Driving me Crazy 3

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews for the previous chapter

THREE

He hated seeing her cry. He hated seeing a simple tear roll down her cheeks. He would do anything to protect her from being hurt—he would imprison her in a bubble if he had to. Jethro know it was foolish, he couldn't do that; it was something impossible to accomplish. No one could be protected fully and completely from the outside world… but he damn wished he could do it.

Gibbs couldn't deny her anything, even if he knew that sometimes denial would probably be best for them both. He simply couldn't do it. All she had to do was look at him with her mesmerizing green eyes, and he was lost.

They were both silent for a long moment, still holding each other, except that they were seated side by side and Gibbs's left arm was lying on Abby's shoulders. They hadn't talked yet about what they had both been thinking about earlier, neither of them. Neither one of them wanting to put pressure on the other.

So for now they were both, simply, enjoying each other's company, nothing more. Abby heard Gibbs's soft voice then tell her.

"Kelly and Shannon were on my mind earlier, Abbs. I remembered a very specific event with them—well actually it was with Kelly. I was in my basement, sanding my boat, when she came bouncing down the stairs, asking me if she could help…"

Abby heard the slight crack in his voice and laid a soothing hand on his forearm. She waited patiently for him to continue the story, which he did, a couple of moments later.

"She came to me and I settled her between me and the skeleton that would, one day, hopefully, become a boat. Kelly asked me why it needed to be sanded. I took her hand in mine and made her feel the difference between sanded wood and non-sanded wood and, I'll never forget, her reaction when, her hand softly touched a sanded piece of wood. She said, 'Wow,' and then, 'I love you, daddy.'" Gibbs's voice cracked completely then.

A smile graced Abby's lips as she pictured the scene in her mind easily: Kelly asking her father that specific question and him letting her feel the difference.

When she looked up into Gibbs's eyes, she felt as if her heart had just been twisted. Gibbs's eyes were moist with tears. It was the first time she witnessed tears in his so beautiful eyes. It was the first time, she was seeing him with his guard completely down. It wasn't the first time, Gibbs remembered his daughter around her, but he'd never lost control of his emotions before. Abby guessed that this one must be a particularly intense one.

Abby didn't think twice. Pulling herself up a little, she hugged him tightly.

"It's okay, Gibbs, let go. I'm here for you and I'll always be there when you need me—always. " She murmured into his ear.

She felt his arms sneaking around her slender frame as he hugged her back. Things were getting to the tough Marine Gibbs was, and always would be, because there was no such thing as an ex-Marine. No one ever saw Leroy Jethro Gibbs cry except Abby Sciuto. With her he knew he could be himself. She'd always known there was a heart beating beneath the rough exterior. She just thought she would never see the day he would let himself go and let out his emotions and yet here she was witnessing it.

Abby was really touched, he'd chosen to do so with her.

"Thanks, Abbs," she heard him whisper against her neck.

"You're welcome, my silver haired fox…" she replied softly.

Silence passed between them for a few moments before Abby spoke again.

"I was scared, I would die. Scared that I would never see you again… Gibbs, there is so much I want to tell you… before..."

And before she realized what was happing, the words rolled out of Abby's mouth. she was telling him just how much he meant to her.

"I'm still scared, Gibbs... terrified even, to lose you. Terrified to let you walk out of here, and never feel the way, I'm feeling right now, at this moment, scared that if I let you leave my house, I'll never feel as amazingly as I do, each time you are with me. Like each time we are in the same room. I love you, Gibbs. I know it's insane and totally freaking crazy, but I can't help it. I've loved you since forever, I think, or at least since the first time I laid eyes on you." It was Abby's voice's turn to crack now.

Gibbs's arms tightened a little more around her.

Voila she had said it, and now Gibbs knew how she felt about him. The ball was in his court now. Whether Gibbs shared the same feelings or not, there was no backing away now.

Abby had decided to tell him how she was feeling about him in full knowledge that this would change things between them. But life was too short not to take risks.

TBC...

Thank you for reading!