NCIS; Abby/McGee ; Pain
TITLE: Last request
AUTHOR: Sage Harper
FANDOM: NCIS
PAIRING: Abby/McGee
PROMPT: 06. Pain
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: 1,775
SUMMARY: Difficult conversations are had, and even more difficult choices need to be made.
WARNINGS: Hmm none really
NOTES: Ties in with some of the themes in Pleasure, and is a prequel of sorts to Understanding.
DISCLAIMER: All the good stuff belongs to Donald P. Bellisario et all, I'm just borrowing and will put them back when I've finished.
He picked up on the third ring.
“Oh, hey Abs, what’s up?”
“You’re not really sick, are you? I mean you never get sick.”
Gibbs shrugged, though knew she couldn’t see it.
Anyway he was sick … of not spending enough to with Ducky. They’d all been working stupid hours lately, pandering to the director’s [in his opinion, absurd] whims. Frankly he deserved a medal for holding it together and not shooting her, but he’d rather have a day off. Then, when it seemed like everyone else had been granted a day off during the last week except him, Gibbs saw red and took his own executive decision to schedule some furlough. He figured they’d coped without him for months, what difference would one day make. Then he’d return to work in a better mood, and it’d benefit everyone. Ducky had initially been sceptical about this plan, but it hadn’t taken much for Gibbs to change his lover’s mind.
“It’s a very obscure ailment,” Gibbs explained “tests are still on going … I’m under the close supervision of my physician.”
He heard a throaty laugh.
“Oh now I know you’re just playing hooky, you be gentle with Ducky.”
“Always am,” Gibbs said softly “Anyway what can I do for you?”
Ducky observed the almost instant change in his dearest friend and lover. Gibbs sat up, his countenance concerned and agitated, gently extracting information and reassuring Abby.
“Oh Abs, how come? What did they say? Oh well that’s good I guess … I know, I know … of course … yeah, sure that’s fine.”
He hung up, then went to get dressed.
“It’s alright; dinner can keep.”
“Duck, sorry, I didn’t think of that. And that y’know this was mean to be ‘our day’, it’s just ...”
“Abigail needs you, more than I do right now. It’s fine, really”
“Thanks,”
~oo0oo~
Fifteen minutes later McGee opened his apartment door to an agitated Gibbs and out of breath Ducky.
“Where’s Abby?” Gibbs demanded.
“In the bedroom,” McGee answered, almost getting knocked flat as Gibbs marched inside.
Ducky smiled gratefully as McGee held the door for him “what a nice place you have here, very modern and charming.”
“Thank you,”
“I shall go on through then; Jethro did inform me of the situation as we drove here. How are you Timothy?”
“Just fine, I guess.” Until that point it hadn’t really occurred to McGee that he was entitled to not be alright; it was him who was sick.
Ducky patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Uh, so would it be OK for me to get back to work? Now that you guys are here? Only I said that I wouldn’t be out for long. Director Shepherd wants me to be in the office.”
“Yes, go ahead. We can’t go upsetting the director can we?”
~oo0oo~
“They’re saying about bed rest, which would suck, I mean what the hell would I do all day!”
“Yeah, it’d be fine for a while, but are you even allowed to go to the head?”
“Guess so, but no moving around unless totally unavoidable.”
Anyone who didn’t know them would totally get the wrong idea; Abby lay in the middle of the bed, Gibbs on his side, resting a hand on her bump, as she playfully petted his hair. As it was Ducky was all too aware that Gibbs had nothing but a rather paternal affection for Abby, and much as she flirted Abby revelled in having him as a surrogate father.
“Hey, Duckman”
“Hello Abigail, here, I’ve made you some of that fruit tea you like.”
Abby sat up slightly, and accepted the cup.
“The doctors haven’t figured out what’s wrong with me yet, why I got all those pains and stuff. They think maybe I’m just ‘over doing it’ but still ran a bunch of tests. Bug is OK though, that’s the important thing.” She grinned at Ducky “Ooh you brought a doctors bag, that’s so cool, I didn’t realise you could be a doctor for alive people too.”
“Well of course, the deceased are people too, but indeed I did study in Edinburgh and qualified to be a general practitioner. It did not prove to be a scintillating enough career for me, however. And as that was around the time of the Vietnam war I signed up for a tour of duty as a doctor there, war is terrible thing but the climate was rather agreeable… anyway shall I give you a check up?”
“That’d be cool,”
“Jethro, could you excuse us?”
“I’m glad it’s just us here, so I can talk to you on your own.”
“How flattering,” Ducky smiled “what do you wish to discuss?”
“Well, basically, I kinda … quit my job.”
“I see,”
“Does anything shock you?”
“Yes, so much that I’ve come develop coping strategies, not show how much it gets to me. That sort of response rarely does any good. Oh ignore me I’m waffling, as usual, you were saying …”
“I went and talked to Director Shepherd earlier today, about what I was going to do when Bug was born. She got really mad at me, I mean yeah it must be annoying to have to get someone else in, but she was acting like I’d betrayed the sisterhood or something. She said about how much time I’d taken off already, that it made her life difficult, as if I got pregnant just to be annoying. Then about how tough it would be for me to come back, that wouldn’t I rather stay home with the baby anyway. Sometimes I think maybe that’s a good point, that I should be with Bug in the day while she’s growing up. Then other times, well I love my job, and figure it can’t be totally impossible to do that too. If I had more flexible hours.”
“Yes, I that is quite a dilemma.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“That which makes you happy,”
“Such a politician’s answer.”
“But you say you’ve already resigned.”
“Yeah, she kinda convinced me it was best; and I was feeling all hungry and hormonal, just wanted it over. So I printed off another copy of my resignation letter, gave it to her.”
Abby glanced up sharply, hearing Gibbs stomping around in the kitchen, probably fixing a cup of coffee.
“He listened in,”
“I should imagine so” Ducky said.
“And now he’s real pissed, isn’t he?”
“Not with you.”
“This is such a mistake,” Abby said “I knew it was, soon as I left her office, but apparently it’s too late.”
“No, it’s never too late.” Ducky insisted “If it really comes to it Jethro will shoot the bitch. Then they’ll have to stop it and all…”
“I can’t believe you just called …”
“Yes, I do apologise my dear, but well let’s just say Jennifer shepherd is not one of my favourite people.”
“Or mine,”
“I’ll go and talk to Jethro, calm him down, try not to worry.”
“Ducky … is it possible to die from being way too angry, I mean can it build up inside you so much that you just like short out?”
“Not in my experience, but I have known a few instances where Jethro’s anger has caused a death … never his own though, of course.”
“Well yeah, that’s reassuring.”
“Have you talked to Timothy, about your dilemma?”
“Yeah, he’s tried to help; and that does make me feel a bit better, but this isn’t something he can fix. I really do need you guys to weigh in.”
“We’ll do our best.”
~oo0oo~
Gibbs sat on the end of the sofa, in contemplation, glancing up as the door opened.
“I leave that place for five goddamn hours and it all goes to hell,” he grumbled, rooting around for his cell phone.
“You can’t call her; it’ll blow your cover.” Ducky noted
“But I am sick, of Jen’s bullshit.”
Ducky entered the room, with a reassuring smile. McGee took that as his cue to leave them to it.
“Well that isn’t really out priority right now,” Ducky sat down beside him “Abigail is in such a state, the poor girl. I think she’s more worried about you spontaneously combusting with rage more than anything else.”
“Yeah, figured it was best to keep out the way, get my own head together. She just gets me so pissed …”
“Abigail?”
“No way, never, love her too much… nah, I mean Jen, if I believed in God I might get to thinking she was some kinda divine punishment.”
“I can understand why you might feel that way.”
“Nah, not really, or not quite anyway, I know her better than you.”
“I won’t dispute that.” Ducky smiled slightly “Do you think that perhaps Jennifer has something of an ulterior motive for ousting Abby?”
“I know so,” Gibbs insisted “that’s why I’ve been up here. Trying to figure it out.”
“Jethro, I know you aren’t going to like me saying this … but are you truly sure that you will be acting in Abby’s best interests; rather than for a certain want of ‘getting one up’ on the director?”
“Don’t see why I can’t be doing both. Jen pushes everyone so hard, like she needs the ego trip of them doing her bidding, but Abby’s too strong for that. So Jen doesn’t know what to do with her.”
“I don’t suppose Abby’s affection for you helps that cause,” Ducky noted
“Hmm, guess so, we have to do something Duck. To make sure Abs gets to keep her job.”
“You’re quite right,”
Gibbs thought for a moment “Duck, this is gonna seems insane, and I don’t blame you if you want nothing to do with it. But I figure it’s the only way to make Madame Director know me mean business.”
So he outlined his plan, then waited, desperately trying to Ducky’s expression.
“Jethro, I had rather hoped you would never doubt my loyalty to you and the children. Of course I will support you, in whatever way is called for.”
Gibbs smiled, hugged him.
“Think we should tell Abs?”
“No, probably not, we don’t want to worry her further.”
~oo0oo~
Gibbs put his head around the bedroom door, feeling he should check on Abby, as they had decided to stay until McGee returned home.
She was sleeping, peaceful at last, still laid on top of the covers.
He wrapped the duvet around her gently. Gibbs sighed softly, if there was a way for him to take away all her pain and feel it instead he would in an instant.
“Everything’s gonna be just fine, Abs” he kissed her forehead “I promise.”
AUTHOR: Sage Harper
FANDOM: NCIS
PAIRING: Abby/McGee
PROMPT: 06. Pain
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: 1,775
SUMMARY: Difficult conversations are had, and even more difficult choices need to be made.
WARNINGS: Hmm none really
NOTES: Ties in with some of the themes in Pleasure, and is a prequel of sorts to Understanding.
DISCLAIMER: All the good stuff belongs to Donald P. Bellisario et all, I'm just borrowing and will put them back when I've finished.
He picked up on the third ring.
“Oh, hey Abs, what’s up?”
“You’re not really sick, are you? I mean you never get sick.”
Gibbs shrugged, though knew she couldn’t see it.
Anyway he was sick … of not spending enough to with Ducky. They’d all been working stupid hours lately, pandering to the director’s [in his opinion, absurd] whims. Frankly he deserved a medal for holding it together and not shooting her, but he’d rather have a day off. Then, when it seemed like everyone else had been granted a day off during the last week except him, Gibbs saw red and took his own executive decision to schedule some furlough. He figured they’d coped without him for months, what difference would one day make. Then he’d return to work in a better mood, and it’d benefit everyone. Ducky had initially been sceptical about this plan, but it hadn’t taken much for Gibbs to change his lover’s mind.
“It’s a very obscure ailment,” Gibbs explained “tests are still on going … I’m under the close supervision of my physician.”
He heard a throaty laugh.
“Oh now I know you’re just playing hooky, you be gentle with Ducky.”
“Always am,” Gibbs said softly “Anyway what can I do for you?”
Ducky observed the almost instant change in his dearest friend and lover. Gibbs sat up, his countenance concerned and agitated, gently extracting information and reassuring Abby.
“Oh Abs, how come? What did they say? Oh well that’s good I guess … I know, I know … of course … yeah, sure that’s fine.”
He hung up, then went to get dressed.
“It’s alright; dinner can keep.”
“Duck, sorry, I didn’t think of that. And that y’know this was mean to be ‘our day’, it’s just ...”
“Abigail needs you, more than I do right now. It’s fine, really”
“Thanks,”
~oo0oo~
Fifteen minutes later McGee opened his apartment door to an agitated Gibbs and out of breath Ducky.
“Where’s Abby?” Gibbs demanded.
“In the bedroom,” McGee answered, almost getting knocked flat as Gibbs marched inside.
Ducky smiled gratefully as McGee held the door for him “what a nice place you have here, very modern and charming.”
“Thank you,”
“I shall go on through then; Jethro did inform me of the situation as we drove here. How are you Timothy?”
“Just fine, I guess.” Until that point it hadn’t really occurred to McGee that he was entitled to not be alright; it was him who was sick.
Ducky patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Uh, so would it be OK for me to get back to work? Now that you guys are here? Only I said that I wouldn’t be out for long. Director Shepherd wants me to be in the office.”
“Yes, go ahead. We can’t go upsetting the director can we?”
~oo0oo~
“They’re saying about bed rest, which would suck, I mean what the hell would I do all day!”
“Yeah, it’d be fine for a while, but are you even allowed to go to the head?”
“Guess so, but no moving around unless totally unavoidable.”
Anyone who didn’t know them would totally get the wrong idea; Abby lay in the middle of the bed, Gibbs on his side, resting a hand on her bump, as she playfully petted his hair. As it was Ducky was all too aware that Gibbs had nothing but a rather paternal affection for Abby, and much as she flirted Abby revelled in having him as a surrogate father.
“Hey, Duckman”
“Hello Abigail, here, I’ve made you some of that fruit tea you like.”
Abby sat up slightly, and accepted the cup.
“The doctors haven’t figured out what’s wrong with me yet, why I got all those pains and stuff. They think maybe I’m just ‘over doing it’ but still ran a bunch of tests. Bug is OK though, that’s the important thing.” She grinned at Ducky “Ooh you brought a doctors bag, that’s so cool, I didn’t realise you could be a doctor for alive people too.”
“Well of course, the deceased are people too, but indeed I did study in Edinburgh and qualified to be a general practitioner. It did not prove to be a scintillating enough career for me, however. And as that was around the time of the Vietnam war I signed up for a tour of duty as a doctor there, war is terrible thing but the climate was rather agreeable… anyway shall I give you a check up?”
“That’d be cool,”
“Jethro, could you excuse us?”
“I’m glad it’s just us here, so I can talk to you on your own.”
“How flattering,” Ducky smiled “what do you wish to discuss?”
“Well, basically, I kinda … quit my job.”
“I see,”
“Does anything shock you?”
“Yes, so much that I’ve come develop coping strategies, not show how much it gets to me. That sort of response rarely does any good. Oh ignore me I’m waffling, as usual, you were saying …”
“I went and talked to Director Shepherd earlier today, about what I was going to do when Bug was born. She got really mad at me, I mean yeah it must be annoying to have to get someone else in, but she was acting like I’d betrayed the sisterhood or something. She said about how much time I’d taken off already, that it made her life difficult, as if I got pregnant just to be annoying. Then about how tough it would be for me to come back, that wouldn’t I rather stay home with the baby anyway. Sometimes I think maybe that’s a good point, that I should be with Bug in the day while she’s growing up. Then other times, well I love my job, and figure it can’t be totally impossible to do that too. If I had more flexible hours.”
“Yes, I that is quite a dilemma.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“That which makes you happy,”
“Such a politician’s answer.”
“But you say you’ve already resigned.”
“Yeah, she kinda convinced me it was best; and I was feeling all hungry and hormonal, just wanted it over. So I printed off another copy of my resignation letter, gave it to her.”
Abby glanced up sharply, hearing Gibbs stomping around in the kitchen, probably fixing a cup of coffee.
“He listened in,”
“I should imagine so” Ducky said.
“And now he’s real pissed, isn’t he?”
“Not with you.”
“This is such a mistake,” Abby said “I knew it was, soon as I left her office, but apparently it’s too late.”
“No, it’s never too late.” Ducky insisted “If it really comes to it Jethro will shoot the bitch. Then they’ll have to stop it and all…”
“I can’t believe you just called …”
“Yes, I do apologise my dear, but well let’s just say Jennifer shepherd is not one of my favourite people.”
“Or mine,”
“I’ll go and talk to Jethro, calm him down, try not to worry.”
“Ducky … is it possible to die from being way too angry, I mean can it build up inside you so much that you just like short out?”
“Not in my experience, but I have known a few instances where Jethro’s anger has caused a death … never his own though, of course.”
“Well yeah, that’s reassuring.”
“Have you talked to Timothy, about your dilemma?”
“Yeah, he’s tried to help; and that does make me feel a bit better, but this isn’t something he can fix. I really do need you guys to weigh in.”
“We’ll do our best.”
~oo0oo~
Gibbs sat on the end of the sofa, in contemplation, glancing up as the door opened.
“I leave that place for five goddamn hours and it all goes to hell,” he grumbled, rooting around for his cell phone.
“You can’t call her; it’ll blow your cover.” Ducky noted
“But I am sick, of Jen’s bullshit.”
Ducky entered the room, with a reassuring smile. McGee took that as his cue to leave them to it.
“Well that isn’t really out priority right now,” Ducky sat down beside him “Abigail is in such a state, the poor girl. I think she’s more worried about you spontaneously combusting with rage more than anything else.”
“Yeah, figured it was best to keep out the way, get my own head together. She just gets me so pissed …”
“Abigail?”
“No way, never, love her too much… nah, I mean Jen, if I believed in God I might get to thinking she was some kinda divine punishment.”
“I can understand why you might feel that way.”
“Nah, not really, or not quite anyway, I know her better than you.”
“I won’t dispute that.” Ducky smiled slightly “Do you think that perhaps Jennifer has something of an ulterior motive for ousting Abby?”
“I know so,” Gibbs insisted “that’s why I’ve been up here. Trying to figure it out.”
“Jethro, I know you aren’t going to like me saying this … but are you truly sure that you will be acting in Abby’s best interests; rather than for a certain want of ‘getting one up’ on the director?”
“Don’t see why I can’t be doing both. Jen pushes everyone so hard, like she needs the ego trip of them doing her bidding, but Abby’s too strong for that. So Jen doesn’t know what to do with her.”
“I don’t suppose Abby’s affection for you helps that cause,” Ducky noted
“Hmm, guess so, we have to do something Duck. To make sure Abs gets to keep her job.”
“You’re quite right,”
Gibbs thought for a moment “Duck, this is gonna seems insane, and I don’t blame you if you want nothing to do with it. But I figure it’s the only way to make Madame Director know me mean business.”
So he outlined his plan, then waited, desperately trying to Ducky’s expression.
“Jethro, I had rather hoped you would never doubt my loyalty to you and the children. Of course I will support you, in whatever way is called for.”
Gibbs smiled, hugged him.
“Think we should tell Abs?”
“No, probably not, we don’t want to worry her further.”
~oo0oo~
Gibbs put his head around the bedroom door, feeling he should check on Abby, as they had decided to stay until McGee returned home.
She was sleeping, peaceful at last, still laid on top of the covers.
He wrapped the duvet around her gently. Gibbs sighed softly, if there was a way for him to take away all her pain and feel it instead he would in an instant.
“Everything’s gonna be just fine, Abs” he kissed her forehead “I promise.”