So Gibbs…can I ask you a question?

Chapter 8

Gibbs lay in bed with an exhausted Abby curled up against him. By the time the FBI finished their interviews, collected forensics, took Abby to the hospital to be checked out, and got Jonathan to the hospital and then booking, Abby had finally left her apartment around 5:00 in the morning. After the hospital Gibbs had taken her back to her apartment to get some of her things and then to his house. Five in the morning was usually the time Gibbs was just getting up, but he and Abby were just coming in from an emotionally draining and difficult night. They were just going to sleep for a while, and hence Abby was in his bed (finally!) sound asleep beside him. Gibbs listened to Abby's quiet breathing for a while before finally falling asleep.

Abby woke up several times during her sleep with a nightmare, and then she would start worrying about her front door or would Ziva get in trouble for shooting Jonathan. Gibbs would easily soothe her fretting letting her know Ziva had already been cleared and Tony had fixed the door well enough until he could fix it later today. Everything was going to be ok. Then she would restlessly fall back to sleep in Gibb's arms until the next nightmare. Finally, she just got up to shower to prepare for work. Gibbs heard the shower running (again, she had already had several) and figured they would be going in to work. He stepped into the bathroom asking if Abby was alright. She was crying again and scrubbing her skin roughly until she felt clean.

"But, Gibbs, I don't think I will ever feel clean. I feel so violated. I can't imagine what it must feel like being raped."

"Abbs, baby. You weren't raped. You are clean now. If you scrub any harder you will hurt yourself. Come on, get out and I'll help you dry off. Then, if you want to go to work we will, but if you just want to hang out we will do that. Ok?"

Abby sighed and placed her naked body in his trusted hands to dry off and help her dress in his sweats and NCIS t-shirt. "No work Gibbs, ok? Can we just have dinner in and then maybe work on the boat?"

Two weeks later, Abby's case had been resolved with Jonathan being held without bail due to the vicious attack on a Federal officer. They had also learned by checking social security records and other databases, he had a number of assault and rape charges against him under different names. While Abby felt she had done due diligence, there was so much she would not have been able to find out. She was still staying at Gibbs's place and in his bed, but other than a few casual touches nothing more had happened. She was still frightened and even Gibbs' touch scared her.

Three weeks after the 'incident' as everyone referred to it, Gibbs asked Abby to officially move in with him. She gave him a soft, but happy smile. "I would like that very much. You know what else I would like very much Gibbs?"

"Uh, no. I don't have much to offer Abbs. Moving in, eventually maybe getting married, what else?"

She gave him one of her smoldering looks and graced him with her sultry laugh, the first laugh she had expressed since she was attacked. "Gibbs, I already share your bed, and now you want me to move in which we can take care of this weekend with the team's help. Don't you think it is time for you to make love to me? I haven't been ready before and I know that was hard, in more ways than one (she smirked widely). But I'm definitely ready now. Please, I want to feel your hands on my body out of love, I want to feel your lips on mine out of love, I want to feel you deep inside me out of love. You do love me don't you?"

He smiled her, "I love you Abbs. For real and forever." He picked her up in a bridal carry and brought her to his room they had been sharing for weeks, but tonight he would make love to her all night long. And the two remained together for the rest of their lives. For real and forever.

Fin

A/N: I know I said I wouldn't finish the piece but with the specific very nice encouragement from catgrl, Kelly Roxton, and the woman who reads ALL my stuff losingmymind2 I decided I would. So, love it, like it, or hate it, here it is.