*****
The tree they brought home wasn't the biggest or widest. He was surprised that she'd walked past the ones he was sure he'd have to try and manoeuvre into the car, having convinced himself that she would have chosen the grandest tree to sit in their living room in all its glory.
She didn't and, in hindsight, he realised he should have guessed.
The tree they had, a tree she called 'Toby', was tall but not too tall and it was slender – verging on scrawny if he was honest. They'd watched it be ignored by family after family, too pathetic to be anyone's ideal of a perfect Christmas tree.
Anyone but Abby, anyway.
It looked a little pathetic in the tree stand he'd made but Abby soon fixed that, lavishing it with love and affection and enthusiasm as she instructed him on where to put the baubles and tinsel and how to arrange the lights to show off their tree to the best of their ability. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as they fixed the last bauble on the tree – one they'd bought together, symbolising their first Christmas as a couple, the beginning of a new tradition.
"You're an amazing woman, Abby Scutio," Gibbs murmured against her lips later that evening, lowering her to the rug in front of the burning fire.
"Gibbs," Abby gasped, her eyes locked with his as they shed the last of their clothes. "Abby Sciuto-Gibbs."
His lips curved up, his eyes molten blue. "Mrs. Gibbs," he repeated softly.
Their lovemaking was slow and tender, their bodies shrouded in shadows cast by the flickering flames. They fell asleep entwined with one another, the black velvet throw serving its purpose to ward off the winter chill even as the fire dwindled.
*****
The sound of the front door being opened and closed caused him to stir. Gibbs tightened his arms around Abby, his senses on full alert when he hadn't locked the front door behind them. It'd been common practise to do so after Abby had moved into his home but old habits were hard to break and he'd become accustomed to leaving his house open to whomever wished to visit during his bachelor years.
He shifted his lover, positioning himself so he was between her and their visitor, adrenaline coursing through his veins even as he realised he had nothing to defend them with should it become necessary.
When the intruder walked into the living room, Gibbs wasn't sure which of them was most surprised: himself, or his ex.
"This... is a surprise," Hollis Mann managed, her eyes narrowing briefly as they focused on the black haired woman mostly obscured by Gibbs himself. "Abby, Jethro? Really?"
His eyes hardening, Gibbs ran a hand over Abby's hip when he felt her stir. "Haven't you heard of knocking, Hollis?"
The Lieutenant Colonel ran a hand through her blond hair – nicely styled, which teamed with the outfit and make-up she wore suggested she'd been planning a fire-side rendezvous of her own. "It was never needed in the past."
"We're not in the past now." He sat up, careful to keep himself and Abby covered. He glanced at his wife and realised she was awake even though she was pretending otherwise. "Was there something you wanted, Hollis? Something that can't wait till tomorrow?"
Hollis hesitated, her eyes narrowing once more. She shook her head. "Do you think it's fair playing her like this, Jethro? I know Christmas can be a lonely time and I sympathise with what you've been through but I thought you cared more about Abby than to use her like this. She's supposed to be your friend."
"She's not my friend," Gibbs replied calmly. He held Hollis' gaze and reached for Abby's hand. "She's my wife."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"Wife? You're married?" The expression on her face would have amused him if not for the complete stillness of the woman lying next to him. "You married *her*?"
"Hollis." The edge in his voice was warning enough. Gibbs wished he could get to his feet and usher her out of the house, locking the door behind her. "Leave."
"Don't worry, I'm going." The blond he'd once thought he could love turned on her heel, hesitating to throw him a hurt look over her shoulder. "I hope you're happy, Jethro. And I hope for Abby's sake you can commit to her more than you did to your last three wives."
The door slammed behind her. Gibbs turned to look down at Abby, gazing down into her wide green eyes. "You okay?"
"Should I be asking you that?" She sat up, holding the throw against her chest more for warmth than out of a sense of modesty. "She looked upset. I think she really loved you, Jethro."
"Maybe." He shrugged his shoulders and drew her into her arms, resting his cheek against the top of her head when she nestled against his chest. "But I really love you."
"And I, you." She sighed softly, lips brushing his chest. "Don't be too hard on her at work tomorrow, no matter what she says or does. She's hurt and she's angry. Can't say I blame her, either." She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling a little. "If I had you, then lost you, it wouldn't be pretty, either."
He ran a hand through her tousled hair, tangling his fingers in her dark locks to hold her steady as he leaned in to kiss her fiercely. "You'll never lose me, Abs. Never."
He lowered her to the rug once more, covering her body with his own. He explored and adored her, cherishing every part of her, proving with gestures that he meant every word.
*****
It came as no surprise to either of them that Hollis left a few days after her untimely interruption. She said nothing about what she'd seen and treated both Gibbs and Abby with cool politeness until her departure, keeping her pride intact.
Abby found herself feeling sorry for the other woman, and hoped the former Army officer found the happiness she herself had.
With a folder in her hands, she made her way from her lab to the squad room, a bounce in her step. Christmas was only a few days away and she was determined to make it as good as it could be for herself and her husband, the first of what she hoped was many together. He'd said yes when she asked if they could have the team over on Christmas Day, knowing as well as she did that most of them had nowhere else to go. Christmas Eve, however, would be all theirs.
Or so they thought.
Her favourite agents were absent from their desks when she made it upstairs. Sighing to herself, wondering where they'd been dragged to, she made herself comfortable at Gibbs' desk and reached for a pen to doodle a note to her husband. When the elevator pinged to announce someone had arrived at the floor, she automatically looked up and over, hoping to see her favourite silver-haired fox and his team.
A genuine smile of pleasure spread across her face, however, at the sight of her second favourite silver-haired fox and she stood to welcome the newcomer in a bone-crushing hug.
"Jackson! Does Gibbs know you're here? Of course he doesn't, he'd have told me. Well, he better have told me. I'd be mad if he didn't. But you're here! And it's so good that you're here because it's Christmas and where else should you be but here!"
Jackson Gibbs, father to one Leroy Jethro Gibbs, beamed at her when she took a step back. "If I'd known I'd get such a warm welcome from such a beautiful woman, I'd have made the effort years ago." He glanced around at the empty desks. "Leroy isn't here?"
"No." She shook her head and grabbed his arm. "I don't know where they've gone but they'll be back soon. I was just leaving him a note." She darted to the desk, scribbled something else on the end of her message, and returned to his side almost before he'd realised she was gone. "You can come and see my lab if you want? And I can introduce you to Ducky? You'd really like him. He's got some great stories and he's one of Gibbs' best friends so you two should really meet."
"That sounds good," Jackson smiled at her and offered her his arm again. "I know I should've called to let Leroy know I was coming but I thought he might try to talk me out of it."
"He'd try but he wouldn't succeed." Abby gave him a winning, almost secretive smile. "I wouldn't let him. Christmas is for family and you're family so you should be here."
"That's what I thought." He gave her a grateful smile and let her lead him towards the far elevators, where his tour of NCIS would begin.
*****
When Gibbs and his team returned to NCIS Headquarters after another gruelling crime scene, Gibbs had been ready to send the evidence down to Abby with McGee or DiNozzo, planning on getting stuck into the tedious legwork himself. That changed, however, when he saw the note on his desk.
Grabbing the bags of evidence from a surprised McGee, Gibbs chose to take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator to give him the benefit of surprise. He kept his footsteps quiet as he approached the open door of the lab, a small grin on his lips when he heard Abby's familiar laughter float towards him.
"It's good to know he wasn't always so serious," he heard her saying through her giggles. "But you'll have to send me pictures. No way is anyone going to believe our Gibbs went through a punk phase."
"I'll get you copies, I promise. " He could hear the note of mischief in his father's voice, and the genuine fondness, too. "Now you tell me more about these boats of his. You said he's made four?"
"So far." The pride in her voice was unmistakable. "He only uses hand tools, too."
Before she could interject with a comment about how good he was with his hands – and he knew Abby well enough to know that was what she was thinking – Gibbs strode into the room, his expression carefully neutral when they both turned to look at him.
His wife and his father, Gibbs thought with a smile he only just managed to keep off his face. His family.
"Jack." He greeted his father with a nod, stopping a few feet away.
"Leroy." His father nodded at him, his hands in his pockets.
Abby rolled her eyes and sighed. She stood between the two of them with her hands on her hips, glaring at them both. "That's no way to greet your father, Jethro," she told him with the arch of an eyebrow. "And I'd expected better of you, Jackson." Taking a step back, her hands rose from her hips to wave the two of them together. "At least say hello properly."
Gibbs rolled his eyes at her as his father smiled. They took a step forward at the same time, sharing a manly embrace and pat on the back that made Abby smile and clap her hands together in satisfaction.
"Good." Obviously pleased, Abby hooked her arm through Gibbs' own. "Your Dad's staying with us for Christmas," she announced matter-of-factly, giving him a look that dared him to argue.
"With 'us'?" Jackson repeated, his turn to arch an eyebrow. "Is there something you meant to tell me, Abby?"
With a bright smile and a meaningful look at her husband, Abby reached around Gibbs to grab the evidence he'd brought with him. "I better get processing this. My boss can be a real bear if he doesn't get answers quick. Why don't you two boys go for coffee, hmm? I'm sure you've got some catching up to do!"
She skipped away into the inner office of her lab before they could comment, the door sliding shut behind her. Gibbs shook his head in amusement, an affectionate look on his face.
Jackson Gibbs looked at his only son and arched an eyebrow. "How about that coffee?"
*****
They spent Christmas Eve together as a family. Jackson was able to observe the couple together and was happy with what he saw; the sight of his son so happy and so obviously in love did wonders for his weary heart, though he found himself missing his wife and wishing she could have met the special lady in their son's life.
He bid the couple a fond goodnight just before midnight, chuckling to himself as he left them arguing over whether Abby got to open one of her Christmas presents at one minute past twelve or if she had to wait until morning like everyone else.
When the couple eventually retired to their bedroom an hour later, Jackson was mostly asleep, content in the knowledge that his little boy – a child no more – was no longer alone.
*****
She bit her lip to keep back her giggles as they tiptoed passed Jackson's room, her hand wrapped securely in Gibbs' own. The wine she'd drank coupled with the knowledge she had her favourite people to herself for a few days thanks to them having closed their current case just hours before made her giddy.
Once their bedroom door was closed securely behind them, she turned to her husband and smiled mischievously, causing him to arch an eyebrow in question.
"How quiet do you think you can be, Agent Gibbs?" She whispered, her hips swaying deliberately as she walked him backwards with a hand against his chest. She smirked when his legs hit the edge of the bed, pushing just a little bit harder so he fell onto it. Straddling his hips, smiling when his hands came to rest at her waist, Abby gave him an open mouthed kiss, pulling back just as he began to respond. "My turn tonight," she murmured, shifting back on his legs to pull up the sweater he was wearing.
"Abs..." His voice trailed off as she pulled the sweatshirt over his head, throwing it behind them. He drew a quick intake of breath as the cool air hit his already heated skin. "My Dad's just down the hall."
"I know." With a smile that was undeniably wicked, Abby dropped her hand to caress his erection through his jeans, a low purr escaping her when he thrust automatically towards her hand. "That's why you should be very, very quiet."
She pushed him back by her hands on his shoulders, leaning over him to kiss him hungrily before drawing back, trailing her nails over his bare chest. She leaned down to take one nipple into her mouth, suckling and biting gently, grinning against his flesh when he lifted a hand to his mouth to stifle his moans. Turning her attention to the other nipple, she rocked her hips gently against him, satisfied when he groaned.
Shifting lower down his body, she popped open the button of his jeans, holding his gaze as she slowly lowered the zipper and slid her hand inside his boxers. His breathing became laboured, his breathing heavy, and Abby smiled at his flushed cheeks and dilated pupils.
She stroked him slowly, trailing her fingernails ever so gently along his length, feeling him thicken and harden against her palm. Shifting again, she drew his pants down, smiling when he lifted his hips to assist her, making short work of getting rid of his jeans and boxers.
Abby stood before him and took her time in shedding her own clothes. She lifted her top slowly, throwing it to the side, her skin tingling with the weight of his heated gaze. Her hands rose to the fastening of her bra and she undid it slowly, sliding the straps down her arms as though she had all the time in the world, enjoying the look of hunger on his face, the way he licked his dry lips.
Turning her focus to the removal of her short skirt, she pushed the material down and over her hips slowly, making sure she had his full attention. Her panties came next and she noted with pleasure how his eyes tracked the slip of lace and silk as they slipped down her legs and pooled on the floor at her feet.
Her pigtails were next and she pulled each elastic band out, running her fingers through her hair, knowing he preferred it when it was loose and wild around her shoulders.
With both of them completely naked, Abby sat on the bed between his legs, her black hair tumbling over her face as she lowered her head. She licked her way along his length, holding his hips steady with an arm, determined to draw the moment out as long as she could for them both. Taking her time, she licked and sucked gently, one hand caressing the base of his cock before moving to massage his balls as she took him fully into her mouth, bobbing her head up and down, taking as much of him into her throat as she could. She hummed lightly, her lips tightening around him in a smile when his hands grasped the bed sheets, fisting the material as he tried to keep his moans to a minimum.
Only when she felt him thrust into her mouth did she draw away, knowing if she left it too long, she wouldn't get to have him where she wanted him the most.
Straddling his hips once more, Abby stared down at him as he looked up at her, green eyes meeting blue as she lowered herself onto his length, guiding him inside her slowly. She took him into her then rose, so the head of his erection was only just brushing her folds before lowering herself again, twisting her hips to take him to the hilt.
She rode him slowly at first, her pace quickening as he lifted his hips, thrusting into her as she ground herself against him. She moved a hand between them, throwing her head back as the combination of sensations threatened to send her over the edge. Gibbs' hips bucked as her inner muscles clenched around him, reaching blindly for her, drawing her down into a hot, harsh kiss as he found his release, muffling his cries in her mouth as Abby collapsed above him.
Their bodies melded, sated and fluid, and they collapsed into one another as the world spinning around them slowed to a gradual halt.
"That," Gibbs gasped, cradling her still trembling form against him, "was incredible."
"Hmmm." Nuzzling his chest, Abby smiled drowsily. "Happy Christmas, Jethro."
"Happy Christmas, Abs."
*****
The following morning saw the house filled with all of Abby's favourite people. She greeted the team, smiling at their surprise when they saw the newly decorated house, at the speculative glances they threw at both her and Gibbs.
It was only when the last of the food had been eaten and every present under the tree had been opened that Abby curled up into Gibbs' lap on the arm chair next to the fire, ignoring the looks and smirks of the people present.
She tilted her head back, a smile on her face as she eyed the mistletoe she'd convinced him to hang above the chair earlier in the day.
Gibbs, for his part, merely wrapped his arms around her, conscious of the fact their friends and family were watching, unable to find it in himself to care.
"Are you having a good time?" He asked quietly, his gaze searching hers as she gazed at him lovingly.
"The best," Abby declared sincerely, taking a moment to look around the room at their friends before returning her attention to her husband.
He lifted a palm to her face, cupping her cheek and running a finger tenderly over her cheekbone. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Gibbs."
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Gibbs." She tilted her head to accept the kiss he bestowed upon her lips, smiling into it as they finally let their nearest and dearest in on their secret and into the new chapter in their lives.
She was the latest in a line of Mrs. Gibbs', and she was determined to be the last. Their marriage wasn't just for show, wasn't just for an assignment.
Their marriage was definitely for keeps.
*****
Finis.