Plus Ca Change for Alrielira
Aug. 19th, 2007 09:19 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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ncisficathonTitle: Plus Ca Change
Author: Beckymonster (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
becky_monster)
Written for:alrielira
Archive: By all means
Rating: R
Warnings/Spoilers: Futurefic (although anything beyond 'Blowback' has been ignored - because I had only seen up to about that point when I wrote the story!)
Genre: Het/Slash
Pairings: Gibbs/Abby/Tony
Word Count: 4500 (approx - Googledocs and Word are quibbling!)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything and am not getting paid
Prompt: Abby/Gibbs/Tony - Futurefic. How the three, live their lives
after Gibbs retires.
Summary: Thursday - a day for fighting against prejudice, the past and flirty Human Resources Officers.
Author's Note: Beta'ed by the most awesomeperiwinkle27. Words cannot sum up how truly awesome she is. Though reading her entry and leaving feedback as to how awesome it is, is a good thing;)
I will be coming back to this 'pairing' again soon, so thanks for the inspiration. Hope you enjoy!
Just like Arthur Dent, Abby Scutio had never gotten the hang of Thursdays.
As far as she was concerned, the day served no useful purpose apart from keeping the weekend at bay for twenty-four hours. Time that could be better spent doing more constructive things. Like catching up with her friends and family, going to clubs but most of all, spending quality time with her two lovers, Gibbs and Tony. Especially when she knew that Tony’s team wasn’t on duty that weekend and Gibbs was due home from his trip on Friday night.
Whichever deity it was who looked after idiots, small children and NCIS agents, had to be smiling on the Major Crimes team that week. It had been reasonably (for them) quiet. One major case that had been wrapped up quickly. Crime of passion, their only suspect confessed quickly. Which meant that all that was left for everyone to do was paperwork.
Only problem was that the Thursday in question was doing its best to drag its feet. It was really quite annoying to Abby; it was almost a personal affront. It didn’t help that she had gotten through the small mountain of work that had built up at the beginning of the week and was reduced to catching up on her journal reading to pass the time.
In a contest between sitting in her lab with Bert the Hippo reading about blood sequencing or popping down to Autopsy for tea with Ducky, it was easy to choose what she wanted to do. Tea with Ducky won every time.
She greeted her dear friend with an exuberant hug as she bounded through the doors to Autopsy.
“Please tell me that I am not the only one bored silly at present?” Ducky asked as he showed her to a seat as he pushed the little cart with the tea things over to rest by an empty table.
“I’m catching up on my reading,” Abby explained, “I’ve completed all my reports, put all the relevant evidence into storage, cleaned my equipment and McGee isn‘t at his desk, so even with Naples being six hours ahead, I can’t annoy him on IM. So, yeah, ‘bored’, sums it up for me!”
Ducky nodded and poured the tea. “Very much the same story here,” he commented, glancing around at his pristine domain. “Mr. Palmer is at Medical School for the day and I too have caught up with all my work and am left ensuring that my domain is ready for the new staff tour later today.”
“I remembered that was today, which makes a change!” Abby commented as she took the mug of tea that Ducky proffered her with a grateful smile. “Human Resources must have used up half an electronic Redwood in memos to me over the last time.”
“What was their main gripe this time?” he asked as he placed the cookie tin on the table.
“My clothes, like you’d expect them to change the record or something.” Abby grumbled, pouncing on the tin and prizing the lid off. Ducky always had the best cookies. “They said, and I quote:” she continued, affecting a high falsetto, “That ‘I didn’t put forward the kind of professional image that best portrayed NCIS,’.” Abby parroted to the tin’s contents as she picked out two Cadbury’s chocolate fingers. The imagery was not lost on either of them.
“The song remains the same, then.” Ducky noted, with a smile, as he picked up his own mug.
Abby chuckled, “The oldies are the still the best.” she replied, placing her cookies by her mug. “I’m hoping that today’s ensemble will appease them somewhat,” she said, smoothing the skirt of the dress she wore over her thighs.
By Abby’s ‘usual’ standards, it was demure. She was wearing a dress at work for a change, something she usually wore as Sunday best. V-shaped neckline that hinted at her cleavage, cap sleeves, and a hemline that stopped a hand-width above her knees, accessorized with her usual boots, spiky dog collar and black pantyhose. The dress was nothing that would perturb Human Resources; the print was another matter entirely.
“I’m sure it will,” Ducky commented, glancing over his glasses at her, “Would you care to model it for me?”
How could she refuse as he had asked so nicely? She quickly stood up and turned slowly on the spot, posing outrageously as she did so, taking the skirt in a hand and swishing it hither and thither. Her heavy boots squeaked on the concrete floor as she moved.
Ducky laughed at her posturing before he waved her back to her seat. “You look wonderful my dear. Grinning skulls and blood red roses on a black background is ‘you’ Abigail,” he complimented.
“You sure it won’t scare the newbies?” she asked as she took her seat again.
Ducky snorted, “My dear, your dress sense will be the last of their worries,” he explained. “If they do find fault with it, that is their problem. Not yours.” he grinned at her, “Besides, if they *do* find fault, I’m sure that the Major Crimes team will be happy to explain matters to them.”
She smiled up at him. Ducky was right, as ever. “Or they still don’t get the message,” he continued “I’m sure that Jethro won’t mind coming in to explain it to them personally.” she grinned at that. “He might be ‘officially’ retired now and although his consulting might take up much of his time but he would be more than happy to stop by. Of that I am sure.”
Abby lingered as long as she could over her tea, not that Ducky minded. He appreciated the company as much as she did. They were of a like mind and understood each other better than most people they knew. Besides, it meant that they didn’t have to censor their conversations for the benefits of others. Suddenly jumping from cult television to discussing the newest techniques to identify decomposing corpses did tend to raise eyebrows.
“I know this is very short notice, my dear,” Ducky began as he walked her to the elevator. “But I have just found out that there is a digital presentation of Goldfinger on Saturday night. I realise that Gibbs returns tomorrow and-”
“We‘ll be there, Ducky!” Abby replied, laying her hand on Ducky’s arm. “You know how Tony is about Bond films, not to mention that Gibbs will be wanting a sane conversation by then!” she said with a smile.
Ducky chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it like that, my dear, but if you say so!”
“I do say so.” Abby said. “Gibbs grumbles about our movie nights, but I think he enjoys them more than he lets on. Not just because someone else is cooking for him either.”
“You do realize that if it hadn’t been for you and Tony, Gibbs could have gone the same way as Mike Franks and retired to some godforsaken wilderness?” Ducky noted quietly.
Abby looked down at the floor. “Tony and I have talked about that, once or twice,” she began haltingly as she looked up at the older man. She still had trouble believing that Franks had been Gibbs’ mentor once. That he looked up to him, the same way that McGee, Ziva, Kate (God rest her soul) and to a certain extent Tony still did to Gibbs.
“We both came to the conclusion that if Gibbs had done something like that he would have gone batshit crazy within six months.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It was alright while he was recovering from the bomb blast but as a permanent choice? Not Gibbs.”
“For that I am glad,” Ducky replied, “Did Jethro tell you that he received a letter from Franks berating him for his so-called ‘lifestyle’ choice”
Abby stiffened, pinning Ducky with her patented ‘remember, I know how to kill people and leave no trace!’ look. She didn’t know who she was more cross with at that moment, Gibbs, for not telling her or Franks for writing it in the first place. At that moment, it was a tie.
She hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the man, but from what she had gathered from those who had worked with him on the case with the dead guy with all the pennies, he was a bastard. So was Gibbs, true, but at least Gibbs gave a damn about the people he worked with. Franks, on the other hand, didn’t. Hell, Tony was sure that he’d even shafted (metaphorically) Gibbs too. She wouldn’t ask Gibbs about if it were true, because she’d never get an answer from him.
“That would be a ‘no’ then,” Ducky replied contritely. “I am sure that Jethro had his reasons for not telling you about the letter, Abby-”
“It’s not a ‘lifestyle choice’, Ducky!” Abby exclaimed, cutting him off, before her brain caught up and she remembered that this was *Ducky* she was talking to. One of the wisest and most traveled people she knew. What he hadn’t done or seen could be written on the back of a postage stamp. He’d played a considerable role in bringing them together as well as being a dear friend to all three of them.
“I think there is more to it than just that, my dear.” Ducky explained. “I can tell you this much though. I’ve known Jethro for a very long time and I’ve never seen him this… happy.” He leant in and bussed her on the cheek. “We both know that Gibbs is certainly one for breaking the rules if they stop him from doing what he feels to be ‘right’…” he paused, as Abby took a step forward to hug him. “As far as he is concerned, Tony and you are more than worth it.”
She sighed softly, head on his shoulder. “Goes both ways, Duckman.”
*******
Lunch was followed by more journal reading; blood splatter analysis being discarded in favor of fingerprint detection. Trent Reznor and company were blaring out, there was a sweating Caf-Pow by her keyboard and Bert the hippo sat on her knee. Life was good.
As much as Abby tried to concentrate on the words scrolling on her screen, she kept thinking about the letter Ducky had mentioned. She tried to tell herself that she didn’t have all the evidence to hand. There was no doubting Ducky. If he said there was a letter, then it existed. Why keep the secret from her? What purpose did that serve? Other than stopping her taking the next flight to Baja and giving Retired Special Agent Franks a piece of her mind. Which, even she had to admit, was reason enough to keep it a secret.
Abby hugged Bert until he farted. The sound soothed her troubled thoughts somewhat. There was always a way to solve a case such as this.
She’d talk to Tony when she saw him next. See if he knew anymore about said letter than she did. If he did, they would discuss what to do next. Once she’d smacked him in the arm for keeping evidence from her, and he’d forgiven her for it, of course.
If he didn’t, then she’d tell him all she knew and set him to weaseling the rest of the information out of Gibbs. Tony was damn good at that. Mostly because (and she felt a pang of envy for thinking it) that he was better at hand jobs than she was. It made sense, Gibbs had a weakness for hand jobs and was far more ‘open’ to them after sex.
Abby was so busy formulating said plan that she didn’t realize that the music had finished until she heard:
“What have you got for me, Abs?”
The question caught surprised her so much that she jumped and dropped poor Bert to the floor. With a whispered apology to Bert and her back to the door (as Tony deserved it for making her drop Bert) she picked the hippo up, placed him back onto the desk and replied, in her best ‘I’m not happy with you!’ voice.
“I don’t have anything for you, Tony.” She explained as she turned around to face her guest, “because… Gibbs!” she cried, seeing both of her lovers at her door.
She ran across the lab, throwing herself into Gibbs’ arms. He caught her with a soft ‘oof’. Tony stood at his side, bracing him for the impact of Abby’s hug. “I thought you weren’t back until tomorrow!” she said, words muffled by her head tucked into the crook of Gibbs’ shoulder. His arms went around her holding her close, resting his lips on her forehead in a chaste kiss.
“We all got let out early for good behavior,” Gibbs noted dryly as Abby ended the hug and took a step back from him.
Gibbs looked good. Smartly dressed in a dark grey suit, a white open-necked shirt and no tie; he looked relaxed and had a smile on his face. Retirement (and two lovers) did wonders for him.
“You didn’t piss anyone off did you?” she asked sceptically. She loved him, but she knew that he wasn’t the best ‘people person’ around.
“Nope” he replied, “And got asked to do some classes in D.C.”
Abby smiled and hugged him again, “That is so cool!” she replied happily. “But it still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.” She asked, before adding “Not that I mind, of course!”
“I can answer that,” Tony replied, taking a step forward. She noted that he looked a little careworn but nothing that having Gibbs home or a hug from her couldn’t cure. “But only if you give me a hug, too,”
“Tony!” she pouted, “I gave you a hug this morning,” She’d complimented him on how he looked, having decided to wear the dark Hugo Boss suit that made him look like Bond. That earned her a smile, a kiss and a Caf-Pow. The bad Sean Connery impressions she could do without but if it made Tony smile, then it was a price she paid gladly.
“Well, I want another one,” he replied with an incorrigible smile.
“Oh, I think I can fit you in,” she replied with a smile as she leant across to give him another hug. He was strong and warm, hands settling gently against her back and neck, mindful of the security cameras watching every move.
There was enough gossip about them doing the rounds of the Navy Yard. Stupid stuff as to how she would only give it up for the boss of the Major Crimes team. It was kinda right but not like that. She'd always acted the same around her guys; just because they were sharing their beds and their lives with each other didn't mean that things had to change.
“So… why are you and Gibbs in my lab?” she asked again, a perky smile on her lips.
“The new staff induction tour?” Tony asked as he gestured to Gibbs and himself. “We’re it."
Abby’s face contorted into an expression of disbelief. “I got dressed up for nothing?!” she exclaimed. She shook her head violently, as if trying to clear those words from existence. That hadn’t come out the way she wanted it to. She hoped that Gibbs wouldn’t take offence. “What I meant to say was ‘I could have dressed *normally*’”.
Gibbs chuckled, “I know what you mean, Abs,” he said, lips turning up in a small smile. “Although you do look especially nice today,” He added after a pause.
“Thank you, Gibbs!” she smiled up at him and reached forward to kiss him on the cheek. “You say the nicest things,” she said without irony. Gibbs wasn’t one for compliments, so she treasured the ones that came her way. She turned to her other lover, “So Tony, why are you doing it then and not the Queen of Evil?”
“Well, I had been called up to see the Director when I heard an argument between the Queen of Evil also known as Ms Weiss of Personnel and Gibbs over the need for NCIS consultants to take the New Staff Induction Tour-”
Abby turned to Gibbs with an imploring look on her face, “Now do you understand why she’s the Queen of Evil? She’s the witch who keeps complaining about my clothes!”
“-even though, he’s worked here for nearly twenty years!” Tony continued, despite Abby’s interruption.
“Sorry, Tony!” Abby mumbled contritely.
“Had to be said, Abs,” Tony replied, an understanding look in his eyes. He glanced over at Gibbs. “I decided to play nice and offered to escort Gibbs around.” He explained, “Show him the sights. Where he’d be working, where the best coffee machines are-“
“Just outside of Dispatch,” Gibbs noted with a smile. “Or there’s that really good coffee shop a block away.”
“Introduce him to the heads of the departments-“
“So I could be ribbed about not getting enough of this place.” He said with a shrug.
“And stop Miss Weiss, aka ‘the Queen of Evil’, from flirting outrageously with him.” Tony explained, a note of steel entering his tone.
“She was?” Abby asked, anger coloring her voice. As far as she was concerned, it was simply another black mark against the woman. She could take the comments about her fashion sense, not well, but she was better than that. Moving in on Gibbs with a previous count of making moves on Tony to be taken into consideration? Abby was with Bugs Bunny on this one, in that Miss Weiss should realize that this meant war.
“She was?” Gibbs asked, trying for innocent. He shrugged his shoulders, “Can’t say as I noticed.” He pointedly ignored the disbelieving looks from both his lovers. No one had quite forgotten the ‘lengths’ she had gone to attract Tony’s attention after the Grenouille case became common knowledge, mainly due to it’s spectacular implosion that left one innocent woman dead.
“And of course, make sure that his old ‘office’ was still available,” Tony finished.
“Got to have somewhere to have ‘private’ conversations with my co-workers,” Gibbs commented, sharing a look with Tony.
Abby noted the comment for further investigation. Sounded like the guys had just had one such ‘private’ conversation; her innate curiosity wanted to know what about.
Had it just been a quick update on the latest goings on at NCIS or had it been something more, like a quick blowjob in the elevator?
Tony would be more than happy to oblige, especially if it was Gibbs on his knees, sucking him off. According to Tony, Gibbs was damn hot knelt down like that, sucking like a bad slasher flick on Tony’s cock, Gibbs’ own in his hand, jerking off like his life depended on it.
She pulled her thoughts and herself together. Such imaginings could only lead to one thing. Excusing herself for some quality time in a ladies room cubicle, her skirt pushed up around her hips and her hand down her panties, rubbing her clit to orgasm for all she was worth. Best that she saved thoughts about how hot her guys were for later. When they could help her to do something about it, it made the heat and wetness she felt growing inside more bearable that way.
“You okay there, Abs?” She quickly pulled out of her fugue to see Gibbs looking at her, a concerned look on his face. He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m fine!” she exclaimed, a little bit too loudly to give lie to the claim. “In my own little world for a moment there, which reminds me-”Abby said, “Do you need me to do the spiel or shall we just cut to the questions section of the tour?” she questioned without irony, “After all, you guys seem to spend as much time here as you do in Autopsy.”
Gibbs shook his head, “You noticed that, huh?” he asked, a half smile on his lips. It was a sight that warmed Abby to her bones. She knew that she couldn’t explain why, but just having her two guys there just made her feel… good.
“There is one question, I’d like to ask,” Tony began, looking far too innocent for his own good.
Abby knew she would regret asking, but the scientist part of her just had to know. “What’s that, Tony?” she asked warily.
He looked at her legs, head tilted to one side and asked “Pantyhose or stockings?”
The headslap was abrupt but not hard, neither was the growl of “DiNozzo!” from Gibbs. If she didn’t know any better, she would say that Gibbs was curious too.
“And spoil the surprise?” She teased, a grin taking the sting out of her words. “So, why did the Director want to see you, Tony?” she asked, deftly changing the subject. A little mystery was good for their relationship.
Tony glanced over to Gibbs, who nodded just slightly. Abby held still, watching their interaction. She had a hunch that it was something to do with that letter that Ducky had told her about. If she was right and they told her everything, then she’d spill about Ducky’s invite. Fair’s fair.
“The Director wanted to see me about a letter that she’s received from a former NCIS agent-” Tony began hesitantly, choosing his words with care. Abby could see that Gibbs was watching both of them, trying to gauge reactions.
Abby decided to take pity on both of them. “Let me guess, it was from Mike Franks and it was to ‘inform’ her that one of her agents was in a ‘sexually deviant’ relationship?” she asked innocently.
Both men stared at her in surprise before turning to each other.
“Ducky!” they said in unison.
“Who has invited us to go see Goldfinger on Saturday night,” Abby noted calmly. “To save time, I said ‘yes’.” She pointed a finger at Tony who was grinning like a fool. “Now, tell me what happened with the Director.” She turned towards Gibbs, “Before I decide to mess with your coffee because you never told me about the letter in the first place!”
Her two lovers exchanged a look, Gibbs shrugged and Tony began to speak.
“The Director called both Gibbs and me in, I didn’t know why but I had a suspicion it was to do with our relationship as she made a point to call him in too.” Tony explained, as he reached out to place a hand on her back. “She said that she’d received a letter from Retired Special Agent Franks. I had thought that it was to do with that case he worked on with us. The one-”
“-With all the pennies!” Abby noted, gesturing to Tony to get on with the story.
“Like he apologized for pistol whipping me,” he groused “but no, it was to tell the Director about the three of us.” Tony shot a sympathetic glance towards Gibbs. “I can understand why you might have sent the letter, Boss, but what he did was…”
“Unforgivable.” Gibbs sighed. “I know, Tony, I know.” Abby smiled slightly at Tony’s use of the ‘pet’ name. “I wanted him to know that things are…” there was a true smile on his face as he glanced from Tony to her. It told her everything she needed to know. “Good in my life and…” He shrugged, holding his hands up before they fell to his side.
Abby reached out and rubbed Gibbs’ arm. She really wanted to hug him but could feel the invasive cameras on her.
“Your heart is in the right place, Gibbs.” she began. “Just a shame to say that your former boss is even more of a bastard than you were.” That earned her a quizzical look. “You know what I mean!” she stated. If he didn’t, then she was sure that Tony did.
“The Director gave me the Cliff Notes version of what the letter said,” Tony continued, voice quiet. Abby could tell that this was cutting him up inside. He'd given up so much for the Agency, with one thing and another and now this. “That an accusation had been made about my private life.” he smiled wanly. Abby took a step towards him, letting her arm bump up against his. Just enough to let him know that she was there. “Didn’t go into details or anything. Just that as NCIS is a civilian agency and that she knew that I would be discreet in such matters-”
Abby thought about saying something and decided against it. She knew her guys had a ‘history’ with Madame Director. She didn't know what it entailed, only that it had left scars and that sleeping dogs were best left that way.
“So she ripped up the letter. Said that the matter was closed and gave me the pieces for disposal.” Tony noted, pulling an evidence baggy from his jacket pocket. “Thought about taking it down to Autopsy and asking Ducky to put it in the burn bag but…”
“Hand it over, Tony.” Abby murmured, holding out her hand. He gave her the bag and she squeezed his hand as she took it, scrunching up the plastic and its contents even more. She purposefully walked to the burn bag in the corner of her lab. The one she used for all waste that could not be recycled, the one that no one went anywhere near apart from the specialist disposal team. She opened up the baggie and dropped the contents into the bin.
For a moment, she entertained the hope that she could do the same with Tony’s fear of reprisal over his relationship with them. It had taken a lot of coaxing and care to bring him to the point where he had recovered from losing Jeanne and accepted that both she and Gibbs loved him and each other, and that, he deserved a chance to be truly happy, with them. This was a knockback, sure, but they'd recover and be stronger than before. She'd make damn sure of that.
“Enough talking, time for tea,” Abby announced. “Gibbs, can you give Ducky a call? I feel the need to escape and somewhere, out there, is a Caf-Pow with my name on it!” She turned to see their surprised faces. “Anything wrong with that?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“No, not at all.” Tony noted as he took her hand and squeezed it. "If my team needs me, they know how to find me."
"My treat," Gibbs stated as he pulled out his phone to call Autopsy.
fin
Author: Beckymonster (
becky_monster)Written for:
alrieliraArchive: By all means
Rating: R
Warnings/Spoilers: Futurefic (although anything beyond 'Blowback' has been ignored - because I had only seen up to about that point when I wrote the story!)
Genre: Het/Slash
Pairings: Gibbs/Abby/Tony
Word Count: 4500 (approx - Googledocs and Word are quibbling!)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything and am not getting paid
Prompt: Abby/Gibbs/Tony - Futurefic. How the three, live their lives
after Gibbs retires.
Summary: Thursday - a day for fighting against prejudice, the past and flirty Human Resources Officers.
Author's Note: Beta'ed by the most awesome
periwinkle27. Words cannot sum up how truly awesome she is. Though reading her entry and leaving feedback as to how awesome it is, is a good thing;)I will be coming back to this 'pairing' again soon, so thanks for the inspiration. Hope you enjoy!
Just like Arthur Dent, Abby Scutio had never gotten the hang of Thursdays.
As far as she was concerned, the day served no useful purpose apart from keeping the weekend at bay for twenty-four hours. Time that could be better spent doing more constructive things. Like catching up with her friends and family, going to clubs but most of all, spending quality time with her two lovers, Gibbs and Tony. Especially when she knew that Tony’s team wasn’t on duty that weekend and Gibbs was due home from his trip on Friday night.
Whichever deity it was who looked after idiots, small children and NCIS agents, had to be smiling on the Major Crimes team that week. It had been reasonably (for them) quiet. One major case that had been wrapped up quickly. Crime of passion, their only suspect confessed quickly. Which meant that all that was left for everyone to do was paperwork.
Only problem was that the Thursday in question was doing its best to drag its feet. It was really quite annoying to Abby; it was almost a personal affront. It didn’t help that she had gotten through the small mountain of work that had built up at the beginning of the week and was reduced to catching up on her journal reading to pass the time.
In a contest between sitting in her lab with Bert the Hippo reading about blood sequencing or popping down to Autopsy for tea with Ducky, it was easy to choose what she wanted to do. Tea with Ducky won every time.
She greeted her dear friend with an exuberant hug as she bounded through the doors to Autopsy.
“Please tell me that I am not the only one bored silly at present?” Ducky asked as he showed her to a seat as he pushed the little cart with the tea things over to rest by an empty table.
“I’m catching up on my reading,” Abby explained, “I’ve completed all my reports, put all the relevant evidence into storage, cleaned my equipment and McGee isn‘t at his desk, so even with Naples being six hours ahead, I can’t annoy him on IM. So, yeah, ‘bored’, sums it up for me!”
Ducky nodded and poured the tea. “Very much the same story here,” he commented, glancing around at his pristine domain. “Mr. Palmer is at Medical School for the day and I too have caught up with all my work and am left ensuring that my domain is ready for the new staff tour later today.”
“I remembered that was today, which makes a change!” Abby commented as she took the mug of tea that Ducky proffered her with a grateful smile. “Human Resources must have used up half an electronic Redwood in memos to me over the last time.”
“What was their main gripe this time?” he asked as he placed the cookie tin on the table.
“My clothes, like you’d expect them to change the record or something.” Abby grumbled, pouncing on the tin and prizing the lid off. Ducky always had the best cookies. “They said, and I quote:” she continued, affecting a high falsetto, “That ‘I didn’t put forward the kind of professional image that best portrayed NCIS,’.” Abby parroted to the tin’s contents as she picked out two Cadbury’s chocolate fingers. The imagery was not lost on either of them.
“The song remains the same, then.” Ducky noted, with a smile, as he picked up his own mug.
Abby chuckled, “The oldies are the still the best.” she replied, placing her cookies by her mug. “I’m hoping that today’s ensemble will appease them somewhat,” she said, smoothing the skirt of the dress she wore over her thighs.
By Abby’s ‘usual’ standards, it was demure. She was wearing a dress at work for a change, something she usually wore as Sunday best. V-shaped neckline that hinted at her cleavage, cap sleeves, and a hemline that stopped a hand-width above her knees, accessorized with her usual boots, spiky dog collar and black pantyhose. The dress was nothing that would perturb Human Resources; the print was another matter entirely.
“I’m sure it will,” Ducky commented, glancing over his glasses at her, “Would you care to model it for me?”
How could she refuse as he had asked so nicely? She quickly stood up and turned slowly on the spot, posing outrageously as she did so, taking the skirt in a hand and swishing it hither and thither. Her heavy boots squeaked on the concrete floor as she moved.
Ducky laughed at her posturing before he waved her back to her seat. “You look wonderful my dear. Grinning skulls and blood red roses on a black background is ‘you’ Abigail,” he complimented.
“You sure it won’t scare the newbies?” she asked as she took her seat again.
Ducky snorted, “My dear, your dress sense will be the last of their worries,” he explained. “If they do find fault with it, that is their problem. Not yours.” he grinned at her, “Besides, if they *do* find fault, I’m sure that the Major Crimes team will be happy to explain matters to them.”
She smiled up at him. Ducky was right, as ever. “Or they still don’t get the message,” he continued “I’m sure that Jethro won’t mind coming in to explain it to them personally.” she grinned at that. “He might be ‘officially’ retired now and although his consulting might take up much of his time but he would be more than happy to stop by. Of that I am sure.”
Abby lingered as long as she could over her tea, not that Ducky minded. He appreciated the company as much as she did. They were of a like mind and understood each other better than most people they knew. Besides, it meant that they didn’t have to censor their conversations for the benefits of others. Suddenly jumping from cult television to discussing the newest techniques to identify decomposing corpses did tend to raise eyebrows.
“I know this is very short notice, my dear,” Ducky began as he walked her to the elevator. “But I have just found out that there is a digital presentation of Goldfinger on Saturday night. I realise that Gibbs returns tomorrow and-”
“We‘ll be there, Ducky!” Abby replied, laying her hand on Ducky’s arm. “You know how Tony is about Bond films, not to mention that Gibbs will be wanting a sane conversation by then!” she said with a smile.
Ducky chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it like that, my dear, but if you say so!”
“I do say so.” Abby said. “Gibbs grumbles about our movie nights, but I think he enjoys them more than he lets on. Not just because someone else is cooking for him either.”
“You do realize that if it hadn’t been for you and Tony, Gibbs could have gone the same way as Mike Franks and retired to some godforsaken wilderness?” Ducky noted quietly.
Abby looked down at the floor. “Tony and I have talked about that, once or twice,” she began haltingly as she looked up at the older man. She still had trouble believing that Franks had been Gibbs’ mentor once. That he looked up to him, the same way that McGee, Ziva, Kate (God rest her soul) and to a certain extent Tony still did to Gibbs.
“We both came to the conclusion that if Gibbs had done something like that he would have gone batshit crazy within six months.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It was alright while he was recovering from the bomb blast but as a permanent choice? Not Gibbs.”
“For that I am glad,” Ducky replied, “Did Jethro tell you that he received a letter from Franks berating him for his so-called ‘lifestyle’ choice”
Abby stiffened, pinning Ducky with her patented ‘remember, I know how to kill people and leave no trace!’ look. She didn’t know who she was more cross with at that moment, Gibbs, for not telling her or Franks for writing it in the first place. At that moment, it was a tie.
She hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the man, but from what she had gathered from those who had worked with him on the case with the dead guy with all the pennies, he was a bastard. So was Gibbs, true, but at least Gibbs gave a damn about the people he worked with. Franks, on the other hand, didn’t. Hell, Tony was sure that he’d even shafted (metaphorically) Gibbs too. She wouldn’t ask Gibbs about if it were true, because she’d never get an answer from him.
“That would be a ‘no’ then,” Ducky replied contritely. “I am sure that Jethro had his reasons for not telling you about the letter, Abby-”
“It’s not a ‘lifestyle choice’, Ducky!” Abby exclaimed, cutting him off, before her brain caught up and she remembered that this was *Ducky* she was talking to. One of the wisest and most traveled people she knew. What he hadn’t done or seen could be written on the back of a postage stamp. He’d played a considerable role in bringing them together as well as being a dear friend to all three of them.
“I think there is more to it than just that, my dear.” Ducky explained. “I can tell you this much though. I’ve known Jethro for a very long time and I’ve never seen him this… happy.” He leant in and bussed her on the cheek. “We both know that Gibbs is certainly one for breaking the rules if they stop him from doing what he feels to be ‘right’…” he paused, as Abby took a step forward to hug him. “As far as he is concerned, Tony and you are more than worth it.”
She sighed softly, head on his shoulder. “Goes both ways, Duckman.”
*******
Lunch was followed by more journal reading; blood splatter analysis being discarded in favor of fingerprint detection. Trent Reznor and company were blaring out, there was a sweating Caf-Pow by her keyboard and Bert the hippo sat on her knee. Life was good.
As much as Abby tried to concentrate on the words scrolling on her screen, she kept thinking about the letter Ducky had mentioned. She tried to tell herself that she didn’t have all the evidence to hand. There was no doubting Ducky. If he said there was a letter, then it existed. Why keep the secret from her? What purpose did that serve? Other than stopping her taking the next flight to Baja and giving Retired Special Agent Franks a piece of her mind. Which, even she had to admit, was reason enough to keep it a secret.
Abby hugged Bert until he farted. The sound soothed her troubled thoughts somewhat. There was always a way to solve a case such as this.
She’d talk to Tony when she saw him next. See if he knew anymore about said letter than she did. If he did, they would discuss what to do next. Once she’d smacked him in the arm for keeping evidence from her, and he’d forgiven her for it, of course.
If he didn’t, then she’d tell him all she knew and set him to weaseling the rest of the information out of Gibbs. Tony was damn good at that. Mostly because (and she felt a pang of envy for thinking it) that he was better at hand jobs than she was. It made sense, Gibbs had a weakness for hand jobs and was far more ‘open’ to them after sex.
Abby was so busy formulating said plan that she didn’t realize that the music had finished until she heard:
“What have you got for me, Abs?”
The question caught surprised her so much that she jumped and dropped poor Bert to the floor. With a whispered apology to Bert and her back to the door (as Tony deserved it for making her drop Bert) she picked the hippo up, placed him back onto the desk and replied, in her best ‘I’m not happy with you!’ voice.
“I don’t have anything for you, Tony.” She explained as she turned around to face her guest, “because… Gibbs!” she cried, seeing both of her lovers at her door.
She ran across the lab, throwing herself into Gibbs’ arms. He caught her with a soft ‘oof’. Tony stood at his side, bracing him for the impact of Abby’s hug. “I thought you weren’t back until tomorrow!” she said, words muffled by her head tucked into the crook of Gibbs’ shoulder. His arms went around her holding her close, resting his lips on her forehead in a chaste kiss.
“We all got let out early for good behavior,” Gibbs noted dryly as Abby ended the hug and took a step back from him.
Gibbs looked good. Smartly dressed in a dark grey suit, a white open-necked shirt and no tie; he looked relaxed and had a smile on his face. Retirement (and two lovers) did wonders for him.
“You didn’t piss anyone off did you?” she asked sceptically. She loved him, but she knew that he wasn’t the best ‘people person’ around.
“Nope” he replied, “And got asked to do some classes in D.C.”
Abby smiled and hugged him again, “That is so cool!” she replied happily. “But it still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.” She asked, before adding “Not that I mind, of course!”
“I can answer that,” Tony replied, taking a step forward. She noted that he looked a little careworn but nothing that having Gibbs home or a hug from her couldn’t cure. “But only if you give me a hug, too,”
“Tony!” she pouted, “I gave you a hug this morning,” She’d complimented him on how he looked, having decided to wear the dark Hugo Boss suit that made him look like Bond. That earned her a smile, a kiss and a Caf-Pow. The bad Sean Connery impressions she could do without but if it made Tony smile, then it was a price she paid gladly.
“Well, I want another one,” he replied with an incorrigible smile.
“Oh, I think I can fit you in,” she replied with a smile as she leant across to give him another hug. He was strong and warm, hands settling gently against her back and neck, mindful of the security cameras watching every move.
There was enough gossip about them doing the rounds of the Navy Yard. Stupid stuff as to how she would only give it up for the boss of the Major Crimes team. It was kinda right but not like that. She'd always acted the same around her guys; just because they were sharing their beds and their lives with each other didn't mean that things had to change.
“So… why are you and Gibbs in my lab?” she asked again, a perky smile on her lips.
“The new staff induction tour?” Tony asked as he gestured to Gibbs and himself. “We’re it."
Abby’s face contorted into an expression of disbelief. “I got dressed up for nothing?!” she exclaimed. She shook her head violently, as if trying to clear those words from existence. That hadn’t come out the way she wanted it to. She hoped that Gibbs wouldn’t take offence. “What I meant to say was ‘I could have dressed *normally*’”.
Gibbs chuckled, “I know what you mean, Abs,” he said, lips turning up in a small smile. “Although you do look especially nice today,” He added after a pause.
“Thank you, Gibbs!” she smiled up at him and reached forward to kiss him on the cheek. “You say the nicest things,” she said without irony. Gibbs wasn’t one for compliments, so she treasured the ones that came her way. She turned to her other lover, “So Tony, why are you doing it then and not the Queen of Evil?”
“Well, I had been called up to see the Director when I heard an argument between the Queen of Evil also known as Ms Weiss of Personnel and Gibbs over the need for NCIS consultants to take the New Staff Induction Tour-”
Abby turned to Gibbs with an imploring look on her face, “Now do you understand why she’s the Queen of Evil? She’s the witch who keeps complaining about my clothes!”
“-even though, he’s worked here for nearly twenty years!” Tony continued, despite Abby’s interruption.
“Sorry, Tony!” Abby mumbled contritely.
“Had to be said, Abs,” Tony replied, an understanding look in his eyes. He glanced over at Gibbs. “I decided to play nice and offered to escort Gibbs around.” He explained, “Show him the sights. Where he’d be working, where the best coffee machines are-“
“Just outside of Dispatch,” Gibbs noted with a smile. “Or there’s that really good coffee shop a block away.”
“Introduce him to the heads of the departments-“
“So I could be ribbed about not getting enough of this place.” He said with a shrug.
“And stop Miss Weiss, aka ‘the Queen of Evil’, from flirting outrageously with him.” Tony explained, a note of steel entering his tone.
“She was?” Abby asked, anger coloring her voice. As far as she was concerned, it was simply another black mark against the woman. She could take the comments about her fashion sense, not well, but she was better than that. Moving in on Gibbs with a previous count of making moves on Tony to be taken into consideration? Abby was with Bugs Bunny on this one, in that Miss Weiss should realize that this meant war.
“She was?” Gibbs asked, trying for innocent. He shrugged his shoulders, “Can’t say as I noticed.” He pointedly ignored the disbelieving looks from both his lovers. No one had quite forgotten the ‘lengths’ she had gone to attract Tony’s attention after the Grenouille case became common knowledge, mainly due to it’s spectacular implosion that left one innocent woman dead.
“And of course, make sure that his old ‘office’ was still available,” Tony finished.
“Got to have somewhere to have ‘private’ conversations with my co-workers,” Gibbs commented, sharing a look with Tony.
Abby noted the comment for further investigation. Sounded like the guys had just had one such ‘private’ conversation; her innate curiosity wanted to know what about.
Had it just been a quick update on the latest goings on at NCIS or had it been something more, like a quick blowjob in the elevator?
Tony would be more than happy to oblige, especially if it was Gibbs on his knees, sucking him off. According to Tony, Gibbs was damn hot knelt down like that, sucking like a bad slasher flick on Tony’s cock, Gibbs’ own in his hand, jerking off like his life depended on it.
She pulled her thoughts and herself together. Such imaginings could only lead to one thing. Excusing herself for some quality time in a ladies room cubicle, her skirt pushed up around her hips and her hand down her panties, rubbing her clit to orgasm for all she was worth. Best that she saved thoughts about how hot her guys were for later. When they could help her to do something about it, it made the heat and wetness she felt growing inside more bearable that way.
“You okay there, Abs?” She quickly pulled out of her fugue to see Gibbs looking at her, a concerned look on his face. He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m fine!” she exclaimed, a little bit too loudly to give lie to the claim. “In my own little world for a moment there, which reminds me-”Abby said, “Do you need me to do the spiel or shall we just cut to the questions section of the tour?” she questioned without irony, “After all, you guys seem to spend as much time here as you do in Autopsy.”
Gibbs shook his head, “You noticed that, huh?” he asked, a half smile on his lips. It was a sight that warmed Abby to her bones. She knew that she couldn’t explain why, but just having her two guys there just made her feel… good.
“There is one question, I’d like to ask,” Tony began, looking far too innocent for his own good.
Abby knew she would regret asking, but the scientist part of her just had to know. “What’s that, Tony?” she asked warily.
He looked at her legs, head tilted to one side and asked “Pantyhose or stockings?”
The headslap was abrupt but not hard, neither was the growl of “DiNozzo!” from Gibbs. If she didn’t know any better, she would say that Gibbs was curious too.
“And spoil the surprise?” She teased, a grin taking the sting out of her words. “So, why did the Director want to see you, Tony?” she asked, deftly changing the subject. A little mystery was good for their relationship.
Tony glanced over to Gibbs, who nodded just slightly. Abby held still, watching their interaction. She had a hunch that it was something to do with that letter that Ducky had told her about. If she was right and they told her everything, then she’d spill about Ducky’s invite. Fair’s fair.
“The Director wanted to see me about a letter that she’s received from a former NCIS agent-” Tony began hesitantly, choosing his words with care. Abby could see that Gibbs was watching both of them, trying to gauge reactions.
Abby decided to take pity on both of them. “Let me guess, it was from Mike Franks and it was to ‘inform’ her that one of her agents was in a ‘sexually deviant’ relationship?” she asked innocently.
Both men stared at her in surprise before turning to each other.
“Ducky!” they said in unison.
“Who has invited us to go see Goldfinger on Saturday night,” Abby noted calmly. “To save time, I said ‘yes’.” She pointed a finger at Tony who was grinning like a fool. “Now, tell me what happened with the Director.” She turned towards Gibbs, “Before I decide to mess with your coffee because you never told me about the letter in the first place!”
Her two lovers exchanged a look, Gibbs shrugged and Tony began to speak.
“The Director called both Gibbs and me in, I didn’t know why but I had a suspicion it was to do with our relationship as she made a point to call him in too.” Tony explained, as he reached out to place a hand on her back. “She said that she’d received a letter from Retired Special Agent Franks. I had thought that it was to do with that case he worked on with us. The one-”
“-With all the pennies!” Abby noted, gesturing to Tony to get on with the story.
“Like he apologized for pistol whipping me,” he groused “but no, it was to tell the Director about the three of us.” Tony shot a sympathetic glance towards Gibbs. “I can understand why you might have sent the letter, Boss, but what he did was…”
“Unforgivable.” Gibbs sighed. “I know, Tony, I know.” Abby smiled slightly at Tony’s use of the ‘pet’ name. “I wanted him to know that things are…” there was a true smile on his face as he glanced from Tony to her. It told her everything she needed to know. “Good in my life and…” He shrugged, holding his hands up before they fell to his side.
Abby reached out and rubbed Gibbs’ arm. She really wanted to hug him but could feel the invasive cameras on her.
“Your heart is in the right place, Gibbs.” she began. “Just a shame to say that your former boss is even more of a bastard than you were.” That earned her a quizzical look. “You know what I mean!” she stated. If he didn’t, then she was sure that Tony did.
“The Director gave me the Cliff Notes version of what the letter said,” Tony continued, voice quiet. Abby could tell that this was cutting him up inside. He'd given up so much for the Agency, with one thing and another and now this. “That an accusation had been made about my private life.” he smiled wanly. Abby took a step towards him, letting her arm bump up against his. Just enough to let him know that she was there. “Didn’t go into details or anything. Just that as NCIS is a civilian agency and that she knew that I would be discreet in such matters-”
Abby thought about saying something and decided against it. She knew her guys had a ‘history’ with Madame Director. She didn't know what it entailed, only that it had left scars and that sleeping dogs were best left that way.
“So she ripped up the letter. Said that the matter was closed and gave me the pieces for disposal.” Tony noted, pulling an evidence baggy from his jacket pocket. “Thought about taking it down to Autopsy and asking Ducky to put it in the burn bag but…”
“Hand it over, Tony.” Abby murmured, holding out her hand. He gave her the bag and she squeezed his hand as she took it, scrunching up the plastic and its contents even more. She purposefully walked to the burn bag in the corner of her lab. The one she used for all waste that could not be recycled, the one that no one went anywhere near apart from the specialist disposal team. She opened up the baggie and dropped the contents into the bin.
For a moment, she entertained the hope that she could do the same with Tony’s fear of reprisal over his relationship with them. It had taken a lot of coaxing and care to bring him to the point where he had recovered from losing Jeanne and accepted that both she and Gibbs loved him and each other, and that, he deserved a chance to be truly happy, with them. This was a knockback, sure, but they'd recover and be stronger than before. She'd make damn sure of that.
“Enough talking, time for tea,” Abby announced. “Gibbs, can you give Ducky a call? I feel the need to escape and somewhere, out there, is a Caf-Pow with my name on it!” She turned to see their surprised faces. “Anything wrong with that?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“No, not at all.” Tony noted as he took her hand and squeezed it. "If my team needs me, they know how to find me."
"My treat," Gibbs stated as he pulled out his phone to call Autopsy.
fin
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Date: 2007-08-20 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-20 04:47 pm (UTC)somewhere, out there, is a Caf-Pow with my name on it Snort