This is the 3rd and final chapter!!! Really fluffy at the end, hopefully it makes up for the angst that's going on, and has been going on! Enjoy!
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Tony, Ziva and McGee, who were standing around a dead Mikel, stared at Abby too as her chest stopped moving for one heart-stopping moment.
"Please, Abbs, don't die on me, please don't," Gibbs pleaded, whispering into her ear.
"C'mon, Abby," Tony muttered under his breath, McGee echoing his sentiment. Ziva, who was almost in tears, slipped her hand into Tony's. He squeezed her hand, almost crying himself. Franks, who just appeared next to McGee, said quietly,
"You ain't gonna die on me now, Miss Abby,"
Abby's eyelids suddenly snapped open and she opened her mouth, taking a huge gulp of air. She expelled the air, saying, "Gibbs?"
Ducky immediately took over, checking her vitals and pulse as best he could. Gibbs never let go of Abby's hand and his tender blue eyes stared into her confused and slightly angry green ones. When Ducky had pronounced Abby fully recovered from the poison and that he didn't expect any after effects, Abby sat up and slowly got to her feet.
"Going back to Mexico now, Gibbs?" Abby questioned coldly, and Gibbs winced. Tony, Ziva, McGee, Franks, Jenny and Ducky all stepped back, ready and willing to watch Gibbs get major hell from Abby.
"No. I'm staying, Abby."
"Yeah, right. Heard that one before." Abby scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I'm telling you the truth this time," Gibbs said sincerely, and Abby said lowly,
"Okay, so you're going to stay, and what, we're just going to pick up where we left off? Oh, excuse me, where you left off? What kind of jerk are you?"
"Abby, I didn't…"
"My heart shattered when you left, Gibbs! I was a complete and utter MESS! Did Tony tell you how he found me? Curled up in the fetal position in the interrogation room? I was out of it for a week, and did you even care? No, probably not, just getting drunk with hot Mexican girls and getting splinters with your damn wood. Well, you can just go back to your freaking wood and bourbon, because I refuse to let my heart love you! I refuse!"
"I cared so much that I didn't allow myself to come back, Abby!" Gibbs exclaimed, trying to explain himself, but Abby wasn't having any of it.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know about your excuse 'Abby's better off with someone else, I'm staying away until she realizes that'. That's total and utter crap, Leroy Jethro Gibbs! How can you be so degrading of yourself? Degrading of me? What did you think, that I stayed with you because I felt sorry for you? No, Gibbs, I loved you, that's why I stayed with you! Besides, there is no one, and I repeat no one out there that is better than you."
"I can't even protect you, Abby! Mikel got to you under my watch, and since I left, no one's harmed you. That must mean something." Gibbs said flatly, and Abby plowed her way through that excuse too.
"Bull crap! Mikel tricked you! That's gonna happen, and I can protect myself, thank you very much! This is all about pride, Mikel hurt your pride when he got to me, and that's why you left!" Abby yelled, trying to make him see his reasoning had no backing whatsoever. She wanted him to stay, and making him see that his whole reasoning was ridiculous was the only way she could think of.
"Pride? You think me leaving was about my pride!?" Gibbs yelled, anger clouding his eyes.
"That's the only thing I can think of." Abby stated, and Gibbs clenched his hands, yelling,
"I left to protect you!"
"Well, that plan backfired, didn't it? You left to protect me from harm, but you leaving did more harm than anyone on this planet could do. And stop using that stupid, God-forsaken excuse, because I has no merit whatsoever!"
Those words left Gibbs speechless, as he knew Abby tore that excuse into millions of pieces, but he said quietly, "Mikel could have killed you."
"He didn't. But you killed my heart, and my soul." Abby replied just as quiet, and slowly Gibbs 'saw the light', so to speak.
"Oh God, what have I done? What have I done to you, Abby?" Gibbs whispered, putting his hand to his mouth.
"Good question." Abby said coldly, hiding her tears as she turned around. "You wanna know what you did to me, Gibbs? Ask Tony, ask Ducky, Ziva, McGee, Jenny, all of them. Go on. Ask them." Abby said firmly, and Gibbs turned helplessly to the others.
None of them said anything for a moment, and then Tony spoke up, "She was broken when you left, boss, she wasn't making that up. I found her, and believe me, I almost caught a plane to Mexico to shoot you myself."
"And I would've gone with him." Ziva said quietly, while the others nodded.
"It's going to take a long time to earn her trust back, boss," McGee spoke up, and Gibbs took a deep breath, turning back to Abby. She turned away from him and started walking away.
"Abby! Wait!" Gibbs exclaimed, running to her side and gently laying his hand on her arm. She faced him and he reached out to put his hands on her face. She turned her face away, and he murmured, "I, I'm sorry, Abby, I know it's not enough, but it's all I can say,"
"No it's not," Abby replied quietly, almost shaking. Jenny, Franks, Ducky, Tony, Ziva and McGee looked on in shock as she added, "Say it. Don't sign it, say it."
Gibbs didn't even look confused. He knew what Abby was talking about. Even with his team and the Director standing there within hearing distance, he said clearly, "I love you, Abbs,"
"That is all you can say," Abby whispered with a smile, and he smiled back before lowering his lips to her cheek. He didn't dare do anything more. And Abby was touched by his resistance to kissing her on the lips, which she wouldn't have let him do anyways.
"I'm never leaving you again," Gibbs swore, and this time he fully intended to keep that promise. Abby eased back out of his arms, but he kept his right arm around her waist as they walked back to Jenny, Franks, Ducky, Tony, Ziva and McGee. Gibbs could read the same thing in their eyes: hurt her and we will kick your ass. There were a few whose eyes said 'hurt her and we will shoot you'.
He could live with that. In fact, he'd probably want them the kick him, but mostly shoot him, if he did ever hurt Abby again.
The group walked back to the cars, and Gibbs pulled Abby close, kissing her temple lovingly. "Love you too, Gibbs," Abby said quietly, looking up at him. He smiled softly as she added, "But you're still in a boat load of trouble. Literally." She said, narrowing her eyes. Gibbs smiled, knowing he had a long way to go until he could earn her complete trust back.
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That night, Gibbs lay with Abby wrapped up tightly in his arms. Gibbs had come over Abby's apartment, and that's where they were sleeping.
Only neither of them were actually sleeping.
Gibbs was lightly running his fingers through Abby's raven hair, while Abby lightly traced images on his chest with her fingers. He could almost hear her brain thinking, so he said quietly,
"Penny for your thoughts, though they're worth much more than that,"
Abby laughed and replied, "There's a song I've heard before, perfectly describes what just happened between us, and it's called 'Already Gone'."
Gibbs thought about it, and said, "How about we alter the title a bit?"
Abby was a little confused, but replied, "Um, okay, what did you have in mind?"
"'Almost Gone'" Gibbs replied, and Abby looked up at him.
"Perfect," She replied softly, and with almost a little hesitation, she pressed her lips to his. She finally had all she ever wanted: Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
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The end! I hope you enjoyed this supposed one-shot! I can't believe I wrote over 3,700 words for this! I only intended it to be about 1,500! :) Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you liked it! Adios!