Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sad, but true.

"Abs?" Gibbs walked into the lab and stopped short.

Abby was sitting at the computer with her head in her hands and her elbows on the desk. Her back was to him and she didn't look up as he walked in.

"Abby?" he said a bit quieter as he walked up beside her and saw that her eyes were closed. He was concerned. She rarely if ever fell asleep at work in the middle of the day with all the caffeine she consumed, and she looked much paler than she usually did.

"Abs," he said as he gently placed his hand on her back.

No response.

"Abby, wake up," he said a little louder as he shook her shoulder gently.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry Gibbs I didn't mean to—oh!" She woke with a start and started apologizing, but as she stood up to get to work she started swaying and then fell into Gibbs, who caught her without thinking.

"Abs! Are you all right?"

"Um, yes Gibbs I'm fine. I just—just got a little dizzy when I stood up so fast."

"That doesn't usually happen, does it Abby?" He asked as he stood her back on her feet. "Are you sure you are ok, you don't look like yourself."

"Well, of course I look like myself, Gibbs, I'm the same person, and I haven't changed so much since yesterday, aside from being a day older and you know every day you lose tons of dead skin cells and—"

"Abs!" Gibbs saw straight through her desperate attempt to try to change the subject with her rambling. "You know what I mean. You look sick. Come here." He reached out to touch her forehead, but she jumped back out of his reach.

"No Gibbs, really I am fine. I, um, was just having one of those dreams, you know, when you feel like you are about to fall and so you jump back awake right when you crash and so then I was just dizzy from being jerked out of my dream so fast and—"

"Abby." He took a step towards her, trying to get her within reach without her noticing it.

"Gibbs?" She took several steps away from him, and pretended that she didn't notice him moving towards her. She looked for something to divert his attention so that he would forget about her for a while.

"I know what you are trying to do, and you can't fool me like that. I know you too well, Abs. And I also know that you usually don't fall asleep in the middle of a case, especially since you have had three Caf- Pow! s already today. So you need to tell me if you are sick or I am going to send you down to Ducky or home." As he spoke he took slow steps toward her, trying to catch her off-guard, even though he knew she was deliberately staying away from him.

"Giiiibbbssss." She whined. "I am fine, really. I do not need to go home or see Ducky."

"If you are fine then why don't you just go see him to humor me?"

"Because, Gibbs, I have lost too much time already and—Oh! Gibbs!"

Gibbs had waited until she had turned her back to him and then he made three quick steps to close the gap between them, and he startled her when she turned around. He grabbed her hand before she could step away, and he placed his other hand on her forehead. He held it there for a half a second before he jerked it off and almost shouted at her.

"Abigail Scuito! You are burning up! And you knew! Why are you even here? You should have called me and said you were sick! You should be at home in your bed!" He put one hand on her back and started taking her out of her lab.

"Gibbs! Where are you taking me? And did you just call me Abigail? Who are you? Ducky?" He took his hand off her back to push the elevator button and turned to face her.

"No! That is who I am taking you to see. And I am really mad at you, so I used your given name. You are putting yourself in danger by working when you don't know how sick you are." They stepped onto the elevator and Gibbs pushed he button to go to Autopsy.

"Aw, Gibbs, I am not sick. I feel absolutely fine." She leaned back on the wall and rested her head as she spoke.

"Abby, don't you know I can tell when you are lying?"

"Gibbs! I knew you couldn't stay mad at me!" She pushed off from the wall to stand straight again, but she got dizzy again and fell into Gibbs, who again caught her.

"What? Abs! Are you all right? And stop trying to change the subject!

"Ya-um- Yes, Gibbs, fine. And you didn't call me Abigail, see! You are not as mad at me already, so can I just get back to work?" The elevator dinged and they got off and walked into the Autopsy room.

Ducky saw them walk in from where he was standing at the autopsy table. "Ah. I will be with you in just a minute Jethro, Abigail. Now Mr. Palmer, this reminds me of…"

Ducky turned to Palmer to finish his story while Gibbs turned back to Abby.

"Abs, I am not letting you go back to work today, no matter what Ducky says."

"But Gibbs—"

"Abs. Even if you are fine now, which you are not, if you can't stay awake on three Caf-Pow! s, or keep your balance when you move too quickly, then you are going to be sick if you don't get enough sleep soon. Surely, you should know that." He was saved from having to argue with her further for the moment by Ducky walking over to them.

"Jethro, you know that I don't have any more results for you than I did twenty minutes ago. And Abigail—Oh, Abigail, you look ill, are you feeling all right?"

"That's why we are here, Duck. She refuses to admit that she is sick, though it is obvious to me that she is. Now what I need you to do for me is check her out and send her home please."

"Giiiiiiibbbbbss." Abby whined. "You know that I am not going to go home."

"All right, Ducky, just send her up to me when you are through. Actually, just call me and I will come get her." With that he turned and headed toward the elevator.

Please review! I might continue the story if it is any good.