Title: Break
Author: KouenTaisa [on ] Chedders
Rating: K+
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Gabby
Status: Finished
Category: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Angst
Spoilers: general NCIS
Summary: Abby would never admit that she knew one of Gibbs' greatest secrets.
A/N: For Hiatus Week 10. My favorite day of the week is Gabby Tuesday. :D
Abby would never admit that she knew one of Gibbs' greatest secrets.
Early in her career at NCIS they had forged a friendship when he had saved her from a pair of Senior Field Agents who liked to harass her. She was good at holding her own. Then there was a week with little sleep and so many frustrations that she couldn't deal with them in her lab, staring at her and asking for more than just lab results. Tears of anger had stung her eyes when they wouldn't back off, but she hadn't needed to worry.
Gibbs had heard her the moment he stepped off the elevator and rushed to her rescue without a second thought. He broke three fingers on the first guy and busted the nose of the other. His own knuckles were pretty sore, but he had ignored the discomfort as he kept her close to his body, waiting for Director Morrow to deal with them. She had never trusted someone so completely after that, and it seemed mutual.
Occasionally she would stay the night at his home if she couldn't sleep, or if he picked her up from a club and she was too drunk for him to trust her on her own. One night, plagued with nightmares that she couldn't explain, he had let her crawl into bed with him. The scent of sawdust and something uniquely him had calmed her immediately. She only woke up later when she felt him tossing and turning, mumbling the names Shannon and Kelly over and over.
She had ignored it the first time.
The second time she had stumbled upon Gibbs when he was in his basement. He was three sheets to the wind, staring at a picture of a young girl who was wrapped in the arms of a red haired woman. Both of them were staring at the camera with the most beautiful smiles. Abby had been tempted to walk out, but seeing his bleeding hand and the empty bottle of Jack on the desk she had decided to stay.
After getting him bandaged and into bed she stayed, falling asleep beside him. When she woke up the next morning he was staring at her, searching her eyes for something. She had smiled and asked him if he was used to waking up next to such a beautiful woman. He had chuckled, brushing his lips against her forehead before he got up.
His response had been sometimes.
When Kate and Tony used to tease him about his four ex-wives, she was always quick to correct them that it was three. The sharp look he would give her was soul searing, and she had a feeling that he knew that she knew. Of course, he never asked, because he knew that he never had to worry.
He would never let anyone break her.
And she would never break his trust.
They were pretty even.