A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews to chapter 1. I'm really glad you're enjoying this.
Chapter 2: The Party
Gibbs parked his truck on the third level of the parking garage at the Alexandria Hilton Hotel where the fundraiser was being held in the prestigious Magnolia Room. Already dressed in his costume, he was thankful he'd thought of wearing his long coat to cover up with until he got to the event. His costume was skin tight and covered his entire body. He didn't especially care for the bright red and blue colors because they would make him highly visible, but he'd chosen this particular costume for a couple of reasons. One, because every inch of his body was covered, including his eyes and mouth, and two, because Abby always said he had 'Spidy' senses.
Reaching behind his neck, he pulled the spandex hood up over his head and stretched it down over his face, tucking it in below his chin. There was no way Abby was going to find him and there was no way anyone else would recognize him. He planned on treating the event like an investigation. Narrow down the suspects and find Abby. Shouldn't be too hard.
Abby walked into the Hilton lobby wearing a Cat Woman costume. It was a very short one-piece bodysuit barely covering her buttocks. Long sleeves and mesh covered cutouts in the leather ran down her sides. The zippered front extended from a high neckline down to her navel. On her head she wore a blonde wig and a tight, black face mask that wrapped around behind her ears and extended just below her nose. Her neck tattoo was completely covered, as was all of her ink to hide her identity.
Sensible two-inch heels were strapped to her feet and black fishnet stockings rose to mid-thigh. Traversing the five inches of bare skin between the top of each stocking to the bottom of her bodysuit were two thin suspender slings. In her hand, she carried a three-foot flexible whip. The entire outfit gave her a provocative, dangerous persona.
She doubted that anyone would know who she was and many heads turned as she strutted towards the Magnolia Room.
Gibbs got a drink and stood at the bar surveying the room filled with at least 200 people. Everyone was in costume, even the waitstaff that milled with large trays bearing appetizers and drinks. Observing the many different outfits, he tried to narrow down what Abby would wear and what she wouldn't.
There were Marines in full combat gear, cowboys and cowgirls but none of them wore masks to hide their identities. Then there were women wearing dresses from different eras throughout history, including the fairytale characters of Snow White, Cinderella and others. The majority of the women wore masks with feathers that only allowed the eyes on their faces to be seen. Super heroes also made a great showing and Gibbs didn't have a clue as to the names of many. Aliens, a Santa Claus, and a couple mummies were added to his list of costumes he could identify.
But how to find Abby was foremost in his mind. He would definitely have to go on height, build, and hopefully something distinct to help him identify her. He knew her better than most anyone, so he figured she wouldn't be too hard to find.
Pushing away from the bar, he started across the room to peruse the crowd when Cat Woman walked right in front of him and he stopped to appreciate the costume. The woman had an incredible body and the way she moved, hips swaying and carrying a whip, he thought about following her but knew he had a bet to win first.
Abby stood by the wall and surveyed the crowd, her heart taking a jump when her gaze fell upon an incredible looking Batman. For a moment she wondered if he could be Gibbs but then determined that he was too tall. However, she tucked it away in her memory to visit him later to find out exactly who he was. Her eyes roamed across the group of soldiers who all looked strong and dominating, causing her blood to run a little hotter. Military men were definitely her type.
Then she saw him and couldn't believe how easy it'd been to find him. He was dressed as an old gold prospector known as Stinky Pete who had white bushy hair and long heavy beard. A tattered wide-brimmed felt hat on his head, red suspenders with faded jeans and flannel shirt were all typical articles of clothing that Gibbs would have. He also carried a large shallow pan under his arm as though he'd just come from panning gold on the nearest stream.
Slowly, she snuck around behind him and nearly giggled aloud because he didn't notice how close she was. Where was his spidy sense? Tilting forward close to his ear, she whispered, "Your costume is a dead give-away."
"What?" a very squeaky, unGibbs-like voice asked, turning to look at her.
Abby's eyes widened as she was startled to find out that this was't Gibbs. "Oh, sorry, never mind. I thought you were someone else… nice costume." She then hurried off through the crowd.
Gibbs moved slowly through the guests, stopping beside or behind every woman that was Abby's height. From their voice or their movements or something else, he ruled them out very quickly. He never spoke directly to any of them but many asked if Spiderman would care to dance. He always declined by shaking his head and quickly stealing away.
After more than an hour of not finding Abby, he returned to the bar, frustrated and about ready to give up and head home. But he knew that wouldn't be fair to Abby because she would still be looking for him. Ordering bourbon, he slipped the spandex up over his chin and mouth so he could take a sip.
Looking to his left, he was surprised to see Cat Woman at the bar ordering a beer. Lowering the cover back over his mouth and chin, he sidled over to her, dying to find out who she was. "Hi," he greeted in a dark tone. "Great costume."
She looked at him and returned a very sultry "Meeow."
Gibbs grinned beneath his mask and they both turned towards the room, searching the crowd for one another. He knew he had to say something more or she was going to get bored and move away. Thankfully, his costume came with a very small built-in device right in front of his mouth that altered the tone of his voice so he was certain he wouldn't be identified by any of his co-workers. If indeed, Cat Woman was a co-worker that knew him.
"Are you here with anyone?" he asked as his spandex-covered finger brushed the back of her hand. God, this woman was sexy with alluring curves and long beautiful legs. It cross his mind that this could very well be Abby, so he watched closely for her to do or say something that would convince him.
Cat Woman eyed him up and down. Her eyes lingered a long second at his groin, and he groaned silently to himself when she licked her lips. He fought back his desire by trying to envision Fornell dressed as Little Bo Peep.
"Sssexxyy," she purred then reached out and trailed her fingers lightly down his chest. His entire body jolted as hot tingles cascaded down his spine from her simple touch. A soft growl rolled from her throat and she continued in her Cat Woman voice, saying, "I'm a loveable, ssssst, kitty cat. Mind if I, sssst, rub myself all over you?"
Gibbs was struck speechless by her teasing proposition and would have taken her up on her offer if he could drag his mind out of the gutter and find his voice.
Another man, taller than Cat Woman walked forward and stood on the other side of her, ordering a drink. She turned towards the new fellow and hissed, "Sss oh, Phantom ssst of the ssst Opera sssst. I love sssst it."
Gibbs rolled his eyes, took his drink and headed towards the French doors that led to an outdoor patio and botanical garden. He needed to find Abby and thought perhaps she'd stepped outside.
The man next to Cat Woman turned and smiled at her. "Hello, how are you this evening?"
She immediately recognized his voice. "Tony? Is that you?"
"Is that you, Abby?" His eyes scanned her from head to toe. "You look grrreat! I didn't even know it was you."
"You look fabulous," she returned. "Who did you come with?"
"McGee."
Her eyes darted towards the crowded room. "Oh, where is he?"
Tony didn't turn to look with Abby but took a long pull from his beer. "He's one of the six mummies in the room. I dress classy and he rolls himself in toilet paper."
Abby couldn't help but laugh and put her arm around his shoulders, giving him a squeeze. "He's Timmy. What can you say?"
Tony shook his head and nearly drank his beer bottle dry. "Why couldn't he come as the Elf Lord or something?"
"He has many interests, Tony, and I bet he's having a lot of fun. You should be, too." His response was a shrug as he took the last swallow of beer. "Have you run into Gibbs at all?" she asked.
"Gibbs? At a costume party? No way."
"We had a bet," she told him. "But either he didn't show or he's already gone home."
Tony turned and looked at the guests, trying to find someone he might be interested in. Then his eyes landed on a costume he hadn't seen before. "Holy roses, Cat Woman, get a load of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz."
Abby turned and saw immediately who he was referring to. "She looks wickedly sweet, Tony," she said, glancing at him to see he practically had his tongue hanging out. "You should go say hi."
"You don't mind?" he asked and was already moving towards Dorothy.
Abby watched as the woman smiled when Tony approached before she looked to her left and saw that Spiderman was gone. She realized she hadn't been very nice to him, had practically ignored him, and she should find him to apologize. Hopefully Spidy would be game for playing a little cat and mouse. His costume hinted at a body that was hard and delicious. One she would like to know intimately better.
The cool night air felt good to Gibbs as he sat on a bench outside looking up at the stars. He was more than ready to call it a night and head home, especially since Cat Woman had easily been distracted by another guest. Besides, he really doubted if she was Abby even though his gut was unconvinced.
Suddenly, from behind, he felt something tap the top of his shoulder then a long, thin leather strap dangled down across his chest. Grabbing the strap, he tugged on it at the same time he turned and was pleasantly surprised to find Cat Woman with her whip.
With a smile on her black painted lips, she moved around the bench and sat beside him, but didn't say a word.
He still held the end of her whip and teased the tip of it down along the inside of her arm. There was something about this woman that captivated him, which was surprising and unsettling because he usually didn't feel this way except for when he was around Abby. He could hope and wish and fantasize about her all he wanted, but he knew Abby would never cross that line to be more than just his friend. Cat Woman certainly seemed nice enough to have a little fun with and to help him forget about who he really wanted.
"No luck with the Phantom?" he asked.
A purring sound came from the back of her throat before she hissed, "Hssss not exactly. Hsssst why did you sssst go away?"
Without offering an explanation, Gibbs stood and held out his hand. "Care to walk?" he asked, motioning towards the beautiful botanical garden."
"Ooohh," she purred, accepting his invitation and he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow as they started down the pathway.
They'd walked quite a ways before she broke the silence with a low hum, "Hmmrr Are you sssst feeling okay? Hmmmrr You're awfully quiet, sssst."
"I was looking for someone tonight but I don't think she came," he answered and they stopped, turning to face one another. For the first time, Gibbs looked directly at her and realized she had the same beautiful green eyes as Abby.
The revelation hit him in the chest like a sledgehammer. It was Abby in the alluring Cat Woman costume. His heart seemed to seize in his chest as he realized he needed to get back to the party, back around other people before they ended up doing something they'd regret.
He'd gone about a dozen steps towards the hotel when her shoes clacked across the pavement, hurrying after him. She grabbed his elbow. "Where are you going?"
As he turned to face her, she took a step back, her right heel slipped into a crack and she started falling backwards. A yelp escaped her throat as she reached for him and he desperately tried to grab her. They both ended up going down with Abby on her back and Gibbs on top of her.
He quickly braced up on his elbows. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"
"I'm fine," she whispered, staring up at him.
He felt the heat and softness of her body beneath him. Thoughts filled his head of how she would look naked in this same situation, and he yearned to rub ever-so-slightly against her.
She gripped the backs of his upper arms. "You're so strong," she whispered, "and you're a gentleman."
Her Cat Woman voice was gone and he wanted to rip off her mask and blonde wig and kiss her. Passionately, deeply, but he restrained himself. Then she reached up, grabbed the bottom of his hood and rolled it up to just below his nose, revealing his mouth and chin.
Tenderly, she leaned forward and kissed him, her soft lips pressed against his, her tongue seeking entrance. He granted her request and their kiss became deep, wet, probing. The connection between them was electric with moaning and groaning, chins tilting and tongues sweeping.
Desperate to catch his breath, Gibbs slid his mouth down to her chin, nibbling, kissing, licking. But her whimper of, "Giiiibbsss…" quickly made him jerk back.
"What did you say?" he asked, forgetting that his voice was no longer disguised.
She took no notice of his familiar tone, instead very nervous and embarrassed by what she'd just said. However, she immediately tried to lie her way through it. "I…I said… giiiivve." Her hands fell away from his body as her gaze went to his chest.
"Give?"
"You interrupted me," she defended. "I was going to say giiivve iiit tooo meee."
Pushing up to his feet, he held a hand down to help her up and eventually she accepted his gesture, never returning his gaze. He knew damn well she'd said his name and wondered if she knew it really was him and was embarrassed that she'd pulled him into a heated kiss.
Yet, he really didn't think she actually knew it was him she'd been kissing. Taking her hand, he led her back to the party and once they were inside the Magnolia Room, she excused herself to the ladies' room.
He watched her go and knew she was kicking herself for blurting out his name when she thought she was kissing a total stranger. And from his reaction, he'd actually given her the impression that he was just a guy who didn't like hearing another man's name cried out as he made a move on a beautiful woman.
Gibbs knew the best thing he could do was leave and not take any chances in her finding out who Spiderman truly was. Because if Abby discovered it was him, he could only imagine how angry and disgusted she would be. Things would never be the same between them again if she found out.
Abby sat on a padded chair in front of a mirror in the women's bathroom, her hands in her lap as she stared at her reflection. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. She'd never done anything like that in her entire life. What the hell was the matter with her? Crying out Gibbs' name while kissing a man she didn't even know. No wonder the guy had returned her to the party. She'd probably never see him again.
The door opened and a woman dressed as Dolly Parton sat down on a chair beside her. "Hello," she greet, opening her purse and pulling out her makeup.
Abby met the woman's gaze in the mirror. "Hello."
Dolly started applying more mascara. "I saw you with Spiderman. He's a hunk. Are you two… together?"
"No, no chance of that," Abby scoffed.
Done with her eyes, the woman started fussing with her hair. "So you wouldn't mind if I… you know… wanted to talk to him?"
"Why would I mind," she stated, feeling dejected to the bottom of her heart. "He doesn't want anything more to do with me."
The woman stood then adjusted her dress and large fake breasts. "Any pointers you can give me?"
"He's a great kisser," she answered, her eyes staring at her hands.
"Oh! Super!" Dolly enthused and practically skipped out of the room.
Standing up, Abby barely looked over her outfit, not caring anymore how she looked. Finding Batman wasn't even an option anymore because she was afraid she'd blurt out Gibbs' name at any time. The very special agent was making her frustrated in more ways than one.
Gibbs paced outside the ladies' room, his eyes constantly glancing towards the door. The only one to go in and come out was Dolly Parton, who'd tried to persuade him into dancing with her. He told her he wasn't interested and she quickly lost interest when a cowboy walked by wearing only a vest with no shirt.
The door opened and finally Cat Woman walked out causing Gibbs' heart to skip a beat. Walking up to her, he saw the shock on her face at seeing him again. He held out his hands to her. "Can we go someplace quiet and talk?"
Abby was overwhelmed. She couldn't believe that he'd waited for her and actually wanted to be around her. But she had to admit, she did feel a very strong connection to this man, whoever he was. And their kiss had stimulated parts of her body that had lain dormant for quite some time now.
"Why… why would you want anything to do with me after what I did?" she asked, wary of his motive.
"You're very beautiful," he responded, tugging on her hand. "Come with me, out to the patio."
She followed him willingly and once outside, he sought out a bench that was somewhat secluded. After they were seated, he still held her hand and stated, "I haven't been able to keep my eyes off you all night. With this huge party to enjoy and so many men in attendance, I can't believe you're sitting here with me right now."
Abby felt herself blush and hoped that her mask hid most of it. She looked down at their joined hands, saying softly, "I feel like there could be something extra special between us. All night I've been drawn to you."
With a hand under her chin, he forced her to look up. "I want to kiss you again," he stated in a low husky tone.
More than anything, Abby wanted to strip the Spiderman suit from this man's body. They didn't even know one another and yet he was saying all these wonderful things to her, making her heart beat faster. "Why don't you?" she practically purred.
"I want to see you. Kiss you. Not Cat Woman," he told her.
"I'd like to see you, too."
Gently, Gibbs reached up and slid her mask up off her face and head, taking her blonde wig with it. "You're even more beautiful this way, Abbs," he said, stroking her raven hair.
Abby's breath caught in her chest. He called her Abbs. He knew who she was. Oh, god, she so wanted Spiderman to be Gibbs, but she had to quit hoping for something she'd never have. The man before her was amazing in so many ways. Tonight he'd proven himself to her with his thoughtfulness and kindness. She had to push the dreams and fantasies of being with Gibbs out of her mind.
Hesitantly, she lifted her hands to remove his hood and licked her lips in anticipation. When the spandex slid off over the bright blue eyes and short silver hair, she gasped as her heart nearly leapt from her chest. Before she had time to say anything, he was kissing her and she fell against him, wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him closer. Their kiss had no time limit.
A/N: To be continued…