A/N: I love all of the reviews I've gotten and thank you to everyone who has favorited this story and put it on alert.
Chapter 7
As the limousine traveled slowly down the street, Abby moved to the seat opposite Gibbs then handed him a couple of gifts she had brought with her. "These are for you," she smiled.
"Abby, you know you didn't need to do this," he responded with all seriousness.
"I don't give gifts because I need to, Gibbs. I give them because I want to."
Leaning forward, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."
When he just sat there, Abby bounced forward to the edge of her seat. "Go on, open them!" she said impatiently.
Clasping her hand upon her knee, Gibbs could feel her vibrating with excitement. "First, I want to know why you sold your concert tickets," he said.
With a sigh, Abby's smile faded and she slid back on the seat. "Awww, Gibbs. It really doesn't matter. I just had to, is all."
"You had to?"
"Well, it wasn't like a matter of life and death that I had to, but I had to so I could have a Merry Christmas."
"I thought that's what the concert was all about," he probed.
Abby bit on her bottom lip, nervous and unsure of how he would react to what she had done. "Well, you know what happened at the pet adoption center? I gave all of my Christmas money to Kyle to get everything fixed." Gibbs was about to say something but she held up her hand to stop him. "And before you think I did it just because he's my brother, you're wrong. I did it for the animals, Gibbs. You saw what happened and what they needed."
Holding out his hand, he waited for Abby to place her palm in his. "What I was going to say, is you have the biggest, kindest heart I've ever known. Kyle's lucky to have you for a sister." Abby dipped her head and squeezed his hand tightly. "But that still doesn't explain selling the tickets. Those were free and you already had your motel room reserved."
She should've known that the investigator in Gibbs wouldn't let go until he had all of the facts. "You know Christmas is my second favorite time of the year," she started, "and that's because I love giving gifts and I love the whole aura that the season brings. Spending time with friends and family, the special holiday music, the nip in the air, hot chocolate on a cold day, a beautiful snowfall coating the ground…"
"Okay, Abbs," he softly interrupted with a lopsided grin. "I get why you like Christmas so much."
"Oh… right. Well, the only thing free with the concert was the tickets. I still had to pay for the gas to get us there, the motel room, food, and whatever else. Plus there were the new car tires I had to purchase. All of that would have used up my extra funds for the month and I still hadn't bought any Christmas gifts. And what was my first reason for loving Christmas so much?" she asked but didn't wait for an answer. "Because I love to give gifts. It was a no-brainer. Sell the concert tickets and use that money to buy gifts. Going to that concert would have totally ruined my Christmas, Gibbs."
With a small smile, his eyes fell to the packages in his lap. "Then let's see what we have here," he said softly. A beaming smile broke out on Abby's face as she moved to sit beside him, excited to see his reaction when he opened the presents.
The first gift Gibbs unwrapped was a small beautiful wooden mahogany box and when he slowly lifted the lid, his heart nearly stopped as he stared at it for a long minute.
Bit by bit, Abby's enthusiasm faded when he just sat there unmoving. "Is it okay, Gibbs?" she whispered, leaning against his shoulder.
"It's beautiful, Abbs," he replied very softly. "Where did you find it?"
"There's a shop over in Hastings that has all kinds of stuff to outfit a boat. It's just a small shop but I must've spent at least two hours in there looking at everything and asking the salesperson all kinds of questions." She paused and couldn't figure out why he was so quiet. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Yeah, I know the shop. Been there a few times myself." Gibbs lifted the round brass chart weight from the velvet it was nestled in. It rested heavily in his palm as he admired it.
Abby pointed at the middle of the weight. "In the center is a liquid filled compass so it'll be real handy to hold your maps down plus you'll know which direction you're looking. I thought it would be perfect on your boat when you're looking at your maps."
"It is perfect, Abbs," he said turning to her. "Thank you." Drawing her into his arms, he held her tightly.
Not wanting to get too caught up in the moment just yet, Abby pressed back against his chest, her excitement bubbling up once again. "Open the other one now."
Gibbs was almost afraid to unwrap the next gift, but Abby was waiting expectantly. Tearing the paper off, he found a small square cardboard box and opened the flap on one end. Reaching in with his fingers, he pulled out something that was heavy and wrapped in white paper. Slowly, he pulled the last of the wrapping off to reveal a brass commissioning plate for his new boat. It still needed to be engraved with his name, the name of his boat, and the first launch date. It was something that every new boat owner mounted near the helm of their vessel.
"This is beautiful, too, Abbs," he said and again pulled her in for a tight hug.
Abby was expecting Gibbs to be more thrilled with his gifts, and she wondered if something was wrong. He was acting too subdued for her liking. Drawing back, she watched as he packed the gifts back into their boxes and set them aside. "Jeez, Gibbs, I gotta tell ya, I expected more of a reaction from you. Last year McGee gave you a new pair of socks and you acted more enthused."
Turning to face her so that their knees were touching, Gibbs reached for her hands. "There's something I need to tell you, Abby." The serious look on his face caused her heart to drop into her stomach. "I sold my boat."
"Yeah, right," she snorted, but when he didn't change his expression, she began to think he was serious. "What do you mean you sold your boat?"
"Joe, at the marina, asked me a couple of times if I wanted to sell it and I decided I would."
Abby still thought he was pulling her leg and laughed, "Just like that? C'mon, Gibbs, quit goofing around." When his expression didn't change and he didn't say anything more, she realized he was dead serious and she was shocked. "But why? You loved that boat. You worked so hard on it, Gibbs. Really? You sold it?"
Nodding, he proceeded to tell her about his visit to the hospital and his talk with Amanda's father. How he wanted to help the family and give them perhaps their last Christmas all together. By the time Gibbs finished telling her how he had sold his boat and given the money anonymously to Amanda's father, Abby had tears in her eyes.
"God, Gibbs," she sobbed. "That's the most heartwarming gift I can ever imagine. You're an incredible person, Jethro Gibbs." Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him for several long minutes.
When Abby finally pulled back, he cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs giving her a small smile. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?" he said in a rough husky voice.
Abby nodded and found a tissue to dry her face. "I get you gifts for your boat and you don't even have a boat anymore," she said with a watery laugh.
"And I get you a fancy ride to a concert that you don't have tickets to," Gibbs chuckled. "You know I'm gonna build another boat."
"I figured you would," she answered. "And this way, you and I get to share this fancy ride alone and together."
Turning her back to him, she rested against his solid chest and he wrapped his arms around her middle, holding her tightly. Together they looked out the window, each lost in their own thoughts about the joys and comforts this Christmas had brought them.
At a leisurely pace, James drove them around the city, past the biggest and brightest Christmas light displays. Around the lit-up government buildings and monuments. Through the suburbs where many families hadn't skimped on decorating their houses with lights and ornaments.
And as they delighted in the many colorful displays, Gibbs poured the champagne, surprised Abby with a platter of cheese and crackers then revealed a bowl full of rich ripe strawberries. With each additional item, he saw her beautiful face glow with happiness before she hugged him and peppered his cheeks with countless kisses. He reveled in the fact that he was there, sharing this evening with her, and she made him feel like the luckiest guy on Earth.
As Abby munched on a plump berry, she noticed that Gibbs had moved closer. So close that she could feel his breath on her cheek. Turning her gaze from the window to him, his blue eyes were dark with desire. Gently he gripped her chin, drew her mouth to his, and whispered, "Just a taste."
The second their lips met, the short kiss he had intended disappeared, replaced by one longer and deeper. The flavor of Abby's mouth exploded upon his tongue, going straight to his head, making him drunk and holding him captive. He could taste the strawberries, the champagne, and the saltiness of the crackers. God, how had he been able to wait so long to do this again? Changing the angle of the kiss, he felt heat and fire settle in his groin.
Abby had never experienced anything like this before. No one had ever kissed her the way Gibbs was. He was drawing it out, taking all the time in the word to explore. His mouth was hot and addictive and so amazingly soft. She felt herself drifting into a place where only the two of them existed as his velvety tongue tangled with hers then slid along the inside of her cheeks, searching and probing. When he drew her closer, desire seared through every molecule of her being..
Lifting one hand, she threaded her fingers through his hair, the longest part near the top of his head and towards the back. Then she scraped her nails through the short hair on the nape of his neck and around his ears. The fingers on her other hand traced over his face, across his cheekbone, and along his smooth strong jaw. Then she ran her hands down the hard muscles of his chest, hearing and feeling a deep moan rumble through his body.
Abby heard herself whimper in response when his hard hands moved slowly down her body, hesitating for a few breath-stealing seconds at the sides of her breasts. Through the silky material of her dress, she felt exquisite pleasure with the press of his large palms and delicious agony from the touch of his calloused fingers. When his torturous hands finally gripped her hips, she gasped as his mouth assaulted her neck, marking her as his.
Then his murmured words and hot breath spread across her skin, "I want to touch you, Abbs," and she whimpered with anticipation.
To be continued...
