Maybe you don't know me any more than I know you
And I wouldn't blame you if you walked away
I've been watching you all evening
with those teardrops in your eyes
And it touches me much more than I can say
You know I hate to think that someone
could have hurt someone like you
And if I was her I'd be right by your side

Abby was at the bar drinking a beer when she spotted him again. He was older, sexier than most of the men in the place, but he had such an air of sadness about him. He sat, holding a flask and drinking a glass of scotch. She wondered what had happened to put such a look of loss on his face. Wonder of wonders, he hadn't even stared at the way she was dressed when she walked in. She sat watching him drink and toyed with the idea of going over to talk with him.

Lay your troubles on my shoulder
Put your worries in my pocket
Rest your love on me a while

Abby kept an eye on him throughout the evening. He finished his drink and clutched the flask in his hand. Before she could make her way over to him, he was out of his seat and out the bar.

Saw you in the corner from the moment I walked in
Saw your lonely face across the room
No I won't forget you and the way it could have been
Why'd you have to leave so soon
You know I hate to think there's someone you loved instead of me
'Cause at times like this I'd be right by your side

She was disappointed that she hadn't made a move to check on him. She had seen that look on other people's faces and it didn't always bode well for them to dwell in such deep sadness. Finishing her beer, she paid her tab and left the bar. As she walked the streets of DC she thought about the man and what she would have told him had she gone over.

Lay your troubles on my shoulder
Put your worries in my pocket
Rest your love on me a while

A small smile played at her lips and she wondered if she'd ever run into that silver-haired fox again.

~Calalily

"Who are you?" He asked and she looked up, stunned into silence.

It was the silver-haired fox from the bar. So stunned was she that she signed her name without thinking. He signed it right back to her. ‘Nice to meet you Abby Sciuto.'

She shook her head and spoke. "And you are?"

"Special Agent Gibbs. You can call me Gibbs."

With a quick smile, she turned from him. "I take it you're here for test results."

"That's right." He said and stared at the big screens on the wall.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That was their first real meeting. The years that followed, Gibbs noted all things about Abby.

The lonely road you choose to travel on,
it must seem awfully long.
Innocence all gone,
It must be wrong to hide your lovely face away.
That music you play, I'm not saying it's bad, it just seems terribly sad.
Is everything all right?
I'd like to think you'd tell me if something was wrong

He thought she told him most everything; certainly all the important things that is. Until she was stalked by two men at once. He found out that Abby kept some things to herself.

"Don't worry Mum, don't worry Dad.
The hours that I spend alone are the happiest I've ever had".
That's what she'd say if she ever spoke to you,
But it's something she can never do.
'Cos it's only by herself that she'll find out
What makes her different from the rest

Through everything, she never loses her smile. That's the one thing Gibbs always notices. Mad, angry, scared or sad, her smile is always there, waiting for the right moment to shine like the sun on his day.

Well her clothes are blacker than the blackest cloth
And her face is whiter than the snows of Hoth.
She wears Dr. Martens and a heavy cross,
But on the inside she's a happy goth.

Because of the outside, people that don't know her give her a wide berth. But it's the inside that draws them to her. On the inside, she's happy.

~Calalily~

Gibbs walked into the lab and watched her take her hair down. She shrugged into her coat and lifted her hair free. He had promised himself he wouldn't do this. All her flirting was just Abby. She couldn't change who she was anymore than he could change who he was. She turned and noticed him standing there. All he said was, "Abs."

I know it's late, I know you're weary
I know your plans don't include me
still here we are, both of us lonely
longing for shelter from all that we see
why should we worry, no one will care, girl
look at the stars now so far away

we've got tonight
who needs tomorrow?
We've got tonight baby
why don't you stay?

Abby looked at Gibbs from across her lab. She remembered the first time she saw him. She remembered their first meeting. She also remembered Rule # 12. Looking into his eyes, she knew there were some rules that were made to be broken.

Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely
all of my hopes, fading away
I've longed for love, like everyone else does

Abby moved towards him and he led her out the building to his car. Not a word was spoken as he drove them to his house.

We've got tonight
who needs tomorrow?
Let's make it last
let's find a way
turn out the light
come take my hand now
we've got tonight baby
why don't you stay?

~Calalily~

That one night turned into two. Two turned into three and before they knew it a week had gone by that they spent every night together. Several months later and Abby was in Gibbs' house, pacing nervously around the basement, waiting for him to get home. Normally when he was on a case, she'd be in the lab waiting for the team to bring in evidence. Tonight was different. Gibbs had called and explained that they would be late and she could go home and work on things in the morning. Abby knew that Gibbs would be upset though and knew this would be where he'd come once they processed the scene of the mother and daughter that had been killed tonight. She heard the door open and she stilled. He would have seen her car and he would know where she was.

You got someone here wants to make it alright
Someone who loves you more than life right here
You got willing arms that'll hold you tight
A hand to lead you on through the night right here
I know your heart can get all tangled up inside
But don't you keep it to yourself

When your long day is over
And you can barely drag your feet
The weight of the world is on your shoulders
I know what you need
Bring it on home to me

Gibbs stood at the top of the stairs and Abby looked up at him. His expression was closed but his eyes said it all. The pain of memories was as powerful tonight as it had been the day he found out about Kelly and Shannon. She watched as he just stood there and she decided to go up to him. To take him out of this room that reminded him even more of them. Starting up the stairs, her eyes locked on his, she took his hand when she reached the top. She led him away from his basement, away from his boat and towards a place where she could help take his pain away.

They fell onto the bed and for a while he lost himself in her and the pain was gone. Exhausted, he slept. Abby held him in her arms and watched him sleep.

You know I know you like the back of my hand
But did you know, I'm gonna do all that I can right here
I'm gonna lie with you till you fall asleep
When the morning comes I'm still gonna be right here
So take your worries and just drop them at the door
Baby, leave it all behind

Kissing his cheek softly, Abby quietly sang to him:

Baby, let me be your safe harbor
Don't let the water come and carry you away
When your long day is over
And you can barely drag your feet
The weight of the world is on your shoulders
I know what you need
Bring it on home to me

Gibbs has been pushing his team hard since they had investigated the murder of the mother and daughter. He decided they all needed a break and took them to the bar where Abby told him she first spotted him. She was smiling when they walked in the door. Over the years, the bar had changed only a little. The most noticeable differences were the stage and karaoke set-up. Gibbs smiled when he heard Tony dare Abby to sing a song. The only music on the jukebox was country and Gibbs was sure the karaoke was the same. Abby hopped up and walked over to the man running the equipment. After a moment of looking over the playlist, she chose a song and by her smile, Gibbs knew it would be a good one.

Abby took the mic and ignored the stares from everyone in the bar. She was used to it and it didn't bother her a bit. She only had eyes for the silver-haired fox at the table of five. The music started and Abby was pleased to see surprise on the faces of her friends.

You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothing
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway, I do it anyway

Abby was watching Gibbs and saw the expression on his face change. Knowing he was still hurting from the pain of memories she was tempted to stop singing but she forged on.

This world's gone crazy
And it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk away
Love ‘em anyway

God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway, I do it anyway

As she sang, Abby saw the look in Gibbs eyes. He looked as if a weight had shifted, not entirely gone, but not holding him as tightly as before.

You can pour your heart out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway, sing it anyway

I sing, I dream, I love, anyway

When the last notes of the music died, the entire bar erupted in applause. With a slightly embarrassed look at the praise of the crowd, Abby smiled and walked quickly back to the table. Over the surprised inquiries from Tony, Ziva and Tim, she met Gibbs' gaze. Her breath caught at the love she saw in his eyes and the smile that broke out on her face dazzled everyone.

~Calalily~

Gibbs had been out of town for a week. He was tired, pissed, and ready to be with Abby. Due to a mix up at the hotel, the conference he had been scheduled for was postponed a day. Then after three of the most boring days in recent memory, the airport had been snowed in for three days. On the third day the airport was shut down, Gibbs had them transfer his flight to the nearest open airport, which turned out to be a five-hour drive away. Upon landing in DC he was glad he left his car in the parking lot. He got in, started the engine and smiled for the first time in a week.

Down the street, up the drive
Park the car, step outside
Across the lawn, up the stairs
On the porch, I'm getting there
Key in the lock, through the door
Down the hall I've walked so many times before
I'm dog-tired, but I don't care
Bedroom door, I'm getting there
She's got a hundred candles burning
She's got next to nothing on

He stepped through the bedroom door to see Abby lying on the bed wearing a see-through negligee and a smile. She rose up on her elbows and raised her eyebrow at him. He dropped his overnight bag on the floor and started across the room to her. By the time he reached the bed, he was naked and Abby rose up to kiss him.

My arms around you, your lips to mine
Feel our hearts beat-beating' in time
Hands in your hair, everywhere
I hear you whisper, I'm getting there
She's got a hundred candles burning
They'll be burning all night long, yeah, yeah

Baby I'm home
I've been away way too long
I've been waitin', I've been workin'
Wantin' you so bad it's hurtin'
Now I'm back where I belong
Baby I'm home

Wrapped in each other's arms, barely covered by the sheet, Gibbs and Abby were just catching their breath when he kissed her on the forehead and she told him, "Welcome home."

~Calalily~

Abby was standing right outside the bullpen looking at her friends, her family really. She was just visiting today and she held Chasen's hand in one of her's while the other rested on the bump that was due anyday now. She and Gibbs were so excited about the new baby not to mention the fact that they couldn't get 4 year old Chasen to quit bouncing off the walls with happiness. He had gotten more and more excited since Ziva had given birth to little Sophia Marie DiNozzo.

Gibbs looked up from the report he was reading. Abby knew he had sensed her standing there but he was trying to get this case out of the way so he could take time off when the baby was born. He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her even as he picked up their son. She breathed in his familiar scent and knew she had everything she'd ever wanted.

Isn't that everything
I don't need anything
It's only the simple things I believe
That matter most in life
I'm more than satisfied
All that I have is all I need
Isn't that everything

Later that night she woke him up. It was time. Their new little angel was ready to join the family. Alyssa May Gibbs was born in the early hours of the morning with the entire team around them. Even little Sophia was resting on her dad's shoulders as her mom stood beaming at the newborn baby in Abby's arms. Ducky was holding Chasen and Gibbs was sitting on the bed next to her. He took her and their daughter in his arms and kissed them both. Abby looked at their family and smiled. She still had trouble believing things could be so right, but in Gibbs arms she knew it was true.

Yeah, I've got friends that love me
A big blue sky above me
And your two arms around me baby every night

Isn't that everything
I don't need anything
It's only the simple things I believe
That matter most in life
I'm more than satisfied
All that I have is all I need
Isn't that everything

Closing her eyes, she knew they did have everything.

~The End~

~Calalily~