Fathers' Day

A/N: With the Grain has been her usual awesome self on fishing matters, Gibbsredhoodie has given me concussion as usual with head slaps, and Kesterpan deserves ice cream and cookies for all her help with letting me talk through the Jackson / Gibbs relationship on SO many occasions!


Chapter 53 – Gone Fishing

They spent a lazy morning fishing and as there were only a couple of other boats on the lake that kept their distance, it was to all intents and purposes just the three of them... which suited Jackson. As much as he'd enjoyed the usual bustle of the Fourth of July weekend, he had to admit that having his son and Abby to himself for the day felt good.

Abby took the opportunity of pouring coffee for Jackson to move down the boat and sit next to him. Handing him a cup, she leaned against his side, murmuring in his ear. "Are we okay, Jack?"

She'd been worried since their frank discussion yesterday that she'd crossed a line somehow and that Jackson would be pissed with her interfering. His warm greeting at the boat ramp had eased her nerves a little bit, but it would prey on her mind until she could ask him outright.

Jackson turned his head, seeing the worry in her green eyes and curled his arm around her back, squeezing her in a hug, guessing what she was driving at. He kept his voice equally low as he replied, not wanting to trigger his son's curiosity. "'Course we are. You gave me a lot to think about, Abby... which is what daughters are for, aren't they?"

A wide smile spread across her face at Jackson's words and she hugged him back tightly, whispering, "Sure is... dad."

Jackson nodded, throat tightening and he had to clear his throat to speak. "That's okay then."

A deep voice from the back of the boat made them both jump. "When you two have finished canoodlin', there's fishin' to be done."

Abby giggled, kissing Jackson on the cheek as he winked at her. She clambered back to her seat in the middle, smiling at the curious look Gibbs sent her way, hoping he wouldn't ask what they'd been talking about coz she'd have to lie... usually not very successfully where Gibbs was concerned, or hope Jackson could try and cover for them again. Yeah, like that went well too...

As Abby settled her sunhat more firmly on her head and opened Maggie's tackle box, she noticed what Jackson was using the box Gibbs had made to now keep his lures in. She glanced at Gibbs who'd also seen it and exchanged a smile with him, seeing the pleased glimmer in his eyes.

Jackson and Gibbs used bobbers and worms while Abby decided on which color of lure to use. She didn't fish that often anymore and wanted to try something different. It was more work with artificial bait, constantly casting and reeling slowly back in, but she enjoyed the repetitive soothing action, letting her mind drift, feeling completely relaxed.

Abby looked from one to the other, both men sitting in identical postures, laughing inwardly that the pair of them looked like a couple of bookends either side of her. It was good to see both Jackson and Gibbs looking relaxed and at ease.

"Of course, you boys are fishing the lazy way, you know that, right?"

Jackson tipped his cap back and shot her a teasing grin. "Hey, I'm old. I like taking the easy way outta things. Nothing better than to just bait your hook, throw it out and watch your bobber. Do all my best thinking that way."

After a while without a bite, Jackson reeled in, checked the worm on his hook and then cast out to a different spot off the bow. This spot was better and fairly soon, the bobber was bobbing, then skimming away across the water before Jackson decided to see what he had on his line. Expertly, he hauled in the first catch of the day, a nice bass which Gibbs dropped into the live well for his dad.

"Your dad like to fish, Abbs?" Jackson asked and Gibbs smothered a grin at his dad's use of her nickname.

"He did, Jack," she said, smiling brightly. "Ben taught me when I was a kid. Luca didn't like fishing too much so I used to get dad to myself for the day."

Abby fell quiet for a moment as she became lost in her memories and Gibbs reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder, rubbing gently. "Abbs?"

She glanced at him and reached up to squeeze his fingers before turning back to Jackson, who was looking at her with equal concern. "And it sorta runs in the family with Gloria's brother... my uncle Larry had a shrimping boat before he retired. I spent time on it one summer."

"What she didn't say, Jack, is there's a reason for that... first boyfriend. That right, Abbs," Gibbs put in, smirking.

"Hey, I didn't tell ya that story so you could snitch on me, Jethro. You rat fink," she said with a teasing smile, giggling as he winked at her and turned back.

It wasn't long before Abby squealed excitedly as she got a tug on her line and gave her fishing pole one good jerk to set the hook and started to reel in against the strong pull, both men calling instructions.

She rolled her eyes and threw them a look. "I have done this before, boys."

"Not too fast, Abby," Jackson offered, reaching out as if to take the pole. "Just take it easy... nice and slow. Take your time."

"I'm not gonna break the line, Jack... just relax."

As her pole bent over, it soon became obvious that the fish was a fighter and Abby took her time to reel it in as it pulled against the line. She stood up to get more control and Gibbs moved carefully down the boat to stand behind her, hands resting gently on her waist to steady her and when Abby swayed slightly, he slid an arm round her waist.

She didn't really need help to land most fish and was actually enjoying the battle, but wasn't about to pass up any opportunity to have his hands on her. Gibbs was standing so close behind that she was pressed against his front, and Abby felt the heat radiating off him, all too conscious of the warmth and weight of his hands.

"Easy does it, Abbs..." He was practically breathing in her ear, his stubble rasping gently on her skin, causing a shiver to go through her.

Fishing was hardly ever this much fun... or so distracting.

As the fish broke the surface, they could all see it was a big bodied walleye, but by the time Abby had played it and pulled it nearer the boat, the fight had gone out of it. As Gibbs grabbed the landing net and bent over the side of the boat, she was torn between finishing with her fish and getting an eyeful of his long back and ass as he stretched out.

But hey, she could multi-task.

Scooping up the fish when it was near enough, Gibbs lifted the landing net into the boat to cries of triumph from Abby as she fist pumped the air and Jackson's laughter. Removing the hook from its mouth, Gibbs was about to pop it into the live well when Jackson waved his camera and insisted Abby pose for a photograph with 'her' fish.

All through the morning, Jackson took the opportunity to snatch photos of Gibbs and Abby together or individually, and Gibbs captured a few of his dad and Abby when she moved to sit near Jackson to cast from a different part of the boat and sat back to back with him.

In the middle of talking to Jackson at one point, Abby accidentally cast out too hard and her line snagged on an overhanging branch, cursing when carefully pulling at it didn't untangle it.

"Done this before, huh?" drawled Jackson.

Abby narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey, it's an unfamiliar pole, Jack, and I'm kinda outta practice here, y'know." Turning to Gibbs, she batted her eyelashes at him, smiling and practically purring his name.

Gibbs rolled his eyes at familiar puppy dog eyes. Manoeuvring the boat nearer to shore, he made his way down the boat, leaning over the side to try and tease the line from the branch.

"Ever noticed, Leroy, how this women's lib is a bit selective and comes and goes whenever they need it," observed Jackson, dryly.

"Yeah, I kinda got that, Jack," Gibbs grunted, pulling at the line and meeting Abby's overly innocent gaze as she smiled sweetly up at him.

When he couldn't reach it, Gibbs stepped carefully over the side and onto the rocks and made his way out to the end of the headland. Stretching out, reaching above his head, Gibbs eventually managed to free the line but before he could retreat, he overbalanced and fell in.

Abby glanced at Jack, saw his sparkling eyes and they both dissolved into laughter. By the time Gibbs surfaced in a spray of water, the pair were doubled over. Gibbs grinned and swam back towards the boat, splashing them both when he got near enough, making Abby squeal.

Jackson was still chuckling. "Well, I guess seein' as how he'd probably capsize the pair of us tryin' to get back in, I vote we put into shore and have some lunch. What d'ya say, Abby?"

"Sounds like a plan, Jack," Abby agreed with a smile. "Shall I drive?"

Shifting to grab the oars, Abby rowed them in close to shore and Gibbs swam in behind them, wading closer when he could stand in the shallow water and grabbing the edge of the boat to hold it steady.

Abby narrowed her eyes as he grinned up at her, seeing the mischief lurking in his blue eyes as his large hands gripped the sides of the boat.

Her eyes roamed over his wet hair, the way the water droplets trickled down his face and onto his neck and the T-shirt clinging to his chest, suppressing a moan at how sexy he looked.

"You're all wet."

That prompted another eyeroll and a smirk. "Well, yeah, Abbs... someone couldn't keep their line under control."

She stood gingerly, watching his hands in case he started rocking the boat. "You gonna behave yourself so we can have lunch."

He tilted his head. "Scout's honour."

"Hmmm... not sure I'm convinced."

"I wouldn't be, Abby," Jackson put in, grinning. "Leroy was never in the Scouts."

Abby handed Gibbs the coolers and blanket and between them, they helped Jackson ashore, who was moving slowly after a morning sitting and groaning about his stiff joints.

After setting up the folding chair for his dad to sit more comfortably, Gibbs stripped off his T-shirt and stretched it out over the side of the boat to dry. As he returned to stretch out next to where Abby sat cross-legged on the blanket, he enjoyed the way her eyes roamed over his bare chest and the heat in her gaze.

As they made inroads into the food Maggie had packed, Jackson watched the pair of them as they teased one another, totally at ease. He'd watched them both a lot this weekend and the more he saw, the more he was comforted by the obvious chemistry and connection between them.

Leroy looked a lot more relaxed than he had even a few months ago and Jackson was sure it was all down to the beautiful firecracker currently trying to steal half his son's sandwich. Jackson looked at his son's laughing face as he held it just out of her reach... the happiness he could see there warmed his heart.

"Remember that place, Leroy?" Jackson asked, pointing across the lake to where the land jutted out to form a projecting finger of land covered in trees.

Gibbs nodded, a soft smile on his face. "Yeah, I do, dad." He glanced at Abby to explain. "Called it Shannon's headland. She wasn't so keen on fishin' but used to come with us..."

Jackson continued when his son trailed off. "She'd take a book and sit on that headland... see where the trees come down and the trunks of those two lean in and form like a chair where they cross. She'd spend hours just sat there watchin' and readin' while Leroy taught Kelly to fish. I've got some photos indoors I can show you, Abby."

Abby watched Gibbs' face as he remembered, his expression far away and didn't know whether to reach out to him or leave him to it.

"I'd like that, Jack... if that's okay," she said, tentatively.

"'Course it's okay, Abby. You're family," he told her warmly.

Gibbs drew his gaze back and saw the sudden hesitancy on her face. "Good idea, Jack." His dad turned away to rummage in the cooler and he took the opportunity to reach out a hand and Abby took it in both of hers, smiling uncertainly and Gibbs murmured, "No minefield, Abbs. Not even a tripwire."

Abby's smile widened with relief. "You just let me know if I stray anywhere near one, 'kay?"

He squeezed her hand. "I will... but even if ya do, doesn't matter."

Abby signed thank you and Gibbs brushed a kiss across her knuckles as Jack turned back, handing them each a beer.

TBC...