*cough* RATINGCHANGE *coughcough*
Abby pushed the door shut and clicked over the deadbolt. Leaning her back against the door, she slipped off her boots one at a time and then felt her way through the dark into her room. She was well aware that people met up with members from the Reynosa drug cartel often didn't return alive, but she had done what Gibbs would have done, she followed her gut and, this time at least, she had been right.
She rounded the corner and reached out to the flick on the light, just as movement in the corner of the room caught her eye. Her heart seized momentarily. "God Gibbs, what are you doing in my room? What are you doing here?"
Gibbs squinted against the harsh light from the light bulb hanging overhead. The hotel was neat and clean, but the rooms were dated and in obvious need of a remodel.
She wasn't surprised that he didn't answer. She sat on the edge of the bed, her back toward him, and pulled her socks off. "How long have you been waiting for me?"
"Where were you?"
"With a friend," she answered defiantly.
"Don't lie to me, Abby!' Gibbs pushed up from the chair. "Were you with Alejandro?"
"Lie to you?" Abby spun around and snapped. "What about you? What about you tell me the truth about everything? What about that? I didn't ask to be put in this position."
"I don't want you in this position. I want you as far away as possible, don't you get that?" He stopped in front of her. "You need to get as far away from this as possible."
"Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it?"
"No! No, it's not. Tell me what you've done and I can keep you safe. We can work this out, just tell me everything and I can-"
"You can't, Gibbs. I'm too involved. I couldn't leave the country, even if I wanted too."
"I've read the report, Abbs. I know what you put in it, what you said about the bullet. You have to tell me who else you've talked to, what you've said. If I know everything, I can find a way to get you out of this mess. I can get you out of here."
"I can't," she shook her head. She couldn't come this far to give up. They had nothing on her. Worst case scenario, she would be removed from the case. But still, at this point, the damage had been done. No one would ever match the bullet to Gibbs' sniper rifle.
"Abby," he shook his head and paced the small hotel room, his voice soft and almost fragile. "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing? I'm doing what you should have done long time ago. I'm putting an end to all of this."
"Those people you were with tonight, do you realize they want me dead? They could have easily taken you to get to me? They could've killed you! They could have taken you and used you to get to me, because Abby, you are my weakness."
"I know," Abby tensed, her hands squeezing into fists and then relaxing. "But they won't hurt me. I have information they want. I don't think they'll hurt you either."
"Abbs, Alejandro has already brought you here. He knows I'll follow, he-"
"I wasn't with him today."
Gibbs stopped and looked at her. "Then who were you with?"
"It doesn't matter." She had to be careful not to say too much. She wouldn't put it above him to try and go behind her back to fix things. If she didn't know what was going on, then she couldn't follow her gut instinct.
"The drug cartel?" Gibbs thought back to the report. It was the only other group of people listed in the report – they had been the ones to hand deliver the evidence against him. "They don't play by the rules, you can't deal with these people. And your career, did you think about that? You could be throwing your entire life away." He started to panic. If Abby was falling into their trap there was almost nothing he could do to help her if she wouldn't just tell him what she knew. If they took her, she would disappear, and likely be never found. The US government had bigger fish to fry and one missing American wasn't worth angering a large drug cartel if there was no proof against them.
Did he really not understand? Abby was frustrated with how thick headed he was being – frustrated to the point where she was starting to get angry again. "Did you ever stop to think that it might be worth it," she snapped. "That maybe I'm willing to risk all that for you?" Abby scrubbed her hands over her face before walking back to the end of the bed to sit down. She looked up at him and sighed – she could never stay truly mad at him. "You're Gibbs. You're everything."
"Abby…"
"You're everything to me. Don't you get that?" It was as close to telling him exactly how she felt as she could get without actually saying it. She didn't have time for feelings and emotions, not now, and certainly not if he didn't quite feel the same. She had thought she had seen something in his eyes when she had talked to him in the basement, and he hadn't said he loved her like a daughter, but still… she couldn't let her mind get caught up in the what if's and maybes until this was finished - until she could finally relax.
"I can't," Gibbs moved forward, coming to a stop toe-to-toe with her at the edge of the bed. He gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up and then against his chest and into a tight hug. "I can't lose you."
Abby had a collection of replies ready to roll off her tongue, but instead decided to stay quiet. Gibbs had lost too much in his life to believe any sort of 'you won't lose me' or 'I'm not going anywhere'. Instead she clung tightly to him, hugging him harder when he kissed her cheek and nuzzled against her ear.
For a brief moment Gibbs felt at ease. For the time being, he was safe, Abby was safe and all was right with the world.
"Gibbs..?" This was bordering on emotional and she wasn't sure if she could handle it. She always worked best alone and having him there, holding her… "You need to leave."
Gibbs pulled back slightly, and gripped her chin, tilting her face up so that she was looking at him. She knew it was coming, the way his eyes flicked from hers down to her lips and back up, but it was still a shock when his lips touched hers for the first time. He was gentle, but firm. He waited for her to respond, and as soon as he felt her press into the kiss he pulled her in against himself.
Abby moaned at the sudden full body contact, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging herself impossibly closer. She wasn't sure if he had planned on taking things further, but as soon as she started tugging his shirt from his trousers, his hands seemed to be everywhere, unzipping her pants, unbuttoning her shirt and holding her close all at once.
She clung to him, pressing up into his kiss as he lowered her to the bed. Pulling back when the need for air overwhelmed him, Gibbs sat up to pull his shirt over his head while Abby shrugged out of hers. She was quick with the rest of her clothing, before helping Gibbs with the last of his.
The moment he was free of his clothes, Gibbs pushed her down into the mattress, covering her body with his.
"This… this isn't going… going to change my," Abby arched up against him. "I'm not changing my mind."
"It's okay," Gibbs quieted her with a kiss. He didn't want her to think that he was only doing this to try and get her to do what he wanted. "We're okay. Whatever happens, Abbs, we're okay." He traced his tongue along the ink of her spider web tattoo.
"I'm doing this for you," Abby turned her head to kiss him. "I have to."
Gibbs didn't answer with words, instead he pressed harder into the kiss, his hands drifting down along her waist to hold her closer.
Pushing him to his back, Abby wasted no time in straddling him, sighing at his touch as he nudged against her opening. She moved willingly with him as he guided her hips just so and then let her head drop back with a moan as he pulled her down. "Gibbs…"
Gibbs pulled her down and sought her lips for a kiss, teasing his way between her lips and then rolling her onto her back. He groaned against her mouth and nipped at her lower lip as her fingernails dug into his back. Somehow he always knew she wasn't the type to lay back and let her lover do all the work, and he smiled against her neck as he pushed her further into the mattress, pinning her in place.
The pillows were pushed to the floor as Abby struggled to regain her position on top. She giggled and pressed close for a kiss when she managed to wiggle one arm free and knock him on his side. He grinned wildly and allowed her to push him back, pulling her with. He held her close with an arm wrapped around her and dropped his hand to circle a finger slowly around her clit. He loved every little moan it tore from her lips. He could feel her tremble as she neared her release and urged him to go faster, harder…
Once he was sure she was satisfied, Gibbs let go of his own reserve and muffled a moan against her neck as his hips snapped against hers twice more before his orgasm swept over him.
Abby was still curled around him, her legs hooked around his, her arms holding tightly around him as his breathing settled. He was a welcome weight over her and as he began to stir, Abby held tightly, not wanting him to move away. "Stay."
She felt a smile against her cheek before he kissed her. "Not going anywhere. Not without you."
"Okay."
Abby woke just before dawn. She was cocooned in warmth, with Gibbs wrapped securely around her. She shifted gently and his arm tightened around her waist, his fingers pressing against the soft skin of her stomach. She stopped to memorize how he felt against her, his firm chest against her back, the weight of his arm, the way his breath warmed the back of her neck.
Please… please God let me come back to his… let me have this in D.C. She sent up a silent prayer.
Gibbs was an early riser, so she knew she needed to act quickly. It took several minutes for her to untangle herself from his grasp, holding in a frustrated sigh when he pulled her back in and pressed his nose to her hair.
She gave up struggling, let her body relax and her mind wander. She didn't really want to get up, preferring to stay in bed, naked, with Gibbs. She let her mind play with the 'what ifs', wondering if they got going quickly enough, if they could just walk away from it all. Disappear from their life in DC and start a new life, together, somewhere no one would think to look for them. Sweden or maybe Idaho, but that would mean leaving her friends behind, Gibbs' friends (well friend), and she couldn't ask him to walk away from Jack.
She realized that Gibbs, too, had relaxed and was easily able to slip from his arms, thankful that he didn't stir. Abby was quiet as she picked clothes from her suitcase and dressed quickly.
Tip-toeing quietly over to the side of the bed where Gibbs was, she leaned down and touched her lips ever-so-gently to his as a reminder as to what she was doing all this for. Then, before she could change her mind, she was out the door.
TBC…
And all the people who pm'd about meeting Mark Harmon – It was fantastic. You can see two of my pics here: http:/i56(dot)tinypic(dot)com/2qb7xiw(dot)jpg and http:/i56(dot)tinypic(dot)com/so5ymu(dot) jpg replacing the (dot) with (.) obviously.