Anything

Rated: T

Pairing: Gibbs/Abby

Spoilers: Season 3, episode 9 – Frame-Up

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me I don't own NCIS, any of it's characters etc...I just like to mess with them.

A/N: I was cleaning up my story folder and found this hidden and completely forgotten in there. It was originally started for the prompt 'Fall' on the Gabby shipper forum but I didn't finish it in time...so here it is, several months later :p

The world had always seemed a safer place to be when his arms surrounded her. With such a simple yet unguarded gesture he brought her the peace and comfort that no-one else could.

She never felt alone with the steady beat of his heart under her ear as he held her tightly, and she knew no-one would ever hurt her while his body shielded her from harm...from both the outside world and the terrors in her head.

He took away her feelings of darkness, fear and sadness. And when everything was falling apart around her, Abby knew she could go to him and he would never turn his back on her...she always had Gibbs.

This time when she had turned up on his front door step only hours after leaving work and going home to her apartment, it had been to try and avoid re-living what had happened in her lab earlier that day. As much as Abby had tried to persuade Gibbs and his agents that she was fine to spend the night at home on her own, once she was within the walls of her apartment the silence had overwhelmed her.

So just like many times before, it had been a natural reaction for her to seek out the caring side of the man who had become the most important person in her life. Abby had no idea if Gibbs suspected how she really felt about him, or if he just saw their flirting and teasing as a part of the special friendship they had, but to her there were no words to describe how much he meant to her.

Abby had always given her love easily to those she cared about, but very rarely did she give away her heart. Once she had realized that part of her belonged to Gibbs she'd kept it safely out of the grasp of everyone else.

Any attempt to bring someone into her life on a permanent basis, to share her life, would be pointless because Abby had known for some time she would never be happy unless she had Gibbs.

Seated on the couch in his living room she let out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes as Gibbs ran soothing touches over her back with his hands.

Snuggling closer into his side she tried to erase the last several days from her mind. The combination of trying to help clear Tony of murder charges and then Chip trying to kill her had taken its toll, and as much as Abby had tried to fight the inner turmoil on her own, the pacing in her apartment had only served to get her more agitated.

She needed somewhere calm and safe...she needed Gibbs.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked quietly, lifting one of his hands to gently stroke the back of her head.

"I'm not sure...I'm just tired Gibbs, really tired," she mumbled sleepily.

"You can stay here tonight."

Abby didn't question his order, if anything she felt relieved. The last thing she wanted was to be alone in her empty apartment, and because of the late hour she'd arrived at Gibbs' place she had hoped he would let her stay, even though she'd been apprehensive about the prospect of asking him.

"That okay?" She asked shyly, needing to be near him but not wanting to invade his space.

"Course it is, you're always welcome here Abby, you know that."

"Feel safe when I'm with you...I trust you..."

Her trust in him was something that Abby believed could never be broken. It was an amazing feeling to be able to depend on someone with such conviction, but at the same time it scared her.

Gibbs leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "The people that care about you will never hurt you Abbs...don't let Chip make you doubt that. What he did wasn't about you."

Abby knew he was right, and she also knew the close friendships she had could never really be tested by one man's quest for revenge. She just needed to restore her faith in humanity, and as difficult as it might have been for many people to believe, Gibbs was the only one who could do that.

"Have you ever wanted something that much...that you'd do anything?" Her voice was hesitant and despite the fact that she was talking about Chip and his need for payback, there was also a second meaning behind her words.

Abby's desire to find a way to make Gibbs understand her feelings for him, and to find out if he felt the same, had become a constant source of torment for her. Abby loved him, but every day that went by and her love remained unrequited, the joy he brought into her life also caused her heartache.

"Once or twice..." Gibbs answered her before trailing off.

When he didn't elaborate any further Abby didn't push him for more details, instead she sat up straighter so she could look at him.

"Me too," she admitted softly, "but only once."

His blue eyes stared back at her intently, as if he was waiting for her to say or do something. Holding his gaze Abby felt everything around her fall away. She'd had her fair share of regrets in life and her run in with Chip and his knife had only made her realize just how badly she wanted Gibbs, and that she could no longer wait for a sign from him that may never come.

The heavy weight pressing down on her heart had become intolerable, if she told Gibbs she loved him and lost him at least she would have her answer...as painful as it may be. But she couldn't go on with the way she was living now, having him this close and feeling like he was so far out of her reach.

"It's you..." Abby whispered. "That I want so much I'd do anything for."

Taking hold of her hand Gibbs threaded their fingers together, his eyes studying the way they were entwined. Abby felt nerves rush through her at his silence, wondering if he was figuring out a way to tell her he wasn't interested without upsetting her.

"You scared me, Abbs..." Gibbs said, breaking the silence. His openness caught her off guard and she held her breath waiting for him to continue. "When I saw you sitting in that chair...I thought...I'd lost you."

He sat up on the edge of the couch so he could face her, his free hand slowly lifting up Abby's t-shirt just far enough to reveal the bruise on her side where she'd bumped into the table in her lab while she and Chip had been wrestling for the knife.

Leaning down Gibbs took her completely by surprise when he pressed his lips gently to the dark mark scarring her pale skin. Abby gasped at the feel of his soft touches as he kissed her several times, the fingers of her free hand tenderly ruffling through his hair in an attempt to keep him close. She squeezed their joined hands and looked down on him, her breathing suddenly impossible to control.

When Gibbs lifted his head, he gently pushed up the sleeve of her t-shirt to uncover the finger shaped bruises on her upper arm.

"I didn't protect you." His voice was raw with emotion and Abby felt her heart drop...he was blaming himself for what happened. "It was my fault he hurt you."

Without thinking Abby threw her arms around him, she was determined to make him understand he wasn't responsible. "You couldn't have known, Gibbs, none of us could. It's not your fault...I'm okay."

She felt his strong arms enfold her, a kiss that was barely there pressed next to her ear as he murmured, "It's you for me too..." His mouth moved closer to her ear, his warm breath making her tremble and clutch onto him tighter when he spoke again, almost repeating the words she'd said just moments ago. "Want you so much I'd do anything."

Abby twisted so she could gently rub her cheek against his, edging her mouth closer to his with each slow caress. "Does that include kissing me?" she breathed.

"To start with," Gibbs teased, his lips quickly brushing over the corner of her mouth.

Abby's breathing became more rapid as Gibbs gently nudged his nose against hers, his lips parted and hovering barely an inch from hers. Tentatively he kissed her top lip; it was the barest of touches but Abby couldn't hold back the soft whimper that rose up in her throat.

She looked into his smoldering blue eyes, so close she felt like she could see his soul, and gasped. He felt real and smelled real, but Abby couldn't believe this was happening, that Gibbs actually loved her in the same way she loved him.

"You really feel that way?" She asked hesitantly, taking his face in both her hands and resting her forehead against his.

"Wouldn't lie to you about this Abbs, you mean too much to me...should've told you how much before now."

"So should I –"

The pressure of his lips cut her off mid-sentence, the kiss soft and tender, but firmer than the previous one. Abby didn't need any further persuading, deepening the kiss and pushing him back against the couch.

Straddling him she kept his face between her hands, the tips of her fingers stroking through the short hair above his ears.

Gibbs' hands settled on her hips, his tongue flicking out to slide along her bottom lip before he nibbled gently on it and pulled back. The lazy but confident lop sided grin he gave her made Abby's stomach flip, his eyes sparkling and making her pulse soar. How had she lived so long without this, without him in her life like this?

Gently stroking across her cheek with the back of his fingers, Gibbs' touch sent a rush of love and longing through her and Abby knew at that moment he could tell her anything and she'd believe him.

Leaning forward she brushed her lips over his once more, a surge of satisfaction rolling through her when he growled into her mouth, their lips parted, tongues sliding together.

One of Abby's hands smoothed around the back of his neck, the other spreading out over the muscles of his chest as she reluctantly separated from him. She took in quick shallow breaths, feeling Gibbs breathing against her skin as he kissed a slow tender trail over her face.

"You and Tony are both safe now," he murmured. "You need to rest, Abbs...let me take care of you."

She collapsed forward onto his chest, feeling the lingering stress from the day slowly evaporate as she nuzzled her face into the curve of his neck.

"Can I sleep with you?" Abby asked, gently suckling over his pulse point, then stopping her ministrations when she felt him chuckle lightly underneath her.

"I didn't mean that like it sounded...well, okay maybe I did," she admitted, playfully biting his neck. "But usually when I stay over, you sleep on the couch and I'm in your bed. Want you with me this time."

Wrapping his arms around her, Gibbs pulled Abby as close as she could be, the warmth from his body making her sigh.

"I'll be wherever you want me to be, Abby."

She let her eyes drift shut, absorbing his presence and the way he completely invaded her senses just by being close. Listening to the sound of his breathing and feeling his heart beat next to hers, Abby let the inner peace she'd struggled to find for days wash over her.

Gibbs' effect on her had always been immediate, but only now did Abby realize whether he was calming her or getting her so turned on she could barely think straight, her reactions to him were completely normal. They weren't something she had to be scared of, or embarrassed about any longer.

"I love you, Gibbs."

The words came out much easier than she'd imagined they would, almost as if she'd been waiting for this exact moment to say them. It felt as natural as breathing, and by saying it out loud Abby finally believed that he was real, that what was happening between them was real.

Gibbs' voice was rough when he spoke after a moment of silence, his breath warm against the curve of her ear. "I love you too...and I'll do anything to protect you."

Abby wordlessly slid off his thighs and got to her feet, taking Gibbs' hands within her own and urging him to stand up. He raised an eyebrow at her, his footsteps following hers as she made her way to the stairs that led up to his bedroom.

"I changed my mind...I don't wanna sleep anymore."

The End.