He knew better, he really did - his gut, a finely-honed sixth sense, or just plain familiarity with those he’d worked with for over 10 years; whatever you wanted to call it. He just knew that this wasn’t what Abby needed. Oh, he’d hoped that encouraging her to actually talk to the brother she’d recently discovered would be enough to settle her again, but he knew what Abby really needed and, truth be told, he was scared that he didn’t have it to give to her.
Despite the fact that Abby’s initial meeting with her ‘new’ brother went well, and settled her well enough to get a complete night’s sleep on his sofa - with hindsight, it was probably the ‘his sofa’ as much as anything else that had done the trick that night.
So it was with little surprise that a few nights later Gibbs found himself once again answering the phone to Abby at 3am - mind you it wouldn’t be so bad if he himself could get to sleep much before that time, but he wasn’t telling Abby that.
Four long months this had gone on, not every night, but most nights. Abby had nightmares and rang Gibbs for comfort when she woke from them. Of course he’d known by the third time she’d done it that he was what she needed, but he just couldn’t take that step to help either of them. Some nights he’d still been awake when she phoned, working tirelessly on some project because he couldn’t sleep either; other nights he’d actually had a few hours sleep before she called, but the worst nights were the ones where he’d barely got to sleep himself before his phone rang.
He knew it couldn’t go on - for either of them. They both needed sleep, even if they were both used to surviving on only small amounts for days at a time, there was a limit to the sleep deprivation that the body could cope with before the mind ceased to function properly - something he was well aware of.
Something had to change, and when his hope that Abby’s reunion with her brother, Kyle, would be enough had proved to be in vain he knew he had to act. Maybe, just maybe, he could give her what she needed - what they both needed? - without going beyond the point of no return...
That night, after it became obvious that Abby was still not over the nightmares, Gibbs found her where he expected her to be at 7 in the evening - occupying herself in the lab, apparently doing nothing in particular.
She offered him a tired smile when he appeared at the doorway, but the fact that she didn’t throw herself at him to hug him was a clue as to just how tired she really was.
“Abbs.” She looked back at him, detecting an unfamiliar hint of uncertainty in his voice - and then it was gone, replaced with more familiar command:
“Don’t know if you had plans, but they’re cancelled. You’re coming with me.”
He waited while she removed her lab-coat and gathered her things, noting absently that she really had been killing time as her babies had already been shut down for the night, and she was ready to go with him in a couple of minutes.
He stood back to allow her out the lab in front of him and then fell into step alongside her, his hand gently pushing her at the small of her back to precede him into the lift and through doorways, and then toward his truck once they’d entered the car park with:
“Leave you car here. Not sure you aren’t too tired to drive anyway.”
Once back at Gibbs’ house, Abby watched in companionable silence, leaning on the door frame, while Gibbs made them a couple of sandwiches and then led them to his sofa to eat.
When Gibbs had finished his sandwich and Abby had eaten most of hers Gibbs pushed the plates away and put his arms round Abby drawing her to him as he sat back on the sofa and letting her rest her head on his shoulder, where he began to untie her pigtails.
“What are we gonna do with you, Abs? You need to sleep. I need to sleep. This can’t go on.”
There was a muffled sob against his neck in reply.
“Yeah. I know.”
They stayed like that for a while. He hadn’t intended it, but by the time Gibbs finally moved Abby had almost dozed off in his arms. Gibbs got up, leaving Abby on the sofa and immediately turned and dropped to his knees to work on the buckles of her chunky boots, removing each one in turn and then the skull and cross-bones socks that had been hidden beneath them. He massaged the sole of each foot in turn, eliciting a groan of pleasure from Abby before dropping both her feet to the floor, standing up and tugging her upright.
Still holding her hand he led her to his bedroom.
Abby was tired enough to accept being led, no flirting, none of the wise-cracks that would have come from an alert and caffeinated Abby being led into his private bedroom.
Gibbs positioned her alongside the bed, about a foot away from it and commanded:
“Stay!”
Then he stood behind her and reached round, gently but efficiently undoing the buttons of her blouse, before removing it and putting it neatly on the chair behind him. He turned back to Abby and began caressing her, large warm fingers tracing along her neck and shoulder and down her arms. He leaned in and nuzzled at the spider-web tattoo on her neck pressing tiny kisses to it. He pulled back and unclasped her bra, barely touching her as he dropped it off her shoulders and put it to one side.
Next came her belt and skirt and then he moved in close behind her, large hands gently covering her ribs, not quite cupping the underside of her bare breasts before running his hands over her torso and stomach - almost a lover’s touch, but not quite, sensual yet quite not sexual. Standing close behind her he felt Abby shiver as his fingers bypassed where she really wanted him to touch her - where he really wanted to touch her - snagging the waistband of her underwear with a couple of fingers and drawing them down for her to step out of.
Abby tried to turn, but he gently held her shoulders to keep her facing forward.
“I said stay.”
For a moment he massaged her neck and collarbones and then skimmed his warm hands over the bare flesh of her back and the cool flesh of her bare buttocks. Then the touch was gone. She heard him rummage briefly in a drawer and then,
“Arms up,” was followed by one of his T-shirts being tugged over her head, and then a tap to each ankle encouraged her to lift her legs in turn to step into a pair of his boxers.
Then he pulled the covers back and gently ushered her into his bed.
Relaxed beyond belief, tired and more than a little turned on by Gibbs’ touch and attention Abby watched as Gibbs turned his back on her and unashamedly stripped himself, modestly keeping his back to her but leaving nothing to her imagination as he bent over to remove his pants and underwear and replace them with a clean pair of boxers to sleep in.
Then he climbed into bed next to Abby, gently urged her onto her side so that he could spoon up behind her, pushing her T-shirt high up her back to give them skin to skin contact and placing a possessive splayed hand against her stomach - his semi-hard dick nestling against her butt cheeks through the fabric of the shorts they both wore.
Warm, comfortable and wrapped safely in Gibbs’ arms Abby drifted into nightmare-free sleep.
End (This was originally the end of a oneshot, but it took on a life of its own...)
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the DVDs. Copyright acknowledged to the respective holders. Thanks to all involved in the production of the TV series for the inspiration.
Author's Chapter Notes:
It’s Gibbs’ comfort that Abby needs, but what about the man himself? Post-ep tag to 10x02 'Recovery'.
Chapter End Notes:
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the DVDs. Copyright acknowledged to the respective holders. Thanks to all involved in the production of the TV series for the inspiration.