Fic: La Belle Dame Sans Merci [13/13]
Title: La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Category: Drama, Angst, Action, Case-file, Romance, Friendship
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Spoilers: Mild for 'Child's Play', 'Hiatus', 'Rule 51'
Summary: When a friend is murdered, Abby will stop at nothing to get revenge.
Authors Note: *hugs* and thanks to everyone who's followed this story, especially those who've left comments/feedback. It's one of the stories I've been most nervous about posting since joining the NCIS fandom so it all of the nice words have meant a lot :)
****
Her thigh still hurt over a week later but she used the pain to keep herself focused on the debriefing. She sat ramrod straight in her chair, listening as Catherine recounted the details in her report, occasionally asking her to confirm or expand on something she'd written. She'd been discharged from hospital and into Ducky's care only two days earlier and had attended Annie's memorial service less than twenty-four hours ago but everything already had a surreal feeling to it.
Veronica Green had been charged and Helen and Rob Summers were still missing, presumed dead. The NSA had investigated its remaining agents and had cleared all of them, including Simon, of any wrong-doing. The only matter left to discuss was the death of Tomas De Silvo.
With a sigh, Catherine closed the folder. "You shot him while his back was turned."
"He's responsible for the deaths of eleven people, including three children. He didn't deserve to live," Abby replied calmly.
"You feel no remorse? No guilt?" Catherine's eyes narrowed slightly. "That isn't the Abigail Sciuto I remember."
"I regret that he had such a quick death if that helps," Abby answered softly. A small, humourless smile graced her lips for a second. "Don't look so surprised, Agent Lowry. You have you precious training to thank for the way I feel about him."
A glimmer of something that could have been regret flashed in Catherine's eyes. She shook her head silently and got to her feet, packing the report into her briefcase before closing it with a definitive click.
Abby also stood and removed the gun from the holster at her waist and the badge from her jacket pocket. She slid them both across the table towards her former boss. "If the circumstances had been different, it might have been nice to see you again, Catherine."
"Likewise." Catherine looked up from the badge she'd picked up and met Abby's gaze. "Maybe next time."
"Maybe." Abby gave her a small nod and looked to Director Vance, who'd sat impassively with Gibbs throughout the debriefing. "Permission to go back to my lab, Director? I want to make sure everything's in place and in proper working order."
Director gave her a small nod. "Of course, Ms. Sciuto. You're free to go." Gibbs didn't ask for permission to follow her out, leaving Director Vance with Agent Lowry. Vance got to his feet as Catherine finished gathering her belongings and walked to the door. "Agent Lowry." He held out a hand. "It's been interesting."
"Interesting is one word for it." Catherine shook his hand politely and tilted her head to the side. "I'm sure you're in no hurry to work with us again but the NSA appreciates all of NCIS's assistance during this case."
"Any time." Vance gave her a small nod. "Though, if it happens again, I'd prefer it if my forensic specialist could stay in the lab."
"I think that would probably be for the best." Catherine let her hand drop and stood back as he opened the door for her, nodding her farewell as she passed.
Leon closed the door behind her and exhaled deeply, feeling some of the tension he'd been carrying around for the past few weeks finally fade away.
Life at NCIS, it seemed, could finally get back to normal.
****
They didn't speak as they made their way down to her lab; Abby was lost in her own thoughts and Gibbs was content to study her out of the corner of his eye, noting the way she favoured her left leg over her right, reminding himself he'd have to make sure she didn't overdo it until her wound was completely healed.
When they stepped into the lab, it was together, and both stopped to survey the scene his agents had left behind.
A vase of black roses stood tall and proud on the workbench next to her computer; a 'Welcome Home, Abby!' was strung from one side of the room to the other and a Caf-Pow! was waiting for her next to the flowers.
Gibbs looked at her and saw her blink back tears, evidently touched by the silent message from her NCIS colleagues that they were willing to put her past and everything that had happened since the NSA had darkened their doors behind them. He made a mental note to thank his team somehow, maybe by letting them leave as soon as their final reports were finished.
"Is it really that easy?" Abby wondered aloud. She walked towards the vase and picked out one of the long stemmed roses. "To go back to the way things were?"
"For most of it." He walked up behind her, standing a little too close to be polite. "Parts of it can't go back."
She nodded and ran a fingertip over the smooth petals of the rose. "I guess nothing will bring Annie back, or make Isabelle forget what she went through. And my mom and Nick and Claudia won't forget it in a hurry, either, even if they are all going to recover physically."
"It's something they'll have to live with, just like you will." He reached for the rose and took it out of her hand, drawing her full attention. He waited until she'd turned to face at him before continuing. "Other things don't have to go back to the way they were, either, Abby."
"Other things?" She bit her lip and forced herself to hold his gaze. "You mean things with us?"
"If that's what you want."
"You'd still be interested? Even if I just work in my lab?" She ducked her head and tightened her arms around her middle.
Setting the rose down on the bench behind her, he moved his hand to her face, tilting her face up with a gentle finger. "What happened between us has nothing to do with your job, Abby. Nothing."
"So..." She uncrossed her arms and let them drop to her sides, sighing softly. "What do we do now?"
Gibbs gave her a small smile and lowered his hand from her face to her hip, drawing her into the circle of his arms. He held her close, resting his chin against the top of her head when she wound her own arms around his waist. "We let things get back to what passes for normal around here, for the most part."
"Normal with a twist," Abby murmured, her words muffled against his chest. Tilting her head back, she gave him a smile that was as shy as it was hopeful.
Unable to resist, he covered the remaining space between them and gently pressed his mouth to hers in a short but sweet kiss as confirmation that not everything had to go back to the way it had been.
After a few more moments of lingering in his embrace, Abby took a step back. "You better get back to work."
"So should you," Gibbs returned lightly. A hint of a grin warmed his face and he turned towards the door. "Be ready to leave at five."
"I will," she murmured, watching him leave before looking around her lab, familiarising herself once again with the surroundings that felt so much like home. It was, she decided, where she truly belonged.
****
End
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Category: Drama, Angst, Action, Case-file, Romance, Friendship
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Spoilers: Mild for 'Child's Play', 'Hiatus', 'Rule 51'
Summary: When a friend is murdered, Abby will stop at nothing to get revenge.
Authors Note: *hugs* and thanks to everyone who's followed this story, especially those who've left comments/feedback. It's one of the stories I've been most nervous about posting since joining the NCIS fandom so it all of the nice words have meant a lot :)
****
Her thigh still hurt over a week later but she used the pain to keep herself focused on the debriefing. She sat ramrod straight in her chair, listening as Catherine recounted the details in her report, occasionally asking her to confirm or expand on something she'd written. She'd been discharged from hospital and into Ducky's care only two days earlier and had attended Annie's memorial service less than twenty-four hours ago but everything already had a surreal feeling to it.
Veronica Green had been charged and Helen and Rob Summers were still missing, presumed dead. The NSA had investigated its remaining agents and had cleared all of them, including Simon, of any wrong-doing. The only matter left to discuss was the death of Tomas De Silvo.
With a sigh, Catherine closed the folder. "You shot him while his back was turned."
"He's responsible for the deaths of eleven people, including three children. He didn't deserve to live," Abby replied calmly.
"You feel no remorse? No guilt?" Catherine's eyes narrowed slightly. "That isn't the Abigail Sciuto I remember."
"I regret that he had such a quick death if that helps," Abby answered softly. A small, humourless smile graced her lips for a second. "Don't look so surprised, Agent Lowry. You have you precious training to thank for the way I feel about him."
A glimmer of something that could have been regret flashed in Catherine's eyes. She shook her head silently and got to her feet, packing the report into her briefcase before closing it with a definitive click.
Abby also stood and removed the gun from the holster at her waist and the badge from her jacket pocket. She slid them both across the table towards her former boss. "If the circumstances had been different, it might have been nice to see you again, Catherine."
"Likewise." Catherine looked up from the badge she'd picked up and met Abby's gaze. "Maybe next time."
"Maybe." Abby gave her a small nod and looked to Director Vance, who'd sat impassively with Gibbs throughout the debriefing. "Permission to go back to my lab, Director? I want to make sure everything's in place and in proper working order."
Director gave her a small nod. "Of course, Ms. Sciuto. You're free to go." Gibbs didn't ask for permission to follow her out, leaving Director Vance with Agent Lowry. Vance got to his feet as Catherine finished gathering her belongings and walked to the door. "Agent Lowry." He held out a hand. "It's been interesting."
"Interesting is one word for it." Catherine shook his hand politely and tilted her head to the side. "I'm sure you're in no hurry to work with us again but the NSA appreciates all of NCIS's assistance during this case."
"Any time." Vance gave her a small nod. "Though, if it happens again, I'd prefer it if my forensic specialist could stay in the lab."
"I think that would probably be for the best." Catherine let her hand drop and stood back as he opened the door for her, nodding her farewell as she passed.
Leon closed the door behind her and exhaled deeply, feeling some of the tension he'd been carrying around for the past few weeks finally fade away.
Life at NCIS, it seemed, could finally get back to normal.
****
They didn't speak as they made their way down to her lab; Abby was lost in her own thoughts and Gibbs was content to study her out of the corner of his eye, noting the way she favoured her left leg over her right, reminding himself he'd have to make sure she didn't overdo it until her wound was completely healed.
When they stepped into the lab, it was together, and both stopped to survey the scene his agents had left behind.
A vase of black roses stood tall and proud on the workbench next to her computer; a 'Welcome Home, Abby!' was strung from one side of the room to the other and a Caf-Pow! was waiting for her next to the flowers.
Gibbs looked at her and saw her blink back tears, evidently touched by the silent message from her NCIS colleagues that they were willing to put her past and everything that had happened since the NSA had darkened their doors behind them. He made a mental note to thank his team somehow, maybe by letting them leave as soon as their final reports were finished.
"Is it really that easy?" Abby wondered aloud. She walked towards the vase and picked out one of the long stemmed roses. "To go back to the way things were?"
"For most of it." He walked up behind her, standing a little too close to be polite. "Parts of it can't go back."
She nodded and ran a fingertip over the smooth petals of the rose. "I guess nothing will bring Annie back, or make Isabelle forget what she went through. And my mom and Nick and Claudia won't forget it in a hurry, either, even if they are all going to recover physically."
"It's something they'll have to live with, just like you will." He reached for the rose and took it out of her hand, drawing her full attention. He waited until she'd turned to face at him before continuing. "Other things don't have to go back to the way they were, either, Abby."
"Other things?" She bit her lip and forced herself to hold his gaze. "You mean things with us?"
"If that's what you want."
"You'd still be interested? Even if I just work in my lab?" She ducked her head and tightened her arms around her middle.
Setting the rose down on the bench behind her, he moved his hand to her face, tilting her face up with a gentle finger. "What happened between us has nothing to do with your job, Abby. Nothing."
"So..." She uncrossed her arms and let them drop to her sides, sighing softly. "What do we do now?"
Gibbs gave her a small smile and lowered his hand from her face to her hip, drawing her into the circle of his arms. He held her close, resting his chin against the top of her head when she wound her own arms around his waist. "We let things get back to what passes for normal around here, for the most part."
"Normal with a twist," Abby murmured, her words muffled against his chest. Tilting her head back, she gave him a smile that was as shy as it was hopeful.
Unable to resist, he covered the remaining space between them and gently pressed his mouth to hers in a short but sweet kiss as confirmation that not everything had to go back to the way it had been.
After a few more moments of lingering in his embrace, Abby took a step back. "You better get back to work."
"So should you," Gibbs returned lightly. A hint of a grin warmed his face and he turned towards the door. "Be ready to leave at five."
"I will," she murmured, watching him leave before looking around her lab, familiarising herself once again with the surroundings that felt so much like home. It was, she decided, where she truly belonged.
****
End