Fathers' Day

A/N: Hugs and cookies to Gibbsredhoodie who has let me ramble on incessantly lately, which has helped enormously.

Chapter 10 – Going Home

Glancing over to the passenger seat as he drove to Abby's apartment, Gibbs noticed she was losing the fight to stay awake. He bit back a grin as her head eventually nodded against the side window, her eyes drifting shut.

It had been an emotionally exhausting day and sleep was certainly what she needed now. And he just needed some time to himself to absorb everything that had happened, to help him understand what she'd been hinting at but couldn't quite bring herself to say... and for that, he needed the calm of his basement.

Her words said one thing while her face and eyes had hinted at another.

But he was conscious that pushing her too much wasn't fair. If he was reading Abby right, that she wanted more than friendship from him, Gibbs knew he had to give her some clue that her feelings were welcomed. He couldn't expect everything to come from her, however much he had just wanted her to find the courage earlier to say what he wanted to hear.

But there was still that element of doubt niggling away at him. If he put himself out there and it turned out not to be him Abby had feelings for but someone else, then it could become very awkward between them.

And it bothered him more than he could say that she was scared of him somehow. There had always been such a deep sense of trust between them, and it both shocked and hurt him to think something was wrong with that bond.

Abby had never been afraid to confide in him before – reluctant to talk about some things, yes, but she'd never exhibited outright panic and resorted to frantic diversionary tactics as she did earlier. The way she'd virtually pleaded with him to stop asking her questions was a red flag she was hiding something.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, the journey passed quickly and thankfully, Abby slept the entire way. When they pulled up outside her apartment building, Gibbs looked over to take in the sight of her lovely face. She looked so peaceful, he was reluctant to disturb her but he wasn't sure if his back or knees were up to carrying her up two flights of stairs.

He reached over to rest his hand over hers, squeezing gently. "Hey sleepyhead, you're home."

Abby stirred slightly in her seat and sleepy green eyes opened, blinking slowly before focusing on his face. A lazy smile curled her lips and it was all he could do not to lean across and kiss her fully awake.

She looked round, sitting up straighter in her seat when she realized where they were. "So we are. Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep on you, Gibbs."

"Come on. I'll walk you up."

He went round to open her door, grinning when Abby rolled her eyes as he reached for her hand to help her out of the car, but he didn't let go as they walked into her building.

When they reached her door, Abby turned to him, smiling. "Coffee? It's been at least two hours since the last one... you'll be heading for cold turkey soon."

He returned her grin. "Better fix that then. Although ya look tired. You should be getting some sleep."

"Not yet. My nap's woken me up..." She stopped, frowning slightly as she realized what she'd said. "If that doesn't sound strangely hinky?"

"Only you could make a statement like that sound normal, Abbs." She narrowed her eyes at his teasing, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Shooing him into her living room, Abby headed for the kitchen to make tea for herself, while starting her coffee maker for Gibbs. Even she knew when to let the coffee intake subside or she'd be awake half the night.

While waiting for his coffee to perk, Abby let her mind run over the events of the day. She still felt somewhat apprehensive.

It was a very big step to go from being friends, however close you might be, to admitting to someone that you loved them. In some ways, it would be easier to just go on as they were and try and suppress her feelings, just as she'd always done. But oh god, it was so tempting to just get it out in the open and deal with the fallout, one way or another.

Maybe it was also that this very emotional day had only made things tougher, making her feel even more miserable at the thought of trying to lock away all the love and need she felt for Gibbs.

So many things had happened today that she wanted to think of as breadcrumbs, or maybe a goodie trail... one that she hoped might eventually lead to a more interesting goodie trail in time, she thought with a giggle.

Chief among them was Gibbs' admission that he didn't see her as a daughter, coupled with his incredible tenderness in the way he'd held her when she broke down in his arms, and the heated looks he'd sent her way intermittently throughout the day. They all left her feeling as if they were drawing closer, that this was more than the concern of one friend for another.

Abby knew instinctively that he wouldn't play with her emotions. But she was still worried all this might be because Gibbs was merely being protective of her, as he always was, and that caring feeling had just been ramped up a bit because of what day it was.

Perhaps he was thinking along similar lines, that she might be turning to him only for comfort and that's what was holding him back? But whatever she did, Abby knew her feelings weren't going to go away.

It also felt strangely uncomfortable letting her own feelings for Gibbs intrude on what she'd always thought of as her dad's day. It felt like she was crossing a line somehow, although she was sure Ben would have laughed at that and wanted her to think of the living and her own future. If only he'd known, Ben would no doubt have told her to seize the day... or the Marine, and she could just see the grin that would have accompanied those signs.

Carrying their drinks, she walked through into her living room to see Gibbs standing in front of her bookcases, looking at the photos displayed on some of the shelves. There were some he'd seen countless times before but others were new.

When she handed him a mug, she peeked at the photo in his hand. It was one of her parents from a few Christmases ago, one that Gloria had sent her recently.

"This a new one?" asked Gibbs, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, the last time they were both here in DC for Christmas." She reached for another framed photograph further along, this time of Gloria and Gibbs, one from years ago when her mom was in DC and Gibbs had come round for dinner. Gibbs had his arm round her tiny mom and was grinning down at her, and Gloria had her arms wrapped round his waist and was smiling at the camera like the cat that got the cream. Her mother adored Gibbs and the feeling was mutual.

"I love this one. Gloria always used to wave her copy under Ben's nose and threaten that if he ever really annoyed her, she was gonna run off with you."

He snorted in amusement. "Aw, crap... missed my chance."

Giggling, she placed the frame back on the shelf and looped her arm through his as she sipped her tea. Resting her hand on the solid muscle of his bare forearm, the rough hairs teased her fingers and sent a shiver through her. His nearness, the heat radiating off his skin and his scent were an intoxicating mix that never failed to make her head spin. It was getting harder and harder to keep her hands to herself whenever she was around him.

When he'd finished looking over the familiar photos on the shelf in front of them, she leaned her head against his arm. "Sit with me a bit, Gibbs... I wanna wallow in nostalgia for a while."

He nodded, smiling down at her. "I can do that."

Lifting out some of her other albums from the crowded shelves, Abby moved over to the couch, beckoning him to join her. When he settled beside her, he wrapped an arm round her shoulders as she rested against him.

Over the next hour, Abby flipped through a few of the albums, telling him the stories behind some of the photos which were new to Gibbs, and they reminisced together over other more familiar shots from recent years of the team, her family and friends.

After a while, Abby could no longer smother her yawns and he squeezed her arm, chuckling as she tried to muffle a particularly jaw popping one in his shoulder.

"You should get some rest," he reminded her.

"Hmmm, maybe," she mumbled reluctantly, wanting nothing more than to snuggle into his arms and fall asleep where she sat.

"Not maybe..." he chided, gently but firmly. "Definitely."

Abby huffed, nudging him, peering up at his face. "You ever get tired of being right?"

Gibbs shook his head, his lop-sided grin making her stomach flip. "Nope."

She snorted. "Nag, nag, nag... Okay, okay..." She held up a hand before he could say any more, returning his grin before struggling off the couch. "I give in. I'll do you a travel mug to go."

After a trip to the kitchen to refill his coffee, Abby returned to find him leafing through some loose photos that were at the back of the latest album she'd left lying on the table and her first thought was...

Oh crap.

There was one photo in that stack that she didn't want Gibbs to see and she'd forgotten it was even in that album until now. And of course, that was the one he was now picking out of the pile...

It was a shot of Gibbs, Jordan and Abby sitting in Ducky's garden when the team had gathered for the celebration party Ducky organized for his partner, and the weather had been fine enough this spring for them all to eat outside.

She'd put a few photos from that day in the back of that album with the intention of having them framed, and that was one of them but she wanted to put that particular picture up in her bedroom. It was too... revealing to have on show where friends could see it and tease her about it, and she certainly hadn't intended for Gibbs to see it... her facial expression in the photo gave her away too much.

In the shot, Gibbs was talking to Jordan and Abby was sitting sideways in the next chair, gazing up at him while his face was turned away. Her feelings were writ large across her face. There was such a look of yearning on her face, she might as well have tattooed 'I love Gibbs and want to jump his bones' across her forehead.

But she couldn't very well snatch the picture from his hand now. Apart from anything else, his reaction was... interesting.

Gibbs hadn't moved from staring down at the photograph and she almost missed his whispered, "Abbs..." He could always invest so much into the simple saying of her name and the emotion in his voice this time brought a lump to her throat.

She wasn't sure if he was aware of her presence in the doorway but she was almost afraid to move and break the spell. When he didn't comment further, merely running his fingers over her face in the photo, she felt a shiver run through her as if his fingers were really ghosting over her skin.

Gibbs was lost in his thoughts and didn't hear her approaching.

Some detective he was...

It was a good photo of both of them and of Jordan, but what held Gibbs' attention was the expression on Abby's face. It was the same one he'd seen a glimpse of earlier and he could only describe it as longing... and it was directed at him.

When he looked up to see Abby standing by the couch, Gibbs could see the trepidation on her face and reached out to pull her down next to him, putting the photo down on the coffee table.

They stared at one another for long moments and the atmosphere changed subtly as a spark seemed to arc between them. Abby felt her heart give what she felt sure was an audible thump in her chest.

She so wanted him to kiss her.

He seemed to pick up on her thoughts as his gaze softened and what looked remarkably like desire appeared in those vivid blue eyes as his gaze flicked between her mouth and her eyes. Then his jaw clenched and she could almost see the rigid control he hauled around himself.

His hand came up to run over the back of his head in a familiar nervous gesture. He glanced down at the photo and back up at her and looked to be about to speak several times but when he remained silent, she eventually broke the silence, her voice tentative.

"That one's new. Ducky gave it to me after Jordan's party. He, er... he thought I might like a copy. It's a lovely shot, isn't it? Jordan looks gorgeous and you..." she hesitated before ploughing on, figuring she might as well make the hole she was digging for herself even deeper. "You look good. Along with these other shots, it's a nice memory of a special day... when we were all together."

What Abby didn't tell him was the knowing smile on Ducky's face when he'd given her the photograph, and the kindness in his eyes when he told her gently that one day she'd really have to tell Gibbs how she felt... or better still, just show him the photograph.

Well, now she didn't have to.

Abby wasn't sure if she felt relieved he'd seen it or if she should bolt for the door. She'd not discussed her feelings for Gibbs directly with any of her friends, except Carol, but Abby wasn't surprised that Ducky had been perceptive enough to pick up on them.

"It's a nice photo." He gazed down at the picture again and seemingly became lost in his thoughts again.

Abby waited him out, unsure what else she could say or how to back off now and not make it look like a full scale panic attack as she had earlier.

Eventually, she saw him give a small nod as if to himself and his posture relaxed as he looked up to meet her gaze. He nevertheless surprised her with his next question, his voice unusually hesitant. "Can you copy it?"

She was startled but pleased he would want a copy, and on impulse plucked the photo off the table and handed it to him. "Take that one. I can get another from Ducky... or scan that one if he no longer has the original digital file."

He nodded his thanks but didn't speak, merely continued to look at her and she had to fight down the urge to fidget under his intense gaze. Despite all the practice she'd had at interpreting the myriad range of Gibbs' stare downs over the years, this one she couldn't read.

Seeking to distract him, Abby handed over the travel mug. "This should keep you going on the way home, Gibbs."

His smile was small but genuine. "Thanks, Abbs. I'd better go."

She didn't protest but followed him to the door. When Gibbs paused in the doorway, she smiled up at him. "I'll see you at work tomorrow. Thanks for today. You made a day I dreaded into one I enjoyed."

She moved forward to hug him and he looped his arms round her waist and squeezed back, turning his head to bury his nose in her hair, inhaling the vanilla scent from her shampoo.

"Enjoyed it too, Abbs," he told her, softly. "Get some sleep."

He cupped her face and bent to kiss her cheek, this time brushing a soft kiss so close to her mouth that she felt the feather light warmth of his lips against the corner of it.

Before she could instinctively turn her head to try and respond, to taste him properly, Gibbs drew back to give her a slow, tender smile. Brushing his fingers lightly over her cheek, he turned and left, closing the door behind him, leaving her stunned and close to hyperventilating on the other side of it.

TBC...

A/N: Next chapter there'll be some progress... honest!