Hi, there. Yes, it's Tony/Abby-time again! Who doesn't love them together? Unfortunately I don't own either of them. Enjoy my piece of fiction, totally free!

Only Abby

"Tony?"

The apartment was dark. Dark and - cold. Abby shuddered, not solely from the freezing temperature.

"Tony?" she called warily again. Still no answer, but she knew he would be here. Approaching his bedroom door, she felt those familiar knots in her stomach tighten. The way they did whenever Tony went missing or like the time when she had found out that it was pneumonic plague in that letter. The way she always felt when Tony was in trouble. And this was…trouble.

The door stood ajar and she pushed it open, not being able to stand the fear any longer. She had to see him. She had to make it all alright. She had to…

"Tony?"

"Go away, Abby." Voice hoarse and menacing.

She could see the whites of his eyes gleam as he looked at her, but then he lowered his head and disappeared in the shadows again.
This was bad. Worse than she'd thought.

"No", she said, with all her kindness softening the harsh word. "I won't go away, Tony. That's not how it works."

The whites gleamed again. "What do you want?" Tired now. But still angry.

She swallowed and tried to hold back the tears that had been burning behind her eyes all day.

"I want to see my best friend and make sure he's okay", she whispered.

"Well, he's fine. Now go." These words were mumbled into hands covering his face.

"No", she repeated and walked up to him, fumbling in the dark. She found the edge of the bed and crawled on top, scooting next to him. She longed to touch him, to comfort him, but that was for later. Right now he would just shy away from her touch, she knew from experience, so she sat there quietly, but close enough to feel his body heat radiate onto her skin.

Her eyes were adjusting to the dark; pupils widening to take in the sparse light. She could see him now, curled beside her, forehead resting on his knees. That had to be uncomfortable, but he stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity; harsh, fast breathing finally slowing.

"She's going to be okay", she said, figuring that if she didn't start up the conversation, he wouldn't speak at all. He didn't now either, just snorted in some sort of contempt.
Okay. Wrong approach. "Nobody could have foreseen it, you know that, right?"

She more felt than saw him turn away from her. Suppressing the need to reach out and just grab him she breathed slowly. In, out, in, out. Don't push him, or he'll shove right back.

"How's the shoulder?" she asked lightly. Trying a new approach. He didn't answer her. "Tony? Ducky wanted to know…"

"Fine. It's fine", he grumbled, obviously thrown by the sudden twist, like she knew he would be.

"Ducky told me to tell you that 'fine' is not a medical term." They all knew Tony's standard answer. "It wasn't your fault, you know", she whispered. They all knew his standard self allegation, too.

"Oh, yeah? How d'you know? You weren't there."

"Gibbs told me."

He turned and put his feet down on the floor. The sudden hitch in his breathing was barely audible and the flinch barely visible, but Abby worked with 'barely' every day in her lab. She noticed.

"Why are you not in the hospital?" She couldn't actually see the glare he shot her, but she felt it.

"Abby…"

"I know", she hurriedly interrupted him. "You're fine."

"Just a scratch", he whispered. "I was lucky."

"No, Ziva was lucky! That you were there."

"If I had moved faster…If I'd just known…" He trailed off.

"You saved her life."

"Maybe."

Gibbs had told her about Tony's heroics in saving Ziva, when her cover was being shot to pieces. How she would be dead instead of just seriously injured if Tony hadn't been there, to drag her away after she went down.

But of course Tony didn't see it that way. He wasn't a very logical person at times.

"Gibbs worries about you, Tony."

He snorted. "Gibbs doesn't worry."

"Well, he may not say it in so many words, but I've got a degree in 'Gibbs-speak'. He's worried, Tony."

"Yeah, well, I'm doing great, so just…"

"And I'm brushing up on my 'DiNozzo-speak', and getting better everyday," she interrupted him. She laid a hand on his hurt arm. He tried not to, but hissed in pain. "Tony, please go to the hospital."

"No."

"Then let me see your arm."

"No."

"Fine, then I'll call Ducky and wake him at this late hour and…"

"Abby…"

"I will." Her tone was unyielding. She heard him sigh and knew victory was near. "Turn on the light."

He did so, and blinked at the brightness of the single bedside lamp. The light disclosed the red rimmed eyes, the rumpled clothes, the tousled hair and the lines of pain etched in his features. He cradled his left arm and the bloodstains on his shirt told a tale of why.

"Oh, Tony", she whispered. "Why didn't you go with the paramedics?"

He looked away. "The ambulance was occupied."

"Tell me they at least patched you up?"

"They did."

"Did you give them a hard time?" She looked sternly at him.

"Maybe just a little bit."

"And Gibbs didn't ream you out?"

Tony closed his eyes against the onslaught of pictures flooding his mind.

"He was already gone. 'Flying' to Bethesda."

So that's what was wrong. What was missing. Gibbs hadn't growled at him or ordered him to go to the ER. Hadn't given directions to what Tony was supposed to do.
Abby knew Gibbs had been stressed about Ziva, but she silently berated him anyway. Gibbs knew as well as she did that Tony couldn't - he really couldn't - make reasonable choices about his own well-being. Not when he was shocked like this. Not when he was left behind.

"Did they at least give you painkillers?"

"Prescription."

"Where are they? I'll get them for.."

"Haven't picked them up."

Abby fell silent. She couldn't really blame him. Driving on his own to a pharmacy, when he was hurting and in mild shock, with dirty, bloody clothes wasn't a very likely scenario.

"Of course you didn't." She sighed and he snorted and she chose that moment to drape her arm around his neck and gently draw him closer. When he didn't refuse her, she leaned in to rest her forehead against his. He closed his eyes, but stayed in the comforting embrace.

"It wasn't your fault," she whispered.

After she had forced him to lie down, Abby kissed his forehead, not bothering to wipe off the lipstick mark she left, and drove off to pick up his prescribed medicine.

She chewed her lip and blinked back tears, and then she called Gibbs.

"Hey, Abs", he answered softly. "How's he doing?"

"Not good, Gibbs. He's all shocky and pale. I'm going to pick up his painkillers now."

"He didn't go to the hospital?" Annoyance crept into Gibbs voice. It didn't overrule the worry, though, Abby could tell.

"No. He took a cab home."

"Aw hell, DiNozzo…"

"Don't you 'DiNozzo' him, Gibbs! You left him at the scene, after all that had happened, when you know how he gets. You knew he blamed himself."

"I should have shoved him in that ambulance with Ziva," he sighed.

"Yes, you should've," Abby agreed. No need to sugar coat it.

"Do I need to come down there?"

"No", Abby said thoughtfully. "We'll manage. But we won't be coming in tomorrow."

"Take as much time as you need, Abs."

Gibbs always saw her side of things.

She snuck into his bedroom again, pills in a bag, fully expecting him to be zonked out from exhaustion. She whispered his name and turned on the bedside lamp and nearly got a heart attack when he wasn't there.

"Tony?"

"In here, Abs," a voice called from the living room.

She found him sitting on the couch staring at commercials running on the muted flatscreen. The images flickered off of dull, half-closed eyes.

"What're you doing?" She sat down next to him.

"Trying not to think."

"And how's that working out for you?"

"Worse than usual."

She rattled the bag. "Got some really good stuff in here."

"Great. Thanks. Just leave it on the counter on your way out." His eyes never left the screen.

She reached for the remote and turned the TV off.

"I'm not going anywhere, Tony. And you'll take those pills."

A look of surprise and - was it really? - joy, washed over his drawn features. "What?"

"I said you'll take those pills."

"You're staying?"

"Yeah, silly." She shook the bag again. "Ready for some pulverized bliss?"

"You don't have to stay. I don't need…"

"But I do," she interrupted. "I'm staying for me, Tony. Here. Take one of these and two pink ones." She handed him the pills, looking expectantly at him. When he just sat there, pills in hand, staring at her, she urged, "Go on."

He blinked and sighed and began to rise. "I need water."

"I'll get it for you." Abby jumped from her seat. "You just stay put."

When he'd downed the water and the pills - and Abby made sure he did - he sighed and leaned back with closed eyes.

Abby snuggled close, put her feet up and leaned lightly against him. Just so he would feel the closeness. The comfort worked both ways and soon they were asleep.

Abrupt awakenings weren't really Abby's thing, especially when brought on by her best friend's violent jerk and cry of pain.

He sat up panting and before Abby was coherent enough to ask him what was wrong, he bolted for the kitchen. She heard him throw up in the sink, then the gasping, gasping for air, before he retched again. When she snuck up by his side, he had settled for dry heaving, gagging on strings of saliva.

She didn't say a word, just got him a glass of water and rubbed his back as he leaned on the counter with his head down, panting.

"Damn painkillers," he mumbled and slowly slid down to the floor. As he noticed Abby's concerned look, he smiled a crooked smile.

"Don' worry, Abs. Jus' bad reaction to the pills, is all."

She didn't smile back.

"Here," she said, handing him the water. "Rinse, drink. Then we'll go for a ride."

The drive to Bethesda was made in silence, mostly because Tony had fallen asleep after only a few blocks. Abby was determined. She had a mission now. She got them into Ziva's room with surprising ease, just waving her ID around. Maybe it was because Tony looked like he belonged in the ICU, but Abby didn't really care.
She dragged him down the corridor and stopped outside room 112.

"Go on," she urged. "Go make sure she's okay."

Tony's eyes were wide and he was visibly shaken, but he opened the door without further prodding.

"Ziva," he mumbled.

"Tony! Where have you been? I have been waiting for you. Are you alright? Come here! I need to thank you for saving my life."

Abby smiled. Mission accomplished.

I don't think anyone knows Tony the way Abby does!