Chapter 9

"Gibbs!" Abby shouted outraged. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What the hell am I doing?" Gibbs countered. "What the hell are you doing answering your door dressed like that?" his hand gesture enunciating his question.

"Dressed like..," Abby began glaring at Gibbs. "Well, excuse me Special Agent Gibbs I didn't realize it was a crime to answer my own door in my pyjamas! Next time I'll make sure that I am suitably dressed to receive overbearing …"

Gibbs moved into Abby's personal space stopping to glare down at her. "Don't finish that sentence," he warned.

Abby, too angry to heed the warning in his voice continued, "…bosses who don't have the common courtesy to…"

Gibbs' hands clamped onto Abby's arms dragging her forward the final separating inches. "Enough!"

He is holding onto his temper by a mere thread. Abby doesn't heed the warning.

"…to wait. How dare you," Abby began before Gibbs interrupted her.

"I'm not the one prancing around like a high priced hooker waiting for her next trick," Gibbs snarled. Yanking her right arm free, Abby slaps Gibbs across his face, the sound loud in the relative quiet of her apartment.

"You bastard!"

Gibbs doesn't release Abby.

"That's what the second B stands for," staring at her before releasing her abruptly. Gibbs put space between him and Abby trying to regain control of his temper. Raking a hand through his hair he moved to the window knowing Abby is watching every move. He needed to apologize, to try to salvage something from his inability to control his jealousy. Staring out the window he rests his head against the pane. 'You are a fucking idiot', he thinks to himself. 'At the rate you are going you will push her into his arms rather than yours. You need to keep control!'

But the need for control, and the use of it are separated by a wide chasm when he sees his girl dressed or in this case undressed in clothes that illustrate how close he is to losing her. Raking his hand through his hair once more Gibbs turns back to Abby his hands signing I was out of line. Forgive me?

Abby searches his shuttered expression before she signs back yes, walking over to him. Placing her hand under his chin she turns his head so she can look at the red mark on his cheek.

"I should have remembered that you have a hell of a right," Gibbs joked, relieved when Abby gives him a guarded smile.

"Abbs?" Before he can say more his phone rings.

"Gibbs," he answered, listening before replying. "I'll meet you there."

"Case?"

"Yea."

"Do you need me?"

"Not sure," Gibbs replied as he walks to the door.

"I'll keep my phone on just in case," Abby replied, following him to the door.

"Abby?"

"Yea, Gibbs," she answered, curious at the quality of his voice. Something is bothering him, or he wants to ask her something. Whichever it is she can hear the hesitation and nervousness in his voice. Most wouldn't be able to pick up on it but Abby is not most. She knows Gibbs almost as well as she knows herself and that familiarity is telling her that he wants to talk about something important.

"Can I come over later this weekend to talk?"

"Sure," she answered, holding the door for him.

"I'll call first," he said, brushing her cheek with the side of his hand and leaving.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Abby put the finishing touches on her makeup. Conrad should be here any minute and they are going to have to talk.

"How did my life get so difficult," she murmured, grabbing the short jacket off her bed. Walking out to the living room Abby plopped down on the sofa to wait.

The soft chime of her doorbell interrupted her musings. Opening the door, Abby is assailed by the scents of onion and lemongrass. Grabbing one of the bags from Conrad's hands, she stepped aside to allow him to enter.

Conrad takes in her appearance, the expression on her face and before she can utter a word he said, "Let's eat first. Decisions and discussions on an empty stomach are never a good combination."