Title: Heart Beat
Author: KouenTaisa
Rating: K
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs, Gibbs/Kate
Status: Complete
Category: Romance/Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Angst
Spoilers: Kill Ari, Twilight
Summary: And in the dark, I can hear your heart beat.
A/N: Another older story that I started and finished. Apparently I am on a writing roll tonight. I'm trying to tie up all my old random oneshots before I work more on Beside You, so I hope you guys don't mind!

And in the dark, I can hear your heart beat. - Florence & The Machine

Gibbs shifted in his sleep, reaching out for a body that wasn't there. The feeling of the cold sheets jolted him awake and he opened his blue eyes, staring into the darkness. For a single moment he was disoriented, his mind stuck between the dream he had been having and the reality he was being forced to face. Exhaling sharply, Gibbs closed his eyes again as he rolled onto his back. He had swore she was there at his side, but like every other night for the past few months, he was mistaken.

Special Agent Kate Todd was dead.

Sighing, he rubbed his face, knowing that he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. The feeling wasn't foreign, and that thought alone made his stomach churn. In the months, and sometimes years, after Shannon's death he had dreamed of having her by his side only to wake up and realize that she was dead. Eventually, the dreams stopped, but the feeling was still there. Now, it was Kate he was dreaming of, and even if he hadn't been in love with her, he had still cared for her.

He would never know if his feelings for her had been serious, and the thought left him aching a little. Kate had been a good agent, but more than that, she had been an excellent person. She had a kind heart, much like Abby, which is why he imagined they had become such good friends in so short a time. Kate stood up for herself and wasn't afraid to speak her mind, even when she knew it would be better just to remain silent. When he had first met her aboard Air Force One, Gibbs had known that he wasn't going to let her go, and her resignation from the Secret Service had given him the chance to snatch her up.

Kate had been worried about him breaking his rules, but he lied to himself to make the situation seem different than what it was. Even though they were co-workers, they weren't so much dating as they had been sleeping together, at least, that's what he told himself. He was certain that Kate had seen it as a lot more than just a roll in the sheets, and on some level, he knew that there had been a lot more to it as well, but that didn't change what had happened. Closing his eyes, Gibbs listened intently for sounds from the next bedroom over, his brow furrowing when he heard footsteps. It was too early for Sunday Mass, and the thought that something might be wrong had him sitting up in bed before he heard his door open.

"Something wrong, Abs?" he asked, looking over at the forensic scientist who was standing in the doorway. Abby was wearing one of his old shirts, the green one that she favored, and a pair of boxers that he had loaned her. He was used to her staying the night on occasion, and having her close at hand always made him rest a little bit easier than he did on a regular basis when she was out at clubs. Watching her, though, he knew that something had woken her up from a blissful sleep. She was biting her bottom lip as she stared at him, as though waiting for some kind of confirmation.
Gibbs cocked his head to the side slightly, nodding at her and watching as the tension eased from her body. It took only a few seconds for her to be lying next to him with his arm around her waist, keeping her close to his body as she settled in. A few more moments of silence passed between them before she sighed, her fingers messing idly with the ones that he had resting against her stomach.

"Kate again?" he asked softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her head. Abby nodded, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing lightly. Sighing, he held her tighter, his thumb brushing against hers in silent comfort. Abby had been Kate's best friend, and she had known about the non-relationship. She'd told him once that she approved, and he remembered the smile on her face when he'd said there was nothing to approve of. Kate had been Abby's best friend, but he as Abby's confidant and protector. He belonged to her in a way that he would never belong to anyone else, and Kate had understood that. Abby understood that, and she cherished it.

"… I heard you moving around… and I just assumed…" she trailed off softly, curling up against his body more. Gibbs brushed his lips against the back of her head again, exhaling softly. He wasn't in a relationship with Abby, but the thought had crossed his mind a few times. Losing Kate had been nothing like losing Shannon and Kelly, but the feeling was there, the ache of losing someone important, no matter who they were. He had never gotten the chance to say goodbye to his wife and daughter, and he had never taken the chance to tell Kate how he felt.

With Abby, he swore he would do different. It would not be immediate, but it would happen, just because she was the most important person in his life right now, and he didn't see that changing.

"Door's always open, Abs."

She nodded, squeezing his fingers again before she yawned. "I know, Gibbs."

Abby shifted again, her back still to him as she buried her face in the pillow, her breathing starting to even out as exhaustion took over. She would be up soon in a few hours for church and she needed the rest before another week at work drained her.

"Night Gibbs."

Pulling her just a little closer, he bestowed one last kiss, this one on the back of her neck before he settled down. It would be awhile before he went back to sleep, but he could wait.

"Night, Abs."

Closing his eyes, he was content to lay beside her, listening to her breathing as she started to fall asleep. A few moments passed by in relative silence, and her soft voice almost startled him.

"Love ya, Gibbs."

Smiling lightly to himself, he waited until she was asleep before he tightened his fingers around hers gently, nuzzling the back of her neck affectionately as he felt himself start to drift of as well. He wasn't ready to say the words yet, but for the first time in months he felt at peace when he finally drifted off to sleep.