Touch
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
Just a little thought that popped into my head one night as my husband knew I needed some comfort after a difficult day, but realized that I also needed some space. As we laid in bed going to sleep, he just reached over and laid his arm on mine and went to sleep. I then realized that a simple touch can have a profound meaning. I will explore the different aspects of touch NCIS characters share with each other that speak louder than any dialogue could.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs had closed his heart off after the death of his wife and daughter. He had taken on three more attempts at marriage and trying to force physical bonds with women, hoping to alleviate the void still in his heart. But the pain and void was still there, even after an intense lovemaking session with one of the ex-wives. He knew that no physical touch could ever make him feel alive, whole again. Or at least he believed that until that fateful day 10 years ago when he met the agency's newest forensic specialist, Abigail Scuito.
She had a gift, a gift of love, that she displayed not only verbally but physically. In fact he was caught off guard as he walked into her lab after an extremely difficult case. No one knew of his past life or his loss, but Abby could sense something was deeply troubling her boss. Over the past 2 months they have been working together, she had noticed he was becoming more and more relaxed around her. She knew that she could be intimidating with the black and the choice of accessories, but it never seemed to put Gibbs off. It wasn't as if she had planned on hugging him, but when he was in her lab as the critical piece of evidence came back that solved the case, she couldn't help but turn to him. " We did it Gibbs, we caught the bastard that killed the Captain's daughter!" Abby instantly turned to face Gibbs and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
Gibbs was excited about the evidence, but he was caught off guard at the response from Abby. She would never know the reason that he had started to come into her lab more often was because she reminded her of his Kelly in some of her mannerisms. Her naivety of the cruel world sometimes, her infectious smile and laugh and her true belief it the good of all men sparked memories of Kelly. He would have hoped that she would have developed many of the same qualities. But it was when he felt her wrap her arms around him that he froze.
Abby sensed the coldness from Gibbs. She instantly went to remove her arms from him when she felt him pull her close, and lay his head on the top of her head. She was startled and didn't want to break the connection, so she leaned her head down and just stood there.
Gibbs initial shock had worn off as soon as he felt her start to withdraw. This simple act of love and trust had shook him to the core. He felt a warmth start to grow, one that he thought he would never feel again. As he knew she was taking his lack of response as rejection, he pulled her tight against him and laid his chin on the top of her head, just as he had done many times before when Kelly would climb on the couch and scoot up against him. Who would have thought that one touch would affect so deeply. He relaxed into the embrace and simply kissed her on the head. "Good job, Abby." He spoke softly into her hair, knowing that just as if this was Kelly, the girl in his arms would love some confirmation of a job well done. He knew then that his life would never be the same, just from this one simple touch.
TBC….
UP NEXT? Guess which touch?