Fic: Hiatus Revisited. (5/6)
Gibbs left Abby sitting at his desk talking to his agents. She had offered to go with him and sign for him while Director Shepard spoke, but he thought it best to keep the two apart.
He almost brought her with him, just to hear her voice as she spoke with Jenny, but he figured signing a few papers wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
He was right. He walked in, Jen showed him where to sign and after a quick read-through, he signed and left. Back in the squad room Abby had moved to perch on the edge of Tony’s desk while Ziva and McGee had rolled their chairs over.
They were reading stupid things off of some website and laughing. Abby noticed him first and shot him a large smile and then asked if he was ready to go.
Nah, I have a few things that I could get done around here.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re talking about me?” Tony leaned back in his chair and looked accusingly at Abby.
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe we are. Maybe he just told me all your dirty secrets.”
Ziva gave a hearty laugh. “You see Tony? They were not conversing about you. If Gibbs had been telling all your dirty secrets, he would not yet be done signing.”
“She’s right, Tony.” McGee agreed.
Gibbs didn’t realize how much he’d missed his team until he heard them bickering playfully as though nothing had happened. He listened to their conversation, resisting telling them to get some work done. If they were working, Abby wouldn’t be chatting and he couldn’t get enough of her voice.
It was lunch time by the time he was ready to leave and on the elevator ride to the parking lot he suggested that they have lunch at his favorite diner a few blocks away. They were seated immediately, and Abby was delighted that they served Caf-Pow! She downed a large cup before their food arrived.
Their fingers moved easily between taking bites of their lunch and although he wanted to take the easy road and just speak to her, but he found that with all the practice, his signing was flowing much smoother than when he had first met her.
He pried gently for information on her home and family back in Louisiana. He wanted to find out if she was still close to her parents, if she missed home and if she had a ‘special someone’ waiting for her. (Sort of, not really and nope). He wondered if she’d be on the first flight home once she found out he could hear again.
It was mid-afternoon by the time they made it back to Gibbs’ place and he was halfway to the kitchen when he realized he hadn’t heard the front door shut behind him. He started the coffee machine and then backtracked to the front door to find Abby. He found her bent over the flowers in the front yard, pulling the starts of weeds from the ground. When she noticed him in the doorway, she paused to address him. Got to get the weeds before they seed and spread.
After pulling a few more weeds from the ground, Abby followed Gibbs in and accepted the coffee he handed her. They stood in the kitchen drinking their coffee, both thinking over the brief kiss they shared that morning, but neither willing to start any conversation about it.
They gradually drifted in different directions, finding various chores they needed to complete. After a second load of laundry, Gibbs brought Abby the phone and asked if she would order pizza. Taking the phone she hit speed dial, number 3, and called Giorgio’s Pizza, ordering their usual; a large Hawaiian special and a side of breadsticks.
Twenty minutes later, Abby was opening the door for the pizza delivery boy while Gibbs grabbed two plates and two beers.
Dinner, like always, was silent with both of them using their hands for the pizza rather than signing. Setting her pizza down, Abby ran her finger around the mouth of her beer bottle as she finished her bite. She took a long sip and glanced at Gibbs. Something was different with him. Although he had warmed up to her considerably over the past several days, today it was almost as if he was trying to make her laugh. He had been relaxed at NCIS and hadn’t questioned her repeatedly on what they had said about him.
Maybe he was trying to prove that he was okay and that he didn’t need her. People who were deaf lived alone all the time, maybe he no longer needed her. Maybe he regretted letting her in, showing her Kelly’s room.
She still had faith that he would regain his hearing. She wondered if she would see him again after she left. She hoped so, but she had no real reason to. She normally hadn’t become too attached to the people she worked with, but at the same time, she’d never lived with any of them either. She wondered if he would miss her, or if he’d be glad to live alone again. Above everything else, she wondered if the kiss earlier that morning had meant anything at all.
---
Gibbs could tell that she needed some time to think about something, so after cleaning up he left her to her thoughts and headed for the basement. He needed some time to process his own thoughts on his hearing, on Abby, on just about everything that had changed since the explosion. With the door to the basement closed, Gibbs tinkered around, noting that some noises weren’t as easy to hear as others. He wanted to try out his voice, but the idea of talking to himself wasn’t exactly appealing. Running his fingers over his daughter’s name painted onto his boat he whispered softly. “I miss you.”
He worked on his boat until his hands ached. He could see through the basement windows that it was dark, and he wondered what Abby was doing.
He found her sitting on the couch with a magazine spread across her lap. He moved around and lifted her legs so that he could sit beside her, resting her legs over his.
Hi.
Hi.
What are you reading?
I, Abby hesitated a moment, she couldn’t remember what she’d been looking at. Nothing, really. I’m just flipping through a magazine. You’ve been working on your boat?
Yes. It’s about time to flip her over and stain the inside.
What color?
Gibbs pulled a small booklet from the coffee table and flipped it open to the page he had marked by folding the corner of the page. Colonial Pine. It’s a near match for the color of the wood that I used.
Abby pulled her legs from his lap and tucked them under her so she could lean in for a better look. What, you don’t want to stain it Green Bayou?
Gibbs flicked her nose at the silly suggestion and Abby laughed. When she leaned slightly forward to get him to flip the page to look at the other supplies in the woodworking magazine, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder so she could lean into his side.
He lay the magazine in his lap so he could sign and she flipped the pages, commenting on the tools that she didn’t recognize. Why not just use power tools? It’d be so much faster.
It’s not about getting it done. It’s the work that goes into it.
Gibbs found his fingers wrapped gently in one of Abby’s pigtails, swirling the hair as she rested her head on his shoulder and continued to flip through the magazine. She flipped to the end, and then tossed the magazine back to the coffee table, but made no move to get up. Gibbs was first to move, pushing her away so he could stand.
Abby tried to hide the brief look of disappointment on her face, she had enjoyed the brief contact with him, but before she could completely think it through, Gibbs was reaching out toward her and his eyes caught her. Come on, time for bed.
She took his hand and let him pull her off the couch. His grip on her hand was firm, and it wasn’t until he was at the top of the stairs that he dropped his hold. They headed their separate ways, Gibbs into his bedroom and master bath, and Abby into the guest room. With her PJ’s on, she stepped across the hallway to the bathroom. She took her hair down from her standard pigtails and then pulled it up into a sloppy bun before washing her face and then brushing her teeth.
She was still thinking about his kiss that morning when she stepped back into the hallway, nearly crashing into Gibbs when stepped in front of her.
He was standing inches from her and she flushed at their close proximity. Is everything okay?
Gibbs nodded.
Goodnight. Her movements were slow and deliberate, and when she finished her goodnight, she placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed up on her toes to kiss his cheek. Only Gibbs didn’t want a kiss on the cheek so he turned his head and caught her lips in a gentle kiss.
Abby’s eyes opened wide at the kiss, but Gibbs’ hand moved up to the back of her neck holding her gently so that she wouldn’t pull away. Giving in, Abby wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered to his kiss.
Gibbs was the first to pull away, leaving them both gasping for air. Stay the night with me, I… Gibbs didn’t get the chance to finish; Abby was already agreeing and following him into the room.
Gibbs pulled the covers back for her, and then walked around to his side and joined her. Abby rolled toward him and met him in the middle for another kiss. She wasn’t sure how far he wanted to take things, and she was sure she was breaking all sorts of rules and regulations pertaining to her job, but she didn’t care.
It was dark, so there was no point in signing to him; she just reached out and brought his face to hers. She rolled back, bringing him with her, his body half covering hers. A soft moan was muffled by his kiss, and Abby wondered if he knew how much he had an effect on her.
His hands roamed up and down her sides, and he longed to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. The compliments would have to wait; he didn’t want to waste time explaining that his hearing had come back when he could be kissing her instead.
As soon as his body started to show interest, Gibbs knew he had to back off. As badly as he wanted her, he also wanted her to know that it wasn’t because she was the only woman he’d been around the past few weeks except Jenny and Ziva. It wasn’t some itch he needed to scratch, he was genuinely falling for her and he wanted to make that clear. She knew about about his ex-wives, and he thought that it warranted an explanation.
Abby didn’t question his hesitation, and let herself be pulled against his chest, smiling at the kiss he pressed to her forehead. She knew he couldn’t hear her, but she whispered ‘goodnight’ anyway, assuming it was purely coincidence that he tightened his arm around her at that moment.
---
Abby was dancing around the kitchen, singing along to the radio at the top of her lungs and making breakfast at the same time.
“Oh I wanna dance with somebody,
I wanna feel the heat with somebody,
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody,
With somebody who-”
She spun around and saw Gibbs standing in the door way, a big smile on his face. “Didn’t take you to be a Whitney Houston fan.”
“I’m not, and if you ever…” Realization suddenly dawned on Abby and the spatula she had been using fell from her hand, clattering on the linoleum. “You can hear that?”
Gibbs nodded. “I think the whole neighborhood can hear that.”
Abby picked up the spatula and tossed it to the sink and then turned to switch off the radio, ignoring the scrambled eggs in the pan. “Oh my God, we’ve got to call your Audiologist and Ducky and Tony and… and the rest of your team, and-”
“No.” Gibbs placed his hand over the phone before Abby could pick it up. “Not yet.”
“Not yet? Are you kidding? This is amazing, we’ve all been waiting, you’ve been waiting!”
“I want to have breakfast first. I think the eggs are a lost cause, but the bacon and pancakes smell good.”
Abby cringed and picked up the pan with the blackened eggs, setting the pan in the sink to let it soak while they ate. “I’m so excited for you. Did you just wake up and could hear, do things sound normal, or..?” She continued to blabber on without any response from Gibbs. He was happy to listen to her chatter and quietly set the table as she pulled the pancakes from the oven where they had been keeping warm.
She sat down at the table with a huff. “Well?”
“You talk just as fast as you sign.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“So you woke up and could just hear? Usually it’s a slower progression as you heal.”
“I could hear a bit yesterday.” He decided to tell half the truth. “But I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure.”
“That why you were in such a good mood yesterday?”
“Nah, think I was in a good mood because I woke up with a pretty woman in my bed. Two days in a row now.”
Abby smiled shyly. This was new, them speaking. It added a whole new dimension to what they were used to. They finished breakfast silently, and as Abby started to clean up, she suggested a phone call to the doctor.
Gibbs reached out his hand for Abby. “I want to talk to you. I can talk to the doctor later.”
Abby took his hand and let him tug her out toward the living room. “Are you sure? Why don’t we call and at least make an appointment for this afternoon, because you should really-”
Gibbs spun around and pressed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss, leaving Abby breathless when he finally pulled back. WOW!
“You talk. A lot.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry.”
Gibbs brushed a gentle kiss across her lips. “Don’t be sorry, just slow down a little.” He crossed the last few feet to the couch and sat down, waiting until Abby was beside him and leaning against him before propping his feet up on the coffee table. He placed a tender kiss to the side of her head and wrapped his arm tightly around her. “You know, I’ve spent the past three weeks wondering what you sound like.”
“What do I sound like?”
“Like music to my ears.”
Abby snorted and pulled away enough so she could turn to look back at him with an arched brow. “That was so full of cheese I could package it and sell it at the grocery store.”
Gibbs laughed and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her hear. “I thought you’d enjoy a line like that.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love it! It’s just, I don’t know, it’s funny to hear it come from you. I just don’t know what you sound like when you’re being sarcastic.” She loved that he sounded too serious when he spoke, but there was a slight sparkle in his eye and a grin tugging at his lips. “But I’m learning. Real fast.” Abby leaned back against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m so excited for you. I can’t even imagine how it would feel to suddenly not hear. Now you can get back to your normal life.” She looked up at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Now he didn’t need her.
She knew the day would come; the doctors had been fairly certain his hearing would return, and even if it hadn’t, he wouldn’t need her forever.
“Tell me about you.” Gibbs ignored the false smile. He knew that he couldn’t do any better when it came to the idea of getting his normal life back. He missed NCIS, but he would miss Abby more than he cared to admit.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“Can’t you just type my name into one of those fancy computers at NCIS and get my whole life story printed out?”
“Mm, I could.” Gibbs rested a cheek on the top of her head. “But I’d rather hear it from you. I just want to hear you.”
“Well, I grew up in-”
“No, I already know that stuff. I want to know what makes you tick.”
“Oh. Well, I love science and medicine and people.” Abby signed as she spoke.
“You don’t need to do that.” Gibbs covered her hand with his own.
“Oops, habit.” Abby held on to Gibbs’ hands as she spoke, explaining how she got in nursing after caring for her brother for 6 months after a devastating car accident. “They wanted to stick him in some rehab place 700 miles away from home. I couldn’t let that happen, so I learned everything I needed and worked with a local doctor who came to check on him twice a week.”
“He okay?”
“My brother? Yeah, it was a long road to recovery and he ended up doing 6 weeks of physical therapy after he could walk again, but he’s fine now. It was after that that I decided I wanted to go to nursing school. What about you? Why NCIS?”
Gibbs sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. It has to do with Shannon, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does.”
“I… I don’t need to know. You know, we should really get you an appointment at the doctors. We should also call NCIS.” Abby pulled out her cell and pulled up the doctor’s number.
Gibbs took the phone and pressed the call button. Abby listened quietly as he made his call - memorizing the feel of his arm wrapped around her, the way his voice sounded as he made an appointment with the doctor for the following day. She wondered how much longer she’d get to spend time with him. When he hung up he handed back the phone. “Aren’t you going to call NCIS?”
“Nah, I figure we can stop in on our way to dinner.”
“Dinner?” Abby sat forward slightly so she could look over her shoulder at him.
“If you’re interested? I thought we could go out and grab dinner tonight.” Gibbs asked hesitantly. He’d just assumed…
Abby grinned. “I’ll have to check my schedule, but I might be able to pencil you in.”
“Pencil me in, huh?”
“I’m very busy, you know.” Abby leaned back against him, and pulled his arm tightly around herself. “Very popular. See there’s this guy…”
Gibbs stiffened.
“… that I’ve been sorta working for, or, with? I don’t know. Anyway, he’s kind of grumpy sometimes and usually doesn’t like to go anywhere, though lately he’s been more agreeable.”
“That so?” Gibbs relaxed back against the sofa and smiled.
“Mm hmm, so I don’t know if I have to stay home and babysit him.”
“Babysit him? If you don’t want to go out-”
“Oh I do! I just don’t know if he’ll let me.”
“Let you? Since when has anyone ever been able to tell you what to do?”
“Well, there was this one guy and we used-” Abby blushed as his arm tightened around her. “Yeah, never mind. Where are we going?”
“Where ever you want.”
Abby shrugged. “I don’t know many places around here. Where do you suggest?”
“I know a great little Greek place. Good food, ouzo…”
“Agent Gibbs, are you suggesting you want to get me drunk?”
“Nah, if I wanted to get you drunk, I’ve got a perfectly good bottle of bourbon down by the boat.” They continued to talk about everything and nothing all at once. They took turns sharing stories of their youth and Gibbs gave her the highlights of working at NCIS (skipping over the bad; Tony and the plague, Ari, and the constant reminder that death is right around the corner).
“Abby?”
“Hmm?” She had nearly fallen asleep in the warmth and comfort of his arms.
“I’m sorry.”
Pulling herself reluctantly from his arms, she moved so she was facing him. “For what?”
Gibbs reached out to cup her face and smiled when she moved into his touch. “I should have kept you safe and I didn’t.” His eyes swept down to the bandage still on her arm.
“It wasn’t your fault. You can’t believe that.”
“You got shot because of me.” Gibbs dropped his hand to cover the bandage. She had taken the stitches out the day before, but kept the skin covered to keep it clean.
“No, I got shot because I wouldn’t shut up.” Abby leaned forward so that her lips were mere millimeters from his. He tried to close the distance, but Abby wouldn’t let him. “See, I talk, a lot. And sometimes my mouth gets me in-”
This time Gibbs slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her in. He was please by the way she melted against him with a soft sigh. She was able to shift and straddle his lap without break this kiss, making it easier for him to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.
He dropped his hands to caress her thighs, both thankful and cursing the fact that she was wearing pants rather than one of her short skirts.
Abby nipped his lower lip and then pulled back. “We should probably get going. They’ll all be very excited to see you.”
“Yeah,” Gibbs smiled and brought up his thumb to trace her swollen lips. Her eyes were half shut, and the look on her face told him she wouldn’t give him any trouble if he kissed her again instead of suggesting they get up. “Come on, we’ll finish this later.”
----
Part Six
He almost brought her with him, just to hear her voice as she spoke with Jenny, but he figured signing a few papers wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
He was right. He walked in, Jen showed him where to sign and after a quick read-through, he signed and left. Back in the squad room Abby had moved to perch on the edge of Tony’s desk while Ziva and McGee had rolled their chairs over.
They were reading stupid things off of some website and laughing. Abby noticed him first and shot him a large smile and then asked if he was ready to go.
Nah, I have a few things that I could get done around here.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re talking about me?” Tony leaned back in his chair and looked accusingly at Abby.
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe we are. Maybe he just told me all your dirty secrets.”
Ziva gave a hearty laugh. “You see Tony? They were not conversing about you. If Gibbs had been telling all your dirty secrets, he would not yet be done signing.”
“She’s right, Tony.” McGee agreed.
Gibbs didn’t realize how much he’d missed his team until he heard them bickering playfully as though nothing had happened. He listened to their conversation, resisting telling them to get some work done. If they were working, Abby wouldn’t be chatting and he couldn’t get enough of her voice.
It was lunch time by the time he was ready to leave and on the elevator ride to the parking lot he suggested that they have lunch at his favorite diner a few blocks away. They were seated immediately, and Abby was delighted that they served Caf-Pow! She downed a large cup before their food arrived.
Their fingers moved easily between taking bites of their lunch and although he wanted to take the easy road and just speak to her, but he found that with all the practice, his signing was flowing much smoother than when he had first met her.
He pried gently for information on her home and family back in Louisiana. He wanted to find out if she was still close to her parents, if she missed home and if she had a ‘special someone’ waiting for her. (Sort of, not really and nope). He wondered if she’d be on the first flight home once she found out he could hear again.
It was mid-afternoon by the time they made it back to Gibbs’ place and he was halfway to the kitchen when he realized he hadn’t heard the front door shut behind him. He started the coffee machine and then backtracked to the front door to find Abby. He found her bent over the flowers in the front yard, pulling the starts of weeds from the ground. When she noticed him in the doorway, she paused to address him. Got to get the weeds before they seed and spread.
After pulling a few more weeds from the ground, Abby followed Gibbs in and accepted the coffee he handed her. They stood in the kitchen drinking their coffee, both thinking over the brief kiss they shared that morning, but neither willing to start any conversation about it.
They gradually drifted in different directions, finding various chores they needed to complete. After a second load of laundry, Gibbs brought Abby the phone and asked if she would order pizza. Taking the phone she hit speed dial, number 3, and called Giorgio’s Pizza, ordering their usual; a large Hawaiian special and a side of breadsticks.
Twenty minutes later, Abby was opening the door for the pizza delivery boy while Gibbs grabbed two plates and two beers.
Dinner, like always, was silent with both of them using their hands for the pizza rather than signing. Setting her pizza down, Abby ran her finger around the mouth of her beer bottle as she finished her bite. She took a long sip and glanced at Gibbs. Something was different with him. Although he had warmed up to her considerably over the past several days, today it was almost as if he was trying to make her laugh. He had been relaxed at NCIS and hadn’t questioned her repeatedly on what they had said about him.
Maybe he was trying to prove that he was okay and that he didn’t need her. People who were deaf lived alone all the time, maybe he no longer needed her. Maybe he regretted letting her in, showing her Kelly’s room.
She still had faith that he would regain his hearing. She wondered if she would see him again after she left. She hoped so, but she had no real reason to. She normally hadn’t become too attached to the people she worked with, but at the same time, she’d never lived with any of them either. She wondered if he would miss her, or if he’d be glad to live alone again. Above everything else, she wondered if the kiss earlier that morning had meant anything at all.
---
Gibbs could tell that she needed some time to think about something, so after cleaning up he left her to her thoughts and headed for the basement. He needed some time to process his own thoughts on his hearing, on Abby, on just about everything that had changed since the explosion. With the door to the basement closed, Gibbs tinkered around, noting that some noises weren’t as easy to hear as others. He wanted to try out his voice, but the idea of talking to himself wasn’t exactly appealing. Running his fingers over his daughter’s name painted onto his boat he whispered softly. “I miss you.”
He worked on his boat until his hands ached. He could see through the basement windows that it was dark, and he wondered what Abby was doing.
He found her sitting on the couch with a magazine spread across her lap. He moved around and lifted her legs so that he could sit beside her, resting her legs over his.
Hi.
Hi.
What are you reading?
I, Abby hesitated a moment, she couldn’t remember what she’d been looking at. Nothing, really. I’m just flipping through a magazine. You’ve been working on your boat?
Yes. It’s about time to flip her over and stain the inside.
What color?
Gibbs pulled a small booklet from the coffee table and flipped it open to the page he had marked by folding the corner of the page. Colonial Pine. It’s a near match for the color of the wood that I used.
Abby pulled her legs from his lap and tucked them under her so she could lean in for a better look. What, you don’t want to stain it Green Bayou?
Gibbs flicked her nose at the silly suggestion and Abby laughed. When she leaned slightly forward to get him to flip the page to look at the other supplies in the woodworking magazine, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder so she could lean into his side.
He lay the magazine in his lap so he could sign and she flipped the pages, commenting on the tools that she didn’t recognize. Why not just use power tools? It’d be so much faster.
It’s not about getting it done. It’s the work that goes into it.
Gibbs found his fingers wrapped gently in one of Abby’s pigtails, swirling the hair as she rested her head on his shoulder and continued to flip through the magazine. She flipped to the end, and then tossed the magazine back to the coffee table, but made no move to get up. Gibbs was first to move, pushing her away so he could stand.
Abby tried to hide the brief look of disappointment on her face, she had enjoyed the brief contact with him, but before she could completely think it through, Gibbs was reaching out toward her and his eyes caught her. Come on, time for bed.
She took his hand and let him pull her off the couch. His grip on her hand was firm, and it wasn’t until he was at the top of the stairs that he dropped his hold. They headed their separate ways, Gibbs into his bedroom and master bath, and Abby into the guest room. With her PJ’s on, she stepped across the hallway to the bathroom. She took her hair down from her standard pigtails and then pulled it up into a sloppy bun before washing her face and then brushing her teeth.
She was still thinking about his kiss that morning when she stepped back into the hallway, nearly crashing into Gibbs when stepped in front of her.
He was standing inches from her and she flushed at their close proximity. Is everything okay?
Gibbs nodded.
Goodnight. Her movements were slow and deliberate, and when she finished her goodnight, she placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed up on her toes to kiss his cheek. Only Gibbs didn’t want a kiss on the cheek so he turned his head and caught her lips in a gentle kiss.
Abby’s eyes opened wide at the kiss, but Gibbs’ hand moved up to the back of her neck holding her gently so that she wouldn’t pull away. Giving in, Abby wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered to his kiss.
Gibbs was the first to pull away, leaving them both gasping for air. Stay the night with me, I… Gibbs didn’t get the chance to finish; Abby was already agreeing and following him into the room.
Gibbs pulled the covers back for her, and then walked around to his side and joined her. Abby rolled toward him and met him in the middle for another kiss. She wasn’t sure how far he wanted to take things, and she was sure she was breaking all sorts of rules and regulations pertaining to her job, but she didn’t care.
It was dark, so there was no point in signing to him; she just reached out and brought his face to hers. She rolled back, bringing him with her, his body half covering hers. A soft moan was muffled by his kiss, and Abby wondered if he knew how much he had an effect on her.
His hands roamed up and down her sides, and he longed to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. The compliments would have to wait; he didn’t want to waste time explaining that his hearing had come back when he could be kissing her instead.
As soon as his body started to show interest, Gibbs knew he had to back off. As badly as he wanted her, he also wanted her to know that it wasn’t because she was the only woman he’d been around the past few weeks except Jenny and Ziva. It wasn’t some itch he needed to scratch, he was genuinely falling for her and he wanted to make that clear. She knew about about his ex-wives, and he thought that it warranted an explanation.
Abby didn’t question his hesitation, and let herself be pulled against his chest, smiling at the kiss he pressed to her forehead. She knew he couldn’t hear her, but she whispered ‘goodnight’ anyway, assuming it was purely coincidence that he tightened his arm around her at that moment.
---
Abby was dancing around the kitchen, singing along to the radio at the top of her lungs and making breakfast at the same time.
“Oh I wanna dance with somebody,
I wanna feel the heat with somebody,
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody,
With somebody who-”
She spun around and saw Gibbs standing in the door way, a big smile on his face. “Didn’t take you to be a Whitney Houston fan.”
“I’m not, and if you ever…” Realization suddenly dawned on Abby and the spatula she had been using fell from her hand, clattering on the linoleum. “You can hear that?”
Gibbs nodded. “I think the whole neighborhood can hear that.”
Abby picked up the spatula and tossed it to the sink and then turned to switch off the radio, ignoring the scrambled eggs in the pan. “Oh my God, we’ve got to call your Audiologist and Ducky and Tony and… and the rest of your team, and-”
“No.” Gibbs placed his hand over the phone before Abby could pick it up. “Not yet.”
“Not yet? Are you kidding? This is amazing, we’ve all been waiting, you’ve been waiting!”
“I want to have breakfast first. I think the eggs are a lost cause, but the bacon and pancakes smell good.”
Abby cringed and picked up the pan with the blackened eggs, setting the pan in the sink to let it soak while they ate. “I’m so excited for you. Did you just wake up and could hear, do things sound normal, or..?” She continued to blabber on without any response from Gibbs. He was happy to listen to her chatter and quietly set the table as she pulled the pancakes from the oven where they had been keeping warm.
She sat down at the table with a huff. “Well?”
“You talk just as fast as you sign.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“So you woke up and could just hear? Usually it’s a slower progression as you heal.”
“I could hear a bit yesterday.” He decided to tell half the truth. “But I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure.”
“That why you were in such a good mood yesterday?”
“Nah, think I was in a good mood because I woke up with a pretty woman in my bed. Two days in a row now.”
Abby smiled shyly. This was new, them speaking. It added a whole new dimension to what they were used to. They finished breakfast silently, and as Abby started to clean up, she suggested a phone call to the doctor.
Gibbs reached out his hand for Abby. “I want to talk to you. I can talk to the doctor later.”
Abby took his hand and let him tug her out toward the living room. “Are you sure? Why don’t we call and at least make an appointment for this afternoon, because you should really-”
Gibbs spun around and pressed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss, leaving Abby breathless when he finally pulled back. WOW!
“You talk. A lot.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry.”
Gibbs brushed a gentle kiss across her lips. “Don’t be sorry, just slow down a little.” He crossed the last few feet to the couch and sat down, waiting until Abby was beside him and leaning against him before propping his feet up on the coffee table. He placed a tender kiss to the side of her head and wrapped his arm tightly around her. “You know, I’ve spent the past three weeks wondering what you sound like.”
“What do I sound like?”
“Like music to my ears.”
Abby snorted and pulled away enough so she could turn to look back at him with an arched brow. “That was so full of cheese I could package it and sell it at the grocery store.”
Gibbs laughed and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her hear. “I thought you’d enjoy a line like that.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love it! It’s just, I don’t know, it’s funny to hear it come from you. I just don’t know what you sound like when you’re being sarcastic.” She loved that he sounded too serious when he spoke, but there was a slight sparkle in his eye and a grin tugging at his lips. “But I’m learning. Real fast.” Abby leaned back against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m so excited for you. I can’t even imagine how it would feel to suddenly not hear. Now you can get back to your normal life.” She looked up at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Now he didn’t need her.
She knew the day would come; the doctors had been fairly certain his hearing would return, and even if it hadn’t, he wouldn’t need her forever.
“Tell me about you.” Gibbs ignored the false smile. He knew that he couldn’t do any better when it came to the idea of getting his normal life back. He missed NCIS, but he would miss Abby more than he cared to admit.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“Can’t you just type my name into one of those fancy computers at NCIS and get my whole life story printed out?”
“Mm, I could.” Gibbs rested a cheek on the top of her head. “But I’d rather hear it from you. I just want to hear you.”
“Well, I grew up in-”
“No, I already know that stuff. I want to know what makes you tick.”
“Oh. Well, I love science and medicine and people.” Abby signed as she spoke.
“You don’t need to do that.” Gibbs covered her hand with his own.
“Oops, habit.” Abby held on to Gibbs’ hands as she spoke, explaining how she got in nursing after caring for her brother for 6 months after a devastating car accident. “They wanted to stick him in some rehab place 700 miles away from home. I couldn’t let that happen, so I learned everything I needed and worked with a local doctor who came to check on him twice a week.”
“He okay?”
“My brother? Yeah, it was a long road to recovery and he ended up doing 6 weeks of physical therapy after he could walk again, but he’s fine now. It was after that that I decided I wanted to go to nursing school. What about you? Why NCIS?”
Gibbs sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. It has to do with Shannon, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does.”
“I… I don’t need to know. You know, we should really get you an appointment at the doctors. We should also call NCIS.” Abby pulled out her cell and pulled up the doctor’s number.
Gibbs took the phone and pressed the call button. Abby listened quietly as he made his call - memorizing the feel of his arm wrapped around her, the way his voice sounded as he made an appointment with the doctor for the following day. She wondered how much longer she’d get to spend time with him. When he hung up he handed back the phone. “Aren’t you going to call NCIS?”
“Nah, I figure we can stop in on our way to dinner.”
“Dinner?” Abby sat forward slightly so she could look over her shoulder at him.
“If you’re interested? I thought we could go out and grab dinner tonight.” Gibbs asked hesitantly. He’d just assumed…
Abby grinned. “I’ll have to check my schedule, but I might be able to pencil you in.”
“Pencil me in, huh?”
“I’m very busy, you know.” Abby leaned back against him, and pulled his arm tightly around herself. “Very popular. See there’s this guy…”
Gibbs stiffened.
“… that I’ve been sorta working for, or, with? I don’t know. Anyway, he’s kind of grumpy sometimes and usually doesn’t like to go anywhere, though lately he’s been more agreeable.”
“That so?” Gibbs relaxed back against the sofa and smiled.
“Mm hmm, so I don’t know if I have to stay home and babysit him.”
“Babysit him? If you don’t want to go out-”
“Oh I do! I just don’t know if he’ll let me.”
“Let you? Since when has anyone ever been able to tell you what to do?”
“Well, there was this one guy and we used-” Abby blushed as his arm tightened around her. “Yeah, never mind. Where are we going?”
“Where ever you want.”
Abby shrugged. “I don’t know many places around here. Where do you suggest?”
“I know a great little Greek place. Good food, ouzo…”
“Agent Gibbs, are you suggesting you want to get me drunk?”
“Nah, if I wanted to get you drunk, I’ve got a perfectly good bottle of bourbon down by the boat.” They continued to talk about everything and nothing all at once. They took turns sharing stories of their youth and Gibbs gave her the highlights of working at NCIS (skipping over the bad; Tony and the plague, Ari, and the constant reminder that death is right around the corner).
“Abby?”
“Hmm?” She had nearly fallen asleep in the warmth and comfort of his arms.
“I’m sorry.”
Pulling herself reluctantly from his arms, she moved so she was facing him. “For what?”
Gibbs reached out to cup her face and smiled when she moved into his touch. “I should have kept you safe and I didn’t.” His eyes swept down to the bandage still on her arm.
“It wasn’t your fault. You can’t believe that.”
“You got shot because of me.” Gibbs dropped his hand to cover the bandage. She had taken the stitches out the day before, but kept the skin covered to keep it clean.
“No, I got shot because I wouldn’t shut up.” Abby leaned forward so that her lips were mere millimeters from his. He tried to close the distance, but Abby wouldn’t let him. “See, I talk, a lot. And sometimes my mouth gets me in-”
This time Gibbs slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her in. He was please by the way she melted against him with a soft sigh. She was able to shift and straddle his lap without break this kiss, making it easier for him to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.
He dropped his hands to caress her thighs, both thankful and cursing the fact that she was wearing pants rather than one of her short skirts.
Abby nipped his lower lip and then pulled back. “We should probably get going. They’ll all be very excited to see you.”
“Yeah,” Gibbs smiled and brought up his thumb to trace her swollen lips. Her eyes were half shut, and the look on her face told him she wouldn’t give him any trouble if he kissed her again instead of suggesting they get up. “Come on, we’ll finish this later.”
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Part Six