FIC: Whipping Boy
Title: Whipping Boy
Author: rebecca
Pairing: Gibbs/Abby, Gibbs/Abby/Tony implied.
Summary: This isn't a game.
Warnings: Oh boy yes. BDSM, hard-core, and angst up the wazoo.
Notes: Written for ncis_tinsel, for skripka. Happy holidays, my other half. Hope you like this. For the rest of you--did I mention this one's kind of intense? ...yeah.
Takes place in the Applied Psychology universe (aka pavlov) sometime after Control Theory, but can be read without reading Post Traumatic.
"So." Abby dipped her spoon into the bowl of slowly melting vanilla fudge ice cream and took a bite, licking away extra chocolate syrup from the corner of her mouth. "You or me?"
Tony swallowed some ice cream, licking the spoon clean before he answered. "I don't want it to be you," he said with a grimace. "He's too unpredictable right now, Abs. He's so driven--"
"I know." Abby sighed. "But you also know that he plays harder with me than he does with you."
"It's this stupid fucking case!" Tony rolled off the bed, running his hands through his hair. "What is this, the third night he's spent at the office? Fourth?"
"Fourth, and you spent the first two with him." Abby spooned up some more ice cream--no sense in letting it go to waste--and watched him pace. "The case is over, Tony. We might not have an ending we like, but it's over. Why--"
"Because he can't let it go, Abs. Because Katrina Petrovich is dead and he can't let it go, and he's staying at the office because he's Captain fucking Ahab and he can't let this go." Tony swore under his breath and turned back to her. "Because our boss is a fucking masochist."
"Because he doesn't trust himself around us, Tony," Abby said quietly. "You know it as well as I do."
Tony deflated at that, slumping a bit and dropping back down to sit on the bed. "Yeah. I know."
"Which is why it has to be me. You've got more of a chance of pulling him off if something goes wrong--" Abby held up a hand. "If, Tony. I'm not saying it'll happen. I don't think it will. But..."
"I know. And he..." Tony shrugged. "You said it yourself, Abby. He plays harder with you than he does with me."
"I've been playing longer. And..." Abby gestured.
"Yeah, I know." Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Fine. When?"
"No time like the present." Abby took a bite of ice cream and offered Tony the bowl. "Tomorrow?"
****
She'd dressed carefully that day--the boots were clunky but the rubber soles meant she could move quickly if she needed to. The miniskirt was pleated and easy to shove out of the way and she only wore a black thong underneath. She wore no bra, although her shirts were layered to hide that. And the collar she wore was Gibbs'.
Now she just had to convince Gibbs to come home.
The music was blaring when he came into the lab that morning, with an extra-large cup of coffee and without the usual Big Gulp he had for her. Without even asking her, he turned it off with an impatient push of the button.
"What've you got?" he all-but growled at her.
She glared at him. "Fine way to say hello you've got there, Gibbs. Especially when you didn't even come home last night. You come into my lab, you don't even bring me soda, you turn off my music, and now you demand to know what I've got for you?" She turned back to her computer, tapping her foot.
"Don't push it, Abby," Gibbs warned her in a low voice. "I asked you--"
"I know exactly what you asked me for, Gibbs," she said coolly. "And you'll get it when it's done."
"Why isn't it done yet?" he snapped.
Abby turned and glared at him again, folding her arms across her chest. "Because some of us slept at home last night and got in on time this morning--which is a concept I'm sure you're unfamiliar with, but let me explain it to you. I went home last night and got some sleep. I got here at 0700. Those tests will be ready around 1400 this afternoon--and that's assuming I don't get anything else in the meantime. This is a cold case now, Gibbs. It doesn't take priority."
"It damn well does," Gibbs said through gritted teeth. "This takes priority over anything else you've got."
"Tell that to your boss," she said with a flip of her head.
"I am your boss," he said, voice low. He took a step toward her, standing almost toe-to-toe. "And you follow my orders. Understand?"
Abby's eyes narrowed and she met his eyes, refusing to back down even an inch. "I'd follow your orders if you were ever around to give them," she said evenly.
"Don't push me, little girl. Do not push me." Gibbs' hand tightened into a fist for a moment before he forced it to relax.
"Or what?" she challenged. "Not like you'll do anything. You're not home, remember? What are you going to do, Gibbs? Have Tony punish me?"
"Stop it, Abby. Stop it."
"Why?" Abby would have shoved him if she'd thought she could get away with it, but there were valuable and delicate pieces of electronics around and she didn't want them broken. Explaining that would be a pain in the ass, not to mention getting replacements. "Why?" she repeated. "Do you even care about how we feel?"
His jaw clenched and his hand was around the back of her neck, squeezing, before she could even blink. "Be very, very careful what you're asking for," he warned her softly. "Because you won't like what you get."
"Lately I haven't gotten anything, so what difference does it make?" Part of her wished Tony was there; she could really use the reassurance. But she was banking on the belief that Gibbs would neither seriously hurt her nor push it too far at work.
She was really, really banking on it.
Gibbs shoved her away, hard enough to make her stumble and nearly trip. She grabbed the workstation counter to steady herself, one hand rubbing the back of her neck. "Seven o'clock," he said coldly. "My house. Don't be late, or you'll regret this more than you already will."
"Right. Like I'm the one who needs to worry about being late coming home," she said sarcastically. "I'll be there."
"Drop the attitude, little girl. And get me those damn results." He turned and stalked out of her lab; Abby waited until he was gone to drop onto her stool, breathing deeply until she felt calm again.
She had to believe he wouldn't hurt her. She had to believe he'd respect her safeword.
She had to believe Tony could stop him if he didn't.
"God," she whispered, looking up at the ceiling. "Just help him get through this. Please."
Tony came down about fifteen minutes later, looking worried and concerned and she resisted the urge to go burrow into his arms. "Abs, what happened?" he demanded. "Gibbs came storming upstairs and left, didn't even say where he was going, although from the way he looked my guess is either the gym or the firing range. And he gave me the look of death before he walked out."
She managed to grin. "Well, remember how I said I was going to push him?"
He nodded. "Didn't go well?"
"Oh, it went fine. Seven o'clock, his place." Abby let out a deep breath. "And I'm really, really hoping we're right."
"Abs--if you're not sure--"
"I am," she interrupted. "I am." But she didn't unclasp her hands from her lap for fear that they'd tremble. "He didn't hurt me, Tony. He growled, but he didn't hurt me."
"Yeah, but we're also at work in the middle of a glass cube," Tony pointed out. "What happens when we're home?"
"We break him," Abby said softly. "And if it means I can't sit down for three days then that's what it means. If it means I end up with welts on my ass, then that's what it means." She touched her collar, feeling the soft leather under her fingers. "Trust me to safeword when I need to, Tony. And trust Gibbs to respect it. I need you to promise me you won't step in unless he doesn't."
He didn't like it; that was obvious from the way he sighed, smoothing his hair back. "What if you can't safeword, Abs? What if--"
"I'll be able to safeword," she said, determined to convince both of them. "But I won't need to."
"For your sake, Abs...I hope you're right." Tony crossed to her and kissed her on the forehead.
*****
She got to the house around six-fifteen that night, figuring early was better than late and banking on Gibbs not being there.
She was right on both counts, although Tony was already there. "I bought Thai," he said, putting the boxes into the fridge. "I figured we could either eat it later or not, and either way it'll keep cold for a few hours."
"Good idea." Abby twirled a pigtail around her fingers, biting her lip.
"Scared?" Tony asked quietly. He closed the fridge and looked at her, leaning against the wall. "Abs, we don't have to do this. Not if you're this worried about it."
"I'm not scared. I'm just..." Abby blew out a deep breath, fluttering her bangs. "Well, maybe I'm a little nervous."
"Probably a good idea." Tony crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "I wish this could be me," he murmured into her hair.
"No," Abby said instantly. "No, Tony, not--"
"I know. I know." Tony sighed. "I'd break before he would. Doesn't stop me from wanting to protect you."
"My hero." Abby grinned up at him and he kissed her, soft and gentle.
The door opened and they both jumped, although Tony didn't let go of her until it shut and Gibbs walked into the kitchen, jacket off, gun put away, and a cold expression on his face.
Tony stepped away slowly; Abby glanced at him one last time for reassurance--although whose, she couldn't say.
"What are you doing here, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked evenly. "This doesn't concern you."
"This is the three of us," Tony told him. "I'd say it does."
"Stay out of it." That was all he said before he walked toward Abby, forcing her to step back and back and back until she was pressed up against the counter, the hard edge of the Formica digging into her spine as she bent backwards, Gibbs leaning over her. Her hands went out to hold on for balance and she turned her head to the side, not wanting to see what was in his eyes.
"You want to push me, little girl?" Gibbs murmured in her ear. "You want to play this game?" He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her up, shoving her away from him and making her stumble back, grabbing the table instinctively.
She was glad she hadn't taken off her boots; her socks would slip on the floor if she had to run--and this was a chase, after all. Just not the one Gibbs thought it was.
"Little girl," Gibbs said softly, almost thoughtfully. "Little girl with the toys and the books, who likes to play pretend, don't you? You like to play games, don't you?" He walked toward her, one slow step, then another, and she backed up again. "You like to pretend this is all a game, don't you?"
Abby didn't answer; anything she said would be wrong.
"Guess what, little girl?" Gibbs smiled a little. "This isn't a game. And you've finally pushed it too far."
He took one more step toward her and she ran, turning and heading for the door. She didn't think she'd make it and she didn't want to.
And sure enough, she didn't. She got two steps before Gibbs' arm wrapped around her waist and he yanked her back against him, his other hand flat against her chest. "Don't even think about it," he whispered.
"Fuck you," she spat, struggling in his hold, trying to elbow him, kick him, anything to make him let her go. It didn't work; he just tightened his hold on her and dodged her elbows until she hung in his grip, panting for breath.
"You weren't thinking of running away, were you?" Gibbs purred in her ear.
"Not at all," she said breathlessly. "Why would I? Other than the fact that you're fucking out of your mind and--"
He clamped his hand over her mouth. "Don't push it any more than you have," he told her.
She bit his palm.
Gibbs pushed her head away, hard enough that she winced. "Don't you dare, girl."
"Or what? You'll shove me again? C'mon, Gibbs, give me something to be afraid of here. Or are you all bark and no bite? I'm hearing a lot of talking but--"
He let go of her and shoved her up against the wall, pinning her wrists over her head, grinding his cock into the cleft of her ass. Abby barely managed to turn her face to the side in time. "Little girl," he whispered. "Little whore." His hand slid under her skirt, tugging the thin strip of fabric between her legs. "You're wet already, aren't you, little whore?"
Gibbs pulled up on the thong, pressing it against her clit and sliding it deeper between her cheeks. Abby couldn't help it; she gasped. "My little whore," Gibbs murmured. He bit her earlobe sharply. "This is what you want, isn't it, little whore? To be fucked, to be used like a toy and thrown aside, isn't it?"
Abby gritted her teeth. "I thought you didn't play with dolls," she said sweetly.
He spanked her pussy, hard enough to make her cry out. "Don't talk back, little whore," he said tightly.
"Or what?" Abby threw at him. "C'mon, Gibbs. I'm not a suspect you can intimidate. I'm not Ivan Petrovich."
That was a gamble and she knew it; she held her breath, praying she hadn't gone too far.
"Don't you dare say that name!" Gibbs hand landed on her ass, hard, and she gasped and twisted.
"Why not? Because he got away? Because he's a bastard who probably murdered his own daughter who you couldn't break? I'm not him, Gibbs, and you can't intimidate me the way you did him. You want to call me your whore? Fine. Do it. You want to hurt me? I'll let you, Gibbs. And what the fuck does it prove?" Abby swallowed, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "What does it prove, Gibbs?"
The growl he made was enough to make her shiver and his hand tightened on her wrists until she almost cried out in pain. "This isn't about him, little girl," Gibbs told her.
"Isn't it?" Abby yanked herself away from him, a little surprised when he let her. "Tell me the truth, Gibbs. Are you upset with me or him?" She rubbed her wrists, watching his face carefully.
He looked at her, and for the life of her she couldn't read what was in his eyes. But then he turned and took a step toward the door and she ran, planting herself squarely between him and it. "I don't think so," she said, seeing Tony come up behind him. "You're not running again, Gibbs."
"Or what?" he asked, mimicking her earlier words.
"Or we'll both stop you," Tony said quietly.
Gibbs visibly started at that, turning to look behind him at Tony. "Four days, Gibbs," Abby said softly, getting his attention. "You've been beating yourself up over this for four days. It sucks. But it's done."
"It is not done," Gibbs snapped. "Not until that murdering sack of shit--"
"Moby Dick," Tony interrupted quietly. "We can't win them all, Boss."
Gibbs clenched his jaw; Abby reached up and touched his face, her hand on his cheek. "We can't win them all, Gibbs."
"And where do you get that piece of knowledge, little girl?" Gibbs asked harshly. "When did you suddenly gain all this insight?"
Abby's eyes narrowed. "I"ve worked forensics for you for five years," she said levelly. "I've worked hundreds, maybe even thousands of cases. And I know that you don't. Win. Them. All."
"I've got nearly nine years of being a cop and an agent," Tony added. "We can't close every case, Boss. We get most of them--"
"Both of you, shut up," Gibbs snapped.
"Why? Because we're right?" Abby asked.
His hands closed around her upper arms tightly and he gave her a little shake. "Five years does not give you the right to lecture me on case stats," he said, voice low. "And it sure as hell doesn't give you the right to tell me what to think about a case."
"Maybe not." Abby met his eyes. 'But being your lover does."
She saw him start a little at the word and pushed on, hoping it was the crack they'd been looking for. "What did you think, Gibbs? That we were just in this for the sex, or that we were only in this for the games?"
"You should know both of us better than that," Tony said softly.
"If I wanted to play, I could get that anywhere. If Tony wanted to get laid--please." Abby snorted. "But we're here, Gibbs."
"So?" he challenged.
"So stop being a bastard for five seconds and look at what you're doing! Stop trying to push us away, stop letting this case eat you up, just--stop it!" Abby said passionately. "Stop it, Gibbs. We're not going to let you."
"You're not going to let me." Gibbs let go of her arms. "Assuming you're right, how do you plan on stopping me?"
Abby nearly screamed in frustration. She reached up and grabbed his hair, pulling him down into a hard, deep kiss, pouring herself into it. And it worked, a little--she felt him relax a little and his hands came up to cradle her face.
Then he stiffened and pulled away.
"Damnit--" Abby's lower lip felt swollen; she resisted the urge to touch it. "For fuck's sake, Gibbs, I love you! Would you just let me--"
Oh. She hadn't meant to say it like that. She wasn't sure how, but she was pretty sure that telling him she loved him in the middle of an argument that could destroy their relationship hadn't been on the list.
On the other hand, given the way he was staring at her, maybe it hadn't been a bad thing.
"Don't say that," he said finally, his voice hoarse. "Don't say that, Abby."
"Why not? It's true." She didn't reach for him--not yet. "I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't."
"You can't just say that and expect--"
"I don't expect a damn thing, Gibbs!" Abby interrupted. "But I'm not going to let you run away from me. From us." She stepped forward, standing toe-to-toe with him. In her boots, she was almost as tall as he was. "We deserve better. And you're not getting out of this."
"You started it," Tony said, stepping forward so he was almost pressed against Gibbs' back. "We're not going to let you end it."
"You do this for us," Abby said softly. "You take our pain and our anger and you help us get through it. You don't let us isolate ourselves."
"Remember Chip? You didn't let me get away with that," Tony reminded him. "And I hated you for it. But it was what I needed."
"It doesn't just go one way," Abby said. "Just because we sub for you doesn't mean we can't do the same thing."
He curled his hand around the back of her neck, squeezing enough that it would normally make her drop into headspace. She fought it, struggling to meet his eyes. Not yet. She couldn't fall yet.
"So what does that make you, little girl? My whipping boy? Whipping girl?" Gibbs' mouth twisted in a faint smile. "Because it's you, isn't it. Tony couldn't handle it and you can take more than he can anyway. Tell me, little girl--when did you set this up?"
"Does it matter?" Abby swallowed.
"No. Not really." Gibbs' grip on her neck tightened.
"Gibbs--" Tony said hesitantly.
"Stay out of it, Tony. I told you that before." Gibbs didn't look at him. "You'll pay for your part in this later." He smiled a little and Abby's stomach twisted. "But right now I have a little girl who needs some...attention."
She wasn't sure if he'd accepted the bait or if he was upset with her as well as Petrovich at this point. She honestly had no idea how this was going to go.
And for the first time, she was honestly afraid he wouldn't respect her safeword.
"Fall for me, little girl," Gibbs purred. "Because you're going to need it."
Abby closed her eyes. She couldn't fall, not like this. Not when she was scared like this.
But if she didn't, she'd never be able to handle it.
Gibbs tightened his grip again; his other hand circled her wrist, thumb pressing over the tendons. "Do it," he said softly, evenly.
There was just enough of the Gibbs she knew in that voice, plus his hands on her--she shuddered and fell, welcoming subspace gladly.
He released her with a little push, and she stepped backwards, hands behind her and head bowed.
"Strip," he told her. "And kneel."
Her hands trembled a little as she unlaced her boots and took them off, along with the rest of her clothes. She didn't bother folding them, just shoved them to the side and knelt, waiting for instructions.
Gibbs circled her slowly; her skin prickled with awareness, even though he didn't touch her. "Little girl," he said softly. "Pretty little thing. Offering herself up on a silver platter." He chuckled softly. "You should have listened before, little girl. This isn't a game anymore."
His foot nudged her legs apart; she shifted her knees so her legs were spread as wide as she could make them. She noticed vaguely that he wasn't wearing shoes, but that didn't matter right now.
"Upstairs, little girl. Don't stand up."
He didn't normally make her do this, but then again...Abby crawled to the stairs, her knees protesting as she climbed up the smooth wood and into the bedroom, where she settled herself on the bed, hands behind her back.
Gibbs came into the room and went right to the toy cabinet--Abby caught a glimpse of Tony in the doorway but ignored him. She needed all her focus to be on Gibbs right now.
And thinking of...Gibbs set a few things down on the dresser; she couldn't see what they were but figured she'd find out soon enough.
Sure enough, when he came back over to her, his hands weren't empty. She winced inwardly, seeing the clamps he had; they were heavy, tight, and he'd only used them on her a couple of times before. He'd never used them on Tony.
She couldn't hold back the gasp of pain as he fastened each one, flicking the weight on the end.
"Hands and knees, little girl," he told her, stepping away.
Oh, fuck, this was going to hurt.
Abby swallowed the whimper as she moved, the weights swinging gently until they settled. For now, at any rate--as soon as he did anything, they'd move when she did. This...this was going to hurt. A lot.
"You wanted to be my whipping girl?" Gibbs asked silkily. "Then that's what you'll get."
She heard the crack a split second before she felt the line of fire across her ass. From the sound--and the feel--that was the single-tailed whip, the one he didn't usually use until she was warmed up enough to handle it.
It cracked again, across her thighs, and she cried out. A third time, this one right where her ass met her thighs, and she cried out again, tears forming in her eyes.
Four. Five. She was half-sobbing now, pain in her breasts from the clamps, her ass and thighs from the whip. He'd never used it on her like this before, not this hard and steady. Not...
Six. Seven. Eight, and the pain was almost enough to throw her out of headspace. She couldn't take much more of this and oh God, what if--
Nine.
Ten.
Eleven--and she broke. She hit the bed, curling into a ball, breath hitching in her throat. "Red," she gasped out, tears rolling down her eyes. "Red--please--"
She felt Tony's arms around her a split second later, holding her close, his lips pressed against her hair. "Shh," he whispered, kissing her temple. "Shh, baby, it's okay. It's okay."
Abby huddled against him, whimpering. "I couldn't--I--"
"It's okay, baby. It's okay." Tony tilted her face up, brushing away the tears. "You're safe."
"But--if--" She had no idea if Gibbs had stopped or if Tony had shoved him out of the way, no clue what had really happened.
"As soon as you safeworded, he backed off," Tony told her. "C'mon, baby. Let me get these off you."
She bit her lip, nodding. It was going to hurt--and he pulled the clamps off and she cried out, curling up around her breasts. "That's it," Tony murmured. "Just relax, baby. It's over."
A tentative hand brushed against her arm and she looked to see Gibbs kneeling next to the bed, looking about as uncertain as she'd ever seen him. "Abby," he said softly, and there was a question and an answer all in her name.
It was over. And--it wasn't. She hadn't been the only one who'd broken, if the look in his eyes was any indication. Now she just had to convince him it was okay.
Abby pulled out of Tony's embrace and slid to her knees next to Gibbs, reaching out to lay her palm against his cheek. "It's all right," she whispered.
He traced the path of a tear down her face. "Can you forgive me?" he asked quietly.
"For what?" Abby leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I set this up, Gibbs. I pushed you into it."
"And I forced your safeword," he pointed out.
"But you respected it." Abby tugged him onto the bed--she couldn't stay on her knees forever and the comforter would be easier to sit on than the wooden floor. "It's okay, Gibbs. Question is, can you forgive us?"
"You, yes." Gibbs smiled wryly. "I'll deal with Tony another time." He sighed. "You set this up, Abs, but I'm the one who pushed it. I wanted you to safeword, do you understand? I pushed you there, and I wasn't going to stop until you did."
"But you respected it when I did," Abby reminded him.
"That was why it wasn't Tony, wasn't it?" Gibbs asked, raising an eyebrow. "You trusted me, but only so far."
"I knew you'd honor it if I safeworded," Abby said simply.
"No, you didn't, Abs." Gibbs tapped her nose. "I saw your face downstairs and I saw you when I walked in here. You were scared, pretty girl. You didn't know how far you'd pushed me and how far I'd push you. I scared you, Abby, and I did it on purpose. I wanted you afraid of me, and I wasn't going to stop until you safeworded."
"And it worked. Gibbs, I knew what I was getting into. I'm not going to lie, because you scared the crap out of me. But it's okay. It's okay now. You stopped when I needed you to." Abby smiled a little. "And it's over now. It worked, didn't it?"
Gibbs snorted. "Save me from pushy bottoms who think they know me better than I know myself," he said dryly.
"Yeah, but in this case we were right." Abby grinned cheerfully. "Weren't we?"
He smiled a little. "C'mere, pretty girl," he murmured, holding out a hand.
Abby crawled into his lap, feeling his arms wrap around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, just soaking in the feeling of Gibbs holding her. He stroked her hair and she sighed with contentment, nearly purring when Tony settled on her other side and kissed her shoulder.
It was over.
Author: rebecca
Pairing: Gibbs/Abby, Gibbs/Abby/Tony implied.
Summary: This isn't a game.
Warnings: Oh boy yes. BDSM, hard-core, and angst up the wazoo.
Notes: Written for ncis_tinsel, for skripka. Happy holidays, my other half. Hope you like this. For the rest of you--did I mention this one's kind of intense? ...yeah.
Takes place in the Applied Psychology universe (aka pavlov) sometime after Control Theory, but can be read without reading Post Traumatic.
"So." Abby dipped her spoon into the bowl of slowly melting vanilla fudge ice cream and took a bite, licking away extra chocolate syrup from the corner of her mouth. "You or me?"
Tony swallowed some ice cream, licking the spoon clean before he answered. "I don't want it to be you," he said with a grimace. "He's too unpredictable right now, Abs. He's so driven--"
"I know." Abby sighed. "But you also know that he plays harder with me than he does with you."
"It's this stupid fucking case!" Tony rolled off the bed, running his hands through his hair. "What is this, the third night he's spent at the office? Fourth?"
"Fourth, and you spent the first two with him." Abby spooned up some more ice cream--no sense in letting it go to waste--and watched him pace. "The case is over, Tony. We might not have an ending we like, but it's over. Why--"
"Because he can't let it go, Abs. Because Katrina Petrovich is dead and he can't let it go, and he's staying at the office because he's Captain fucking Ahab and he can't let this go." Tony swore under his breath and turned back to her. "Because our boss is a fucking masochist."
"Because he doesn't trust himself around us, Tony," Abby said quietly. "You know it as well as I do."
Tony deflated at that, slumping a bit and dropping back down to sit on the bed. "Yeah. I know."
"Which is why it has to be me. You've got more of a chance of pulling him off if something goes wrong--" Abby held up a hand. "If, Tony. I'm not saying it'll happen. I don't think it will. But..."
"I know. And he..." Tony shrugged. "You said it yourself, Abby. He plays harder with you than he does with me."
"I've been playing longer. And..." Abby gestured.
"Yeah, I know." Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Fine. When?"
"No time like the present." Abby took a bite of ice cream and offered Tony the bowl. "Tomorrow?"
****
She'd dressed carefully that day--the boots were clunky but the rubber soles meant she could move quickly if she needed to. The miniskirt was pleated and easy to shove out of the way and she only wore a black thong underneath. She wore no bra, although her shirts were layered to hide that. And the collar she wore was Gibbs'.
Now she just had to convince Gibbs to come home.
The music was blaring when he came into the lab that morning, with an extra-large cup of coffee and without the usual Big Gulp he had for her. Without even asking her, he turned it off with an impatient push of the button.
"What've you got?" he all-but growled at her.
She glared at him. "Fine way to say hello you've got there, Gibbs. Especially when you didn't even come home last night. You come into my lab, you don't even bring me soda, you turn off my music, and now you demand to know what I've got for you?" She turned back to her computer, tapping her foot.
"Don't push it, Abby," Gibbs warned her in a low voice. "I asked you--"
"I know exactly what you asked me for, Gibbs," she said coolly. "And you'll get it when it's done."
"Why isn't it done yet?" he snapped.
Abby turned and glared at him again, folding her arms across her chest. "Because some of us slept at home last night and got in on time this morning--which is a concept I'm sure you're unfamiliar with, but let me explain it to you. I went home last night and got some sleep. I got here at 0700. Those tests will be ready around 1400 this afternoon--and that's assuming I don't get anything else in the meantime. This is a cold case now, Gibbs. It doesn't take priority."
"It damn well does," Gibbs said through gritted teeth. "This takes priority over anything else you've got."
"Tell that to your boss," she said with a flip of her head.
"I am your boss," he said, voice low. He took a step toward her, standing almost toe-to-toe. "And you follow my orders. Understand?"
Abby's eyes narrowed and she met his eyes, refusing to back down even an inch. "I'd follow your orders if you were ever around to give them," she said evenly.
"Don't push me, little girl. Do not push me." Gibbs' hand tightened into a fist for a moment before he forced it to relax.
"Or what?" she challenged. "Not like you'll do anything. You're not home, remember? What are you going to do, Gibbs? Have Tony punish me?"
"Stop it, Abby. Stop it."
"Why?" Abby would have shoved him if she'd thought she could get away with it, but there were valuable and delicate pieces of electronics around and she didn't want them broken. Explaining that would be a pain in the ass, not to mention getting replacements. "Why?" she repeated. "Do you even care about how we feel?"
His jaw clenched and his hand was around the back of her neck, squeezing, before she could even blink. "Be very, very careful what you're asking for," he warned her softly. "Because you won't like what you get."
"Lately I haven't gotten anything, so what difference does it make?" Part of her wished Tony was there; she could really use the reassurance. But she was banking on the belief that Gibbs would neither seriously hurt her nor push it too far at work.
She was really, really banking on it.
Gibbs shoved her away, hard enough to make her stumble and nearly trip. She grabbed the workstation counter to steady herself, one hand rubbing the back of her neck. "Seven o'clock," he said coldly. "My house. Don't be late, or you'll regret this more than you already will."
"Right. Like I'm the one who needs to worry about being late coming home," she said sarcastically. "I'll be there."
"Drop the attitude, little girl. And get me those damn results." He turned and stalked out of her lab; Abby waited until he was gone to drop onto her stool, breathing deeply until she felt calm again.
She had to believe he wouldn't hurt her. She had to believe he'd respect her safeword.
She had to believe Tony could stop him if he didn't.
"God," she whispered, looking up at the ceiling. "Just help him get through this. Please."
Tony came down about fifteen minutes later, looking worried and concerned and she resisted the urge to go burrow into his arms. "Abs, what happened?" he demanded. "Gibbs came storming upstairs and left, didn't even say where he was going, although from the way he looked my guess is either the gym or the firing range. And he gave me the look of death before he walked out."
She managed to grin. "Well, remember how I said I was going to push him?"
He nodded. "Didn't go well?"
"Oh, it went fine. Seven o'clock, his place." Abby let out a deep breath. "And I'm really, really hoping we're right."
"Abs--if you're not sure--"
"I am," she interrupted. "I am." But she didn't unclasp her hands from her lap for fear that they'd tremble. "He didn't hurt me, Tony. He growled, but he didn't hurt me."
"Yeah, but we're also at work in the middle of a glass cube," Tony pointed out. "What happens when we're home?"
"We break him," Abby said softly. "And if it means I can't sit down for three days then that's what it means. If it means I end up with welts on my ass, then that's what it means." She touched her collar, feeling the soft leather under her fingers. "Trust me to safeword when I need to, Tony. And trust Gibbs to respect it. I need you to promise me you won't step in unless he doesn't."
He didn't like it; that was obvious from the way he sighed, smoothing his hair back. "What if you can't safeword, Abs? What if--"
"I'll be able to safeword," she said, determined to convince both of them. "But I won't need to."
"For your sake, Abs...I hope you're right." Tony crossed to her and kissed her on the forehead.
*****
She got to the house around six-fifteen that night, figuring early was better than late and banking on Gibbs not being there.
She was right on both counts, although Tony was already there. "I bought Thai," he said, putting the boxes into the fridge. "I figured we could either eat it later or not, and either way it'll keep cold for a few hours."
"Good idea." Abby twirled a pigtail around her fingers, biting her lip.
"Scared?" Tony asked quietly. He closed the fridge and looked at her, leaning against the wall. "Abs, we don't have to do this. Not if you're this worried about it."
"I'm not scared. I'm just..." Abby blew out a deep breath, fluttering her bangs. "Well, maybe I'm a little nervous."
"Probably a good idea." Tony crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "I wish this could be me," he murmured into her hair.
"No," Abby said instantly. "No, Tony, not--"
"I know. I know." Tony sighed. "I'd break before he would. Doesn't stop me from wanting to protect you."
"My hero." Abby grinned up at him and he kissed her, soft and gentle.
The door opened and they both jumped, although Tony didn't let go of her until it shut and Gibbs walked into the kitchen, jacket off, gun put away, and a cold expression on his face.
Tony stepped away slowly; Abby glanced at him one last time for reassurance--although whose, she couldn't say.
"What are you doing here, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked evenly. "This doesn't concern you."
"This is the three of us," Tony told him. "I'd say it does."
"Stay out of it." That was all he said before he walked toward Abby, forcing her to step back and back and back until she was pressed up against the counter, the hard edge of the Formica digging into her spine as she bent backwards, Gibbs leaning over her. Her hands went out to hold on for balance and she turned her head to the side, not wanting to see what was in his eyes.
"You want to push me, little girl?" Gibbs murmured in her ear. "You want to play this game?" He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her up, shoving her away from him and making her stumble back, grabbing the table instinctively.
She was glad she hadn't taken off her boots; her socks would slip on the floor if she had to run--and this was a chase, after all. Just not the one Gibbs thought it was.
"Little girl," Gibbs said softly, almost thoughtfully. "Little girl with the toys and the books, who likes to play pretend, don't you? You like to play games, don't you?" He walked toward her, one slow step, then another, and she backed up again. "You like to pretend this is all a game, don't you?"
Abby didn't answer; anything she said would be wrong.
"Guess what, little girl?" Gibbs smiled a little. "This isn't a game. And you've finally pushed it too far."
He took one more step toward her and she ran, turning and heading for the door. She didn't think she'd make it and she didn't want to.
And sure enough, she didn't. She got two steps before Gibbs' arm wrapped around her waist and he yanked her back against him, his other hand flat against her chest. "Don't even think about it," he whispered.
"Fuck you," she spat, struggling in his hold, trying to elbow him, kick him, anything to make him let her go. It didn't work; he just tightened his hold on her and dodged her elbows until she hung in his grip, panting for breath.
"You weren't thinking of running away, were you?" Gibbs purred in her ear.
"Not at all," she said breathlessly. "Why would I? Other than the fact that you're fucking out of your mind and--"
He clamped his hand over her mouth. "Don't push it any more than you have," he told her.
She bit his palm.
Gibbs pushed her head away, hard enough that she winced. "Don't you dare, girl."
"Or what? You'll shove me again? C'mon, Gibbs, give me something to be afraid of here. Or are you all bark and no bite? I'm hearing a lot of talking but--"
He let go of her and shoved her up against the wall, pinning her wrists over her head, grinding his cock into the cleft of her ass. Abby barely managed to turn her face to the side in time. "Little girl," he whispered. "Little whore." His hand slid under her skirt, tugging the thin strip of fabric between her legs. "You're wet already, aren't you, little whore?"
Gibbs pulled up on the thong, pressing it against her clit and sliding it deeper between her cheeks. Abby couldn't help it; she gasped. "My little whore," Gibbs murmured. He bit her earlobe sharply. "This is what you want, isn't it, little whore? To be fucked, to be used like a toy and thrown aside, isn't it?"
Abby gritted her teeth. "I thought you didn't play with dolls," she said sweetly.
He spanked her pussy, hard enough to make her cry out. "Don't talk back, little whore," he said tightly.
"Or what?" Abby threw at him. "C'mon, Gibbs. I'm not a suspect you can intimidate. I'm not Ivan Petrovich."
That was a gamble and she knew it; she held her breath, praying she hadn't gone too far.
"Don't you dare say that name!" Gibbs hand landed on her ass, hard, and she gasped and twisted.
"Why not? Because he got away? Because he's a bastard who probably murdered his own daughter who you couldn't break? I'm not him, Gibbs, and you can't intimidate me the way you did him. You want to call me your whore? Fine. Do it. You want to hurt me? I'll let you, Gibbs. And what the fuck does it prove?" Abby swallowed, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "What does it prove, Gibbs?"
The growl he made was enough to make her shiver and his hand tightened on her wrists until she almost cried out in pain. "This isn't about him, little girl," Gibbs told her.
"Isn't it?" Abby yanked herself away from him, a little surprised when he let her. "Tell me the truth, Gibbs. Are you upset with me or him?" She rubbed her wrists, watching his face carefully.
He looked at her, and for the life of her she couldn't read what was in his eyes. But then he turned and took a step toward the door and she ran, planting herself squarely between him and it. "I don't think so," she said, seeing Tony come up behind him. "You're not running again, Gibbs."
"Or what?" he asked, mimicking her earlier words.
"Or we'll both stop you," Tony said quietly.
Gibbs visibly started at that, turning to look behind him at Tony. "Four days, Gibbs," Abby said softly, getting his attention. "You've been beating yourself up over this for four days. It sucks. But it's done."
"It is not done," Gibbs snapped. "Not until that murdering sack of shit--"
"Moby Dick," Tony interrupted quietly. "We can't win them all, Boss."
Gibbs clenched his jaw; Abby reached up and touched his face, her hand on his cheek. "We can't win them all, Gibbs."
"And where do you get that piece of knowledge, little girl?" Gibbs asked harshly. "When did you suddenly gain all this insight?"
Abby's eyes narrowed. "I"ve worked forensics for you for five years," she said levelly. "I've worked hundreds, maybe even thousands of cases. And I know that you don't. Win. Them. All."
"I've got nearly nine years of being a cop and an agent," Tony added. "We can't close every case, Boss. We get most of them--"
"Both of you, shut up," Gibbs snapped.
"Why? Because we're right?" Abby asked.
His hands closed around her upper arms tightly and he gave her a little shake. "Five years does not give you the right to lecture me on case stats," he said, voice low. "And it sure as hell doesn't give you the right to tell me what to think about a case."
"Maybe not." Abby met his eyes. 'But being your lover does."
She saw him start a little at the word and pushed on, hoping it was the crack they'd been looking for. "What did you think, Gibbs? That we were just in this for the sex, or that we were only in this for the games?"
"You should know both of us better than that," Tony said softly.
"If I wanted to play, I could get that anywhere. If Tony wanted to get laid--please." Abby snorted. "But we're here, Gibbs."
"So?" he challenged.
"So stop being a bastard for five seconds and look at what you're doing! Stop trying to push us away, stop letting this case eat you up, just--stop it!" Abby said passionately. "Stop it, Gibbs. We're not going to let you."
"You're not going to let me." Gibbs let go of her arms. "Assuming you're right, how do you plan on stopping me?"
Abby nearly screamed in frustration. She reached up and grabbed his hair, pulling him down into a hard, deep kiss, pouring herself into it. And it worked, a little--she felt him relax a little and his hands came up to cradle her face.
Then he stiffened and pulled away.
"Damnit--" Abby's lower lip felt swollen; she resisted the urge to touch it. "For fuck's sake, Gibbs, I love you! Would you just let me--"
Oh. She hadn't meant to say it like that. She wasn't sure how, but she was pretty sure that telling him she loved him in the middle of an argument that could destroy their relationship hadn't been on the list.
On the other hand, given the way he was staring at her, maybe it hadn't been a bad thing.
"Don't say that," he said finally, his voice hoarse. "Don't say that, Abby."
"Why not? It's true." She didn't reach for him--not yet. "I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't."
"You can't just say that and expect--"
"I don't expect a damn thing, Gibbs!" Abby interrupted. "But I'm not going to let you run away from me. From us." She stepped forward, standing toe-to-toe with him. In her boots, she was almost as tall as he was. "We deserve better. And you're not getting out of this."
"You started it," Tony said, stepping forward so he was almost pressed against Gibbs' back. "We're not going to let you end it."
"You do this for us," Abby said softly. "You take our pain and our anger and you help us get through it. You don't let us isolate ourselves."
"Remember Chip? You didn't let me get away with that," Tony reminded him. "And I hated you for it. But it was what I needed."
"It doesn't just go one way," Abby said. "Just because we sub for you doesn't mean we can't do the same thing."
He curled his hand around the back of her neck, squeezing enough that it would normally make her drop into headspace. She fought it, struggling to meet his eyes. Not yet. She couldn't fall yet.
"So what does that make you, little girl? My whipping boy? Whipping girl?" Gibbs' mouth twisted in a faint smile. "Because it's you, isn't it. Tony couldn't handle it and you can take more than he can anyway. Tell me, little girl--when did you set this up?"
"Does it matter?" Abby swallowed.
"No. Not really." Gibbs' grip on her neck tightened.
"Gibbs--" Tony said hesitantly.
"Stay out of it, Tony. I told you that before." Gibbs didn't look at him. "You'll pay for your part in this later." He smiled a little and Abby's stomach twisted. "But right now I have a little girl who needs some...attention."
She wasn't sure if he'd accepted the bait or if he was upset with her as well as Petrovich at this point. She honestly had no idea how this was going to go.
And for the first time, she was honestly afraid he wouldn't respect her safeword.
"Fall for me, little girl," Gibbs purred. "Because you're going to need it."
Abby closed her eyes. She couldn't fall, not like this. Not when she was scared like this.
But if she didn't, she'd never be able to handle it.
Gibbs tightened his grip again; his other hand circled her wrist, thumb pressing over the tendons. "Do it," he said softly, evenly.
There was just enough of the Gibbs she knew in that voice, plus his hands on her--she shuddered and fell, welcoming subspace gladly.
He released her with a little push, and she stepped backwards, hands behind her and head bowed.
"Strip," he told her. "And kneel."
Her hands trembled a little as she unlaced her boots and took them off, along with the rest of her clothes. She didn't bother folding them, just shoved them to the side and knelt, waiting for instructions.
Gibbs circled her slowly; her skin prickled with awareness, even though he didn't touch her. "Little girl," he said softly. "Pretty little thing. Offering herself up on a silver platter." He chuckled softly. "You should have listened before, little girl. This isn't a game anymore."
His foot nudged her legs apart; she shifted her knees so her legs were spread as wide as she could make them. She noticed vaguely that he wasn't wearing shoes, but that didn't matter right now.
"Upstairs, little girl. Don't stand up."
He didn't normally make her do this, but then again...Abby crawled to the stairs, her knees protesting as she climbed up the smooth wood and into the bedroom, where she settled herself on the bed, hands behind her back.
Gibbs came into the room and went right to the toy cabinet--Abby caught a glimpse of Tony in the doorway but ignored him. She needed all her focus to be on Gibbs right now.
And thinking of...Gibbs set a few things down on the dresser; she couldn't see what they were but figured she'd find out soon enough.
Sure enough, when he came back over to her, his hands weren't empty. She winced inwardly, seeing the clamps he had; they were heavy, tight, and he'd only used them on her a couple of times before. He'd never used them on Tony.
She couldn't hold back the gasp of pain as he fastened each one, flicking the weight on the end.
"Hands and knees, little girl," he told her, stepping away.
Oh, fuck, this was going to hurt.
Abby swallowed the whimper as she moved, the weights swinging gently until they settled. For now, at any rate--as soon as he did anything, they'd move when she did. This...this was going to hurt. A lot.
"You wanted to be my whipping girl?" Gibbs asked silkily. "Then that's what you'll get."
She heard the crack a split second before she felt the line of fire across her ass. From the sound--and the feel--that was the single-tailed whip, the one he didn't usually use until she was warmed up enough to handle it.
It cracked again, across her thighs, and she cried out. A third time, this one right where her ass met her thighs, and she cried out again, tears forming in her eyes.
Four. Five. She was half-sobbing now, pain in her breasts from the clamps, her ass and thighs from the whip. He'd never used it on her like this before, not this hard and steady. Not...
Six. Seven. Eight, and the pain was almost enough to throw her out of headspace. She couldn't take much more of this and oh God, what if--
Nine.
Ten.
Eleven--and she broke. She hit the bed, curling into a ball, breath hitching in her throat. "Red," she gasped out, tears rolling down her eyes. "Red--please--"
She felt Tony's arms around her a split second later, holding her close, his lips pressed against her hair. "Shh," he whispered, kissing her temple. "Shh, baby, it's okay. It's okay."
Abby huddled against him, whimpering. "I couldn't--I--"
"It's okay, baby. It's okay." Tony tilted her face up, brushing away the tears. "You're safe."
"But--if--" She had no idea if Gibbs had stopped or if Tony had shoved him out of the way, no clue what had really happened.
"As soon as you safeworded, he backed off," Tony told her. "C'mon, baby. Let me get these off you."
She bit her lip, nodding. It was going to hurt--and he pulled the clamps off and she cried out, curling up around her breasts. "That's it," Tony murmured. "Just relax, baby. It's over."
A tentative hand brushed against her arm and she looked to see Gibbs kneeling next to the bed, looking about as uncertain as she'd ever seen him. "Abby," he said softly, and there was a question and an answer all in her name.
It was over. And--it wasn't. She hadn't been the only one who'd broken, if the look in his eyes was any indication. Now she just had to convince him it was okay.
Abby pulled out of Tony's embrace and slid to her knees next to Gibbs, reaching out to lay her palm against his cheek. "It's all right," she whispered.
He traced the path of a tear down her face. "Can you forgive me?" he asked quietly.
"For what?" Abby leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I set this up, Gibbs. I pushed you into it."
"And I forced your safeword," he pointed out.
"But you respected it." Abby tugged him onto the bed--she couldn't stay on her knees forever and the comforter would be easier to sit on than the wooden floor. "It's okay, Gibbs. Question is, can you forgive us?"
"You, yes." Gibbs smiled wryly. "I'll deal with Tony another time." He sighed. "You set this up, Abs, but I'm the one who pushed it. I wanted you to safeword, do you understand? I pushed you there, and I wasn't going to stop until you did."
"But you respected it when I did," Abby reminded him.
"That was why it wasn't Tony, wasn't it?" Gibbs asked, raising an eyebrow. "You trusted me, but only so far."
"I knew you'd honor it if I safeworded," Abby said simply.
"No, you didn't, Abs." Gibbs tapped her nose. "I saw your face downstairs and I saw you when I walked in here. You were scared, pretty girl. You didn't know how far you'd pushed me and how far I'd push you. I scared you, Abby, and I did it on purpose. I wanted you afraid of me, and I wasn't going to stop until you safeworded."
"And it worked. Gibbs, I knew what I was getting into. I'm not going to lie, because you scared the crap out of me. But it's okay. It's okay now. You stopped when I needed you to." Abby smiled a little. "And it's over now. It worked, didn't it?"
Gibbs snorted. "Save me from pushy bottoms who think they know me better than I know myself," he said dryly.
"Yeah, but in this case we were right." Abby grinned cheerfully. "Weren't we?"
He smiled a little. "C'mere, pretty girl," he murmured, holding out a hand.
Abby crawled into his lap, feeling his arms wrap around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, just soaking in the feeling of Gibbs holding her. He stroked her hair and she sighed with contentment, nearly purring when Tony settled on her other side and kissed her shoulder.
It was over.