I Know You Can Feel This Too

A/N: A little family interlude... and you'll see why in this one it's been set towards the end of Season 7!

Chapter 4 – Developing Relationships

Inside the diner, Abby continued her lunch, chuckling at a story Emily was regaling her father with. She gazed at the pair of them affectionately. Toby doted on Emily and tried very hard to make the most of the limited time he could spend with her.

Over the past few years, she'd grown very fond of Toby and had gone out to dinner with him a few times, in addition to their annual 'poaching' dinner. She'd also attended school concerts and plays with him and knew he did his best as a divorced father. She was equally fond of Emily and enjoyed her company.

"Hey, Abby, will you come to my school concert next week?" asked Emily, stirring her ice cream and banana sundae and pouring enough chocolate sauce over it to swamp it, much to the amusement of her father.

"That would be really awesome, Em. You playing the piano again?" Abby reached over to sneak a spoonful of ice cream.

"Hey, that's mine. You've got yours." Emily giggled, swatting at Abby's hand. "Yeah, I'm playin', it's totally exciting."

Emily adored her 'aunt' Abby. She'd even begun to pick up some of Abby's speech patterns and mannerisms, much to Fornell's amusement and her mother's horror. Despite her unconventional appearance, Fornell knew Abby was a good role model for his daughter. He chuckled inwardly as he imagined the look on Diane's face when Emily demanded her first tattoo.

"Got any decent rock guitars and drummers playin' in the band yet?" teased Abby.

Emily rolled her eyes, and Fornell snorted at another unconscious copying of an Abby mannerism. "It's supposed to be a classical concert, Abbs. I think the music teacher, Mrs Johnson might be a bit startled if they suddenly broke out into a rock medley... although it might liven things up a bit," he conceded.

"Dad!" Emily started to protest until she saw the grin her father was trying to suppress.

Abby shook her head, smiling. "You disappoint me, Emily. I taught you better than that... I told you last year, ya gotta get your whole class addicted to Android Lust and then you can convert the teachers one by one."

Fornell watched as the two of them laughed and chattered away, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. Abby could always be guaranteed to cheer anyone up and he loved to see how much Emily blossomed in her company. He also enjoyed any opportunity to take Abby out, whether for a lunch like this or out for dinner.

What man wouldn't enjoy the company of such a beautiful woman?

Even now Fornell couldn't help preening a little as he saw the envious glances thrown his way from the other men in the diner at the sight of the dark-haired woman sitting opposite him.

He was drawn out of his musing by Abby's next words. "I had a good time the other night, Toby."

Abby had surprised herself by how much she'd enjoyed her evening at the Ritz Carlton with Toby. They'd had dinner together in previous years, but it had always been in more informal settings. There was something about the more formal surroundings of the swanky hotel that had almost made it seem like a date.

Not that Toby had made a move on her or had treated it like a date.

On the contrary, he'd been the perfect gentleman, very attentive and kind and Abby had found herself relaxing and enjoying the evening far more than she thought she would.

Abby felt slightly guilty though.

She hoped that she hadn't sent out any wrong signals and that Toby hadn't thought it was more than just a dinner between friends. She enjoyed his company, but that was all.

She wasn't physically attracted to Toby. He didn't set her blood humming in the same way Gibbs did.

But it was nice for a change to have someone pay her some attention, to want to spend time with her without immediately trying to get into her pants. Abby felt flattered but a bit bewildered at the sudden interest and attention Toby was paying her, so she pushed down the slightly uncomfortable feeling that she should have set him straight from the beginning.

"So did I, Abby. It was certainly more fun than some of the rubber chicken dinners the agency sends us to," answered Fornell. "It's a pity we can't afford to go to the Carlton more often."

"Well, you could try and persuade your Director to stump up for a fancy meal every year. Perhaps hint I nearly cracked under the temptation this year," suggested Abby, a mischievous smile on her face.

"I'll do my best," offered Fornell, smiling. "Although I'm not sure he buys my excuses about why you can't be tempted away from NCIS any more, especially now his master plan of persuading you over a fancy meal didn't work. I keep telling him that unless he can increase his offer, it's not likely you'll be enticed away anyway. Although I can't understand why you want to stay working at NCIS for a cranky b… " He glanced at Emily, sensing Abby smiling at his near slip, "guy on a lower budget anyway."

"You mean I should come and work for another cranky guy at the FBI but just on a bigger budget?" teased Abby.

"Got it in one, Abbs," he confirmed, chuckling as he sipped his coffee.

Abby huffed a laugh at his good natured ribbing. "You certainly surprised me, twinkle toes." Fornell choked on his coffee and Emily giggled. "I had no idea you could dance."

"Don't get much practice, sadly," he told her, wryly, "but I used to go dancing regularly with Diane when Em was a baby."

Not that Abby hadn't wished that it wasn't a certain silver-haired Marine that was twirling her round the dance floor instead of Toby.

As if she could read Abby's thoughts, Emily piped up. "I saw Uncle Jethro the other day. I thought he was with you at first, Abby, until I saw that the lady he was with didn't have pigtails."

Fornell watched Abby tense at Emily's words and could guess why. He watched concerned as a look of hurt passed across Abby's face.

"No, it wouldn't have been me, Em. It was... it was someone else," Abby replied, sadly, looking down at her plate, toying with her spoon.

Emily chattered on, seemingly oblivious to Abby's change of mood. "But she looked a lot like you, the same long dark hair... except for the clothes. They were totally not your cool clothes, Abby. Oh, and she was a bit shorter I think."

"That lawyer again, huh?" asked Fornell, frowning.

"Yeah, Toby. I think so," confirmed Abby, sighing and glancing at his concerned face.

Since Ms. M. Allison Hart had waltzed into the Navy Yard, Abby had been forced to watch first hand how she'd flirted with Gibbs. The feisty lawyer had seemed to piss him off at first, but it soon became obvious how intrigued he was. Then it had been beyond hurtful to watch him flirt right back and his interest in the woman who looked so like Abby seem to grow.

"Thought Jethro had a rule about lawyers?" Fornell observed, not unkindly.

"He does... although it seems that Allison Hart may be the exception to it." Abby shrugged, trying to summon up a smile for Toby, but it didn't go unnoticed by him that it failed to reach her green eyes.

"Abby..." began Fornell. He hated to see Abby upset. Even Emily had picked up on it now and had fallen silent, biting her lip, worried that she'd somehow been the cause of upsetting her favourite aunt.

Abby shrugged, and smiled at Emily reassuringly. "It's okay, Toby, really."

Who was she kidding?

It was very far from okay.

Abby had been attracted to Gibbs ever since they'd met and had been in love with him for almost as long.

To try to get over him, she'd spent years sleeping her way round poor substitutes. Or taking the edge off with willing warm, hard bodies and empty heads that she picked up at clubs for meaningless sex, or indulging in affairs that didn't last very long.

And no one ever came close to Gibbs.

Sometimes Abby thought she saw the same attraction she felt for him reflected right back at her. Surely Gibbs couldn't be oblivious to the chemistry between them? Sometimes she caught a look of heat on his face that left her breathless.

But in almost ten years, he hadn't made a move.

Although earlier in the year, Abby did think she might have cause to hope when they seemed to be drifting closer.

But then he'd suddenly pulled away... and she had no idea why.

They didn't even seem to have the same close friendship they once had, that she'd taken almost for granted. Now she and Gibbs hardly spent any time together outside of work any more.

So she'd finally given up hope... especially now.

All these years she'd thought that maybe Gibbs hadn't made a move because she wasn't a redhead. But Abby didn't have that luxury any more. Since Allison Hart had marched into their lives, she'd disproved the theory that you had to be a redhead to even register on Gibbs' radar.

If anything, as Emily said, Allison looked like Abby... the same black hair and green eyes.

So when Allison Hart had seemed to sweep Gibbs away with apparently effortless ease, it had broken Abby's heart. She knew now it must be something about her that Gibbs wasn't attracted to... it wasn't just that she had the wrong hair colour.

"How long has he been seeing her?" Fornell asked gently, after a few moments' silence.

He didn't like to see Abby hurt, although Fornell suspected that things weren't as they appeared between Jethro and Allison Hart.

Gibbs had even hinted as such.

But whether Gibbs had told Abby what was going on was another matter. Sometimes the Marine could play things too close to his chest, and Fornell doubted whether Gibbs understood just how upset Abby was over the situation.

Abby sighed, sounding resigned. "I'm not sure. I don't think it's that long but it just seems every time I turn round, she's there."

Fornell shook his head, his annoyance showing in his voice. "He must be mad to be attracted to her. I'd rather French kiss a viper."

Abby gave a brief but genuine smile at the image he invoked. "It's okay, Toby. You don't have to try and cheer me up. I've seen how men react to Ms. M. Allison Hart. When she walks through the building, she stops traffic. She's stunning, elegant, intelligent, feisty..." She glanced at Emily before lowering her voice "I mean, it's a guaranteed male fantasy on legs."

It was no wonder Gibbs had fallen for the lawyer.

"You're all of those things too, Abby, and more," protested Fornell, his hand covering hers, "and you're far more beautiful than she is."

Abby was touched by Fornell's compliment, but not convinced. Abby wasn't blind to her own looks but felt inadequate and awkward compared to the beautiful lawyer.

"What's French kissing, daddy?"

Abby unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh as Emily's innocent question interrupted them. At the pleading look on Fornell's face, she shook her head as if to say you're on your own on this one, Toby.

TBC

A/N: *ducks flying objects* after mentioning everyone's favorite lawyer!