Closer Reality

Chapter 29 – Giving and Receiving

Drinking their coffee and making inroads into the bourbon, everyone sprawled about the living room, too full to do much else.

Tony eased himself down in front of the fireplace, placing his mug on the coffee table within reach before stretching out full length. "God, I'm stuffed."

Abby chuckled as she took a seat on the couch. "Well, you did eat a lot, Tony... even for you, you ate a lot and believe me, I've seen you eat."

"I know, Abbs, but it was all so tasty, it would have been rude not to try everything... twice. At least it seemed like a good idea at the time." Tony groaned, resting his hands on his stomach. "Just don't let me make any sudden moves and I'm certainly not up for beating you in a snowball fight, Abbs."

Abby laughed. "I'll agree with you there. I don't intend moving for some time."

"But, hey, look on the bright side." Tony turned his head to grin at Abby. "I can probably keep going for a while yet without needing anything else to eat. You did good, Abbs."

"Well, I can't claim any credit. It's thanks to my co-cooks," Abby beamed at Ducky and Jackson. "Gotta say it was fun though." She hadn't cooked a family Christmas meal like this for years, not since her whole family were together in New Orleans.

Abby curled up between Jackson and Gibbs on the couch and Ducky tried out the recliner, commenting on how comfortable it was and they all relaxed, taking it easy, letting the food settle as they chatted. Abby was content to lean against Gibbs, absorbing his warmth as he put his arm around her shoulders, the buzz of conversation washing over her, feeling utterly content.

Jackson was in animated conversation with Ducky, who was telling him about a military exhibition currently on at one of the museums in D.C. and the two men soon got into wartime reminiscences, Tony asking the occasional interested question to keep them going.

When Ducky finished one story, Gibbs spoke up. "Ya missed out the middle of that one, Duck."

Ducky sipped his drink. "Ah, it was in the interests of speed, Jethro."

Gibbs shook his head. "Nah, it's a good middle... I'm sure Jack'd like to hear it."

Ducky stared at Gibbs in silence for a moment, momentarily taken aback. "Um, yes, alright then."

Tony and Abby exchanged a quick glance before looking away from one another, trying to hold back their laughter at Ducky's astonishment at being actually encouraged to tell a story.

"Love to hear it, Ducky," Jackson commented, oblivious of the byplay.

"Well, erm, alright then, Jack. By popular request it seems, this is the missing middle," said Ducky, and he launched into the part of the story he'd earlier left out.

As she listened, Abby felt Gibbs squeeze her shoulder slightly and she looked up in time to catch his quick wink. She bit her lip and leaned her face into his shoulder to stop her giggles.

"I was planning to make a visit to the exhibition next week, Jack. Would you care to come along?" asked Ducky, when he came to the end of his story.

Jackson smiled, looking pleased. "I sure would, Ducky. When were you planning to go?"

"Oh, perhaps in a few days' time? In fact, why don't you come over for dinner the night before and I can show you the photographs I mentioned earlier and you can see the house, I've talked about it enough. And we can catch up some more on tales from our respective pasts. And then we can go directly from my house to the museum the next day," Ducky suggested. "Would that fit in with all you have planned here?"

Jackson glanced over. "Abby?"

"Tomorrow's Emily's concert, Jack, but Gloria doesn't arrive till mid week," replied Abby. "So that's fine, whatever you want to do. It's your holiday too."

"If you two don't mind?" asked Jackson, shifting his gaze to his son.

"Knock yourself out, Jack," said Gibbs.

"And I'm sure these two kids would like some time alone at Christmas without me getting underfoot," Jackson added and Ducky smiled, nodding his agreement.

"Oh, Jack," protested Abby.

"I'm serious, Abby" insisted Jackson. "It's your first Christmas together. You should have some time alone."

"Absolutely, Jack. Right, that's settled then," Ducky put in before Abby could argue further, rubbing his hands together. "Excellent. We can iron out the details later... perhaps when we're a little more clear headed."


Later, Gibbs and Tony cleaned up in the kitchen while the others relaxed. After that, Abby could wait no longer and insisted they opened their presents.

Their presents for Jackson had already been made or bought before they got together, so they stuck to giving their individual presents first. Abby had bought Jackson an iPod and Gibbs had made his dad a walking stick. A book and DVD on signing came from them both and Jackson expressed his delight at all the gifts.

Their joint present to Ducky was a book, a first edition of something the M.E. had mentioned he'd wanted a while ago, and Ducky's appreciation was obvious.

Tony's present was in two parts. A set of classic Hitchcock digitally re-mastered DVDs and then Gibbs threw down a sheaf of designs onto the coffee table in front of Tony with a gruff, "Choose one, DiNozzo."

Tony shot Gibbs a glance before picking up the papers. Abby slipped onto the floor and shuffled over next to Tony, leaning on his shoulder as he asked, "Choose what, Boss?"

"The style of handle and design for the doors to your DVD cabinet of course," replied Abby softly.

"My what?!"

"It's nearly finished, Tony," Gibbs told him. "Wanted to get it done by now but been a bit busy... moving somebody in."

Abby poked her tongue out at Gibbs as he smirked at her. "My bad, Tony. We spent far too much time getting me sorted out, so blame me. It's meant to be a combined birthday and Christmas present, and of course, it's really from Gibbs, he had the original idea and I haven't been much help."

"Hey... you sanded and stained, Abbs," Gibbs reminded her.

"You're the craftsman, Jethro," she insisted.

Tony looked between them. "This is... I just... this is terrific. No one ever made anything for me before."

It was very rare that he got something that had had so much thought and effort put into it. Any furniture he had that had any kind of emotional attachment to it, he'd tended to buy for himself. So this gift was just... awesome.

"C'mon, Tony. Choose," Abby urged, shaking his arm.

Tony shook himself, trying to concentrate. "Um, okay. What's the colour of the rest of the cabinet?"

"It's walnut so very distinctive and dark," Abby explained. "Looks really high end and expensive. It's really cool, Tony."

"Okay," Tony leafed through the pages. "So this one'd look good. What d'ya think, Boss?"

Gibbs leaned forward to look at the design Tony was indicating before nodding. "Yup, I can do that."

Gibbs' second and more public present to Abby was another choker, this one elegant black and silver, and she gave him an engraved watch, with their initials on the back and the date she moved in.

Tony handed over a wrapped package when it was his turn. "This is, erm, sort of from all of us, all the team to both of you. Something to remember the day by."

When Abby unwrapped the package, she burst out laughing. "Oh my God, this is totally awesome, Tony." She leaned over to kiss Tony on the cheek. "It'll be great to remember the day like this... look back on it when I'm old and grey."

"That soon, huh?" teased Tony and Abby punched him on the shoulder, laughing.

It was an album of shots taken on the day the team moved Abby into Gibbs' house. Tony had captured a lot of moments from during the day and there were also shots taken by some of the others, so Tony was also in some of the images.

"C'mon, let's have a look through this. Smoosh up, Tony. Ducky, come on over here." Abby leaned on Gibbs' leg, making room for Ducky on the couch and Jackson leaned forward to look over her shoulder.

Tony provided a running commentary on the photos as they went through the album, the shots having been organised in order of the day. Ducky and Abby also chipped in with related stories from the day. Jackson listened eagerly, keen to see how such an important and fun day had gone.

Some of the photos provoked outright laughter and teasing. Someone had managed to catch Sister Rosita creeping up on Tony and there were many more of the team, the family feel and the caring among everyone obvious.

Photos of Carol and Fornell provoked a sly grin from Abby to Gibbs and he nudged her, smirking and signing, Behave. There were also several of Fornell and Emily which were great candids.

"Made some extra copies for Fornell. I got 'em in my bag, Abbs. Figured he and Em might like some," added Tony.

"That's a great idea, Tony," Abby replied with a bright smile. "We can give them over tomorrow... maybe Carol would like some too."

"Whatever she needs, tell her I'm at her disposal," said Tony.

"Ooh, not sure I should say that, Tony. You'll give her all sorts of ideas," Abby grinned.

Tony looked over at Jackson. "D'ya want copies of any of these too, Jack?"

"Yes, please, Tony, if that's okay?" asked Jackson.

Tony nodded. "Sure thing, Jack. Be happy to. Just pick which ones you want. There's some really nice ones in here, even though I do say so myself."

"Some more to put up, Abbs," Gibbs murmured quietly in her ear and she gave him a brilliant smile, leaning into him as he stroked her hair.

Abby turned the page, and stilled when she saw the next photograph, glancing up at Gibbs. He gazed at the photo for a moment before giving her a small smile, nodding.

"Think I found another one for our wall," she whispered.

It was one of Gibbs standing behind Abby, with his hands linked over her stomach while she was laughing at something, gesturing with her hands.

What was striking about the image was the full on grin Gibbs was sporting and the look on his face. It was the most relaxed and natural photo she'd ever seen of him. She remembered the photo being taken but hadn't of course seen his expression as he looked at her.

"That is a wonderful photograph, Abby... Jethro," commented Ducky quietly.

When they'd finished looking through the album, Jackson handed Abby a small package and she gasped when she opened it. "Jack... this is just gorgeous." Abby held up the antique brooch so that everyone could see.

Gibbs recognised it instantly, it had been his mom's. He met his dad's gaze, moved that Jackson would give Abby such a personal gift and pretty sure his mom would have approved too.

"It was my wife's, Abby. I thought you might like it."

"I love it, Jack... thank you." She kissed Jackson on the cheek before sinking back down to lean against Gibbs' leg, catching his eye to see if he was okay with it. He brushed his knuckles down her cheek before picking up the brooch and helping her pin it to her jumper.

Ducky handed Abby a small package. "I saw this last month and immediately thought of you, my dear."

Intrigued, Abby ripped open the package to reveal an oblong jewellery box. When she opened it, she gasped and then started laughing. "Oh, Ducky... this rocks!" She held up the silver necklace with an intricate design unfamiliar to everyone in the room except Ducky and Abby.

"Unusual design, Abbs," observed Tony curiously.

"It's the symbol for caffeine, Tony. Isn't that just so cool?" Abby threw her arms around Ducky, kissing his cheek.

"I did think about getting Jethro something similar... maybe not a necklace," Ducky added with a smile as Gibbs chuckled, "but maybe a mug engraved with the design, given this is now the most caffeinated household in D.C. But in the end, I stayed with what I'd already bought for him. I'll save the idea of the mug for another time."

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs took the package and grinned when he saw his own first edition of a book he'd wanted for years.

"And I seem to be following in the spirit of photographs as presents. It took a while to put together but it's been worth it I think. Merry Christmas, son." Jackson handed Gibbs the package as he explained. "It's, erm, copies of old photos. There's stuff in there that I know you've seen before but I wasn't sure if you had copies here and as you haven't got any up around the house, other than those two... Anyway, other photos I haven't seen myself for years. I had a clear out in the attic the other month and came across stacks of stuff, so I had extra copies made."

Gibbs stared at his dad for a moment as he took the album before nodding, his voice rough. "Thanks, dad."

He glanced at Abby and she could see the emotions swirling in his eyes and the effort it took to clamp down on them. His hand shook slightly as he unwrapped the album and began looking through it.

Abby looked helplessly at Ducky, torn between wanting to start talking to try and create a distraction and moving closer to shield Gibbs from everyone's eyes. Ducky met her gaze sympathetically, nodding slightly, and started talking to Jackson about re-discovering some of his own memories when he'd been sorting out one of his own guest rooms.

Tony clambered to his feet to dispense refills of bourbon to everyone and take the coffee mugs out to the kitchen, and Abby shot him a grateful smile as both men sought to give Gibbs some breathing space and privacy.

Abby was suddenly unsure what to do with herself, so merely leaned against Gibbs' leg as he leafed through the album. He didn't pause much on each page and from her position on the floor, she couldn't see the images that clearly and didn't want to make him even more uncomfortable by trying to peer over his arm.

So she sat there, feeling a bit lost but conscious of Jackson's gaze on them both. Abby could feel the tension in the leg she was leaning against and surreptitiously rested her hand on his calf muscle, squeezing gently.

It was only a few minutes and only half the album looked at when Gibbs closed it and placed it on the coffee table.

"You gonna look at the rest of it, Leroy?" queried Jackson, clearly puzzled.

"Yeah... later, Jack." Gibbs ran his fingers over the album, his gaze distant.

Abby could see the hurt on Jackson's face as he replied. "Thought you'd be pleased."

That brought Gibbs' head up. "I am... Wanna take some time later, look through and... show Abby."

Gibbs found it hard enough to be suddenly confronted by memories of his girls at the best of times, but it was especially difficult to be blindsided and made to feel vulnerable in front of anyone else, however much he trusted them.

He needed time to get his head right before he could look at it again.

He needed his basement.

He'd felt his emotions threatening to overwhelm him as he looked through the album, and Jack hurt persistence wasn't helping.

Jackson stared at his son for a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay. Well, let me show Ducky and Tony here in the meantime then. I can tell 'em a few stories behind the photos if you're not going to."

Ducky looked at Jackson sharply, frowning slightly. Ducky turned his attention back to Gibbs who met his gaze, tilting his head briefly as Tony came back into the room.

"Tony... come on over and sit down." Jackson beckoned the younger man.

Tony hesitated as he placed the bottle back on the coffee table, looking at Gibbs. "Is that okay, Boss?"

Before Gibbs could reply, Jackson broke in, exasperation in his voice. "Of course it's okay, Tony. Why wouldn't it be? It's sharing the girls with friends and family."

"Jack..." Abby couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Tony ignored Jackson and kept his gaze fixed on Gibbs, asking quietly. "Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded, smiling slightly at his friend. "It's fine, Tony. Go ahead."

Tony studied his eyes for a moment before nodding. "Okay." He turned to the older man. "Thanks, Jack."

"That's the spirit. Abby, why don't you come and look too... you can always look at them again later with Leroy."

Abby shook her head, mustering up a smile. "Thanks, Jack, but I think I'd like to go through them with Jethro first."

Abby felt Gibbs squeeze her arm and she gave him a soft smile. As Tony settled on the arm of the couch behind Jackson, he met Abby's gaze and she could see the concern there and for the first few minutes as Jackson began leafing through the album, Tony's attention was more on Gibbs than it was on the photos in front of him.

"Abbs..."

She heard Gibbs' quiet voice in her ear and met his gaze, nodding her understanding as he brushed a quick kiss to her cheek and stood, nodding to Ducky as he headed for the basement.

Abby watched him go, not liking that he was being forced to retreat but understanding why he needed to get out of here. She was conscious of Ducky asking Jackson a question and thankfully, his dad didn't make any comment or try to call his son back. Abby curled up on the end of the couch, looking through Ducky's present to Gibbs while the other three went through the album.

She was half listening to the stories from Jackson and the comments from Tony and Ducky but however intrigued she may have been to learn more about her partner's family and past, her mind was mostly on that partner, wondering if he was okay.

She could see how much the album had moved Gibbs and she was certain he'd have been fine if Jackson hadn't pushed him, had just let him be, to look through it at his own pace... and of course, it would have been easier if he'd been alone.

Gibbs may have been sharing more easily lately but something like this out of the blue was bound to rattle him, and he'd be conscious of everyone's presence while he looked through photos that would provoke painful memories. It wasn't a good mix.

Jackson's voice brought Abby out of her reverie. "Why do you call Leroy that, Tony?"

"Call him what, Jack?"

Jackson twisted to look up at Tony next to him. "You call him boss. He's not your boss here, surely?"

Tony hesitated. "Well, no, but..."

"Well, then," stated Jackson. "He doesn't make you call him that, does he... outside of work?"

"No, he doesn't make me call him that on the job or anywhere else, Jack. It's just... habit, I guess." Tony shrugged. "Almost like a nickname maybe."

"Jethro doesn't make any of his team call him anything, Jack," Ducky put in quietly. "In fact, he insists no one calls him sir. All the team call him either Gibbs or Boss... and the latter is partly a sign of affection I'm sure."

"Although if you tell him that, Ducky, I will deny it... under threat of torture, or Ziva's driving," put in Tony.

"I call him Boss-man sometimes at work, Jack. Always have done and still do," said Abby.

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Jackson why he called his son Leroy when everyone else called him Jethro and it was a name Gibbs himself preferred, but bit back her question. Not helpful, girl.

"And McGee calls me boss too... when he forgets and slips up," Tony grinned. "And I don't let my Probie forget it either."

"I see." Jackson was silent for a few moments before going on thoughtfully. "I remember Shannon used to call him Gibbs. His mom and me gave him perfectly good Christian names, so I never did understand why she didn't use 'em. Although she did used to call him Jethro sometimes... but not often, mostly when she was annoyed with him." Jackson looked round as if suddenly conscious of where he was and halted his flow of words. "Sorry, Tony. Didn't mean to interrogate you."

"S'kay, Jack. I forget I'm doing it sometimes, it just comes out automatically. And at the risk of being sappy, he's more than a boss anyway," Tony went on quietly. "Guess he's been the guy I've looked up to more than anyone for a while now. More of a friend, a big brother, a mentor, or a dad to me than my own has been. Not likely to forget what he's done for me. You should be proud of your son, Jack... I am."

Tony's quiet musing came to an end as he glanced up at his attentive audience, and suddenly looked uncomfortable. "And that's more than enough from me... Right, who wants more coffee and bourbon?" Tony stood and set off for the kitchen.

"I'll come with you, Tony," offered Abby. She moved to join him in the kitchen and reached up to kiss his cheek, pulling him into a hug and whispering in his ear. "Thank you."

Tony hugged her in return. "Any time, Abbs. Is he sorting his head out in the bat cave?" he gestured with his head to the basement door.

"Yeah... I think it just took him by surprise and then when Jack pushed him..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I noticed he's a bit persistent, isn't he? Hope the Boss didn't hear me just now or I'll get posted to Antarctica."

Abby laughed softly. "If Jethro heard you, I imagine he'd be just as proud of you as I am right now."

"Dunno about that." Tony grinned before changing the subject. "Jethro. Y'know, one of these days, I'll get used to that switch back and forth."

"Probably about the same time I will, Tony. I keep slipping up, especially at work."

"Each time you say it, I have a split second of, who's that? And then I remember they're one and the same. Well, not quite the same... but sort of two sides of the same coin. Guess we're seeing more of the inner Jethro coming out of the Gibbs Boss-man. He's a nice guy... it's kinda scary."

Abby chuckled at Tony's teasing grin. "You're not fooling me, mister. You like seeing this guy coming out."

Tony nodded slowly, pulling her in for another hug. "You got me there."

TBC...