her cheeks. She had wanted to walk up to him, jerk Abby out of his grasp and insist he use her instead. Of course, she hadn’t exactly volunteered. She thought of his many companions and began to wonder how she would cope with her jealousy.
“and that’s when I switched to decaf,” Tony finished, eyeing Ziva seriously.
“I’m sorry Tony, what was that?” she asked, embarrassed.
“Nothing, I was just talking to you and you weren’t listening to a word I said,” he teased.
“Yes I was,” she tried to cover.
“Really?” he challenged.
“Okay, maybe not,” she admitted. “You just aren’t very interesting, Tony, sorry.” Tony mimed himself being stabbed in the heart. He pretended the knife twisted as he fell to the floor, breathing his last breath. He lay on the floor, lifeless. Ziva laughed.
“That’s was a little over the tip, Tony,” she said chuckling.
“Over the TOP, Ziva,” he said getting to his feet.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.