Perfect For You
Author: Gosgirl
Rating: T
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Category: Romance/friendship
Spoilers: Safe Harbour
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. NCIS and its characters are the property of DPB and CBS.
Summary: What if Abby's number was in Borin's little black book? Post episode tag for Safe Harbour. First time Gabby.
A/N: This is all ncislove's fault for planting the idea way back in the Stone Age and Gibbsredhoodie for egging me on. Written for the prompt 'critical' on the Gabby Shipper Forum and with some alterations to the final scene of the episode... coz I needed to and it was fun...
"So... you lonely, Gibbs?"
"Nope."
"You know they meant well, right?" Borin stated, not unkindly from her perch on the edge of his desk, glancing briefly to the upper level.
Gibbs sighed, throwing down his pen and meeting her gaze. "Yeah, I know, Borin."
Borin continued staring at Gibbs for a moment before nodding as if making up her mind. "Look, I gotta go see Vance and then I got another case. Meantime, I've marked a page in here." She waved her 'little black book' in front of his face. "There's someone in here who's perfect for you."
"Borin..." Gibbs warned.
She held up her hands, unfazed by either his tone or stare. "I'm serious. And you'll know the name when you see it, Gibbs. In fact, I think deep down you know her name already and I think it's high time you did something about it... and I think you'll find she thinks you're perfect for her too, and there are days I could knock your two heads together for holding back." Borin set off for the stairs to MTAC, oblivious to the glare lasered at the back of her head.
Almost despite himself, Gibbs opened the page Borin had marked and saw with a certain sinking feeling that it was the 'Ss'. Running his eye down the list of names with a feeling of inevitability, his eye stopped on all too familiar name and contact details... Abby Scuito.
Gibbs looked up to find Borin smirking at him from halfway up the stairs. And of course, the next person he saw was the woman herself, bounding down the stairs with a cry of "Abby!" as his Abby threw her arms around Borin in an enthusiastic hug.
"You're all okay. I was so worried about you, all of you." Abby drew back from the stranglehold she had on Borin, smiling widely as she bounced on her toes. "You wanna get a drink later or come back for a bite to eat?"
Borin glanced briefly at Gibbs before smiling at Abby, shaking her head. "Raincheck, Abbs? I gotta case."
Abby held onto Borin's shoulders, examining her face, narrowing her eyes. "Okay, then… as long as you're not gonna climb inside a bourbon bottle later... like someone else around here." Abby hooked a thumb over her shoulder in his direction but didn't glance his way.
Borin laughed. "Nope, not tonight… no time. I'll ring you tomorrow."
Abby launched another hug at Borin, before stepping back, folding her hands demurely in front of her as she nodded, an impish smile curving her mouth. "That will be acceptable."
Borin snorted, punching her shoulder and Abby laughed along with her as Borin set off up the stairs. Abby clomped down the rest at speed and ran towards the elevator where Tony and Ziva were waiting.
With cries of "Tony!" and "Ziva!", she wrapped his two agents in breath stealing hugs, which at least gave Gibbs time to get to his feet in anticipation of the approaching tornado. The last time she'd tackle hugged him in his chair, they'd both nearly ended up on the floor.
"Gibbs!Gibbs!Gibbs!," exclaimed Abby as she ran in his direction, wrapping herself around him in a fierce hug.
He hugged her back just as tightly, breathing in her perfume and allowing himself the indulgence of holding her close. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, a little nearer her ear than usual and wondered if he'd imagined hearing her breath catch.
Abby didn't release him as quickly as she usually did, clinging onto his neck for a few minutes, and Gibbs was in no hurry to let her go either so settled his arms more comfortably around her back. When Abby did pull back, she gazed up at him seriously and he was startled to see her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Hey… don't cry, Abbs. We're all okay." Suddenly concerned at the worry he could see in her green eyes, Gibbs cupped her face, brushing his thumb against her cheek.
"Yeah, I know you are but what if you weren't okay, Gibbs. I mean it was all of you in danger, all of you on that boat, and one of these days, the odds aren't gonna be in your favour… again. And I don't know about you but I don't think I'd survive if you got blown up again…" Abby paused in mid sentence as if to consider what she'd just said and Gibbs suppressed a grin as she shook her head, pigtails bouncing, before ploughing on. "Okay, you know what I mean."
Before Abby could get into a rhythm again, Gibbs raised his hand and stepped in, gripping her arms. "But we didn't… so you can stop worrying."
"I know you didn't... this time, but I never stop worrying. I can't… don't you know that yet?" she asked softly, gazing up at him with troubled eyes. When Gibbs didn't reply, she sighed, dropping her gaze and changed the subject. "You headin' out?"
Gibbs nodded, stepping back. "Soon… gotta a few things to finish up first. You goin' home?"
"Yeah…" Abby watched as Gibbs returned to his desk but remained standing as he flipped through a file. "You okay, Gibbs? You seem a bit distracted. You're not gonna do what I just told Abby not to do, are ya?"
Cursing that something must have shown in his face, he tried to head her off. "Nope, I'm fine, Abbs." Borin's words were running through his head on a constant replay and he needed time to think about them.
Abby narrowed her eyes. "Hmm, fine, huh? Fine enough to risk my cooking?"
Gibbs tilted his head in the direction in which Borin had disappeared. "Second choice, huh?"
"You are always first choice... you should know that by now. C'mon..." she coaxed, smiling, hands on hips. "I got my awesome stew bubbling away in the slow cooker... ya know ya wanna."
And he did... and found himself fighting a smile as he replied. "Oh well, if you got stew, Abbs... I'll be there."
"Great." She launched herself at him again and hugged him briefly but hard before whirling away. "Come by when you're finished."
"You want me to bring anything?" he called after her.
"Nope... just you. That's all I need… I mean, for dinner…" She tilted her head on one side as she realized what she'd said, narrowing her eyes at his smirk. "Oh, you know what I mean." Waving, Abby disappeared in the direction of the back elevator.
Yeah, if only, Abbs… if only.
Gibbs went back to work but soon gave up the unequal struggle to concentrate... more unsettled by Borin's words than he was by the team's antics. He'd derived a certain amount of exasperated amusement from their not so subtle attempts to find him a 'perfect' woman.
Although he had to give them marks for coming up with one of the women in Borin's address book that he actually had dated... although he'd seen another familiar face in one of the other 'candidates' they'd selected earlier on, a redhead who hadn't lasted any longer than Dusty.
He knew they meant well...
His team cared about him and he was touched, as well as mildly irritated. He knew they weren't trying to interfere but merely wanted him to be happy, although he was surprised at first that Borin joined in.
He could have shut them down but had chosen not to.
He'd indulged them... taking a certain amount of amusement from sneaking up on them, watching the way they whisked the photos off the plasma each time he strode into the bullpen.
It was easier to let them have their fun rather than heading them off... easier than fielding questions of how lonely he was.
He was alone... sure.
Was he lonely?
Sometimes.
And if sometimes that meant he worked longer hours than he should... just because he didn't have anything better to do, or anyone to be with, or just because something was niggling at him from a case and he couldn't let it go, then that was fine with him.
It was who he was.
But was he tired of being alone and lonely?
Yeah... maybe he was.
But losing himself in yet another short term relationship wasn't the answer.
Borin was right... damn her. There was only one woman he wanted right now... one woman who was perfect for him now, and it was the one he feared he couldn't have, despite what Borin had hinted. Why would such a smart, sexy woman like Abby want a cranky broken bastard like him anyway?
His thoughts were interrupted as Borin came back down the stairs, pausing by his desk as he was packing up to go.
"Thanks," he told her, as he handed over her address book.
He took in her warm smile, her beautiful face lighting up. If he hadn't been in love with another woman, he'd definitely have been more interested in the owner of the address book than its contents.
Borin nodded, looking pleased. "You're welcome, Gibbs. And you know I'm right. It's obvious to everyone else but you two that you're connected at the hip..." She flashed a wide grin, her eyes twinkling, as she turned away. "Well, perhaps not yet but..."
Gibbs rolled his eyes, suppressing a smile with difficulty. "Get outta here, Borin."
Later, Gibbs stood in Abby's kitchen as she finished preparations for their dinner, cutting bread for their stew while he dug out plates and silverware as she talked about her day. Gibbs popped the caps off the beer he'd brought with him, only half paying attention to what she was saying, his mind still on what Borin had said.
Dressed casually, Abby had also let down her pigtails and her hair was still slightly damp from her shower. As the thick mass moved across her shoulders, he itched to run his fingers through it and bury his head against her neck to breath in her perfume.
Abby kept throwing him curious glances as if picking up on his distraction but she didn't call him on it, for which he was grateful.
In recent weeks, since the devastating news of her adoption, they'd spent a lot of time together outside of work. Something had changed subtly between them since that evening she'd come to his house and ended up falling asleep in his arms on his couch... worn out and emotionally wrecked by her discovery.
They'd danced around their mutual attraction for years, neither crossing the line... despite a connection that had only grown stronger over the years. So maybe it was time to move on... to find out if Borin was right and Abby did feel the same way, that it was more than just a physical attraction.
And if she did, then he was determined to be there for her even more... as her partner and not just as her friend. Gibbs wanted nothing more than to stand by her side and support her in any way she needed as she struggled with the news of her adoption and what to do about her 'new' brother, Kyle.
The fact that he was the first person she'd turned to over the past weeks meant a lot to him.
So, as Abby dished up for them both and settled beside him at the table, Gibbs found himself trying to conquer uncharacteristic nerves.
He took in the strong lines of her face, delicate curve of her cheekbones and porcelain skin. To him, the two features that elevated her face from the merely pretty to the simply stunning were those cat green eyes that showed her every emotion and the full lips and smile that could light up his whole day or severely test his blood pressure. Not for the first time, he found himself staring at the tattoo on her slender neck, wondering how her warm skin would taste under his mouth.
For several weeks now though, she'd looked tired, her skin even paler than usual, with dark smudges under her eyes and he wondered how well she'd been sleeping, her smiles seeming to take more of an effort than usual to break free.
"You look tired, Abbs?"
"You smooth talker you," replied Abby with a wry smile before sighing in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I am... it's been a tough few weeks."
Abby knew she couldn't have gotten through these last weeks without Gibbs' unquestioning support, his constant strong presence. He'd made her feel cherished and protected, as he always did but there seemed to be something extra to it lately that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
A comfortable silence settled over them both as they ate and Gibbs was the first to break it.
"This is really good, Abbs."
"Thanks… Better than Dusty's?" she asked, teasingly.
He glanced at her, surprised, but smiled at the twinkle in her eyes. "Yeah... You heard that, huh."
He wondered what else she'd heard... whether she'd heard Borin's words.
Abby smiled shyly, breaking eye contact and pushing her food around her plate. "Yeah, I was on my way to see Leon and I heard a bit of what they were saying… about Dusty."
She'd seen the group gathered by the plasma and heard Tony say they'd found Gibbs the perfect woman and it had stopped her in her tracks... torn between curiosity and hearing what she didn't want to hear. So she'd listened when Gibbs talked about dating Dusty and seen and heard his laughing smile, the one that always made her heart rate increase.
He examined her profile, his gut churning. "Then ya heard what I said?"
Abby nodded, still not looking at him, seemingly lost in her thoughts before replying softly, "That there's nothing more boring than perfect, yeah I heard... then there's hope for the rest of us I guess." She froze the moment the words were out of her mouth, cursing herself.
Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up...
But someone must have been on her side tonight because the phone rang just then, thankfully interrupting the awkward moment. Abby muttered an excuse and fled into the living room to answer it, spending a few minutes talking to a friend she hadn't seen in ages but her mind wasn't really on the conversation.
When Abby finished the call, she looked up to see Gibbs approaching with a mug of coffee. He settled beside her on the couch, but didn't refer to her remark just now, his face infuriatingly unreadable.
She gazed down into her mug, perched on the edge of the couch, remembering how she'd hurriedly continued on her way to Leon's office before Gibbs could catch her eavesdropping, merely meeting Borin's eyes briefly as the other woman glanced up as she sat on the edge of Gibbs' desk.
"I'm sorry they did that to you though... but I know they didn't mean to hurt you." Abby risked a glance at him this time before continuing, her voice quiet and concerned, and saw his face soften.
"I know they didn't... it's okay," Gibbs reassured her. His mind was still reeling from her slip of the tongue just now, wanting nothing more than to believe she meant it the way he hoped she did.
"Earlier I tried to head McGee off at the pass, y'know, but they'd got the bit between their teeth by then..."
Abby remembered her annoyance and the feelings of jealousy she wasn't exactly proud of as she'd flicked through the images McGee had brought down to her lab. How could she look at photos of candidates for Operation G-date when she wanted so badly to be one of them herself?
And why couldn't they understand it was a futile search anyway... Gibbs had already had perfect, so why would he settle for second best now with any woman?
"Yeah, I noticed..."
Abby looked up to catch his wry smile and relaxed minutely, not seeing the anger she'd expected from him at their interference. "Kinda spooky they came up with someone you'd already dated though."
"Yeah... maybe I'm easier to read than I think."
Abby huffed a soft laugh, easing herself back against the cushions and turning slightly to face him, conscious of how close he was. "Only sometimes... They just know you and care about you is all… we all do. But I'm sorry that didn't work out with Dusty though coz... I may not agree with their methods but I want to see you happy too, Gibbs." When he didn't reply but merely stared at her with those intense blue eyes, she rambled on in her nervousness. "But I tried to tell McGee it was futile looking for the perfect woman when you'd already been married to her... so it was pointless trying to find anyone else."
He knew that one well enough.
He'd been trying for twenty years to find someone to replace Shannon and failed, and had finally realized the futility of even trying.
Shannon was far from perfect, in the same way he was very far from perfect, but they'd been what each other needed. And it had worked so well that it meant trying to get anyone else to 'fit' that same mould was doomed from the start.
Now, he didn't need anyone trying to find a new woman for him... the one he needed was right under his nose.
He wanted nothing more than to wake up next to that beautiful face for the rest of his life. Somehow she'd tunnelled through the walls he'd carefully built around himself until he couldn't imagine his life without her.
His Abby.
Special didn't even begin to describe her but could she be his?
Did she even want to be?
Abby meant everything to him and the consequences of screwing this up risked damaging one of his closest friendships. But if Abby did feel the same way he did... then he was tired of holding back. Tired of keeping her at arm's length…
Abby watched the struggle play out in his eyes but not sure what he was thinking and when he didn't respond, she changed the subject, worried he would get annoyed with her for interfering. "I was so worried today, Gibbs... we nearly lost you all... again."
Her voice drew him out of his thoughts and Gibbs shrugged, frowning slightly. "We've been in danger before, Abbs, and it won't be the last time."
"I know... I just..." she paused, struggling to put what she was feeling into words. "It's just watching you all put yourself on the line day after day... and I know you have the tougher time of it coz you're the ones out there in danger but I've done the little woman waiting back at the lab for a long time now… like Ducky has… not that he's a little woman, but you know what I mean. We've both done that year after year, and we wait and wait for news you're all okay..." She broke off, swallowing round a lump in her throat before she could continue. "And I'm not sure how much more I can do this."
Abby wasn't sure why this time had affected her more than normal but it had.
None of the team had even been injured this time and it had been a comfort in a way to know they were all together, so at least Gibbs couldn't run off and do his Lone Ranger impersonation without the team being on his six.
For some reason lately, since her biological family was turned upside down, she'd had this extra urge to make sure her team, her 'family', were safe… to protect them even more than she normally did.
"What d'ya mean?"
He reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb gently across her knuckles. He couldn't help his gut rolling at the thought she might mean she couldn't cope and was thinking of leaving NCIS... leaving him.
"I'm not sure I can cope with..." Abby dropped her gaze to their joined hands, hyper aware of his touch and the sudden electricity in the air.
The last few weeks after discovering she was adopted had also affected her outlook in more ways than one. She wasn't sure how much longer she could go through the agony of watching them all be at risk without Gibbs knowing how she felt about him… even if he didn't feel the same.
"Tell me," he urged softly, looking at her bowed head, her hair hiding her expression.
"The thought of losing you without..." Abby broke off, shaking her head as she bit her lip nervously.
He reached out to cup her face in his hand, tilting her head up to meet his gaze and he swallowed hard as he tried to read her expression. Her bright green eyes seemed to reflect his own yearning right back at him but with a vulnerability that tugged at his heart.
"Without what, Abbs?"
"Without telling you how I feel... without you knowing how much I want you," she finished tentatively, her heartbeat increasing at what she could see on his face.
Before his courage could desert him, he slowly closed the distance between them to brush his lips softly across her mouth, giving her ample time to pull away. She blinked when he drew back, touching her fingers to her lips as if wondering if she'd imagined the kiss, a slow beautiful smile spreading across her face.
He nuzzled his way across her cheek, pressing soft kisses across her warm skin, the familiar action suddenly more intimate than anything they'd ever done.
His low voice in her ear made her shiver. "Want you too, Abbs... Don't need anyone finding anyone for me when you're right there under my nose."
This time Abby initiated the embrace and he responded eagerly as he pulled her closer so they both stretched out on her couch, sliding his hands round her back as he deepened the kiss. When they eventually came up for air, Abby wound her arms around him, tucking her face into his neck, inhaling his familiar and comforting scent.
"When I said earlier you were all I need… I wasn't just talking about the dinner, y'know, even if I did try to cover up the hole my big mouth had dug for me." She ran her hands across his chest, tangling their legs together and trying to get as close as possible.
"Was kinda hoping ya did," he admitted, grinning and pressing a kiss to her hair.
"Guess I'm in Abby's address book too…" she murmured against his skin, pressing light kisses against his throat. "Not that anyone would ever think me a likely candidate for you."
Not liking the way Abby doubted herself, it was on the tip of his tongue to say 'Borin did' but figured that was a conversation for another time… in case Abby didn't like the fact that it had taken someone else to push him to do what he should have done years ago.
He shifted on the couch so he could catch her gaze, wanting nothing more than to wipe away the worry he could see lurking there. Stroking her jawline, he kissed her again, lips brushing softly against hers, murmuring against her mouth. "Not a likely candidate, Abbs… perfect for me now."
Near dawn, curled up together in her bed, Gibbs gradually drifted awake, instantly aware of the soft body beside him, every fantasized curve now pressed warmly against his side. Stroking the soft skin of her back, he threaded his fingers slowly through her hair, playing over the night in his head.
Their first time had been intense, erotic and overlaid with an urgent hungry desperation as they both gave in to what they'd been feeling for years. Their second was slow, sensual and breathtakingly tender.
With a weekend off call and for once, no intention of working through it, Gibbs felt drowsy and contented with no desire to move anywhere else anytime soon. So when Abby murmured his name and burrowed even closer, her hands beginning to roam over his skin, his body responded quickly. Rolling onto her, he kissed her awake amidst her throaty giggles as they lost themselves in each other once again.
Neither of them were perfect but between them he hoped they could make it work. Right now, they were perfect for each other.
Before his desire overwhelmed him again, Gibbs made a mental note to send Borin a truckload of her favorite coffee… as a thank you.
The end.