A/N: This story is still unbetaed. Unfortunately my beta has been out of reach for a couple of weeks already and I can only hope she is fine.
Disclaimer: origins and meanings of names are borrowed from various sites.
For Kelly.
-xxx-
Names
One extremely warm late summer´s night found Abby and Gibbs sleepless.
Abby had woken from a nightmare and Gibbs had managed to calm her down again by tenderly stroking her hair and gently massaging her neck and shoulders. But Abby still was too agitated to talk about what was bothering her. Gibbs didn´t mind, he knew she would tell him later that day.
Afterwards Abby couldn´t find an agreeable position to lie in anymore, her seven months´ pregnant belly being in the way all the time and moreover making it impossible for her to simply lie on her stomach and stretching out her arms and legs, which she usually would do at a night like this during an unbearable heat.
After another 20 minutes of moaning and groaning, of tossing and turning, Abby suddenly sat upright in bed.
"Gibbs?" she asked into the half darkness.
Gibbs chuckled. Abby had started to call him Jethro only a few weeks ago (but that´s another one-shot story) and Abby calling him 'Gibbs' now, was a sign that Abby´s mind was on something more important. He nevertheless wondered if she ever completely stopped calling him by his last name.
"Do you want me to get you some water, Abs?" Gibbs asked while bringing his hand to her back and gently rubbing that spot in the small of her back, which he knew sometimes was hurting.
Abby shook her head and stretched a little, giving him better access for a few seconds, before she suddenly turned to let her legs slide over the edge of the bed and get up. She went down to the kitchen and Gibbs followed when he had realized that she wouldn´t come back too soon.
-x-
Down in the kitchen Abby is already pouring some coffee and peppermint tea when Gibbs enters the room one minute later and a book is lying on the kitchen table.
Gibbs sighs, suddenly knowing what her dream has been about and he walks over to her. He lets his left hand rest upon her baby tummy and with his right he strokes some wisps of hair behind her ear, his thumb softly grazing her temple before he leans in to place a tender kiss there.
"This making you nervous, huh?" he softly whispers in her ear.
"Jethro," Abby leans into his affectionate gesture and nods slightly before confirming what he already has assumed from seeing the book. "What if our little girl is born and we still haven´t got a name for her?"
Gibbs cannot help but chuckle lowly, at the same time hoping this doesn´t hurt Abby´s feelings. He again kisses her temple, gently pulling her a little closer and he lets his lips rest upon her skin for a little while before giving an answer.
"That won´t happen, little snow queen," he tries to reassure her.
A few minutes later, at about 3 o´clock in the morning, Gibbs is sitting at the kitchen table, his elbows resting on the table, sipping his coffee and listening to Abby, who is incessantly pacing the kitchen, patiently reading out the names that are listed in the book she has brought with her to the kitchen.
They start with the letter "A" -- of course -- and the first name on the list happens to be "Abigail". The list also provides the names´ meanings and origins and Abby reads them out as well.
"Abigail: is of Hebrew origin, meaning Source of Joy, Father of Joy, A Father's Joy. Name of King David's third wife…"
They sure won´t call their child Abigail, one Abby was sufficient, they both agree.
"Ada: Possibly a Latinate variant of the biblical Hebrew name Adah, or a pet form of Adele and Adelaide…"
"Adelaide: of Old German origin, meaning "noble, kind". Queen Adelaide was a German princess who accepted the young prince William IV after he'd been turned down by seven other highborn ladies..."
This goes on for a whole while. They proceed from name to name, from letter to letter and so on, every now and then simply reading the name and leaving any further explanations of the names aside.
"Katherine: of Greek origin, meaning "pure". In use since at least the third century AD. The early Latin forms Katerina and Caterina became Katharine and Catherine. Preference in modern times is for the K- spelling, which is closest to the original Greek versions."
"Kel... ." Abby instantly falls silent, stopping dead in her tracks and biting her bottom lip. She guiltily turns and looks up from the pages, glancing at Gibbs, who has also looked up and the grief-stricken expression on his face makes Abby´s heart wrench.
"Sorry," she whispers, wishing she had been more quick-witted to just leave this name aside.
Gibbs inhales deeply, heaves a sigh and smiles; the smile washing away the grief from his face.
"It´s okay. Come here, Abs." Gibbs beckons her over and Abby slowly steps forwards until she comes to stand right in front of him.
He had known that they would come across the name "Kelly" sooner or later, yet he had not in the least expected himself to show such a reaction now that this has finally happened. He knows that Abby usually doesn´t mind his getting sad at times. And even more than this. She keeps telling him it is okay and that he should not hide it. It of course still hurts. Always would.
But this sleepless night is about the name of the little baby girl Abby and he are having and he cannot help but realize that this prospect of becoming a father again sure helps heal his soul furthermore.
"Sit down, hm?" Patting his thighs Gibbs signals Abby to sit down on his lap.
Although he is already smiling again, Abby is still feeling a bit uneasy. She puts the book down on the table, then sits sideways on Gibbs´s lap and snuggles against him as tight as possible.
"Hey, don´t be sad." Gibbs cups her cheek and he places a kiss on the top of her head. His fingertips lightly brush over her slightly flushed cheek, then caress her chin, gently lifting it up in the process.
"Give me a smile, please," he begs and it is not difficult for Abby to obey. The way this rarely used word leaves his lips always makes her smile.
"Yeah, this is much better," Gibbs smiles contentedly.
"We probably should continue this some other time," Abby suggests, intending to get up.
"No," Gibbs insists, stopping her in her efforts and leaning forward to kiss her lips. "You know, Kelly would have enjoyed having a sister and she probably would have suggested a rather simple way to choose a name."
And upon Abby´s questioning look he continues, "Okay, let´s see..."
While wrapping one arm around her, he pulls the book closer with the other and opens it again, this time on a page where the girls´ names are listed without any further explanations of origin or meaning. Then he takes Abby´s hand in his, closing his over hers and putting it down on the top of the page, using her index-finger as a pointer.
"Close your eyes," he tells her.
Abby hesitates for a moment but eventually nods and closes her eyes. Gibbs starts to run her finger down the columns of names.
"Tell me when to stop," he requests.
Abby gasps. And shakes her head. Her eyes stay closed, though. She even squeezes them shut a little tighter. Gibbs smirks and nudges her earlobe with his nose.
"Scaredy-cat," he teases her.
The breeze in her ear makes Abby giggle.
"No, Giiiiiiiibbs, I cannot do this," she teases him back, this time deliberately using his last name, pronouncing and drawling it likewise.
"Hey," he warns her playfully, "keep calling me that and we keep doing this for the next few hours."
Gibbs continues to guide Abby´s forefinger across the pages, his eyes taking in the names one after another. As he turns the pages, Abby pinches her lips, unsure about what he is up to and wondering if he might have been honest about his threat. With her eyes still closed she tells him, "I will not tell you when to, Jethro."
"Mm-hm," Gibbs simply replies, lost in thoughts and he continues his current activity.
"Jethro?"
"Shhh..."
Abby opens one eye a crack.
"Hey, keep your eyes closed, my love," Gibbs softly whispers and Abby does as ordered, wondering how he knew, because he is fully concentrated on the list of names.
A few moments later Abby´s finger comes to a halt, accompanied by an absorbed "Hmmm..." from Gibbs.
"May I...?" Abby wants to know.
"Nope, not yet," Gibbs tells her, lifting her hand, but not letting go of it.
The rustling of pages being turned reaches Abby´s ear. Again... . And again... . And again. Then her finger is being put back onto the pages.
"Okay, let´s see." Again Gibbs runs Abby´s finger across the columns, this time a little faster than before and then it suddenly stops.
Nothing happens for a few moments and Abby´s hands get clammy while she listens to Gibbs´s voice.
"Of Anglo-Saxon origin. Variant of (Irish, Gaelic) Flann, meaning "ruddy-complected". Sometimes used as a diminutive of Linda (Spanish), meaning "pretty".
"Now what do you think?" Gibbs wants to know after a short period of silence.
Abby hesitates.
"M...may I...?" she eventually asks again, her voice trembling.
Gibbs laughs lowly and kisses her cheek.
"Of course you may, little snow-queen."
Abby blinks and while her eyes adjust to the light again, she realizes that it is still the simple list of names which is turned open right in front of her. Gibbs must have looked up the meanings when she had heard the endless rustling of paper a few minutes ago.
Abby reads the name her finger is pointing at, then she looks at Gibbs and smiles, her eyes shimmering a little.
"I love it," she whispers.
Gibbs, who still holds Abby´s hand in his, lets his forehead lean against hers, then places Abby´s hand upon her baby tummy, lets his hand rest upon hers, and smiling down at her belly he whispers:
"Hi, Lynn."