Chapter 1

When Tony awoke the next morning, he lay in bed for a moment, wondering if he was ready for a conversation with Abby. Despite Tim's reassurances, he still wasn't sure he wasn't imaging the slights. Hopefully, he could convince her to talk to him, preferably outside of work, as he wanted plenty of time and privacy to deal with the conversation. He was under no delusions it would be as easy as it had been with Tim, but he was at least glad the conversation with Tim had been relatively easy because he honestly wasn't sure he could've handled two difficult conversations back to back. Of course with work, the conversations might not be back to back. It might be weeks before he had a chance to talk to her at all, though he sensed he needed to have a conversation with her sooner rather than later.

He let his mind drift, imagining all the possible scenarios the conversation with Abby could have. With her, you never could tell. When you thought she would be hysterical and upset, she could as easily be logical and philosophical or vice versa. Even spending so much time in the car together on the way to and from New Orleans, he wasn't sure where he really stood with her. She'd been distracted by her brother, and had spent most of the drive down talking about him. On the way back, Tyler was with them and Tony had spent much of the drive in silence while Abby alternated between silence and distraught over him being arrested.

When his phone's alarm went off for a second time, he sighed and got up. Better to do this and get it done as soon as possible, he thought. The longer he waited, the worse it would be.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

As soon as Tony stepped into the lab the next morning, Abby Sciuto's trained eye skimmed him up and down. She knew something was wrong. Like, really wrong. Like death-defying, physics-altering wrong.

Tony set the Caf-Pow in its usual spot. "Hi, Abs."

Usually, she would instantly grab the Caf-Pow and take a caffeine-fortifying gulp. Instead, she kept her gaze on Tony, watching his every move. Her eyes narrowed. He sounded nervous. Uncertain. She could practically smell his fear. "What's wrong?"

Tony looked startled. "What?"

"Oh no, you don't, Mister. You're a little sweaty and your voice gets all shaky, like you're nervous. What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Then talk."

"Not here."

"Okay," she said turning toward the inner sanctum, "let's go…"

"Not here, Abby," Tony cut her off, effectively stopping her forward momentum along with her voice.

She turned back to him. "Not here as in here here?"

"Nowhere we can be overheard."

Abby raised an eyebrow in both alarm and curiosity. "This is bad."

Tony's silence was conspicuous in the unusually quiet lab.

"My place then, 7 o'clock. Bring pizza." She left off the 'if we get a case.' That always went without saying.

"You got it." Tony nodded once and left, heading back up to the bullpen.