A/N: This idea just popped into my head the other day while watching NCIS reruns on USA. This takes place during 3x07 "Frame-Up". It's the scene where Gibbs goes down to the lab to find out how Abby feels about Tony being heavily implicated in the murder. Please read and leave a review, as they are greatly appreciated!

"You alright?" Gibbs asked, massaging Abby's shoulders.

"I must've screwed up, Gibbs," she replied, head in her hands.

"You didn't screw up Abbs," he consoled, moving to half sit, half lean against her desk.

"I have all this evidence. Forensics. The thing that I love. And I believe in. And it says that Tony is a murderer."

Almost as soon as she was done speaking, maybe even before, Gibbs interjected with, "Tony is not a murderer."

"I know," Abby responded just as quickly. "But something's got to give. I mean, either the forensics are wrong, which is bad forensics… Or…" she trailed off then looked up at Gibbs. "We've got to save him Gibbs,"

"We will," he promised.

"Cause if this goes to court," Abby pressed on, "with his fingerprint, and his bite mark on the leg, Tony is gonna go to prison for the rest of his life. And I'll be the one to put him there."

Gibbs leaned down and softly kissed her on the head.

"What are we going to do?" Abby wondered, tense and on-edge.

"Well I'll tell you what we're not going to do. We're not going to bring this up in front of Jenny anymore. We are going to try and keep this as under the radar as possible until we find who's setting DiNozzo," Gibbs explained, locking eyes with Abby. As under the radar as possible when the whole agency AND the whole FBI know about it… Gibbs thought to himself sourly.

"Gibbs, I can't do that. If the Director asks me for my report, I'm going to give it to her. I love this-" she gestured to her forensic equipment "-too much to risk it by denying a direct order. I mean, I'd risk it, but not over something as simple as-"

"Not even for Tony?" Gibbs very nearly growled.

"Yes, for Tony. I would. But Gibbs… everything here says that he is the one who killed this woman."

"Do you believe that Abby? Do you honestly believe that?" Gibbs' anger quickly rose. He always had the most patience with Abby, was rarely angry or upset with her, and loved her like a daughter. But implicating Tony was going to set him off easily.

"Yes and no. The science, the forensics says yes. Which I've always believed in, and you've always believed in, for every other case but one dealing with our own people. But you, and Ducky, and McGee, and Ziva and Tony all say no. I say no. But that's my emotions and feeling talking, and I can't let that interfere with the science!" Abby defended herself. She got up from her chair and nervously paced back and forth in front of her desk.

"Abby!" Gibbs yelled in disbelief. "How could you possibly think like that?"

"I don't know! But if this were any other case, you would be perfectly happy with matching the bite mark and the fingerprint! You'd just go ahead and prosecute the murderer! But what if someone was as crafty as this person was? What if they framed the person you put away as well as this person has done to Tony?" Abby argued.

"Because most of the time the people with the fingerprints and bite marks are the ones who killed!"

"But what if they weren't?"

"That's not the point, Abby!"

"Then what is it?" she challenged, fury and anger stemming from lack of sleep and caffeine overload rose up inside her.

"The point is that you're considering that Tony might be a murderer! What the hell kind of reasoning are you using there? None!" Gibbs slammed his hand down onto her desk, releasing his excess anger through that rather than striking her.

"But Gibbs," Abby began again, startled by his obvious anger, but not letting it get to her, "if it weren't Tony, you'd-"

"Yeah I know, Abby. You told me already. But you and I both know damn well that DiNozzo is not a killer!" he stepped out from behind the desk, closing the distance between the two.

"My heart says that Tony isn't, but my brain says that he is," she murmured quietly, trying to dispel the fury radiating off of Gibbs.

"Well then maybe you need Ducky to inspect your head, because obviously, something is screwed up. If I were in DiNozzo's place, you wouldn't think of me as a murderer would you?" Gibbs demanded. Yet as he said it, flashes from Mexico came to him. Angling his sniper just so, pulling the trigger, watching Pedro Hernandez's blood spatter everywhere… He shook it off.

"How could you say that to me? You make it seem like I'm one hundred percent on the 'Tony is a murderer' team!"

"Maybe you are! It sure sounds like it!"

The elevator doors pinged open quietly, but neither noticed.

"Why in the hell would I be against Tony?" Abby shrieked, close to breaking point.

"Answer that for yourself," Gibbs commanded.

"I'm not against Tony, but I'm not for him! Okay? Is that good enough for you?" Abby screeched, moving to go out of the automatic glass doors and into the lab.

"No, it's not!" Gibbs grabbed Abby's upper arm in a firm grasp and whirled her to face him. Her arm twisted awkwardly and uncomfortably, but Gibbs knew enough from his military training how to not break it.

Abby was in complete shock. Her brain finally processed that Gibbs was extremely mad at her. The other part of the shock came from the fact that Gibbs was physically restraining and hurting her. Tears burst from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

A startled shout came from just outside the glass doors, and the next thing Abby knew, the tight hold on her had been relinquished. She'd barely had time to see what had happened. She blinked a few times and when she opened her eyes, she saw Gibbs staring at her, stunned. Ziva stood between the two, sending glances at them that clearly said 'Don't test me; I could easily take both of you out without my SIG'. It was obvious what had happened: Ziva had come to the lab looking for Gibbs, and found him hurting Abby. Being the Mossad agent she was, she stepped in and broke it up quickly and easily.

"Are you alright Abby?" Ziva questioned softly. Abby nodded. Her eyes deadlocked with Gibbs, neither of them looking away from the other.

"What happened?" was Ziva's next question. Sure, she'd only been at NCIS a short while, but she'd picked up on enough to know that Gibbs hurting Abby (no matter if it was physically, mentally, or emotionally) was enough to make world war three break out.

"Nothing." Gibbs answered stonily. His ice blue eyes told a different story, one of apology and deep regret. Abby's eyes showed fear, betrayal, and apology.

Ziva sighed, but chose her battle wisely. "Alright,"

As she spoke the single word, Gibbs stormed out and into the elevator.

A/N: Thoughts? It might be a one-shot but if I get reviews from people who like it, then I'll continue (:

Let's see… maybe five to ten story alerts/reviews and I'll continue? Kaythanksbye 3

Darlin24