YOU COULD BE THE REST OF MY LIFE

A/N: Final chapter – thanks so much for all the alerts and reviews, appreciate every comment. It was great fun to write.

Chapter 8 - Coming Home

New Year's Eve saw Gibbs alone again in his house, enjoying the peace and quiet of his basement.

Jackson had gone back to Stillwater a couple of days ago.

As enjoyable as the week had been, both he and Jackson in the same house for prolonged periods was bound to end with them butting heads, as it did earlier in the year. So although the circumstances of this Christmas were much less fraught than the summer, by the time a few days had passed, both of them had had enough of each other's company.

Jethro was also back with McGee after his family visit, and Gibbs had to admit to himself that he'd missed the dog around the house. Tony had helped him to move his DVD cabinet over to his apartment during the week and Gibbs was pleased with how it looked amidst Tony's other furniture. But best of all had been the big grin on the younger man's face as he'd stepped back to admire it.

Tony hadn't tackled him any further about Abby, for which Gibbs was grateful. He appreciated Tony's concern and was secretly proud of him for having her six as well, but whatever happened in their relationship, he and Abby had to work it out for themselves.

Gibbs was due back at the Navy Yard in a couple of days and was eager to get back to work.

He'd missed Abby all week.

He might have said he could be patient a little longer but the reality of it proved to be very different.

Gibbs knew he shouldn't be impatient, given they'd waited years already and a few more days couldn't hurt, but he wanted Abby here so they could explore this changed relationship between them.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time and whenever he'd touched her over those two days at Christmas, he'd felt a surge of desire strong enough to knock him on his ass. But it was much more than just a physical attraction.

She understood him like no woman had in years.

They'd spoken on the phone each night and the extra edge to their teasing meant that more than one phone call had ended with him in the shower with his right hand for company, easing the ache that husky voice caused.

Her voice had always affected him, but it seemed heightened at a distance when her gravelly husk poured directly into his ears, making him hard in an instant.

Not that she was unaffected.

He discovered that her Southern drawl emerged even more when Abby was aroused... as her moans told him she was as she responded to his own growled demands.

Tonight, Abby was going to a party but had promised to ring him at some point during the evening. So when the doorbell rang just before midnight, Gibbs' first irritated thought was...

Who the hell at this time of night?

As Gibbs opened the door, it revealed a familiar pigtailed figure, cat-green eyes shining in the glow of the porch light and a suggestive smile curving her red lips.

"Am I in time for my midnight kiss?"

Gibbs cupped his hand round the back of her neck and dragged her inside, bringing his mouth down over hers as soon as she was over the threshold.

Winding her arms round him, Abby kissed him back heatedly as he backed her against the wall, kicking the front door shut.

"You're in time for a lot more than that," Gibbs growled, feeling her smile against his mouth.

He kissed her hungrily until they were both breathless. Pulling her hips closer, he cupped her ass, grinding against her, drawing a moan from deep in her throat.

Abby rested her forehead against his chin before nuzzling into his neck, "Wow, I'd say you missed me."

"You'd be right."

He began walking them towards the stairs, still kissing her as he pushed her coat off her shoulders. Feeling her frantically pulling at his T-shirt, he groaned into her mouth as her hands smoothed over the bare skin of his back.

"Glad you're here, Abbs, but how?" he asked, between kisses, absorbed in the taste and feel of her.

"Well, you see, they've got this wonderful invention called a plane." She giggled as he tickled her, nibbling on her throat and biting down on the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder.

He briefly stopped his assault on her senses to cup her face in his hands, taking in the flush on her face, swollen lips and lust in her eyes, "Glad you're here."

Abby wound her arms round his neck, leaning in to tease his mouth with a barely there brush of her lips, whispering, her voice low and needy, "I missed you. It was good to see everyone but oh god, I missed you so much... wanted to be in your bed... to feel you inside me... to wake up New Year's morning... sprawled exhausted across you."

That throaty voice had just as much of an effect on him in person and he groaned into her neck at the mental images she conjured up, "Workin' on it."

"Then take me to bed," she practically purred, gasping as she felt his mouth slide down her neck, teeth scraping against her skin.

Rocking her hips against him, she felt a surge of heat go through her as his hands slid round to squeeze her ass.

Somehow they made it upstairs to his bedroom, shedding clothes as they went.

Lowering Abby gently to the bed, Gibbs crawled over her. He relished the sight of her sprawled across his bed, all long limbs and flawless creamy skin, hair tousled, clad in just his choker Christmas present adorning that slender neck.

He ghosted his hands gently across her body, brushing across previously unseen tattoos as she arched into his touch, feeling his mouth go dry as he murmured, "So beautiful."

Abby felt a shiver go through her at the expression on his face.

He was looking at her with a hungry intensity that took her breath away and she felt his gaze rake across her body almost as a caress.

All she could see was his large frame hovering above her.

She ran her eyes over his body, across the powerful arms and shoulders, over the toned chest and down his body to his impressive erection and long legs, hands itching to follow the path of her eyes and learn every inch.

Naked he was as strong and sexy as she'd imagined... and she had a pretty vivid imagination.

Urging her onto her stomach, he almost forgot to breathe as he took in the full glory of that cross tattoo against her naked skin for the first time... dark ebony against soft ivory skin.

Leaning forward to press a tender open mouthed kiss against the silky skin in the centre of her spine, Gibbs heard her whimper and her back arched towards him.

It felt like every nerve ending in her body had centred on her back.

Rolling over, Abby grabbed his head and pulled him down into a heated kiss, groaning with need. Her hands were everywhere, roaming across his bare chest and shoulders, nails scraping across his nipples and clawing his back.

Gibbs lowered his mouth to her breasts, his hands wandering slowly lower, skimming across her skin, enjoying the needy sounds she was making.

Crying out and arching towards him as she felt his hand between her legs, she heard his gravelly whisper against her skin, "So wet."

She struggled to form the words through a haze of lust as she undulated her hips against his tormenting fingers, "I've been turned on all day... and especially on the flight back. You're... this... is all I could think of."

She fisted her hands in the sheets as he kissed his way down her body to settle between her legs.

Gibbs pressed a kiss to her throbbing clit, swirling his tongue across the bundle of nerves before licking firmly across her folds. He held her hips down as she bucked towards his face when his tongue thrust inside her.

She couldn't stop a hoarse cry escaping, "Oh god, Jethro."

He stilled his actions and she looked down to see his satisfied grin. "Say it again."

It took a moment for her lust fogged brain to catch up with his words, but when she realized what he wanted, she smiled slowly... husking his name, drawing it out, "Jethro."

Lowering his head and using his mouth and fingers, he drove her steadily out of her mind, and suddenly Abby was coming… intense waves rolling over her as she trembled, crying out as she rode out her orgasm.

When she could see again, the aftershocks still rippling through her, Abby looked down the line of her body to see Gibbs lying with his head on her thigh, an insufferably smug smile on his face.

Laughing breathlessly, she reached for him and managed to wrap her legs round his hips as he moved up the bed. Tightening her grip, she used the strength in her legs to flip him over and enjoyed his laughter as he let her.

She crawled over him, hearing his moan as she brushed against his erection. He tangled his hands in her hair and took her mouth again and she tasted herself on his tongue as she lowered herself more fully on top of him.

When they broke for air, Abby started to kiss her way across his chest, enjoying the sounds he was making as he reacted to her touch and the feel of her silky hair sliding over his skin.

When her mouth began following the line of hair running from his chest down his abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple under her tongue, she paused and grinned up at him.

"Does Jethro want his tummy rubbed?"

"Jethro wants more than his tummy rubbed," he rumbled, shifting his hips restlessly beneath her.

Giggling, she murmured, "Oh, and he will... trust me."

Snaking a hand down, she wrapped her fingers around his hard length and ran her thumb over the sensitive head, smoothing the pre-cum around and over the tip. Stroking maddeningly slowly, she heard him groan as he fisted a hand in her hair.

She watched his face and wondered if she'd seen a hotter sight than him writhing underneath her.

When he felt his control slipping, Gibbs pulled her hand away and flipped them so he was pinning her to the bed, devouring her mouth in a series of hard, desperate kisses, loving the mewing sounds she was making in the back of her throat.

He felt her legs come round his waist and heels dig into his ass as he settled himself fully against her.

He whispered, "Look at me, Abbs."

She opened dazed eyes and blue locked with green as he slid slowly, surely home till he was buried to the hilt. Gibbs rested some of his weight on his forearms, hands either side of her head, cradling her face.

The feeling of being inside her wet heat was incredible.

Gibbs could feel her muscles pulsing around him and he stilled, resting his forehead against hers, his breathing ragged as he threatened to lose it.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly, moaning his name again as she pulled him as deep as possible, feeling her world shrink to the intoxicating feel of him over her… inside her… around her.

He began rotating his hips in a slow, undulating rhythm and she moved with him as they surged higher and higher. Changing the angle of his thrusts, Gibbs moved harder and faster as she urged him on.

His focus narrowed to how she felt… how she tasted… how she sounded… how she moved underneath him.

He was rapidly approaching the point of no return.

Abby suddenly arched against him, screaming as her nails scored his back as another release crashed over her.

The feeling of her tightening around him was all he needed.

Groaning into her neck, his thrusts became erratic as he spent himself inside her. Gibbs continued stroking slowly in and out of Abby, drawing it out, feeling the aftershocks rippling through them both.

Lying quietly together in the aftermath, Abby nuzzled into him, relishing their closeness.

Waiting till his breathing had evened out and his heart stopped pounding out of his ears, Gibbs raised his head, seeing her lazy smile and hazy green eyes.

Abby had other ideas when he tried to slip out of her, wrapping her arms and legs more firmly around him.

"Don't move," came the husky murmur. "Love the way you feel."

She loved the feel of his weight and heat pinning her down. He relaxed against her, letting his head rest against her shoulder, absorbing the peace and contentment of the moment.

"That was… incredible," her throaty voice almost like a purr.

"Uh-huh. You glad ya came back?"

"Thinkin' about it,' she teased, running her hands over his long back.

He snorted into her neck, ghosting his hands down her sides, feeling her squirm as he tickled her.

She reached up to cup his face, suddenly serious as she gazed into those brilliant blue eyes she loved so much. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Suddenly not able to find his voice, he pressed a kiss to her palm before moving to her mouth.

The kiss was tender and warm... full of love.

Languidly, he explored her mouth with the slow, deep drugging kisses that made her dizzy. When the kiss ended, they gazed at one another, sharing soft smiles, both almost overwhelmed by their physical and emotional connection.

Shifting his weight before Abby became uncomfortable, Gibbs settled onto his back, pulling her against him. He felt her body relax, soft curves moulding to his and nuzzling against his chest like a contented cat.

He wrapped his other arm around her, tracing slow patterns on her back. He couldn't remember feeling so relaxed and contented for a long time... so loved.

For the first time in years, Gibbs found himself looking forward to a new year.

A new year... a new beginning.

The end.