Title: Cabin Fever
Author: MindyH
Chapter: 5 Town
See part one for disclaimer and spoilers etc.
'Town' is over half an hours drive away on dirty, twisting roads and I feel like we're coming out of hibernation. We haven't seen another soul in nearly a week. It's a bit of a culture shock. I come armed with a long shopping list so that we don't need to make the trip too often.
To my surprise, Gibbs knows everyone and they all know him. He's greeted by name everywhere we go and invited in for coffee with a warm handshake. He introduces me proudly to everyone and I am welcomed with hugs and kisses and coffee too. I try to memorize all their names and keep up with the conversation.
They all seem thrilled that Gibbs has finally brought someone "home". They use my name every time they speak to me or ask me something, as if to emphasize that I am now part of the community by association.
Gibbs keeps me close, sometimes holding my hand or putting an arm around my waist possessively. I see some of the older men look me over, curiously, but I've never been so proud to be at the side of any man as I am to be by Gibbs'.
At the local garden centre, Gibbs introduces me to Ellie, a beautiful woman of sixty of so with a voluptuous figure and bright headscarf. She hugs him excitedly when she sees him and gives him grief for having been away so long.
As she leads me about, choosing plants for the garden, she questions me about Gibbs and me, how we met, how long we've been together and how I like the cabin. Apparently, she was the good fairy who Gibbs enlisted to clean the place up before we arrived. She chatters incessantly, barely allowing me a word in edgewise. I have a feeling that, thanks to Ellie, news of us will shortly be general knowledge in the little town; but for some reason, I really don't care.
I laugh with her and accept a packet of her homemade tea with thanks. And as we're leaving, she shouts after us, that she'd better see us again before the honeymoon.
We wave from the car, packed with all our supplies for further gardening, cookie-baking, coffee-drinking, love-making and camping and head back out of town. I notice a small cinema as we're heading out and file that info away for later, as Gibbs' hand steals across to rest casually on my knee.
Many have asked for the Adult version of this story but I cannot post the link here. The site will not allow it. It also deletes email addresses for those who tried (sorry!). If you want to find The NCIS Fanfiction Archive and the longer version please google it or email me directly where possible. Thankyou!