Fic: If I Should Lose You
Title: If I Should Lose You, part 5/7
Author: ncis_love
Rating: NC-17 (There be sex. And lots of it).
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs, Abby/Tony, Gibbs/Abby/Tony
Category: Angst, Romance
Spoilers: Through, season 4 (mostly for Hiatus, Shalom, Escaped and Driven)
Summary: It isn't easy to say goodbye.
---
Gibbs pressed a lingering kiss to her lips and then rolled away and got up to get cleaned up. By the time he returned from the bathroom, Abby was curled into a ball in the center of the bed, facing away from him. He knelt on the bed and moved in close to curl around her. “Abbs?” He nuzzled against her shoulder.
“God Gibbs,” she sobbed, “what did I do?” The weight of everything they’d done, hitting her like a ton of bricks.
His heart seized in his chest as he realize he’d made her so upset. He hadn’t planned on taking her to bed, but the urge had been too great, the memory of her warm skin and soft body too tempting. “Shh, it’s okay.” He ran a gentle hand up and down her arm.
“I can’t believe I did this to Tony. He would never hurt me. He’d never leave me the way you did and then... then I go and do this to him? What’s wrong with me?”
It was one of the rare times Gibbs couldn’t find his voice. Instead he moved off the bed to pull on a pair of pants and grabbed his phone. With one last look at Abby, he stepped outside and dialed Tony.
“Yeah boss?”
“I need you to come over. It’s Abby.”
Tony didn’t ask for an explanation. “On my way,” he said before hanging up.
By the time Gibbs opened the door for him 15 minutes later, Abby was dressed and sat quietly, curled up on the couch.
“Abby!” Tony was kneeling in front of her in an instant, his hands rubbing her thighs reassuringly. “What is it baby?”
“Oh Tony, I’m so sorry, I’m so so… I can’t believe I did this to you.”
“Did what? Shhh, it’s okay,” he wiped at her tears. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but she pushed him away.
“Gibbs and I… we… I didn’t mean to cheat. I never wanted to hurt you, it just happened.”
“Remember what I said?” Tony pushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “It’s okay Abbs, really.” He could deal with his own feelings about the situation later.
“No, it’s not. I’m with you now. I didn’t mean too. We just got carried away and I... I’m so sorry.”
Tony got up and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug. “You love him, don’t you?”
“I love you. I’m with you now.”
“Not what I asked. You love him.”
“I…”
“You’ve never lied to me before, don’t start now. You love him.”
Abby nodded, her head dropping forward. “But I love you.”
“I know that. And we’re all… we’re like family the three of us.” Tony glanced up at Gibbs. “Don’t look at it as cheating on me Abbs. You need some time with Gibbs, with what you had before, I can’t keep you away from him. I don’t want too. When I see you look at him… I can’t get between that.”
Abby’s eyes widened. “Tony are you… are we over?”
“God no,” Tony laughed. “I just… I don’t know what this is, the three of us.” He glanced over at Gibbs who was still standing in the doorway.
“All I know is that I love you, and he loves you.”
“I don’t deserve you,” Abby shook her head. “I don’t deserve either of you.”
“Abby, I should’ve been more in control of the situation. I never wanted you to feel so bad. Maybe it’s for the best if we keep some distance.”
Having finally seen them together, seeing the way Tony was able to calm her, he knew she was in good hands.
Abby nodded, but refused to look at him.
“I was thinking more along the lines of maybe we could all go grab dinner together tomorrow,” Tony ran a hand down Abby’s back. “You’ll be miserable if you two avoid each other.
“Why are you so into the idea of me and Gibbs?” Abby looked up curiously and brushed away a tear.
“I’m into the idea of keeping you happy and if I have to share now and again, I’m okay with that.” Tony shrugged. “I’m not saying I’m glad he left, because I know how much it hurt you. Hell, it hurt us all, but without that, you and I never would’ve happened.”
Abby turned to look at Gibbs. “Why can’t I just walk away from you?”
Gibbs worked hard to keep any show of emotion off his face. “Would it be easier if I walked away from you?”
“No.” Abby shook her head. “You already did that, twice.” If she noticed his obvious wince, she didn’t comment on it.
“Come on, let me drive you home,” Tony urged her to her feet. “Let’s do something fun tomorrow, the three of us.”
Abby closed her eyes. “Tony, I don’t-”
“So we can show you that we’re okay, that we’re all okay. Just a simple meal between friends or maybe some ice cream.”
“I’d be willing,” Gibbs spoke. The logical side of his brain told him he needed to back off. He needed distance from Abby until he didn’t feel the strong pull he felt every time he saw her or thought of her, but his heart told him that he couldn’t walk away from her again. Not unless she told him to leave her alone.
“Okay.”
“Alright, come on. I’ll drive you home.”
“No. I want to be alone. I’ll drive myself home.”
Tony shook his head. He rarely put his foot down, but sometimes he had to draw the line. “No, I’m not going to let you beat yourself up all night thinking you’ve hurt me. I’m okay, I promise. We’ll go watch a movie or something. Or, isn’t it shark week on discovery?”
Gibbs watched as a slow smile tugged at her lips. He had no idea what ‘shark week’ was, but whatever it was, it had sparked Abby’s interest. “Yeah.”
“Alright, you can drive yourself home if you want a few minutes of quiet, but I’ll meet you back at your place.” Tony reached for her jacket, helping her into it. “So dinner after work tomorrow?” He looked to Gibbs and then Abby and back to Gibbs again.
Gibbs waited for Abby to agree before nodding in agreement as well.
“Good. See you tomorrow then.” Tony escorted her out the door and down to her car. He opened the door for her and kissed her before motioning for her to get in. “See you in a few.”
“Okay.”
---
Tony sighed happily as he pushed his face between Abby’s thighs. He had tried to settle with her on the couch to watch TV, but she had been so distracted and couldn’t get over the idea that she had cheated on him, so instead he had decided to take her to bed.The logical side of his brain told him that, yes, she had cheated on him. He should be angry, he should feel hurt, maybe even violated, but he couldn’t get the image of her in bed with Gibbs out of his mind, and it definitely wasn’t hurting him, in fact it was doing quite the opposite.
He knew she had been in bed with Gibbs. Not just because she had admitted it, but because she tasted different than usual and he suspected it had something to do with Gibbs. Again, he surprised himself by deciding he enjoyed the taste rather than being repulsed by the idea. God, they were so perfect together, they even tasted right together.
“Tony, Tony, Tony…” she panted, her fingers tightening in his hair. “Right there, please Tony… OH-”
Tony continued to flick his tongue against her clit as she rode through her orgasm. Once she was done, he tuned his mouth to the smooth skin just to the side of her folds, sucking until he was sure he’d left a mark - just because he could - and then scooted up to cradle her in his arms until she was ready to speak again.
“Let me return the favor?”
“No.”
Abby pulled back, shocked. “What? Why? Is it because of what I did with Gibbs? Oh fuck, we didn’t use a condom, I didn’t even think, you could probably, oh Tony could you taste…?” she covered her face with her hands. She didn’t think the night could get any worse.
“No no no, that’s not what I mean.” Tony pushed her hands down. “I meant, I don’t want your mouth on me tonight, I just want to make love to you, show you that we’re okay. And let’s not talk about the fact that I can taste him in you, I’m a little freaked out by the fact that I guess I enjoyed it. I don’t know what that means.”
“Enjoyed it?” Abby tilted her head to the side. That was new. For all she knew, Tony had never been interested in men - though he’d commented on Gibbs’ good looks a time or two. “Something you need to tell me?”
“No,” Tony shoved two fingers between her legs making her moan. “Just making sure I didn’t suck you dry,” he smirked before rolling over her, pushing into her with a lazy thrust.
The clung to each other tightly, moving together easily, touching, kissing and licking anywhere within reach while they remained joined. Eventually, Abby pushed him onto his back and straddled him, linking her fingers with his, riding him slowly, keeping eye contact until Tony looked away, pressing his head back against the pillow as his hips snapped upward as he came.
“You’ve been so stressed lately, but I love how relaxed you look when we’re in bed.” Abby leaned forward to kiss him, long and slow.
Eventually sliding off of him and curling against his side, ignoring the sticky mess between her legs.
“It’s what you do to me. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
The following morning they woke up to find the alarm had been going for 15 minutes. “I’m a mess,” She directed Tony toward the shower.
“You made this mess, you should clean it up in the shower.”
“See… you need to spend time with Gibbs. All that sex last night, and now in the shower? Without him, not sure I could keep up with you.” When he saw her tense up at the mention of Gibbs’ name, he leaned over to kiss her. “Relax. I didn’t mean to stress you out. I’ll go start the shower. If you’re not scrubbing my back in five minutes, I’m throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you to the shower myself.”
As soon as he was out of the room Abby forced herself out of bed, stripping the sheets and tossing them into the hamper before following Tony into the bathroom. He grinned widely at her when she pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in, accepting the wash cloth and his body-wash of choice. He turned so she could scrub his back and shoulders, wiggling his ass until she slapped it with a resounding smack.
When she finished with his shoulders, and back and butt cheeks, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and trailed a finger down this spine.
“Have you ever thought about…?” She wiggled a finger between his cheeks.
“I…” Tony gulped and leaned forward, supporting himself against the tiled wall. “I don’t know.”
“I’ve heard it can be great.” Abby ran her finger lightly along his crack until she saw some of the tension in his shoulders relax.
“Maybe, yeah, if you want-”
“It’s up to you Tony.” It wasn’t something she’d ever thought of before, but something in the back of her mind told her to ask - something about his comment about their boss the night before.
“Yeah… yeah, okay… let’s… sure,” he widened his stance slightly.
Abby pressed another kiss to his shoulder. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
Tony nodded and listened as she stepped out of the shower. He could hear her rummaging around in the bathroom cabinet and then a few seconds later she was standing behind him again. “What’d you get?”
“This.” She held up a bottle of KY. “It’ll make it easier.”
“Do I want to know why you know about anal sex?” Tony laughed nervously.
“I had an ex who wanted me to stick all sorts of… things up his butt. Ultimately it’s why we broke up.”
“Never mind. I don’t want to know. But Abby, go slow. I’ve never done anything like this, I don’t know if… just go slow.”
“Of course. If you want to stop, we’ll stop.” With one hand Abby gripped his dick and within minutes had him thrusting into her hand. “Atta
boy… nice and relaxed.” As she continued to slide her hand over his dick, she traced over his butt with her other hand, working a finger between his cheeks, just lightly tracing over his hole.
Tony groaned when her hand disappeared from his cock. He vaguely heard the click of the bottle and then her hand returned, tugging lightly at his balls and then smoothing up his length. He didn’t notice that her finger had returned to his ass until he felt the pad of her finger push against the tight ring of muscle. He tried to focus on the pleasure he felt from her hand still stroking him.
As her finger pushed inside of him, he found himself wondering what something bigger would feel like. Would he like it? Would it be something he’d enjoy? He and Abby occasionally played with toys, and the thought had never crossed his mind, but now… he wondered what it would be like if someone like Gibbs fucked him. Wait, what? Why am I thinking about Gibbs and me and… He hardened further and panic took over and Tony tensed. “Stop. I want to stop.”
“Oh God, did I hurt you?” Abby stepped back.
“No. I just… I don’t know. It was just weird. Nothing to do with you, c’mere baby.” Tony turned and pulled her into his arms.
“Couldn’t have been that weird…” Abby noted the hardness pressing against her hip and wiggled, working a moan from him.
“Fuck you and your fucking ability to have me so fucking hard just about any time you fucking want.”
“That’s a lot of ‘fucks’ Tony.” Abby shifted them around so that she was under the stream of water, pretending to ignore the way Tony was eyeing her and the stream of water running down the side of her face, down her neck and over her breasts.
“That’s because that’s what I want to do. With you. Right now.”
“With me? So sweet.” Abby offered her most innocent smile. “But we don’t want to be late for work, do we?”
Tony moved in close, a predatory look on his face. “Then let’s not be late.”
--
Gibbs looked up when Tony stepped out of the elevator, a little extra something in his step.
“Morning Probette, Probie… hey boss.”
Gibbs glanced at the little clock in the bottom corner of his computer screen. Technically Tony was eight minutes late, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. The way things had been left the night before, he had no idea what sort of shape Abby was in, but judging by the smile on Tony’s face, he figured she was ok. “Is Abby in yet?”
Tony glanced across the squad room and nodded. “I saw her in the lobby talking to Marie from accounting. Something about her having gotten a tattoo and yeah… they were squeeing.”
“Squeeing?” Gibbs raised a brow.
“Yeah, you know they were all ‘ahhh… eee…’ and whatever. And yeah, you knew what I meant. Shutting up now boss.” Tony sent a glare in McGee’s direction when the other man chuckled. The day flew by and Tony mostly didn’t have time to think about dinner with both Abby and Gibbs. And by the time they’d locked Mickey Stokes away, he’d almost headed home when Abby appeared, hovering quietly around his desk.
“You still up for tonight?”
Abby glanced at Gibbs who was pretending not to listen. “Yeah. I uh, I think I’ll drive myself though. So I’ll meet you there?”
“Yeah, okay. I’m headed out now, but I think I’ve got time to grab a quick shower. So I’ll see you there.”
Abby nodded and then turned toward Gibbs desk, pausing only long enough to whisper see you there, before disappearing into the elevator.
---
“What are we doing here, Tony?” Abby’s fingers tapped nervously on the table.
“Having dinner.”
“With Gibbs.”
“With Gibbs,” Tony confirmed.
“Why?”
“To show you that you don’t need him to be out of your life. He’s staying at NCIS, we’re all staying at NCIS and you know how awkward it would be if we can’t be relaxed around each other. You love him. I know that and I’m okay with it because I know you love me too.”
“I do!” Abby broke in.
“I know you do. And I want you happy. As much as I want to think that I could fill that gap for you, no one will ever replace Gibbs.”
“I-” Abby looked up to see Gibbs approaching. “Hey.” She noted his hesitation before deciding on sitting beside her in the booth. She glanced across the table at Tony as she reached for the menus, and passed one to Gibbs.
“Hey yourself. DiNozzo,” Gibbs greeted politely. “You two already know what you’re having?”
“I do,” Tony nodded. “I get the same thing every time. Abby?”
“Can’t decide between the soup and the chicken wrap.”
“What’s the soup today?”
“White bean.”
“I’ve tried it; don’t think you’ll like it. They use fennel in it.”
Abby wrinkled her nose. “They do? Well then, I guess I’ve decided. Chicken wrap it is.”
“Sounds good…” Gibbs scanned the menu.
Tony watched as Abby slowly relaxed. There was something about the way Gibbs knew her, knew her likes and dislikes. He watched the way Abby tried not to look at him, she tried to keep her arms from accidentally touching the man beside her.
“Everyone ready or do you need a few more minutes?” A plump older woman stood by their table, a small note pad ready in hand.
“I think we’re ready,” Abby glanced at the two men to be sure. “I will have the chicken wrap with a salad instead of fries.”
“M’kay, and you?” The waitress looked at Tony.
“Yeah, I’ll have the mushroom burger, can you add a slice of pepper-jack cheese to it? And I’ll do fries.”
“That sounds good, I’ll have the same without the pepper-jack cheese.”
“What about something to drink?”
“Water,” both Tony and Abby responded.
“Coffee for me. Black,” Gibbs added before she could ask about cream and sugar.
“So…” Abby fidgeted nervously, her gaze on the table. Tony was about to speak, when Abby started again. “You’re really staying at NCIS? For good? No… running away again?” She looked up at Gibbs through her lashes.
“Yeah.”
“Because I get that you’ve had a lot of shitty stuff happen in your life, but if you leave like that again…” Abby shook her head and focused her attention on the small dessert card on the table.
“I won’t.”
“You’d better not, because so help me God…” Abby sat back and glared at Gibbs. “Do you realize how much you hurt me? How much you hurt him?” She jerked her chin toward Tony.
“I…” Just then the waitress passed by and Gibbs caught her attention. “Do you think you could have our stuff put in boxes to go? I’ll pay the bill now.” Gibbs pulled his wallet out and handed her his card and then turned back to Abby and Tony. “We need to settle this, and I think somewhere a little more private is in order. We can go to my place.”
They all drove separately to Gibbs house, and Tony waited for Abby to pull up before walking up to the front door. Gibbs opened the door for them as they approached and they followed him to the table where he’d set their food.
“You hurt us Gibbs and I don’t think you quite get how much.” Abby said firmly. She’d had everything she wanted to say planned out in her head, but now that she was facing him, she couldn’t remember half of it.
“I know how much I hurt you, I see it every time I look at you and it kills me inside,” Gibbs said, showing a rare bit of open emotion. “And Tony, I shouldn’t have just handed you the badge, I’m… I’m sorry. To both of you.”
“Good.” Abby pulled out her chair and sat down. “I forgive you.”
Tony hid a smile at the shocked look on Gibbs’ face and sat down.
“That… that’s it? I’m forgiven?”
“I forgive you, but you’ll have to ask Tony if he’s forgiven you, I don’t speak for him.”
“If you wanted to leave the team with me, I’d rather have had that conversation, however brief, in private, but yeah… I get why you had to leave. I mean, I don’t get it because I’ve never had a wife or… or daughter, but I get that you needed to get away. We’re good.”
Gibbs had been expected a long evening of anger and him having to explain over and over again why he couldn’t stay, but as Abby tucked into her meal, he couldn’t help the grin. “Thank you.” He reached out to touch her cheek, but stopped halfway and dropped his hand to cover hers instead.
The rest of the evening went well, and it didn’t take long for them to sit around and chat like friends - real friends - and talk about work, Fornell and the FBI, and the highlights of Mexico. Gibbs told them a bit more about Franks, and Tony and Abby filled him in on the happenings around NCIS in the past few months.
Both Tony and Abby were relieved that with Gibbs back, Michelle was off the team again. “… because really, she just needs to eat a cheeseburger and get it over with. Once Tony asked her to bring me something to drink and she brought me water. Really? Am I supposed to analyze the finger prints of 80 people with a glass of water in my hand? I don’t think so.”
Gibbs chuckled and shook his head. “No… no you shouldn’t have to do that.”
“Thank you!”
What surprised Gibbs the most (after the fact that Abby had so easily forgiven him) was how different Tony was when they weren’t in a work setting. The younger man had matured while he was away, and it suited him. He smiled genuinely, and didn’t try to impress anyone with lame jokes and far-fetched movie references.
It was late by the time Tony and Abby were slipping into their jackets to head home. Probably together, and it hit Gibbs a little harder than he’d would have liked to admit.. They promised to do dinner again, the three of them, next week, and he watches from the window as they head to their own cars, sharing a quick kiss before going their separate ways.
----
It’s Halloween before their status quo hits a snag. Until then Tony isn’t sure if Abby and Gibbs have done anything more than grab a cup of coffee together. He’s reassured her time and time again that if she needs Gibbs, then… he’s okay with it. But there have been a few times where he’s caught her staring at the older man, a dreamy look on her face. He doesn’t call her out, because he knows it’d only make her stress, so he lets his gaze follow hers to land on their boss.
Then a Marine’s daughter is kidnapped, and everything goes to hell. As soon as they got the call, Gibbs’ demeanor changed. Although he wasn’t open with his emotion, Tony was able to pick up on all the little signs that told him it was going to be a long, emotional case.
Despite the stress, Abby managed to shine a bit of light on the darkness surrounding the case. Tony was well aware of the fact that she had been headed to a Halloween party that night, but when Palmer came through the squad room with a big grin on his face, he knew she’d been called in.
Both Tony and McGee stood side-by-side in the doorway of the lab minutes later. Usually Tony didn’t like McGee drooling over her, but in this case, he couldn’t put enough brain cells together to tell the other man to stop.
“Sorry I’m late, guys. I couldn’t hear my cell phone. You’d think it would be quieter in a cemetery, but apparently not when a Halloween party is in progress. Anyway, I’m worried about this little girl, Halloween is no time to go missing. I’m running the prints as we speak.” When she didn’t get a response, Abby turned, her white Marilyn Monroe dress swishing elegantly around her legs. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have food in my teeth or something?"
“Or something…” Tony couldn’t help but imagine the million ways he’d love to strip her out of her dress. And just as his eyes started to gloss over, a firm hand hit the back of his head. “Oh, boss… was just heading… yeah, bye Abby.” He grabbed McGee by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back to the elevator.
“Aww, Gibbs. Was that necessary….?” Her words trailed off at the mix of both pain and something akin to need in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Will be. Just need to find this little girl.”
“You will.” Abby reached out and covered his hand with hers as she rattled off everything she’s found so far.
“Thanks Abbs.” He’d tried to keep from kissing her cheek since he had returned, but he couldn’t help himself and he let his lips linger a second longer then he knew he should.
The next several hours passed in a quick blur but soon Abby found herself going from desk to desk in the squad room with a young girl in hand. “Trick-or-treat,” they both say, and little Sarah holds out a small bag for candy.
“I don’t have-“ Tony gave an apologetic shrug, unwilling to share his secret stash.
Abby cut him off with a glare and then reached around to his desk drawer, digging several pieces of candy out to put in Sarah’s bag. “Come on Sarah. I know a few more desks we can hit.”
Tony took one of the last bits of candy and popped it in his mouth as they walked away. Something drew his eyes up toward the director’s office and he spotted Gibbs leaning against the railing, a cup of coffee in his hand. It was clear he was watching Abby walk the little girl around from desk to desk, but he couldn’t quiet tell if he was reliving his own memories of Halloween in years past, or if he was just tired and it was a rare moment of exhaustion on the older man’s face. Maybe it was both.
Gibbs left for the night without saying goodbye to anyone, simply grabbed his stuff and headed out. No one tried to stop him, or question him, they just watched him leave - gathering their things to do the same as soon as he was gone.
Since Abby had caught a cab from the party, Tony waited for her to gather her things and then led her to his car. But instead of driving to her place (or his), Tony directed his car down Gibbs’ street. “I think he needs you.”
Deciding he needed to check for himself that Gibbs was okay, Tony followed Abby up the front step and into the house. They found Gibbs sitting on the couch, his head cradled in his hands.
“Oh, Gibbs…” Abby set her purse just inside the front door and went to him, wrapping her arms around him as tight as possible.
“I uh, just wanted to be sure you’re okay. But, uh, I’ll head out. See you tomo-”
“Stay, DiNozzo.”
When Gibbs looked up, his blue eyes clouded, Tony could help but nod in agreement. “Um, ok… I’ll go turn the coffee machine on.” He needed an out from the intensity of the moment.
Gibbs nodded and settled back on the couch, allowing Abby to move under his arm and press her face to his neck.
By the time they were all comfortable with their mugs of coffee (which Tony had tried his hardest to make the way Gibbs did), the visible tension in Gibbs’ shoulders was somewhat relieved. Tony noted that his hands were relaxed, and the hold he had on his coffee wasn’t white-knuckled. Part of it likely had to do with the way the fingers on his other hand were running through Abby’s hair, but he could only speak from his own personal experience.
“The Halloween before she died… she dressed as a princess. I took her out trick-or-treating while Shannon stayed home to pass out candy.”
Both Tony and Abby stayed quiet. Gibbs didn’t seem to be talking to them, more remembering out loud.
“She was thrilled with the amount of candy she got, but Shannon was horrified. Offered to buy some of it from her. Kel wanted fair market value and they never were able to come to an agreement. I told her she’d better hide it good, otherwise mom would find it. Told me she’d split up and hid it in different places.”
Gibbs remembered them sitting in her room eating some of the candy together. He wasn’t big on sweets like that, but Kelly had felt rebellious asking her father in for a secret meeting about her candy, so he’d accepted the pieces she offered.
“Never knew where she hid it all. I assume she ate most of it, but when I came back… after they… after they were gone, I found some candy hidden in the basement. She knew her mother would never search down there.”
They sat quietly a while longer until Tony decided to speak up. “I never went trick-or-treating. My parents always hosted a Halloween cocktail party, so they put me put the TV-room with a glass of sparkling cider and a bag of candy from the grocery store. Wasn’t allowed out unless I went to my room or to the bathroom. Dad said that if he saw me, he’d send my Christmas presents to some poor kids in China.”
“Not a big fan of your father, Tony.” Gibbs looked at him, a sad expression on his face.
“Yeah, well… here’s hoping you’ll never meet. And, uh… I know it doesn’t change anything, but most kids would chew off their right arm for a parent like you.”
Gibbs acknowledged him with a little nod and then sipped his coffee.
They sat quietly a while longer until Abby set her empty coffee cup down and stretched out her long legs. “Alright, it’s getting late. Get some sleep, Gibbs.” She knew he wouldn’t, but she felt a little better having said it.
Tony was first to the door and handed Abby her purse. He started down the steps and turned in time to see Abby lean in to press a gentle kiss to Gibbs’ lips. It was simple and almost chaste, but he could see Gibbs visibly relax. He knew first-hand how much comfort and love
Abby could put into a simple kiss and for a split second he wished he could offer Gibbs similar comfort.
As soon as they were in the car Tony said, “if you want to stay, it’s okay.”
“I’ve done what I can do for tonight. He needs a little time with the boat. He’ll be okay.” Abby reached across the center console and laced her fingers with Tony’s. “Let’s go.”
---
Two weeks later, the morning before Abby’s birthday, Tony was mid-shave when the doorbell rang. Wearing only a pair of gym shorts he headed for the door and was surprised to see Gibbs there. “Hey…” He glanced at the clock on his DVD player. “I’m not late for work, am I?”
“No. Is Abby here?”
“Nope,” Tony shook his head. “She had plans with the nuns last night.”
“Good. I um, I want to take her out to dinner tonight. Wanted to make sure that’d be okay.”
Tony shrugged. “I don’t know her schedule; you’ll have to ask her.”
“No, I know that. Wanted to make sure it was okay with you. That you didn’t have plans already.”
“Yeah, it’s fine. And I meant what I said awhile back. I… you guys have something special. I don’t need to be in the way of that.”
“I’ll see you at work.” Gibbs turned at left.
---
Abby had been both surprised and thrilled when Gibbs asked to take her out for dinner. She’d said yes with an enthusiastic hug and then had given him the DNA results he had been after with a little extra hop in her step.
Dinner had been a relaxed affair, and at the end both found they were too full for dessert. “Maybe we should grab something to go. Maybe Tony would meet us back at my place for coffee and a slice of cake,” Gibbs suggested. The grin on Abby’s face grew, and Gibbs knew he’d made the right choice.
“You order dessert to go, and I’ll just step into the ladies room to call him.” Abby excused herself, and her hand caught his shoulder as she passed, giving him a gentle squeeze.
Tony had been a little unsure, but two bites into the rich chocolate cake and he was over any insecurity about spending time with the two. At midnight, Gibbs ushered them down the stairs to the basement for a shot of bourbon to celebrate the fact that it was officially her birthday.
“That stuff is awful,” Abby shuddered. “Fill ‘er up.”
As the conversation began to lull, Gibbs decided that while they weren’t stumbling over their feet, they’d had too much to drink. “I’ll put clean sheets on the guest bed, neither of you are fit to drive.”
“Yeah yeah, okay. I’ve got a go-bag in my car.”
While Tony went to grab his stuff, and Gibbs went in search of sheets for the guest bed, Abby dug through Gibbs’ drawer in search of a shirt to borrow. Tony found her first and produced a spare tooth brush. Gibbs waited until they were done before getting ready for bed, and when he went to say good night, he found the door to the guest bedroom already shut.
He felt his gut twist, but instead of knocking he turned toward his own room. He stopped in the doorway at the shape of two people already under the covers. When the floor creaked under his feet, Abby turned to him with a smile. “You told me a long time ago that I’d never have to spend another night in the guest room. Bed is big enough for all of us.”
“Abby…” This was beyond his comfort level.
“It’s my birthday, Gibbs. I just want to spend it safe between my two favorite fellas. Please?”
It was only one night. Gibbs hit the light and scowled in the dark. Abby was right about the bed being big enough, but sleeping next to her would be a test of his will, even with DiNozzo just on the other side. As soon as he was flat, Abby had an arm over his chest and she scooted closer to press a kiss to his bare shoulder. “Thanks for everything, Gibbs.”
“Night Abbs. Night Tony.”
“Night boss.”
Gibbs could feel the bed shift as Tony rolled over and wrapped an arm around Abby’s middle. When Gibbs felt his fingers brush his belly, he froze. This was going to be one hell of a night. But even with two extra people in his bed, Gibbs managed to fall asleep quickly. And when he woke several hours later, he was surprised to find himself curled up around Abby, his arm stretched over her, his hand resting on Tony.
He was well-rested and comfortable, and for the first time in months, he didn’t feel the need to jump out of bed and get going with his day, he was content to relax.
Suddenly an alarm went off - one Gibbs had never heard before, and Tony reached for the bedside to turn it off.
“What time is it?” Abby sleepy voice broke through.
“Shh, still early,” Tony soothed. “I’ve got basketball at the gym with a couple guys from my complex, remember? Go back to sleep.”
“Uh huh…” Abby rolled over and snuggled against Gibbs chest.
“I’ll either pick her up later, or you can drive her home?” Tony whispered to Gibbs as he pulled the jeans he’d been wearing the night before
on over his boxers.
“Yeah. I’ll get her home.”
“Ok. See ya later. Happy Birthday, babe.” He bent over to kiss the top of her head.
When the front door closed, and he heard Tony’s car pull away, Gibbs looked down at Abby. She was asleep again, and he couldn’t get over how beautiful she was when her face was void of its usual mask of makeup. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate when her lips were painted with her bright red lipstick, but there was something about the vulnerability that shone through when she wore nothing.
Closing his eyes, Gibbs managed to doze a while longer. The next time she stirred, he looked at her again and was surprised to find her green eyes looking back. “Happy birthday, Abbs.”
She smiled warmly at him and pressed a kiss to his chest. “Thank you. Thanks for not kicking us out last night.”
“I’d never kick you out and you know it.”
“You could’ve kicked Tony out.”
Gibbs shook his head, “Nah.”
She smiled again and Gibbs couldn’t help but lean in to kiss her. “Don’t think I told you enough before, but you’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
With her response Abby kissed him back and the moment her tongue sought access to his, Gibbs couldn’t hold back any longer. He asked her eight times between kisses, removing the shirt she’d borrowed and removing his boxers, if she was okay with what they were doing - he didn’t want a repeat of the last time.
She assured him every time he asked that she knew what she was doing, and what she wanted. And by the time he pushed into her she cried out happily and pulled him in for one of the most demanding kisses she’d ever bestowed on him.
Abby stretched and arched under him, pulling and pushing at just the right moments. By the time they were done the sun was high in the sky and Abby wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to move again. “Best. Birthday. Ever,” she sighed happily as Gibbs traced an abstract pattern across her stomach.
“I love you, Abby.”
---
None of them thought anything of the odd relationship the three of them seemed to have formed. Tony wasn’t 100% sure that Abby and Gibbs weren’t hooking up on the side, but his needs were being met, and the majority of their free time, the three of them spent together. It wasn’t often that the three of them spent the night together, but when they did, it wasn’t a big deal, and they all piled in to Gibbs bed without a second thought.
On the rare occasion where Abby had to back out of an afternoon together to help the nuns, neither Tony nor Gibbs found it weird that they still spent the time together - watching a game on TV or going for a run through the park or to the shooting range.
The more time they spent together outside of work, the less Gibbs looked at Tony as just a co-worked and more of a friend. Family, even.
When Christmas rolled around, Abby spent more and more time at the church, organizing a Christmas day dinner and movie for the homeless. But even with her time spread so thin between NCIS and church, Abby managed to pull together a Christmas Eve dinner for the team at her apartment. Tony and Gibbs were the first to arrive and the last to leave. In the end Tony decided to stay, but Gibbs had ‘plans’ and they suspected it had to do with Shannon and Kelly so they said nothing. But he stayed after the rest of the team had left to help clean up.
“I’ll see you at church tomorrow,” Gibbs pulled Abby into a tight hug.
“You’re coming?”
“Called Rosita to ask if they needed any extra volunteers to help with serving.”
“She’s thrilled, I’m sure.” Abby turned her head to look at Tony. “Rosita loves him. If you’ve anything to say to him, say it now. Rosita will keep him to herself tomorrow.”
“Well in that case,” Tony laughed and extended a hand. “Merry Christmas.”
Gibbs took it and dropped his hold on Abby to pull Tony into a hug and then pressed a quick kiss to his temple.
Abby hid her smile and pretended not to see it or the shocked look on Tony’s face, and then moved in to hug Gibbs one last time before he left, accepting the kiss to her lips without hesitation.
---
The more time they spent together, the more open Gibbs was. Tony noticed that he smiled more, shared more of his past (although he was still guarded when it came to Shannon and Kelly, only sharing bits and pieces here and there), and was almost openly affectionate toward Abby compared to the quick kisses he’d share with her in the beginning when he thought Tony wouldn’t notice.
And Tony found himself wondering more and more about the kiss to the temple he’d gotten on Christmas Eve. Occasionally his fingers would move there as if he was trying to remember exactly what it felt like. As they relaxed more around each other, Abby was more open about the fact that sometimes she needed a night alone with Gibbs, and rather than sulk about once he got home, Tony found himself jerking off into a tissue at the thought of what they might be doing. He wondered what they would say if he indicated he wanted to watch.
Occasionally he felt a stirring in his groin when he thought of Gibbs naked, but he was quick to push those thoughts aside because he wasn’t interested in Gibbs. Only in what he was sure Gibbs was doing to Abby. Tony nodded to himself as he slipped out of his boxers for the second time that week, grasping his leaking dick in one hand and holding a tissue to the head with the other. Wondering if Gibbs used his tongue the same way he did, wondering if Gibbs like head the way he did, if he liked the way Abby made all the right noises at just the right time. Wondering if Gibbs… Tony grunted as he came and then fell back on the bed. This was going to be a problem.
---
When Navy Lt. Roni Seabrook was found dead in a robotic car, Gibbs knew it would be a long case. The entire basis of the case centered on technology he didn’t understand. He sent McGee to work with Abby to figure out how much exhaust got into the cabin. He expected that between the two of them, they’d have it figured out in no time so he could close the case and go back to glaring at technology from a safe distance.
What he didn’t expect, when he went down to check on them, was to find Abby slumped over in a car full of exhaust. He barely recognized that McGee was sitting a few feet away, his headphones preventing him from hearing the hum of the cars motor.
Slamming his hand against the emergency button, Gibbs grabbed the fire extinguisher and rushed to the side of the car opposite Abby to prevent the glass from shattering in her face. He hit the kill switch and pushed rushed around the other side. McGee was suddenly right behind him, the commotion, causing him to look up from the laptop. “Call 911, now!”
Gibbs pried the door open and unbuckled Abby, pulling her from the seat and lowering her gently to the floor. “Abby…” Gibbs patted her cheeks and checked for a pulse.
The elevator opened and Tony, Ziva and two security guards fell out, their guns drawn. “What is… Oh God.” Tony holstered his gun and rushed forward.
“Ambulance is on its way, boss.” McGee stood looking down at Abby, unsure of what to do.
“What happened?” Tony asked to anyone who could answer.
“We… were trying to figure out how the car got filled with so much exhaust. I was listening to some recordings and I was only turned away for a few minutes and… I… I don’t know what happened?”
“She was passed out when I got here,” Gibbs looked up at Tony, his eyes wide with fear. “She’s breathing, but barely.”
Suddenly the elevators opened again and Ducky rushed forward with an oxygen tank. “Ziva called…”
Gibbs took the mask and placed it over Abby’s face. “Abbs… come on, wake up.” Within minutes they heard the siren of an ambulance so Tony and Ziva opened the garage doors to direct them in. Once they had her on their own system of oxygen they put her on a stretcher and loaded her up. Gibbs didn’t think twice about following into the ambulance and turned to wave Tony in.
Tony had one foot up when he turned to McGee. “If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you.”
---
TBC
Actually, I really kinda do feel awful about ending the chapter this way. Really.
Part Six
Author: ncis_love
Rating: NC-17 (There be sex. And lots of it).
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs, Abby/Tony, Gibbs/Abby/Tony
Category: Angst, Romance
Spoilers: Through, season 4 (mostly for Hiatus, Shalom, Escaped and Driven)
Summary: It isn't easy to say goodbye.
---
Gibbs pressed a lingering kiss to her lips and then rolled away and got up to get cleaned up. By the time he returned from the bathroom, Abby was curled into a ball in the center of the bed, facing away from him. He knelt on the bed and moved in close to curl around her. “Abbs?” He nuzzled against her shoulder.
“God Gibbs,” she sobbed, “what did I do?” The weight of everything they’d done, hitting her like a ton of bricks.
His heart seized in his chest as he realize he’d made her so upset. He hadn’t planned on taking her to bed, but the urge had been too great, the memory of her warm skin and soft body too tempting. “Shh, it’s okay.” He ran a gentle hand up and down her arm.
“I can’t believe I did this to Tony. He would never hurt me. He’d never leave me the way you did and then... then I go and do this to him? What’s wrong with me?”
It was one of the rare times Gibbs couldn’t find his voice. Instead he moved off the bed to pull on a pair of pants and grabbed his phone. With one last look at Abby, he stepped outside and dialed Tony.
“Yeah boss?”
“I need you to come over. It’s Abby.”
Tony didn’t ask for an explanation. “On my way,” he said before hanging up.
By the time Gibbs opened the door for him 15 minutes later, Abby was dressed and sat quietly, curled up on the couch.
“Abby!” Tony was kneeling in front of her in an instant, his hands rubbing her thighs reassuringly. “What is it baby?”
“Oh Tony, I’m so sorry, I’m so so… I can’t believe I did this to you.”
“Did what? Shhh, it’s okay,” he wiped at her tears. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but she pushed him away.
“Gibbs and I… we… I didn’t mean to cheat. I never wanted to hurt you, it just happened.”
“Remember what I said?” Tony pushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “It’s okay Abbs, really.” He could deal with his own feelings about the situation later.
“No, it’s not. I’m with you now. I didn’t mean too. We just got carried away and I... I’m so sorry.”
Tony got up and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug. “You love him, don’t you?”
“I love you. I’m with you now.”
“Not what I asked. You love him.”
“I…”
“You’ve never lied to me before, don’t start now. You love him.”
Abby nodded, her head dropping forward. “But I love you.”
“I know that. And we’re all… we’re like family the three of us.” Tony glanced up at Gibbs. “Don’t look at it as cheating on me Abbs. You need some time with Gibbs, with what you had before, I can’t keep you away from him. I don’t want too. When I see you look at him… I can’t get between that.”
Abby’s eyes widened. “Tony are you… are we over?”
“God no,” Tony laughed. “I just… I don’t know what this is, the three of us.” He glanced over at Gibbs who was still standing in the doorway.
“All I know is that I love you, and he loves you.”
“I don’t deserve you,” Abby shook her head. “I don’t deserve either of you.”
“Abby, I should’ve been more in control of the situation. I never wanted you to feel so bad. Maybe it’s for the best if we keep some distance.”
Having finally seen them together, seeing the way Tony was able to calm her, he knew she was in good hands.
Abby nodded, but refused to look at him.
“I was thinking more along the lines of maybe we could all go grab dinner together tomorrow,” Tony ran a hand down Abby’s back. “You’ll be miserable if you two avoid each other.
“Why are you so into the idea of me and Gibbs?” Abby looked up curiously and brushed away a tear.
“I’m into the idea of keeping you happy and if I have to share now and again, I’m okay with that.” Tony shrugged. “I’m not saying I’m glad he left, because I know how much it hurt you. Hell, it hurt us all, but without that, you and I never would’ve happened.”
Abby turned to look at Gibbs. “Why can’t I just walk away from you?”
Gibbs worked hard to keep any show of emotion off his face. “Would it be easier if I walked away from you?”
“No.” Abby shook her head. “You already did that, twice.” If she noticed his obvious wince, she didn’t comment on it.
“Come on, let me drive you home,” Tony urged her to her feet. “Let’s do something fun tomorrow, the three of us.”
Abby closed her eyes. “Tony, I don’t-”
“So we can show you that we’re okay, that we’re all okay. Just a simple meal between friends or maybe some ice cream.”
“I’d be willing,” Gibbs spoke. The logical side of his brain told him he needed to back off. He needed distance from Abby until he didn’t feel the strong pull he felt every time he saw her or thought of her, but his heart told him that he couldn’t walk away from her again. Not unless she told him to leave her alone.
“Okay.”
“Alright, come on. I’ll drive you home.”
“No. I want to be alone. I’ll drive myself home.”
Tony shook his head. He rarely put his foot down, but sometimes he had to draw the line. “No, I’m not going to let you beat yourself up all night thinking you’ve hurt me. I’m okay, I promise. We’ll go watch a movie or something. Or, isn’t it shark week on discovery?”
Gibbs watched as a slow smile tugged at her lips. He had no idea what ‘shark week’ was, but whatever it was, it had sparked Abby’s interest. “Yeah.”
“Alright, you can drive yourself home if you want a few minutes of quiet, but I’ll meet you back at your place.” Tony reached for her jacket, helping her into it. “So dinner after work tomorrow?” He looked to Gibbs and then Abby and back to Gibbs again.
Gibbs waited for Abby to agree before nodding in agreement as well.
“Good. See you tomorrow then.” Tony escorted her out the door and down to her car. He opened the door for her and kissed her before motioning for her to get in. “See you in a few.”
“Okay.”
---
Tony sighed happily as he pushed his face between Abby’s thighs. He had tried to settle with her on the couch to watch TV, but she had been so distracted and couldn’t get over the idea that she had cheated on him, so instead he had decided to take her to bed.The logical side of his brain told him that, yes, she had cheated on him. He should be angry, he should feel hurt, maybe even violated, but he couldn’t get the image of her in bed with Gibbs out of his mind, and it definitely wasn’t hurting him, in fact it was doing quite the opposite.
He knew she had been in bed with Gibbs. Not just because she had admitted it, but because she tasted different than usual and he suspected it had something to do with Gibbs. Again, he surprised himself by deciding he enjoyed the taste rather than being repulsed by the idea. God, they were so perfect together, they even tasted right together.
“Tony, Tony, Tony…” she panted, her fingers tightening in his hair. “Right there, please Tony… OH-”
Tony continued to flick his tongue against her clit as she rode through her orgasm. Once she was done, he tuned his mouth to the smooth skin just to the side of her folds, sucking until he was sure he’d left a mark - just because he could - and then scooted up to cradle her in his arms until she was ready to speak again.
“Let me return the favor?”
“No.”
Abby pulled back, shocked. “What? Why? Is it because of what I did with Gibbs? Oh fuck, we didn’t use a condom, I didn’t even think, you could probably, oh Tony could you taste…?” she covered her face with her hands. She didn’t think the night could get any worse.
“No no no, that’s not what I mean.” Tony pushed her hands down. “I meant, I don’t want your mouth on me tonight, I just want to make love to you, show you that we’re okay. And let’s not talk about the fact that I can taste him in you, I’m a little freaked out by the fact that I guess I enjoyed it. I don’t know what that means.”
“Enjoyed it?” Abby tilted her head to the side. That was new. For all she knew, Tony had never been interested in men - though he’d commented on Gibbs’ good looks a time or two. “Something you need to tell me?”
“No,” Tony shoved two fingers between her legs making her moan. “Just making sure I didn’t suck you dry,” he smirked before rolling over her, pushing into her with a lazy thrust.
The clung to each other tightly, moving together easily, touching, kissing and licking anywhere within reach while they remained joined. Eventually, Abby pushed him onto his back and straddled him, linking her fingers with his, riding him slowly, keeping eye contact until Tony looked away, pressing his head back against the pillow as his hips snapped upward as he came.
“You’ve been so stressed lately, but I love how relaxed you look when we’re in bed.” Abby leaned forward to kiss him, long and slow.
Eventually sliding off of him and curling against his side, ignoring the sticky mess between her legs.
“It’s what you do to me. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
The following morning they woke up to find the alarm had been going for 15 minutes. “I’m a mess,” She directed Tony toward the shower.
“You made this mess, you should clean it up in the shower.”
“See… you need to spend time with Gibbs. All that sex last night, and now in the shower? Without him, not sure I could keep up with you.” When he saw her tense up at the mention of Gibbs’ name, he leaned over to kiss her. “Relax. I didn’t mean to stress you out. I’ll go start the shower. If you’re not scrubbing my back in five minutes, I’m throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you to the shower myself.”
As soon as he was out of the room Abby forced herself out of bed, stripping the sheets and tossing them into the hamper before following Tony into the bathroom. He grinned widely at her when she pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in, accepting the wash cloth and his body-wash of choice. He turned so she could scrub his back and shoulders, wiggling his ass until she slapped it with a resounding smack.
When she finished with his shoulders, and back and butt cheeks, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and trailed a finger down this spine.
“Have you ever thought about…?” She wiggled a finger between his cheeks.
“I…” Tony gulped and leaned forward, supporting himself against the tiled wall. “I don’t know.”
“I’ve heard it can be great.” Abby ran her finger lightly along his crack until she saw some of the tension in his shoulders relax.
“Maybe, yeah, if you want-”
“It’s up to you Tony.” It wasn’t something she’d ever thought of before, but something in the back of her mind told her to ask - something about his comment about their boss the night before.
“Yeah… yeah, okay… let’s… sure,” he widened his stance slightly.
Abby pressed another kiss to his shoulder. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
Tony nodded and listened as she stepped out of the shower. He could hear her rummaging around in the bathroom cabinet and then a few seconds later she was standing behind him again. “What’d you get?”
“This.” She held up a bottle of KY. “It’ll make it easier.”
“Do I want to know why you know about anal sex?” Tony laughed nervously.
“I had an ex who wanted me to stick all sorts of… things up his butt. Ultimately it’s why we broke up.”
“Never mind. I don’t want to know. But Abby, go slow. I’ve never done anything like this, I don’t know if… just go slow.”
“Of course. If you want to stop, we’ll stop.” With one hand Abby gripped his dick and within minutes had him thrusting into her hand. “Atta
boy… nice and relaxed.” As she continued to slide her hand over his dick, she traced over his butt with her other hand, working a finger between his cheeks, just lightly tracing over his hole.
Tony groaned when her hand disappeared from his cock. He vaguely heard the click of the bottle and then her hand returned, tugging lightly at his balls and then smoothing up his length. He didn’t notice that her finger had returned to his ass until he felt the pad of her finger push against the tight ring of muscle. He tried to focus on the pleasure he felt from her hand still stroking him.
As her finger pushed inside of him, he found himself wondering what something bigger would feel like. Would he like it? Would it be something he’d enjoy? He and Abby occasionally played with toys, and the thought had never crossed his mind, but now… he wondered what it would be like if someone like Gibbs fucked him. Wait, what? Why am I thinking about Gibbs and me and… He hardened further and panic took over and Tony tensed. “Stop. I want to stop.”
“Oh God, did I hurt you?” Abby stepped back.
“No. I just… I don’t know. It was just weird. Nothing to do with you, c’mere baby.” Tony turned and pulled her into his arms.
“Couldn’t have been that weird…” Abby noted the hardness pressing against her hip and wiggled, working a moan from him.
“Fuck you and your fucking ability to have me so fucking hard just about any time you fucking want.”
“That’s a lot of ‘fucks’ Tony.” Abby shifted them around so that she was under the stream of water, pretending to ignore the way Tony was eyeing her and the stream of water running down the side of her face, down her neck and over her breasts.
“That’s because that’s what I want to do. With you. Right now.”
“With me? So sweet.” Abby offered her most innocent smile. “But we don’t want to be late for work, do we?”
Tony moved in close, a predatory look on his face. “Then let’s not be late.”
--
Gibbs looked up when Tony stepped out of the elevator, a little extra something in his step.
“Morning Probette, Probie… hey boss.”
Gibbs glanced at the little clock in the bottom corner of his computer screen. Technically Tony was eight minutes late, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. The way things had been left the night before, he had no idea what sort of shape Abby was in, but judging by the smile on Tony’s face, he figured she was ok. “Is Abby in yet?”
Tony glanced across the squad room and nodded. “I saw her in the lobby talking to Marie from accounting. Something about her having gotten a tattoo and yeah… they were squeeing.”
“Squeeing?” Gibbs raised a brow.
“Yeah, you know they were all ‘ahhh… eee…’ and whatever. And yeah, you knew what I meant. Shutting up now boss.” Tony sent a glare in McGee’s direction when the other man chuckled. The day flew by and Tony mostly didn’t have time to think about dinner with both Abby and Gibbs. And by the time they’d locked Mickey Stokes away, he’d almost headed home when Abby appeared, hovering quietly around his desk.
“You still up for tonight?”
Abby glanced at Gibbs who was pretending not to listen. “Yeah. I uh, I think I’ll drive myself though. So I’ll meet you there?”
“Yeah, okay. I’m headed out now, but I think I’ve got time to grab a quick shower. So I’ll see you there.”
Abby nodded and then turned toward Gibbs desk, pausing only long enough to whisper see you there, before disappearing into the elevator.
---
“What are we doing here, Tony?” Abby’s fingers tapped nervously on the table.
“Having dinner.”
“With Gibbs.”
“With Gibbs,” Tony confirmed.
“Why?”
“To show you that you don’t need him to be out of your life. He’s staying at NCIS, we’re all staying at NCIS and you know how awkward it would be if we can’t be relaxed around each other. You love him. I know that and I’m okay with it because I know you love me too.”
“I do!” Abby broke in.
“I know you do. And I want you happy. As much as I want to think that I could fill that gap for you, no one will ever replace Gibbs.”
“I-” Abby looked up to see Gibbs approaching. “Hey.” She noted his hesitation before deciding on sitting beside her in the booth. She glanced across the table at Tony as she reached for the menus, and passed one to Gibbs.
“Hey yourself. DiNozzo,” Gibbs greeted politely. “You two already know what you’re having?”
“I do,” Tony nodded. “I get the same thing every time. Abby?”
“Can’t decide between the soup and the chicken wrap.”
“What’s the soup today?”
“White bean.”
“I’ve tried it; don’t think you’ll like it. They use fennel in it.”
Abby wrinkled her nose. “They do? Well then, I guess I’ve decided. Chicken wrap it is.”
“Sounds good…” Gibbs scanned the menu.
Tony watched as Abby slowly relaxed. There was something about the way Gibbs knew her, knew her likes and dislikes. He watched the way Abby tried not to look at him, she tried to keep her arms from accidentally touching the man beside her.
“Everyone ready or do you need a few more minutes?” A plump older woman stood by their table, a small note pad ready in hand.
“I think we’re ready,” Abby glanced at the two men to be sure. “I will have the chicken wrap with a salad instead of fries.”
“M’kay, and you?” The waitress looked at Tony.
“Yeah, I’ll have the mushroom burger, can you add a slice of pepper-jack cheese to it? And I’ll do fries.”
“That sounds good, I’ll have the same without the pepper-jack cheese.”
“What about something to drink?”
“Water,” both Tony and Abby responded.
“Coffee for me. Black,” Gibbs added before she could ask about cream and sugar.
“So…” Abby fidgeted nervously, her gaze on the table. Tony was about to speak, when Abby started again. “You’re really staying at NCIS? For good? No… running away again?” She looked up at Gibbs through her lashes.
“Yeah.”
“Because I get that you’ve had a lot of shitty stuff happen in your life, but if you leave like that again…” Abby shook her head and focused her attention on the small dessert card on the table.
“I won’t.”
“You’d better not, because so help me God…” Abby sat back and glared at Gibbs. “Do you realize how much you hurt me? How much you hurt him?” She jerked her chin toward Tony.
“I…” Just then the waitress passed by and Gibbs caught her attention. “Do you think you could have our stuff put in boxes to go? I’ll pay the bill now.” Gibbs pulled his wallet out and handed her his card and then turned back to Abby and Tony. “We need to settle this, and I think somewhere a little more private is in order. We can go to my place.”
They all drove separately to Gibbs house, and Tony waited for Abby to pull up before walking up to the front door. Gibbs opened the door for them as they approached and they followed him to the table where he’d set their food.
“You hurt us Gibbs and I don’t think you quite get how much.” Abby said firmly. She’d had everything she wanted to say planned out in her head, but now that she was facing him, she couldn’t remember half of it.
“I know how much I hurt you, I see it every time I look at you and it kills me inside,” Gibbs said, showing a rare bit of open emotion. “And Tony, I shouldn’t have just handed you the badge, I’m… I’m sorry. To both of you.”
“Good.” Abby pulled out her chair and sat down. “I forgive you.”
Tony hid a smile at the shocked look on Gibbs’ face and sat down.
“That… that’s it? I’m forgiven?”
“I forgive you, but you’ll have to ask Tony if he’s forgiven you, I don’t speak for him.”
“If you wanted to leave the team with me, I’d rather have had that conversation, however brief, in private, but yeah… I get why you had to leave. I mean, I don’t get it because I’ve never had a wife or… or daughter, but I get that you needed to get away. We’re good.”
Gibbs had been expected a long evening of anger and him having to explain over and over again why he couldn’t stay, but as Abby tucked into her meal, he couldn’t help the grin. “Thank you.” He reached out to touch her cheek, but stopped halfway and dropped his hand to cover hers instead.
The rest of the evening went well, and it didn’t take long for them to sit around and chat like friends - real friends - and talk about work, Fornell and the FBI, and the highlights of Mexico. Gibbs told them a bit more about Franks, and Tony and Abby filled him in on the happenings around NCIS in the past few months.
Both Tony and Abby were relieved that with Gibbs back, Michelle was off the team again. “… because really, she just needs to eat a cheeseburger and get it over with. Once Tony asked her to bring me something to drink and she brought me water. Really? Am I supposed to analyze the finger prints of 80 people with a glass of water in my hand? I don’t think so.”
Gibbs chuckled and shook his head. “No… no you shouldn’t have to do that.”
“Thank you!”
What surprised Gibbs the most (after the fact that Abby had so easily forgiven him) was how different Tony was when they weren’t in a work setting. The younger man had matured while he was away, and it suited him. He smiled genuinely, and didn’t try to impress anyone with lame jokes and far-fetched movie references.
It was late by the time Tony and Abby were slipping into their jackets to head home. Probably together, and it hit Gibbs a little harder than he’d would have liked to admit.. They promised to do dinner again, the three of them, next week, and he watches from the window as they head to their own cars, sharing a quick kiss before going their separate ways.
----
It’s Halloween before their status quo hits a snag. Until then Tony isn’t sure if Abby and Gibbs have done anything more than grab a cup of coffee together. He’s reassured her time and time again that if she needs Gibbs, then… he’s okay with it. But there have been a few times where he’s caught her staring at the older man, a dreamy look on her face. He doesn’t call her out, because he knows it’d only make her stress, so he lets his gaze follow hers to land on their boss.
Then a Marine’s daughter is kidnapped, and everything goes to hell. As soon as they got the call, Gibbs’ demeanor changed. Although he wasn’t open with his emotion, Tony was able to pick up on all the little signs that told him it was going to be a long, emotional case.
Despite the stress, Abby managed to shine a bit of light on the darkness surrounding the case. Tony was well aware of the fact that she had been headed to a Halloween party that night, but when Palmer came through the squad room with a big grin on his face, he knew she’d been called in.
Both Tony and McGee stood side-by-side in the doorway of the lab minutes later. Usually Tony didn’t like McGee drooling over her, but in this case, he couldn’t put enough brain cells together to tell the other man to stop.
“Sorry I’m late, guys. I couldn’t hear my cell phone. You’d think it would be quieter in a cemetery, but apparently not when a Halloween party is in progress. Anyway, I’m worried about this little girl, Halloween is no time to go missing. I’m running the prints as we speak.” When she didn’t get a response, Abby turned, her white Marilyn Monroe dress swishing elegantly around her legs. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have food in my teeth or something?"
“Or something…” Tony couldn’t help but imagine the million ways he’d love to strip her out of her dress. And just as his eyes started to gloss over, a firm hand hit the back of his head. “Oh, boss… was just heading… yeah, bye Abby.” He grabbed McGee by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back to the elevator.
“Aww, Gibbs. Was that necessary….?” Her words trailed off at the mix of both pain and something akin to need in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Will be. Just need to find this little girl.”
“You will.” Abby reached out and covered his hand with hers as she rattled off everything she’s found so far.
“Thanks Abbs.” He’d tried to keep from kissing her cheek since he had returned, but he couldn’t help himself and he let his lips linger a second longer then he knew he should.
The next several hours passed in a quick blur but soon Abby found herself going from desk to desk in the squad room with a young girl in hand. “Trick-or-treat,” they both say, and little Sarah holds out a small bag for candy.
“I don’t have-“ Tony gave an apologetic shrug, unwilling to share his secret stash.
Abby cut him off with a glare and then reached around to his desk drawer, digging several pieces of candy out to put in Sarah’s bag. “Come on Sarah. I know a few more desks we can hit.”
Tony took one of the last bits of candy and popped it in his mouth as they walked away. Something drew his eyes up toward the director’s office and he spotted Gibbs leaning against the railing, a cup of coffee in his hand. It was clear he was watching Abby walk the little girl around from desk to desk, but he couldn’t quiet tell if he was reliving his own memories of Halloween in years past, or if he was just tired and it was a rare moment of exhaustion on the older man’s face. Maybe it was both.
Gibbs left for the night without saying goodbye to anyone, simply grabbed his stuff and headed out. No one tried to stop him, or question him, they just watched him leave - gathering their things to do the same as soon as he was gone.
Since Abby had caught a cab from the party, Tony waited for her to gather her things and then led her to his car. But instead of driving to her place (or his), Tony directed his car down Gibbs’ street. “I think he needs you.”
Deciding he needed to check for himself that Gibbs was okay, Tony followed Abby up the front step and into the house. They found Gibbs sitting on the couch, his head cradled in his hands.
“Oh, Gibbs…” Abby set her purse just inside the front door and went to him, wrapping her arms around him as tight as possible.
“I uh, just wanted to be sure you’re okay. But, uh, I’ll head out. See you tomo-”
“Stay, DiNozzo.”
When Gibbs looked up, his blue eyes clouded, Tony could help but nod in agreement. “Um, ok… I’ll go turn the coffee machine on.” He needed an out from the intensity of the moment.
Gibbs nodded and settled back on the couch, allowing Abby to move under his arm and press her face to his neck.
By the time they were all comfortable with their mugs of coffee (which Tony had tried his hardest to make the way Gibbs did), the visible tension in Gibbs’ shoulders was somewhat relieved. Tony noted that his hands were relaxed, and the hold he had on his coffee wasn’t white-knuckled. Part of it likely had to do with the way the fingers on his other hand were running through Abby’s hair, but he could only speak from his own personal experience.
“The Halloween before she died… she dressed as a princess. I took her out trick-or-treating while Shannon stayed home to pass out candy.”
Both Tony and Abby stayed quiet. Gibbs didn’t seem to be talking to them, more remembering out loud.
“She was thrilled with the amount of candy she got, but Shannon was horrified. Offered to buy some of it from her. Kel wanted fair market value and they never were able to come to an agreement. I told her she’d better hide it good, otherwise mom would find it. Told me she’d split up and hid it in different places.”
Gibbs remembered them sitting in her room eating some of the candy together. He wasn’t big on sweets like that, but Kelly had felt rebellious asking her father in for a secret meeting about her candy, so he’d accepted the pieces she offered.
“Never knew where she hid it all. I assume she ate most of it, but when I came back… after they… after they were gone, I found some candy hidden in the basement. She knew her mother would never search down there.”
They sat quietly a while longer until Tony decided to speak up. “I never went trick-or-treating. My parents always hosted a Halloween cocktail party, so they put me put the TV-room with a glass of sparkling cider and a bag of candy from the grocery store. Wasn’t allowed out unless I went to my room or to the bathroom. Dad said that if he saw me, he’d send my Christmas presents to some poor kids in China.”
“Not a big fan of your father, Tony.” Gibbs looked at him, a sad expression on his face.
“Yeah, well… here’s hoping you’ll never meet. And, uh… I know it doesn’t change anything, but most kids would chew off their right arm for a parent like you.”
Gibbs acknowledged him with a little nod and then sipped his coffee.
They sat quietly a while longer until Abby set her empty coffee cup down and stretched out her long legs. “Alright, it’s getting late. Get some sleep, Gibbs.” She knew he wouldn’t, but she felt a little better having said it.
Tony was first to the door and handed Abby her purse. He started down the steps and turned in time to see Abby lean in to press a gentle kiss to Gibbs’ lips. It was simple and almost chaste, but he could see Gibbs visibly relax. He knew first-hand how much comfort and love
Abby could put into a simple kiss and for a split second he wished he could offer Gibbs similar comfort.
As soon as they were in the car Tony said, “if you want to stay, it’s okay.”
“I’ve done what I can do for tonight. He needs a little time with the boat. He’ll be okay.” Abby reached across the center console and laced her fingers with Tony’s. “Let’s go.”
---
Two weeks later, the morning before Abby’s birthday, Tony was mid-shave when the doorbell rang. Wearing only a pair of gym shorts he headed for the door and was surprised to see Gibbs there. “Hey…” He glanced at the clock on his DVD player. “I’m not late for work, am I?”
“No. Is Abby here?”
“Nope,” Tony shook his head. “She had plans with the nuns last night.”
“Good. I um, I want to take her out to dinner tonight. Wanted to make sure that’d be okay.”
Tony shrugged. “I don’t know her schedule; you’ll have to ask her.”
“No, I know that. Wanted to make sure it was okay with you. That you didn’t have plans already.”
“Yeah, it’s fine. And I meant what I said awhile back. I… you guys have something special. I don’t need to be in the way of that.”
“I’ll see you at work.” Gibbs turned at left.
---
Abby had been both surprised and thrilled when Gibbs asked to take her out for dinner. She’d said yes with an enthusiastic hug and then had given him the DNA results he had been after with a little extra hop in her step.
Dinner had been a relaxed affair, and at the end both found they were too full for dessert. “Maybe we should grab something to go. Maybe Tony would meet us back at my place for coffee and a slice of cake,” Gibbs suggested. The grin on Abby’s face grew, and Gibbs knew he’d made the right choice.
“You order dessert to go, and I’ll just step into the ladies room to call him.” Abby excused herself, and her hand caught his shoulder as she passed, giving him a gentle squeeze.
Tony had been a little unsure, but two bites into the rich chocolate cake and he was over any insecurity about spending time with the two. At midnight, Gibbs ushered them down the stairs to the basement for a shot of bourbon to celebrate the fact that it was officially her birthday.
“That stuff is awful,” Abby shuddered. “Fill ‘er up.”
As the conversation began to lull, Gibbs decided that while they weren’t stumbling over their feet, they’d had too much to drink. “I’ll put clean sheets on the guest bed, neither of you are fit to drive.”
“Yeah yeah, okay. I’ve got a go-bag in my car.”
While Tony went to grab his stuff, and Gibbs went in search of sheets for the guest bed, Abby dug through Gibbs’ drawer in search of a shirt to borrow. Tony found her first and produced a spare tooth brush. Gibbs waited until they were done before getting ready for bed, and when he went to say good night, he found the door to the guest bedroom already shut.
He felt his gut twist, but instead of knocking he turned toward his own room. He stopped in the doorway at the shape of two people already under the covers. When the floor creaked under his feet, Abby turned to him with a smile. “You told me a long time ago that I’d never have to spend another night in the guest room. Bed is big enough for all of us.”
“Abby…” This was beyond his comfort level.
“It’s my birthday, Gibbs. I just want to spend it safe between my two favorite fellas. Please?”
It was only one night. Gibbs hit the light and scowled in the dark. Abby was right about the bed being big enough, but sleeping next to her would be a test of his will, even with DiNozzo just on the other side. As soon as he was flat, Abby had an arm over his chest and she scooted closer to press a kiss to his bare shoulder. “Thanks for everything, Gibbs.”
“Night Abbs. Night Tony.”
“Night boss.”
Gibbs could feel the bed shift as Tony rolled over and wrapped an arm around Abby’s middle. When Gibbs felt his fingers brush his belly, he froze. This was going to be one hell of a night. But even with two extra people in his bed, Gibbs managed to fall asleep quickly. And when he woke several hours later, he was surprised to find himself curled up around Abby, his arm stretched over her, his hand resting on Tony.
He was well-rested and comfortable, and for the first time in months, he didn’t feel the need to jump out of bed and get going with his day, he was content to relax.
Suddenly an alarm went off - one Gibbs had never heard before, and Tony reached for the bedside to turn it off.
“What time is it?” Abby sleepy voice broke through.
“Shh, still early,” Tony soothed. “I’ve got basketball at the gym with a couple guys from my complex, remember? Go back to sleep.”
“Uh huh…” Abby rolled over and snuggled against Gibbs chest.
“I’ll either pick her up later, or you can drive her home?” Tony whispered to Gibbs as he pulled the jeans he’d been wearing the night before
on over his boxers.
“Yeah. I’ll get her home.”
“Ok. See ya later. Happy Birthday, babe.” He bent over to kiss the top of her head.
When the front door closed, and he heard Tony’s car pull away, Gibbs looked down at Abby. She was asleep again, and he couldn’t get over how beautiful she was when her face was void of its usual mask of makeup. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate when her lips were painted with her bright red lipstick, but there was something about the vulnerability that shone through when she wore nothing.
Closing his eyes, Gibbs managed to doze a while longer. The next time she stirred, he looked at her again and was surprised to find her green eyes looking back. “Happy birthday, Abbs.”
She smiled warmly at him and pressed a kiss to his chest. “Thank you. Thanks for not kicking us out last night.”
“I’d never kick you out and you know it.”
“You could’ve kicked Tony out.”
Gibbs shook his head, “Nah.”
She smiled again and Gibbs couldn’t help but lean in to kiss her. “Don’t think I told you enough before, but you’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
With her response Abby kissed him back and the moment her tongue sought access to his, Gibbs couldn’t hold back any longer. He asked her eight times between kisses, removing the shirt she’d borrowed and removing his boxers, if she was okay with what they were doing - he didn’t want a repeat of the last time.
She assured him every time he asked that she knew what she was doing, and what she wanted. And by the time he pushed into her she cried out happily and pulled him in for one of the most demanding kisses she’d ever bestowed on him.
Abby stretched and arched under him, pulling and pushing at just the right moments. By the time they were done the sun was high in the sky and Abby wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to move again. “Best. Birthday. Ever,” she sighed happily as Gibbs traced an abstract pattern across her stomach.
“I love you, Abby.”
---
None of them thought anything of the odd relationship the three of them seemed to have formed. Tony wasn’t 100% sure that Abby and Gibbs weren’t hooking up on the side, but his needs were being met, and the majority of their free time, the three of them spent together. It wasn’t often that the three of them spent the night together, but when they did, it wasn’t a big deal, and they all piled in to Gibbs bed without a second thought.
On the rare occasion where Abby had to back out of an afternoon together to help the nuns, neither Tony nor Gibbs found it weird that they still spent the time together - watching a game on TV or going for a run through the park or to the shooting range.
The more time they spent together outside of work, the less Gibbs looked at Tony as just a co-worked and more of a friend. Family, even.
When Christmas rolled around, Abby spent more and more time at the church, organizing a Christmas day dinner and movie for the homeless. But even with her time spread so thin between NCIS and church, Abby managed to pull together a Christmas Eve dinner for the team at her apartment. Tony and Gibbs were the first to arrive and the last to leave. In the end Tony decided to stay, but Gibbs had ‘plans’ and they suspected it had to do with Shannon and Kelly so they said nothing. But he stayed after the rest of the team had left to help clean up.
“I’ll see you at church tomorrow,” Gibbs pulled Abby into a tight hug.
“You’re coming?”
“Called Rosita to ask if they needed any extra volunteers to help with serving.”
“She’s thrilled, I’m sure.” Abby turned her head to look at Tony. “Rosita loves him. If you’ve anything to say to him, say it now. Rosita will keep him to herself tomorrow.”
“Well in that case,” Tony laughed and extended a hand. “Merry Christmas.”
Gibbs took it and dropped his hold on Abby to pull Tony into a hug and then pressed a quick kiss to his temple.
Abby hid her smile and pretended not to see it or the shocked look on Tony’s face, and then moved in to hug Gibbs one last time before he left, accepting the kiss to her lips without hesitation.
---
The more time they spent together, the more open Gibbs was. Tony noticed that he smiled more, shared more of his past (although he was still guarded when it came to Shannon and Kelly, only sharing bits and pieces here and there), and was almost openly affectionate toward Abby compared to the quick kisses he’d share with her in the beginning when he thought Tony wouldn’t notice.
And Tony found himself wondering more and more about the kiss to the temple he’d gotten on Christmas Eve. Occasionally his fingers would move there as if he was trying to remember exactly what it felt like. As they relaxed more around each other, Abby was more open about the fact that sometimes she needed a night alone with Gibbs, and rather than sulk about once he got home, Tony found himself jerking off into a tissue at the thought of what they might be doing. He wondered what they would say if he indicated he wanted to watch.
Occasionally he felt a stirring in his groin when he thought of Gibbs naked, but he was quick to push those thoughts aside because he wasn’t interested in Gibbs. Only in what he was sure Gibbs was doing to Abby. Tony nodded to himself as he slipped out of his boxers for the second time that week, grasping his leaking dick in one hand and holding a tissue to the head with the other. Wondering if Gibbs used his tongue the same way he did, wondering if Gibbs like head the way he did, if he liked the way Abby made all the right noises at just the right time. Wondering if Gibbs… Tony grunted as he came and then fell back on the bed. This was going to be a problem.
---
When Navy Lt. Roni Seabrook was found dead in a robotic car, Gibbs knew it would be a long case. The entire basis of the case centered on technology he didn’t understand. He sent McGee to work with Abby to figure out how much exhaust got into the cabin. He expected that between the two of them, they’d have it figured out in no time so he could close the case and go back to glaring at technology from a safe distance.
What he didn’t expect, when he went down to check on them, was to find Abby slumped over in a car full of exhaust. He barely recognized that McGee was sitting a few feet away, his headphones preventing him from hearing the hum of the cars motor.
Slamming his hand against the emergency button, Gibbs grabbed the fire extinguisher and rushed to the side of the car opposite Abby to prevent the glass from shattering in her face. He hit the kill switch and pushed rushed around the other side. McGee was suddenly right behind him, the commotion, causing him to look up from the laptop. “Call 911, now!”
Gibbs pried the door open and unbuckled Abby, pulling her from the seat and lowering her gently to the floor. “Abby…” Gibbs patted her cheeks and checked for a pulse.
The elevator opened and Tony, Ziva and two security guards fell out, their guns drawn. “What is… Oh God.” Tony holstered his gun and rushed forward.
“Ambulance is on its way, boss.” McGee stood looking down at Abby, unsure of what to do.
“What happened?” Tony asked to anyone who could answer.
“We… were trying to figure out how the car got filled with so much exhaust. I was listening to some recordings and I was only turned away for a few minutes and… I… I don’t know what happened?”
“She was passed out when I got here,” Gibbs looked up at Tony, his eyes wide with fear. “She’s breathing, but barely.”
Suddenly the elevators opened again and Ducky rushed forward with an oxygen tank. “Ziva called…”
Gibbs took the mask and placed it over Abby’s face. “Abbs… come on, wake up.” Within minutes they heard the siren of an ambulance so Tony and Ziva opened the garage doors to direct them in. Once they had her on their own system of oxygen they put her on a stretcher and loaded her up. Gibbs didn’t think twice about following into the ambulance and turned to wave Tony in.
Tony had one foot up when he turned to McGee. “If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you.”
---
TBC
Actually, I really kinda do feel awful about ending the chapter this way. Really.
Part Six