Chapter 2 – Dinner at Duckys
Christmas day was a day for families and Ducky loved his NCIS family very much. All the team were invited to his house on Christmas Day afternoon to celebrate as a family, after all there was more than one sort of family. The day would be filled with a grand dinner, fine wine and good conversation or at least that is what he hoped. In all the years he had held this Christmas party at least one member of the team was missing. Gibbs had only ever attended one perhaps two of these gatherings, he preferred to spend Christmas alone in his basement with a bottle of bourbon. The rest of the team had their own families to go to over the holidays, but Ducky always invited them all and bought each and every one a present.
This year was going to be different he could just tell, as Gibbs would say he could feel it in his gut.
The first knock on the door signalled the arrival of Ziva and Tony. "Good afternoon my dears, come in" Ducky said as he greeted his friends and lead them through to his living room.
"Happy Christmas Ducky, this is for you" Tony said passing over an exquisite bottle of red wine.
"That's very nice of you Tony, thank you."
Ziva was carrying a very festive looking bag "Ducky may I place these under your tree?" Although Ziva did not believe or celebrate Christmas she did believe in her colleagues and spending time together with them was a rare and precious thing. They were not just colleagues to her they were her dearest friends.
"Certainly my dear"
"So any guesses whether Gibbs will be here this year?" Tony inquired
"Perhaps he wished to spend the day with his father?" Ziva replied
They were pulled from there mussings by another knock on the door. It was McGee wearing a Santa hat and carrying yet another festive bag. "Come on in my dear Timothy."
"Merry Christmas Ducky"
"Hey looks its McSanta!" Tony shouts as McGee and Ducky entered the living room.
"Happy Christmas to you to Tony"
Ducky left his guests to chat while he checked on the dinner. He then loaded his cocktail trolley with an ice bucket and champagne and enough glasses for everyone. Plus a bottle of bourbon in case Gibbs did show up and a few bottles of wine. He had barely made it across the hall when he noticed a shadow approach the front door. He knew it to be Abby by the bounce in her step and the sway of her pigtails.
"Abigail my dear, Happy Christmas" he said as he opened the door.
"Happy Christmas Ducky! This is like the best Christmas ever" Abby said as she turned behind her and looked at Gibbs. Gibbs just nodded and placed a finger on his lip. He didn't want his agents to know he was there, not just yet anyway.
"Indeed my dear, why don't you come on in?"
"Happy Christmas!" Abby shouted as she bounded in to the living room giving each of her friends a big hug.
A chorus of "Hey Abby!" and "Merry Christmas!" rang through the house
"So now we're all here how about opening that Champagne?" Said Tony
"Don't I count DiNozzo?"
"Sorry boss, didn't see you there boss, you never come, did I say sorry boss?"
"You can stop now Tony"
"Yes Boss"
"Jethro, would you be so kind as too open this?" Ducky said as he passed the chilled champagne to Gibbs.
"My pleasure Ducky"
Everyone stood around Gibbs as he popped the cork and poured champagne.
"Who's going to make a toast" said Abby.
"Let me" Ducky replied and in his wonderful Scottish accent he said "I drink to the health of another, and the other I drink to is he, in the hope that he drinks to another, and the other he drinks to is me"
"Aw Ducky that's really sweet" said Abby.
Ducky and Jackson Gibbs sat in the two leather gentlemen's chairs and talked like old friends. McGee took a seat in another chair while Tony and Ziva sat on the small sofa and Gibbs stood by the roaring fire watching Abby. Abby was busy arranging presents under Ducky's tree. Ducky's tree was traditionally decorated with red and gold baubles and tartan bows with hundreds and white fairy lights, it looked very beautiful especially with it being framed by his big bay window.
Abby stood up to admire the tree and couldn't help notice what was happening outside "Leo, Jackson everybody come here, it's snowing" she yelled.
Did Tony just hear what he thought he heard, did Abby just call Gibbs Leo? No she couldn't have done, he was a trained investigator if there was something going on between his boss and Abby he would have seen it, wouldn't he?
Everyone moved to the window to watch the snow fall and turn Ducky's front yard in to a winter wonderland. No one saw Gibbs creep up behind Abby and place an arm around her waist puller her back in to his chest. This was perfect he genuinely hadn't felt this happy, this contented in such a long time and it was down to woman he now held in his arms. "I love you Abbs" he whispered in her ear. No sooner had the words spilled from his lips He scolded himself, what on Earth was he doing. Not that it wasn't the truth, it was, and it's not like he hadn't said it before, he had, but he had was shocked at the truth in his own voice and the fact that he had said it here in front of the whole team. He felt Abby tense in his arms, and slowly turn to face him, his arm still wrapped around her.
It was not often Abby was lost for words but this was certainly one of those moments, the truth in Gibbs voice was too much for her to take. When she was too stunned to speak she signed "Say it again" her hands asked.
"Do I have to" Gibbs said
"Do you have to what Boss?" asked DiNozzo.
By this point everyone was looking at Abby and Gibbs, and the intimacy of there embrace.
"Only if you mean it like I think you do" she signed back smiling, if she could get Gibbs to admit his feeling for her, here in front of everyone there really would be no going back.
"You know I do" he said with sincerity as he looked her straight in the eye.
"So please, say it"
Gibbs took a deep breath, it was now or never. Abby had agreed to move in properly so perhaps it was time the rest of the team found out. "Abby Sciuto, I am in love with you"
"Oh Leo, I love you to, so much" Abby replied giving him the biggest hug she could muster.
After a moment's silence from the room DiNozzo reached for his wallet then McGee and Ziva did the same. They all passed Ducky a $20 bill. Gibbs for once was lost for words.
"Don't worry Jethro we just had a little wager"
"On what exactly Duck"
"That you were 'Leo'"
So what do you think? Please press the little button and leave me a review :-)
