More Jack! Enjoy : )

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Jack stood back and watched as Abby instructed Gibbs on what and how much of the various ingredients to add to the pot on the stove. The domestic bliss they shared in the kitchen warmed Jackson's heart. He remembered a similar dance as his wife had instructed him on what to do once he offered to help with the cooking. He hadn't been very good at it, but he could see that his son had had a bit more practice – likely Abby's doing.

He watched as Abby lifted a spoon to his son's mouth for a taste and then grin that subsequently appeared on his face. "It's delicious, Abbs, like always."

Abby tasted it, not quite trusting Gibbs opinion of her long standing family recipe, but nodded her head in agreement. She dished up three bowls of the steaming Jambalaya as Jackson gathered silverware and napkins and Gibbs uncapped three beers.

Jackson could understand why his son had been so eager to let Abby fix them dinner. Her Jambalaya was made to perfection. "No wonder Leroy wanted you to cook. This is fantastic!"

"Thank you." Abby smiled.

"You cook often for my son?"

"Not as often as he would like," Abby pointed her fork at Gibbs. "But I do what I can."

"That's nice." Jackson figured they were as close to married as they could get without actually exchanging rings. "If you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you two get together? Aren't there rules about dating co-workers?"

Abby looked to Gibbs as she forked another mouthful of Jambalaya into her mouth, indicating that he should answer. "She stayed with me for a bit while she was sick, then because her apartment building was a dump," Gibbs looked to Abby. "That building was falling apart and you know it."

"I know."

Gibbs looked back to his father. "She moved in as my roommate. Things sort of moved on from there."

Abby swallowed and then spoke. "It was all part of his master plan, you see. Now that I think about it, he probably paid someone to sneeze on me to get me sick in the first place. Ow." Abby felt his foot connect with her shin, not hard, but enough to startle her. "Well, you probably would've sneezed on me yourself, but you don't get sick. Ow." His foot connected with her shin again.

Jackson laughed at the childish behavior displayed before him. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen that playful look on his son's face. "You know Abby, I wouldn't put it past him to try and make you sick so he could take care of you. Probably sabotaged your building, too. If Leroy wants something he works until he gets it."

"Ain't that the truth." Abby agreed.

Gibbs looked irritated.

"Relax, Leroy. We're just having a laugh."

Abby and Jack chatted on, mostly over trivial things; Stillwater, NCIS, Abby's forensics and Jack's store. Gibbs was content to sit back and listen. He watched Abby closely, something he enjoyed. When she wasn't paying attention, he liked to watch the way her face moved, different expressions flew across her face changing hundreds of times over the course of a single conversation. Her hands flew as she spoke, sometimes signing, as if to make her point, other times it was simple gestures. Her eyes sparkled, especially when she spoke about her lab. Jack's interest was genuine, though he only pretended to truly understand when she went into detail about her machines.

"How about the other agents? How are they? That young Anthony keeping you on your toes?"

"Everyone is good. DiNozzo loves to stir things up. But he's good."

"Good."

"He says hello. I know he'd love to see you again, he's got lots of questions about Gibbs." Abby smiled.

"You feel free to bring him up anytime. He was a bright young man. I would love to see him again."

"He'll be happy to hear that."

Though he and his father hadn't really spoken he could feel that the tension had eased a bit. His father was pleased that he trusted enough to bring the woman in his life home for a weekend. It was a first step.

The moved on to coffee, still sitting around the dining table chatting. Eventually Abby faked a yawn and excused herself, saying she was headed to bed. She wasn't that tired, but she knew that both Gibbs needed some time to talk without her around. She had tried earlier, but Gibbs had insisted on escorting her to the store.

Jack waited until he heard the bedroom door shut. "She makes you happy."

It hadn't been a question, but Gibbs confirmed the statement with an answer anyway. "Yes, yes she does."

Jack nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "I can see if on your face. I'm happy for you, and if she makes you happy then… that's all I want for you. At first when you told me, I thought maybe you were just using her as a replacement for Shannon, but now that I see how two together I know that's not true. Also, she said that you've talked to her about Shannon?"

"Yeah, I've told her a bit about Shannon. I had too. I don't want her as a replacement and if she's going to be a part of my life then she needs to know. It's why all my other relationships failed."

"Other relationships?" Jack sat forward. He knew nothing about his son's life between Shannon and Kelly's deaths and now.

Gibbs winced and shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his seat. He hadn't meant to mention his ex-wives, but now that he had started... "I've been married and divorced three times."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "You… you've been married? Three other times?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." Jack was speechless.

"They were cheap substitutes for Shannon, and I knew it when I married them. I just… I hoped I would move on if I started a new life. Obviously, I didn't."

"And now?"

Gibbs looked up from his coffee sharply. "Abby is nothing like them."

"That's not what I was implying."

"Abby knows that I'll always love and miss them. She isn't asking me to move on, just make room for her too. I can do that. I have done that."

"Good. She's a sweet woman. Funny, too."

"Yeah."

"I'm happy for you Leroy. All I want is for you to be happy. And perhaps for you to visit a bit more often." Jack sounded hopeful.

"Abby seems to like hanging out in the store. I'm sure we'll be back up again soon. Both of us."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jack could tell his son had had enough talking for one night so he carried their empty coffee cups to the sink. "Don't worry about getting up early. I'll leave breakfast in the oven for you two. Come find me in the store when you get up. Maybe tomorrow you can show her around."

Gibbs agreed and offered a goodnight. He stopped by the bathroom and then headed to his childhood bedroom. He smiled at the sight of Abby sprawled across his bed. He slipped out of his clothes and crawled beneath the sheets wearing just a pair of boxers.

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TBC…