-1Chapter 5

The next week was the most uncomfortable Tony, Ziva, and McGee had ever experienced. Gibbs was violently angry, and painfully mean. No hint of the curmudgeonly but ultimately understanding field agent remained, and he never went down to Abby's lab-if she had results she reported to Tony, Ziva, or McGee. Taking the report was no picnic either as the cheerful, loving forensic scientist had disappeared. She had been replaced by a quick tempered harpy who neither hugged nor smiled and had no patience for small talk.

It was Ducky that finally talked Abby into some version of her former self. He was the only one that even suspected, and he was also the only one Abby would let near her for more than a minute.

"You need to talk to him Abigail," he said one night in her lab.

"Talk to who Ducky," Abby asked shortly.

"Jethro," he said. Abby's shoulders stiffened and her fingers broke rhythm as they typed.

"I don't know what you're talking about Ducky," she finally said.

"I know Abby," Ducky pushed. Abby turned around and looked at him wide-eyed, panic in her gaze. "I figured it out; no one told me."

"How?" she asked, fighting to keep her breathing even.

"He is a bear and you are miserable," Ducky told her. "It doesn't take a psychologist to read the cause of your mental anguish."

"I can't talk to him Ducky," Abby said, turning back to her work. "You don't really know. Not really."

"Abigail," Ducky said coming up behind her, "he is going to lose his job or get himself killed. He is distracted, angry, the worst version of himself I have ever seen. You are the only one who can reach him because you are the only one he will listen to."

"I can't Ducky," she said again. "I can't."

"You can Abigail," Ducky said taking her shoulders in his hands. "You can and you must. Whatever Jethro did, is it worth ruining his life over?"

Abby felt tears in her eyes, but Ducky wouldn't let her go.

"It is ruining your life too," Ducky said, staring at her tears. "Where did our happy Abby go? The eccentric girl who wouldn't be contained? You have to talk to him because he will not talk to you, and you two are killing each other." A sob broke through Abby's lips and Ducky pulled her down into a hug.

"It just hurts so much," Abby sobbed into his shoulder.

"I know my dear, I know," Ducky soothed. He held her safe, stroking her hair as her tears soaked his shirt.

Gibbs was still at his desk when Ducky walked by hours later. The squad room was dark and quiet and Gibbs hunched over paperwork. Ducky stopped at his desk and cleared his throat.

"Can I help you Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"Abigail would like to talk to you in her lab." Ducky didn't move as Gibbs' eyes narrowed; he gave up nothing as Gibbs stood, put the paperwork away and came around his desk to stand in front of Ducky.

"And why would Abby like to talk to me in her lab?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"I wouldn't know," Ducky played, "I'm merely the messenger."

They stayed like that for another minute, Gibbs furious and Ducky willfully oblivious. It was Gibbs who finally broke the stare and headed for the elevator.

"You should mind your own business Duck," Gibbs called over his shoulder.

"You should be more mindful of your own Jethro," Ducky replied quietly to the empty room.

Gibbs entered the lab like he was walking into battle. He had left his jacket at his desk and his gun in his drawer. He suddenly wished he had both on him. Abby was at her desk and she stood when he walked in, gesturing for him to stand where he was.

"You wanted to see me Abbs?" he asked softly.

"Yeah you need, I mean I need…" Abby stopped, swallowed and tried again. "We need closure Gibbs."

"How do you suggest we get that?" Gibbs asked after a moment.

"I don't know," Abby said looking down.

"I didn't lie to you Abbs," Gibbs finally said. He started towards her, but then stopped himself.

"How could you do that?" Abby whispered.

Gibbs stayed silent.

"How could you just, just send me home?" Her voice hitched at the last word and Abby fought to hold it together.

"I didn't know what to do," he finally told her. "I don't like feeling this way about you."

"Feeling what way?" Abby asked him.

"Wanting…you," he said, emotion making his voice thick.

"Why is that so bad?"

"Because I'm too old for you Abbs," he shot. "I'm too old and your boss and this can't happen. It shouldn't have ever happened."

"But it did," Abby pushed him. "It did and you're not and I don't care. I get to decide if you're too old and being my boss, well, no one needs to know do they? And this is me Gibbs, me. How could you just send me home like that? And then say that my reaction was some sort of…of temper tantrum? I can't believe you did that; I wouldn't have believed you could do that."

"I know it's you Abbs," he said coming closer. "I always know it's you."

Abby stared at him for a long moment before moving forward, leaving less than an inch between them. Looking up at him she let her gaze linger on his lips before traveling to his eyes.

"Do you want me?" she whispered against his mouth.

"Every second," he told her, his breath caressing her lips.

"Then have me. We'll figure out the rest later."

Gibbs' gaze bored into hers, their breath mingling as they kept that inch between them. Reaching up he slowly cradled her face in his hands and lowered his mouth, slowly, until he was kissing her so gently she was straining against his hold.

"Slowly this time Abbs," he said against her mouth. "Slowly."

Pushing their bodies together Abby rubbed her hips against his as her tongue snaked into his mouth.

"I want you," she said looking directly into his eyes.

In an second they were on the floor, Gibbs' mouth attacking hers as his hands pushed up her shirt. Abby responded pulling his over his head then rolling them over and straddling him.

"This time I'm on top," she said with a wicked grin then whipped her shirt over her head. She leaned down and resumed the kiss, moving on top of him until she felt him under his pants, ready to burst through the zipper. With a smile she began kissing her way down his chest, stopping at his nipples when he moaned. Leaving red marks with her nails she scraped her hands down his stomach then licked each mark while her hands went to work on his pants.

Unbuckling his belt she opened his pants and pulled them down, helping him push them off along with his shoes as she resumed kissing her way down. She teased him mercilessly, refusing to put her whole mouth on him until he couldn't keep himself still. Between one tease and the next she swallowed him. His hips shot off the floor and his neck corded as her tongue went to work.

"Abby," he growled. Abby looked up at him, and licked the underside while reaching her hand down and cupping him. He nearly lost it right there like a teenager, and he felt Abby's chuckle as he fought for control. Using willpower he never knew he had, Gibbs reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up and flipping her on her back as he rolled on top of her.

"My turn."

He ignored her mouth, going straight for her neck instead. He nipped his way from her ear to her collarbone and felt her shudder beneath him as his hands ripped off her bra. Still assaulting her neck with his teeth and tongue he found her nipples and began to roll them. Abby arched against him and he gave a smile of his own as he kissed his way down, taking one breast in his mouth as his hands went to work on her skirt. Finding the zipper he pushed her skirt and underwear down then followed the length of her thigh back up. He found the spot with this finger and switched to the other breast as wordless moans escaped her throat.

He positioned himself between her legs then dropped, replacing his finger with his mouth before she knew what was happening.

"Gibbs!" she screamed. He sucked gently in response, stretching her with two fingers and watching her writhe in front of him. She came hard with a scream, her thighs clenching around his shoulders and her toes curling against his back.

Gibbs moved back up her body, kissing her neck again as she caught her breath. Abby moaned again as he entered her and he moved slowly, lost inside her. Abby looked at him as he moved and gave a slow smile.

"What Abbs?" Gibbs asked between kisses. Abby didn't answer, but pushed and rolled them over, throwing her head back as he penetrated further.

"I'm on top," she said in her husky voice, putting her hand on his chest and riding him. Gibbs grabbed her hips and let his head fall back, trying to keep control. She felt so good he didn't want it to end. Abby didn't want him in control, though. She circled her hips, smiling as he teeth clenched.

Gibbs looked at her on top of him, a slight sheen of sweat on her skin as she drove him crazy. Unable to stop his hips from pistoning into her he reached over with one hand and rubbed that same spot. Abby lost control then and all logic disappeared. She rode him hard as he rubbed and both sought blindly for release. Their speed increased as she moved and then she exploded on top of him. He felt the rush of heat and her muscles spasm, and he lasted only a second before roaring as he jerked inside her.

Abby collapsed on top of him, her body blanketing his as they both fought for breath.

"Can we just do this for awhile?" Abby asked when she got her breath back. "No promises, no strings-just this."

"Can we?" he asked back.

"I'm not the one that freaked Gibbs," she told him. "You're the flight risk here."

He looked at her for a moment before pulling her face to his and kissing her deeply.

"Yeah Abbs, we can do this," he said with a grin. "Should never have tried to out stubborn you anyway."

"Alright," she laughed rolling off of him and beginning the search for her clothes. "Do you think we can make it to a bed one of these times?"

"I think that can be arranged," he said as he found his pants and pulled them on.

"Tonight?" she asked mischievously. He walked over and picked up his shirt then kissed her again.

"Not tonight," he said.

"Why not?"

"Need to sleep. Big night tomorrow."

"Likely excuse," Abby teased him.

"I promise when it's over we will find a bed and celebrate," Gibbs whispered, pulling her close.

"What do you have to do?"

"Make sure no one pulls another 9-11 with Navy ships," Gibbs told her.

"Alright," she told him with a kiss. "Be careful."

"Always am Abbs," Gibbs replied. "Get some rest, you got a big night ahead of you."

He winked as he walked out of the lab.