You Could Be The Rest Of My Life
When Abby reappeared from the basement, Tony glanced over anxiously from where he was banking up the fire, "Is Gibbs okay?"
"He's fine, Tony. Just a bit of basement time."
Abby switched her attention to Luke sitting quietly on the couch watching TV. "Now then, young man, what time is it?"
"Eight o'clock, Abby." Luke kept his eyes on the screen, presumably in the hope he could get away with it a little longer if he didn't actually make eye contact with his aunt.
"Which is?"
"An hour after seven." When Abby's eyes narrowed and she folded her arms at his cheeky answer, Luke recognized that look and sighed, sliding off the couch reluctantly, "Bedtime."
"Past your bedtime you mean. Come on, I know it's Christmas Eve but Santa won't come with your presents until he sees you're asleep."
Luke rolled his eyes, "I'm too old for Santa, Abby."
"No one is too old for Santa, Luke. Now, do you want to ring your mom and dad before you go to sleep?"
Luke nodded eagerly before saying his goodnights to Tony and Jackson, and calling down to Gibbs in the basement, before disappearing upstairs clutching Abby's cell phone.
"Cute kid," observed Jackson as he watched him go.
Abby laughed, "He's a little monster usually... an incredibly bright, cheeky monster. Although I think he's on his best behaviour tonight, Jack. He usually is when Gibbs is about."
"Aren't we all?"
"Not all of us, Tony," smirked Abby as she settled on the floor by the couch.
"Yeah, well, you can get away with it, Abbs, unlike the rest of us." Tony grinned down at her.
"Okay, Jack... lay it on me, let's see what moves you got," she declared, rubbing her hands together. "What we playing for?"
When Gibbs emerged from the basement an hour or so later, Tony had given up the game long ago and was watching fascinated as Abby and Jackson faced off across the coffee table, similar size piles of matches in front of them.
Gibbs grabbed glasses and the bourbon bottle, pouring shots for them all, before settling into a chair to watch Abby's face as she concentrated.
For someone with a face as expressive as Abby's, she had one hell of a poker face... with almost no tell. He'd studied that beautiful face for hours some nights during a game and hadn't spotted many clues that would give her away.
Although the very fact that her poker face was in place was sometimes a tell all on its own.
The less she revealed, the more likely it was that Abby had an unbeatable hand. He grinned inwardly at the thought of her taking on that other master of the poker face some day... Leon. He'd pay good money to watch that one.
His dad was good though, but he had a tell that Gibbs already knew and he was pretty sure Abby would have worked out by now. So it was no surprise when she won, metaphorically cleaning Jackson out. Although Gibbs would bet his dad regarded the hug he received as more than a consolation prize.
They stayed up a while longer, talking and drinking but it wasn't long before they all decided they were too tired and a good night's sleep would do them good.
Gibbs thought Abby was particularly subdued. She kept glancing his way and when he caught her gaze, he found it hard to look away from those green eyes.
He was all too conscious that they were going to be sharing a bed... even if nothing could happen with Luke there.
Jackson was the first to give in and headed upstairs to the guestroom. Tony settled on the couch, under the blankets Gibbs threw him and with Jethro on the rug in front of the fire for company.
As he watched Gibbs and Abby make their way upstairs, Tony murmured to the dog, "Y'know, Jethro, between you and me, if it weren't for Luke, I've a feeling your namesake might have been getting his tummy rubbed tonight... and perhaps more than just his tummy."
Gibbs paused in the doorway to his bedroom.
Luke had rolled himself completely inside the bedclothes and was sprawled lengthwise across the bed... quite a feat for someone so small.
Abby's husky amused voice came from directly behind him.
"I forgot to tell you Luke hogs the bed? Every morning I'd go into my spare room and he'd be rolled up like a mummy in all the bedclothes." She nudged him as she entered the bedroom. "Come on, I'll grab the bedclothes and you grab him... see if we can at least get him in the middle, or you and I are gonna have an uncomfortable night."
No kidding, Abbs.
"Won't he wake up?"
"Doubt it, Gibbs. He'd sleep through an earthquake I reckon."
Between the two of them, they managed to untangle the bedclothes from Luke and move the small figure to the middle of the bed. Luke barely stirred, except to grab onto his pillow with both arms, mumbling in his sleep.
Abby disappeared into the ensuite to shower and change for bed, and Gibbs did the same in the main bathroom across the landing... both trying not to think of the other standing naked under the shower, and failing miserably.
When Gibbs returned, Abby was sitting on the edge of the bed brushing out her pigtails, dressed in her own sweatpants and one of his T-shirts, which he thought looked far better on her than it ever did on him.
Abby watched Gibbs as he moved about the bedroom, admiring his powerful frame, the spread of his shoulders under the T-shirt, the strong forearms and the long line of his back leading down to that taut ass outlined in his sweats.
Oh god, this was gonna be so distracting.
With unspoken agreement, they got in opposite sides of the bed with Luke in the middle. As soon as Abby lay down, Luke stirred and rolled towards her, wrapping himself around her waist and resting his head on her chest.
Abby giggled, settling her arms more comfortably around her sleeping nephew, "So much for not sleeping with a girl."
Gibbs looked over at the pair of them, feeling fairly pathetic that he was envious of an eight year old.
Abby's thoughts were running along similar lines.
The prospect of sharing a bed with this man who meant everything to her once again reminded Abby of unfinished business between them.
Abby could remember their confrontation in the basement months ago as clearly as if it were yesterday.
She'd been shattered after finding out that Gibbs had killed Hernandez all those years ago and that he'd been at risk of going to jail based on her evidence, on the forensics that were her life and which she loved.
And like an idiot, she'd tried to use a time when Gibbs was vulnerable to force him to admit how he felt about her.
And in her nervousness, she'd blown it.
... asking him how much like a daughter she was to him when all she'd wanted was to hear him deny it. Then she compounded it by asking him to say that he'd love her no matter what.
He'd answered neither question.
And they'd not discussed it since.
So she'd spent many a sleepless night worrying that she'd damaged not only their friendship but had blown any chance of taking their relationship to the next level.
But perhaps now it was time to prod the elephant in the room awake again?
She could hardly make it worse... could she?
Abby bit her lip nervously before venturing, "Gibbs... I wanna apologize for something I said a while back and... now seems as good a time as any."
"You know how I feel about those, Abby."
She looked at him, lying with his hands clasped behind his head, "Yeah, well, tough. You're gonna have to listen to me on this one."
Gibbs glanced at her, startled.
He had a fair idea what Abby was going to say but wasn't sure how to react. It was something that had occupied his own mind ever since the summer and all he'd done was go round in circles without knowing how best to tackle it.
Making sure her nephew was still sound sleep, Abby took a deep breath before looking at him.
"I'm sorry for what I said in the basement way back in the summer. I shouldn't have tried to force you to… y'know, tell me how you felt. It was unfair and not my best timing when you were so preoccupied... when things were crashing down around your ears… My bad," Abby finished quietly.
When Gibbs didn't reply, Abby went on, keeping her voice down, not daring to look at him but determined to get it all out in one go before her courage failed her.
"That's it really. Just wanted to say I'm sorry and I never meant to hurt you or make you uncomfortable. It wasn't fair."
Gibbs sighed, bringing his arms down to rub a hand across his face and stole a glance at her, taking in her worried face, "No need. You were upset, Abbs."
He'd wanted to answer both questions, but failed miserably.
Gibbs didn't have a fatherly bone in his body when it came to his feelings for Abby, but still hadn't plucked up the courage to tell her. It was the first time since that night that she'd tackled him about it outright.
Gibbs was pulled out of his thoughts when she placed a hand on his arm, murmuring worriedly, "Are we okay, Gibbs?"
His eyes roamed over her lovely face, seeing her concern and wanting to touch her, hold her but unable to right now. "Always."
He settled for reaching carefully across Luke to sign against her cheek in a familiar gesture, not missing her slight shiver at his action.
Abby gave him a shy smile. "I don't expect an answer now, y'know. That's not why I brought up the subject again. I don't know why I said what I did then coz I don't think of you like that... " she huffed a soft ironic laugh as her eyes skittered away from his, "far from it."
When Gibbs didn't answer, she felt her throat close up, wondering if she'd really blown it this time.
When the silence seemed to stretch interminably, Abby sighed, defeated, and whispered, "G'night, Gibbs."
He heard the sadness in her voice, but couldn't immediately find the right words... as usual. Instead, he settled for reaching out to click off the bedside lamp, murmuring, "Night, Abbs."
Abby had stuck by him through everything over the past ten years.
Supported him without judgment.
Cared for him without demands.
Offered friendship without expectation.
Perhaps it was time to give her the answers they both needed to hear?
Tired as he was, sleep was a long time coming. Gibbs spent ages lying in the dark listening to Abby's regular breathing and the occasional sigh and whimper from Luke as the young boy dreamed.
It was a long time since there'd been a woman and a child in his bed.
His heart ached as Gibbs remembered how Kelly used to share their bed when she was sick or wanted comfort, or just as a special treat... like Christmas Eve.
TBC...