Chapter 14
Mike waited almost ten minutes before he headed out in search of Abby. He saw her and Cynthia standing together, Gibbs watching over them both even though he was pretending to look at the window. “Abby!” Mike started to say, noticing how Gibbs was right at his side. “Back off, Rover.”
Seeing a situation that could possibly blow up, Abby gave Cynthia a quick hug and a promise to call when things cooled down and went over to where Mike and Jet were standing. Stopping next to Gibbs, she looked to Mike and said, “Easy Mike. I think there’s been enough turmoil tonight, don’t you? Can’t we just back off for a little while?”
“He doesn’t need to guard you like I’m an enemy, Abby,” Mike ground out, watching Cynthia waving at Abby. The elevator dinged and a man pushing a cart was admitted.
“He doesn’t have much experience with you not being an enemy, does he, Mike? The only really recent interaction with him, you busted his face. I’d think you’d be satisfied that he felt that protective about me. I’ll be safe with him, when I go undercover. I trust him, Mike, and I wish you could feel the same.”
Mike grunted, refusing to answer Abby, refusing to give either of them the satisfaction. He was feeling ganged up on from within the agency. “I’m going back to the conference room. Meet me there.”
“Mike, don’t do that. Don’t go feeling persecuted. Can’t you just…let it go? Just this once? For me?”
“Fine,” Mike muttered, sighing. “Don’t like him, Abby. Don’t like him at all.” He couldn’t help saying that, letting Abby know his stance hadn’t changed.
“I know, Mike. I know. But you did once. And for me, can you at least pretend to respect him while the agencies are working together? I don’t know why, but he means a lot to me. Almost as much as you do, you big turd,” she teased him, and punched him in the shoulder.
Mike shrugged. “Maybe, Girlie, maybe.” If anyone could get him to get along with the dirt bag, it’d be her. But he wouldn’t cave easily. That wasn’t his nature.
“Well, that’s more than I expected, but not as much as I’d hoped. So, it’s pretty even then.” Abby gave him a quick hug then, not liking that they were uncomfortable together or that the situation they were all in had put them at odds with each other.
He patted her back. “Go to the conference room, Girlie. I’ll be there in a bit.” He gave the man a stern look. “And don’t let anyone get anything up on ya.” That said, he made his way back to his desk where he ran a search on Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He wanted the man’s entire military career at hand before he went any further and so much as a minor infraction would be reported to Tom Morrow. Mike was not going to allow Abby to be in the clutches of anyone less than completely honorable.
Jet watched the woman struggling with splitting the food and went over to help, grabbing one of the trays. “How are you splitting this?” he asked her.
“Oh...Abby? Can you call McGee? He said he and Tony and Doctor Mallard and Ziva are eating in Autopsy. If you could take one of the trays each and set them on a desk, that would be wonderful. Thank you,” Cynthia said, surprised that the man was so willing to help.
“No problem, Cynth,” Abby called out as she walked away from Mike’s retreating form. Picking up her phone, she hit the speed dial for Tim’s cell.
Gibbs helped the woman divide the food and gave her a small smile. At least this one didn’t seem so hostile toward him. “Do you want me to take that back to the conference room? I’m sure you’ve had a long day.”
She gave him a small smile. “Thank you. They’ll pick up the cart in the morning.” Cynthia turned to look at Abby. “Night, Abby. Call me…”
Waving at her friend, she mouthed, “As soon as I can, your number’s the first.”
“Alone again,” Gibbs said, leering, but she was on the phone. He shook his head, amused despite the ache lodged deep in his groin.
Closing off her phone with a click, she turned to him. Abby blushed a little when she saw the look on his face. “Yes, I guess we are,” she said, smiling, a bit unsure of what to say.
“Want you,” he told her quietly. “You’re coming undercover with me. We’re going to be together. As partners in and out of bed. You ready for that?” He was, in a way that he hadn’t thought he’d ever be after Shannon….or in the many years since.
She stood in front of him, peering into his eyes. “I want you too, Jet. And I’m ready, for inside and out. Granted, I’ll need some more training…outside that is,” she said, her blush deepening. “To make sure that I’m on the same page as you. But the question remains, are you ready? I’m not like most girls.”
“Good, because I’m nothing like any man you’ve met before.” He brushed her hair back, stroking her temple with a thumb. “I’m more intense and more dangerous than anyone in your past.”
His touch sent tremors through her body, making her want to play with fire, to play with his danger and intensity. Whispering, she said, “Promise?”
He pinned her against the wall again, grinding his hips against hers. “That’s a promise, Abby. You’re damn right that’s a promise.” His mouth found her neck and he nuzzled it. “You got rid of a tattoo? Why’d you tattoo your neck?”
“G...good,” she stammered out, moaning as she felt his erection press into her. The heat between them was something she’d never felt before. And while she may seem out of her league, out of her realm of experience, Abby was having too delicious of a time learning.
Gasping as his mouth moved over her neck, a spot that never failed to make her knees weak, she said, “Yeah, it didn’t seem like it would fit into the crowd I was supposed to blend into. My neck? Because I didn’t think the spiderweb would look good anywhere else.” She knew her explanations didn’t make any sense. But how could she be expected to when she felt like his touch, his mouth on her skin, could make her climax in that instant. Hell, he could probably just whisper her name and she would.
He chuckled, mouth wandering over her neck slowly, taking his time with her rapid pulse. “You didn’t think about career limitations or anything like that at the time, beautiful?”
He smoothed his hands over her hips, angling her body against his for extra friction. “Not a teenager, but you make me feel like one, Abby.” He was dangerously out of control. There wasn’t time for this. It was such a bad idea, but he couldn’t keep his hands off her.
“If my career would be affected or limited more by what I looked like than the job I did, it wouldn’t be a career or an employer I would consider being a part of.” She arched against his hips as he pulled her against him. Pressing her hands to the muscles of his back, she moaned, “Definitely not a teenager. God, you don’t feel like a teenager.”
“What do I feel like, Abby?” She was pliant against him, molding to his body perfectly, melting against him in a way that felt so damn right. And when they came together"soon"it would be amazing. This went beyond pure male/female attraction and into something deeper and more elemental. His soul craved her.
“Hard. Hot. Power. Delicious.” Moving against him, she sought some kind of relief. She needed him, needed to feel him hard and naked under her hands, driving against her. Pushing her head against him, she moved his face closer to hers, her lips playing along the edges of his. “I need you, Jet. Soon. I need you please.”
“I know. Trust me, I’m ready for you, but we can’t do this here. As it is…” He shook his head, focusing and forcing a little distance between her. “We keep doing this, keep teasing each other. It isn’t going to ease the attraction or arousal between us. Just make us ache harder.” He glanced down at his pants and gave her a shrug, smirking when her eyes tracked down his body as well. “See?”
“I don’t know if I’m able to ache any harder for you, Jet. I really don’t. Anything more and I’ll explode. If you’re trying to make it worse, you’re doing a great job. Because right now, all I can think about is unzipping your pants and releasing what you’re not doing a very good job of hiding.”
“We keep dodging bullets. Don’t want to be shown on video to all.” His damn knees went weak when she talked about releasing him. “And when I lose control we’ll be in a bigger mess.”
He had to be the stronger one here. He had to be the one to maintain control. “Soon,” he said, his voice twisted and distorted with his need. “Soon… Let’s get in there and get it over with so that we can be together and feed this need.”
“I think I’m going to enjoy it when you lose control. But for now, we’ll temper the explosion. But then later…” she tempted, leaving the later up for interpretation. Gesturing, she said, “After you, sir. You first,” since she was the one still pinned to the wall by his eyes.
He chuckled, nodding and deep breathing for a few seconds. He had to tamp down his reactions or else he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything but her.
~*~
Tony and Tim were on their way to the elevator when Tim’s phone rang. “Food?” Tony asked hopefully, his stomach letting out a long growl.
Tony watched McGee as he spoke briefly to Abby and then hung up. Tim seemed pretty raw today and Tony wondered if he had feelings for Abby.
Shutting off the phone, Tim shoved it into the front of his jeans. “We’re good to go, Tony. From the sound of it, I think your stomach’ll be pleased,” he teased.
Tony managed a grin. “Good. I’m starved.” They’d worked the entire day on the case and then Ziva had helped to get Abby ready while he and Tim had dressed. They hadn’t eaten anything since essentially breakfast and Tony was starved. As soon as the doors opened, he looked at Abby, checking her over. “Everything kosher, Abbs?”
“So kosher, the rabbi’s still in the building. We’ve got a ton of food, guys. And from the sound of your stomachs, it seems we need it. And yes, Tony, I’m fine. More than fine. Fine as wine. Now, you ready for your food?”
“Always,” Tony said, taking a good hard look at the guy. Mike had battered him and under the lights, the bruises really stood out.
“Hey…Brooks…” Tony began. “You okay?”
Brooks arched an eyebrow at him and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He motioned to the cart and then looked at Abby. “Did you want to spend some time with your friends or… They want us in there soon…”
“Well, I…” she looked between the two groups, Tim and Tony, then to Gibbs. The decision, though awkward, was no question for her. “I’ll go with you, Jet. If they need me in there…” if you want me there, she thought.
“They need you,” Jet assured, warmth in his voice. “I’ll bring her to you guys as soon as I can,” Jet promised, meeting the younger guy’s eyes first and then the older guy’s. “The two directors, Tobias Fornell, Franks, and I are meeting. Hold your own in that testosterone storm, okay?”
“We’ll all get together after,” she said, including Jet in that. Abby seriously doubted she could leave him alone after all of this. What would happen if she woke up and found out that she really hadn’t fallen down the rabbit hole? “Hey, I work with an agency that is almost entirely male! Except for Cynthia and Ziva, who’s a warrior anyhow, I don’t have a lot of estrogen to balance the storm out. I can handle a little testosterone.”
Tony watched, realizing they were a unit now that everything had changed. “See ya, Abbs,” he said through a voice roughened with emotion. “Come on, McGee. I don’t want…”
Seeing the awkwardness in her friends, Abby said to Jet, “Give me a moment.” Running over to Tony, she tackled him by jumping into his arms. “You’re a big dork, Anthony DiNozzo. You know I love you and Tim best. So, don’t get all weird with me.”
Squeezing him as best she could, she jumped down and tackled Tim next. After the hugs, she settled her feet on the floor. “We’ve been through a lot, the three of us, the longest on the team other than Franks. We’re family, and don’t you forget that. Got it?!” she warned.
“Got it,” Tony said softly, but he knew there was sadness shining in his eyes. “Can we go now? We’re hungry boys who need sustenance.” He tried to keep it light and teasing but knew Abbs could probably see right through him.
“Hm… don’t believe you. You can’t go until I know for sure you got it.” She crossed her arms under her chest, a stubborn look set on her face. “I don’t like what you’re thinking, mister. Just because someone like Jet comes into my life, doesn’t mean that you are going out of it.”
“Didn’t say so., But things will change, Abbs. You know it. They already have. Don’t have to like it but I accept it,” Tony told her softly. “I want you happy just…” He shrugged. “Don’t want it all to change.”
“Things always change, but we won’t. We will always be a family, Tony. We’ll always be the same.”
Tony glanced at the FBI guy. “Okay, Abbs. We’ll always be family.”
“Pfft,” she let out. “You’re not going to win, you know? I’ll wear you down ‘til you like it,” she said, teasing him. She wanted a smile, even if it was just a little one, to let her know they’d really be okay.
Tony gave her a small smile, knowing it was what she needed. “Sometimes it is good enough to let the guy win, Abbs. Especially if she thinks of him as a big brother.”
“When will you learn that I never just let someone win, Tony? So, you might as well get used to it. Now, go eat. Have some quiet time with the guys; we’ll come down when we’re done with the big honchos.” Abby bit her lip. “They’re sending me undercover, I think, Tony.”
“They are? We’ll see about that!” Tony would argue that until he got blue in the face. But this wasn’t the time. Gathering himself for Abby’s sake, he nodded, kissing her forehead. “Never let anyone push you around, Abbs. Got it?”
“Not even you, Tony?” she teased.
“Not pushing when I do it, Abbs. It’s gentle love taps and nudges. You know that. Remember it.”
“I could never forget it, Tony. Even if I wanted to.” Smiling up at him, Abby wished she could reassure him that everything was going to be okay. And she wished she was as sure as she tried to sound. Because while her gut and heart were crying out that what she had with Jet was real, her head was still telling her to be careful. She hugged him one last time, saying, “Now get. Tim looks like he’s wasting away.”
Tony crushed her to him, hanging on. “Abby… I love you. You don’t forget that, okay? Whatever happens, know how much I love you. And I’m always nearby if you need me.”
“Tony. Of course I know how much you love me. And I love you too. But you’re scaring me. You’re crushing me, but you’re scaring…not that I mind the crushing…” Looking up at him, she asked, “You’re not dying again, are you?”
He pulled away, shaking his head. “You’re gonna go undercover. For god knows how long. We won’t be able to talk, maybe for months or longer. I just…I’m gonna miss you, Abbs.”
She bit her lip at his words. Abby hadn’t fully realized all that she was leaving behind. She knew she’d have to cut off ties with her family, but this was Tony, this was Tim. She saw them everyday. She hugged him tightly again. “Oh Tony.”
“I’m gonna miss you, Abbs,” he repeated, cuddling her tight. He motioned McGee closer to. “She needs a hug, Probie. From both of us.”
“I’m going to miss you, Tony. I’m going to miss you both so much.” When Tim put her arms around her back, she teased, “Yay, an Abby sandwich!”
“We know, Abby,” Tony whispered into her hair.
~*~
Tobias was on the phone to his daughter and ex and while he was occupied, Martin crossed to Tom. “You think we can control them? My man usually isn’t so brittle. He’s been under for a long time.”
“We can only hope and to use our influence the best way we know how. But if your man is as…on the edge as you’re saying, we can only pray Abby’ll be a good influence on him. Maybe she’ll help to soothe his instability. Women generally have that affect on men, even over-excited ones like Abby. We have our best on this op, Martin. If anyone can come out successfully, our people can,” Morrow concluded with more confidence than he actually felt.
“He isn’t unstable, Tom. He’s just…been under a long time. Better part of three and a half years he’s been under on a full time basis. No girlfriends, very little physical contact with anyone who knows him. This is a shock to his system and his emotions and your girl shook him up a bit. He’ll come around, recenter, refocus. Give him time.” Martin paused. “And what about Franks? Do you think he’ll come around and settle in or are we in trouble?”
“Don’t misunderstand me, Martin. I didn’t mean to say he was unstable. I only meant that being undercover for such a long time can wear a man down, make him doubt the man he is. I have no doubts, if you do, that he will center himself again. As for Franks,” he began, hesitating. “He’ll come around. He’s ego’s been beaten as badly as what he did to your agent’s face.”
“Gibbs knows who he is, Tom. You saw the pain in his face when Franks trotted out his dead family. He knows. Don’t think he can forget it.” Martin had a theory that Gibbs was so good undercover because he wanted to forget his pain and his family and just be normal for a while. “Your girl will shake him up but I think that is just what he needs.”
“And he seems like he will be a good influence for her, more balanced than the guys she normally goes with. Who knows? This may turn out to be quite a beneficial accident.”
“Stranger things have happened,” Martin remarked with a small smile. “Like the way your eyes lit up when the beautiful assistant of yours walked in…” Martin trailed off, knowing that Tom would say something if he felt he could.
“Humpf,” was all Tom would say. Martin was a good friend of the family. He didn’t need to know that the relationship between Tom and his wife was as strained as it was. He was in a last ditch effort to save the marriage, doing the counseling and the outings with friends, like the one he had planned earlier with Martin and his wife. But the woman he lived with was no longer the woman he had married. That woman was long gone.
“Man sometimes needs visual distractions,” Martin said, assessing the situation and look in Tom’s eyes and knew he had to back off. “NCIS sure does employ some beautiful ladies,” he said, affecting a more casual tone. “I know they’re competent, but you have to admit, they’re extraordinarily beautiful as well.”
“Ha, don’t let them hear you say that, Martin. They’ll take offense, and I don’t need any more sexual harassment suits on my hands. Though, I will agree on their beauty. However, they are more than competent, Marty. Far more.”
“I know that, Tom. Lucky break that you got Ziva David. She’s one hell of a powerhouse. And Cynthia…” He trailed off. “Keep her close, my friend.” Tom probably didn’t know that Martin knew about his wife’s tranquilizer habits, but their wives talked a lot and his was observant. The Morrow marriage was on the rocks and had been for some time.
“I know, my friend. I know. I don’t plan on letting any of my team escape me, and I know you feel the same about yours.”
Martin looked over at Tobias. “Some of my best men are here, Tom. I know you’ll treat them well. I trust you.” What he didn’t say was that he didn’t trust Franks to keep Jet and Tobias safe and in line. “I can have Blumenthal work with you as well, Tom. He may face some stresses and couldn’t be directly involved in the arrest of a military man or woman, but he’s sharp and he could help.” And having Interpol there could make the turf war a little less obvious for Franks.
Tom could see the obvious benefits of having an agent from Interpol on the team. Nodding, he said, “If you think he will be able to blend with the group, I do not see a problem. Your agents will be treated with the same respect and consideration as the rest of my agents.”
“He’s a good man. Hadn’t had any trouble blending in or making a niche with my people. No excessive ego. No excessive attitude.” Martin rested a hand on Tom’s shoulder and squeezed. They both knew that their bond was more than a political partnership. They were friends from their school days. And that friendship and bond and courtesy would be extended to their agents. “I’ll get Blumenthal here tomorrow then. Sacks can run things from my building.”
“Great, Martin. Sounds great.” Morrow patted his friend on the back, thankful for the camaraderie they were able to keep through out the years. “Now we will get to the dinner Cynthia’s ordered for us and work out the details and problems of our joint op.”
“And find a way to dial our boys down. Their egos can’t rule this.”
~*~
Gibbs followed Abby down the hall, Jet turned to Abby. “Before we go in there, I need you to know something. This is as real as it gets for me.”
“Being undercover, yeah I got that. I promise I will do my best to make sure not to ruin the op again. Promise,” she said. Holding up two fingers together, she added, “Scouts’ honor. Even though I’m not a scout, and I’m a little too old to join now anyhow. But I was never really one for the girl scouts. Not my kinda uniform.” Suddenly remembering about her hair, she pulled her pigtails back into position, wrapping the bands around the bases.
“Not undercover. You. We may be playing parts but this is real, Abby.” He pressed a finger against her mouth. “This"us"real. Don’t let that get lost in the details or if you get overwhelmed. I’ll be your anchor.” Let me be more, he added silently, even though he knew he was the one who would likely throw up barriers.
Her dark green eyes were lost in his deep pools. She couldn’t speak from the intensity of the moment. So, she signed. Real, she told with her hands. Even as captivated as she was, the playful part of her peeked out as she flicked his finger with her tongue.
He bit off a groan and shook his head. “You like getting burned, don’t you?”
She smiled against his finger, loving that she could get him off his center as easily as he did to her. “Depends on who’s doing the burning, Jet.”
“Two can play that game,” he shot back, his mouth moving to her throat again, where he nipped slightly. “You have such pale skin. Have to watch myself and make sure I don’t mark you as mine. Even though you are…”
“You don’t have to watch yourself. There are plenty of places you could leave your mark, Jet. Places I wouldn’t mind feeling you against.” She ran her hands through his hair, dipping them lower to tease at the flesh beneath his shirt.
“Not in your office building,” he warned, forcing himself away. He was already raging out of control.
“You sure?” she asked, complaining. Nothing else mattered anymore, nothing but the feel of him against her skin, the taste of him on her tongue, the sound of his voice in her ear. Every part of her was crying out for him, needing completion to what the two of them had started.
“Positive. Later…back wherever we’re taken or go…All night. You and me.” The word “forever” almost slipped out before he reined himself in. “I know…trust me, I know. We have to keep our concentration and get through this. Then it can be completely about us.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, Jet. Otherwise, I just might burn up, right here.” Sighing, she closed her eyes, trying to focus, wishing she could get the thought of his lips on hers out of her head. “Guess we should go back in, huh?”
“We come bearing food. They’ll smell it, start circling like sharks.” He pushed the cart inside and took a deep breath,
~*~
Tony stood silently after Abby and the Feeb disappear and then scooped up half the food and waited for McGee to do so. “Kinda jealous. She seems…settled.”
Following Tony with the rest, Tim asked, “You mean Abby with Jet? Yeah, I guess so,” he mumbled, still not really willing to admit to the new relationship his friend was developing. “But do you really think it’s wise, Tony? It’s not like he’s in the safest position right now. And they’re dragging Abby undercover even more? I don’t know.” But in the end, he did see how much…calmer Abby was now. She wasn’t the frantic girl he was so used to colliding with.
“I hate the idea, McGeek. But we have no power and you know it. The two directors are calling the shots. Not Mike, not us, probably not even that Jet guy or Fornell. Abby probably has more power in this and I guess we have to hope she does the right thing.”
“But then the question becomes the right thing for whom? The op? The directors? Her? The FBI agent?”
“For her, Timmy. For her.” He deliberately used Abby’s pet name for McGee, trying to establish a rapport, a closeness that Tony knew he needed. Not to mention what he thought McGee did as well.
“Well, we’re her family. We’re just gonna have to make sure that she does. And if this guy’s what’s good for her, then we’ll stand behind her. If not…” he let the threat hang in the air, knowing that Tony needed no more explanation.
“Damn right,” Tony muttered. “On your six, Probie. In whatever you need, my friend.”
“And I’m on yours, Tony,” he answered.
Tony turned, watching McGee for a long moment before he nodded, a small smile playing over his mouth. “I know.”
The elevator doors opened in front of them and Tim stepped inside. Waiting for Tony, he commented, “This stuff smells great. Cynthia made a good choice tonight.”
“Cynthia is good that way,” Tony retorted with a smile.
“Cynthia’s always good in those kinda ways. She seems to know more about this town than we do.”
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