"You don't understand. You've pissed off Special Agent Gibbs now. He won't rest until you're dead." Ziva explained to Ari.
"What was I supposed to do? I got the blood, and they are not going to identify me or any involvement by Hamas or Mossad."
"They better not, Ari." She said trying to sound threatening but he smiled at her anyway.
"I'm taking care of it all."

Abby knew that telling Gibbs would make her job easier. But she let him leave her lab with the trust in her that there was nothing wrong.
"What am I going to do?" She asked herself.

Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
I know you're still there

"Abby, are you home?" Ari called into the apartment as he unlocked the door with the key he had been given in the month since he and Abby had started seeing each other. He was thrilled that there was no usual bubbly reply or any sign of the effervescent woman. Knowing that time was of the essence, he immediately went into the bedroom and connected her laptop.

**FLASHBACK**

Abby turned the page of her magazine, as she sipped the last of her Caf-Pow. She pushed the cup aside without taking her eyes off the book in-front of her. A full cup was placed in place of where the last had been seconds before. Abby looked up, expecting to see the familiar eyes of her usual supplier, and Boss. Instead stood a tall, lean man she had never seen before with dark eyes and a stunning smile on his face.

"Pardon my forwardness." The accented, attractive voice started. "May I?" He asked referring to the seat next to Abby.
"Go ahead." She said closing the magazine. He read the cover of the magazine.
"Forensics?" He asked pointing to the magazine.
"Yes."
"Very fascinating." He said taking a sip of his own coffee. "Do you study forensics?"
"I am already a forensic scientist with NCIS." Abby said.
"NCIS?" He asked and she started to explain the place where she worked. The one hour discussion turned into dinner.

"Sounds like a lot of pressure." Ari said as they sat for dinner that night. He was gorgeous in his black suit and she had treated him to a backless, black dress.
"Yes, but I wouldn't want to do anything else beside forensics." She said. "Enough about me. What do you do?"
"I'm a doctor."
"What medicine do you practice?"
"Pathology."
"Talk about pressure." Abby said.

END OF FLASHBACK**

Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you, loving you
I won't let you pull me down

"Abby, what's wrong?" Ari asked as he continued eating dinner. He had cooked and it was ready as Abby arrived home from work. She had tried to act normal but had become quiet.
"I'm fine." She lied, smiling. It scared her also to eat the food he prepared for her after what he did previously, but had to, to keep up pretences. "Still getting over the bug I had yesterday."
"You should have called me." He said smiling at her. "Least you're okay now."
"Yeah. My boss actually asked me if I was pregnant." Abby said laughing awkwardly.
"You're not, are you?" Ari asked, genuinely worried-looking.
"No. Relax." Abby added, putting her fork down, not wanting to eat anymore. "It was just a bug. But I missed a lot of action at work." She started wanting to see if she could rouse a reaction in the man.
"Oh yeah? What happened?" He asked, not showing any sign of recognition much to Abby's disgrace.
"A man broke into NCIS. He shot my boss and another colleague of mine."
"What?" He asked and several days before, she would have bought his whole performance. "Were they okay?"
"They'll be fine."
"I'm actually happy now that you were sick yesterday." Ari said, running his hand over her cheek. It took a lot of her will-power not to pull away or flinch at the intimate touch. "Did they get the man that broke in?"
"No. But my boss is determined now. We'll get him and he'll have to deal with Gibbs." Abby said for her own benefit.
"They have anything for you?" He asked casually, and Abby knew he was sussing her out.
"No. They would have had video, but the stupid lab tech that was replacing me for the day, didn't record and then the terrorist shot out the lens before they got a look at him." Abby lied. She didn't want him to think she was on to him.
"That's terrible."
"How was work for you today?" She asked changing the subject before she accidentally tripped herself up.
"Okay. No real emergencies today so that's always good."
"True. I was going to surprise you and come visit you for lunch today, but I got caught up with work."
"Yeah, and it's so hard for me to get out for lunch too. Maybe I'll surprise you instead." He said being sweet.
"Great."

"What do you need?" McGee asked as Abby cornered him in her lab.
"I need your help with something, but you can't tell Gibbs about it." She said eerily calm and serious looking.
"Um… okay." His voice held the usual hesitance, but she knew she needed his help and he would do whatever she asked in terms of keeping it secret.

Hunting you, I can smell you - alive
Your heart pounding in my head

"Well?" She asked, anxiously pacing the lab.
"He did graduate from Edinborough Medical School in England."
"So at least he's told me the truth about that." She huffed.
"Abs, you have to tell Gibbs about this. You can't do this alone." He warned her.
"Tell Gibbs about what?" Gibbs asked as he walked into the lab, as always when he was mentioned or something was being kept from him. "McGee, out."
"Boss, I was just…"
"Out." He said again and the agent practically ran out of the lab.

"What in the hell?" He asked after being tired of her secrecy for long enough.
"It's nothing." She lied, turning her back to Gibbs so he couldn't tell she was being deceptive.
"Abby…" He demanded.
"I can't tell you, and you have to understand that." She tried. He wasn't buying that either.

Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Saving me, raping me, watching me

"You're being foolish about this, Ari." Ziva said pushing him back. He didn't flinch from the random violence.
"I am not doing anything out of the plan. Trust me."
"You're getting some from this woman and not thinking about what you're supposed to be doing."
"I am gathering valuable intel about this team and any case that comes in. I've even gained access to the FBI files."
"Mossad doesn't like it. Director David is ready to pull you right out. You're not trusted since that stunt you pulled at NCIS. Innocent people died."
"Hamass were the ones that were up to no good. Mossad wanted me in there to cover their mistake. They knew the risk. I could've been killed just as easily as the SWAT man."
"Mossad wants results. Threats have been made."
"Against me?" Ari asked.
"Not against you and not by Mossad. You're playing a dangerous game is all."

"Ari, what are you doing?" She called out when she heard something fall.
"Not quite." A man said when he appeared in front of her with a gun pointed directly at her head.
"Who the hell are you?" She asked as she curled up instinctively to protect herself. "Ari!"
"Can I help you with something?" Ari asked the armed assailant, holding his own gun to his head. A look of recognition came over his face as the two men looked at eachother, but Abby missed it as she was frozen in fear to her corner of the sofa.
"Hasw…" The man started as Ari shot him in the shoulder joint, knocking him to the ground before he said his name.
"Ari." Abby said again, still a little shocked at what was happening around her. He turned to her before disarming the man now on the ground. Ari turned back just in time to see the man pull the trigger, grazing his arm, but not doing any real damage. Ari shot him again, this time in the heart and he was definitely not a threat anymore.
"Are you okay?" Abby asked, jumping up from the couch when she saw the blood seeping through his shirt.
"It's fine." He assured her. "Flesh wound." Ari told her as he put his arms around her.
"Doctor, right." She said. She knew enough not to question why he had a gun and the ability to use it, as a doctor. Abby was just glad that she was okay.

Fearing you... loving you
I won't let you pull me down

to be continued...


Abbyforever