DISCLAIMER: NCIS and its characters are the property of DPB and CBS. This story was written for entertainment purposes. No money involved what so ever. No copyright infringement is intended.
TITLE: Hookup
AUTHOR: bbfan
SUMMARY: The Team help Jack feel more welcome. Some Gabby at the end.
CATEGORY: Humor
SPOILERS: Rule 51, Spider and the Fly
CHARACTERS/PAIRING: Jackson Gibbs; Leroy Jethro Gibbs; Abby; Tony; Ziva; Tim; Gibbs/Abby
RATING: K+
WARNINGS: Language
AUTHORS NOTES: A huge thank you to AngelQueen for the beta! I can't help myself… Gabby always creeps in. This is the third story of my Four Months series, taking place while Jackson was staying at Gibbs' place during the Reynosa crisis. The first story was Questions, Answers, and Apologies, the second one was Boys' Night In. You should read those before this one. Just click on my author's name. Enjoy and please, FEEDBACK is much appreciated. Inspires me to write!

The sound of laughter filled the living room, making Jackson Gibbs smile. The last time he remembered that delightful sound in this house, Leroy had been home on leave. He'd been wrestling around with Kelly on the floor, tickling her into squealing submission. It had been her sixth birthday.

Looking around the room at Leroy's team, Jackson felt the same warm, content feeling he'd had that day. Tony, Ziva, Tim and Abby loved listening to stories of Leroy's boyhood escapades. He knew his son didn't talk about his personal life very much, if at all. They were curious and he was more than happy to fill them in on what he could remember.

"So what did he say next, Jack?" Abby asked. She sat comfortably on Tony's lap, her beautiful smile lighting up her face. Her lovely green eyes were wide in anticipation.

"Well, Leroy took his mother's hand and turned it so her palm was facing up. He put his tiny, four-year-old hand into hers, measuring their size against each other. With the most serious voice he could muster, he said, 'But Mommy, your hand is a lot bigger than mine. You can pick up the toys much faster.'"

"Awww… how cute is that?" Abby said, giggling so hard she almost fell off of Tony's lap.

"Whoa, easy there, Abbs," Tony said, wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her from falling off.

Jack smiled and laughed. "Oh, cute, was he? Tell that to Richie Meyers. One time, Leroy had him stay for a sleepover. When Richie fell asleep, Leroy snuck into the kitchen, got a pan of warm water and stuck Richie's hand in it. The poor boy wet his pants."

"He didn't! Abby exclaimed.

"Oh, yes, he did," Jackson snickered and added, "His mother wanted to kill him. She had to change the bed in the middle of the night."

"How many stories you got about the boss, Jack?" Tony asked, his face flushed from laughing.

"I know what I can tell you, Tony. Boss is going to kill us when he finds out what we've been up to," Tim said, as he connected the DVD player to the new TV.

"Hey, McTechno-Nerd, you just keep working over there," Tony said, using the best 'boss' voice he could muster.

"McGee is right, Tony. Gibbs will not appreciate this. He just might flop over this," Ziva added, handing Tim the wires from the DVD box.

Jack looked at Tony, confused. 'What did she just say?'

"It's 'flip over this', Zeevah, not 'flop'," Tony stated, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever, Tony. He will be flipping, a lot," Ziva added.

Jack started to worry. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. He knew Leroy didn't have cable television for a reason, although he had no idea what that reason was. Everyone had cable these days. He looked into the room where Leroy's desk sat and saw the new computer and scanner/printer sitting there. No, he definitely wasn't going to like this.

Abby must have sensed his hesitation. "Jack, please don't worry about Gibbs. He'll come around. If he doesn't, he can cancel the cable and internet service when you go home. Now, please, another story. I love hearing about the boss man when he was a little boy," she said, clapping her hands with excitement.

Jack smiled at them. These were some wonderful people that Leroy worked with. He hoped his son appreciated them as much as Jack himself was coming to. They really knew how to make an old man feel welcome, especially under these strenuous circumstances.

"Well, let's see. When he was about twelve years old, Leroy dressed up as a western sheriff for Halloween. Him and his buddies went out like they did every year, canvassing the neighborhood."

"A western sheriff?" Ziva interrupted.

"Yes. Cowboy hat, sheriff badge and a toy gun in a holster," Jack answered.

Ziva nodded that she understood and went back to helping Tim.

Jack continued. "When they were finished, they would come back and throw some old sheets over themselves, covering up their other costumes. They would empty their bags and go back out across the neighborhood for a second round."

"Oh, that little sneak," Abby said, her eyes squinted and lips pressed together.

Jack couldn't help but laugh at her. The young woman was adorable. "He had no idea I knew what he was up to. So, when he was done and the other boys had left, I informed him that since he had so much candy that year, we would take some up to the children's hospital and donate it to the sick kids."

"Oh, I bet that didn't go over very well," Tony said, smiling.

"No, it didn't, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, leaning against the door frame.

None of them had realized Leroy was standing there. Jack watched the blood drain from Tony's face as the younger man looked at Leroy, then at Abby, and then back to his son. He'd never seen a person react as fast as Tony did.

"Boss!" Tony yelped, standing up quickly, dumping Abby unceremoniously onto the floor.

Abby squealed as she fell, landing with a loud thud. "Ow! Tony!"

"DiNozzo!" Leroy snapped, taking a step forward.

"On it, boss," Tony said, nervously, reaching down and pulling Abby up. He started to dust Abby off, his hand patting her backside and his eyes never leaving Leroy's. He froze instantly when Abby gasped and Leroy intensified the glare.

"Sorry, boss," Tony whispered, removing his hands from her completely.

Jack watched his son with interest. It was obvious by the way Leroy stared at Tony that he hadn't been happy to see Abby sitting on his lap, let alone to watch Tony pat her backside. He smiled inwardly. It didn't take a genius to see just how much his son cared about the forensic scientist, probably a lot more than he should, given their current positions as co-workers.

Leroy's stony voice brought him out of those wayward thoughts. "McGee, David, what are you doing?" he demanded, walking over to the new TV. He turned quickly, spotting the new computer on his desk by the door, seemingly having somehow missed it when he'd come into the house. "And what the hell is that?"

"Um, boss, we… I…" McGee stuttered nervously.

"Gibbs, we… he…" Ziva seemed to be at a loss as to what to say as well. She looked to Jack.

Jack knew it was time for him to step in. "Now Leroy, don't go and get yourself in an uproar. This was my idea," he said, standing up and making his way over to where his son stood. "I'm bored, son. I'm going nuts just sitting here with nothing to do. I've read all the books I care to read. I've cleaned nearly every inch of this place, top to bottom." Jack started to cough. His throat started to burn. 'Oh, no…'

Leroy reacted quickly and took him by the arm and lead him back over to the chair. Jack sat down.

"Abby, get him some water," Leroy said. "You okay?" he asked.

Jack waved a hand at him. "I'm alright, son. Just got a tickle in my throat." He would've been convincing had he not sneezed right then.

"Here you go, Jack," Abby said, handing him the glass of water. He could tell she was genially concerned for his well being.

"Thank you, my dear," Jack said, accepting it.

Leroy stood and once again glared at his team. Jack knew he wasn't very happy with them or him.

Finally the silence was broken when Tim stood up from the back of the new TV. "All done here, Jack. DVD player is hooked up, cable and internet is ready for you to use. Here are the remotes…" Tim trailed off when Leroy stared at him hard. "Um, sorry, boss," was all he could manage to say after several moments of uncomfortable silence.

Leroy just shook his head, threw his keys down on the coffee table and walked over to his gun safe. He opened it up, put his gun and badge in it before closing it again. Grabbing a change of clothes from off the ironing board, he strode off and went downstairs without another word to any of them.

"Oh, he's pissed," Tony said, sitting back down on the couch, rubbing his hand over his face. He looked genuinely frightened.

"Ya think, Tony?" McGee groaned. If Tony looked afraid, then McGee appeared terrified.

"Now boys, he'll come around," Jack tried to reassure them. "He's got to understand that I can't just sit around here all day twiddling my thumbs," he choked out, coughing a little at the same time.

Abby walked over to him. Leaning down, she looked him, her eyes narrowing in on his. "Are you getting sick?" Her hand reached out to touch his forehead, checking for fever.

Jack grabbed it, pulling it away. "I'm fine Abby. Like I said, it's just a tickle."

Abby stood up and shot Tony a look that said she didn't believe a word he was saying.

"I'll call Ducky. See if he can come over tomorrow morning before he goes into work," Tony said, reaching for his phone in his pocket.

"You don't have to do that, Tony. I'm alright," Jack said quickly. Then promptly sneezed.

Ziva looked at him. "I believe you are coming down with a cold, yes?"

"No. I never get sick," Jack said, seriously.

There was silence for a split second as they all looked at each other and then the four of them busted out laughing.

"What?" Jack asked, smiling at them. "What did I say?"

"Nothing, Jack. It's just, Gibbs says the same thing… 'I never get sick'," Abby said, deepening her voice to imitate Leroy's tone.

Jack just smiled and took a drink of water. He watched as Tony went into the kitchen, talking on the phone. His eyes then turned to the others. "So, what are we going to do about Leroy?"

"Someone needs to go down there," McGee said.

Jackson watched, amused, as immediately Ziva and Tim's eyes landed on Abby.

She quickly spotted their looks and her eyes grew large. "What? Me?" she exclaimed. Jack watched as she started to nervously pace back and forth, her hands waving wildly as she went. "I'm not going down there, into the lion's den, the bear's cave, the wolf's lair!"

Tony returned from the kitchen, walking over and grabbing Abby by the shoulders, stopping her. "It's all set. Ducky will be here in the morning, and come on, Abbs, you know he'll only listen to you."

"But why me?" Abby whined.

The agents didn't even have to look at each other. Without missing a beat they all said together, "Because you're his favorite!"

Abby glared at them for a moment, and then her head dropped in defeat. "Okay, fine," she pouted. Turning, she walked past Tony.

Smack!

"Hey, what was that for?" Tony yelled, rubbing the back of his head.

"For dropping me on my ass!"

Abby stopped at the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. She'd need all the liquid encouragement she could get in order to go through with this. Opening the door to the basement, she stepped down on the landing. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she started down the steps. As she made her way down, she shielded her eyes the best she could. She'd notice he had taken a change of clothes with him and didn't want to catch him in the state of undress. Well, she did, actually, but Abby had a feeling that Gibbs wouldn't be too happy with her if she walked in on him naked. No matter how much she might enjoy the view.

She made it all the way down, her eyes now totally covered by her empty hand. She waited for him to give her the all clear. Standing there for what she thought was enough time for him to notice her, she finally spoke.

"Gibbs? Ducky will be here in the morning to check on Jack."

Suddenly, without a sound or warning, she felt his warm breath on her ear. A slight shiver trailed down her spine, despite the heat. 'God…'

"What are you doing down here, Abby?" Gibbs whispered huskily.

Abby swallowed hard, trying desperately not to show how affected she was by his proximity. "I was drafted. They're all afraid you'll yell at them," she said, trying to keep her voice on an even keel.

"What makes you think I won't yell at you?" he said, as he stepped even closer.

Abby felt his chest brush her shoulder, causing goose-bumps to prickle over her skin. Her heart started to pound wildly in her chest, she was sure he probably could hear it . 'Breathe…'

"You never yell at me," she replied, her voice barely above a breathless whisper.

Suddenly, she felt her ponytail being pulled lightly and then his lips on the side of her head. "You can uncover your eyes, Abbs," he said, sighing against her hair. Then as quick as the kiss was, he was gone from her side. The pang of loss instantaneous, and Abby nearly reached out physically to pull him back.

He loved doing that to her; the shiver and goose flesh hadn't gone unnoticed. It just proved to him what he'd suspected for a long time - that her feelings for him mimicked what he felt for her in return.

Making his way past the table and chairs he was making for his father, Gibbs found himself at the workstation, reaching for the bourbon. He'd been affected by that little escapade as much as she had been. Pouring some in his coffee mug, he downed it in one gulp. Enjoying the burn, he poured another shot and then turned to find Abby looking appreciatively at the new furniture.

"Gibbs, this is amazing. You are so talented with your hands," she said. Immediately her words obviously registered, her eyes growing large. "I mean you're very talented with hand tools, of course I'm not saying your hands alone aren't talented, 'cause I'm sure they are… I think I'll just shut up now," she muttered, ducking her head to hide the embarrassment caused by her nervous rambling.

Gibbs just stood there, hiding his grin behind his coffee mug. 'Oh, you have no idea, Abbs.' He watched as she walked back towards him, coming to stand right next to him. She opened up her beer, but before she could take a swig, he reached over with his cup and tapped the long neck.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Abbs," he said.

They stood in companionable silence, enjoying their beverages, letting the little performance they shared settle down. It wasn't long, though, before Abby broke the stillness.

"You're not mad at us, are you?" she asked quietly.

"No."

Abby sighed. "Good, because your father can be really…" she trailed off, obviously searching for the right word.

"Persuasive?"

"Yes," she said, laughing lightly. "You know, you're a lot like him in that regards."

Gibbs watched as she blushed slightly. Abby took a long drink from the bottle, her eyes closing for a moment. He knew she was replaying his earlier actions. Invading her personal space always seemed to be her undoing. She opened her eyes and glanced over to find him staring at her. She smiled shyly and then looked down at the bottle, the label becoming a focal point for her.

Gibbs took this opportunity and slightly nudged her. "How's your ass?" he asked. He tried to keep his voice light. He didn't want her to sense how envious he was that she could sit on Tony's lap without hesitation or repercussions.

He watched with utter amusement at her reaction. She nearly choked on the beer, her eyes growing large again. The blush that spread over her face was priceless. "Gibbs!" she gasped.

"What? You landed really hard. Just checking," he said, grinning faintly at her.

She didn't respond right away. The shock that had flashed across her face was slowly replaced by something else - recognition.

'Aw crap.'

Reaching behind her, Abby placed the bottle on the workstation. Stepping forward she came to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips. "You're jealous." It wasn't a question.

'Oh. My. God.'

Before he could respond, she turned and started to walk towards the stairs. Going up a few, she stopped and looked back at him. For a moment, her expression was solemn, but then a grin lit up her face and she winked at him. "You don't have to worry, Gibbs. You'll always be my favorite."

Then she was gone.

Gibbs stood alone in his basement. It wasn't difficult to hear the double meaning of her words. He smirked to himself. As soon as this damned case was over and everyone was safe from Reynosa and Riviera, he and Abby were going to have a long talk. One that they were probably overdue to have. Years overdue.

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