Fic: Rewriting the Rules 02 - Worst Nightmare [1/1] Gibbs/Abby
Title: Rewriting the Rules 02 - Worst Nightmare
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Category: Post-ep, Romance, Fluff
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Spoilers: 'Worst Nightmare', 'Frame-Up', 'Ex-File'.
Summary: What's broken can be fixed, and old rules can be rewritten.
Not for the first time, Abby Sciuto, Forensic Specialist at NCIS, had no idea she wasn't alone until she felt a puff of hot breath against her neck just seconds before a hand appeared either side of her on the workstation she was focused on. She jumped in spite of knowing who it was, turning her head to admonish the guilty party.
"Not nice, Gibbs," she told her lover and boss, her green eyes narrowed. "If you don't quit doing that, I'll make *you* wear the bells."
NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs merely arched an eyebrow at the reference to the bell necklace she'd made the intern, Dennis, who'd been assigned to her lab temporarily wear so she would always know where he was. Her actions, while seeming inexplicable to the intern, had been rooted in rationality; Gibbs knew better than anyone how much she hated people interfering in her lab and her track record with assistants in the past wasn't something either of them liked to dwell on.
First there'd been Chip, the assistant who'd tried to kill her after she'd thwarted his plan to frame Tony DiNozzo for murder and then there'd been Fred, the Army's cyber expert who'd supposedly been trying to help her catch the bad guy only for it to be revealed he was sabotaging her efforts due to being guilty himself.
"Think the bells would get in the way with catching the bad guys, Abby." Gibbs let his hands drop from the workbench. He reached passed her and turned off the monitor she'd been scrutinising. "Case is over, Abs. Time to go home."
Abby gave him a look and glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's just gone six," she protested. "You're not usually out of here till seven at the earliest after we close a case."
He shrugged and reached for her hand when she went to turn the monitor back on. "Maybe I've decided to do something new."
"You're doing that a lot recently," Abby stated. She rolled her eyes when he stopped her again and held her hands up in surrender, turning fully away from the monitor. When he gave her an approving look, she stopped and narrowed her eyes suspiciously, folding her arms over her chest. "Okay, seriously. Who are you and what did you do to my Gibbs?"
The corners of his mouth twitched up into a wry grin. "Second time you've said that, Abs. Feeling a bit possessive?"
"Just stating a fact," she replied smartly, "and don't think I'm gonna let you avoid giving me an answer. I mean it; you're doing a lot of things that aren't normal for you."
Gibbs, sensing they weren't going home anytime soon, sighed and mimicked her gesture, crossing his arms as he leaned casually against the bench. "What kind of things?"
Abby gave him a look that clearly said she knew he was toying with her but answered anyway. "Well, you agreed to let interns shadow your team for one and encouraged one of them to apply for a full internship. Why did you do that, anyway? From what Tony said, Conrad didn't want to be here in the first place."
"DiNozzo said that?" His expression was part-curious, part-amused.
Allowing the momentary distraction, she gave him a small nod. "He said he was just another rich pretty boy who isn't interested in the job and just wanted an easy time. Can't see why you'd be interested in him if that's true."
"Maybe he reminds me of someone," he said quietly.
A thoughtful expression passed over her features and he watched her put the pieces of the puzzle together, pleased at the speed at which she came to the same conclusion as he had. "Tony? He reminds you of Tony?"
"You were here when Tony started." Gibbs shrugged again. "What were you first impressions?"
Casting her mind back ten years ago, a small smile slowly appeared on her face. "That he was a strange mix of Baltimore cop and spoilt rich kid. He was still bitter about his Dad cutting him off." She paused for a moment, considering. "Well, if your gut's right about Conrad like it was about Tony, he's gonna be a great NCIS agent one day. One of the best."
"Just one of the best?" Gibbs stared at her.
"Sure. Neither of them can actually be the best, not while you're around but then I'm probably a little biased on that." Abby gave him a quick, affectionate smile. "But you're not distracting me that easily, Gibbs. What gives?"
Realising that she wasn't going anywhere until she had an answer that satisfied her, and wanting more than anything to be able to take her home and enjoy the evening together, he sighed and shook his head. "Maybe I just thought it was time for a change. Maybe I've changed."
"Why?" Concern overtook her curiosity. "You're okay, right? You're not... There's nothing wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Abs." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth again. He pushed himself away from the bench and closed the gap towards them, taking her into his arms to hug her reassuringly. "Some changes are good, you know."
"Some are, yeah." Abby leaned into him, letting her head rest against his shoulder when it became clear he had no intention of stepping away immediately. "You'd tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn't you?"
"I would." He could answer without hesitation, something he couldn't - wouldn't - have done even a year into their romantic relationship. At the time, he would have told himself he was doing it for her benefit, to protect her either from himself or from the dangers that a relationship with him brought with it. The truth would have been that he'd still been holding a part of him back, unwilling or unable to fully commit to what was between them out of fear that one or both of them would get hurt. The past six months had proven to him that he was finally ready to let go of his past and embrace his future with both hands, a future he was determined would fully involve the woman in his arms.
She stepped back out of his embrace, leaving them both momentarily bereft. "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to go."
"I'll wait upstairs." Gibbs walked towards the door of the lab, pausing on the threshold. He turned to watch her as she started to gather her belongings and whisper her goodnights to the various pieces of equipment around her lab. The smile returned to his face, unmistakably tender. If anyone saw him in that moment, they'd know the cause of the slight change in him. "It's you, Abby."
"Hmm?" Distracted by her nightly routine, it took her a few moments to realise he was still there. Abby glanced at him, confused. "What's me?"
He shook his head and gave her a fond look before turning on his heel and heading to the elevator. "You'll figure it out." He fought the urge to whistle as he got into the waiting elevator, leaving her struggling to figure out the latest puzzle. "You always do."
End