A/N: As always, thanks heaps for the reviews and continuing to read :)
Chapter 19
In the days that followed their return to work Gibbs and Abby continued to keep their secret from the rest of Gibbs' team, though both of them suspected their cover was not far off being blown. With every day that passed they knew the stolen glances and their altered behavior was starting to become more difficult to conceal. It wasn't from lack of trying, though Abby had teased Gibbs that it was because he was trying too hard that everyone was getting suspicious.
Each night when they returned to Gibbs' house their routine of dinner, talking and bed continued. The only variation in the order of each being determined by how long they were able to refrain from ripping each other's clothes off once they got in the door. As soon as they were home on the Tuesday night after their first day back Abby had barely been able to close and lock the front door before Gibbs' hard body had surrounded her. With it being the first day since becoming a couple that they'd had to spend considerable time apart, combined with the pent up desire that had built up over the course of the day, their hormones had taken over the second they were safely within their sanctuary.
Gibbs' mouth had crashed down on hers as they frantically tried to remove clothes, their need for anything other than being joined insignificant as they gave into their most primal urges. By the time they'd struggled over to the couch Abby was left only in her underwear and Gibbs' jacket and polo had been stripped leaving him still in his white t-shirt. Not giving him chance to take the lead, Abby had undone his zipper, her hand snaking inside his pants to caress him through his boxers.
Seconds later Gibbs' pants and boxers were pooled around his ankles and Abby was pushing him back to sit on the couch and straddling his lap. With only a faint amount of illumination streaming in through the windows from the street lights she hadn't wasted any more time with the rest of their clothes, her senses heightened only to feel and taste. Pulling her underwear to the side she'd teased his hardness along her wet entrance before taking him deep inside.
Her arms encircled his neck and the contact of their lips and tongues was soon as hungry and desperate as the movement of her gyrating body on top of him. With Gibbs' large hands guiding her hips Abby's heat sheathed around him, plunging forcefully down on him over and over as they frantically searched for completion. Their loud and erratic groans of pleasure had increased until Abby's cry of release pierced through the quiet dark house, Gibbs lifting off the couch as he thrust up into her before they both fell still.
The next two nights, their willpower held out a little longer giving them the chance to talk about their day. They'd stopped off to buy some groceries, making sure to get enough to last them the next few days as well as picking up all the ingredients Abby needed to cook her gumbo on Friday.
Each night they made dinner together and talked as they ate and cleaned up. It was these moments that Abby realized in all her fantasies, she'd failed to see how happy they would make her. Because they had always been so emotionally and mentally in tune with each other, it had been the physical part of Gibbs that she'd yearned for so intensely. While being able to touch him was something she craved constantly, Abby had overlooked just how important the simple everyday events were becoming to her.
Gibbs hadn't spent any time down in the basement and without even attempting to had made her feel even more special. The basement was where he found peace and relaxation, and for him to forgo spending time down there to instead be with her showed Abby how much he was finding those things with her now.
Each morning they would drive to work together under the disguise that Abby's car was in having repairs done, but on the Friday morning before work Gibbs dropped her off at her apartment to pick up her car so she could leave work early to start preparing their dinner. It also gave Abby a chance to pick up more clothes and other things she had forgotten the first time around. She'd also packed a simple but elegant black dress to wear that night, one that showed some skin for Gibbs' benefit but wasn't too revealing for their guests.
Now that Friday was here, Abby found herself more anxious than she would care to admit. Having worked through lunch, she'd gotten her workload under control and had been able to leave at a decent time to come back to Gibbs' place to start making the gumbo and clean up. Gibbs knew she was excited, not only about seeing his friends again but being able to share their new status as a couple, so he'd indulged her need to fuss and turn it into an occasion. Abby loved having him all to herself but she also wanted to be able to share her happiness, because she'd kept her feelings hidden for so long it was a relief to not have to hold them for a while.
Since returning home from the cabin Gibbs had given her every reason to believe that there was no turning back, he was in this for the long duration. Neither of them was afraid of being hurt because the other would suddenly decide this wasn't what they wanted anymore, and although Abby understood they would eventually have issues to sort through they were willing to work at them.
After making the gumbo and putting it on to cook Abby washed up the dishes she'd used and headed upstairs to get changed. As she got ready she noticed how there were things of hers scattered in amongst Gibbs' possessions in almost every room. She realized she'd done it without thinking, and because Gibbs had made it feel like this was her home too she never thought twice about leaving her makeup out or putting some of her clothes in his drawers. There were pieces of her everywhere.
As she lifted her dress off the bed and put it on, her eyes were drawn to the still rumpled bed sheets. They'd left in such a hurry that morning thanks to Gibbs' early morning wakeup call. It had started with his erection pressing into her backside as he spooned her and had ended a while later with him nestled between her legs and both of them panting and trying to calm down after simultaneous orgasms.
Smoothing the dress over her curves, the black material hung around the back of her neck and hugged the contours of her breasts while showing off some of the skin of her chest. It narrowed down to curve over her waist leaving her upper back exposed and fanned out just above her knees. Imagining what she hoped Gibbs' response would be she smiled when her phone began to ring and vibrate on the bedside table, seeing his name on the caller id. The giddiness Abby felt whenever he called was something she hoped never wore off. Now when he wanted to talk to her it wasn't always about lab results or crime scenes, he called simply because he wanted to.
"Hey, Gibbs, you on your way home?"
While for the most part she was calling him Jethro at home, it was a subconscious thing for her to call him Gibbs after doing it for so many years was a difficult habit to break sometimes.
"Not yet, I'll be a little late, just gotta finish up the last of this paperwork so I don't have to come in tomorrow."
Abby looked at the clock beside the bed, feeling slightly nervous when she realized he wouldn't be home in time for the arrival of their guests. "Ray and Margie are gonna be here any minute...you'll still make it in time for dinner right?" she asked anxiously.
"Relax, Abbs, I won't be long," he said soothingly, though she could detect a slight hint of amusement. "Just called to see if you need anything."
"Just you...here with me."
"Ten minutes and I'll be out the door," he promised. When his voice lowered Abby wondered where he was talking to her from, they had been getting more complacent about hiding things from the team but she doubted he'd call her from the bullpen if everyone was still there. "Ray and Margie think a lot of you, Abby, and I'm pretty sure they know how important you are to me. They wanted us together...and they're your friends too now. No need to be nervous okay?"
"I know, you're right. Guess I'm just a little excited."
"I'll be there soon...I love you."
Abby felt her tensed body suddenly unclench and relax at his words. While he had told her he loved her and done plenty to show her, hearing him say it right when she needed to made her wish he was in front of her so she could wrap her arms around him. He was full of surprises, some of which she was aware had probably always been there, just kept under the surface, but there were also others that Abby liked to think she was partly responsible for.
"I love you too," she sighed cheerfully before saying her goodbye then adding the finishing touches to her makeup.
Moments later Abby heard a soft knock on the door. Taking a deep breath she walked from the bedroom and down the stairs to the front door, remembering what Gibbs had said. Ray and Margie were her friends and from all the effort they'd put into helping her and Gibbs be together it was obvious how much they thought of her. It had been clear how much the couple had been through with Gibbs and for them to actively encourage both of them to act on their feelings spoke volumes about how perfect they thought she was for him.
As soon as she opened the door any apprehension Abby had vanished. She threw her arms around Margie and drew her into a long hug, trying to express her gratitude for everything she'd done the last time they'd seen each other. Abby felt the older woman's arms wrap around her middle and lightly pat her on the back.
"It's so good to see you again, Abby," Margie said, pulling back from the hug. "Ray and I are so happy it's under these circumstances."
Margie held onto one of Abby's hands with her fingertips and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We're so pleased for you and Jethro," she continued, "when we left the cabin we'd hoped you would find your way to one another."
Abby looked from Margie to Ray, who stood beside her. It had been less than a week since she'd seen them but it felt like so much longer. At the same time it also felt as if the last several days with Gibbs had flown by since they had been so caught up in each other. Her time line of days had turned into a catalogue of sexual encounters and everything else somehow fit around those.
"We owe you both so much," Abby admitted, willing her mind to stay focused on the present.
Margie smiled and let go of Abby's hand. "We know you'll look after each other, and that's all we wanted."
Moving aside a step, Margie made room for her husband to give Abby a hug too. His big brawny arms as they folded around her briefly made the tall goth temporarily feel much smaller than he was. She leaned her head against his shoulder, once again taking a moment to appreciate how important these two people had become to her. They had come into her life and like a whirlwind, stirred everything up and helped to change things forever. How was it possible to repay people who had played a major part in giving her all that she wanted? Abby and Gibbs had done all the hard work, but if Ray and Margie hadn't shown up at the cabin, there was every chance they would still be in exactly the same position they had been this time last week. They'd be alone.
"You look stunning, Abby," Ray said as the hug came to an end. "If I didn't have Margie, Gibbs would have some serious competition," he winked at her and Margie rolled her eyes good naturedly and put her hands on her hips, pretending to be hurt by his remark.
Ray handed Abby the bottle of wine they'd brought with them and Abby ushered them into the living room to sit on the couch. "Jethro's going to be a little bit late but he should be on his way home now. Would you like a glass of wine, or we have some beer as well?"
"Some wine would be lovely," Margie answered, getting to her feet to help.
"I'll take a beer," Ray said, not bothering to follow.
Once they were in the kitchen Abby got a glass out of one of the cupboards and handed it to Margie. "I'll never be able to thank you enough, Margie. I don't know if I would've been able to find the courage to do what I did if we hadn't talked."
"Ray and I just wanted to give you both a nudge in the right direction...what was obvious to us, was not to you and Jethro." Margie leaned against the kitchen counter as Abby took a beer from the fridge. "From the moment you walked out onto that porch after we arrived at the cabin and we saw your reactions to each other we knew. I suspect Ray has had an inkling for some time about how Jethro feels about you."
Abby nodded, as reluctant as she was to admit how much time they'd missed out on the only thing they could do now was try to make up for it. "We've both been hiding our feelings for a long time."
"But you're happy now? You look much better than you did a week ago. Being in love...being with Jethro obviously suits you."
"We're very happy, and I feel a lot better, he's been taking very good care of me." Abby uncorked the bottle of wine and started to pour Margie a glass. "And I'm doing my best to take good care of him too."
"I hope..." Margie faltered in her words, and Abby could see she was unsure of how to proceed. "I don't want to be too personal," she finally went on. "What happened after we left the cabin is between you and Jethro...but I hope it wasn't too difficult on you."
Abby felt a sudden pang of gratitude in her chest and she put the bottle of wine down to face Margie. She wasn't one to gossip and Abby knew anything she told her would stay between the two of them. "It wasn't easy, but I think once he realized how much he was hurting me and that in a way this was our only chance to be together he found the strength to push through all his other doubts. He said he never questioned his feelings for me, it was everything else that was stopping him from giving in."
"Whatever you said to him, Abby, whatever you did, it was the right thing. But you mustn't think about the things that could've been, think of what is and what can be." Margie's voice became firmer and Abby listened intently. "He's not a man who gives away his heart lightly and in spite of what others might say, you're only the second woman he's shared himself with. Now that he's let his guard down I'm sure he'll allow himself to love you completely."
Abby couldn't stop the grin that came to the corners of her mouth, or the flash of heat that burnt her cheeks; he was putting everything into loving her in every way, the intensity of which sometimes made her head spin. "It's much better than I could ever have imagined," she admitted.
"Good," Margie said, her smile growing. "You both deserve it."
Realizing Ray was still waiting for them by himself, Abby put the bottle of wine in the fridge and grabbed his bottle of beer and headed back into the living room with Margie following. Dragging one of the chairs over from the table she'd set out, Abby sat down across from them. As they waited for Gibbs, they talked about what they'd all been up to since seeing each other and what an amazing job Gibbs had done on the porch of the cabin.
The sound of the front door opening eventually broke into their conversation and caused all three to turn and look at the figure that entered. Gibbs closed the door behind him and walked into the living room to see Ray and Margie sitting on the couch. Abby stood up and took several steps closer to him instinctively, watching as his gaze wandered appreciatively up and down the length of her body. Gibbs pressed a gentle but quick kiss to her lips and reached out to take hold of her hand. Keeping their joined hands beside his leg, the warmth of his skin as he entwined his fingers with hers conveyed so much; he was here with her and ready to be whatever she needed.
"Sorry I'm late," he whispered to her before turning to Ray and Margie and greeting them with a smile.
Seeing Gibbs walk in the door, and the way he acknowledged her, Abby wondered whether their being together was always meant to happen at this point in time. All the sleepless nights, the lost hours she'd ached for him, the times she'd wondered whether she'd ever be truly happy without him, they had all helped her to understand what Gibbs meant to her. If they had started to form a relationship at any other time or if they'd ended up having sex before Gibbs felt he was ready, then things could've been much different. After everything she'd gone through to understand the depth of her feelings for this man, Abby was certain she was more able to love him as she wanted to, as he deserved to be.
TBC...