Samson Chapter 13
Gibbs wakes up feeling like he'd been run over by a freight train. His head is pounding and he doesn't immediately sense Laurie. He starts to sit up only to lie back down again. He moans as he tries again to sit up.
Laurie knows the moment he wakes. Luckily she'd thought to buffer herself against his pain, or she'd have been on the rolling on the floor too. As it is, his pain is causing her some discomfort and she quickly turns everything off in the kitchen so that she can assist Gibbs.
She pours a mug of coffee and takes it to him along with a specially formulated version of aspirin. She puts the coffee on the hearth then helps him sit up. From there she hands him the coffee and the aspirin.
"Take these, they'll help." Her whisper is almost too loud for him. He gulps down the aspirin with two swallows of coffee then stares at her when the pain is instantly gone.
"What the hell is in those?"
"I developed them during the war. As the main medic/cook for Dawes Guys, I couldn't afford to be hit with a migraine or any other minor inconveniences."
"Damn! You must have some killer headaches."
"It wasn't the migraines that tried killing me," she looks up at him no trace of laughter in her face. "It was the dust bunnies."
His latest sip of coffee is worn by the fireplace as he laughs. His laughter turns to a frown when she stands up and heads for the kitchen.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm finishing breakfast; pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and your ever present coffee."
He nods as he looks at the spread on the table. "Okay that's my breakfast what are you eating?"
He laughs at the look of mock indignation on her face. He's coming to realize that one reason he likes this woman is her sense of humor almost rivals his own. He has one, when he chooses to let it be shown.
They're almost finished with breakfast when he finally asks her what happened. She sighs and explains. He's watching her face and has her left hand in his as she tells him why he'd been knocked out.
"Basically, you've never been in my mind before and it didn't recognize your mental imprint. When you tried to step inside, the doors essentially slammed shut and forced you out."
"When I did what?"
"You followed me back to my mind after our conversation. Try to think of it as you tried to escort me home and dad was there with a 2x4."
"Okay. I really did?"
"Yeah, and I'm sorry that I didn't warn you ahead of time. I'm not used to anyone following me these days; at least not mentally."
"Don't apologize; we couldn't have foreseen any of this."
He takes another sip of coffee while still holding her hand. She's put the engagement ring on and he smiles when he sees the small amethyst gracing her hand.
"My mom was like you in that she didn't like the fancy stones. Dad surprised her on their fourth date by taking her rock hunting. They found that stone and dad had the ring fashioned that same week. He proposed two days later."
He caresses the hand and the ring remembering that she'd said Samson would be his best man. "Mind telling me why my dad wouldn't be my best man?" he's almost hurt at the thought of Jack not wanting to be there, but his dad seems to love Laurie. It wasn't making sense.
She bows her head, "I was going to ask him, with your permission of course, if he'd like to escort me down the aisle."
Gibbs stares at her then remembers that all of her father figures are gone now. She has no one left to give her away with the exception of Margie Cutter. With Margie being so recently widowed, there is no guarantee that the woman will be there either. He tilts her head up so that her eyes meet his. "He'd better have a damn good reason for not doing it. Other than holding the cat that is."
They both start laughing at the mental image of Samson sitting proudly in Jackson's arms as he escorts Laurie down the aisle. That's when it hits Gibbs that he saw the mental image. He stares at her and she smiles at him nodding.
"Is there a way to keep from constantly knowing what the other sees?" he can see hurt start to fill her mind and her eyes and hastily explains. "I see a lot of death. I don't want to share that with you when you're serving someone a t-bone steak. I know that you've seen your fair share of death and dying, I don't want to bring it home with me."
She nods and they return to the living room where they add another log to the fire and lie down on their makeshift bed. Once he's relaxed she slips over to his mind. He's waiting for her and gives her a mental hug which she returns before leading him over to their bond. She extends his hand over it, saying, "Think of being in a C-130 without a headset on; that's our current bond. We see, we feel, we think of the other without conscious thought. Now put on a headset and all the noise is muted. Use whatever you want to as a buffer. Just imagine the bond as being quiet but not completely silent."
She smiles as he takes one of Kelly's hair ribbons and gently ties it around their bond. Instantly he can feel the difference. He knows that she's there, but it's a more subtle knowing. She's having the same feeling; he can see it in her eyes.
"When we're alone like this, that ribbon isn't necessary. Out in the field, yeah, use it, just don't break the bond or we both die…or get severely injured mentally."
He stares at her. "Concussions? Are they?"
She nods, "It's possible. I can see that you're thinking about what happened to you the last time you had one. No I wasn't involved or affected. I think that it's what we discussed earlier. Due to the grief that each of our souls has been dealing with, the recognition bond formed but not with the deadly side effects. Recognition, in our case is taking two lonely hearts and giving them a second chance at love."
"Fifth chance in some cases."
She rubs noses with him. "Well, we all have to start again somewhere."
She stays in his mind while he explores his new domain. He asks questions that she readily answers. Two mental hours later he's exhausted by the exploration and she calmly leads him to a mental bed. He stares at it before flopping down. When she goes to leave he pulls her back and quietly asks her to stay. "At least, stay until I'm asleep. I know that you have other duties while you're here."
She lies beside him, nestling close to him, glad that he's willing to let her stay with him. The duties that he's referring to, she took care of while he was knocked out so she has no plans on leaving him anytime soon. She makes a note to discuss his mental shields with him when he wakes up and closes her eyes too.
Physically, he pulls her closer to him as he slips into sleep. She rests a hand on his chest, and pulls a blanket up over them as she too falls asleep.
Four hours pass and when Gibbs next opens his eyes, he's clear headed. For the first time in years, he feels completely, mentally refreshed. He looks at the woman sleeping peacefully beside him and gives her a hug. He then slips out of the covers, heading to the kitchen and his next round of coffee. He brings his mug back to the living room and sits beside Laurie watching the flames in the fireplace. She stirs beside him and he waits until her eyes open before offering her a sip of his coffee. He grins as she wrinkles her nose. He has yet to understand how someone who hates the taste of coffee can make such a perfect cup every time.
"It's all in the wrist." She laughs up at him and he smiles in return.
They both sober when they look at the time. She sighs as places her hand in his and he helps her up. When they're both standing he looks her in the eye and states, "We are coming back here, often."
She nods as he starts banking the fire in preparation for their departure. She heads to the kitchen to wash up the few dishes they had used. When she's finished she joins him in the living room and they watch the coals fade from red to black. He steps behind her and rests his head against hers as he wraps his arms around her.
"I'll teach you about teleportation later. For now, continue to trust me."
"When it comes to this, always."
His words bring a smile to her face as she teleports them back to Stillwater.
Jackson Gibbs waits in his chair for the twosome to arrive. He's petting Samson who purrs in contentment. Jack isn't Samson's Gibbs, but he's a close second. Samson wakes up the moment that Laurie and Gibbs return. Laurie swiftly moves out of the way when she sees the cat launch himself at Gibbs.
"Hey Samson, did ya miss me buddy?"
A/N: Please read and review.