Goodness, I'm awful at replying to reviews these days – I'm so, so sorry. Things have just been crazy busy, so I've picked to update rather than reply. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

0o0

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Gibbs lifted his head from his hands to look at Shannon as she circled the coffee table to sit beside him on the couch.

"You called out her name last night. You were having what I assume was a nightmare. I tried to wake you, but all you said was 'don't leave me'. Since you had called out for her before, I assume you meant Abby."

"Sorry." Gibbs gave a little shrug. He was tired of fighting his feelings.

"Jethro, it's been nearly 20 years since we were a happy married couple. I wasn't expecting to even have the chance to give us a second chance. But after twenty years, we're not the same people we used to be, no matter how much we try."

Gibbs started to protest that he hadn't changed a bit (save for the grey, no, silver hair), but he couldn't deny that NCIS hadn't changed him – but only a little.

"I love you Jethro, I always will, but we're not in love like we used to be. You don't look at me the way you look at her now."

Pulling her against him, Gibbs kissed her temple. "I wish things were different."

"It certainly would be easier, wouldn't it? But we have to do what's right for everyone. We'll always be family, we've got a daughter together. That will never change."

"I… Thank you for coming back to me. You could have just as easily gone on with your new life."

"I couldn't keep Kelly from you, even if I had wanted to."

Gibbs thought a moment. "If we're not… you aren't going back to Portland, are you?"

"I meant what I said about being family, I would like to stay a part of your life – assuming that it isn't too awkward for Abby. Kelly and I are likely headed to Portland next week to pack up our house and bring our stuff back to D.C."

"How long will you be gone?"

"We haven't booked our flights yet. Kelly will fly back sooner. I… I was thinking of asking Tom to help drive the truck with our stuff back across the country."

"Tom, huh?" He couldn't say he was surprised.

Shannon smiled at him. "I'm relearning how to be Shannon again. I'm not ready to start something serious just yet, but Tom has been a good friend."

"Guess it's a good thing I didn't put my fist in his face then, huh?"

"Jethro." Shannon tried not to smile.

"Where did we go wrong?" Gibbs sighed.

"We didn't. What happened, it was out of our control. You know that."

"Yeah." It didn't mean he had to like it.

"You should go to her."

"What about Kelly? We should talk to her."

"I think she was asleep the minute her head hit the pillow. She was so busy today getting ready for dinner with your team. She really wants them to like her. She knows how much they all mean to you."

"She's got nothing to worry about."

"But anyway, you can talk to her tomorrow. Abby needs you, go to her."

0o0o0

Abby slid between the sheets with a heavy sigh. Her body was still tense from the crash, and spending the day with her team, Gibbs and his family, though fun, had been exhausting.

She was glad when sleep came quickly. Even if she couldn't have him in real life, dream-Gibbs came to her often and, for now, that was enough.

Dream-Gibbs was a bit more chatty than real-Gibbs, always vocal about just how much he loved her. But in case his words weren't clear, dream-Gibbs always used his hands to confirm his love – just in case. She sighed happily as dream-Gibbs appeared. She knew she was dream, she always did, but it didn't stop her from enjoying her time with him. She was somewhere between being awake and her dream - dream-Gibbs sitting on the edge of the bed closest to her, smiling down at her as she stroked her hair softly – when she felt the bed dip on the far side of the bed.

Groggily she lifted her head to peer over her shoulder. She expected to see the soft glow of her alarm clock, but when she saw a Gibbs-shaped outline, she startled.

Gibbs wasn't fast enough as she flailed, her attempt to roll over ending in her slipping off the bed and landing on the floor with a thud. The fact that her legs had been tangled in the sheets slowed her fall considerably.

"Gibbs?"

Gibbs moved around the bed and looked down at her sprawled out on the floor. "You okay?"

She rubbed her hip as Gibbs pulled her to her feet. She wasn't hurt, but suddenly the fall seemed like a big deal and she tried hard not to cry. "Yeah, only my ego that bruised." She glanced over at the clock. "It's late, why are you here? Is everything okay? Did we catch a case?"

Gibbs pulled the blankets back up on the bed and held them up, ushering her back into bed. "No case." Once she was settled, he sat beside her – the same place dream-Gibbs had been – and ran his fingers gently along her cheek.

"Gibbs, you're scaring me."

"Scaring you?" He frowned. Wasn't exactly what he'd had planned.

"Yeah, I mean, you show up at my place, it's late, really late, we don't have a case, I-"

"I wanted to see you."

"Gibbs… don't." Abby sighed. She let her head fall back on her pillow and squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears not to fall. "You can't do this to me."

"Don't cry, Abbs. Please."

"I can't… I can't do this." Suddenly she found herself being pulled up into a seated position, Gibbs cradling her against his chest. "I just want you to be happy, it's all I ever wanted, and I'm happy for you," she sobbed against his chest, "but I can't do this, I need time away, I need time to un-love you."

Gibbs let her cry, rubbing her back and stroking her hair softly. "Do you really think you need to go away?"

Abby pulled out of his arms to lay back against her pillow and nodded. "Gibbs, I really like your family and I do want to get to know them better, but I just… just need time to forget about… us." She tired to ignore the look of hurt on Gibbs' face.

"What if I don't want you to forget about us?"

Abby opened her mouth to protest, but Gibbs stopped her with a finger to her lips.

"Having my daughter back in my arms again will forever be the happiest moment in my life. And Shannon… we're… we're family, that'll never change. But eighteen years is a long time."

"Exactly, you've waited eighteen years for her. I don't want you to worry about me, I'll be okay."

"No, I waited eighteen years for Shannon, the wife I had before they were taken away from me. I wanted that life back. SO much had changed; I have a 26 year old daughter now." He smiled at that. As much as he missed his 'little' girl, he couldn't be happier to have his grown up girl. "I will always love Shannon-"

"I know."

"Abby, stop."

"Stop what?"

"Interrupting."

"Sorry."

"I'll always love her, she's part of my family, but we're not in love anymore. I love you, Abbs. I can't just forget about us and where things were headed before… everything."

"Where were we headed?"

"I'm not sure, but wherever it was, it was good."

"So now what?"

"I'd really like to kiss you."

"God, you're just like dream-Gibbs." Much like dream-Gibbs, real Gibbs had used more words in the past five minutes than he usually did all day.

"Dream Gibbs?" He arched a brow.

"Never mind." Abby blushed, she hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Are... are you sure?" Pushing herself back up to a seated position, Abby was suddenly unsure if she was really awake, or if it was a cruel dream.

"I'm sure." Gibbs tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He gave her an extra few seconds to back out, his eyes darting from her lips to her eyes and back again.

He met little to no resistance, only heard the sound of a happy sigh as Abby melted against him.

Their kiss was chaste at first, it taking Abby a few moments to open up to his advances.

But as soon as she began to run her fingers through his hair, Gibbs slipped his hand around to slip under her nightshirt, his thumb sweeping back and forth over her spine.

Abby shivered at the warmth of his palm as it swept across her back, pressing herself further into his arms, never quite feeling like she was close enough. She allowed him to press her back into the mattress, waiting patiently as he kicked off his shoes and pulled his sweatshirt over his head. Gibbs ran his fingers up and down her arms as he pressed kisses to her lips, cheeks, eyelids and nose.

"Gibbs, wait."

Gibbs pulled away and looked down at her, tracing his finger along her cheek.

"We… I just want to take this, us, slow, okay? Because, I need to be sure this is what you really want, and that you're just not freaked out about the car accident. I can't… I can't have you and then lose you."

"Hey," Gibbs rolled over her, using his body weight to keep her pinned to the mattress. "The accident was a wake-up call, that's all. But we'll take this, us, at whatever pace you're comfortable with." He dipped his head and kissed her gently. "But let me stay here with you tonight."

Abby sighed happily as she curled around him once he moved off of her. "Stay."

Gibbs pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Sleep."

0o0o0

TBC…