Fic: Scarlet Pleasures [6/10]
Title: Scarlet Pleasures
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15 overall, one FR-18 scene that will be labelled later on.
Category: Drama, Case-file, Abby/Tony Friendship, Ziva/Abby Friendship
Pairing: Gibbs/Abby
Spoilers: 'Forced Entry', 'Guilty Pleasure', up to and including the season seven finale.
Summary: Holly Snow makes a request for help that puts Gibbs and Abby at odds.
****
Part Six
****
Tony held her by the shoulders, waiting for her to calm down and slow the almost constant stream of words that had started the moment the door had closed behind them.
"And she's Andre's ex, too, that's how she got the job here. Well, she was like me at first. Not like me in that she pretended but Andre had her sleep with guys for money even though they have a little boy together and when she said she wouldn't do it anymore, he started seeing Lucy but she thinks they were seeing each other before that, too." She paused for a split-second to catch her breath. "Maybe the only reason they didn't kill her like we think they did Emily is because she has a son with Andre and that would mean he'd have to look after him?"
"Okay, Abs, that's enough. Breathe," Tony instructed when she paused again. "First, we've got no evidence they killed Emily. For all we know, she got out and left town to let things cool off for a bit." He moved a finger over her lips when she looked like she was about to start talking again. "Second, even if Andre and Lucy do have a problem with their employees leaving, they're not gonna be able to do anything to you when that happens. Chances are we'll have cracked the case and neither of 'em will be in much of a position to do anything about it then."
"What if we don't crack the case?" Abby interrupted before he could list his third point. "What if the Director pulls us out and they get nasty or we find out they're not responsible for either Emily's disappearance or the attack on SecNav's nephew? What if they find out I'm not a prostitute and I work for NCIS and..."
"Shh." Drawing her against him, Tony held her tightly, rocking her slightly in an attempt at soothing her. "We won't let that happen, Abb. None of us will. And if they try," he continued, speaking over her when she started to protest. "You really think Gibbs'll just stand back and let them hurt you? You think he, or any of us for that matter, won't move heaven and earth to keep you safe?"
After a few more moments, Abby started to relax, most of the tension leaving her body. She held onto him for a few moments more before taking a step back. Her smile was weak but she made the effort at reassuring she was okay. "So what are the plans for tonight? You're here for, what, another hour?"
He grinned at her, letting the serious moment slide, and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone. "Downloaded a new game and I'm stuck on a level. You want to help?"
She took it from his hand before answering, her smile fading into an expression of utter concentration as she quickly located the new application on the phone. "I'll more than help; I bet I beat your high scores, too."
He waited until she was lying comfortably on the bed, fully focused on the game, before stretching out beside her, watching her carefully, promising himself he would make sure she would complete her assignment in one piece.
****
A few hours later, Tony had a horrible feeling he wouldn't be able to keep the promise he'd made to himself. He paced the surveillance van as McGee tapped furiously at his keyboard while simultaneously speaking through his headset to the agent who was supposed to be Abby's next appointment.
"Yeah, there's an accident up ahead. Road's closed while they clear the road. You could take the diversion but it looks like there'll be a half-hour delay..." McGee looked up as Gibbs re-entered the van after leaving for a coffee run. "Boss, we've got a problem."
"Spill it, McGee," Gibbs ordered brusquely, a flash of concern on his face before he could get it under control.
"Agent Green's not going to make his appointment with Abby. He's already five minutes late, and it's gonna take at least thirty more before he can get here," McGee explained in a rush."We're gonna have to send someone else in soon or..."
Or Abby would be faced with the prospect of a real client, who would expect more from her than she wanted to give.
"DiNozzo, give me the cash in your wallet. McGee, David, you, too."
Knowing Tony and McGee had already spent time with her that evening and sending them back in could cause the owners to get suspicious, Gibbs waited only long enough to take the notes they offered him and turned swiftly towards the door. Lewis Green was supposed to cover the rest of the night, he knew, a three-hour appointment that would take Abby to the end of her shift.
"You're going in, boss? You're not... You're not wired..." McGee called out after him.
"Don't think he really cares about that, McGeek," Tony responded, watching the door to the van swing shut behind him. "Call Green, tell him not to bother coming out here. Boss's got this one covered."
Relief eased the knot in his stomach but Tony found he couldn't fully relax, not until he knew for certain Gibbs had made it in time to claim the vacant timeslot.
****
Tina hated it when he stood behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body against her back, the soft warmth of his breath against the skin of her neck. She fought the urge to shudder when Andre put his hand on her shoulder and wondered, not for the first time, how she could ever have loved him, how she could have had his child.
She loved her son, deeply and without hesitation, but if there was a way she could have changed who his father was, a way to get Andre out of both of their lives for good, she knew she'd take it in a heartbeat.
When Andre leaned down, she found herself holding her breath. Her hand stilled over the keyboard where she'd been processing the timesheets of those in employment by Scarlet Secrets and she waited, her anxiety levels shooting skywards as he hesitated.
"Abigail Gibbs," Andre said eventually, his breath hot against her ear. "Her appointment hasn't shown up?"
As much as she wanted to lie to him, Tina knew she couldn't risk it. She shook her head, her eyes sliding shut. "He's almost ten minutes late."
"Then he forfeits his time with her." Smug satisfaction dripped from his voice. "Put her on a the logs as being on a break."
Tina nodded slowly, her stomach rolling uncomfortably as she knew what it meant. "Should I call her...?"
"No, no." Andre's smile oozed a vicious charm she'd been on the receiving end of too many times to count. "I'll tell her personally. Just make sure we're not disturbed."
Tina hung her head, a sigh escaping her as he walked towards the elevators.
****
The smile on her face faded the moment she swung open the door to her room and found Andre standing there instead of Lewis as she'd been expecting. Abby recovered quickly, forcing a smile, but continued to block the entrance into her room.
"Andre. I'm expecting a client," she started, her voice faltering at the look on his face.
"He's late, so his appointment has been cancelled." Andre motioned for her to move out of the way. "I have some business to discuss with you, Abby. I'd rather not discuss it out here where anyone could overhear."
Although she would have liked to close the door in his face and call for help from the NCIS agents nearby, Abby knew that to do so would only jeopardise her life as well as the case. With a reluctance she was sure he could see, she took a step back to permit him entrance.
Andre closed the door behind himself, the click of the lock causing her to swallow hard. "That's better," he told her, baring his teeth in a sly grin. "Now we know we won't be disturbed."
Abby took a step back as he advanced towards her. "You said you had something you wanted to discuss...?"
He shrugged and took another step closer. "Talking is overrated," he said quietly, his eyes taking on a gleam that turned her stomach. "You're a popular woman, Abby. Your regulars adore you. It's my job, my duty, to make sure they're getting a high quality service, value for money... Maybe I can even give you a few pointers here and there..."
"I appreciate the offer but..." Abby gasped as her back hit the wall, her eyes growing wider as he continued forward. "Really, Andre..."
"C'mon, Abby. You can't be shy." He smirked, obviously finding the thought to be an amusing one, and braced his hands on the wall either side of her. "You're a whore," he continued conversationally, "it's what you get paid for."
One of his hands moved from the wall to her hip, fingers slipping over the soft material of the wrap-around black dress she'd chosen for the night, towards the fastenings keeping it closed. Abby froze under his touch, squeezing her eyes shut. She could lift her knee, fight him off... but then she'd be proving Gibbs - and, she suspected, Holly - right, she told herself firmly. She'd be showing them she couldn't cope with what was asked of her, screwing up the assignment and the investigation so far... Ziva, she told herself, would do what she had to in order to get the case closed. She would...
The phone rang loudly, insistent and, to Andre, annoying. He drew his mouth away from the skin of her neck to matter a curse. He turned his head to glare at the offending telephone and tried to ignore it, returning his attention to the fastening of her dress only to break away in frustration when it continued to ring.
He stalked across the room, snatching up the receiver with a vicious "what?"
Abby watched his expression shift from angry to frustrated to resigned.
"Send him up," Andre said eventually, a sigh escaping him as he hung up. He looked at Abby, a speculative expression on his face. "Seems you are the popular one. A new client has offered triple the usual rate to finish your shift with you." He straightened and crossed the room towards her, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "One day, Abigail," he promised in a murmur, "you'll show me just what it is you do that keeps them coming back for more."
He moved away when there was a sharp knock at the door, turning the lock and opening it with a polite smile on his face. "Mr...?"
"Sciuto," a familiar voice replied, making her heart race in both relief and something she did her best not to let show on her face. "It's Mr. Sciuto."
****
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15 overall, one FR-18 scene that will be labelled later on.
Category: Drama, Case-file, Abby/Tony Friendship, Ziva/Abby Friendship
Pairing: Gibbs/Abby
Spoilers: 'Forced Entry', 'Guilty Pleasure', up to and including the season seven finale.
Summary: Holly Snow makes a request for help that puts Gibbs and Abby at odds.
****
Part Six
****
Tony held her by the shoulders, waiting for her to calm down and slow the almost constant stream of words that had started the moment the door had closed behind them.
"And she's Andre's ex, too, that's how she got the job here. Well, she was like me at first. Not like me in that she pretended but Andre had her sleep with guys for money even though they have a little boy together and when she said she wouldn't do it anymore, he started seeing Lucy but she thinks they were seeing each other before that, too." She paused for a split-second to catch her breath. "Maybe the only reason they didn't kill her like we think they did Emily is because she has a son with Andre and that would mean he'd have to look after him?"
"Okay, Abs, that's enough. Breathe," Tony instructed when she paused again. "First, we've got no evidence they killed Emily. For all we know, she got out and left town to let things cool off for a bit." He moved a finger over her lips when she looked like she was about to start talking again. "Second, even if Andre and Lucy do have a problem with their employees leaving, they're not gonna be able to do anything to you when that happens. Chances are we'll have cracked the case and neither of 'em will be in much of a position to do anything about it then."
"What if we don't crack the case?" Abby interrupted before he could list his third point. "What if the Director pulls us out and they get nasty or we find out they're not responsible for either Emily's disappearance or the attack on SecNav's nephew? What if they find out I'm not a prostitute and I work for NCIS and..."
"Shh." Drawing her against him, Tony held her tightly, rocking her slightly in an attempt at soothing her. "We won't let that happen, Abb. None of us will. And if they try," he continued, speaking over her when she started to protest. "You really think Gibbs'll just stand back and let them hurt you? You think he, or any of us for that matter, won't move heaven and earth to keep you safe?"
After a few more moments, Abby started to relax, most of the tension leaving her body. She held onto him for a few moments more before taking a step back. Her smile was weak but she made the effort at reassuring she was okay. "So what are the plans for tonight? You're here for, what, another hour?"
He grinned at her, letting the serious moment slide, and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone. "Downloaded a new game and I'm stuck on a level. You want to help?"
She took it from his hand before answering, her smile fading into an expression of utter concentration as she quickly located the new application on the phone. "I'll more than help; I bet I beat your high scores, too."
He waited until she was lying comfortably on the bed, fully focused on the game, before stretching out beside her, watching her carefully, promising himself he would make sure she would complete her assignment in one piece.
****
A few hours later, Tony had a horrible feeling he wouldn't be able to keep the promise he'd made to himself. He paced the surveillance van as McGee tapped furiously at his keyboard while simultaneously speaking through his headset to the agent who was supposed to be Abby's next appointment.
"Yeah, there's an accident up ahead. Road's closed while they clear the road. You could take the diversion but it looks like there'll be a half-hour delay..." McGee looked up as Gibbs re-entered the van after leaving for a coffee run. "Boss, we've got a problem."
"Spill it, McGee," Gibbs ordered brusquely, a flash of concern on his face before he could get it under control.
"Agent Green's not going to make his appointment with Abby. He's already five minutes late, and it's gonna take at least thirty more before he can get here," McGee explained in a rush."We're gonna have to send someone else in soon or..."
Or Abby would be faced with the prospect of a real client, who would expect more from her than she wanted to give.
"DiNozzo, give me the cash in your wallet. McGee, David, you, too."
Knowing Tony and McGee had already spent time with her that evening and sending them back in could cause the owners to get suspicious, Gibbs waited only long enough to take the notes they offered him and turned swiftly towards the door. Lewis Green was supposed to cover the rest of the night, he knew, a three-hour appointment that would take Abby to the end of her shift.
"You're going in, boss? You're not... You're not wired..." McGee called out after him.
"Don't think he really cares about that, McGeek," Tony responded, watching the door to the van swing shut behind him. "Call Green, tell him not to bother coming out here. Boss's got this one covered."
Relief eased the knot in his stomach but Tony found he couldn't fully relax, not until he knew for certain Gibbs had made it in time to claim the vacant timeslot.
****
Tina hated it when he stood behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body against her back, the soft warmth of his breath against the skin of her neck. She fought the urge to shudder when Andre put his hand on her shoulder and wondered, not for the first time, how she could ever have loved him, how she could have had his child.
She loved her son, deeply and without hesitation, but if there was a way she could have changed who his father was, a way to get Andre out of both of their lives for good, she knew she'd take it in a heartbeat.
When Andre leaned down, she found herself holding her breath. Her hand stilled over the keyboard where she'd been processing the timesheets of those in employment by Scarlet Secrets and she waited, her anxiety levels shooting skywards as he hesitated.
"Abigail Gibbs," Andre said eventually, his breath hot against her ear. "Her appointment hasn't shown up?"
As much as she wanted to lie to him, Tina knew she couldn't risk it. She shook her head, her eyes sliding shut. "He's almost ten minutes late."
"Then he forfeits his time with her." Smug satisfaction dripped from his voice. "Put her on a the logs as being on a break."
Tina nodded slowly, her stomach rolling uncomfortably as she knew what it meant. "Should I call her...?"
"No, no." Andre's smile oozed a vicious charm she'd been on the receiving end of too many times to count. "I'll tell her personally. Just make sure we're not disturbed."
Tina hung her head, a sigh escaping her as he walked towards the elevators.
****
The smile on her face faded the moment she swung open the door to her room and found Andre standing there instead of Lewis as she'd been expecting. Abby recovered quickly, forcing a smile, but continued to block the entrance into her room.
"Andre. I'm expecting a client," she started, her voice faltering at the look on his face.
"He's late, so his appointment has been cancelled." Andre motioned for her to move out of the way. "I have some business to discuss with you, Abby. I'd rather not discuss it out here where anyone could overhear."
Although she would have liked to close the door in his face and call for help from the NCIS agents nearby, Abby knew that to do so would only jeopardise her life as well as the case. With a reluctance she was sure he could see, she took a step back to permit him entrance.
Andre closed the door behind himself, the click of the lock causing her to swallow hard. "That's better," he told her, baring his teeth in a sly grin. "Now we know we won't be disturbed."
Abby took a step back as he advanced towards her. "You said you had something you wanted to discuss...?"
He shrugged and took another step closer. "Talking is overrated," he said quietly, his eyes taking on a gleam that turned her stomach. "You're a popular woman, Abby. Your regulars adore you. It's my job, my duty, to make sure they're getting a high quality service, value for money... Maybe I can even give you a few pointers here and there..."
"I appreciate the offer but..." Abby gasped as her back hit the wall, her eyes growing wider as he continued forward. "Really, Andre..."
"C'mon, Abby. You can't be shy." He smirked, obviously finding the thought to be an amusing one, and braced his hands on the wall either side of her. "You're a whore," he continued conversationally, "it's what you get paid for."
One of his hands moved from the wall to her hip, fingers slipping over the soft material of the wrap-around black dress she'd chosen for the night, towards the fastenings keeping it closed. Abby froze under his touch, squeezing her eyes shut. She could lift her knee, fight him off... but then she'd be proving Gibbs - and, she suspected, Holly - right, she told herself firmly. She'd be showing them she couldn't cope with what was asked of her, screwing up the assignment and the investigation so far... Ziva, she told herself, would do what she had to in order to get the case closed. She would...
The phone rang loudly, insistent and, to Andre, annoying. He drew his mouth away from the skin of her neck to matter a curse. He turned his head to glare at the offending telephone and tried to ignore it, returning his attention to the fastening of her dress only to break away in frustration when it continued to ring.
He stalked across the room, snatching up the receiver with a vicious "what?"
Abby watched his expression shift from angry to frustrated to resigned.
"Send him up," Andre said eventually, a sigh escaping him as he hung up. He looked at Abby, a speculative expression on his face. "Seems you are the popular one. A new client has offered triple the usual rate to finish your shift with you." He straightened and crossed the room towards her, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "One day, Abigail," he promised in a murmur, "you'll show me just what it is you do that keeps them coming back for more."
He moved away when there was a sharp knock at the door, turning the lock and opening it with a polite smile on his face. "Mr...?"
"Sciuto," a familiar voice replied, making her heart race in both relief and something she did her best not to let show on her face. "It's Mr. Sciuto."
****