Gibbs reached down and stroked the sleeping woman's hair. Abby sighed in her sleep and nestled against him. He resisted the urge to pull her into his arms and potentially wake her. Just an hour she had been so angry at him she'd broken up with him, but took it back not five minutes later, barely getting the words out through her sobs.

Gibbs had expected her to be upset, but he hadn't expected this maelstrom of emotion from her. She hadn't been happy when he'd gone to Iran, but she'd understood, and made him take a good luck charm she had made for him; a tiny, crotchet, replica of Bert the hippo, and he'd placed his dog tags around his neck and told her he'd come back safe, and be careful. When he finally came home, apart from shouting "look out!" to Gibbs when Parsons showed up in the lab, she rarely let him out of her sight until the entire deal with Mendez was over. She made him take a day off and sleep after that when she had found him fighting tears after his phone conversation with Ziva.

Tonight, when Gibbs and McGee returned from Afghanistan, was a different story. He returned to find Abby curled in a ball on the floor, crying hysterically. When she spotted him, she started yelling so much and so fast he couldn't understand it all.

"How could you, Gibbs? I heard what you did, but why? I can't lose...you went it alone, again, damnit, don't you love me?" When he walked toward her, she held out her hand. "Arrette toi! Don't!" I am boude!" Her words were broken up, and she seemed unable to string any though together.

He stopped. "Abby, nothing happened, I'm right here."

"You left..."

"I'm here now."

"J'ai gros couer."

"What are you saying, Abbs?"

"You fought all those guys by yourself! McGee told me, he was in awe, but what the hell?"

"I..."

"Is it me? Do you put yourself in danger because of me? Maybe we shouldn't be together, if this is what you're going to do?"

"Abigail Scuito!" He only just barely raised his voice, but she was halfway up the stairs.

"I'm getting my stuff. I need you to be home, Gibbs, but you Rodee! I'm leaving now, don't follow, if you wanted to break up you should have said, but I will. It's over."

Gibbs had stood rooted to the spot until she ran back down, with her car keys and wearing only one shoe. Tears streamed down her face. "I don't want to break up, Gibbs."

"I don't either!" He reached for her. She backed away.

"Don't. I need some time." Gibbs nodded. Abby curled on the couch, and Gibbs sat in a chair. They'd never had a fight before. Gibbs was at a loss as how to proceed. An Abby that was this upset was an unknown to him. He's always known how to comfort her, but not when he was the reason she cried like this. It wasn't long until Abby fell asleep, and Gibbs crept over to the couch and sat in front of her and just watched her. When he finally chanced it to stroke her hair, she smiled in her sleep. His fingers drifted to her soft cheek, and she sighed, and grabbed onto his silver bracelet in her sleep.

The harsh ringing of his cell phone made him jump, and startled Abby awake. She didn't let go of his bracelet, so he answered the phone with his other hand and took several minutes to update Vance on the situation. When he got off the phone, he looked over to see Abby peering at him with her large eyes.

"Vomment ca vas?" She asked.

"What was that?" He turned so he could place a one hand on her neck to support her while she sat up. He took advantage of the fact that he had stopped shouting at him to sit right next to her, and he was relieved when Abby leaned against him.

"It means how are you feeling."

"Sad, Abby. I didn't ever mean for you to get hurt."

"I know you didn't. You're a motier foux poule d'eau."

"What language was that?"

"It's Cajun. I just called you a half crazy coot."

"He chuckled. "You're not wrong. I didn't know you spoke Cajun."

"It's my first language. I mean, besides, sign language. My parents couldn't talk, and I spent as much time at my best friend's house as I did my own. I learned it there. My teachers didn't know what to do with me."

"What else did you say earlier?"

"Rodee means you are never home."

"I know it, Abbs, and I hate it. All I want is to be home with you."

"I told you I felt like crying."

"I hate that I made you cry."

"Arrete toi means stop."

"I understood that one, Abby." She snuggled against him.

"I'm sorry I yelled. I seem to do that a lot, and you never do."

S'okay."

"I'm still not happy that you put yourself in danger, Gibbs. You should have let McGee have your back. What you did was insane."

"I know it was."

"I was upset that you didn't promise to be careful before you left this time. I was upset you didn't tell me how dangerous this was going to be. I need you to promise me that I won't lose you."

Author's note: Just a short introduction to the sequel to "You Make Me Feel Too Much." I hope you enjoy it!