Bad day. [Queen of darkness challenge]

Characters: Mainly Abby, but the whole team appears.

Rating: F13 Pairings: McAbby

Genre: hurt comfort and romance.

Spoilers: Not really

Summary: Abby is having one of those really bad days.

It is not beta-ed, so consider yourself warned.

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The minute she heard her alarm buzzing she new it was going to be a bad day. She had barely slept last night and her head was killing her. She hit the rarely used snooze button and decided that she could come in an hour later than usual. When she stumbled out of bed an hour later she started with two aspirin and a glass of water.

With reluctance she ate a piece of toast and drank an other glass of water. Dressed soberly she stepped in her hearse and drove to work. During the thirty minute drive to work she didn't even listen to music. She just sat in her car and drove. The guards where surprised when they didn't get their usually morning greeting from Abby and they watched her go with questioning looks on their faces.

She didn't bother putting on some music and turned all her machines on with out giving they their usual morning greeting. 20 minutes later McGee came down, and he noticed that she was in a really bad mood. He tried to figure out what was wrong, but before he could ask something she had him already worked out of her lab by yelling at him.

Tony came in a little later that day, ignoring McGee's warnings, but she almost bite his head of when he asked if if she already had some results. He made an excuse and ran out of the lab.

When McGee came over on his lunch break he noticed that she looked even more pale than usual. "How are you Abs?" he asked her a little concerned. "Honestly?" she asked. "Of course!" he said a little agitated that she would consider lying to him.

"I don't feel so good" she said just moments before she collapsed unto the floor.

Calling Ducky and Gibbs when he kneels next to her and folded his jacket beneath her head.

"O dear" Ducky said as he rushed in the lab "What happened Timothy?"

"She said that she didn't feel so good and than she collapsed." He sat in silence next to her as Ducky did some tests. He shortly explained to Gibbs what happened as he stormed in.

As Ducky stood up he turned to the silver haired man who was waiting for some answers.

"She is fine" he soothed the man. "She has a severe cold, but in stead of staying home she came in to work, I guess she is just exhausted and a little dehydrated. She needs someone to look after her, some fluids and a lot of sleep."

As Abby started to stir McGee was next to her before Gibbs could even blink. "Hey Abs, you fainted but everything is going to be fine." he soother her with a calming voice.

Gibbs mentally checked his agenda and remembered that he had an espionage meeting later that day. "McGee, take her home, take care of her. I will call you later today." he ordered, leaving no room for discussion.

When Abby tried to stand up McGee pushed her back down again. But on second though he picked her up and placed her on her futon. He gave her a kiss on her forehead and noticed that she was running a fever.

He picked up the phone to call the director. He explained that Abby was sick and they needed a replacement forensics technician. When Vance promised to find a replacement for a few days he thanked the director and started shutting down some of Abby's machines. When he had gathered his stuff from the bullpen and her stuff from the lab she was sleeping. Mentally thanking his personal trainer he picked her up and carried her to her hearse.

As careful as he could he drove over to his own apartment. When she was looking so pale he didn't need to see her in a coffin. When he pulled in to his parking lot she woke up.

"Hey Abs" he whispered while grabbing her hand. "You are going to stay at my house for a while, and I'm going to take care of you." he promised. Supporting her they walked up the stairs. As he put her on his bed he noticed that she was sweat soaked. He grabbed a pair of his boxers and a shirt and prepared a hot bath for her.

He stripped her to her underwear and helped her in to the bathroom. He wanted to leave but she grabbed his hand. "You've seen me naked before" she giggled "would you please stay with me?" She knew that he couldn't resist her and would do anything for her.

He took his shoes and socks of and grabbed a stool to sit next to the bathtub. Helping her with taking her underwear off he helped her in to the tub. As she relaxed in to the warm water he started soaping her in.

Taking out her pigtails he took a little shampoo and started massaging her scalp.

Abby enjoyed Tim's strong fingers on her scalp. Somehow Tim's hands on her head felt like heaven. Before she knew it he started washing out the foam from her hair. If he only had conditioner she dreamed.

He left his seat and came a few seconds later back with one normal towel and a big one. He used the normal sized to dry her hair and wrapped her around her head. He lifted her out of the bathtub and wrapped the towel around her. She stepped out of the bath and held her close, snuffing her hair.

When he decided that she was dry enough he helped her in to a shirt that reached her knees and his boxer. When he tucked her in to his bed a little later she smiled. "thanks McGee" she said as she kissed him on his cheek before dozing off.

He sat on the edge of the bed as she fell asleep. Tucking her in one last time he closed the door and grabbed the phone.

"Hey Boss"

"......"

"Yeah, she has a fever, but I showered her and now she is asleep."

"......"

"That fine, If you can over could you please bring some medication and some groceries?"

He listed the things he would need before he hung up the phone.

Checking up on her he decided that he could make a little trip to her house. He left a glass of water and a note on the night stand in case she would wake up.

Since his Porsche was still at the navy yard he took Abby's hearse. Driving up to her apartment he collected some of her stuff. With a bag and filled it with underwear, clothes, some of her music and a few of her pictures.

Her entire house was filled with pictures of family and friends. That way she ways always surrounded by the ones she loved. He took a picture of the team and one of her family. He put the bag in the car before realizing that he forgot the most importuned thing. He ran upstairs again and grabbed Bert from her coffin.

A good seventy minutes later he entered his apartment again. Checking up on her the moment he walked in he was happy to notice that she hasn't woken up yet. He laid Bert next to her on the bed and the pictures on the on the nightstand. He put her clothes in an empty drawer and walked back to his living room.

Leaving the door opens he could see exactly what was happening with her. Starting up his computer he decided that he could do some research for his latest book. She was still sleeping when Gibbs knocked on his door a few hours later.

He opened the door and took the bags from Gibbs. He started putting away everything while Gibbs walked to his bedroom. A few seconds later he heard Gibbs whisper something to Abby and Abby's sleepy voice answered followed by a farting noise.

When Gibbs came out of the bedroom a few minutes later he nodded to McGee "You are doing good" he said before patting him on the back and leaving.

Suspecting that she was still running a fever he filled a bowl with water and grabbed a washcloth. As he put a cool washcloth on her forehead she moaned in delight. Even when she fell asleep again he continued to cool her forehead.

When he noticed that her fever finally had gone down he smiled and walked over to the kitchen to make some soup for her. Only to be running back in to his bedroom when he heard her terrified screams.

Happy to see that she wasn't attacked at the moment he slowed down, but when the screaming continued he realized that she was having a bad dream. He walked over to her and carefully woke her up. When she woke up her beautiful green eyes look terrified.

Realizing that it was Tim who woke up she flung her arms around his neck held on to him. Freeing himself from her arms a few minutes later he crawled under the comforter next to her. Drawing her close he tried to comfort her more. A few minutes and a lot of tears later she finally calmed down. "I have those horrible nightmares when I am feverish" she managed to say between sobs.

'sssssssssshh' he said as he rubbed her back ."Tell me about it."

Before she started telling him about it he let her drink some water trough a straw. When he was satisfied that she was taken enough fluids he kissed her temple and waited for her to begin her story.

"It always started in the squad room, or or in my lab." she started "Everyone I love is there and we are just having a good time." She smiled upon the memory. "But then I always screw up, like this time. I accidentally let a terrorist in, he blew up the entire building with only me as a survivor." the memory of the horrific dream was enough to make her cry again.

As McGee continued to held her close she continued. "I had to see how everyone was dismembered, guts smashed upon the wall. " she shivered upon the memory. "Everyone I love McGee" she sobbed.

Pulling her arms closer around he sighed. "I am gonna keep you save." he promised before he kissed the top of her head.

"Could you hold me a little more?" Abby asked with a tiny voice.

"Of course." he promised her. "I'll will change in to my pj's and join you in a few minutes. But first you are going to eat some soup." He sat her up and put a pillow behind a back. "be right back" he assured her.

Putting on one of her favorite dvd's he left her alone while he was warming up the soup. Thinking about he revelation he understood a lot better why she freaked out about Gibbs being blown up a few years earlier.

---

Abby smiled as me put on the DVD before walking out of the room. He loved that he had picked up some of her DVD's and pictures. As she watched him walk away she realized that she would never feel saver than in his arms. She had even stayed at Gibbs' house, but in McGee's arms she felt save from all the dangers in the world.

And when he returned 15 minutes later he gave her some soup, he had gone trough a lot of trouble, just to make sure she would eat. He got her favorite soup. And while they watched Hocus Pocus together she snuggled close to his chest. When she had finished her soup he disappeared in the to the bathroom to take a quick shower and dress in to something else.

He asked her if she wanted to wear some of her own PJ's but to be honest she liked wearing his shirt. It smelled like him. He came out of the bedroom and asked her to move a bit forward. He vast behind her and to her surprise he started to brush her hair.

As he move the brush trough her hair with slow strokes she leaned back against his chest and just enjoyed the feeling. Much to soon she felt him braid her hair. The fact that McGee could braid hair in the first place made her giggle.

"I had a younger sister." he explained as if he could read her mind. His fingers in he hair felt like magic and soon she felt her eyes drooping. McGee who felt that she was tired suggested that they would go lay down. At first she lay beside him, but after a few minute she gave in to the urge and cuddled close to him with her head on his chest.

Listening to his heartbeat she felt herself relax, his slow but steady heartbeat was a relaxing rhythm.

He wrapped his arms around her and continued to hold her, protecting her from all the bad dreams that would come. With a smile she fell asleep. With Tim there to hold her she would never be afraid again.