Title: "Trapped"

Author: AbbyGibbs [Stephjag] (Stephrabb@hotmail.com or flygirlstephjag@yahoo.com)

Disclaimers: Well, I do not own them and that is pretty unfair - they again belong to DPB! Why does he always have to own the best shows and the best characters? Could someone explain that to me? His characters are always suffering too much. So I have decided to borrow them for a little while, the length of a story, but I promise to give them back though I really wish I could keep them for myself.

Classification: I don't really know, except that it is a Navy NCIS fic. There will be some romantic moments. Love comes when you're expecting it the least. Oh yeah, and there will be angst.

Rating: T or maybe K+ (+13 or maybe +16 as always to be on the safe side, isn't it?)

Spoilers: none, but every moment involving Gibbs and Abby

Summery: Gibbs doesn't show up at work and for some reason it doesn't really bother anyone; maybe Jethro finally got himself a private life, who knows? The only member of the team that gets worried is Abby Sciuto; she has some sort of bad feeling about it.

Author's note: I just wanted to precise that this fic is not a song-fic one it's just that when I heard the song "The reason" performed by Hoostank I could not stop thinking of Abby and Gibbs so I thought I could use the lyrics just for once I hope you guys won't might too much… thank you all

Big thank you to Beth for helping me out with this. You're the best, hon! Any remaining mistakes are mine, and mine alone.

Feedbacks: well, I'd love them, of course - who wouldn't? But please, only if you respect my work because it takes a lot of time and energy to get a story together. I love writing; I wouldn't allow anyone to discourage me from doing so, never. I don't have any problems at all with readers who choose not to go for this, but I decidedly do with those who write disrespectful mails just because they didn't get the ending they would have wanted. If you want to tell me what I might have done better within the story I made up, you're always very welcome to let me know. But if your only concern is to rant about it, then please, do it in private, okay? Thank you.

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CHAPTER FIVE
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He could hear the cold wind hissing against jagged panes of glass. The broken window was some distance away, from what he could see through his one undamaged eye. The other offered no sight beyond a red haze of blood. From his limited viewpoint, and from the chilling dampness of the concrete floor beneath him, he deduced that he was being held in a deserted hangar.

Each movement sent howls of pain through his limbs. His clothes were beyond repair, torn and stained with drying blood. His wrists were bound with a thick rope that was cutting off his circulation, and the skin around the rope was starting to turn a shade of blue. Gibbs tried to concentrate on anything but the pain that started to get worse by the minute. Images from what had happened earlier were now spinning in his head.

A strange noise in his house while he was working on his boat. A split second to react, to draw his gun, but too late: the intruder was already in the house. A fight, a real mess. A shooting, a shoulder wound… another fight, another gun shot and finally darkness. Then this rude and cold awakening.

All Gibbs could remember about the intruder was that he was a little taller than him and that he was wearing a balaclava. He had only been able to see the other man's eyes, full of anger and rage. But there was something about those eyes that made Gibbs suspect that his attacker was no stranger.

Water drops were falling somewhere near him, but because his ankles were also bound, he couldn't move to figure out where. He couldn't even scratch his itching nose.

"Damn it! Couldn't they pick another place to hit than my left shoulder?" he muttered to himself.

His shoulder was burning and he could feel that the bullet was still inside the wound. After all his years as a Marine he definitely knew what an embedded bullet felt like. Gibbs knew that if he wanted to ease his pain he needed to concentrate on something, so he let his mind drift away. His thoughts went to Abby and the moments he'd spent with her in or out of her lab.

"Hey, Abbs, have you got any information for me?" Gibbs asked, handing her a Coffee-Pow.

Abby feigned a disappointed look. "Oh, come on, Gibbs, you know full well I have something for you. Otherwise you wouldn't be here," she said, smiling at him.

Her smile had a powerful effect on him; there was no way of denying it. When he felt stressed, all he had to do is go to the lab and talk to her or simply be with her to feel better. She had this… magic effect on him.

Sometimes she seemed to still be a little girl, and two minutes later she could be the most serious woman he'd ever known. Abby was definitely one of a kind. She could ease him with just the way she was: always happy and always there to help anyone in the best way she could. From the day she'd started working with him, she'd brought a fresh spirit to the team. It was impossible not to like her, and even Tony, who could be such an ass sometimes, hadn't be able to resist her. She was such a sweetheart under that Goth outfit.

Gibbs couldn't help but smile at the thought of Abby. Even now just thinking of her was easing his pain a little. It was then that he heard footsteps resonate through the hangar. The soft, rhythmic sound came slowly closer. Each step heightened his apprehension. When he thought he might finally snap from the tension, the steps halted beside him.

"Well, well, Special Agent Gibbs. It was kind of you to rejoin the land of the living, but if I were you I wouldn't get too used to it. You won't be with us for very long."

Gibbs didn't give the mocking voice the satisfaction of an answer. He just looked up at the silhouette that was standing next to him with his good eye. Judging from the build, he could make out that the silhouette was one of a man.

The next moment, all Gibbs felt was a throbbing pain on the back of his head, - Abby's face fading away slowly before everything around him became dark…

*~*~*

Abby was still in Tony's arms when she suddenly yelled and woke up with a start. "NOOO!" New tears rolled down her cheeks. Tony DiNozzo sat up behind her, and held her tightly.

"Sssh, Abby, it's okay. You're safe here. I'm here, I'll keep you safe."

Abby cuddled closer to her friend, and held him tightly. She was shivering when she told him what had woken her.

"Tony, we've got to find him fast. Otherwise all we will be able to get back is his lifeless body. He's already weak … I can feel it," she told him in a low, crying voice.

"Abby, what are you talking about? But first try to calm down a little and breathe slowly. In… out…" he told her softly.

"Gibbs, Tony. I'm talking about Gibbs, our boss. It was like last night, Tony; I saw everything as if I was watching a movie. I don't know how it comes. I know you're going to say that I'm crazy, but it's like I'm connected to him in some way," she explained in a little voice.

"Abby, honey, why would I laugh? You've known Gibbs for far longer than all of us except for Ducky, and I know that the two of you are close. So why would I laugh or think that you are crazy?" he asked her.

"I miss him, Tony," she said simply.

"I know you do, Abbs. We all do, even if Gibbs doesn't often play nice with us," he said, a mischievous smile on his lips.

Abby turned her head just enough to be able to look at her friend. "Gibbs is always nice!"

"To you, and Ducky maybe, but to us…But I promise you, we will find him alive."

"Tony, I'm so scared. Those dreams scare me - I'm not even sure I can call *all this* dreams. I'd rather call them nightmares or visions, but dreams… no way! And what if the one I just had is true, Tony? I don't want us to find Gibbs's lifeless body somewhere in an empty hangar or something."

Tony tightened his arms around her one more and kissed her hair. He was feeling helpless because what she told him could easily be true. They could find Gibbs dead somewhere instead of finding him safe and sound. And as much as Tony didn't want to think about this possibility he was aware that it existed.

Unconsciously Tony tried to prepare himself for the eventuality that they might not find Gibbs alive, but he didn't want to make Abby feel more desperate than she already was. She was so fragile emotionally that he didn't want to put more stress on her.

There was no need for that. What was important now was to convince Abby that she was not responsible for what had happened and that she had to move on so she could help them to find him. It was then that Tony got an idea - it was a crazy one, but it could work. He checked his watch. 02:30 am. No, he could definitely not call Kate to inform her, though he doubted she was sleeping.

Tony loosened his embrace before letting go of Abby completely. He eased himself off the bed, then slowly turned around and reached out for Abby's hand, smiling softly at her. Abby looked up at her friend through her tears and after the slightest moment of hesitation slipped her hand in his.

Tony led Abbs to the living room, and put some music on. He smiled at her. "Sorry, Abby, no hard stuff to listen to here."

She smiled back at him. "Oh, it's okay. Contrary to what most people think, I am able to listen to softer music. I'm just not telling it to everyone I know, that's all." She smiled sheepishly.

At that Tony's smile became wider. He pushed the button on his stereo and music filled up the room. At the lyrics Abby's thoughts begun to float.

I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

Abby knew she had never fought with Gibbs or said hurtful things to him, but she definitely didn't feel perfect and knew that she was still learning every day of her life. But for the first time in her life Abby felt useless and terrified. She was alone. Maybe not quite alone; Tony was great, but Tony wasn't Gibbs.

Gibbs had this… aura that made her feel safe every time he was near her. In fact, she felt a mix of feelings going through her when Gibbs was standing next to her. Abby felt stronger, almost invincible. She felt cherished, useful and a lot of other things that she had locked with a key in her heart. Feelings she didn't dare to let free for now. She just hoped she would be able to let them free one day before it was too late.

What she felt was crazy, but she couldn't help it - they were getting stronger by the day no matter what she tried to do about it.

She felt alive when he was there, and now that he wasn't, it was as if she could feel her very own life leaving her bit by bit. She wasn't going to die. She knew that pretty well, but she felt like she would.

Of course Tony was a great support, and a wonderful friend, but it felt as if he was more an anchor or a lifebuoy than anything else. He was something she could hold on to.

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

For the first time, she realised she depended on Gibbs, how much place he'd taken in her life, and she couldn't conceive her life without him anymore. They'd done too much, gone through too much to lose everything now. They had to find Gibbs alive. He was a fighter; he could not and would not give up that easily.

Silent tears were now rolling down her cheeks. She turned to watch her friend, and upon seeing that she was crying again, Tony hurried by her side. "Sorry, Tony," she whispered.

"It's okay, honey, I understand." Tony said, taking her in his arms again.

Tony had called Abby 'honey' again; he just couldn't help it. Seeing her like that was breaking his heart, and unconsciously or consciously - he wasn't sure which - he thought that calling her 'honey' could comfort her somehow.

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

and the reason is you
and the reason is you
and the reason is you

"Tony, I don't know what I would do without Gibbs. I am who am thanks to him. If he were to die, I'm not sure I would want to live anymore…" She trailed off, her voice muffled against his chest.

Tony placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Abbs, please don't say that! Gibbs isn't dead - we haven't any proof of his death. We're all here with you; I'm here with you, and there's Kate and Ducky… we all need you! And Gibbs wouldn't let me let you say such a thing," Tony told her, a slight tone of anger and fear in his voice.

He knew Abby could be like this: one minute she was clear-sighted and the next she was depressive and having morbid thoughts when she couldn't deal with her emotions. And the fact that it was Gibbs causing this emotional state made everything worse.

"Abby, look at me," Tony said gently but firmly, and so she did. He could see so much in her eyes: how scared she was to never find Gibbs alive again, terrified that they would bring her back to him in a dark plastic bag. And he was also able to read something else in her big green eyes - something he didn't even voice in his head.

"Gibbs isn't dead; we'll bring him back alive. Do you hear me?" Tony told her, trying to put all his conviction into his voice.

Abby didn't answer, instead leaning her head back against her friend, who held her tightly in his arms once more.

Tony tried to be strong and showed a brave face to Abby, but inside he didn't feel brave at all -- inside he felt as terrified as his friend did. What he'd seen in Gibbs's house was scaring the hell out of him.

All Tony really wanted right now was to have someone who could take him into her arms and tell him everything was going to be okay, that Gibbs would be fine and that he would be back safe and sound, but no one could do this for him right now. He was single again. He wanted someone he could talk to and make love and wake up next to the next morning and the morning after that…

That's what Tony really wanted deep down inside…

He really had hoped that Special Agent Paula Cassidy could have been that person, but she was too emotional to be able to stay with him, and every time Gibbs had said something to her, she disappeared and didn't call him back when he left a message on her voice mail.

It was then that he understood that he had misjudged her, like most women he'd come to know. Maybe it was Gibbs's disappearance, but he realized suddenly that all the women he'd known were superficial and that all they had brought him was a night or two of good sex - nothing else.

Actually, there were only two women in his life that he could talk to - really talk to - having a complete conversation with. One of them was cuddled against his chest and the other one was… his partner at work… Kate.

To be continued…