Abby's not ashamed to admit she'd been terrified earlier. Seeing Chip pointing that knife at her, and then when he'd lunged--she'd had a bad case of the shakes before, sitting on her lab stool waiting for the others to get there.

Although, the picture of him covered in soda and hog-tied with duct tape is going to amuse her for a while.

But she'd been scared, and she'd wanted nothing more than her boys to hold her and comfort her and tell her everything was going to be all right. And once McGee and Ziva had hauled Chip off for booking--not being too gentle along the way--she'd all-but-dived into Gibbs' arms and stayed there, letting him kiss her hair and murmur gentle reassurances she didn't hear. He hadn't let her go until she was able to stand without shaking and turn to Tony, who'd held out his arms for her as well.

"Thank you," he'd whispered against her head, and if a hidden tear splashed onto her hair they both pretended it hadn't. "Thank you."

"I wasn't going to give up on you," she whispered back. "Ever."

It had been a long time before the three of them had gone home--to Gibbs', because it's more home for both Abby and Tony than anywhere else now. She'd claimed the first shower and had stayed in long enough to wrinkle her fingers before reluctantly getting out. Clean, warm, and dressed in her favorite black silk nightgown, she'd returned to the bedroom and the glass of wine Gibbs had handed her.

And now Gibbs sits on the bed across from her, dressed in a pair of faded gray sweatpants and nothing else. A squat glass is on the nightstand next to him, the faintest trace of liquor in the bottom.

"How long do you think he'll stay in there?" she asks, swirling the last of her wine around in its glass. She nods toward the bathroom, where the water is still running.

Gibbs shakes his head. "Depends on whether he's done before the hot water runs out." He grimaces a bit, looking in the direction of the bathroom. "Let's hope he is."

"He'll stay in there even after the water goes cold?" She's honestly surprised by this--Tony isn't one for cold showers.

"He'll stay in there until he feels clean," Gibbs says quietly. "And before you say anything, pretty girl--we're not going in there to get him. He'll come to us when he's ready."

"Are you sure?" Abby sets her wineglass down and picks up her brush, coaxing out the tangles in her hair. "He hides, Gibbs. You know that."

"I know. But he's got nowhere to go, pretty girl. He'll come to us, if only to get his clothes, and we'll take care of him." He looks at her, his eyes full of concern and caring. "Are you sure you're all right, baby?"

"I'm fine." Abby sighs. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine fine, but I'm okay. I'll be better once Tony's fine."

"Tony is fine," the person in question says, coming into the bedroom. He's wrapped in a thick blue robe and is rubbing his hair with a towel. "I'm clean, I'm out of there, and Chipster is gone. I'm more worried about you, Abs. You sure you're okay?" He tosses the towel into the hamper and sits down on the bed next to her, stroking her face and her neck, over the black silk of her nightgown.

She catches his hand and turns to kiss him, but he pulls away just enough that she can't. "Tony," she says softly. "C'mon, let's go to bed."

Tony shakes his head and gets up, rummaging through clothes to find a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. He manages to pull them both on without revealing his body, and if Abby hadn't already been watching for signs that would have twigged her right away. Tony is many things; modest isn't one of them.

"You want something to drink?" she asks, hugging her knees to her chest.

"I'm fine, Abs." He gives her a grin that's almost--almost--normal. "I'm just going to go to sleep, okay?"

But he's about to leave the room, which makes no sense. "Tony," Gibbs says quietly. "Where are you going?"

"Spare bedroom," he says, hand on the doorknob. "I'm not feeling like sharing tonight."

This is almost worse than the dressing routine. Tony's not only hungry for companionship in bed, he's starving for it. He'll burrow into Gibbs' arms, wrapping himself around the man like Saran Wrap. If he turns over, he'll bury his head in Abby's breasts, snuggling into her warmth. Even if he's on the outside, he'll end up cuddling the person in the middle.

He's distancing himself from them, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why. Abby minored in psych; she knows what he's doing probably better than he does. While he's been declared innocent, while they've found the real criminal and the evidence has been explained away, it doesn't take away what he's felt. He's ashamed, and he's hurt, and he needs them to hold him and make it better.

But as always, he doesn't want to need them. He hasn't, ever since he showed up on Gibbs' doorstep dripping wet and so hurt and confused it radiated off him. So they're going to have to make him let it all go.

Fortunately, they know how by this point.

"If you sleep in my house, you sleep in my bed," Gibbs says evenly. "And you can't go home. Your car's still impounded until tomorrow and neither Abby nor I are driving you anywhere."

"I could call a cab," Tony says half-heartedly, hand still on the doorknob.

"No." Gibbs' voice leaves no room for protest or argument. "Come here, Tony."

These are the roles they play: Gibbs is the stern one, the one who doesn't let him get away with anything. The one who enforces the rules. Abby is softer, gentler, the one who makes him laugh and relax, the one who coaxes him into bed and then lets Gibbs keep him there.

Tony knows it as well as they do. But he's never said no to either of them.

Slowly, Tony lets his hand drop and walks over to the bed, standing next to it. Gibbs nods at the mattress and Tony sits down on the edge. "It's over," Gibbs tells him. "It's over, Tony."

"I know."

Abby crawls over behind him, kissing the nape of his neck. Tony flinches and he tenses when she wraps her arms around him. "It's over, baby," she whispers against his throat. "We got the bad guy."

"Thanks to you," Tony says. "I couldn't--" He shakes his head.

"No, you couldn't," Gibbs agrees. "You let us do it, because you had to."

"I--" Tony shakes his head again. "Yeah. Okay."

"Let us take care of you tonight, baby," Abby murmurs. "Let us."

"You tok care of me all day," Tony says bitterly. "And for what? So you could run yourself into the ground in your lab, only to get attacked by a psycho with a knife? Meanwhile, I'm lying on a cot in a damned cell, staring at the ceiling. Which one of us had the worse day, Abs? Which one of us deserves some comfort tonight?"

"Yeah, but I got my revenge," Abby says cheerfully. "Tying him up with duct tape made up for all of it."

Gibbs chuckles and strokes her cheek. "He'll be in pain for a long time thanks to that tape," he says, sounding not at all unhappy.

"Oh darn." She grins and kisses Tony's neck again. "I'm fine, Tony. But you're not."

"I--" Tony's abruptly cut off by Gibbs' mouth on his, kissing him deep and sure and slow, the long, drugging kisses Gibbs is so good at. Both Abby and Tony have had brains fried by those kisses before, and tonight's no exception. Tony's looking dazed when Gibbs pulls back.

"Abby worries," Gibbs says fondly. "Let her worry about you, because otherwise she'll worry about me."

"I don't need to be worried about, fussed over, coddled, or taken care of!" Tony says angrily. "I'm fine. I'll call a cab and go home and watch some old movies and--"

He tries to stand up in the middle of this spiel, but Gibbs grabs his wrist and does something and Tony hits the bed hard. Abby barely gets out of the way in time. "Like hell," Gibbs says, voice low.

"Let me go!" Tony pulls away; Gibbs moves with him and in one of those Marine moves Abby can never follow, has him pinned with his wrists over his head.

Gibbs looks at her and nods. "Do it, Abs," he says quietly.

"Damnit--no--Abby--" Tony's fighting Gibbs, trying to throw him off. "Abby, don't, please..."

He's begging, and if Abby wasn't sure Gibbs knows what he's doing she'd listen. But she trusts Gibbs in this, so she grabs the cuffs attached to the headboard and fastens them around Tony's wrists, buckling them quickly and efficiently.

"If you safeword, you can stop this," Gibbs says to Tony. "If you safeword, we will stop. Is that what you want, Tony?"

"Don't do this," Tony whispers. "Please--Gibbs--don't do this to me, don't..."

"If you safeword, I will stop. I will let you go and you can leave and we'll never speak about it again. Is that what you want, Tony?"

Abby chews her lip, watching. Gibbs kneels over Tony, hands on his wrists, just below the cuffs. He's waiting, just as Abby is. And Abby honestly isn't sure if Tony's going to safeword or not.

Tony makes a low, broken sound and turns his head to the side, hiding his face in his arm.

"It's over, Tony," Gibbs murmurs, catching Tony's jaw and turning his head back. "It's all right. It's over."

"I'm not so pathetic that I don't know that," Tony says, sounding like he's trying to convince himself. He flexes his hands, looks up at the cuffs. "You can let me out, Gibbs. I won't run away."

"Not yet," Gibbs says softly, stroking Tony's throat, down over his chest. "Fall for me, Tony. Go down."

"Please--I can't--" Tony gives him a look of pure pleading. "I can't--"

"Can't or won't, Tony?" Gibbs doesn't stop petting him, both hands running over his body.

"I can't," Tony whispers. He's taut as a steel wire under Gibbs' hands, trembling a little. "Please--I can't."

"I'll help you down," Gibbs says, stroking Tony's hair. "Just listen to me, Tony."

Abby shifts to her knees. It's an effort to keep herself out of headspace but she doesn't want to slip down just yet. Not just yet, not when Tony's not there.

"Don't--Gibbs, please, don't, I don't want--" Tony turns his head away, biting his lip.

"It's over," Gibbs says, and Abby thinks that if anyone else ever heard him be this gentle and caring they'd wonder who it was. "It's over. Fall for me, Tony. Just relax and fall for me."

"Don't," Tony whispers again, but Abby doesn't think he's talking to Gibbs anymore.

"One step at a time, Tony. Just go down the steps for me. One at a time." Gibbs runs his fingers through Tony's hair, using the soft touches Tony's used to. "Just let it go, Tony. One step at a time."

He's coaxing Tony down the way he used to at first, when Tony was scared of headspace and unable to get there by himself. Like then, Tony's scared, fighting both himself and Gibbs for something he wants but can't admit.

If he hadn't wanted it, he'd have safeworded. He's done it before. The fact that he hasn't--it doesn't mean he'll go down easily, but it means he'll go down. Abby knows this, just as she knows that Tony needs this tonight. He needs to be held and taken care of and soothed, much like she'd needed it earlier.

She's better. He isn't.

"No--" Tony shudders, fighting it, but Abby can already see him beginning to fall.

"One step at a time," Gibbs repeats, gently but inexorably. "Step down, Tony. One more."

Tony whimpers, shaking his head. "I--please--" He's trembling now; Abby thinks he's on the verge of breaking. Not just falling, but breaking apart. She wants to reach out to him, to hold him and touch him and soothe away the shame and the hurt. The embarrassment that he wants this.

Only she can't touch him until he's down, not until Gibbs says she can, and so she waits, watching Tony fight himself for the control he's not going to get back.

"One more," Gibbs says quietly. "Just a few more, Tony."

He makes a low, helpless sound, a cross between a moan and a whimper, and...falls. Abby sees it, the way the tension just leaves him, the way he sighs a little and lets himself relax. Finally.

"More," Gibbs says. He rests one finger in the hollow of Tony's collarbone. "Go down more for me, Tony."

Abby's a little surprised by this. She looks at Gibbs, wondering just how far he wants Tony to fall. He's already as far down as Gibbs normally takes him, but…

Slowly, Tony's breathing evens out and he relaxes against the bed. He sighs a little, his lips parted a bit.

"What are you?" Gibbs asks.

Tony sighs a bit. "Yours," he murmurs. "Master."

"That's right." Gibbs leans down and kisses him gently. "My boy," he says. "Do you understand that, Tony?"

"Yes, Master," Tony says, almost inaudibly.

"Then understand that I know how to take care of you, Tony. I know what you need. You have to trust me, Tony. Trust me to take care of you."

"I will, Master." Tony blushes a little. "I'm sorry."

"I don't need you to apologize, Tony. I need you to trust me." Gibbs kisses him again. "Just relax for now."

Tony nods and settles against the bed with a soft sigh. Gibbs moves off him and turns to Abby, holding out his hand. "Take off the nightgown and come here, pretty girl," he says quietly.

She does, crawling over to him. He kisses her, the same slow, deep kiss he gave Tony earlier. "Fall for me, pretty girl," he murmurs against her lips.

It's easy for her; she closes her eyes and lets herself sink into headspace, pressing against him. He kisses her hair, stroking her back, while his other hand slips between her legs. "You were so good today, pretty girl," he says, one finger sliding between her labia. "Such a good girl."

His finger rests right over her clit, just brushing it. "I'm going to fuck my boy while he's in you," he murmurs, circling her clit slowly. "Let both of us take him." He kisses her throat, tracing the vein with his tongue. "But I want you to come first, pretty girl. I want to feel you come on my fingers and watch you fall apart before I let my boy fuck you."

Slowly--oh so slowly--he works two fingers into her, twisting them, his thumb pressing against her clit. And for a long moment, he just holds his hand there, his other hand spread out against her back to steady her.

Abby shivers and drops her head forward to rest her head against his shoulder. He's working her clit just the way she likes, his fingers inside her just enough to give her something to clench around. She whimpers, knowing she's soaking his fingers, wishing they were his cock.

He pushes a third finger into her, his thumb rubbing her clit harder and faster now. "Come, pretty girl," he murmurs. "Come for me."

She gasps, shuddering and trembling as she comes, but he doesn't stop. He keeps working her; she doesn't even have a chance to breathe before she comes again, crying out and collapsing against him.

"That's it," he says softly. He pulls his hand away carefully and holds her close. "That's it, baby girl. Just relax now."

She's shaking with aftershocks and emotion. Her body's release let down her emotional blocks and now she's close to crying with the overload of it all. She'd thought she was fine, but...

"Just relax now," Gibbs says softly. He rocks her against him, his heartbeat steady and comforting under her ear. "Let it out."

Abby doesn't cry. Almost never. But she's got tears in her eyes now, a couple slowly sliding down her cheeks as she clings to Gibbs. "I was so scared," she whispers, sniffling. "What if I hadn't found--Tony could have gone to jail and it would have all been my fault!"

"No, baby. Not your fault." Gibbs holds her tighter. "Not your fault. And you got the bastard who did it."

She laughs shakily. "Yeah. The Caff-Pow was what did it."

"I'll never say a bad word about your caffeine addiction again." Gibbs chuckles and kisses her forehead.

Eventually, she sighs and pulls herself away. "I'm okay now," she says. "Go take care of Tony-boy."

"You sure?" He strokes a finger down her cheek.

"Yeah." Abby smiles. "I'm okay, Gibbs."

He smacks her ass lightly, as a warning. "Pretty girl," he says evenly, and she drops her eyes.

"Sorry, Master."

"Good girl." Gibbs kisses her lightly and turns back to Tony, who looks like he's asleep. He's not--Abby knows that all too well. He's floating, down so far he's not aware of anything but his Master.

It's a wonderful place to be, warm and safe and comforting. Abby smiles a little, watching him lie there, breathing deep and even, completely relaxed and yet alert at the same time.

He's beautiful.

Gibbs studies him for a moment before nodding to himself. He tugs the waistband of Tony's sweatpants. "Lift up," he says, and when Tony arches up Gibbs slides the sweatpants off him.

The T-shirt's next; Gibbs uncuffs his wrists and slides the shirt off him slowly, hands running over his skin as he does. He kisses Tony, pinning his wrists to the bed, and Abby hears Tony gasp. She smiles to herself--she knows all too well what the feel of those calloused hands around her wrists is like, the sheer bolt of lust it causes when Gibbs pins either of them down.

"I'm going to fuck you," Gibbs breathes against Tony's mouth. "I'm going to take you and I'm going to break you wide open, Tony. Do you understand me?"

Tony moans, his head dropping back to expose his throat. "Master," he says, and it's probably the only word he can manage now. The only one he remembers.

Abby swallows, hard. She's come twice tonight and just watching this is enough to get her hot again. God, they're gorgeous together, and the thought of feeling Tony inside her while Gibbs is buried in him...she'll be lucky if she doesn't explode.

Gibbs bites his throat, hard, and Tony whines from the painpleasure of it. Abby winces; Tony's going to be wearing turtlenecks for the next few days.

"Mine," he growls softly; both Tony and Abby shiver. "My boy."

"Master," Tony whispers helplessly.

That gets him another hard kiss, and then Gibbs pulls back. "Hands and knees, boy," he says.

Tony moves, settling himself. Gibbs looks at Abby and nods. He gestures with one hand and she grabs the lube and a condom, scrambling over to them. "How do you want me, Master?" she asks.

"Under him. Put that on him, too."

"Yes, Master." Abby slides down under Tony, ripping open the condom packet and carefully rolling it onto his cock; Tony shudders as she does and bites his lip to keep control. When she's secured it, she kisses his lips briefly and settles herself back against the pillows, ready for them.

"Breathe out," Gibbs directs Tony, and he does--but at his surprised grunt, Abby realizes that Gibbs hasn't stretched him out, that he's just slicked his cock and pushed inside.

She has no idea what that means, but he's never done it before.

Tony's trembling, arms rigid as he fights to hold himself up. His erection hasn't softened at all, though, and the look on his face is need and passion and lust, not pain or frustration. Abby strokes his throat, circling the bite mark with a finger. "So beautiful," she whispers.

"Abby," Gibbs says, and she knows what he wants. She positions herself so that Tony's cock is just barely inside her, her hands on his hips to guide him.

And then Gibbs begins to move. He pulls just a little out of Tony's body--and thrusts in hard, shoving Tony forward and pushing his cock into Abby. She gasps, Tony moans, and from then on she loses track of everything but the feel of Tony's cock inside her, the weight of two men on top of her, fucking her hard enough to push her back against the pillows with every thrust.

She has no idea who's making what sound, whether the moans she hears are Tony's or her own, whether it's Gibbs' raspy breathing or it's Tony begging for air. She reaches over her head to grab the headboard, desperate for something to hang on to.

Orgasm rips through her so hard she sees white, and even though she's not supposed to come without permission she doubts Gibbs will care this time.

Her ears are still ringing when her body spasms again, and she's almost praying that's it because she doesn't know if she can take any more of this. Tony's in the middle but she feels split open by this, by the force of being taken by Tony and Gibbs at the same time. Please, God, let it never stop and let it end now, she begs silently.

Tony cries out harshly when he comes; she feels him spill inside the condom and clenches around him in reflex, hard enough to make him groan again. He nearly falls on top of her and only Gibbs' grip on his hips keeps him up. Abby hears the catch in Gibbs' breath and knows he's close--and sure enough, a moment later Gibbs groans and buries his head in Tony's neck.

They collapse into a heap on the bed. Abby barely gets out of the way in time to avoid being crushed by two muscular men. She gets rid of the condom, wrinkling her nose. "I'll go get us a washcloth or two," she says, but when she tries to stand up her knees buckle and she hits the floor.

Gibbs lifts her back into the bed, kissing her forehead. "I'll go," he says firmly. "You stay here and take care of Tony."

It's not a joke. Tony's trembling now--he often does, after something this intense, and on top of what he went through today, Abby is pretty sure he'll be in tears if he doesn't fight it back.

She doesn't want him to fight it back, so she pulls him close and pets him, kissing his forehead and his hair. "Let it out, baby," she whispers. "Let it all out."

Tony's still shaking when Gibbs comes back with a couple of washcloths. He hands one to Abby and keeps one for himself and between the two of them, they get all three of them cleaned up and the washcloths tossed in the hamper.

Somehow, they get under the covers, Tony in the middle. He's clinging to Abby, with Gibbs pressed securely at his back, and he's still shaking. And slowly, as they hold him and stroke him and tell him it's all right, the tears come. They're slow, and painful, and there aren't many.

But they're enough for him to relax, to calm down and drift off to sleep.

Once he's asleep, Abby looks over at Gibbs. He smiles and strokes her cheek with a finger. "You all right, baby?" he asks softly.

"Yeah." She kisses his fingers. "I think I am."