And now at last…Abby's take on all of this…enjoy! And please continue to let me know what you think…
Chapter 4:
Revelations
It was almost dinner time when Gibbs decided
to call Abby. She deserved the truth, and she deserved to know why
he'd sent her home early.
He heard the phone ringing at her end, suddenly nervous. He forced his breathing to slow down. This wasn't going to be light banter.
"Hi, Gibbs. I'll be right over." Abby said as soon as she answered the phone. He could hear amusement and annoyance mixed in her voice.
"Abby, how..." Gibbs started, but she quickly cut him off.
"It's been a really long day, Gibbs...and you aren't giving me enough credit. I could feel the tension flying around the room this morning, and then you have me go home early? We need to talk, and you are calling to tell me that you're finally ready. I'll be there in around five minutes...I was actually already on my way."
"That a girl. See you in five, then."
Gibbs hung up and then dialed the Chinese place to deliver some food for them. Might as well not starve in the process of working this out. Then he sat down and waited.
Abby was indeed there about five minutes later, and Gibbs felt his heart in his throat when he saw her. She was wearing a crimson low-cut peasant shirt, a black mini skirt that was barely decent, and of course she wore a collar. This one was thick black leather with an eyelet design meant to look like lace. Her hair was up in two buns, like she'd worn for her birthday. She was wearing black stockings that stopped mid-thigh, held up by a leather garter. Her high-heeled platform mary janes only enhanced her height and her long legs.
She gave him one of her famous head-cocked-to-one-side-I'm-thinking-looks and barged right past him into the living room. He met her gaze, green eyes flashing at him.
"Hi. Okay, Gibbs, what's up?" Abby wasn't into wasting time tonight, that was obvious.
"Abs, I think you better sit down while we have a long conversation."
She blinked at him, knowing better than to roll her eyes, and sat. He waited until she was comfortable before beginning.
"DiNozzo told me some interesting things today. Things that are making me re-consider his employment. I need to talk to you about it before you heard it through the grapevine."
"Gibbs, you can't be serious. Tony would never hurt me...he's playful, but come on."
"No, he's immature. He got carried away this time. He...had a bet going that involves you."
"Oh. Well, that wouldn't be the first time. What about?" She asked in a mischievous, conspiratorial tone, leaning in like she was expecting it to be whispered.
"He's betting that I'm going to retire so I can have sex with you." Gibbs couldn't believe he'd just come out and said it, but his gut told him she wouldn't have it any other way. The look on her face was amazing. Her jaw had dropped, and she was obviously shocked, but at the same time, it seemed amusement was shining in her eyes.
"Well, let's throw you a retirement party and get it on, then!" she laughed, then sobered. "I know how seriously you take inter-office relationships, and this is definitely going to make things awkward, but he's only having fun, Gibbs!"
"He was quite serious. He gave me reasons why you and I should be together, and I think he believes it's what should happen."
Abby nodded, taking this part completely seriously. "Okay, you said it was the office pool. What is the other option?"
"There were two other options. That I would do nothing, or I don't bother retiring but just have sex with you anyway."
"Wow. Our friends certainly would like to see us in bed together!" Abby was smiling again.
"Doesn't this bother you?"
"No. Why should it?"
Gibbs took a deep breath, surprised by her non-plussed reaction, and worried about the next thing he had to say. "Because DiNozzo was probably right, but not completely."
"You mean...?" Abby's eyes grew about as wide as Gibbs had ever seen. "Gibbs, I had no idea."
Gibbs winced, "Well, neither did I. Tony enlightened an old man today. He was very persuasive. And I don't think he just wants me to retire so he can have my job again."
"I can just imagine...Mr. DiNozzo, Sir! I have to go home now. Gibbs is bored since he retired so he could have sex with me, and therefore, I must see to his needs immediately." Abby snapped to attention as she said this, unable to stay serious, and needing to lighten the mood.
"Wrong hand, Abby."
"Again. What did you mean not completely?"
"Abs, how do you feel about this?"
"Are you dodging my question or waiting to see how I'd react if you got down on a knee right here and proposed to me?" Abby asked, grinning again.
Gibbs had no defense against her onslaught of exuberance. For the first time in all of this, he cracked a smile and realized the dynamic he had with her was intact. Abby could still joke, and he'd be affected by it in the same way.
This made her answer even more important. He realized (he kept realizing things today, it was making him tired) right now that he would heartbroken if she kept him at bay. Damn Tony.
Abby was watching his face closely. Then she spoke again before he could, a look of discovery on her face. "Gibbs, you are a man in love. Wow. I am so honored. You should see how nervous you are right now. We should have done this in Ducky's lab...this conversation would have been fun hooked up to heart monitors." She had to get this one last thing in before she became serious again, then she also took a deep breath.
"Gibbs, I can't guarantee that I'm madly in love, but I've always had a thing for you. I think it could be more...permanent. I certainly wouldn't mind the greatest man I've ever met fawning over me...well, more than you do now, anyway...which is quite a lot. Hey, if you treated me like that before, does that mean it gets even better when I'm sleeping with you?"
"No, Abby," Gibbs said very quietly. His heart was racing, his palms were sweaty. He could not believe he was having this conversation with ABBY... "I think I've been treating you better than I've treated anyone else for a long time already. My first wife, maybe, but I was young then. Tony informed me that it's obvious I love you."
"Well, he obviously thinks I've been acting like a woman in love for a long time, too. He bet we'd get together," she smirked, raising her eyebrows to make the point. Her green eyes were glittering as she said this.
Gibbs took a deep breath, about to ask the most important question of his life. "Will he win?" Gibbs said this just above a whisper, his eyes on the floor, and Abby finally dropped her fun side for a more serious side that Gibbs only saw very rarely.
She moved closer to him and put her head on his shoulder and thought for a moment. "I don't think he will win."
