Gibbs cares (or why he spikes Abby's Cafpals)
AN: My first NCIS fic, please review! I apologise is I got Cafpal spelt wrong. Thanks for reading!
Gibbs cared.
Abby knew that. Of course he cared about her.
He just didn't show it in a normal person, touchy-feely way – not to say that Gibbs wasn't normal but he was a little Gibbs-marine-awesome-NCIS way that was more.. she paused, thinking hard.
Gibbs stopped her rambling easily. He didn't mind when she entered one of her verbal meanders or tangents, only telling her to get the point when it was necessary for the job – and she knew that, didn't she? He understood that she preferred – no – needed to work alone but still wanted occasional human contact. He catered for that; other team leaders wouldn't have bothered for sure. That shows how much he cares, right? And he brought her drinks, that had to count for something…
Still, there were whispers of doubt in her mind occasionally, when her music couldn't drown out the silence. Did he really? Or was it all some trick?
Gibbs cared.
Cared about his job, his team…his Abby…
But he knew couldn't play favorites – that wouldn't help her at all in the long run. She needs to learn to work with others – others that don't play by her rules – for her own good. He won't be here forever, after all, and pandering to anyone's every need can only do them harm, and the thought of any harm at all coming to Abby made his heart skip a beat. She reminded him so much of her sometimes...
But she doesn't work the same way as the other people. No one else in the team needed to be told regularly to calm down, to eat, to sleep, to just pause for a second to recapture their thoughts before they escaped permanently.
He appreciated that, sometimes, she still doesn't trust the team (and with her lab assistant record, he can't blame her) or the world enough to leave her lab. Her lab, he recognized as her safe place – her kingdom – a place where everything made sense, a place where she was happy, despite what mood her clothes might suggest. But he loved her clothes.
He knows that occasionally she wants to show off – for him to be proud of her hard work – to ensure she's still appreciated, that she's still useful. More than once Gibbs longed to meet the person who knocked her self-esteem that much for her to need approval that way and have words with them. Because she is talented in her own right. She is wonderful. She's Abby. And they had no right.
He cares. It's part of his nightly routine to visit her before he leaves to ensure she goes home herself or at least gets some sleep. He'd lost count of the times he'd walked in and found her asleep at her desk with a long-sort-for answer flashing on the screen.
But she hasn't collapsed for months. He was proud of that. Introducing her to Caf-pals was a good idea. Lacing the drinks he brings her with nutrient supplements and protein mixes was an even better one, it should keep her healthy throughout all her meal-skipping and living on take-aways.
He cares. Really cares.
But she doesn't need to be told that. She knows already. Or at least, he hopes she does – but he'd never stop trying to show it. He never wanted to stop showing it.