What was left of the pizza was cold, they had made it through a crate and a half of beer and the snack bowls around the table were empty. What was left of the cheese doodles were now stuck comically to Kate's head where she lay passed out on the table.
The game was now really a two horse race. Tony was still playing, but only because he had inherited Kate's chips. Ducky had produced his bottle of very fine single malt scotch half an hour ago in the hope that it would give him some edge by dulling his competitors' games. Although Abby and Gibbs had partaken of his offering, it had done him no good. Despite both of them being slightly the worse for alcohol, they were still fully focused on their game. The battle was on and the tension was mounting.
"*Poker: the art of civilised bushwhacking*," remarked Gibbs slyly, looking at Abby from the corner of his eye and grinning, as he gathered his winnings once again.
"I don't think you can really equate poker in Abby's living room with Guerrilla warfare, Boss."
"*Cards are war, in disguise of a sport*, DiNozzo. Especially playing with Abs."
Abby grinned as she dealt the next round. "In fact, I may have to resort to cheating. I wasn't expecting this much competition." Turning to Abby he said, in a mocking tone; "*I must complain the cards are ill shuffled until I have a good hand*," and slid the cards she had just dealt him over the table face down.
She moved to take the cards from him with an arch expression, fully intending to deal again, if that was what he wanted, but as she raised them from the table, his hand closed on hers, stopping her from removing them from play. Her expression froze at the contact and a fizzle of pleasure ran from her hand to her core. She looked away guiltily and moved her hand into her lap, muttering loudly enough for the table to hear; "*the commonest mistake made in history is to underestimate your opponent; it happens at the poker table all the time*."
Gibbs slid his cards back across the table, watching Abby appraisingly. He couldn't be sure what, exactly, had just happened, but he knew it had effected Abby. His heart was playing Taps in his chest but she wouldn't raise her eyes to him, wouldn't give him the chance to see answers swimming in their depths. His intense study of her did not go unobserved. As he dragged his eyes away from her he caught Ducky's gaze shifting between himself and his opponent. Ducky's eyes held his for a moment in a serious stare, and then he nodded his head slowly.
It's not like Ducky hadn't seen him like this before, his relationship with the ME had outlasted any of the numerous women that had come along in the meantime. Ducky's nod seemed to both affirm what must have been a long held suspicion, as well as give tentative approval. Gibbs was glad of the latter, even if nothing ever happed with him and Abby, he was glad to know that Ducky at least thought he may be good enough for her. For a woman he held in higher esteem than any of Gibbs' previous women, he was sure.
Play resumed but the tension in the room was still palpable. To break it, as Gibbs laid his flush on the table, he leaned over to Abby and said with a mock leer, "*I don't want to give you a complex…but your stack looks small*."
The others chuckled; he had won all of the last 6 hands, and Abby's chips were beginning to dwindle. In retaliation Abby leaned forward on her chair resting her arms on the table and moved into Gibbs personal space. Her ‘stack' was quite prominently on display given her position and low cut tank-top. She held his gaze, internally daring him to let it drop to her chest. "*I never go looking for a sucker…*" her gaze dropped to his mouth, "*…I look for a Champion and make a sucker of him*." Then she laid her four twos next to his cards and pulled back from him, triumphant.
It took Gibbs a moment to realise what had happened and regain his composure. Tony was chucking heartily to himself and looking around he caught the same look on Ducky's face. Contemplative and accepting.
As if coming to a decision, Ducky moved his chair back from the table and slid his coat from where it hung on the back. "*Poker is a game of people…it's not the hand I hold, it's the people that I play with*," he intoned with a smile and a small bow. "And with that, I feel it is time to call it a night. McGee?"
McGee nodded and moved to follow. Tony, having played his last few chips that round, also started to move. He shook Kate gently and got a sleepy gaze in response. "*If you are a guy, you know you play too much poker if your wet dreams involve ‘nuts' instead of breasts*," she mumbled sleepily. The others all laughed gently, it was the first quotation she had offered up in this little game of theirs. Maybe it had come to her in her sleep.
"No fear of that Katie-girl" replied DiNozzo with a gentle smile, leaning over and giving her a soft peck on the cheek. He helped her stand and then guided her to the door with a hand on the small of her back.
"Caitlin, my dear, you may want to remove the snack food from your forehead before leaving," remarked Ducky as he watched the two of them follow McGee through the door. An angry "DINOZZO!" echoed in the hall way, but from inside they could all see that she made no attempt to move away from the gentle pressure of his hand.
Ducky patted Jethro on the shoulder as he passed, leaning over Abby and kissing her on the cheek. "Best of luck, my dear," he said, sliding the remains of his chips up to her stacks. His actions spoke of one thing but his eyes, when she met them, said another. She smiled happily and his assessing gaze turned to one of fatherly acceptance. Smiling in farewell, he left them to their game.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.