------------"Like A Thief In The Night"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
Based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Abby had found, since Gibbs' departure for Mexico, her only solace in telling herself over and over that "He would come back, he just...would".

"He just had too" she thought to herself as a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

Abby sat curled up under a blanket on Gibbs' living room sofa watching television in the dark. She had also been staying at Gibbs' house for quite sometime--she didn't always, but when she felt depressed or sad she needed to be near Gibbs. And this was as close as she could get to her 'silver-haired fox'.

It had been a long 10 months, and it just seemed to get longer as the days passed, and without Gibbs around it just felt like--like a piece of herself was missing.

And these last few days at NCIS had been especially rough. The team had spent the better part of the last week chasing a serial killer, and everybody was nearly at their wits-end before they finally caught the guy.

That's what brought Abby here to Gibbs' house tonight. She needed to feel safe and comforted like the way she always did with Gibbs. Lucky for her she still had a key to his house.

She had held on to the key Gibbs had given her during the whole fiasco with her ex-boyfriend-turned-stalker Michael and now usually wore it on a chain around her neck. She had found it to be quite useful in the last 10 months since Gibbs' left. Although, she had had to paint it, with black and yellow nail polish, to look like a 'black cat' and insisted that it was to her new boyfriends' house to avoid suspicion from Tony and the team. It was all worth it.

Now sitting there on Gibbs' sofa, her hair down, Abby tried to imagine Gibbs walking through the back door. She wouldn't hear him come in of course, because Gibbs was sneaky like that--but he would come in.

She imagined that he would sneak up behind her in the living room and gently put his arms around her shoulders--leaning over the edge of the sofa--and then he would place a gentle kiss on top of her head. And in that soft, soothing voice that he only used with her he would say "I love you Abby Scuito".

"And I'll never leave you again," he would whisper into her ear. And Marines, she knew, always kept their promises.

"I love you too, Jethro Gibbs" she whispered to the otherwise empty house, as she wiped a few tears from her eyes with a tissue from the box on the coffee table in front of her.

Abby never cried...ever! Okay, almost never. She would admit that she cried when Kate died after being shot by Ari, but those were special circumstances and Kate had been her best friend.

She had also found that the tears came more easily after Gibbs left, but again these were special circumstances, what she and Gibbs had was special--and very important to her.

She tossed the used tissue onto the coffee table in front of her, and then straightened the small pillow that she had been leaning against determined to not let any negative thoughts enter her mind--only positive thoughts were allowed.

She raised the TV remote up to her face searching for the volume button. Her eyes finally landed on the arrow-shaped button, and with a few clicks had the volume back to an audible level.

"I miss you Gibbs," she whispered as she shifted into a more comfortable position, once again settled back into her movie "Night of the Living Dead".

-------------------------------

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The sudden noise awakened Abby who, after looking around a moment, realized that she had fallen asleep.

"What time is it?" she thought, her mind racing frantically, as she leaped up from the sofa

She made her way from the living room, down the hall, right into Gibbs' bedroom where she found his alarm clock on the bedside table.

"11:55," she said aloud. "Gosh, that means I've been asleep for almost three hours".

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Oh!" She jumped at the loud rapping noise that echoed through the house. "Who could that be?" she wondered as she placed the alarm clock back on the bedside table.

Abby paused a moment giving her heart time to quit racing before she continued.

"And what could they want at this hour?" she wondered aloud, but then a horrifying thought crossed her mind. "Oh no, what if that was Tony or Ziva?" she panicked. "What if they had discovered the truth?" Abby let out a short groan at the thought that she might have been found out.

She didn't really think she had to worry about McGee figuring it out--not really anyway. He was great guy and all, but sometimes a little slow on the uptake when it came to matters such as this.

Abby suddenly became aware that outside it was raining, and rather heavily at that. She had really missed a lot in just three hours.

She grabbed a light, black sweater off of the edge of the bed as she slowly made her way out of the bedroom back towards the front of the house.

Knock! knock! Knock!

"I'm coming, I'm coming", more to herself than to whoever was at the front door, as she rubbed her weary eyes.

She pulled the sweater over her black tank, which she wore with a pair of red pajama bottoms, as she approached the front door.

She paused a moment to collect herself before she began turning the locks into their 'open' positions.

She pulled the heavy door open slowly, expecting to find herself face to face with Tony, or at the very least--Ziva.

But the man that was standing directly in front of her was rain-soaked from head to toe, with blood-shot eyes, sported a full raggedy beard, and wore somewhat raggedy clothes.

Her eyes became, almost instantly, moist with the same tears that she been battling for almost year. "Gibbs," she croaked her voice suddenly going hoarse and for a moment failing her completely.

...To Be Continued in "Reconciliation"...

------------"Reconciliation"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario


"Gibbs," Abby croaked her voice suddenly going hoarse and for a moment failing her completely as she stood staring at the man whom she'd spent countless hours thinking and dreaming about for almost a year now.

The first thought that ran through her mind was whether or not she was dreaming--was any of this actually happening.

Behind Gibbs the sound of rain pouring down kept the moment that the two of them shared just staring at each other from being completely silent.

"Abs-" Gibbs started slowly, a raspy tinge to his voice. To Abby, he knew, he probably looked pretty bad, but that was no comparison to the way that he felt standing there in front of her.

Hearing his voice snapped Abby out of her trance and she beckoned him inside out of the cold and rain.

--------------------------------------

The next few moments were spent in silence as Abby slipped from room to room retrieving towels and dry clothes as Gibbs waited for her in the bathroom.

Before returning to Gibbs she stopped an threw a towel down in front of the front door where Gibbs had come in. He had left quite a puddle there.

She soon returned to the bathroom where Gibbs was waiting, still dripping wet from the rain. She stood at the door for a moment, watching him as he leaned on the sink and stared aimlessly into the mirror. And she couldn't help but wonder what he might be thinking.

"Let's get you out of those wet clothes and into some dry ones," Abby said softly as she walked in past him and laid a set of dry clothes down on the commode.

The two of them worked together in silence to get Gibbs out of his wet clothes, her eyes slowly taking in everything--every line and crease folded along each individual muscle on his muscular body. She even recognized the scar left from where Ari had shot him in the shoulder.

After a moment he noticed she was staring, and he tried to force a knowing smile when she realized he knew. But it only made her blush and turn away.

"Here, I-I'll go put on some coffee," Abby said quietly, handing him a towel before slipping from the bathroom.

"Abs," Gibbs tried but she was already headed for the kitchen.

She didn't even stop or look back his way as she made her way towards the kitchen leaving Gibbs to finish cleaning up.

---------------------------------------

"God, she must hate me" Gibbs thought to himself as he finished wiping himself down with the towel. He couldn't say he blamed her.

Ever since he'd left for Mexico he'd thought about her. The image of that day still burned in his memory. He had known he wouldn't be able to defend himself or his decision with her, and he'd known what it would...what it did to her. And he'd hated himself for doing that to her.

He finished with the towel and tossed into a nearby laundry hamper, before reaching for the clothes laying on the commode.

He slid on the boxers and then the pair of faded blue jeans. then, of course, he reached for the pair socks she had also provided and he needed them--his feet did feel slightly chilled.

When he was in Mexico he had felt this twinge, or at least that was how it started out, a twinge. Nothing more, nothing less.

But as the days, weeks, and months had passed by it had grown to an irritating ache...an ache he couldn't seem to shake. That ache grew as well until it finally consumed every part of him and he knew why, of course, all too well.

That was when he decided--no--when he knew that he had to come back. He had to see her. He'd missed her smiling face, her pigtails, her sunny disposition--oh he could go on for an eternity.

He pulled the gray N.I.S. T-shirt over his head finally completing the ensemble that Abby had picked out for him. He stood for a moment in front of the mirror running his fingers through his hair trying to tidy it up a bit, but to no avail.

The aroma of freshly brewing coffee wafted gently passed his nose. Gibbs took a deep breath letting it fill his senses before making his way out of the bathroom, flipping the light switch down as he went.

---------------------------------------

When Gibbs entered the kitchen Abby was pulling a coffee mug from the cabinet above the coffee maker.

He stood there in the doorway watching her as she prepared his coffee. he noticed that she had taken off her sweater--it had gotten a little wet from helping him earlier.

She turned, holding the coffee mug, and saw him standing there staring at her.

"What?" she asked almost grinning. Gibbs didn't say anything--just smiled.

Abby held out the coffee mug in his direction, and Gibbs stepped forward and took it from her carefully.

"How did you know I would be here?" Abby asked quietly, nervously.

"It's what I would've done." Gibbs replied softly.

After a few moments standing there in silence watching Gibbs sip his coffee Abby decided to break the silence.

"I cleaned your house for you," Abby started nervously. "I mean I wasn't sure if you were coming back, or anything but just in case you know."

"It looks great Abs, thanks." Gibbs tried to smile.

"Things aren't the same without you around..." Abby said leaning back on the kitchen counter.

"I know." Gibbs replied taking a sip of coffee.

"...Even Tony said so just the other day. See we were trying to catch this serial killer, and everyone was frustrated--I mean everyone. And Tony was yelling at everyone, well mostly me, even though I don't think he really meant to; but like I said we were all under a lot of stress...and I was out of it--because I couldn't stop thinking-" Abby rambled on nervously before suddenly pausing, lips quivering.

She tried to regain her composure determined not too lose it in front of Gibbs.

Gibbs crossed the room setting his coffee mug down on the counter.

Abby fought but lost as the tears came in streaming down and her legs began to sway. She thought she would fall to her knees right there in the middle of the kitchen; but something caught her.

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, so she could rest against him. He hated seeing Abby this way, and he hated even more that he was the reason that she was like this.

Through her tears Abby felt the silver-haired ex-marine place a gentle kiss on top of her head.

"I'm sorry Abs." Gibbs said softly his own eyes becoming moist.

Abby raised her head to look at Gibbs, wiping some tears from her face with the back of her hand. "I miss you Gibbs" she hiccuped.

Gibbs had missed her too. He had thought about her every day that he was in Mexico.

"You have to come back Gibbs," Abby pleaded.

"Okay." Gibbs replied.

"I mean it's not just me--Tony misses you, Ducky misses you, McGee and Ziva Miss you, and-" Abby rambled as was her custom.

"What?" Abby asked after she realized what he'd said.

"I'll talk to Jenny tomorrow" Gibbs said softly.

"Really?" Abby asked surprised. "You promise you won't go back to Mexico?"

"Nah, there's nothing down there but sand, water, and drunks." Gibbs said flashing that trademark grin that could warm Abby's heart no matter what mood she was in.

As the two of them stood there, in the middle of Gibbs' kitchen, something unexpected happened. And it happened so naturally, so easily.

Staring deeply, lost in each others eyes Gibbs pulled Abby closer and his lips met with hers without resistance and the two of them basked in the moment.

It was a moment that Abby wished would never end...

------------To Be Continued in "Back To The Daily Grind"------------

Hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 2 of my series, and I hope that you guys will check back later on for Chapter 3. God Bless

------------"Weekend At Gibbs' Place, Pt. 1"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television show "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Abby opened her eyes, just a little bit at first, then all the way as she realized where she was. She and Gibbs had fallen asleep together on the sofa. She raised her head to look at Gibbs who she found was still sleeping. She smiled at the sight before gently laying her head back against his chest.

She was nearly lulled back to sleep by the steady rise and fall of his chest, when a voice pulled her back.

"Morning." Gibbs said softly just before a sudden yawn overtook him.

Abby lifted her head up, once again, to be greeted by the warmest set of blue eyes she had ever seen. "Is it really?" she asked sheepishly.

"Afraid so," Gibbs replied with a grin.

"Aww, and I was havin' so much fun," she said jokingly as she laid her head back down.

Gibbs gave a quiet chuckle at Abby's remark that succeeded in drawing another short chuckle from her.

"Sleep well?" Gibbs asked softly gently running his hand back and forth along the small of her back.

"Mmhmm." she replied, although in her heart she knew, and she wished she could tell him, that she had not slept this good in such a long time. At least not without waking 3 or 4 times a night, his name just teetering on the edge of her lips. But she dared not say anything of that sort...not yet at least.

"What time is it?" Abby asked.

"Probably some time after 0900, I would think." Gibbs said in between yawns.

"Any plans?" Abby asked quietly as she ran her hand down his mid-section.

"For today...well let's see," Gibbs started.

Abby raised her head upon feeling Gibbs tap her the top of her head with his finger.

"There is this little girl," He continued. "And she's been a naughty little girl." Gibbs said with a slight grin.

"Really," Abby said quite amused. "How naughty?" She asked with a playful grin.

"Well, she needs to be punished." he said with a chuckle.

"That bad hunh?" Abby smirked. "What did she do, I wonder?"

"She doubted me." Gibbs said softly, a certain seriousness in his voice.

"Wow" Abby thought to herself. "He was good".

She had not realized that he'd actually picked up on the uncertainty and doubt that she had tried so hard to hide from him; especially when she had asked about his plans.

She had been trying to act like everything was alright, but he had caught it anyway. Why she even tried to hide it from him she wasn't sure.

Gibbs cupped her face with his hand, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb, looking into her fierce green eyes.

"I love you, Abby Scuito." he said softly.

Abby could feel her eyes burning. A voice in the back of her head was screaming "Don't cry! Don't cry!". "Easier said than done." She thought to herself.

Gibbs pulled her close and kissed her deeply, reinforcing what he had to say next.

When he pulled back her eyes were moist with the emotion that was welling up inside of her with a tinge of redness in them.

"And I will never leave you again, I promise." he said softly as he used his thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek.

Those were the words that she had longed to hear, and Abby knew with everything that she was that he would keep his promise.

---------------------------------------

Abby stood in the kitchen, humming to her self, as she put the finishing touches on a couple of tofu wraps for herself and Gibbs.

Gibbs, at the moment, was busy showering and shaving. Abby had said she would clean up after they ate.

"There, perfect." Abby said content with her finished product.

She walked out to the dinning room table with the two plates in hand. The windows in the dinning area let in the sunlight from outside which illuminated the room perfectly and beautifully.

Gibbs entered from the direction of the living room as Abby set the plates down on the table. He had changed into an army-green T-Shirt, but still had on the jeans from the night before.

"How do I look?" He asked pausing in the doorway.

"You missed a spot, Gibbs." Abby said with a grin, referring to his newly carved "mustache", as she took her seat.

"What...this?" he asked pointing to his upper lip.

"Yeah...that?" she replied pointing a finger at his mustache.

"I think it looks good." Gibbs said as he made his way over to his spot at the table, directly across from Abby.

"You look like my father." Abby said with a chuckle as Gibbs pulled his chair back and plopped down.

"And that's a bad thing?" Gibbs replied looking down at his tofu wrap.

Abby couldn't help but laugh at the way Gibbs was looking at his tofu wrap.

"That's your breakfast Gibbs." Abby informed him taking a bite of her own tofu wrap.

"Right."

"Something wrong with it?" Abby asked swallowing another bite.

"I'm just trying to figure out what it is?" Gibbs said still staring down at his tofu wrap.

"Its a tofu wrap Gibbs...try it, I'm sure you'll love it." Abby said taking another bite of her tofu wrap.

Gibbs looked at it for another moment before picking it up and taking a bite. He chewed once, twice, and tried to chew a third time but just couldn't make himself do it.

Abby nearly choked on a bite of her own tofu wrap when she saw the face Gibbs made. It was just too funny. He hated it, and she'd known that he would.

Gibbs picked up his plate and with great haste made for the kitchen.

"Aww, come on Gibbs its good for you." She called after him.

After a few moments he returned to the table, a coffee mug in his hand, to find Abby struggling to not laugh her butt off.

"I'm sorry," she said as he reclaimed his seat at the table. "I just couldn't help myself." she said with a grin.

"That's quite alright," Gibbs said taking a sip of coffee. "Lunch is on me."

"What're we havin'?" Abby asked as if she didn't already know the answer to that question.

"Steak." he replied.

"That stuff clogs you're arteries you know?" she said. "Which will only kill you faster."

"Better than dying of starvation." Gibbs replied with a grin.

Abby just grinned at the handsome man sitting across from her sipping on his coffee.

Gibbs sipped his coffee, silently, as he watched Abby finish off what was left of her tofu wrap.

As Abby took her dishes to the kitchen she and Gibbs discussed their plans for the next two days.

"We've got two whole days to ourselves." Abby said from the kitchen.

"Yep." Gibbs agreed taking a sip of coffee.

"What do you want to do?" Abby asked entering the dining area once again.

"Well...the back yards' a mess for one thing." Gibbs said looking up at Abby who was standing in the doorway.

"Two whole days together, just us and a little R & R, and you wanna do yard work?"

"There's always the boat." Gibbs said with a grin.

"Obviously I'm talking to the wrong person." Abby said as she walked over and sat down in Gibbs' lap.

"Maybe you should try DiNozzo." Gibbs offered smiling that trademark "Gibbs" smile.

"Yeah maybe." Abby said with a grin.

"Okay tell you what...I'm gonna go jump in the shower and get cleaned up...afterwards, we'll go into town."

"What's in town?" Gibbs asked moving a strand of hair from Abby's face.

"Well for starters you need groceries...then after that, if you're a good boy, well--we'll just have to see." She said flashing Gibbs a mischievous smile.

"And if I'm not?" Gibbs asked amused.

"Is that a threat, Gibbs."

It was always funny how she and Gibbs seemed to get along so well. Abby just always felt like Gibbs was maybe the one person she was free to be herself around without fear; and she knew that he felt the same way. She began to wonder, sitting there in his lap, why they fought this for so long. The two of them just seemed so natural.

"Maybe." Gibbs said softly stealing a kiss.

The two of them sat silently for a moment, staring into each others eyes.

"Go on and get ready...I'll get the car." Gibbs said with a smile nudging Abby up out of his lap.

He watched her skip off in the direction of the bathroom humming to herself as she went.

------------To Be Continued in "Weekend At Gibbs' Place, Pt. 2"------------

------------"Weekend At Gibbs' Place, Pt. 2------------
story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Abby and Gibbs moved around in the kitchen putting up the groceries that they had bought in town earlier.

Gibbs had discovered something about Abby while they were out shopping that morning. The two of them were almost complete total opposites in a lot of ways.

He'd always known that she was a vegetarian, but he hadn't realized just how different their life styles were. They had differing views on various topics such as politics, healthy living of course, environmental issues, and other things of that nature; and yet none of that seemed to affect their relationship much at all. It was like they silently agreed to disagree and be happy about it.

Another thing that Gibbs' had noticed was how easily and how often he and Abby were mistaken for being Father and Daughter. That one actually made him laugh--a lot.

To go into town Abby had opted for an outfit that consisted of a pair of Tripp Black Chain Lace-Up Street Pants, a white short-sleeved V-Neck T-shirt, a pair of tennis shoes, and a jacket. She claimed that she tried to tone her wardrobe down a little bit because she wasn't sure if he (being Gibbs) would feel comfortable walking around in public with her all decked out and everything.

He had told her, in the car, he didn't mind; and even said if she wanted to wear her pigtails she could. And she did. She put them up before they got out of the car at their first stop. And he had laughed at how relieved she looked.

Gibbs looked at the clock on the microwave. 1330 hours. They had actually made great time running their errands. They had gone to the supermarket, they had gone to Abby's apartment so she could grab a few things, since she would be staying with Gibbs for the weekend, and they had stopped at a small clothing store that he had never heard off. Apparently they were having a sale on the kind of clothes that Abby wore. She had gotten a couple new T-shirts and a new skirt, and she had also picked out a T-shirt for him as well. It was black with a skull and cross bones stretched out across the front of it. She knew he wouldn't wear it out in public, but he had agreed to wear it around the house--just for her.

They had also run by the Movie Hut where they rented Transporter 3 (for him) and Saw V (for her). Although they planned to watch both together.

Then after that they had stopped to eat lunch at a local cafe before heading home.

"Could you hand me the Organic Sesame Bread" Abby asked from across the kitchen.

Gibbs was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of her voice. "What--oh sure." he replied searching the bags in front of him for the bread.

"Fallin' asleep on me Gibbs?" Abby asked jokingly.

"Me...nah." he replied finally locating the bread in a sack all by itself.

Gibbs crossed the kitchen with the bread in hand and held it out to Abby.

"Thank you." Abby said with a grin as she gently took the bread from Gibbs.

Abby gently put the bread away in the bread box by the stove.

Gibbs watched in silence as Abby put away the last few groceries amazed at how graceful she was.

"God she's beautiful." he thought to himself. "I don't deserve her".

"Well that's everything." Abby announced closing the pantry door.

Abby turned to look at Gibbs, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, staring at her.

"See something you like?"

"As a matter of fact..." Gibbs trailed off, grinning, as he made his way over to where Abby was standing.

Gibbs reached out a hand, which she took, and then he pulled her close.

"...I do." he finished as he bent his head down and stole a kiss.

"Gibbs," she giggled in delight.

"Something wrong?" Gibbs asked with a grin.

"Not at thing." she whispered as she brought her lips up close to his.

Abby returned his previous gesture with another, longer, more passionate kiss.

After she pulled back the two of them stared into each other's eyes for a moment not saying anything.

"Tell you what...why don't you pop the popcorn and I'll set up the movies. How does that sound?"

"Great." Gibbs replied releasing Abby who smiled as she skipped off towards the living room.

---------------------------------------

An hour and a half into the movie "Saw V" Gibbs learned something else about Abby. She didn't scream when she watched a scary movie. That was his job, and he didn't really scream so much as he kind of jumped. And every time he jumped Abby laughed at him. Gibbs should have guessed that she would find that amusing.

Gibbs decided by the time they finished the movie that scary movies weren't really his cup of tea. But he thoroughly enjoyed "Transporter 3" and so did Abby.

Abby really enjoyed seeing Gibbs happy and enjoying himself more than she really liked the movie. It was a good movie, but it just wasn't her favorite.

When the movies ended it was getting close to supper time and Gibbs was getting a little hungry, and so was Abby; although she wasn't really starving she could still eat something.

The kitchen seemed to come alive with the two of them bustling about preparing themselves a meal to appease their hunger.

"Do you know how many times you jumped?" Abby asked as she prepared herself a couple of tofu wraps.

"A lot, right?"

"You should have seen yourself Gibbs." Abby remarked rather excitedly.

"Scary movies just aren't my thing." Gibbs stated as he picked up the BLT he had just finished preparing for himself.

"I'll say." Abby chuckled.

"Alright chucklebutt, how about you just meet me outside on the back patio." Gibbs said playfully as he turned and headed for the back door.

"Fine by me." Abby said with a grin.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs sat outside on the back patio in his porch-swing waiting for Abby to join him.

He bit into his BLT as he looked up into the sky. The sun had already faded past their line of sight, but the sky was still that real light purpley-blue color--so there was still light to see by without having to turn on the porch lights.

After a moment alone Abby finally stepped out the back door and joined Gibbs on the porch-swing.

"Looks like the stars are just starting to come out." Abby said referring to the one lone star in the sky.

Abby sat down gently next to Gibbs who was taking another bite out of his BLT.

"You were right, the backyard does need a little work." Abby said looking around the yard before her.

"Yep." Gibbs replied.

"But I'll take care of it later." he added.

Abby bit into her first tofu wrap holing it carefully so as to not spill any on her clothes.

"You do realize that we've technically broken Gibbs' rule number 12, right?" Abby asked between bites.

"Yeah. But don't tell DiNozzo."

Abby couldn't help but laugh at Gibbs' joke. She nearly choked on a piece of her tofu wrap.

"You alright?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Abby replied still trying to catch her breath after that horrifying ordeal.

Gibbs finished off his BLT and then washed it down with a soda that he had brought out with him.

"So do we tell them?" Abby asked suddenly sounding very serious.

"Who?" Gibbs asked.

"You know Tony, Ziva, McGee, Ducky."

"Oh THEM."

"I think that we should probably keep it quite...for now."

"Yeah, I think you're right." Abby agreed polishing off the last of her tofu wraps.

"Give the guys time to adjust to you being back and all first, and then if we feel like we're ready we can tell them."

"You know something, Abby Scuito, you are actually very smart. Did you know that?" Gibbs said with a grin.

Abby just giggled as she scooted closer to Gibbs so that she could lean over against him.

"I love you, Jethro Gibbs." Abby whispered.

"I love you too Abs." Gibbs whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

For the next two and a half hours the two of them sat outside under the stars just talking and catching up. Abby eventually fell asleep so Gibbs decided to carry her inside and put her to bed.

After she was safely tucked into bed Gibbs walked out into the living room and laid down on the sofa and reflected on the events of the day before finally drifting off to sleep.

------------To Be Continued in "The First Time"------------

------------"The First Time"------------
story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Sunday went by fairly quickly. Gibbs and Abby went to church, and then went out to eat for lunch.

When they got home they decided to do a little yard work. Well actually Gibbs did yard work while Abby did some house work and brought Gibbs lemonade when he got thirsty.

---------------------------------------

Monday was hell for Gibbs.

Sure everyone was happy to see him back working at NCIS again. They even commented on his mustache.

But he spent the day trying to get reacquainted with everything and everyone. Ducky even seemed a little distant as it were.

Gibbs' first day back on the job saw him and his team already on a new case, involving a Petty Officer who was suspected of killing his "business" partner.

Tuesday was about the same. Tensions began to run rather high, as the team chased the Petty Officer who, it had become quite clear, was on the run.

On Wednesday things came to a head. Tensions were lessening, because now the team (especially Gibbs) had blown off some of their steam.

The squad room was particularly busy at about 3:30 in the afternoon.

Gibbs sat at his desk watching McGee working hard on his computer. Ziva and Tony were out--supposedly tracking down a suspected killer.

Tony had done a great job with the team while he had been away. To Gibbs, at least that much was clear.

Ring! Ring! The sound of Gibbs' desk phone snapped him out of his deep thoughts.

"Gibbs." He answered his phone.

"Hey Gibbs!" came Abby's cheerful voice over the telephone line.

"I've got something for ya!"

"I'm on my way." Gibbs replied hanging up the phone and leaping up from his desk.

"McGee!"

"U-uh Yeah Boss?" McGee answered.

"If Ziva and DiNozzo get back before I do, send them down to Abby's lab."

"Right Boss." McGee answered quickly returning to his computer screen.

Gibbs knew he needed to make one special stop before going down to Abby's lab. The Caf-Pow! machine.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs entered Abby's lab, Caf-Pow" in hand, to find her bobbing and swaying to her music--which was turned up LOUD.

"Whatcha got for me Abs!" Gibbs had to yell to be heard over the loud music.

Abby spun around to see Gibbs standing behind her--Caf-Pow in hand. "Gibbs!"

Abby quickly picked up a remote sitting next to her computer and hit the mute button for her stereo.

"Sorry about that."

Gibbs handed Abby the Caf-Pow, which she took and immediately slurped down at least half of it right there on the spot; or at least that's what Gibbs figured it to be.

"I've got the results from the ballistics test you asked me to run on Petty Officer Garrets' service pistol." She said with a big smile.

"And?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"And...See for yourself." Abby exclaimed cheerfully pointing towards the big plasma screen.

Gibbs walked over and stood in front of the big plasma screen as Abby pressed a few keys on her keyboard and two images appeared on the plasma screen.

The two images were of two used rounds.

"I compared the slug that Ducky pulled from our dead scuba divers' body with one that I personally fired from Petty officer Garretts' service pistol and got a match...they are definitely one and the same Gibbs." Abby informed Gibbs cheerfully.

"Good work Abs." Gibbs said with a smile as he walked over and placed a kiss on Abby's cheek.

Just then Tony stuck his head through the door.

"Hey Boss." Tony greeted Gibbs.

"Did you get'em?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure did Boss...he's waiting for you up in interrogation." Tony informed his newly returned boss.

"Unless, of course, you want ME to take this one." Tony said with a grin and then a wink at Abby.

"No thanks DiNozzo, I'll handle this one." Gibbs said as he walked past Tony and headed for the elevator.

---------------------------------------

In observation Tony and Ziva watched as Gibbs strolled into interrogation as calmly and as casually as he could.

Tony and Ziva stood in the darkened observation room watching Gibbs attempt to break yet another poor dirt bag.

"This guy has been on Gibbs' bad side since this whole thing started. This isn't going to be pretty." Tony observed.

"Agreed." Ziva said.

"Do you think he suspects?" Ziva asked quietly.

"Suspects what?"

Ziva whacks Tony on the back of the head, hoping to jog his memory.

"Ow!" Tony yelped. "Oh That."

"Don't think so, but I wouldn't put it past him." Tony said with a grin.

"Now that Gibbs is back though, I think we should take things to a more covert level." Tony whispered to Ziva with a smirk.

Ziva grinned at Tony and nodded her approval.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs sat the table, a folder in front of him, right across from Petty Officer Garrett.

"Care to explain to me why your gun and the gun used to kill Marcus Brown are one and the same?" Gibbs asked quietly, a stern look spread across his face.

"Someone else could stolen my gun and used it to kill Mr. Brown...sir." Garrett replied calmly.

"Good. Very Good." Gibbs said with a grin.

"Let me tell you what I think." Gibbs said pulling some photos from the folder.

Petty Officer Garrett straightens up and clears his throat.

Gibbs pulls each photo out one by one telling a story with each one.

"You and Mr. Brown found the wreck while out diving while you were on shore leave."

Gibbs pulls out the next photo.

"The two of you found the wreck and the gold."

"What if we did?" Garrett asks rather rudely.

Gibbs just grins at Petty Officer Garrett.

"You had to leave on duty, but when you came back you found out that your PARTNER had gotten a little greedy."

"So you confronted him and asked him where he stashed the loot.'

Gibbs pulls out the third photo.

"Things got a little ugly didn't they, and you killed him."

"Then I'm guessing you tried to cover it up and make it look like a diving accident." Gibbs continues.

---------------------------------------

Out in the darkened observation room Tony and Ziva watch intently as Gibbs suddenly begins a shouting match with Petty Officer Garrett. The match goes on until finally Garrett confesses.

"Well that didn't take long at all, now did it?" Tony grins looking over at Ziva.

"No it did not." Ziva says in agreement with Tony.

Gibbs suddenly walks into observation, unseen and unheard by Tony and Ziva, and walks up behind them. He gives them both a quick whack on the back of the head.

"Ow!" Ziva yelped.

"Ow! Boss!" Tony yelped.

"I assume you two enjoyed the show?"

Neither one said anything for fear that they might get hit again by their boss.

"Good. Book him." Gibbs said as he turned and strolled back out the door.

"Well you heard the boss, let's book'em." Tony said with a grin.

---------------------------------------

It was nearly 10 minutes after 5:00 when Gibbs strolled back into Abby's lab after having just finished writing up a report for the day.

Gibbs knew what would come next. He had said and he had done some things that he shouldn't have done. Especially to the woman he loved.

He had upstaged her among other things, and after Petty Officer Garrett had eluded them for the fourth time that day, he had yelled, unintentionally, at Abby in a fit of rage.

For most of the day she had put on a brave face and tried to act like it didn't bother her; but Gibbs knew that it did. And he hated himself for making her feel that way.

"Abs..." Gibbs started as he strolled into the lab.

Abby was sitting at her desk in the next room, her head resting in her hands.

Gibbs walked over into the next room.

"Abs...it's time to go." He said softly.

Abby looked up at him and the look that Gibbs saw in her eyes showed that she was furious with him, but she was also hurt most of all.

Abby got up, grabbed her coat and purse, made sure all the equipment was turned off, turned off the lights and the two of them strolled out of the lab towards the elevator.

---------------------------------------

In the car on the way home neither of them said anything for most of the ride.

Abby finally couldn't take it and decided to speak up.

"You yelled at me." She said calmly yet sternly.

"I know Abs, and-" Gibbs tried.

"Don't "Abs" me right now, Jethro."

Gibbs decided right then and there that it would just be better if he let Abby vent.

"I was fine with everything else, because I understood why--you were having a bad day." She continued.

Gibbs inhaled a deep breath bracing for what he knew would be the worst part of this rampage.

"But then you yelled at me."

"You yelled--at me."

"You hurt my feelings Gibbs." Abby said choking back the tears, and determined not to cry.

"Why?" Abby asked.

Gibbs wasn't sure what to say or even if he should say anything at all.

"Why Gibbs?" this time demanding an answer.

"I-I don't know." was the only answer he could think of at that moment in time.

---------------------------------------

When they stepped through the front door of Gibbs' place it was apparent that things had taken a turn for the worse. They had somehow ended up in full-fledge argument mode before they pulled into the driveway.

"It's always about you isn't it!" Abby screamed at Gibbs.

Gibbs wasn't sure how they ended up where they were in this conversation, or even where that was exactly.

Abby stormed off towards Gibbs' bedroom.

"Abby wait-" Gibbs tried to follow.

Abby spun around her eyes filled with tears, and brimming with hurt and disgust towards Gibbs. That image of Abby burned itself into Gibbs' memory and began to tear his soul apart.

Gibbs watched as Abby stomped off into his Bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

Gibbs stood there staring at his bedroom door for a moment.

"I love you Abby Scuito." Gibbs said softly.

Gibbs then turned and headed for the kitchen where he through off his overcoat, grabbed a small glass, and a bottle of whiskey and then headed for the basement.

------------To Be Continued In "The Make-Up"------------

------------"The Make-Up"------------
story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Gibbs sat at his workbench down in the basement pouring himself a third glass of whiskey.

As he swallowed a gulp of whiskey he found himself torn between trying to pretend that their fight had never happened and just plain kicking himself for hurting the woman he loved.

The light in the basement wasn't great, but it was good enough for what he used it for. Tonight, though, he found himself wondering if he could hide his shame just by turning the lights completely off.

"Why do I do this?" Gibbs thought to himself as he took another gulp of his whiskey.

"Why can't I just learn to keep my mouth shut?" he wondered aloud.

---------------------------------------

Abby sat on the floor in Gibbs' bedroom leaning against the door.

She wiped tears from her eyes as she hugged herself. She knew Gibbs was hurting just as much as she was, and she hated that either one of them was hurting.

"I hate-" she started, but then stopped and reprimanded herself. She couldn't believe that thought had popped into her head--and about Jethro Gibbs.

But he had started it, and he had not even tried to apologize, although she hadn't really given him a chance, but still.

Things had been going so well until now. "Is this what its gonna be like?" she wondered.

Abby knew all too well what Gibbs' track record with women was like. The only woman Gibbs had ever really really loved and whom he had had a family with was his first wife, Shannon.

After Shannon and his daughter Kelly were murdered by a columbian drug lord, Gibbs had married three more times. They had each divorced him. She knew better than anyone, well except perhaps Ducky and Director Shepherd, how broken Gibbs' heart had been after all of that.

She knew that Gibbs wouldn't change overnight, and she wasn't really trying to change him anyway.

Abby sat there on the floor in Gibbs' room leaning against the door reflecting, for nearly an hour, on everything that had happened, and it wasn't long before she realized what really scared her--what it was that really caused her too hurt.

She was afraid that she might lose Gibbs--that he might leave her. This she knew was an absurd, almost unbelievable, thought. She knew how much he cared for her, and as much as she hated to admit it she knew that he would die for her.

She also knew that she had had some reservations about this relationship from the beginning. She had been afraid that if she and Gibbs' got close, and then it didn't work out, that things would be different between them. That she might lose what she had with Gibbs--and that was not an option.

She was in love with Jethro Gibbs, of that much she was sure. Now she just had to make things right with him.

Abby stood and steadied herself. She took a deep breath and tried to collect and compose herself before continuing.

---------------------------------------

In the basement Gibbs sat at his workbench just staring at the whiskey bottle on the table in front of him. He had stopped after the fifth drink, he just couldn't do it this way--not this time.

Abby meant everything to him. Being with her made his heart hurt just a little bit less with each day. He couldn't afford to let his stupidity or his arrogance get in the way--not this time.

He knew from experience what that would eventually lead to.

...FLASHBACK SEQUENCE...

Gibbs and Ducky are standing in the NCIS interrogation/observation room. The two men are engaged in a heated conversation.

In the interrogation room sits notorious serial killer Kyle Boone.

The only part of that conversation between Ducky and himself, that stood out at this particular moment for Gibbs, was the last thing Ducky said to him as he left the observation room.

"...You made it impossible for her to stay!" Ducky said angrily as he watched Gibbs leave the room.

...END OF FLASHBACK SEQUENCE...

Gibbs was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he did not notice Abby standing on the stairs.

"Thanks Duck." Gibbs whispered, a slight grin breaking the corners of his mouth.

Gibbs stood up and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, and then with a grin tossed it into a small waste bin hidden underneath the workbench.

Standing there on the basement stairs Abby saw Gibbs toss the bottle of Jack into the waste bin. She even saw the grin on his face--she wasn't sure if he was happy about something, or just drunk.

Gibbs turned towards the stairs ready to head upstairs when he noticed Abby standing half-way down the stairs. "Abs?"

Abby stood frozen to the spot where she stood--a little afraid.

Gibbs knew, or thought he knew, what she was thinking. he motioned with his head for her to come down.

Abby slowly made her way down the stairs, her pigtails bouncing slightly with each step she took.

Gibbs couldn't help but crack an amused grin at how much she resembled a small child, who'd just been punished and was now afraid to face their parent(s), coming down the stairs.

Abby reached the very bottom of the stairs and stood there for a moment staring at Gibbs, biting her lip, her eyes still a bit moist and slightly red.

"Abs." Gibbs said quietly trying to look serious, although he was sure his eyes betrayed his real intentions because he saw a grin spread across Abby's lips.

Abby suddenly felt so relieved. She could tell he wasn't angry--she could see it in his eyes.

She made her way over to Gibbs who held out his arms and pulled her into their warmth.

"I never gave you a chance." she said quietly.

"Nope, you were too busy makin' an ass of yourself." Gibbs said grinning that trademark "Gibbs" grin.

Abby couldn't help but laugh at Gibbs' remark.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you though." he added softly stealing a kiss.

"No, you shouldn't have," Abby said looking up into Gibbs' face. "But I still love you." she said softly as she kissed her "silver-haired fox".

They didn't really have to say much. They could usually tell what the other was thinking--well, most of the time anyway.

"You really did hurt my feelings, you know?"

"Okay, well, how about I make it up to you?" Gibbs asked.

Abby found this gesture quite amusing.

"And how would you go about doing that?" She asked with a mischievous grin.

"Like this." Gibbs replied scooping her up into his without warning.

"Gibbs." Abby giggled.

"Just follow my lead." Gibbs said with a grin as he walked toward the stairs.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs carried Abby into his bedroom, which was dimly lit from where she had been in there earlier, and closed the door behind them.

He gently placed Abby down on the bed kissing her as he did.

"Gibbs," she breathed as he tried to pull away.

"Shhh." He gently placed a finger to her lips as if to say "hold that thought".

Gibbs pulled away and sat down on the bed. It only took him a few seconds to kick his shoes off at the foot of the bed.

Abby quickly realized that she too was wearing shoes and quickly removed and discarded them just before Gibbs appeared, hovering over her.

"Now let's see...where were we?" She mused as he closed the distance between his lips and hers.

...15 Minutes Later...

Things had certainly heated up considerably.

Abby had managed to get Gibbs out of his polo shirt and the white t-shirt that he wore underneath. And on the other end Gibbs had managed to get Abby out of her mini-skirt and her top.

Gibbs had touched her with his kisses in places that she never knew could turn her on as she was now discovering.

"Hey no fair," Abby protested. "You're still wearing pants." she pointed out playfully.

"Easily fixable," Gibbs chuckled. "Just give me a sec."

Gibbs moved away once more to rid himself of his jeans, which he threw to the floor near his shoes.

When he returned to his woman she was more than ready to continue their endeavor.

"You can still stop this if you want?" Gibbs said between kisses giving her the opportunity to back out before it was too late.

Her only response was a gentle kiss to his lips reassuring him that she would be fine.

It didn't take them too long to rid themselves of the rest of their clothing--the last garment being her panties which somehow ended up being thrown across the room. Halfway there.

"Would you ever leave me, honestly?" Abby asked before Gibbs could go further.

"I'd have to be dead," Gibbs reassured her placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

He entered her in one swift movement.

Abby exhaled a ragged breath as he filled her. "Gibbs," she gasped as her body adjusted to the feel of his.

Gibbs awaited the signal, making sure that she was okay, before continuing.

They started out slowly then rapidly increased their tempo matching each other hit-for-hit as they rode the seemingly out-of-control roller coaster they were on. Their muscles tightening all along the way, until they finally reached its climax--together--holding on to each other for dear life as their bodies were racked with sheer ecstasy. Blindingly magnificent fireworks exploding overhead as they gently floated back down.

"Oh Gibbs," Abby moaned as she collapsed against him.

The two of them laid there for what seemed like a long while bathing in each others warmth.

"I love you Abs," Gibbs whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Gibbs pulled the covers up over the two of them, and then wrapped an arm around her and held her close holding on to the moment.

"Some night hunh?" Abby mused and neither one of them could resist the urge to laugh into the darkness.

------------To Be Continued in "Six Months Later..."------------

------------"Six Months Later..."------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

The squad room at NCIS HQ was relatively quiet at 4:30 in the afternoon, except for the conversation going on between Gibbs and his team.

It had been a long week for Gibbs and his team and today, Friday, they had finally brought their current case to a close. Now they took the opportunity to just relax and catch up. The perfect time for divulging long-kept secrets.

Tony sat at his desk, engaged in a game of "toss the paper ball at McGee". Ziva was seated right on the edge of Tony's desk. McGee is at his desk trying not to get hit by one of Tony's paper balls.

Gibbs was seated behind his desk, but he was not alone. Sitting in his lap was his favorite forensic scientist and lover.

Gibbs and Abby had thought long and hard about the news that they were now sharing with their co-workers/friends.

"You're kidding, right?" Tony looked in almost total disbelief at what he had just heared from his boss and their forensic scientist Abby.

"Nope." Abby replied cheerfully, a big smile spread across her face. "Tomorrow will be six months exactly."

McGee was utterly stunned, shocked by the news that his boss and the woman that he had once had a relationship with, were now a couple

"W-well, well...Congratulations. You guys sure look happy." McGee said.

Tony looked like he was still struggling with the whole concept. Ziva just displayed a look of surprise, although she tried not to look so surprised--even though she pretty much was.

"Betcha didn't see that one coming, did ya Ziva?" Abby directed at her friend.

Ziva stood and moved casually towards her own desk, and then turned and made a circle between her desk and Tony's.

"Well, I will admit that the probability was highly unlikely, but..." Ziva tried to appear as if she had known it all along, but then, in the end, she decided to just admit the truth. "I suppose you did surprise me, yes."

Abby couldn't help but laugh at her friend, Ziva. Sometimes she could be downright hilarious.

"Aren't you a little old..." Tony interjected, the question meant for his boss. "...I mean you guys haven't, well--You Know?"

"Is that really any of your business, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked his Senior Field Agent.

"Well no, but I just meant-" Tony tried.

"Ziva." Gibbs nodded, giving her permission to do what he would normally have done--if only he could reach that far.

Ziva, who had already taken up her seat on the edge of Tony's desk once again, reached around and whacked Tony on the back of the head.

"Ow!" Tony yelped immediately reaching up to rub his new sore spot.

"Just forget I ever brought it up." Tony said quietly.

Again Abby, this time along with Gibbs, couldn't help but let out another laugh.

"Thank you, Ziva." Gibbs said with approval, cracking a grin.

"My Pleasure." Ziva replied with a grin while leaning closer to Tony and giving him a wink.

"Serves you right Tony," McGee added with a grin.

"I'm sorry Probie, I don't recall asking for your opinion." Tony remarked in that wise-ass tone, as was his custom, as he swiped a paper ball off of his desk and tossed it at McGee.

McGee caught the paper ball in mid-air and flashed Tony a "nice-try" grin. "Nice try Tony," McGee smirked, as he tossed the paper ball into the waste basket beside his desk.

Just then the familiar "Ping" of the elevator announced to the team that they had a visitor.

Ducky managed to waddle right into the middle of their conversation on his way out for the day.

"Goin' somewhere Duck?" Gibbs asked his friend upon seeing him there in the squad room.

"I'm afraid Mother hasn't at all been quite herself lately, so I'm off to accompany her to the doctors'." Ducky replied grinning at his old friend.

"I'm not interrupting anything important am I?" Ducky asked, aware that there was something going on before he walked into the squad room.

"Not all Ducky." Abby replied.

The team took the time to fill Ducky in on what they had just been told.

Ducky chuckled at the news, looking up at his friend. "Let's try to hang on to this one, shall we."

"It's alright Duck, she knows." Gibbs said flashing a sly grin.

"Know what?" Abby asked of Gibbs, curious as usual.

"That I'm a bastard." Gibbs replied, kissing the back of Abby's neck.

"You are not!" Abby chuckled. She lifted of his hands and kissed the back of it gently.

Ducky shifted his bag in his hand, and then bid his farewells as he began to make ready to leave.

Abby saw her opportunity. Now she was ready--now was the RIGHT time.

Abby had another secret that she had been keeping from everyone, even Gibbs, for the last three and a half weeks. It wasn't that she was afraid or anything, she just wanted to be sure that Gibbs decided to go through with telling the rest of the team about the two of them before she said anything.

"Wait." Abby said to Ducky as she stood up.

"I really am in a hurry Abby." Ducky asserted.

"Please, this is important Ducky." Abby pleaded.

Ducky smiled and agreed. "What is it?" he asked gently.

She drew in a breath before continuing. "There's something else." she informed the team, slowly--carefully. "Another secret."

Gibbs stood up behind her, his curiosity now peaked. "What is it Abs?" he asked softly, concerned.

Abby turned to face Gibbs, "Baby steps" she reminded herself. She reached down into the pocket of her lab coat and pulled out a small, slender object which she handed to Gibbs.

Gibbs looked at the object that Abby had handed him, not recognizing what it was at first. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

Then suddenly it came to him. He looked up from the object to Abby, his eyes glistening.

Tony had stood up, trying desperately to figure out what Gibbs and Abby were saying to each other, because they were being so quiet--at the moment anyway.

McGee stepped up beside Tony, his curiosity peaked as well. "What're they saying?" McGee asked Tony, in a whisper.

"Wish I knew." Tony whispered back.

Ducky and Ziva exchanged curious glances with each other--both anxious to know what was going on. Ziva shrugged.

Gibbs signed, in ASL, "This isn't a joke?" to which Abby responded by signing back "Nope. I'm Pregnant."

Gibbs dropped the object onto his desk without thinking as he wrapped his arms around Abby and pulled her into a passion-driven kiss.

Ziva, McGee, and Ducky were thrown for a loop as they still had no idea what was going on, and things were getting more mysterious by the second.

Tony happened to see Gibbs drop the object onto his desk. Tony stood rooted to his spot focused on the object trying to figure out what it was. Then it suddenly hit him, and he nearly fell backwards over his chair as the shock of the realization knocked him off balance and sent him sprawling backwards to the floor.

The racket that Tony made startled everyone, including Gibbs and Abby, who looked more amused than anything else.

"You alright Tony?" McGee asked as he bent to help pull Tony up off of the floor.

"She's pregnant!" Tony gasped, as McGee and Ziva helped him to his feet. "She's pregnant!"

"What're you talking about?" McGee asked, confused by Tony's statement.

Regaining his balance, thanks to some help from his co-workers/friends, Tony pointed to Gibbs' desk and the small object, which he now knew to be an E.P.T. test, that was laying there. "That's a pregnancy test." he pointed out.

Ziva, McGee, and Ducky moved in for a closer look, and upon discovering that what Tony had said was true. They all looked at Gibbs and Abby.

"I will admit I did not see that one coming." Ziva remarked.

Abby just beamed from ear to ear, as she knew Gibbs was doing the same thing behind her, now ready to share her good news with the world.

"Guys...I'm pregnant."

"I take it this means you're no longer available, Jethro." Jenny Shepherd remarked with a grin, as she came around the corner and entered the bullpen.

Director Jenny Shepherd had been listening intently to the whole conversation from the top of the stairs.

"I guess so Jen." Gibbs said with a slight grin.

Ducky dropped his bag on the floor and moved over to the couple. "Well let me be the first to say, Congratulations...both of you," Ducky said with a smile as he hugged Abby and then Gibbs.

The rest of the team followed suit and they all laughed and talked about it for sometime (Ducky left of course to take care of his mother) before they finally decided to call it a day and head home.

As Gibbs and Abby were the last ones to leave, Gibbs helped her with her coat and then with the biggest smile on his face Gibbs kissed Abby on the nose.

"I guess I better get started as soon as we get home," Gibbs said.

"On what?" Abby asked trying, for herself, to figure out what he was talking about.

"On the nursery, silly." Gibbs chuckled with a grin as he wrapped his arm around Abby and led her towards the elevator.

------To Be Continued in "One For The Money, Two For The Show..."------

---------"One For The Money, Two For The Show..."---------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Abby and Gibbs walked through the front door of his house and both of them carried shopping bags in their hands.

Abby plopped down on the sofa and dropped her bags in front of her. Gibbs laid his bags down gently with the rest and the sat down next to Abby.

"Do we really need all of it?" Gibbs asked, referring to all the stuff they had just bought.

"Well yeah...these are the things that babies need." She replied reaching for one of the bags.

Gibbs rolled his eyes at the woman sitting next to him. He loved her to death, but he wondered sometimes if it was worth it. And of course it was--it may drive him crazy for a while, but soon--well in a few months anyway--they would have a new baby and that part made him feel anxious and excited. And while it was, technically, his second child--he had kind of forgotten about the morning sickness, and the weird cravings, and everything else that pregnancy entailed. At least it was only temporary though.

"I haven't even finished the nursery, or finished moving you in. There's still just so much to do and so little time to it." Gibbs said with a sigh.

"Well maybe it would go faster if maybe, you know, you'd let me actually help you." Abby said with a grin.

Gibbs glared at Abby. She knew not to go there. He had told her a billion times already NO. He just didn't want her to over exert herself in anyway.

"No, Abs..I don't want you getting hurt." He told her--again.

"Jethro you can't keep doing this," she replied, exasperated. "I'm tired of just sitting around and not doing anything Jethro. I feel lazy--like I'm dead weight or something." She pouted angrily.

"Abs, you're not dead weight--maybe lazy--but definitely not dead weight." He said flashing that trademark "Gibbs" grin hoping it would make her smile--it usually did.

It worked she smiled. Gibbs knew that that always made her feel better. He put his arm around her, pulled her close, and kissed the top of her head.

"Besides it'll be okay. Tony, Ziva, and McGee have volunteered to help out a little--when they can." Gibbs informed Abby. "And Ducky said that he had a friend who might donate some furniture."

Abby knew that Gibbs meant well. It just meant that he cared, and that was something that she never EVER doubted.

"Okay. But you promise you'll still let me decorate the nursery when its finished?" Abby asked quietly.

Gibbs chuckled. "Yep, it'll be all yours...as long as you don't go overboard. I don't want her to be obsessed with the dead, or thinking its okay to sleep in a coffin, or have a nose ring before she's ten...I take that back I don't EVER want her to have a nose ring." Gibbs said trying to reassure her, and at the same time trying to be funny.

"What about stuffed animals... lots and lots of stuffed animals?" Abby asked trying to match his wit, but also maintaining a level of seriousness.

"Well, then she'll just be obsessed with stuffed animals." Gibbs said with a grin.

Abby laughed at Gibbs before kissing him on the cheek.

Abby almost didn't catch it, but Gibbs thought the baby was going to be a girl.

"Wait...How do you even know that it'll be a girl?" She asked, but then suddenly knew the answer to her question. "Wait don't tell me..your gut, right?"

"Yep!" Gibbs grinned.

"I don't know Jethro...you could be wrong about this one." she said with a smirk.

Gibbs laughed and kissed Abby on the nose.

"I guess we should get this stuff put up." Gibbs said pointing to the bags.

"Yep," Abby replied.

"And since most of it is for the baby, we'll put in the nursery and then sort through it later."

"I totally agree...you put this stuff up and I'll fix us something to eat." She said with a grin, patting his shoulder, as she stood and headed for the kitchen.

Gibbs looked kind of confused.

"Abs, we just ate a half hour ago." he called after her.

"I know...but I'm still hungry for some reason."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Gee, I sure hope this pregnancy thing wraps itself up soon," he said with a chuckle.

"Just five more months." Abby called from the kitchen.

Gibbs couldn't help but laugh as he picked up the bags and headed for the nursery (which was still incomplete).

---------------------------------------

...That Weekend...

Gibbs and Tony were hard at work in the still unfinished nursery.

Gibbs had managed to finish building and staining the "Changing Table"--which he stained a beautiful caramel color--and the "Toy Chest"--which was stained the exact same caramel color as the "Changing Table".

Their task now was to finish painting the walls in the baby's room. Gibbs and Abby had put a lot of thought into what color they would paint it. Gibbs had wanted a lighter color, and Abby, of course, wanted a darker color. They eventually compromised and decided to go with a kind of, well, a "Goodnight Moon" kind of theme.

In this theme the walls would be sort of a dark blue color, like night time, and then they would paint a big golden moon in one corner, and then paint little stars around it. Then for good measure they would add in a little bear staring up at the moon from a hilltop

Ducky had told them that he had a friend in the antiques business, and he remembered seeing a wonderful little crib while in his shop once (recently of course) and said he would see if he could convince his friend, Jack O'Malley, to give it to him for a reasonable price.

Gibbs and Abby had expressed their appreciation for, not just his, but everyone's support numerous times.

"You know what this reminds me off?" Tony asked his Boss, as they applied the second coat of paint to the walls.

"What?" Gibbs asked knowing he was about to hear another "DiNozzo Movie Reference".

"Three Men and a Baby." Tony replied with a smile. "You know with Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson...a chick flick really, but it was pretty good. See what happens is these three guys find-" Tony began but was cut short by Gibbs.

"I know DiNozzo...I saw it too." Gibbs interrupted.

"Right...of course you did." Tony replied.

Gibbs laughed.

There were a few minutes of silence between the two of them as they continued to paint the walls of the nursery. But then Tony broke the silence.

"Boss...can I tell you something...serious?" Tony asked as he stopped and turned to face Gibbs.

Gibbs stopped painting and turned to face Tony once he realized just how serious Tony was being. "What is it?"

Tony took a deep breath before continuing. "See it's about Ziva...and I..." Tony paused unable to decide whether he should continue or stop before he does something stupid--he ultimately went with the first option. "Okay here it is...Boss Ziva and I have been seeing each other for quite some time now and-"

"DiNozzo." Gibbs interrupted Tony sternly.

"Yeah Boss?" Tony responded quickly.

Gibbs raised a hand towards Tony, and it made Tony sort of flinch, as he expected Gibbs to whack him on the back of the head. Instead Gibbs laid his hand, gently yet firmly, on Tony's shoulder. A smile spread across Gibbs' face as Tony straightened up.

"You two deserve it." Gibbs said softly, nodding slightly. "You and Ziva deserve to be happy."

"Thanks...Boss." Tony replied kind of shocked by Gibbs' reaction.

Seeing Tony's reaction to his own reaction, Gibbs uttered a small chuckle. "And in case you haven't noticed, DiNozzo, "Rule Number 12"--went out the window a long time ago."

"Besides, I already knew." Gibbs said, with a grin.

"But How?" Tony asked, shocked.

"I could see it in the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you." Gibbs informed Tony, softly.

Gibbs and Tony shared a good laugh together before they resumed their painting job--conversing with each other as they did so.

---------------------------------------

Out in the living room Abby and Ziva sat on the sofa talking with one another.

"So tell me about you and Tony." Abby demanded with a sly smile.

"There is nothing to talk about...Tony and I are partners...and friends." Ziva said trying to avoid that particular conversation.

"Liar." Abby giggled.

After a few minutes of prodding Abby finally got Ziva to open up about her and Tony's relationship.

"It is complicated." Ziva explained. "We have been seeing each other since Gibbs left, really, and we decided to keep it a secret when Gibbs came back." Ziva told Abby.

"How long have you known?" Ziva asked Abby.

"Well, really, I suspected that there was something going on between you two ever since that night that Tony got shot over at your place. When you claimed that you had had a few drinks at the bar together, and Tony drove you home and stayed the night with you--though I hardly doubt Tony was on the sofa." Abby said with a sly grin.

"What I don't understand is all the secrecy." Abby pointed out. "I mean you guys know that Gibbs and I are together..so if its about "Rule Number 12", then I'm here to tell you--that went out the window a long time ago." Abby assured Ziva.

"Tony is just not ready to face Gibbs about it, yet." Ziva explained.

Abby understood completely she and Gibbs had kept their relationship secret for almost six months before they decided to tell everyone.

"He'll tell Gibbs when he's ready." Abby said reassuring Ziva, who she knew needed it.

The two women talked about their relationships for a while, until they heard the doorbell ring.

Abby walked over to the heavy front door and pulled it open to find Ducky standing on the steps in front of her.

"I come bearing gifts." Ducky declared with a smile.

"Come on in Ducky!" Abby said cheerfully with sweep of her arm towards the inside of the house.

Another man walked up beside Ducky before he could enter the house. He was an older, black man, kind of burly, and he sported white whiskers (well, more like old man stubble). He's a little on the short side (let's say about Ducky's height), and he wears a pair of round glasses. When he spoke his voice carried a gravely tone to it, but it was also gentle and inviting. Overall, he was a really sweet old man."

"Oh, Abigail...this is Jack Thompson. He owns the antique shop that I was telling you about." Ducky informed her.

"Oh hello, I'm Abby." Abby said cheerfully as she stuck out her hand.

"Hello there Abby." the man said as he shook Abby's hand.

"Well come on in you two." Abby said motioning with her hand.

The two men entered the house on Abby's request, and she closed the door behind them.

Abby called Gibbs and Tony out into the living room.

Tony walked up to Ziva and kissed her on the lips. She saw the grin on his face when they pulled apart, and at first it confused her, but then she understood. Tony had told Gibbs about the two of them, and he looked quite relieved and so much happier now that he had cleared the air with his boss. "I love you Ziva." Tony said softly.

Ziva smiled at Tony, and was grateful that he had finally told Gibbs about them being together. "I love you too, Tony." Ziva replied softly, stealing another kiss from Tony.

Abby grinned at Ziva and Tony, and then winked at Gibbs because she knew what Gibbs and Tony had talked about.

Ducky proceeded to introduce everyone to his good friend, Mr. Jack Thompson once he had their attention. After the introductions were made, Ducky gave Mr. Thompson the floor.

"First, just let me say congratulations. To both of you." Mr. Thompson said to Gibbs and Abby.

"Secondly, Ducky has told me everything. I have the crib and the rocking chair ready for you down at my shop." Mr. Thompson informed them.

"Why thank you." Abby said with a smile, placing a hand on her belly.

"Just wait til you see them," Ducky informed them, with a grin. "I can say, without a doubt, that you two will love them." he said with a slight chuckle.

Gibbs walked out of the room for a few seconds, but then returned carrying his check book and a pen in his hands.

"Just name your price." Gibbs said as he flipped open the check book, located a blank check, and made ready to fill it out.

"Oh, no no no--that won't be necessary." Mr. Thompson said, with a chuckle, raising his hands in front of him.

"W-we couldn't just TAKE them." Abby replied, looking at Gibbs and then at Mr. Thompson.

"Please, I insist...this one's on me." Mr. Thompson assured them with a grin.

"I-I don't know what to say." Gibbs said.

"Any friend of Ducky's is a friend-o-mine." Mr. Thompson said, with a chuckle. "And Ducky here...thinks the world of you folks...says your like the family he never had."

Everyone in the room was shocked. Abby had tears welling up in her eyes to a point where all she could do was hug the man and thank him.

"Thank you so much." She whispered into Mr. Thompson's ear.

"Think nothin' of it suga." Mr. Thompson replied with a warm smile.

"Well we haven't quite finished painting the room yet, but-" Gibbs started.

"That's quite alright, just when you do finish...just say the word, and I'll have'em delivered to you--personally." Mr. Thompson replied with a smile.

Abby wiped a few tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "I-I'm just fixin' to cook lunch. Why don't you and Ducky join us?"

"Oh no, I-I couldn't do that-" Mr. Thompson tried. But Abby, with a little help from Gibbs, finally convinced him to stay and have lunch with them.

------------To Be Continued in "Boys vs. Girls"------------

------------"Boys Vs. Girls"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Gibbs and Abby walked through the door of their house at about 7:30 p.m.

It had been another long day at work after which Gibbs ha taken Abby out to dinner. But now they were just glad to be back home.

"I am going to go change into something a little more comfortable." Abby informed Gibbs as she headed back towards the bedroom.

"Alright." Gibbs replied.

Gibbs laid his coat over the back of one of the chairs in the living room, and then kicked off his shoes.

While Abby changed into her night clothes. Gibbs plopped down onto the sofa, and then loosened his tie.

Gibbs found himself lost in his thoughts. The nursery was finished, thanks to a lot of help from Tony, Ziva, Ducky, Mr. Thompson, and McGee. McGee had given them a set of real high-tech baby monitors as a gift. Also they had finally finished moving Abby's stuff into his house and had gotten everything put up where it was supposed to go.

Gibbs never actually thought that he would find himself in this position again. "Happy" again. He was in love with Abby Scuito, and Abby was carrying his child inside her. He was truly, truly happy again.

Abby interrupted Gibbs' thoughts as she walked into the room wearing one of the long night gowns that they had picked out together.

"So what do you think?" she asked him.

"About what?" Gibbs asked looking up at Abby standing in the center of the room.

"About what the baby'll be?" she replied.

"Oh...um...it really doesn't matter." Gibbs said with a grin as Abby bent down to kiss him.

Gibbs switched positions on the sofa so that Abby could sit with him. Abby sat down on the sofa and tucked her feet up under her so that she could lean over against Gibbs.

"Sure it does." Abby said.

"I mean which would you rather have--a boy or a girl?"

Gibbs had to think about it for a moment, but no matter how he chose to look at it he still couldn't decide between one or the other.

"The truth is...it really doesn't matter." Gibbs said softly. "As long as we're together, I'll be happy."

Abby couldn't help but smile as Gibbs kissed her.

"So what time's that appointment tomorrow?" he asked her.

"Ummm...I think it's at 11:30...yeah I think that's it." she replied.

"Are you going with me?" Abby asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Gibbs said with a smile.

"DiNozzo will cover for me tomorrow, so everything is taken care of." Gibbs informed Abby.

The two of them settled back on the sofa together as Gibbs used the remote to turn on the television.

---------------------------------------

The next day Gibbs and Abby found themselves in the parking lot of Washington D.C. Memorial Hospital.

This was it. They were finally going to learn whether their unborn child was a boy or a girl. They were both anxious and excited.

"Ready?" Gibbs asked as they stood outside the hospital entrance holding hands.

"Yep!" Abby replied cheerfully as she squeezed Gibbs' hand.

The two of them walked into the hospital together, smiling.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs and Abby sat in the ultrasound room together waiting for the doctor to come in. Gibbs sat in a chair against the wall while Abby sat up on the table swinging her legs back and forth slowly.

Gibbs had watched Abby deal with the whole experience of being pregnant. She was six months pregnant at this point. She hadn't once complained about her feet or her back, or any of the things that most women were prone to complain about. He remembered that when Shannon was pregnant with Kelly she had always complained about her feet swelling; but Abby almost seemed to be enjoying the whole experience.

"What?" Abby asked with a chuckle when she noticed Gibbs staring at her.

"Nothing...just thinking." Gibbs replied.

"About what?" she asked.

"About how lucky I am." Gibbs said with a smile that made Abby smile too.

Just then the doctor walked in. It was a woman. She had medium-length red hair, green eyes, and a warm smile. She was of average height and build for her age, which looked to be in the mid to late 30s.

"Hello." the doctor said as she entered the room, Abby's charts in hand.

Gibbs and Abby greeted the doctor.

"Hello." They said together.

"Where's Dr. Green?" Abby asked.

"Dr. Green was transferred to Mercy General two weeks ago, but don't worry I'm gonna take good care of you and the little one--I promise." the doctor said with a grin.

"I'm Dr. Strauss...but you can call me Meghan." Doctor Strauss said with a chuckle.

"Ready" she asked Abby.

"Yep." Abby said cheerfully.

"Alright then...if you'll just lay back and pull your shirt up just a little bit we'll get started." Dr. Strauss said.

Abby did as she was told, and soon after that Dr. Strauss rubbed some special jelly, from a jar, onto Abby's belly. Then she performs the ultrasound.

Gibbs stood up and moveed closer to the monitor for a better look.

"Okay...we should be seeing it right about...now." Dr. Strauss said.

"Yeah there it is...and it looks like..."

Suddenly a smile spread across Dr. Strauss' face.

"Congratulations," Dr. Strauss said looking up at Gibbs and Abby. "It's a girl." she informed them.

Abby smiles a big smile and Gibbs bends over and kisses Abby on the forehead.

"Picked out a name yet?" Dr. Strauss asked them as she finished up.

Gibbs and Abby smiled at each other and then Abby revealed the name that they had picked out together.

"Chloe." Abby said softly with a big smile.

------------To Be Continued in "All or Nothing, Pt. 1"------------

------------"All or Nothing, Pt. 1"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Gibbs sat at his desk rifling through some paper work that had somehow gotten stacked up on his desk.

It had been an okay day, and Gibbs was just ready to go home with Abby. Ziva had already left and so had McGee. Tony had gone down stairs to help Abby finish up in the lab. So the squad room was relatively quiet.

Abby had insisted that she could do it all on her own, but Gibbs had insisted that she was nine months pregnant and really wasn't even supposed to be at work--and was definitely not going to do any heavy lifting.

"Working late Jethro?"

Gibbs looked up to see Jenny Shepherd standing, arms folded across her chest, in front of his desk.

"Well yeah Jen, its not like I can ask you to do my job for me." Gibbs said flashing that trademark "Gibbs" grin.

"Why don't you take Abby and go home for the night...it'll be here for you in the morning." Jenny said softly.

"Don't worry I will--just waitin' on Abs." Gibbs said. "DiNozzo's helpin' her get everything in order."

"So will you be takin' some personal time off when the baby comes?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know...do you really think the director will go for it?" Gibbs said sarcastically.

"I can always order you to take time off." Jenny said with a grin.

Gibbs laid the papers down and pushed away from his desk. "You don't have to tell me twice, Jen."

Ring! Ring! Ring! Came the sound of the telephone at Gibbs' desk. Gibbs reached down and picked up the phone. "Gibbs."

"Hello...Special Agent Gibbs. You may not remember me, but I sure do remember you." the voice on the phone said with a slight chuckle.

The voice, Gibbs could tell, was male and had an accent of some kind--middle eastern he thought was probably most likely. Also the person sounded quite calm and collected when he spoke.

"Who is this?" Gibbs asked.

"You'll know soon enough Agent Gibbs." the voice replied. "What is important though, is that you know that your actions DO have consequences." the voice continued.

"I can't talk long, Agent Gibbs, but I just thought I should warn you."

Gibbs looked at Jenny, arching a brow, and looking quite confused.

"Warn me about what?" Gibbs asked.

"You killed my brother, and for that...you will suffer." the voice said, threateningly.

"I don't understand, what're you talking about?" Gibbs asked, shifting in his seat.

There was a pause on the line for a moment or two, and then Gibbs' cell phone started to ring. Gibbs pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and read the caller ID. It said DiNozzo. He flipped it open.

"Yeah hold one second." he told Tony over the phone.

The mysterious voice came back on the line.

"I have to go now, but we will be in touch." the voice said.

"For now please enjoy your gift, Special Agent Gibbs." the voice said with a chuckle.

Click! Gibbs heard the mysterious man on the phone hang up. Gibbs looked at the phone, still confused.

"What gift?" Gibbs said aloud.

"Who was it?" Jenny asked.

"Don't know...prank call I guess." Gibbs said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Gibbs then answered his cell phone. "DiNozzo."

"Boss, you need to get down here!" Tony said quickly.

"What'd she do?" Gibbs asked, expecting to hear Tony say that Abby had hurt herself trying to do something that she knew she shouldn't.

"Shots fired, Abby's been hit." Tony informed Gibbs in an urgent tone of voice.

"Stay There!" Gibbs growled. Gibbs slammed the phone down. He quickly grabbed his Sig from his desk drawer and then leaped from his desk and sprinted towards the stairs.

"Jethro what's wrong?" Jenny called after him.

Gibbs didn't answer. He just bolted through the door near the elevator and then practically ran the entire length of the stairs all the way down.

Jenny knew something was wrong. So she decided to follow Gibbs, but not before grabbing her gun from her office upstairs.

--------------------------------------

Gibbs ran into Abby's lab with his Sig in his hand.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked as he entered the lab.

Gibbs looked around and then spotted them on the far side of the lab.

"Abs!" Gibbs cried out in shock as he ran to her side and then dropped to his knees beside her.

Abby was lying in the middle of the floor in the lab, Tony knelt over her, with a cell phone in one hand and the other hand holding his shirt--which he removed from his body--over the right side of her chest. There is some blood visible.

"Just get me a damn ambulance down here now!" Tony shouted into the cell phone.

Click! Tony hung up the cell phone and tossed it to the floor upon seeing his boss enter the room.

"DiNozzo, what happened?" Gibbs barked.

Gibbs motioned for Tony to switch places with him. Gibbs took over holding pressure on Abby's gun shot wound.

"I was moving something in here...I heard the shot, looked up, and saw Abby on the floor..." Tony began.

.........FLASHBACK SEQUENCE.........

Tony is standing in the office portion of Abby's lab. He sets a small microscope down on her desk. He's talking to her while he does it too.

"...It's just weird ya know-" Tony says to Abby from inside the office.

A shot is heard, out in the main area of the lab, along with the sounds of glass shattering and Abby yelping in pain.

Tony instinctively hit the deck, and then looked up after a moment and saw Abby lying on the floor not moving.

"Abby!" Tony shouted as he climbed to his knees and drew his Sig with lightning reflexes.

"Hang on Abs, I'm comin' for ya!" Tony assured her as he began to carefully and yet quickly make his way across the lab to her side.

.........END OF FLASHBACK SEQUENCE.........

Just then Jenny entered the lab, gun drawn, and then she saw Gibbs, Abby, and Tony. She moved over to where they were at.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Oh my God." Jenny said when she saw Abby on the floor.

"Jethro!" Jenny demanded.

Gibbs looked up at Jenny with a look that said "I'm really not in the mood to put up with you".

"Someone's trying to kill Abby." Gibbs said angrily.

"Lock down the navy yard, and get Ziva and McGee back down here." Gibbs instructed rather hastily.

"Tony go outside...when the ambulance gets here show'em in." Gibbs barked.

"On it Boss!" Tony exclaimed as he jumped up, still without a shirt on, and ran out of the lab.

Jenny pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Cynthia...lock down the building and the entire navy yard!" she instructed her secretary.

"I don't care Cynthia...just do it!" Jenny snapped at her secretary, and then she hung up her phone.

Gibbs leaned over Abby and kissed her forehead gently as he held pressure on her gun shot wound. "Hang in there Abs...hang in there."

---------------------------------------

Gibbs stood in the hallway right outside the operating room, pacing back and forth when Ducky, Ziva, and McGee spotted him from down the hall.

Jenny was off else where in the building. supposedly giving the hospital's administrators a heads-up on the situation.

"Jethro!" Ducky called to his friend as he, Ziva, and McGee strolled quickly down the hall.

Gibbs looked up and spotted Ducky and the others coming towards him.

"W-Where is she...i-is she-?" McGee stumbled nervously over his words, slightly out of breath and frightened, as they approached Gibbs.

"She's in surgery now." Gibbs said quietly.

"We came as soon as Tony called." Ziva added.

"Thank you." Gibbs replied silently.

Ducky put his arms around Gibbs and hugged him as best as he could, and then pulled back and looked into Gibbs' worried eyes.

"How is she Jethro?" Ducky asked urgently.

"I-I don't...I don't know." Gibbs said hoarsely.

Gibbs was close to tears--eyes red and all.

"Well what happened exactly?" Ducky pressed, a slight urgency in his voice.

"I-I don't...know Ducky." Gibbs repeated.

All around them doctors and nurses passed by--some even came in and out of the operating room, but didn't really say anything to anyone.

"Tony said that Abby was shot." McGee interjected without thinking.

"Where was she shot Jethro!" Ducky pressed him.

Gibbs became overwhelmed by the barrage of questions that was being fired at him.

"I Don't Know!" Gibbs growled in frustration, as he sank to the ground against the wall.

Gibbs suddenly succumbed to the tears that he'd been fighting for the last little while.

"I just...I just want her to be okay Duck." Gibbs said as he looked up at his friend.

In all of their years Ducky, Ziva, and McGee had never really seen Leroy Jethro Gibbs this way before.

"I know," Ducky said calmly and soothingly as he squatted beside his friend. "We all want Abby to be okay...and I'm sorry."

"Have the doctors said anything?" Ducky asked calmly.

"They won't tell me anything Duck...they just walk by and don't say anything...I try and try and...and I-"

"I can't lose her Ducky...I just..can't." Gibbs confided in his friend.

Ducky tried to comfort and reassure his friend that everything would be okay.

"You won't lose her, Jethro. Our Abigail is a fighter...she always has been." Ducky said softly.

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs replied.

Ducky patted his friend on the shoulder, smiled, and then stood up as a nurse walked out of the operating room.

"Excuse me, miss, could you help us. We're trying to find out..." Ducky tried, but the nurse just kept walking and didn't stop. "...about our friend."

"Well, that was certainly quite rude...wasn't it." Ducky said.

Ducky tried a few more times, but to no avail.

Just then the nurse from before came walking back towards the operating room. They spotted her, and Ducky made ready to intercept her but Ziva stopped him.

"Here Ducky, let me try." Ziva said as she motioned him back, and then shot him a wink.

The nurse got closer and closer until finally Ziva pounced.

"Hey!" Ziva called to the nurse. Ziva then proceeded to grab the nurse with lightning fast reflexes, and pinned her to the wall--holding her there by pressing her fore arm into the nurses throat.

"Now, that we have your attention...perhaps you can answer some questions for us. Hmm?" Ziva whispered into the nurses ear.

"Okay...sure...whatever...just don't...kill me." the frightened nurse choked out.

"Good." Ziva said with a mischievous smile.

Ziva motioned for Ducky to do his thing, as she released the frightened nurse from her "death-grip".

"Yes, well, sorry about that." Ducky apologized to the nurse, who rubbed her now sore throat.

"Our friend...the woman you have in surgery right now..." Ducky began.

"Yes...what about her?" the nurse asked.

"How is she?" Ducky asked.

The nurse looked at Ducky, and then at Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee, and then back at Ducky.

"The bullet was lodged pretty deep...it took awhile to find at first, and she lost a considerable amount of blood." the nurse informed them.

"The bullet doesn't seem to have caused any visible damage to any vital organs...the doctors are patching her up now. She should pull through just fine, but we won't know anything right away."

"And the baby?" Gibbs asked quietly, now standing up.

"Like I said...we won't know anything right away, and there's always that chance." the nurse said quietly.

"That's all I know--for now. And I really need to get back." she informed them.

"Oh...yes, of course...and thank you." Ducky said to the nurse just before she nodded and then headed back into the operating room.

Gibbs sank back against the wall once more with horrible thoughts running through his mind. He could lose everything...right here...right now. He could lose the woman that he loved, and their unborn child. He wasn't sure that his heart could handle it.

The others gathered near/next to him.

"Do we know who shot her? Or Why?" Ziva asked, softly.

"No I-..." Gibbs started, but then a thought occured to him. He remembered the phone call that he'd gotten just a few minutes prior to Abby being shot. "It was him." Gibbs said, whispering at first, and then repeating it again louder so that the others could hear him.

Gibbs then proceeded to explain what had happened back at NCIS HQ, as Ziva and McGee helped him to his feet.

"Right now Jethro, there's nothing you can do here. But you can do what you do best...find the Blackheart that did this to poor Abigail, and see that justice is done." Ducky said to his friend.

Gibbs tried as best as he could to collect himself and regain his composure.

"Yeah...I left DiNozzo at NCIS to process the crime scene, so I should probably get back and see what he's found." Gibbs said.

Just then Jenny walked up to the group.

"Jen?" Gibbs asked.

"I talked to the hospital's administrator and informed her of our situation, and she's agreed to release Abby to Bethesda Naval Hospital as soon as the doctors clear her for transport." Jenny informed Gibbs and the rest of the group.

"Did you find out anything?" Jenny asked Gibbs.

Ducky took the liberty of answering for Gibbs, so that Gibbs wouldn't have to. He explained to Jenny what the nurse had told them just a few minutes earlier.

"Jethro I-" Jenny started.

"Save it, Jen. Now's not the time." Gibbs silenced her, not trying to sound rude or disrespectful in any way.

Jenny and Gibbs stared at each other for a moment, until Jenny finally broke the silence.

"Well, we'll set up round-the-clock security detail outside her room once they assign her one. And we'll also post a security detail outside the hospital--at least until we can get her moved to Bethesda. At which time I'm sure we will all feel somewhat more at ease." Jenny offered.

"Thanks Jen." Gibbs said quietly.

Then suddenly everyone saw Gibbs transform again right before their very eyes.

"Ducky, I want you to stay here with Abby. You call me as soon as you hear something."

"As soon as I know something, Jethro, I will let you know." Ducky replied.

"Ziva! McGee! With Me." Gibbs barked.

Ziva and McGee hastily moved to join Gibbs. Gibbs turned back to face Jenny.

"Jen, you do whatever IT IS that you...do."

Jenny stopped Gibbs before he could walk away.

"I know how your feeling right now, Jethro...but be careful." she warned him, knowing full well what he was prone to do in the mood that he was in.

Gibbs looked into Jenny's eyes for a moment and then responded. "The bastard that did this to Abby...is the one who needs to be careful." Gibbs snapped.

Jenny watched as Gibbs turned on his heel and walked away towards Ziva and McGee who were waiting for him not too far down the hall.

------------To Be Continued in "All or Nothing, Pt. 2"------------

------------"All or Nothing, Pt. 2"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

In the squad room back at NCIS HQ the team was fast asleep. They'd been at it all night trying to come up with some sort of lead as to the identity of the man responsible for putting Abby in the hospital, but to no avail.

It was around about 9:30 when Gibbs began to stir in his chair. He blinked a
couple of times and looked around taking in his surroundings. Gibbs suddenly leaned forward in his seat, shaking the sleep from his body as he did.

Over at Tony's desk there was a huge pile of papers on top of his desk, but Tony was nowhere to be seen.

Ziva had her seat leaned pretty far back, leaning on the wall.

McGee had chosen to sleep on the floor behind his desk, well actually the upper portion of his body was up under the desk while the lower portion stuck out from behind it.

Gibbs took a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, as he stood to stretch.

"Here Boss!" Tony declared, still half-asleep, as he bolted up from the center of the pile of papers on top of his desk. This action sent papers sprawling all over the floor around him.

Gibbs' shout also startled Ziva who lost her balance which sent the chair sprawling forward and caused her to slam her hands down hard on the surface of her desk. This jolted her to full alert mode. "I am awake...I am awake."

Tony and Ziva looked around and then finally began to re-adjust--slowly pulling themselves together.

Gibbs grinned, but that grin quickly faded as he looked around for McGee.

"Where's McGee?" Gibbs asked.

Tony and Ziva looked around for a moment before they both called his name at the same time. "McGee!" they shouted together.

Up under his desk, McGee was startled by Tony and Ziva's shouting and stupidly sat, or tried to sit, bolt upright, and slammed his head hard against the under side of his desk.

Thunk! "Ow!" McGee cried upon hitting his head.

Everyone turned towards McGee's desk.

"Probie?" Tony asked.

"I'm here...and I'm hurt." McGee said as he slid out from under his desk, rubbing his sore cranium.

"You alright McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah...I'll be fine." McGee replied still rubbing his sore spot.

"DiNozzo, got get us some coffee, will ya."

"Sure thing boss." Tony replied as he grabbed his coat off of the back of his chair.

Tony grabbed his Sig from his desk drawer and then he headed for the elevator.

"McGee, did you get anything from the phone records?" Gibbs asked, as he rebooted his computer.

McGee sat down in his chair and punched a few keys on his keyboard.

"Not much." McGee replied. "The number he called from checks back to a pre-paid cell-phone."

That bit of info did not make Gibbs very happy, and McGee knew it all too well.

"But if he calls again...I can try to trace it, and give you a location." McGee offered.

"IF he calls again." Gibbs repeated. "Ziva, anything from the crime scene?"

"Broken glass, blood...not much that would help us catch the guy." Ziva reported.

Gibbs rested his head in his hands. "In other words...we've got nothing."

---------------------------------------

On the street outside the coffee shop that the NCIS team often frequented for their coffee needs, "The Coffee House", Tony found that it was closed.

A sign on the door read, "CLOSED DUE TO KITCHEN FIRE. REPAIRS IN PROGRESS."

"Hmm, weird." Tony muttered to himself. "Guess I'll try the place down the street instead." Tony said to himself.

Tony turned away from "The Coffee House" and headed off down the street.

---------------------------------------

Ring! Ring! The telephone at Gibbs' desk rang.

Gibbs instinctively, without thinking, picked up the phone--maybe expecting to hear Ducky on the other end. "Gibbs." he said.

"Did you like my surprise Agent Gibbs?" the voice asked.

Gibbs realized who it was on the phone, and it made his blood run cold.

"You." Gibbs said coldly.

"Aw, what's wrong...you sound angry." the voice said.

"I will find you...and I will kill you."

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. I'm sorry you feel that way Agent Gibbs. But at least now you know how I feel." the voice said.

"Robert Botticelli. Do you remember him Agent Gibbs?" the voice asked menacingly.

"Yeah, I remember." Gibbs replied, unimpressed by the mysterious man's attempts to intimidate him. "He murdered two marines last year after they discovered his drug-ring and tried to rat him out." Gibbs recalled.

"Yes, very good. You do remember."

Gibbs looked around the squad room, kind of annoyed looking.

"Yeah, and I also remember that he's dead." Gibbs said.

"As do I, Agent Gibbs, as do I." the voice said

At about that time McGee and Ziva both realized who it was that Gibbs was talking to. Ziva got up from her desk, and moved closer to Gibbs' desk so she could hear the conversation better. McGee began quickly punching keys on his keyboard--patching into Gibbs' phone line, and starting a trace.

"Is that what this is all about?" Gibbs asked.

---------------------------------------

Elsewhere in a building somewhere in Washington D.C. a man with real-short curly black hair, and deep green eyes, and a nice tan sits in an otherwise empty, dimly lit, room talking on a cell phone.

Beside the man is a brief case. The brief case is lying open, and next to it is a fully assembled sniper rifle lying on a pillow.

"You killed my him, Agent Gibbs...You killed my brother. And for that I will make you suffer like you have never suffered before!" the man barks angrily into the cell phone.

Gibbs' voice is heard over the cell phone. "And so now you plan to kill everyone that I care about, is that right?" Gibbs asked.

"Precisely Agent Gibbs. And if I were you, I wouldn't worry about catching me right now...rather, I would worry about Agent DiNozzo instead." the man said angrily.

Click! The man hung up on Agent Gibbs. He took a moment to collect himself before he picked up the sniper rifle and aimed it out the window that he sat next to.

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ Gibbs slammed his phone down, and then he reached into his desk drawer and quickly pulled out his Sig.

Gibbs glanced over at Ziva who was still standing next to his desk.

"Ziva! Get DiNozzo on the phone now!" Gibbs barked as he bolted around his desk and headed for the elevator. "Tell him to stay INSIDE the coffee shop." Gibbs instructed.

"On it." Ziva replied as she picked up Gibbs' desk phone and dialed Tony's cell number.

"The trace didn't work...guess I didn't catch it quick enough." McGee mused as he stared at his computer monitor.

"Tony's not answering his phone." Ziva reported.

"You better keep trying...cause it sounds to me like Tony may be in trouble." McGee said.

---------------------------------------

Outside Gibbs ran through the door and out onto the sidewalk/street, and ran as fast as he could down the street in the direction of "The Coffee House".

Gibbs knew that if he didn't reach DiNozzo in time, that that Psycho could kill him just as he had tried to kill Abby.

---------------------------------------

Tony arrived at the little street-corner coffee stand owned by Stan Harris, and got in line.

"Stan sure does have a line...for this time of morning anyway." Tony observed.

While he waited in line behind 4 or 5 other people Tony realized that his cell phone was ringing. So he pulled it out, the caller ID said "Gibbs' Desk", and so Tony decided that he better answer it.

"Hey Boss, I was just gettin'-" Tony started.

Ziva's voice is heard over the phone. "This is not Gibbs Tony."

"Ziva?" Tony said.

"Yes, it is me...now listen." Ziva started. "Gibbs said to stay INSIDE coffee shop...we think that you are in danger."

"The Coffee House was closed Ziva." Tony informed her.

---------------------------------------

At NCIS HQ.

"What?" Ziva asked, confused.

Tony's voice is heard over the phone.

"Yeah, there was some kind of fire in there kitchen, so they were closed." Tony informed her.

"So where are you then?" Ziva asked.

---------------------------------------

Outside at Stan Harris' "JAVA-LAVA" street-corner coffee stand.

"Down the street at Stan's "JAVA-LAVA" coffee stand." Tony replied.

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ.

McGee's desk phone rang. He answered it.

"McGee." he said into the phone.

---------------------------------------

Outside "The Coffee House".

Gibbs is standing outside in front of "The Coffee House".

"McGee! Where's DiNozzo?" Gibbs barked through the phone.

"Boss!"

"Yeah McGee its me!" Gibbs snapped at McGee over the phone. "I'm outside "The Coffee House", but he's not here--it's closed."

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ.

"Um uh...hold on just one second." McGee told his boss.

"Ziva, the boss wants to know where Tony is." McGee informed Ziva.

Ziva explained to McGee, quickly what Tony had just finished telling her.

"Uh, Boss Tony's down the street at Stan's...he said--" McGee started.

---------------------------------------

Back on the street Gibbs looked around and took in his surroundings and that is when it hit him--right in the middle of McGee's sentence--the whole thing was a set up.

"The Coffee House" and most of that street were in the shade protected by awnings and overhangs. There was no way that this guy, even with a powerful scope and sniper rifle, would be able to get a clear shot anywhere in this/that area. He would need a place that was more--open air.

"Never mind McGee!" Gibbs snapped again, interrupting McGee mid-sentence. "It was a setup...he wanted Tony to go to Stan's." Gibbs informed him.

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ.

"W-What? B-but that means-" McGee stumbled over his words.

"Tell Tony to take cover, and NOT to move until I get there!" Gibbs barked his instructions over the phone.

"Y-yes sir...on it boss." McGee studdered.

McGee informed Ziva of Gibbs' instructions as quickly as he could from across the bullpen.

---------------------------------------

Back outside on the street Gibbs was still running, trying to reach Stan's coffee stand, and Tony.

---------------------------------------

Tony strained to hear what Ziva was saying, but the construction crew one street over was making enough noise at this point that it was hard for him to hear.

"What? Ziva I can't...I can't hear you. There's too much noise..."

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ.

Tony's voice is heard over the phone as Ziva continues to repeat Gibbs' instructions to him.

"I'm gonna have to call you back. There's just too much noise." Tony said.

"Tony, Gibbs said to...No, no Tony do not hang up! Tony!" Ziva tried, but Tony was right even she could hear the noise over the phone.

McGee stood up behind his desk. "W-What is it--what's wrong?" McGee stammered.

---------------------------------------

"What about Gibbs?" Tony asked, loudly, over the noise.

He stepped out of the line and covered one ear with his free hand to try and block out some of the noise.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs was finally within sight and earshot of Tony. Tony had his phone to his ear, talking probably to Ziva.

He began yelling as he moved closer and tried to get Tony's attention. "DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted over the noise.

Tony couldn't hear him over the noise though, but still Gibbs persisted in his endeavor. "DiNozzo!" he shouted louder.

Tony suddenly became aware of someone calling his name, and it wasn't Ziva (over the phone). He turned slightly and searched the crowd on the street with his eyes until he spotted Gibbs, and turned so he was almost fully facing Gibbs.

"Boss!" Tony shouted, a smile on his face, as he waved his phone in the air.

Gibbs finally had Tony's attention. People were pushing past Gibbs, as Gibbs was trying to reach Tony.

"Get off the street!" Gibbs shouted.

"What?" Tony yelled back.

"Get off the street!" Gibbs shouted again.

"I can't understand you!" Tony tried to yell back.

"Get off the-"

Bang! The sound of the gun shot echoed through the streets. People on the street began to panic, and started running off in all directions. It was pandemonium.

Gibbs suddenly found himself back on the roof top where Ari shot Kate.

......FLASHBACK SEQUENCE......

Gibbs and Tony were helping Kate up off of the ground.

"Protection detail's over Kate." Gibbs said.

"You did good." Tony added.

"For once, DiNozzo's right."

Kate stands up. "Wow, I thought I'd die before I ever heard that." Kate chuckled.

A Gun shot is fired and hits Kate in the head. She falls to the ground, dead. Blood sprays on DiNozzo and Gibbs.

"Ari..." Gibbs muttered, as he turned in the direction of the shot.

......FLASHBACK SEQUENCE......

Gibbs watched in horror as Tony slumped forward to the ground--his expression reflecting fear as his face turned ghostly white. It all happened in slow motion at first, but then things, seemingly, returned to their normal speed as Gibbs whipped out his Sig and assumed a defensive position. He aimed his Sig up in the direction in which the shot came from his eyes desperately searching--hoping maybe he might catch some glimpse of the shooter, and where he was hiding.

Gibbs moved over to Tony's side, and rolled him over--he had been hit.

"Stay with me DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, as he dropped his Sig and reached for Tony's shirt to rip it open as blood stained it.

Gibbs then noticed that Tony's phone was still on, and he could hear Ziva's frantic voice coming through the receiver. Gibbs snatched up Tony's phone as he tried to do multiple tasks at one time.

"Ziva!" Gibbs barked.

"Gibbs, where's Tony?" Ziva asked frantically.

"I need an ambulance at the corner of Connecticut and Lexington street!" Gibbs instructed.

"Why? What happened? Is Tony alright?" Ziva began rambling off questions uncontrollably.

"Damn it Ziva, just get me an ambulance down here...Now!" Gibbs barked.

By that point a small crowd of onlookers had begun to gather on the sidewalk and street. They watched as Gibbs moved around Tony frantically in an attempt to keep his Senior Field Agent alive.

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ.

Ziva tried to pull herself together as she hung up the phone, and then struggled to dial the number for 911.

When the dispatch operator finally answered Ziva began to rifle off Gibbs instructions/directions.

This frightened McGee a little bit, and he quickly moved out from behind his desk and over towards Ziva.

"What happened?" McGee demanded, nervously, as he stepped up to her side.

---------------------------------------

Tony was rushed into the hospital's emergency/ambulance entrance. The EMTs quickly handing him off to the doctors and nurses on staff at Washington D.C. Memorial Hospital. Gibbs followed closely behind, trying to keep up with what was going on and what was being said.

Finally a nurse stopped Gibbs and told him that he could not come back with them, and that he had to stay in the waiting area.

"Will he be alright?" Gibbs asked, slightly out of breath.

"I can't say, sir, but if you'll just-" the nurse started, motioning towards the waiting area.

"Will He be Alright!?" Gibbs demanded, loudly.

"I can't say sir. You just brought him in, but when we do...you'll be the first to know." the nurse said making direct eye contact with Gibbs to show him that she was not so easily intimidated.

Gibbs rolled his eyes at the nurse, frustrated. "Fine." he said.

The nurse walked away and left Gibbs to wait in the waiting area.

Suddenly Gibbs' cell phone rang, reluctantly, he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it without even checking the caller ID.

"Two down, Agent Gibbs...three to go." the voice said.

"You bastard!" Gibbs shouted quietly into the phone.

"Temper, Temper." the voice taunted him.

"I will find you." Gibbs threatened. "You hear me...Next time I pull the trigger!" Gibbs said, all the while his anger level and his voice level rising.

"You're Dead!" Gibbs shouted into the phone.

Click! He hung up on the mysterious man on the other end of the line, unaware that everyone in the waiting area was staring at him.

Suddenly McGee and Ziva burst threw the hospital's doors jogging straight for Gibbs.

"Where is he?" Ziva asked quickly.

Gibbs turned to look at the rest of his team.

"Where is Tony!?" Ziva demanded.

"Ziv-Ziva just calm down...I'm sure he's fine." McGee said, as he tried to calm Ziva.

"He--He is going to be fine...right boss?' McGee asked, nervous and a little on edge. (Mostly because Ziva drove.)

Gibbs just shrugged his shoulders.

"I-I don't know. We just got here, and they took him back there to-" Gibbs said as he pointed in the direction that the doctors had taken him.

---------------------------------------

The next day was horrible for the team. Ziva and McGee sat in the squad room back at NCIS, as per Gibbs' instructions. Both of them tried to process everything that had happened so far. McGee was a little bit more shaken than Ziva was, or at least He thought so anyway.

On their way back to NCIS from the hospital there had been an attempt on McGee's life--it was unsuccessful though.

Gibbs had called and told Ducky and Jenny about Tony. Ducky had volunteered to travel back to Washington D.C. hospital to stay with Tony, while Jenny staid with Abby, who was now awake, at Bethesda.

"Uuhhh! What is taking so long!?" Ziva demanded of no one in particular.

"I'm sure Gibbs will call when he hears something new." McGee said trying to reassure Ziva and himself.

"It has been almost a day and a half, McGee...I think they would know something by now!" Ziva said venting angrily.

---------------------------------------

On the elevator of the NCIS HQ, Gibbs was returning from the hospital after having been told that, at current, Tony had at best a 65 to 70% chance of making a full recovery, but that there was always that chance that something could go wrong. Other than that the doctors had promised to do everything that they could.

He suddenly hit the elevator's "STOP" switch causing it to come to a sudden halt between floors, and the lights to go down.

Gibbs stood there in silence trying to process everything that had happened and tried to make sense of it. But in his mind, for some reason, the pieces of the puzzle just didn't seem to want to fit together.

In his mind he kept comparing what happened to Tony with what happened to Kate. And then suddenly, without warning, his thoughts began to wander almost away from him.

"You were a good agent Kate." Gibbs said quietly to himself. "What would you do?" Gibbs said quietly to himself as he slumped down against the wall of the elevator.

......DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE......

"Whatcha got Gibbs?" came the familiar voice.

Gibbs looked up at the figure now standing before him. "Kate?"

"You just gonna sit there...or are you gonna let me help you?" Kate said with a grin.

She was wearing the same outfit she had worn during her first encounter with Ari Haswari, and she had her hair down.

Gibbs just stood there staring at her. She was supposed to be dead...wasn't she?

"Kate...you're dead." Gibbs said, staring at her for a moment.

"I know...but you asked for me, and now here I am." Kate said.

"I-I don't know what to do, Kate." Gibbs said quietly.

Kate joined Gibbs on the floor beside him, leaning against the wall.

"It's not your fault you know?" Kate said looking at her feet, and then at Gibbs.

"Then why do I feel like it is?" Gibbs asked sternly.

Kate chuckled. "Because you think you can save the world, when you can't." Kate replied.

"He shot Abby...he shot Tony...he tried to shoot McGee. Thank God for Ziva, right." Kate said with a grin.

"Is there a point to this?" Gibbs asked, really not in the mood.

"Yeah Gibbs, you shot this guy's brother remember?"

"I remember Kate, so what." Gibbs said, and then suddenly wished that he hadn't said it that way.

"Well obviously, Gibbs, you broke his heart. And now he wants you to know how it feels." Kate replied.

"I could have figured that out Kate." Gibbs said.

Kate chuckled again. "Maybe."

"Did I forget to mention that he's arrogant and sloppy?" Kate asked with a grin.

"Sloppy?" Gibbs asked.

"Geez Gibbs, you really are a mess aren't you!?" Kate said as she turned to look at him.

"He thinks Abby and Tony are both dead." she told him.

Kate never did/had cease(ed) to amaze Gibbs--ever.

"Now come on." Kate said as she stood up.

Gibbs looked at her as she stood. "Where are we going?" he asked quietly, suddenly confused.

Kate extended a hand to Gibbs. Gibbs took her hand, and she pulled him up to his feet.

"WE aren't going anywhere...You, on the other hand, have a job to do." Kate said with a smile as she helped Gibbs to his feet.

Gibbs actually cracked a grin at that one. "Thanks Kate." Gibbs said.

Kate smiled at Gibbs. "You're welcome Gibbs." she replied.

"Congratulations by the way." Kate said with a grin. "She'll probably be stubborn and grouchy just like dear old Dad." Kate said with a chuckle.

......END OF DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE......

"Thanks Kate." Gibbs said quietly.

He grinned as he flipped the "STOP" switch back to the "Go" position.

It was all starting to make sense in Gibbs' mind now.

---------------------------------------

Suddenly the elevator pinged, the doors opened, and Gibbs stepped off.

"McGee, I need you bring up everything we have on Robert Botticelli." Gibbs instructed McGee as he entered the squad room.

"On it boss." McGee said somberly.

"How is Tony? Can we see him?" Ziva asked.

"After we catch this guy." Gibbs replied. "And I think I know how." Gibbs said quietly.

"But Gibbs-" Ziva tried.

"WHEN we CATCH this guy." Gibbs repeated placing more emphasis on the important key words.

Gibbs settled down behind his desk.

"The doctor's said Tony should make a full recovery. Ducky's at the hospital with him now. He's not awake yet, but Ducky will let us know when he does." Gibbs informed his team.

Ziva walked back to her desk and sat down. "Alright."

McGee finally managed to find the files on Robert Botticelli. "Got'em boss." McGee informed Gibbs.

"What does it say about his family?" Gibbs asked, as he turned his attention to McGee.

"Well, it says here that both of his parents are dead, he has one brother, and...oh, um, boss...Robert Botticelli is dead. Been dead since-"

"May of last year." Gibbs finished for him.

"Yeah, but how-?" McGee started.

"I'm the one who killed him." Gibbs replied.

Ziva and McGee looked at each other.

"What's his brother's name?" Gibbs asked.

"Umm...Raymond...Raymond Botticelli." McGee informed Gibbs.

Gibbs leaned back in his chair. "Raymond Botticelli...that's our guy." Gibbs said.

------------To Be Continued in "All or Nothing, Pt. 3"------------

------------"All or Nothing, Pt. 3"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

The next day Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee were back on top of their current case.

In the squad room McGee was hard at work at his computer looking up the information that Gibbs had asked for. Ziva was at her desk, on the phone, trying to get a search warrant from the legal department.

The elevator pinged and Gibbs stepped off, coffee cup in hand, and headed for the bullpen.

Ziva hung up the phone as Gibbs walked past her desk and took a sip of his coffee.

"How's our search warrant comin'?" Gibbs asked as he sat down at his desk, and placed his coffee cup down in front of him.

"Waiting on us to pick it up." Ziva replied, as she hung up the phone.

"McGee, got me that address yet?" Gibbs asked McGee.

"Right here Boss." McGee replied, as he waved a slip of paper in the air.

"Alright, let's gear up." Gibbs said as he stood, retrieved his badge and his Sig from his desk drawer.

The others followed suit.

Gibbs walked over to McGee and took the slip of paper from him.

"McGee you get the search warrant and meet us there." Gibbs instructed as he turned and headed towards the elevator.

"Right Boss." McGee answered.

Ziva grabbed up the last of her stuff, and followed after Gibbs.

The elevator doors closed behind Gibbs and Ziva.

---------------------------------------

In the elevator Ziva turned to Gibbs with a serious expression spread across her face.

"If we catch him...I want to be the one to kill him." Ziva demanded quietly.

Gibbs just grinned as he reached over and hit the elevator's "Stop" switch bringing the elevator to a sudden halt.

"Ziva, we need to talk." Gibbs said quietly.

---------------------------------------

Somewhere out in a sub-division in Washington D.C. the team--Gibbs, Ziva, & McGee stood outside the last known address/living quarters of Raymond Botticelli. They were getting ready to execute their search warrant--even though they didn't see any vehicles or any other signs that anyone was home--Gibbs' gut told him that Raymond might still be watching the area, somehow from somewhere. So the team planned to take a considerable amount of safety measures.

"So what is it, exactly, that we're lookin' for, Boss?" McGee asked as he finished strapping on his Kevlar vest.

"Don't know." Gibbs replied staring at the house as he took a sip of coffee from his coffee cup. "Maybe he's in there."

"Be on your guard...and look sharp." Gibbs instructed as he readied his Sig.

"Ready." Ziva said.

McGee inhaled a deep breath. "Ready". he said letting out the breath.

Together the trio moved on the house checking the outside areas around the house before they actually entered the house.

---------------------------------------

They moved through each room clearing each one as they went.

"Clear!" Gibbs called from the back of the house.

"All clear here!" McGee called from the dining room.

"Clear!" Ziva called from the kitchen/living room.

The team met back up in the front of the house (also called the living room).

"He's not here." McGee said as he holstered his weapon.

"This place is...Clean." Ziva said looking around. "But there is dust on the furniture. I do not think that anyone has been here for quite some time." Ziva informed Gibbs.

"No...he's been here. Recently." Gibbs said as he took a moment to look around.

Riiinnggggg! Gibbs reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, and then he answered it.

"Nice place isn't it...Agent Gibbs?" the voice said.

"Sure is." Gibbs replied sarcastically.

"Well I hope you're almost done in there." the voice said.

"Yeah, and why's that?" Gibbs asked, looking at McGee and Ziva.

"Your time's running out, Agent Gibbs...I hope the rest of your team is nearby." the voice said with a chuckle just before he hung up on Gibbs.

Gibbs closed his phone.

"Who was it Boss?" McGee asked.

Gibbs seemed lost in his thoughts for a brief moment.

"Damn!" Gibbs said.

"That does not sound good." Ziva remarked to McGee.

"That's because it's not." McGee said.

"He planted a bomb somewhere in this house." Gibbs said. "Everyone Out!"

Gibbs looked at Ziva quickly.

The three of them headed out the front door, and made for their cars.

---------------------------------------

Ziva stopped short, looking down and checking her belt as if she were missing something.

"My knife...I must have dropped it inside." She said. "I have to go back."

Ziva turned and headed back into the house as Gibbs and McGee were fixin' to take cover behind the vehicles.

"Ziva wait!" Gibbs shouted.

But Ziva was already inside the house.

"McGee you stay here, I'm goin' after Ziva." Gibbs said as he ran around the car towards the house. He didn't get to far before the house exploded in front of him.

The force of the blast knocked Gibbs backwards onto his back. He quickly sat up and stared at the house now engulfed in flames from top to bottom almost.

Over by the vehicles McGee stared at the scene in horror. "Ziva." he whispered in shock.

"Ziva!" Gibbs yelled.

............To Be Continued in "All or Nothing, Pt. 4"............

------------"All or Nothing, Pt. 4"------------

In the NCIS Squad Room.

McGee was badly shaken by what he'd seen earlier that day, and Gibbs knew it--all to well.

So far it had been a trying day as well as a trying night.

Riiinnnggg! Gibbs answered his desk phone on auto-pilot after the first ring. "Gibbs." he answered groggily as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Having fun, Agent Gibbs?" the man asked.

"I'm tired of this game." Gibbs said trying to sound angry, but the tiredness came through in his voice anyway.

"I bet you would like very much for this to end...wouldn't you?"

Gibbs didn't say a word. He wasn't about to give the scumbag the satisfaction of hearing him give up...to raise the white flag of defeat as it were.

"You brought this on yourself, you know?"

"Look, I'm the one you want right?" Gibbs asked, becoming very serious.

"It wa you who pulled the trigger on my brother."

"Then let's end this...once and for all." Gibbs offered.

"You would willingly sacrifice your own life?"

"If it puts an end to your game...yes." Gibbs answered, as he looked over at McGee.

"Just say when and where."

"Wise choice Agent Gibbs...wise choice."

"So?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"Fine. The place...at the Docks, warehouse 414."

A memory flashes through Gibbs mind. Warehouse 414 was where he busted Robert Botticelli's drug ring, and also where he killed him.

"The place where I killed your brother, right." Gibbs smiled.

"And the time?" Gibbs asked rubbing a hand against his jaw.

"Now." the man said.

Gibbs chuckled, flashing a grin that the man on the phone could not see.

"I'm on my way." Gibbs said.

"Remember Agent Gibbs, no tricks."

"Wouldn't think of it." Gibbs said with a grin.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs got into his car and started it up.

After he had in drive and began the drive down to the docks he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, and quickly dialed a number.

"Hello." the female voice on the other end of the line answered.

"It worked." Gibbs said into the phone.

The female voice and Gibbs share a few words with each other quickly.

"Warehouse 414, on the docks. I'm on my way now." Gibbs said into the phone.

"It should only take a few minutes for me to get there." the female voice replied.

"See you there then." Gibbs said with a grin.

"Yes you will." the female voice responded.

---------------------------------------

McGee had followed Gibbs down to the NCIS HQ parking lot, and had then decided to tail him, and see where he was going. Although he had a feeling he already knew where Gibbs was going.

And if his gut-feeling was right then he definitely wanted to be there. After all this psycho had put him through. Revenge would be oh so sweet.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs' car rolled silently to a stop outside of a big warehouse building out at the Docks.

The car door opened and Gibbs stepped out, and locked the doors behind him.

He stared at the building for a moment before he headed for its entrance.

---------------------------------------

McGee pulled his car up a little bit away from Gibbs' and watched Gibbs enter the warehouse.

The rage that McGee now felt was building and he wasn't sure how much longer he could contain it.

---------------------------------------

Inside the warehouse it was dimly lit and Gibbs had to give his eyes a moment to adjust to his surroundings.

"You don't know how long I have waited for this, Agent Gibbs." a voice from shadows said.

"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?" Gibbs asked, as he tried to hide a grin.

The man stepped from the shadows. He held a Glock-9 firmly in his hand.

"Oh yes very much, Agent Gibbs." the man replied.

"Raymond Botticelli." Gibbs said.

"You know, right where you're standing now is where Robert was standing when I shot him." Gibbs pointed out.

"My brother did not deserve to die." Raymond Botticelli said angrily.

Gibbs grinned and rolled his eyes.

"He was running a drug ring." Gibbs said pointedly.


Suddenly the door swung open behind the two of them and McGee stepped inside, Sig drawn, and held out in front of him.

"McGee! What're you doing here?" Gibbs demanded.

McGee looked a little wild-eyed. Gibbs knew that Tim was angry and upset.

McGee moved up to Gibbs' side.

"McGee put the gun down." Gibbs instructed calmly.

McGee was listening.

"You shot Abby. You shot Tony. And you blew up Ziva!" McGee started, as he stared and aimed his Sig at Raymond Botticelli.

"McGee...give me the gun." Gibbs instructed.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now." McGee said angrily, his eyes showing the full intensity of his anger.

"I should have known you would try something like this, Agent Gibbs." Raymond Botticelli said.

"I had no idea he would even try to follow me." Gibbs said.

Gibbs turned his attention back to McGee, who looked so angry that Gibbs only hoped that he could talk him down.

"McGee!" Gibbs said raising his voice.

McGee actually looked at Gibbs this time.

"McGee...you don't wanna do this." Gibbs said calmly.

"Why not!?" McGee replied defensively.

"Because its not you Tim...what Abby think if she knew what you were doing right now..or Tony or Ziva?" Gibbs said.

McGee began to calm down a little bit Gibbs could tell. He even lowered his Sig a little bit.

"It's not you, Tim...now give me the gun." Gibbs said calmly as he held out his hand.

McGee looked from his boss to Raymond Botticelli, and then back to his boss, and after a moment or two he finally gave up and surrendered his weapon to Gibbs.

"Good boy." Gibbs said softly as he took the weapon from McGee.

Finally Gibbs and Raymond Botticelli were able to continue from where they had been interrupted.

"My brother was doing what he had to do to survive!" Raymond Botticelli snapped at Gibbs.

"He could've just gotten a job like a normal person." Gibbs pointed out.

"How dare you...how dare you mock my brother that way! HOW DARE YOU!" Raymond Botticelli growled at Gibbs.

"Moving to this country was not easy for Robert...and you, Agent Gibbs, didn't make things any easier for him." Raymond Botticelli said.

"And by killing you, his death will be avenged, as it so rightly should be." Raymond Botticelli said menacingly, as he raised his Glock-9 and aimed it at Gibbs.

"Not gonna happen." Gibbs said with that trademark "Gibbs" grin.

"I hope you are prepared to die." came the female voice from behind Raymond Botticelli.

Raymond Botticelli suddenly heard the distinctive sound of a gun being primed, and then he felt its muzzle pressed against the side of his head.

The woman stepped from the shadows and revealed herself to everyone in the building. Gibbs, Raymond Botticelli, and McGee.

"Ziva?" McGee said, shocked to see her alive.

"Ah, Officer David...so it would seem that you survived the explosion at my house after all." Raymond Botticelli said, amused.

"So it would seem." Ziva replied.

"B-but how?" McGee managed to croak out.

"It was all part of the plan, McGee." Ziva replied without looking away from Raymond Botticelli.

"I figured out how Mr. Botticelli was operating, and I knew I needed at least one more casualty before he would agree to show himself...I knew he would try again--probably when we searched his house." Gibbs explained.

"The only thing we did not know for sure...was how." Ziva finished Gibbs' sentence for him.

"The rest was just timing and luck." Gibbs added.

"By the way...nice timing, Ziva." Gibbs said with a grin.

"Thanks." Ziva replied.

Ziva, at this point, was calling upon every ounce of restraint that she had just trying to resist the urge to pull the trigger right then and there.

"McGee...his weapon please." Gibbs said to McGee.

"Uh...right, boss." McGee said, still in shock from seeing Ziva.

McGee did as he was told, and slowly and carefully he moved over to Raymond Botticelli and secured his weapon. After that he moved back over to Gibbs' side.

Gibbs glared at Raymond Botticelli standing in front of him with Ziva holding him at gun point.

"You threatened my family...you threatened my team." Gibbs began.

McGee couldn't help but look from his boss to Raymond and Ziva and back again--more than once.

"When I busted your brother...he said that he wouldn't go down without a fight. And then he fired the first shot(s)." Gibbs said.

Gibbs rolled McGee's Sig over in his hand a couple of times inspecting it.

"After I apprehended him he said that the price of my interference would be those whom I cared about." Gibbs continued.

"And he was right about that one." Raymond snapped angrily.

"You know what I said?" Gibbs asked Raymond Botticelli.

"I said...'then taking you in is a mistake I won't make'." Gibbs said, as if in a voice from the past, as he brought the Sig up in front of him and aimed it at Raymond Botticelli.

"And taking you in and locking you up...is a mistake I won't make." Gibbs said.

"Ziva." Gibbs said as he motioned for her to move away from Raymond Botticelli.

Ziva read the signal and did as she was told, even though she would have loved to be the one to do what she knew Gibbs was about to do.

"And by the way...the people I care about are still very much alive." Gibbs said just before he pulled the trigger.

BANG! One shot to the head, and Raymond Botticelli slumped forward to the ground, blood pooling around him.

............Catch The Emotional Conclusion to the "All or Nothing" Story Arc in "All or Nothing, Pt. 5: Little Blue Eyes"............

............"All or Nothing, Pt. 5: Little Blue Eyes"............

Gibbs made his way down the hallway of Bethesda Naval Hospital on his way to see Abby.

It was really late, but Gibbs wanted to let her know that he had taken care of everything, and that they were safe again.

Originally he had called to tell her, but Jenny had said that he needed to get down there right away. That Abby needed to see him. And she had sounded urgent when she said it.

So he came rushing down to Bethesda as fast as he could. Ziva and McGee had tagged along as well.

"Jen." Gibbs said as he saw his Director standing outside the door of Abby's room.

"Gibbs, are you sure you're ready for this?" Jen said as she stopped him from going into the room.

"Jen, what is it?" Gibbs asked. By now he was starting to panic.

Jenny stared at him for a second or two, before a grin came across her lips.

"Maybe you should see for yourself." Jen said with a grin as she urged Gibbs, gently, into the room.

Gibbs looked at Jen for a moment, and then turned and headed into the room.

"Abs." Gibbs whispered as he entered the room.

And that's when his eyes fell upon her. He was frozen--no glued to the spot where he stood.

Abby was sitting up in the hospital bed, her hair was down, and she was holding a small bundle in her arms.

"Jethro." Abby said softly as she looked up from the small bundle.

There were small tears in her eyes, and a big, warm smile on her face.

"She has your eyes." Abby said softly.

Gibbs was stunned. The fact that the small bundle was wrapped in a tiny, pink blanket hadn't quite registered in his mind at first.

"She?" Gibbs choked out.

Gibbs tried to move closer to the bed--to Abby's side, but he couldn't move at first.

"Do you wanna hold her?" Abby asked.

"I-I-" Gibbs tried, but he couldn't find the words so he just grinned instead.

He moved to Abby's side and bent down, and accepted the small bundle--being sure that he had her securely in his arms before he stood erect again.

Gibbs rocked his newborn baby gently as he held her in his arms. "She's so small." Gibbs thought to himself. And Abby was right...she did have his eyes.

As Gibbs looked into those big blue eyes that were staring silently back into his he felt emotions that he hadn't felt in a long time. He could feel the tears welling up in his own eyes.

"Hey there," Gibbs whispered softly to the newborn that he held in his arms. "I'm your daddy." he whispered softly, as he smiled at the baby girl.

"When I first saw you
starin' back at me,
I didn't know what to say;
the first time you cried
you brought a tear to my eye,
and I promised you all my days."

"She's beautiful..." Gibbs whispered softly.

"Little blue eyes
your blowin' my mind,
with all the things you do to me;
and I don't know why
but deep down inside,
I wanna give you everything--in me.
Little blue eyes."

Behind him Abby was smiling the biggest smile she had ever smiled in her life.

Gibbs turned back to Abby with tears in his eyes looking very tired, but also very very happy.

"...Just like her mother." Gibbs added as he smiled at Abby.

Gibbs moved back over to Abby's side and bent down to kiss her.

Gibbs then looked at his newborn baby girl and whispered to her, with her mother, Abby, as his witness.

"Chloe Caitlin Gibbs...from this moment on I give you my life, my heart, my soul, and my all." Gibbs whispered softly to the newborn. "As long as there is breath in me, I promise to keep you safe...as long as you're with me...you are safe." Gibbs whispered softly, as he held the newborn close to his chest.

The newborn baby girl that Gibbs held close to him suddenly did something quite unexpected.

Her tiny hand, which had been freed when Gibbs had pulled the little, pink blanket open a little bit so that he could see her better, settled against her father's shirt/chest; and then the tiny hand made a tiny fist that clung tightly--or as tightly as the newborn baby girl could muster--to her father's shirt.

"Aawww," Abby cooed softly at the sight. "I think she believes you, Jethro." Abby whispered softly to her lover.

Gibbs and Abby kissed each other once again. Both of them teary-eyed in what seemed, to them, like one of--if not THE--happiest moments of their lives (especially together).

---------------------------------------

Ziva and McGee were finally allowed into the room by Director Jenny Shepherd who was still standing guard at the door.

Ziva and McGee looked at the little baby girl in Gibbs' arms with awe and wonder.

Gibbs held his little baby daughter up, carefully and gently, for them to see.

"See there sweetheart," Gibbs whispered softly to the newborn in his arms.

"There's Uncle Tim and Aunt Ziva." Gibbs whispered to his newborn daughter, and self-appointing McGee and Ziva as the newborn baby's adopted family members.

Ziva and McGee gave approving nods both trying to contain the overwhelming emotions welling up inside of them.

Ziva's previous rage and anger that she had had felt towards the psycho-shooter for putting the man she loved, Tony, in the hospital, slowly melted away and was replaced by love and admiration. The once hardened Mossaud officer, who usually kept her emotions bottled up was finding that she was becoming more and more human--in a way.

"Uncle Tony couldn't be here, but I'm sure you'll like him after you meet him." Gibbs continued to whisper to his newborn.

---------------------------------------

Elsewhere in the hospital.

Ducky walked up to the receptionist at the desk.

"Excuse me," Ducky said to the nurse sitting behind the desk. "Yes, I'm looking for Abigail Scuito...they said she was moved to a different room, and I was told it was on this floor." Ducky said.

The nurse smiled and checked some charts that she had lying next to her on the desk. After a moment the nurse looked up at Ducky.

"Yes sir, she was moved...down the hall, room 325." the nurse said with a smile.

"Thank you." Ducky replied returning the smile.

As he turned to leave and walk down the hall in the direction in which the nurse had indicated, the nurse added something else.

"It's a full house in there...what with the baby and all." the nurse added with a chuckle.

"The...Baby?" Ducky said, puzzled at first. But then a smile spread across his face as he realized that Abby had had her baby.

"The baby is here!" Ducky suddenly said, excitedly.

Ducky thanked the nurse and quickly headed off down the hall in search of Abby's room.

---------------------------------------

Ducky entered the room paying almost no attention to Jenny who was still standing outside the door t Abby's room.

Jenny had already seen and had spent time with Abby and the baby.

"And there's Grandpa Ducky." Gibbs whispered softly to the newborn as his favorite M.E. and good, close friend entered the room.

Gibbs showed the newborn baby to Ducky who teared up almost instantly-- accepting the role that Gibbs appointed him. Ducky also thought it a good idea to inform Gibbs and the others that he was there because he had had Tony moved over there to Bethesda as well; and that the doctors had said he should make a full recovery, but that the would keep him for at least a few days until they were sure he was recovered enough to go home.

Ducky even made a point of whispering to the the newborn that her father, was indeed, speaking the truth about his identity.

"Congratulations Jethro." Ducky smiled as he patted his friend, gently, on the back.

"Thanks Duck." Gibbs said with a smile.

Gibbs looked down into the eyes of his newborn baby girl looking back up at him.

"Welcome to the world, Sweetheart." Gibbs whispered softly to his newborn.

"My precious angel
sent down from the sky,
I promise you forever and a day;
the world can't hurt you
you will be alright,
safe in my arms you'll stay."

"Forever and Ever!"

"Little blue eyes
your blowin' my mind,
with all the things you do to me;
and I don't know why
but deep down inside,
I wanna give you everything--in me.
Little blue eyes."

"I love you, Abs." Gibbs said to Abby as he placed their newborn baby girl into her mother's outstretched arms, gently.

I love you too, Jethro." Abby replied, with a smile, to her lover.


............To Be Continued in "Going Home"............

------------"Going Home"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Gibbs had pulled his car up close to the doors of the hospital, and had made sure that everything was ship-shape inside and outside of the car before he went to get Abby.

He had installed the baby seat, with some difficulty, in the back seat of the car.

He was anxious, nervous, and excited all at the same time. Today was the day that he and Abby would take their newborn baby home with them for the first time.

It was close to 9:30 in the morning when he finally finished filling out the last of the paperwork needed to get Abby and the baby released from the hospital and into his care.

The automatic doors slowly swung open as Gibbs wheeled Abby, in her wheelchair and accompanied by a single nurse, outside into the bright morning sun. Abby held the baby gently in her arms.

"Hope you guys enjoy your new bundle of joy." the nurse said her final goodbyes to the couple before retreating back into the hospital.

Gibbs opened the back passenger side door of his care and adjusted the baby seat before taking the baby from Abby. He gently placed her into the baby seat while trying his best not to wake the slumbering infant.

After the baby was comfortably seated and strapped in Gibbs turned his attention to Abby as he carefully an slowly closed the back passenger side door, and opened the front door.

He helped Abby out of her wheelchair and into the car even though she protested at first.

"I'm not crippled Gibbs, I think I can get in the car by myself." Abby said quietly, as she flashed him a grin.

"That maybe so, but the doctor did say 'Light Duty' for at least the next few days." Gibbs replied quietly as he returned from pushing the wheelchair back inside the hospital doors.

"If you say so Doc." Abby said as she gave a quiet chuckle.

Gibbs had to stifle a laugh for fear of waking the baby who was still slumbering in the back seat of his car.

Gibbs bent down and Kissed Abby on the top of the head before he carefully closed her door, and walked around to his side.

Gibbs eased into his seat and carefully closed his car door.

"She's still asleep." Abby informed Gibbs in a quiet whisper. "You're really good at this."

Gibbs grinned as he started the car. "Ready?" he whispered.

"Let's go home." Abby whispered with a grin.

Gibbs smiled. "Yes Ma'am." he whispered.

Gibbs pulled the car around and through the parking lot, and eventually weaved his way out into the morning traffic. It was going to be quite a drive from Bethesda Naval Hospital to their home.

---------------------------------------

Tony was still recovering in the hospital from his gun shot wound. He was awake, but the doctors had said that they still wanted to keep him for another week or so just to be sure that he was 100% good to go before they released him.

Once they did release him Ziva had said she would stay over at Tony's place for a while to take care of him--which she did not mind doing at all.

Jenny had returned to NCIS HQ after being away with everything that had happened in the last week or so.

Ducky had also returned to work as well.

McGee had also calmed down after Gibbs had explained his reason(s) for not telling him about his and Ziva's plan which had really done quite a job on his emotions and such. But now he had calmed down, and was pretty much over it.

It seemed like everything was settling back down and returning to normal.

............To Be Continued in "Shore Leave"............

------------"Shore Leave"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Jenny had granted Gibbs and Abby some leave time so that they could spend time together with their infant daughter, Chloe. The first 3 nights after they had brought her home from the hospital had been the roughest, but somehow they got through it intact.

It had been nearly a week since they had brought baby Chloe home from the hospital, and Saturday morning was as beautiful a day as any to spend at home with their infant daughter.

When Abby awoke it was close to 8:30 in the morning. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and then she stretched. It was at that time that she realized that Gibbs wasn't in bed.

She found her fuzzy bat slippers next to the bed on her side, and slid her feet into them. She rose from the bed and walked toward the door. "I guess I'll check on Chloe...Gibbs is probably in the kitchen, or he could be in the basement working on his boat." Abby thought to herself.

---------------------------------------

She made her way down the hall and into the nursery where she found Gibbs. Gibbs sat in the rocking chair holding Chloe, and he rocked her back and forth, gently.

Abby watched from the doorway with a warm smile on her face, and listened to the sound of Gibbs singing quietly and softly to the baby.

"Hush little baby don't say a word
daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird,
and if that mockingbird don't sing
daddy's gonna buy you a house by the sea;
and if that house goes up in smoke
daddy's gonna buy you a brand new boat,
and if that boat turns up and sinks
daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."

Abby watched in amazement as little baby Chloe gave a tiny yawn in her father's arms.

"...and if that rocking chair don't rock
daddy's gonna buy you a puppy dog,
and if that puppy dog don't bark
daddy's gonna buy you a shining star;
and if that shining star falls down
you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."

Gibbs finished his little lullaby and that's when he noticed Abby standing in the doorway of the nursery.

"How long have you been standing there?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Abby tilted her head a bit, and smiled at Gibbs.

"Long enough to hear you sing." Abby replied softly.

"She started crying while I was in the bathroom, and I didn't want to wake you...I wanted you to get some sleep...so I came and got her." Gibbs informed her quietly.

Abby stared at the sleeping baby in her lover's arms and smiled.

"Thanks." she replied softly. "But I'm awake now."

Gibbs stood and gently laid little baby Chloe back down in her crib.

"Good." Gibbs said softly as he walked over to Abby. "Well eat breakfast, and then when she wakes up you can feed your daughter." Gibbs said with a grin as he stole a kiss from Abby.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs and Abby sat in the living room together after breakfast.

Gibbs had taken a position on the sofa while Abby sat in the chair breast-feeding the baby. Gibbs had the TV turned on to the weather channel and was checking the weather forecast for the weekend.

"Keep going at this rate munchkin, and you're gonna clean me out." Abby said softly to her daughter, with a slight chuckle.

After a few minutes the baby finally gave up with a full tummy.

Abby readjusted herself for a moment straightening everything back out.

"Greedy little munchkin, aren't we?" Abby cooed gently to the baby as she held her against her shoulder to burp her.

After a minute or so baby Chloe gave an audible burp.

"Yep, she definitely takes after you." Gibbs chuckled quietly.

"Gibbs." Abby blushed.

Gibbs laughed.

"So what're we doing today?" Abby asked.

Gibbs hit the mute button the television remote.

"Well Ducky's supposed to be comin' by later...so I guess we stay home--again." Gibbs said with a slight grin.

Abby rolled her eyes.

"Geez Gibbs, you haven't let me out of the house since we got home from the hospital." Abby said.

Gibbs laughed.

"I desperately need a shower." Abby said as she rubbed her infant daughters' tummy, gently.

"Well here, why don't you give me Chloe, and you can go jump in the shower." Gibbs suggested. "How's that sound." Gibbs asked.

"Like I would love you a whole lot." Abby chuckled.

Abby stood and carefully handed baby Chloe off to her lover, and then she skipped off towards the bathroom to take her shower.

"There's a good girl...yes you are...you're daddy's good little girl. Aren't ya?" Gibbs cooed softly to his infant daughter.

Gibbs sat back down on the sofa and held his daughter carefully in his arms, and cooed to her in soft voice. And for the most part it seemed to work great. Gibbs managed to make the tiny infant giggle at his funny faces and gestures.

For once Gibbs seemed genuinely happy and at peace within himself. Once thing's for sure he sure had fun playing with that baby, and vice-versa.

---------------------------------------

............To Be Continued in "Baby's Big Day"............

------------"Baby's Big Day"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Outside in the backyard Gibbs stood in front of the grill on a peaceful Saturday, late-afternoon. He was grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs for the party. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans and his old NIS t-shirt. Over all of that, though, he wore his "Kiss The Cook" apron.

Today was a special day. June the 3rd to be exact. It was little Chloe's third birthday. She was now 3 years old. To Gibbs and Abby time already seemed to be flying by.

Gibbs had just flipped three of the dozen or so patties on the grill when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist.

"Should I kiss the cook now, or wait til later?" Abby asked, mischievously.

Gibbs grinned. "Well you could kiss him no, but then you might get burned." Gibbs said.

"Point well taken." Abby replied with a chuckle.

Gibbs turned his attention away from the grill, laying his tools down on the side of the grill, and turned to face Abby gathering her into his muscular arms.

"How's it coming?" Abby asked.

"So far so good. Shouldn't be too much longer." Gibbs informed her.

"Good." She replied as she stole a kiss from her lover. "The guests should start arriving any minute now." Abby told Gibbs.

"Seems like only yesterday we brought her home from the hospital." Gibbs said, a nostalgic look in his eyes.

"It sure does feel that way, doesn't it." Abby agreed.

Gibbs stole another kiss from Abby before turning back to the grill and flipping a few more patties.

"So who all's coming?" Gibbs asked.

"Well lets see...Ducky and Jimmy, Ziva and Tony, McGee's coming, oh and he's bringing his new girlfriend with him too..." Abby began.

"McGee has a new girlfriend?" Gibbs sounded slightly shocked.

"Yeah, you know Slaughter's new probie." Abby reminded him.

"Right...I knew that." Gibbs said trying to hide a grin.

"...and let's see, who else is coming...Oh, Jenny's coming...and oh remember Mike just helped us wrap up that case last week. He said he might stop by. Too bad neither of our families could make it up here this weekend." Abby finished.

"Yeah, maybe next time though." Gibbs said with a sigh.

Ding! Dong!

"Sounds like the doorbell...guess I'd better go get it." Abby said.

"Yep, guess so." Gibbs replied with a chuckle.

---------------------------------------

Abby through the living room towards the front door. To do so she had to walk past the baby's play-pin where little baby Chloe looked awfully curious.

Abby had found it to be somewhat of a challenge to put up all of the decorations for Chloe's birthday party when Chloe wouldn't stay in her play-pin like she was supposed to.

"You know something's goin' on don't ya." Abby said with a smile as she walked past her daughter in the play-pin.

Chloe was now 3 years old. She had her father's eyes for sure, but Gibbs said she had her mother's hair and smile. Abby always did her daughter's dark hair up in pigtails just like hers. Which was just how Chloe liked it.

Abby unlatched the deadbolt on the front door and pulled the heavy door open. She was instantly greeted by Ducky.

"Ducky." Abby greeted her daughter's adopted grandfather with a big hug. "Where's Jimmy?" she asked as she motioned for him to come inside.

"Poor Jimmy, his father had a stroke, so he had to fly back to South Carolina--short notice I know, but sometimes these things just happen I suppose." Ducky explained.

"He did, however, ask me to make sure that Chloe got this." Ducky said as he handed Jimmy's gift along with own gift to Abby.

"Aawww! That was sweet of him." Abby said as she took the gifts and laid them on the table next to the door.

Thud! Abby and Ducky both turned at the same time to see little Chloe pull herself up off of the floor, having just escaped--again--from her play-pin, and come racing across the living room towards Ducky.

"Ducky! Ducky!" the little girl yelped excitedly as she raced towards her adopted grandfather.

"Well hello there." Ducky said with a chuckle as he stooped and gathered the little girl into his arms. "I wonder, if you're ticklish." Ducky said with a grin as he tickled the little girl's tummy which made her giggle like crazy.

"I'm really sorry Ducky. We've been trying to keep her in that play-pin all day, but she gets out every time." Abby explained.

"Well that's to be expected at her age, Abigail." Ducky said. "She's growing and needs to explore...not to be bottled up inside a cage."

"Where's Jethro?" Ducky asked as they walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh he's outside working the grill." Abby informed him.

"I've got to finish wrapping the P-R-E-S-E-N-T-S...so-" Abby started.

"Well that's quite alright. You hurry off and finish up, I'll take the little duckling here and we'll go find daddy." Ducky said looking at Chloe with a smile.

"Thanks Ducky, I owe ya one." Abby said with a chuckle as she skipped off to finish wrapping Chloe's birthday presents.

---------------------------------------

Ducky stepped outside into the backyard, with little Chloe in his arms, and approached Gibbs.

"Daddy!" Chloe screeched happily as they neared her father.

Gibbs turned in the direction of his daughter's voice.

"Munchkin!" Gibbs replied mimicking the excitement in his daughter's voice.

Gibbs held his arms out and Ducky handed the little girl over to her father.

"Daddy, Ducky here!" the little girl screeched.

"I see that." Gibbs said with a smile as he planted a kiss on his daughter's cheek.

Gibbs and Chloe laughed and cut up with each other. Ducky had to admit he hadn't seen Jethro Gibbs this happy in a long time.

"Hey there Duck." Gibbs said finally, with a grin.

"Hello Jethro." Ducky said.

"Abby was telling me about how our little escape artist here, has been giving her a hard time." Ducky said with a chuckle.

"True...she has pretty much outgrown her play-pin, but it was my idea. I didn't want her to get to close to the grill and hurt herself by accident." Gibbs explained.

"Yes well, kids are like curious explorers seeking to learn of the wonders of the world around them." Ducky said with a slight chuckle.

Gibbs and Ducky laughed together.

"Where's mommy at?" Gibbs asked the little girl in his arms.

The little girl just shrugged at her father.

"Oh she's busy with a wrapping escapade, I'm afraid." Ducky informed Gibbs.

"Oh okay." Gibbs replied.

Ding! Dong! Went the door bell once again.

The little girl's head turned instinctively in the direction of the sound--ears listening intently.

"Who's That?" Gibbs asked his daughter.

The little girl shrugged, not turning her attention away from its preoccupation.

"Why don't you go see." Gibbs said as he let his daughter down onto the ground.

The little girl quickly pulled herself up and raced back towards the house.

Gibbs and Ducky watched in amazement as the little navigated her way back into the house, and through the kitchen.

In the house they could here the door opening, and Abby's voice greeting more guests at the door.

"Hiya Squirt!" came a voice from inside the house.

Gibbs looked at Ducky with a grin.

"Well, sounds like DiNozzo's here." Gibbs said.

Another, second, voice floated through the house and out to the back yard as well.

"You're not my ladybug." the voice said, sweetly.

"Yes I am!" the little girl squealed, hilariously.

"Come here!" the voice said again, laughing.

"And Ziva too, I'd wager." Ducky said to Gibbs.

To everyone's astonishment the originally hardened Mossad officer had softened up considerably since joining Gibbs' team. And even more since the arrival of little Chloe. Ziva had affectionately christened the little girl with the nickname "Ladybug". This nickname came about after little Chloe, who was known to occasionally accompany her parents to work, was found chasing after a ladybug that had somehow gotten into Abby's lab--and the rest as they say is history.

"Well these burgers and hot dogs are pretty much done." Gibbs said as he flipped two more patties and turned a couple of hot dogs.

"Well here, let me help you then." Ducky said.

"Alright, there should be a plate on the patio table behind you." Gibbs instructed.

Ducky turned and walked over to the patio table and picked up the plate that he found sitting on top of it.

"Here we are." Ducky said as he returned to Gibbs' side.

Together the two friends loaded the plate up with the hamburger patties and the hot dogs. Gibbs then shut down the grill and closed it up. And then he and Ducky made their way back into the house.

---------------------------------------

Inside the house, by this time, McGee and Cindy had also arrived.

Gibbs and Ducky couldn't help but laugh at the little girl basking in the attention that she was getting from her adopted family when they walked into the living room.

"Hi Boss." McGee greeted Gibbs when he noticed his boss and Ducky standing there. "Ducky."

"Hello, sir...er, I mean Gibbs." Cindy greeted Gibbs. "Dr. Ma...Ducky." she greeted Ducky, correcting herself before she could call him Dr. Mallard.

"Wanna go for a ride in Uncle Tony's new Ferrari?" Tony asked Chloe with a sly grin.

Unfortunately, the little girl's father overheard their conversation.

"You wanna start lookin' for a new job, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked Tony.

Tony straightened up and looked at his boss.

"Uh, no Boss...sorry Boss." Tony said looking over at Gibbs. "You know I was just kidding about the whole Ferrari thing...Right?"

"I sure hope so, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, before cracking a grin.

Abby moved over to Gibbs and stole a kiss from her muscular lover, with a sly grin spread across her lips.

"I take it the food's ready." Abby said.

"Yep, ready and waiting on us in the kitchen." Gibbs said with a grin, as he stole a kiss from Abby.

"Alright then...if you'll do the honors." Abby replied.

Gibbs grinned and gave a chuckle before letting out a long, loud whistle that got everybody's attention.

"Food is in the kitchen! And if everyone will form a neat, single file line we can get this party under way." Gibbs informed everyone.

Everyone did as instructed. Ziva had had to hand over "her ladybug", rather reluctantly, to Gibbs so that she could make her plate.

"Don't drop her." Ziva said as she handed Chloe to her dad.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and grinned at Ziva as he took his daughter from her.

"Ziva, I'm not gonna drop--Whooaaa!" Gibbs said, suddenly pretending like he was going to drop his daughter, but his hands never left her and he instantly snatched her back up gently into his arms, laughing as he did so.

Ziva nearly jumped out of her skin thinking, at first, that Gibbs really was about to drop her. She scolded her laughing boss for even thinking about playing such a cruel joke.

Little Chloe thought the whole thing was hilarious and giggled with delight at her daddy's joke. She wasn't afraid, nor had she been. She knew...no, she had learned that if there was one place in the world where she was safe, it was with her father. She was a pretty smart two year old in that way. Like her mother before her, she leaned on her father as her mighty protector--her "Knight in Shining Armor". But you know what they say--sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

The door bell rang again and this time Gibbs, carrying his daughter in his arms, decided that it was his turn to answer it. When Gibbs opened the door he was greeted by Jenny Shepherd and Mike Franks.

"Are you two...Together?" Gibbs asked jokingly, as he motioned for them to come inside.

"Very funny Probie." Mike said jokingly.

Gibbs laughed at his former boss.

"Keep it up Jethro, and I'll see to it that you get a permanent desk job with LOTS of politics." Jenny said jokingly.

"And you'd be shooting NCIS in the head, Jen." Gibbs replied with a grin.

Gibbs ended up handing little Chloe to her two other adopted grandparents. Grandpa Mike and Grandma Jenny as the three of them walked towards the kitchen to fix themselves a plate.

---------------------------------------

The gang had finished their supper, Chloe included, and they had had birthday cake, with two candles on top. It was Chloe's favorite of course, Ice Cream cake.

Afterwards they had all moved into the living room to watch Chloe open up all of her gifts.

So far, from Abby, Chloe had gotten her very own white lab coat with her name embroidered on it, just like her mom's, that was just her size--that way she could really help her mom at work--and a new set of bathtub toys that she could play with in the bathtub now that she was big enough to use the big people's bathtub (with some supervision of course). From Uncle Timmy Chloe had gotten two stuffed animals, a Giraffe and a Chimpanzee--because another thing that Chloe liked other than going to work with her parents was going to the zoo--too add to her stuffed animal collection that Abby had started for her when she was still an infant. Cindy had gotten Chloe her very own, very first purse that had little monkey's on it.

From Grandpa Ducky she had gotten a neat little kids Play-Doctor kit along with a couple of boxes of her favorite animal crackers. And she loved that. She would definitely use that when playing doctor with her stuffed animals. Jimmy, who sadly couldn't be there, had sent Chloe a a set of coloring books and crayons because he knew that she liked to color too.

From her dad, Chloe got a new teddy bear that wore an NCIS ball cap stitched to its head like the one that her dad sometimes wore to work. That teddy bear never left her side the entire rest of the night. From Uncle Tony she got an actual NCIS ball cap that was just her size, and a fun little DVD about animals (because of her love of animals)--which he had searched everywhere to find until finally looking it up on the internet--which she would watch the very next chance that she got.

From Aunt Ziva she got a small ladybug backpack (you know the kind that's like fleecy material and is shaped like a ladybug) and a ladybug purse (and come on these two gifts were pretty obvious). From Grandma Jenny, Chloe got a stuffed Lion and some more of her animal crackers. From Grandpa Mike she got a nice, small, wooden "treasure chest" that she could put her treasures in.

Everybody sat around laughing and watching as little Chloe had a ball with her gifts. Tony suddenly noticed that Gibbs had left the room.

"Hey where's Gibbs?" Tony asked Abby.

Abby looked around and saw that her lover had disappeared.

"I don't know." Abby replied.

Suddenly a voice came through the kitchen into the living room.

"Look what I found Chloe...another present!" Gibbs said as he entered the living room carrying a medium-sized cardboard box.

"What is it?" Abby asked as Gibbs handed the box to Chloe.

Gibbs just flashed Abby a grin.

Just then everyone in the room became aware that there was something alive in that box.

Chloe paused for a moment before opening the lid on the box. Once the lid was opened a small head poked out from inside the box and a long tongue licked Chloe's face.

"Puppy!" Chloe screeched excitedly as she threw her arms around the little puppy's neck.

"Jethro...why didn't you tell me?" Abby asked with a sly grin.

"Well he had talked about it, so I figured you knew." Gibbs replied.

In the middle of the floor the puppy had gotten out of the box and was now playing affectionately with its new master. Chloe was just giggling like crazy at her special gift.

Abby moved down to the floor beside her daughter, and the puppy acknowledged her as part of the family.

"You know what puppy needs?" Abby asked the little girl.

"Puppy needs a name." Abby said.

The little girl thought for a moment, and then her face brightened up with a smile.

"Teddy!" Chloe informed everyone excitedly.

Everyone in the room laughed at the little girl and her puppy as they spent the next hour and a half chasing each other around the living room, each member of her family and adopted family occasionally running interference to make sure that little Chloe did not hurt herself.

---------------------------------------

Later...

Gibbs and Abby emerged from the back of the house after having just laid their worn out, 3 year old daughter, down to bed for the night.

"She's fast asleep." Abby informed everyone quietly.

"She seemed like she really enjoyed herself tonight." Ziva said quietly with a smile.

"You know I still can't believe she's already Three." Tony mused out loud.

"They do grow up fast." McGee added.

"Cherish these moments while you can Jethro." Mike told his former probie.

Gibbs smiled. They all knew, every one of them, how Gibbs felt. He'd been through this once, and had lost it--now after so many years of searching and utter internal turmoil he has finally genuinely happy once again. And he would do anything and everything in his power to protect his family.

"These two are my whole life now." Gibbs said quietly, with a grin, as he pulled Abby close to him and wrapped his arms around her.

Ducky stood up from the chair he was sitting in.

"Well I suppose we should take our leave as well." Ducky said.

Everyone started to agree with everyone.

"Wait...before you guys go there's something...something I need to do." Gibbs said nervously.

Everyone returned to their seats.

Gibbs turned Abby so that she was facing him.

Gibbs took a deep breath and then let it out, preparing himself.

"There's a second part to Chloe's last gift." Gibbs began. "Its actually something for all three of us, but I know that she would like it."

"Gibbs what're you talking about?" Abby asked, confused.

"Abby, I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life since we've been together...since we brought that little miracle into the world." Gibbs continued, referring to their daughter.

Gibbs took Abby's hands in his and held them up to his lips and kissed them gently.

"And you know that I love you and Chloe with all my heart, and with everything that I am--you guys are my whole life." Gibbs continued.

"And These last few days have made me more and more sure of what I am about to do...about just how much I want this." Gibbs said softly.

"What? Gibbs I don't understand." Abby said.

Gibbs reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out something that no one else in the room could tell what it was. Then Gibbs took a knee right there in front of Abby, before a living room full of witnesses and did something quite unexpected.

Gibbs held the ring out in front of him. "Abby Scuito...W-Will you marry me?" Gibbs finally asked, sounding surprisingly nervous.

Abby stared at Gibbs and at the ring held out before her for a moment in shock, her heart racing, and her mind spinning in a thousand different directions. Suddenly her eyes became moist with tears, and she tried to smile, but it didn't quite work like she wanted it to.

"Jethro I...Yes, I will marry you." she said finally, her voice beginning to crack.

Gibbs then proceeded to slip the ring onto Abby's finger. After which he stood up and the two of them kissed, and then embraced each other for a moment or two.

There wasn't a dry eye in that whole living room.

Even Teddy yelped his approval to the couple as he sat at their feet wagging his tail.

------------To Be Continued in "Daddy's Little Girl"------------

------------"Daddy's Little Girl"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Gibbs picked up his desk phone after the second ring, and answered it.

"Gibbs." he said into the phone.

"Hello there my silver-haired fox." came Abby's voice over the line.

"Hey Abs. What can I do for ya?" Gibbs asked with a grin that he knew she wouldn't be able to see.

"No Gibbs, I think the question you should be asking is what can I do for You." Abby replied.

"Okay you got me...what?" Gibbs asked.

"Why don't you come down to the lab, and I'll show you." Abby said mysteriously.

Gibbs finished scribbling some notes down on a sheet of paper in front of him, quickly.

"Okay...I'm on my way." Gibbs said, and then listened as Abby hung up her phone, and then he did the same.

Gibbs stood up and walked around his desk, and headed for the elevator. Then a thought popped into his head, and he turned on his heel and headed back towards McGee's desk.

"McGee...did you get anything on that cell phone trace yet?" Gibbs asked.

McGee looked up at his boss.

"Nothing yet...I just need him to turn it back on for just a few seconds. But he may be too smart for that." McGee answered.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and turned and started to walk away.

"Let's hope not McGee...let's hope not." Gibbs said over his shoulder.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs strolled into Abby's lab a few minutes later.

"Whatcha got for me Abs?" Gibbs asked as he walked in behind Abby standing at her work station.

On the other side of the lab at Abby's desk sat their daughter, Chloe, who was coloring in one of her new coloring books looked up and saw her dad enter the lab.

Abby turned from her workstation to face Gibbs.

"Hey Gibbs-" she began.

Suddenly the automatic door to Abby's office, as it were, slid open and the sound of tiny footsteps became audible throughout the room.

"Daddy!" the little girl screeched happily as she ran towards her father, her pig-tails bouncing up and down as she ran.

Gibbs stooped down and scooped her up into his arms once she got close enough.

"Munchkin!" Gibbs said, matching her excitement.

"Have you been a good girl for mommy?" Gibbs asked playfully.

"Hmmhmm." Chloe grinned at her father.

Gibbs smiled.

"Good. Now give daddy a kiss." Gibb said.

Chloe did as she was told and laid a big wet one on her dad's lips.

"Mmmwuah!".

Gibbs laughed at his daughter's kiss, and then turned back to his wife-to-be as Chloe rested her head on her dad's shoulder.

"Okay...whatcha got Abs?" Gibbs asked Abby.

Abby grinned at her lover and her daughter and chuckled.

"Well, I tested all three of the guns that Tony brought me earlier-" Abby started.

Abby punched a few keys on her keyboard and two images of bullets appeared on the plasma screen. Gibbs walked over, carrying Chloe with him, to get a closer look at the images.

"What am I lookin at Abs?" Gibbs asked.

"What you're looking at is the slug Ducky pulled from the body, and...a slug fired from the gun that killed Petty Officer McCoy." Abby said cheerfully with a grin.

"Good work Abs." Gibbs said.

Gibbs walked back over to Abby and her workstation.

"Would you like to know who owns this particular gun, Gibbs?" Abby asked.

Gibbs looked at Abby's computer screen.

"You think, Abs?" Gibbs said, then flashed a grin.

Abby punched a few keys on her keyboard.

An image along with other background information popped up onto the screen.

"And the winner is...one Mr. Frank Baxter." Abby informed Gibbs cheerfully.

Gibbs grinned at his wife-to-be. "That's good work Abs." he repeated.

Gibbs then whipped out his cell phone, and used speed dial to call Tony.

After two rings Tony finally answered.

"DiNozzo, why don't you and Ziva go pick up Mr. Baxter...and bring him in for a little chat." Gibbs instructed his senior field agent.

Tony's voice is heard over the phone.

"Sure thing Boss." Tony replied.

Gibbs hung up his phone before Tony could hang his up.

---------------------------------------

Later...

Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva walked into the squad room together having just closed another case.

"Well, it's 4:30 now...so I think we can call it a day." Gibbs said with a grin, as he checked his watch.

"Sounds good to me." Ziva said, winking at Tony as the three of them parted ways and went to their respective desks.

Tony caught Ziva's wink. "Sounds really good to me." he said flashing Ziva a knowing grin.

"Hey...where's McGiggle?" Tony asked as he searched the room with his eyes for signs of McGee.

Gibbs looked up at Tony from his desk. "If you're referring to Agent McGee...he left early...said he had a date with Cindy tonight." Gibbs informed Tony.

"Oh." Tony replied.

Ping! The elevator sounded as its doors opened up.

Abby walked into the squad room carrying Chloe.

"Hey daddy." Chloe greeted her father cheerfully.

"Hey munchkin." Gibbs said to his daughter in return.

"Ready?" Abby asked as she approached Gibbs' desk.

"Almost. Just gotta get this report to Jen." Gibbs said as he rounded his desk.

Gibbs kissed Abby on the cheek as he walked by her.

"Be back before you know it." he said with a grin.

Abby and Chloe watched as Gibbs made the trip all the way to the stairs, and then climbed them, and then disappeared into the director's officer.

Abby turned to Tony and Ziva who were in the middle of packing up their things for the night.

"You guys made any plans for tonight?" she asked.

"Some." Ziva replied with a mischievous grin.

"I see." Abby said with a chuckle.

"And you?" Abby asked turning to Tony.

"Me...I'm with her." he replied pointing to Ziva with a smile.

Abby couldn't help but laugh.

Just then shouting could be heard coming from the opposite end of the squad room. The door to the stairwell opened up, and the man whom they'd just charged with murder, Mr. Baxter, exited accompanied by one of the building guards. They were on their way to lock-up.

"This is an outrage I tell ya!-" Mr. Baxter shouted.

"Just shut up already." the guard said firmly.

Mr. Baxter was shouting at the guard who was accompanying him. (After a real close look one could see, if they were paying attention, that Mr. Baxter was not in handcuffs).

They were walking through the squad room, passing right by Abby, Tony, and Ziva. Suddenly Mr. Baxter, seeing an opportunity at escape, lunged sideways elbowing the guard, and then pulling the guard's service pistol from its holster--and then pushing him down. At that point he then lunged forward and grabbed at little Chloe--still in her mother's arms--and then pushed Abby aside. This caused Abby to fly sideways into Gibbs' desk the force of which then knocked her to the ground.

"Ooof." Abby groaned as she crashed into Gibbs' desk, and then fell to the ground.

Before anyone else could react Mr. Baxter was standing there Chloe in one arm and the guard's pistol in the other--pressing it to little Chloe's temple.

Everything happened so fast that Tony and Ziva barely had time to react--drawing their weapons and aiming them at Mr. Baxter.

"Chloe!" Abby shouted in horror when she saw her daughter being held at gunpoint.

"Drop your weapon!" Ziva shouted angrily at Mr. Baxter.

"I'd do what she says if I were you." Tony added, trying to sound at least a little bit calmer than Ziva.

"No! You drop your weapons...Now!" Mr. Baxter shouted threateningly.

Ziva glanced quickly at Tony.

"And if we refuse?" she asked.

Chloe was whimpering quietly in her captor's arms. Ziva could tell, as could Tony and Abby as well, that Chloe was frightened even though, like her father, she tried very hard to hide it. But her eyes betrayed her.

"I will kill her." Mr. Baxter said menacingly as he pressed the pistol into Chloe's temple even harder. "You think I'm kidding...but I'm not...I'm really not."

Abby didn't think that she had ever been so scared in her entire life as she was now seeing her only daughter being held at gunpoint right in front of her.

"Please...don't hurt her." Abby begged the man.

"I'm gonna walk out of here now...I'm gonna get on that elevator, and I'm going to walk out the front door...and no one--I mean NO ONE is going to follow me, or I SWEAR I will blow her brains out. You understand me!" Mr. Baxter shouted threateningly.

Suddenly Mr. Baxter noticed a change in everyone's facial expressions, and then that's when he felt the muzzle of a gun press against the side of his head.

"Let her go." Gibbs demanded quietly and calmly as he pressed the muzzle of his gun to the side of the man's head.

Gibbs, true to his nature, had somehow managed to sneak up on his daughter's captor without being seen or heard.

The man didn't move a muscle, just kept glancing from Tony and Ziva (perhaps also Gibbs) to the elevator.

"Last warning," Gibbs said quietly as he applied more pressure to the side of the man's head with his Sig. "Let my daughter go."

The man finally released Chloe who ran to the nearest member of her family/adopted family--Ziva.

Ziva stooped down, quickly stowing her Sig away, and scooped the little girl into her arms and held her close trying to calm her down.

"Shhhh, it's okay, it's okay." Ziva said soothingly, rocking the little girl in her arms.

"The Gun." Gibb said to the man.

The man did as he was told and dropped his gun onto the floor.

"DiNozzo."

"On it Boss." Tony said as he moved over to Mr. Baxter, whipping out a pair of handcuffs, and then handcuffing Mr. Baxter's hand behind his back.

"DiNozzo, could you do me a favor and drop this dirt bag off at lock-up, please?" Gibbs asked.

Tony stowed his Sig away in its holster.

"I'd be happy to, Boss." Tony said

"Ziva, I'll meet up with you later." Tony said as he led the man towards the elevator.

"Alright then I will see you later." Ziva replied.

Gibbs stowed his Sig away in its holster, and then turned back towards Ziva.

Gibbs' attitude suddenly changed, and his features softened and he allowed his emotions to show as his eyes fell upon his daughter clinging tightly to her Aunt Ziva.

"Chloe." he said as he moved over to Ziva.

Chloe immediately, practically, jumped from Aunt Ziva's arms into her daddy's arms.

"Are you okay?" Gibbs asked softly.

"Yes daddy." she replied softly, nearly in tears, and her arms wrapped tightly around her daddy's neck.

Gibbs nearly broke down on the spot.

"I'm sorry sweetheart...I'm sorry." Gibbs said softly.

Gibbs then turned, remembering that Abby had been on the floor.

"Abs?" Gibbs said turning around.

"I'm fine, Jethro." Abby assured her husband-to-be as she hobbled over to his side.

"You don't look fine." Gibbs said.

"I am a little sore...I crashed into your desk when he pushed me." Abby informed Gibbs, finally.

Gibbs wrapped his free arm around Abby and pulled her closer, wrapping his wife-to-be and his daughter in a big hug.

"I never should've left you guys alone." Gibbs said softly.

"It's not your fault, Jethro." Abby said softly, reassuring her lover.

"We're all okay...and that's all that matters." Abby added.

"I love you daddy." Chloe said, placing a kiss on her father's cheek.

"Oh, I love you too Munchkin." Gibbs said softly.

"I love you both." he added, hugging them both again.

Ziva walked by Gibbs, Abby, and Chloe, and stopped for a moment before continuing on to the elevator.

"Is everything going to be alright?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, Ziva, everything's gonna be fine. And thanks, I owe you one...you and Tony both." Gibbs told Ziva.

"You do not owe me anything, Gibbs." Ziva said. "Call us if you need anything." she said as she turned and headed for the elevator.

"I'll do that." Gibbs replied with a grin.

They watched as Ziva boarded the elevator and the doors closed behind her.

"You know what...I think I'd like some ice cream." Gibbs said with a grin.

"Ice Cream!?" Chloe repeated excitedly.

"You know that does sound pretty good right about now." Abby agreed with a smile.

Gibbs laughed.

"Its settled then...we'll get some ice cream, and then go home and watch a movie." Gibbs said.

"How does that sound?" Gibbs asked, looking at Chloe.

"Great!" Chloe replied excitedly.

Gibbs laughed again, but this time Abby joined him.

"Alright then, let's go shall we." Gibbs said with a grin.

"Yes, lets." Abby replied with a smile.

The three of them walked towards the elevator together talking about what flavor of ice cream they would get and which movie they would watch.

------------To Be Continued in "The Best Man For The Job"------------

------------"The Best Man For The Job"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Morning in the squad room was a little bit weirder than usual on this particular day.

The team had not been assigned a case in a while so Gibbs and Abby had thought it would be a good time to see about the wedding arrangements.

Everybody was at their desks.

"Yeah I need to make an appointment for...as soon as possible." Gibbs said into his phone.

"An appointment for what...is he sick?" Ziva asked.

"No, for a fitting." Tony answered from his desk.

"Just for a fitting, yes." Gibbs said into the phone.

"What is he being fitted for?" Ziva asked.

"His Tux probably." McGee answered.

"Tux...you mean for the wedding?"

"Yeah, for the wedding." Tony replied.

Tony balled up a piece of paper and threw it at McGee.

"Ouch! Thanks Tony...I-I really appreciate that." McGee said sarcastically as he rubbed the side of his head.

"You're welcome Probie." Tony replied with a grin.

"So what does a typical American wedding look like?" Ziva asked, curiously.

"Well Ziva, here in the states...weddings can be big or they can be small--depending on which one the happy couple prefers to have." Tony began.

"No, just for the fitting." Gibbs said into the phone, sounding a little annoyed.

Tony threw another paper ball at McGee. He must be really bored.

"Tony, please stop doing that." McGee said as he turned towards Tony.

Tony chuckled.

"The groom, or Gibbs in this case, usually has a best man and a couple of groomsmen. His bride, Abby, has bridesmaids and a maid or matron of honor." Tony finished with a smile.

Tony then turned to McGee.

"Sorry Probie...there's nothing else to do, and I'm bored." Tony replied with a grin.

Tony threw a third paper ball at McGee.

"Tony." McGee fumed.

"The happy couple usually will invite their closest friends and family to come and watch them get married." McGee finished for Tony.

"AND...weddings are a great place to meet women." Tony added.

Ziva shot Tony a mean look that Tony read almost immediately.

"Er...I mean...that is...(clears throat)...if you're single. Which I'm not." Tony corrected himself nervously.

"Do you think they will have a big wedding or a small one?" Ziva asked.

"Knowing Gibbs...Small, probably." Tony said.

"No, no, listen I would like to come in THIS week if possible." Gibbs said into the phone.

Tony was about to toss another paper ball McGee's way, but Gibbs interceded.

"Just one second please." Gibbs said into the phone.

Gibbs lowered his phone to his chest.

"Throw it, DiNozzo, and I'll throw you--Out." Gibbs said sternly, pointing in the direction of the door.

"Sorry boss." Tony said as he lowered his hand and tossed the paper ball into his waste basket.

"DiNozzo, would you like me to give you something to do?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure boss." Tony said, nervously.

"Why don't you go see what Abby's doing." Gibbs said.

"On it Boss." Tony replied.

Gibbs returned to his telephone conversation.

Ziva chuckled, and McGee just grinned from ear to ear.

"Speaking of friends...best wedding movie--"My Best Friend's Wedding". Released in 1997, and starred Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett." Tony said as he stood up behind his desk and pushed his chair back.

"What?" Ziva asked, confused.

"Yeah, Julia Roberts plays Julianne Potter, a woman who falls in love with her best friend Michael O'Neal, played by Dermot Mulroney, after he tells her he's going to marry Cameron Diaz. So, (Tony chuckles) the entire film is about Julia Roberts trying to make them break-up." Tony said, as he gave them a short movie synopsis.

"I have not seen that one yet." Ziva said.

"Well you should." Tony said.

Tony walked around his desk and headed towards the elevator.

"Funny, I've always thought of you as more of a wedding crasher." McGee said with a grin.

Tony stopped and turned to face McGee.

"2005. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. Two guys spend their time sneaking into weddings for women and booze." Tony said with a grin.

"You are right McGee...sounds just like Tony." Ziva chuckled.

Tony turned to Ziva.

"Very funny." Tony said.

Ziva grinned and blew Tony a kiss.

Tony turned and walked towards the elevator.

---------------------------------------

Abby walked into Autopsy to find Ducky and Jimmy standing over a corpse, and conversing with each other.

"Again, fascinating doctor." Jimmy said as he rolled his eyes.

Ducky chuckled, and then spotted Abby standing at the door.

"Oh hello Abigail." Ducky said with a smile.

Abby winced at being called Abigail.

"Ducky, I told you...I hate that name."

"My apologies then." Ducky said with a chuckle.

"So what can I do for you this lovely morning, soon-to-be Mrs. Gibbs?" Ducky asked with a knowing grin.

Abby smiled. "Can I speak with you in private, Ducky?" Abby asked.

"Why certainly." Ducky replied.

"Mr. Palmer, if you will be so kind as to finish stitching up our friend here for me." Ducky said.

"Sure thing Doctor Mallard." Jimmy replied.

Ducky removed his gloves and tossed them into the waste basket, and then moved over to the sink, washed his hands.

Ducky and Abby then stepped out into the hallway where they could speak alone in private.

---------------------------------------

"What can I help you with Abby?" Ducky asked quietly.

"Well see I just got of the phone with my brother." Abby began.

"Ah yes you're brother...Andrew right? How is he these days?" Ducky asked.

"He's good." Abby replied solemnly. "And so is Gloria (That's her mother)."

Ducky sensed a "But" in there somewhere. "But..."

"But she said that Frank (Frank is her father) hasn't been well, and that he may not be able to give me away at the wedding." Abby continued.

"How dreadful." Ducky said.

"I know." Abby agreed.

"So...how can I help?" Ducky asked sincerely.

Abby's hands fidgeted nervously in front of her.

"Would you do it Ducky...give me away I mean?" Abby asked nervously.

Ducky stared at Abby for a moment before a big, warm smile crossed his aged face.

"Why, Abby, I would be honored to do so." Ducky said with a smile.

A look of relief spread across Abby's face as she let out a relieved breath.

"Oh thank you Ducky...thank you." Abby said as she wrapped her arms around Ducky and embraced him in a hug.

"It'll be my pleasure." Ducky said with a smile as he patted her on the back.

---------------------------------------

A few minutes later Tony stepped into Abby's lab, but there was no Abby to be found there, and no music playing either.

Tony stood in the doorway.

"Abby?" Tony asked the empty lab quietly.

Nothing.

"Abs!?" Tony tried again quietly.

"Looking for me?" Abby said suddenly coming up from behind Tony.

"Oh! Goodness...Abby...you scared me." Tony said as he jumped forward into the lab.

Abby stepped around him and headed for her office, chuckling with a grin as she did so.

"Sorry about that." she apologized with a grin.

"Didn't mean to scare ya."

Tony took a moment to catch his breath, and to let his heart stop racing.

"You didn't...you didn't SCARE me, so to speak...you just startled me is all." Tony insisted as he forced a grin.

---------------------------------------

"So, tell me Agent DiNozzo...what can I do for you today?" Abby asked cheerfully, with a grin as Tony entered her office space.

"Gibbs sent me down here to see what you were up to." Tony informed her.

"Ah, my charming husband-to-be." Abby sighed.

"Yeah, that would be the one." Tony said slowly.

Abby chuckled.

"Well I just got back from autopsy." Abby said.

"Really," Tony said with a sly grin. "Well then, I have to say Ducky would make an excellent mortician." Tony said with a grin.

Abby laughed at Tony's joke.

"Not bad Tony...not bad at all." Abby said with a grin.

"But seriously...what did you two talk about?" Tony asked as he leaned on the door frame.

"Ducky's going to give me away at the wedding." Abby said cheerfully.

"So your dad won't be there then?" Tony asked.

"Oh no, he'll be there. Him and Gloria both will be there, but Frank's health hasn't been all that great."

"Bummer." Tony said.

"Yeah...but everything's taken care of now so, no biggie." Abby said, with a smile.

Tony ran a hand through his hair while he watched Abby fiddling around on the internet on her desk top computer.

"So have you picked out a dress yet?" Tony asked.

"Sort of. I have an appointment at the dress shop at 11:30 today." Abby informed him.

"Gibbs is upstairs trying to get an appointment for a tux fitting." Tony informed Abby.

"Is he now?" Abby said with a grin.

"Yep." Tony replied.

"And how was it going?" Abby asked.

"Well, before I left...not so great, and now I don't know." Tony said as he propped himself up on the edge of Abby's desk.

Abby laughed.

"What color scheme are you guys going with?" Tony asked, as he tried to see what Abby was up to on the computer.

"Black and white." Abby replied, casually.

"Oh okay, so you guys are gonna go traditional wedding then." Tony remarked.

Abby grinned a sly grin.

"Not...exactly." she said with a grin.

"What d'ya mean...not exactly?" Tony asked, confused.

Abby turned her computer screen so that Tony could get a good look at what she meant.

Tony's eyes widened when he saw what was on the computer screen. It was an image of a Bridal Dress and a Groom's Tuxedo side-by-side.

"Oh, so he'll be wearing white and you'll be wearing black...with a parasol." Tony said slowly, as his brain processed the new information that he was just given. "Yeah, I uh...I'd definitely say that's...that's different."

"And we're gonna have the wedding outside...sort of a compromise if you will." Abby said with a chuckle.

"I see. So you get to pick out the outfits and Gibbs gets to pick the location. Nice." Tony said, as he rubbed his eyes.

"Exactly." Abby said cheerfully, with a grin.

"What about the Bridesmaids and Maid-of-Honor?" Tony asked.

"They'll be wearing white--like Gibbs." Abby replied. "And Chloe will be our little flower girl." Abby said with a smile.

Tony chuckled at the image that popped into his head. "I assume the flowers will be dead then." Tony said with a grin.

"No, of course not." Abby chuckled. "They will be very much alive."

"Oh well then that's good." Tony said, as folded his arms across his chest.

"My bouquet won't be though." Abby said, with a sly grin.

"Oh, well then. I guess this wedding is shaping up to be more like "Bride of Chucky", than anything else." Tony said with a grin.

Abby couldn't help but laugh at Tony's jokes.

"Oh, I almost forgot something." Abby said.

"And what's that?" Tony asked.

"The Groomsmen and Best Man will be wearing black--you know to match my dress." Abby said.

The two of them laughed with each other for a little bit until Abby realized what time it was.

"Oh, shoot." Abby said, as she jumped up from her desk.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked, as he watched Abby gather her things up.

Abby pulled her lab coat off, and threw it over the back of her desk chair. Then she straightened her pig tails, and her skirt.

"It's already 10:50...I'm gonna be late for my appointment at the dress shop if I don't hurry." she said quickly, as she gathered up her things and headed for the door.

Tony followed her to the elevator.

"Well be careful then. I'll tell Gibbs you left." Tony said as he parted ways with Abby, and headed for the stairs.

"I will. And thanks Tony." Abby called to Tony from the elevator, as the doors closed.

---------------------------------------

Later that day at NCIS HQ...

It was late in the evening in the squad room, and Tony and Gibbs sat by themselves.

McGee had already left with Cindy (His girlfriend), and Ziva was down in Abby's lab with Abby.

"So did you manage to get that appointment Boss?" Tony asked Gibbs from his desk.

"Yep." Gibbs replied.

"Good." Tony said, as he leaned back in his desk chair.

"Who all's going to be at the wedding...I mean have you even decided yet?" Tony asked.

"Yeah DiNozzo, I have." Gibbs said, as he leaned forward at his desk. "That's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Really?" Tony asked, confused and shocked.

"Yeah, you know McGee is gonna be one of the Groomsman and Jimmy Palmer will be the second Groomsman." Gibbs said.

"Yeah I had heard that." Tony replied. "And Ducky's gonna give Abby away."

Gibbs shifted, a little bit, in his seat.

"Right." Gibbs said.

"You know I don't have a whole lot of FRIENDS, so to speak, except you guys." Gibbs began.

"Of course." Tony said, with a grin.

"And I guess one could say that you're my BEST friend." Gibbs continued.

"Sure." Tony replied.

"What I'm trying to say, DiNozzo, is that I would like you to be my Best Man." Gibbs said.

Tony sat stunned for a few moments not sure if what he was hearing was actually real.

"Well, boss I-I'd be honored to be your Best Man." Tony finally said, with a smile.

"Good." Gibbs said, breathing a sigh of relief. "You'll be holding Abby's ring, while Ziva holds my ring." he added.

"Cool." Tony said, with a grin.

"Oh, and DiNozzo...if you should happen to lose that ring..." Gibbs started.

"I know Boss. And it is for that very reason...(Tony swallowed)...that I hope I don't lose it." Tony said.

After a moment though a sudden realization, of something that Gibbs had said in his last sentence, finally struck Tony.

"Wait a minute..." he started.

---------------------------------------

Down in Abby's lab Abby and Ziva sat in Abby's office talking.

"...Cause Chloe is going to be the flower girl, and Jenny and Cindy are going to be my Bridesmaids." Abby said, finishing her current sentence.

"That is a good idea." Ziva said. "And, does Tony know that Gibbs wants him to be his Best Man?" she asked.

"Well, he should by now." Abby said, with a chuckle.

Abby shifted in her seat a little bit, which made her pig tails bounce slightly.

"You know, I do not think that I have ever been to an American wedding." Ziva mused out loud.

"Well, that's kind of why I called you down here." Abby started.

"Really?" Ziva asked, confused.

"You see, Ziva, when you first got here I know we didn't exactly get along--at first." Abby continued.

"Right, I do recall that, yes." Ziva agreed. "But that has changed, yes?"

"Of course." Abby said, with a grin.

"Now we're good friends--actually we're all more like one big happy family here." Abby said with a smile.

"Ziva, I would be honored if you would be my Maid-of-Honor." Abby said, with a big smile.

Ziva sat, staring at Abby, for a moment or two--utterly speechless at Abby's request.

"Abby I...I don't know what to say..." Ziva tried at first. "...Abby, I would be most honored to be your...Maid-of-Honor." Ziva said finally, with a smile.

Abby smiled too.

"Great!" she said cheerfully as she wrapped Ziva in an unexpected hug.

------------To Be Continued in "The Little Flower Girl"------------

------------"The Little Flower Girl"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Gibbs, Tony, McGee, and Jimmy stood inside the "Silver Moon Suit and Tuxedo Shop" with the girls trying on their outfits for the first time.

Each of the guys were in there own changing stall.

"This is actually kind of nice." McGee said from inside his stall.

"I'll say." Jimmy agreed from his stall.

"Oh I can't wait to see Timmy in a Tux." Cindy said with a slight chuckle.

The girls were busily talking to each other while the guys tried on their outfits.

"How does it look Jethro?" Abby called to her lover.

"I think these pants may be a little lose in the waist." Gibbs said.

"That is no problem. We can have that taken in for you, no extra charge." the shop's owner assured Gibbs.

"Good." Gibbs replied.

"Well, come on out and lets have a look." the shop owner said to the gang.

Each of the guys stepped out of their stalls, and into the viewing area so that the girls could see them.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs looked dashing in his white Tux, and bow tie. McGee and Jimmy looked good in their black Tuxs as well.

Jimmy had his bow tie turned upside down, but McGee quickly noticed it and corrected the problem.

"Thank you Tim." Jimmy said, with a grin.

"You're welcome." McGee replied.

"How do I look munchkin?" Gibbs asked his daughter, who was sitting in her mother's lap.

"You look good daddy." Chloe replied.

"Good." Gibbs said, with a grin.

Cindy got up and walked over to McGee, and walked in a circle around him.

"You know, I've always had a thing for a sharp-dressed man." Cindy said quietly, as she surveyed McGee in his Tux.

"Really...maybe I should dress like this everyday." McGee said with a sly grin.

After a few moments the gang noticed that Tony had not come out yet.

"Where is Tony?" Ziva asked.

"I am so not coming out." Tony called from inside his stall.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said sternly.

"No Boss, No, I can't." Tony insisted.

"Either you come out or Gibbs is coming in!" Abby called to Tony.

After a moment of silence, Tony came out of the stall.

"Fine. I'm coming out." Tony said as he exited the stall.

What everyone saw made them laugh hysterically. They tried not to at first, but just couldn't help it.

Tony's pants were nearly two inches too short, and the jacket was so small he couldn't button it.

Tony pulled on the jacket a couple of times, and tried to button it, but to no avail.

"This is ridiculous." Tony said, annoyed.

"You look good, DiNozzo." Gibb said with a grin.

"Funny Boss, very funny." Tony said sarcastically.

"Uncle Tony looks funny." Chloe said to her mom, as she giggled.

"He sure does sweetie." Abby said in agreement with her daughter, as she too tried to stifle a laugh.

"Hey, nobody asked you...you little-" Tony said, snapping (kind of), as he started to say something he shouldn't to Chloe.

But before Tony could get very far into his sentence everyone was shocked when little Chloe gave her Uncle Tony "The Stare".

Tony's eyes got really big. "No fair...she knows the...how does she know how to..." Tony sputtered in shock.

Everyone else was shocked and amused by the spectacle put on by the little girl in Abby's lap.

Off to the side, Gibbs grinned, and tried to suppress a chuckle, but was otherwise unsuccessful.

Tony turned, and looked at Gibbs.

"Boss, that's...that's no fair...you taught her the...the--the stare." Tony sputtered.

In response to Tony Gibbs also gave him the stare.

After a few moments of arguing, mostly with himself, Tony took a good look from Gibbs to Chloe, Gibbs and then Chloe again.

"Fine." Tony said, in defeat, as he raised his own hand back up over his head, and then proceeded to whack himself in the back of the head.

"Ouch." Tony said, as he rubbed his newly self-inflicted sore spot.

This made everyone in the room laugh, again.

"She truly is her father's daughter." Jenny said, with a chuckle.

"If I were you, Tony, I would watch out from now on." Ziva said, with a chuckle and a sly grin.

"Cute." Tony replied sarcastically.

Gibbs grinned.

"That's my girl." Gibbs whispered, as he winked at Chloe, bestowing his approval of her actions, as he flashed a grin.

After a few moments when everyone had somewhat calmed down from their fits of laughter the shop owner spoke up.

"I am so terribly sorry." the shop owner said. "Your Tux must have gotten switched with someone else's."

"And who would that be...a member of the lollipop guild?" Tony said sarcastically.

"It is not so bad, Tony." Ziva said, as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Hey stop laughing...its not funny." Tony said.

"Actually it is a little funny, Tony." Jenny said.

"I look ridiculous." Tony said, annoyed.

"Yes Tony, but how do you feel?" Ziva asked.

"Like a circus clown." Tony replied.

"Well I for one find clowns to be very...very...attractive." Ziva said mischievously, and winking at Tony.

Tony turned to the shop owner.

"How long will it take to correct this...problem?" Tony asked the shop owner.

"I believe I can have YOUR Tux here for you to try on by Tuesday." the shop owner informed Tony.

"So three days." Tony said. "Great. I'll just come back on Tuesday."

"And I will most assuredly have it for you then." the shop owner said.

---------------------------------------

Later at "MARTONELLI'S BRIDAL SHOP"...

Ziva, Cindy, and Jenny stood in the viewing area (where the mirrors are at) and viewed their outfits, and how they looked in them.

"Abby I love this dress!" Cindy said as she viewed herself in a mirror.

"I haven't worn this much white since...I think it might have been in Paris." Jenny said, as she tried to remember the last time she wore all white.

Abby stood in a changing stall putting on her wedding dress.

"Okay you guys, here I come." Abby said as she unlocked the changing stall door.

Abby stepped out of the changing stall, and entered the viewing area wearing her custom made Black Wedding Dress, with Black silk sash, and a veil.

Abby's black wedding dress was somewhat reminiscent of old-fashioned Southern-Style dresses. It came complete with matching gloves, veil, and a parasol.

"So, how do I look?" Abby asked, looking hopeful.

The girls all looked her over in awe.

"It's definitely you, Abby." Jenny said.

"You look beautiful Abby." Ziva chimed in.

"Do you think Jethro will like it?" she asked, as she viewed herself in the mirror.

"I'm sure he'll love it." Cindy said.

Abby turned in a circle in front of the mirrors so that she could see all of herself in the dress.

"I sure hope so." she said quietly.

"Where's Chloe?" Jenny asked.

Abby turned to face the others with a big smile on her face.

"You guys are gonna love this." she said.

Abby turned to face the area where the changing stalls were located, and called for her daughter to come out.

"Chloe, sweetheart...come show everybody your dress." Abby called to her daughter.

After just a few minutes little Chloe stepped out of the changing area, and entered the viewing area.

Chloe had on a white dress, similar in style to the dress worn by her mother, with small white gloves, a sun hat, white slippers, and a light pink sash with a flower-like bow on it.

"How do I look?" Chloe asked, mimicking her mother.

Abby smiled at her daughter, who twirled around in a circle so that every part of her could be seen.

"Heavenly...simply heavenly. Why I could just eat you up, yes I could!" Abby declared, in a heavy southern (New Orleans) drawl, as she fluttered her eye lashes.

Chloe giggled at her mother's playfulness.

Everyone else in the room gave their approval as well.

"But you know what it needs?" Ziva asked.

"What's that?" Abby asked, as she turned to Ziva.

Ziva walked into the changing area and entered her changing stall. After a few minutes she came back out into the viewing area.

"I found it." she said, as she approached Chloe.

"What is it?" Jenny asked, curiously.

Ziva stooped down and pinned something to Chloe's sash.

"There we go...much better." Ziva said, winking at Chloe.

When Ziva stood up and backed away everyone could see that what she had pinned onto Chloe's sash was a very pretty ladybug pendant.

"It's perfect!" Abby said to Ziva, very pleased.

The others agreed with Abby as well.

"Will daddy like it?" Chloe asked her mother, as she studied herself in the mirror.

Abby stooped down and wrapped her arms around her daughter, and hugged her, and put her face right next to Chloe's (so that they could see each other in the mirror).

"Daddy's gonna be so happy when he sees his little flower girl walking down the aisle." Abby said to her daughter, softly, just before placing a kiss on her cheek.

------------"Little Love Song"------------

------------"Little Love Song"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Abby was in her lab standing in front of her workstation computer screen, punching keys on the keyboard furiously.

She had soft music playing as well. It wasn't really her thing, but today they had brought Chloe to work with them, and so far Chloe had had a long day. It was for that very reason that Abby had asked her daughter if she was tired. Chloe had said yes, so Abby had fixed her a pallet on the floor in her office where she could lay down with her NCIS teddy bear her dad had given her for her birthday. She hardly went any where without it.

At this point Chloe was sound asleep, and the soft music was soothing, and kept her slumbering peacefully.

Gibbs walked into Abby's lab undetected until he stepped up beside his wife-to-be, and kind of/sort of startled her.

"Oh, Gibbs...don't ever do that again." Abby said, trying to pretend to be angry, but she couldn't be angry at Gibbs.

"Sorry." Gibbs apologized, with a grin.

"What's with the music?" Gibbs asked.

Abby suddenly remembered that Chloe was asleep in her office.

"Your daughter's asleep in my office." Abby informed Gibbs in a quiet voice, with a grin. "And this music is keeping her that way."

"Oh, okay." Gibbs replied quietly. "I thought she looked a little tired when I saw her earlier."

"Oh, believe me she was worn out." Abby said. "So I put her down for her nap...it was time anyway." Abby said quietly.

"So, what brings you down here...Special Agent Gibbs?" Abby asked, with a grin.

Gibbs shifted in his spot, grinning.

"Do I need a reason to come down here to see my family?" Gibbs asked, with a grin.

"Well, no not really." Abby replied, with a chuckle.

"Good, cause that's why I'm here." Gibbs informed Abby.

"Is that so?" Abby asked, as she turned to face Gibbs, with a sly grin.

"Yep." Gibbs replied.

Gibbs took Abby into his arms and kissed her on the lips, gently. They kissed each other softly and tenderly. Each kiss showed their passion for each other. They engaged in this for quite some time.

Darlin' its you and its me
and everything in between,
a small part of a grander scheme;
you know we're dancin' on air
and its just not fair,
that the world can only stare.

Gibbs and Abby finally pulled apart, momentarily, and stared into each other's eyes for a minute or two.

"I love you, Abby Scuito." Gibbs said softly, with a warm smile, as he placed another gentle kiss on her lips.

Abby smiled at Gibbs--her husband-to-be.

"I love you too, Jethro Gibbs." Abby said, as they continued their string of kisses.

"As we sing
our little love song,
all our worries
our long gone;
no more distractions
getting in the way,
so we can spend
another glorious day;
just you and me
free to sing,
our little love song."

"You know, I really should get back to work." Abby said with a grin, between kisses.

"And I will let you...as soon as I'm done with you." Gibbs said with a sly grin, between kisses.

Abby laughed as Gibbs planted another kiss on her lips.

---------------------------------------

Tony and Ziva walked through the front door of the NCIS HQ, having just returned from following a lead. They are both sweaty, and dirty from having to dig through a suspects garbage, being shot at, and to top all of that off they were even chased by a vicious attack dog.

So they have had quite a day.

They flash their badges at the security guard at the front door, and he waves them own through the metal detectors without stopping them.

"Well, I'd say the whole thing went much better than expected." Tony said, trying to lighten the mood around him and Ziva as they walked towards the elevator.

"Sure, if you like digging through garbage, being shot at, and being chased by vicious dogs." Ziva said sarcastically.

"What I mean, Ziva, is that it could have been worse." Tony said, as he hit the up button on the wall next to the elevator.

"Right, we could've been KILLED." Ziva snapped.

"Exactly, but we weren't...were we." Tony said with a grin.

"I guess you are right." Ziva sighed, as she tried to hide a grin.

PING! The elevator doors opened up in front of Ziva and Tony.

"After you." Tony said, motioning with his arm.

Ziva rolled her eyes as she boarded the elevator ahead of Tony, who followed behind her.

"Besides, I think you look hot when you're all sweaty and dirty." Tony said with a grin, as the elevator doors closed behind them.

---------------------------------------

Ziva pressed the button, on the wall, for their floor.

"Sometimes I wonder about you Tony." Ziva remarked.

"Hmm, and why's that?" Tony asked.

"Because sometimes you act like a child." Ziva said.

Tony chuckled at Ziva's comment.

"Well, actually Ziva, I prefer to think of myself as a slightly more mature teenager." Tony informed her.

"I am not so sure about the mature part." Ziva said with a chuckle.

Tony suddenly reached out and hit the "Stop" switch halting the elevator where it was.

"Let me show you Ziva, just how MATURE I can be." Tony said quietly, as he steppe in front of Ziva.

For a moment they stared into each other's eyes. Finally after a moment of silence they both dropped their packs/gear onto the elevator floor.

Tony and Ziva suddenly found themselves wrapped around each other, bestowing upon one another endless streams of kisses.

Oh baby you and I
could have a real swell time,
no telling what we might find;
let's not think anymore
come on let's hit the floor,
like eagles we will soar.

Ziva pulled her face away from Tony's, momentarily.

"You are such a child." Ziva said, breathing heavily.

Tony chuckled.

"But it works for me, right?" Tony asked, with a sly grin.

Ziva chuckled as they resumed where they had left off.

"As we sing
our little love song,
all our worries
our long gone;
no more distractions
getting in the way,
so we can spend
another glorious day;
just you and me
free to sing,
our little love song."

---------------------------------------

Back in Abby's Lab...

"Oh, Jethro." Abby moaned as she felt her body go limp against his.

She couldn't believe that they had just done it in her lab. Other than the sound of the music playing from Abby's stereo, the only other audible soun was that of their breathing beginning to return to normal. Good thing they had the music to drown out most of the noise.

The two of them slouched down against the wall, holding onto each other. They sat there on the floor in silence for a few moments.

Gibbs chuckled, as he placed a kiss on the top of Abby's head.

"I suppose you would like to get back to work now, hunh?" Gibbs asked, playfully, with a grin.

Abby chuckled.

"I think it can wait just a little bit longer." Abby replied with a sly grin.

Gibbs chuckled, and then stole a kiss from Abby.

This is our song
that we wrote together,
you and I;
and it can last as long
as we want it too,
just say the word
and I'll be right
there with you!

---------------------------------------

Back in the elevator...

Tony propped himself up on his hands and knees, making him appear to tower over Ziva.

"I am sure that there are others who would like to use this elevator." Ziva said, with a grin, as she stole a kiss from Tony.

Tony chuckled.

"Let'em use the stairs." Tony said, with a grin, as he bent his head down to kiss Ziva.

Ziva couldn't help but chuckle/laugh at Tony's remark.

"As we sing
our little love song,
all our worries
our long gone;
no more distractions
getting in the way,
so we can spend
another glorious day;
just you and me
free to sing,
our little love song."

------------To Be Continued in "Detour"------------

------------"Detour"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

It was a beautiful day outside NCIS HQ, and inside the squad room at NCIS HQ it showed.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee all sat at their respective desks conversing back and forth with one another.

Abby stood in front of Gibbs' desk conversing with her lover, and soon-to-be husband.

Suddenly a smile crossed Tony's face.

"Hey, I know where they can go on their honeymoon." Tony said enthusiastically.

Ziva shot Tony a look.

McGee interrupted Tony's thought before it could go much further.

"They're taking Chloe with them, Tony...so I don't think that a NUDE beach would really be appropriate." McGee said.

"Thank you, McGee." Abby said, as she shot McGee a quick smile.

"You're welcome." McGee replied.

"I can't wait til next Saturday...I'm just so excited." Abby said to Gibbs, with an excited smile.

"Hmm, and I thought I was the impatient one." Gibbs remarked with a chuckle.

Abby laughed at Gibbs' remark.

Ziva couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously Probie...you gotta stop doing that." Tony said, shooting McGee a look.

"Sorry Tony, I guess I've just been around you for so long that now I can read your mind." McGee said, with a sly grin.

Tony balled up a piece of paper from off the top of his desk, and tossed it at McGee.

"What is the matter, Tony, not feeling safe inside your own head anymore?" Ziva asked, playfully, with a chuckle.

"No its just-" Tony began, but a noise from above them interrupted his thoughts.

Up above them where Director Shepherd's office was located, the office doors swung open and Jenny Shepherd herself came rushing out and down the stairs.

Jethro, I need to speak to you!" Jenny called down to Gibbs.

Jenny made her way, quickly, down the stairs from her office down onto the main floor/area.

"Something wrong, Jen!?" Gibbs called across the squad room to HIS boss.

Within only a matter of seconds Jenny rounded the corner and became visible again to everyone standing in the bullpen.

---------------------------------------

Downstairs in the NCIS HQ Lobby...

A small group of FBI agents walked through the front door, flashed their Badges and IDs at the security guard at the front door, and the guard proceeded to wave them on through the metal detectors without hesitation/or problem.

The small group of FBI agents then made their way to the elevator where boarded it after pressing the up button on the wall next to it, and then waited for it to come down to them and the doors to open.

---------------------------------------

Jenny, quickly, hurried over to Gibbs' desk as fast as she possibly could.

"Jethro, because I know how much you just LOVE the FBI...I thought it would be better if you heard it from me first." Jenny said as she approached Gibbs' desk.

"Oh, hello Abby." Jenny, quickly, said to Abby once she noticed that she was also standing in front of Gibbs' desk. "Good, you're already up here...that's good."

Everyone in the bullpen, at this point, thought that Jenny might possibly be losing her mind--or going crazy, somewhat.

"Uh...Hi Director Shepherd." Abby said, confused and bewildered by Jenny's behavior.

Gibbs leaned forward in his desk.

"What is it you wanted to tell me, Jen?" Gibbs asked.

"I know you're not gonna like this, Jethro, but I just got off the phone with the Director of the FBI, and they're coming to arrest Abby." Jenny informed Gibbs.

"What...that's ridiculous." Tony said, as he leaned forward in his chair.

"What do they want with me...I haven't done anything." Abby said, kind of panicked.

Gibbs gives Tony the look, and then turns back to Jenny.

"What're they arresting her for?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know...they wouldn't say." Jenny replied.

"The FBI obviously does not want us to get involved." Ziva pointed out.

"Well that maybe, but I am involved, and I will find out." Gibbs said, quietly.

PING! The sound of the elevator echoed through the squad room.

"They're here." Jenny said.

Footsteps could be heard coming from the elevator to where they were at in the bullpen.

Tony and Ziva stood up.

"Gibbs?" Abby said, a little scared.

Gibbs flashed Abby a warm smile. "It'll be alright." he assured her.

Gibbs stood up.

"Sacks!?" Tony said, shocked as Agent Sacks rounded the corner and entered the bullpen.

"DiNozzo." Sacks said, as he passed Tony's desk.

Sacks left his lackeys standing at the edge of the bullpen nearest Tony and Ziva's desks.

"Abby Scuito, you are under arrest for-" Sacks began as he approached Abby.

Sacks wasn't able to get close enough though, because Gibbs suddenly stepped between him and Abby.

"Step aside, Agent Gibbs." Sacks said, agitation in his voice.

"What's she under arrest for?" Gibbs asked.

"Agent Gibbs, this our investigation--strictly need to know." Sacks informed Gibbs, rather rudely.

Gibbs didn't budge from his spot. He just lowered his eyes and gave Sacks "The Stare".

"Agent Gibbs." Sacks demanded.

Gibbs just grinned at Sacks.

"Agent Gibbs, I'm not gonna ask-" Sacks started.

"Not until you tell me what she's under arrest for." Gibbs said, quietly.

Sacks rolled his eyes.

"I'm warning you Agent Gibbs." Sacks snapped. "Don't stand in my way."

Sacks tried to push past Gibbs, but Gibbs pushes Sacks back away (not too hard, but hard enough).

Sacks' men automatically/instinctively pull their weapons and move to attack Gibbs. They are intercepted by Tony and Ziva, who have their guns drawn and stand between them and Gibbs.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Tony said, sternly.

Sacks straightened up, and paused for a moment to assess the situation.

"Sacks." Gibbs pressed.

Sacks finally gave up, and answered Gibbs' question.

"She's been stealing Top-Secret government plans, and we believe she's been selling them on the black market." Sacks informed Gibbs.

"Wait...you can't be serious." Tony remarked.

"Abby wouldn't do that." McGee added.

"Oh wait, I get it...it's a joke." Tony said.

"Its no joke, DiNozzo." Sacks informed Tony.

Gibbs moved closer to Sacks.

"You know that's a load of crock." Gibbs said, quietly.

"It doesn't matter, Gibbs. We have proof that she did it." Sacks said.

Gibbs grinned, slightly.

"Oh well, if you've got proof...that's different." Gibbs said.

Sacks tries to move past Gibbs again, but Gibbs stops him.

"Just give us a sec, will ya." Gibbs said.

Gibbs turned and took Abby by the arm, gently, and pulled her a little ways away.

"Jethro, I swear to you I didn't-" Abby tried.

Gibbs pressed his finger to her lips to silence her.

"I know...but I want you to go with them, for now." Gibbs said, quietly.

"But-" Abby protested.

"I'll get this straightened out...I promise." Gibbs said, quietly, as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Gibbs wiped a tear from Abby's eye.

"I love you, Abs." Gibbs said, quietly.

Gibbs stepped away from Abby.

"We will be chatting with each of you as part of our investigation, so don't go to far." Sacks informed Gibbs.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share your...file with us...would ya?" Gibbs asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Sorry Gibbs, I can't do that." Sacks replied.

"Didn't think so." Gibbs said, with a grin.

Sacks then moved over to Abby and handcuffed her, read her her rights, and then he and his team escorted Abby out of the building.

After Sacks and his team had left...

"I can not believe this." Ziva said, irritated. "You know she is innocent...and yet you let them take her anyway." Ziva said.

"Ziva, now's not the time." Gibbs said, calmly, as he sat down behind his desk.

Gibbs picked up his desk phone and dialed a number.

"So what's the plan?" Tony asked.

"Hello, Friend, we need to meet." Gibbs said into his phone, ignoring Tony. "Nope, just calling in a favor."

"Yeah...it's about that." Gibbs said.

"Sure, I can be there, no problem."

"I will see you then...bye." Gibbs said into his phone just seconds before hanging up.

Gibbs stood up, grabbed his badge and his Sig, and walked out around his desk.

"Boss...what's the plan?" Tony asked again.

"Don't have one yet." Gibbs replied.

"Well then...we are you going?" McGee asked, before Tony could.

"To get some coffee." Gibbs replied, with a sly grin, as he headed for the elevator.

Gibbs stepped onto the elevator and the others watched as the doors closed behind him.

"How can he be thinking about coffee at a time like this?" Ziva asked, confused.

"Somehow, Ziva, I don't think he's really goin' for coffee." Tony said.

---------------------------------------

Two Hours Later...

In the middle of a park somewhere in Washington D.C. Gibbs sat on a park bench waiting...waiting for someone to arrive.

It was an extremely beautiful day outside. The sun was shining brightly, and the birds were singing their songs in the trees.

"You do realize I could lose my job over this?" came a familiar voice from behind Gibbs.

Gibbs stretched his limbs in front of him.

"Yeah...I know." Gibbs said. "But you owe me, Fornell."

Agent Fornell came around the bench and sat down next to Gibbs.

"I know." Fornell said as he sat down next to Gibbs.

"Beautiful weather we're havin'." Gibbs said, with a grin.

"Sure is." Fornell agreed.

"They assigned this one to Agent Sacks because they don't think I can be objective enough on this one." Fornell informed Gibbs.

"I thought that might be it." Gibbs said.

"What'll happen to Abby if she's found guilty?" Gibbs asked.

"Well if she's tried and found guilty, she'll be lucky if she only gets a life sentence in a maximum security prison." Fornell replied.

"That's what I thought." Gibbs said.

"Anyway, this is what you're here for...isn't it?" Fornell asked, as he pulled a manila envelope out from within his jacket.

"Yep." Gibbs replied.

Fornell handed Gibbs the envelope.

"That's a copy of their case file...the condensed version anyway." Fornell told Gibbs.

"You understand that If you get caught with this, I can't help you Jethro." Fornell said.

"Yep...understood." Gibbs said, with a grin.

Fornell stood to leave.

"Good luck Jethro." Fornell said. "I hope you're right about this."

Fornell turned to leave.

"Oh I am." Gibbs said.

Fornell chuckled, and flashed a grin.

"Oh, and Fornell...I won't get caught." Gibbs said confidently.

Fornell chuckled again. "We'll see."

Fornell walked away, and left Gibbs sitting all alone on the park bench.

---------------------------------------

Not too long after his meeting with Fornell, Gibbs strolled into the FBI's Hoover Building.

"Can I help you?" the man at the front desk asked Gibbs, upon seeing him walk through the front door.

Gibbs walked over to the front desk.

"Yeah, maybe you can." Gibbs said. "A woman came in here, earlier, Abby Sciuto...I need to see her." Gibbs told the man.

The man looked through some papers laying in front of him on the desk. After a minute or so had passed by...

"Yeah...she's here." he said to Gibbs. "What's your business with her?" he asked.

Gibbs grinned that trademark grin of his, and pulled out his NCIS badge.

He flashed his badge for the man at the front desk.

"Agent Sacks sent me." Gibbs said calmly, with a grin.

The man at the desk hesitated, at first, but then motioned for Gibbs to follow him.

"Right this way sir."

---------------------------------------

Gibbs was led into a room, much like the interrogation room back at NCIS HQ, where Abby was being detained.

The man unlocked and opened the door for Gibbs. Gibbs thanked the man and then stepped inside. The man closed and locked the door behind Gibbs.

"Gibbs!" Abby said, as she jumped up from her chair.

"Abs." Gibbs said, as he held out his arms, knowing full well what would come next.

Abby practically jumped into her lover's arms, and began kissing him almost immediately.

Abby was just so happy to see Gibbs. The whole time that she had been locked in that small room, she had felt vulnerable. She had felt like she was in danger...like she was all alone in the world, and that the darkness would begin to close in around her at anytime.

But just by Gibbs simply stepping into the room she instantly felt warm, sheltered, wanted, at peace...SAFE.

"Abs." Gibbs said, after a moment, pulling her back slightly.

Abby looked into Gibbs' eyes and saw worry, suspicion, among other things.

To Gibbs, Abby looked as if she had been crying--or at the very least she had been very upset by something.

"Talk to me." Gibbs said softly.

Abby pulled away and went back to her chair. Gibbs sat down in the other available chair.

"They've been treating me like I'm some kind of criminal, Gibbs." Abby started.

Gibbs knew from that point that something was definitely wrong. Now a days, since they had been together, she called him by his first name--Jethro. Now a days she only called him Gibbs when they were at work (sometimes), but mostly only when she was deeply and genuinely upset or very emotional.

"So Sacks has already questioned you?" Gibbs inquired, quietly.

"Yes." Abby replied, with a sniffle.

"His questions were...weird." she informed Gibbs.

"How so?" Gibbs asked, quietly.

"I-I don't know, Gibbs, I just...it felt like he was pushing me." she continued, quietly.

"Interesting." Gibbs thought to himself.

"I almost felt like he knew I was innocent, and yet he still wanted me to confess." Abby said, with another sniffle.

Gibbs suddenly became aware that Abby was shaking in her chair.

"Sweetheart." he said softly, as he moved around to her side.

He knelt/squatted down beside her chair, and looked up at her.

Abby hid her face in her hands not wanting Gibbs to see her like this.

"Abs." Gibbs said, softly and soothingly. "Look at me."

Abby refused at first. "No...I-I can't, Gibbs." she sobbed into her hands.

Gibbs had never really seen Abby cry before--at least not that he knew of.

"Look at me." Gibbs said again, softly.

This time Abby did as she was told, and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes as she did so.

"It's gonna be alright." Gibbs reassured her, softly and soothingly. "I promise you that."

Abby knew that Gibbs was a man of his word. "Marine's all keep their promises," was what Abby always said.

"I love you, Abby." Gibbs said softly.

"I know." she replied with a sniffle, wiping more tears from her eyes.

Abby stopped rubbing her eyes and looked into his piercing blue eyes. Those eyes, she had found over the years, always told her all that she needed to know. Those eyes were full of love, kindness, trust, loyalty--a veritable safe-haven for anyone lost in a violent, raging storm. All the traits that had caused her to fall for Gibbs in the first place.

Abby suddenly wrapped her arms around Gibbs' neck without thinking about what she was doing.

"I'm scared Gibbs." she sobbed, quietly. "I wanna feel safe again." she told him.

Gibbs rubbed her back, and then placed his hand, gently, on the back of her head.

"And I'll make you safe, Abby." Gibbs said softly and soothingly. "I promise." he added.

---------------------------------------

A Little Bit Later...

Back at NCIS HQ...

Tony, Ziva, and McGee stood in autopsy filling Ducky, who had come in too work late this particular day, in on what had happened with Abby.

"Why that's absurd." Ducky said in disgust. "Why, our Abigail would never do anything of the sort."

"Yeah, that's just what we said." Tony remarked, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"But they say they've got proof that she did do it." McGee added.

Ducky shook his head in disbelief.

"Well, what did Gibbs say?" Jimmy asked.

"He did not." Ziva said.

"Yeah, just said he was goin' for coffee." Tony added.

"Well knowing Jethro...that could mean anything." Ducky pointed out.

"That's what we thought too." McGee said.

"I do not like this." Ziva said, suddenly. "I do not like sitting around and doing nothing."

"I know whatcha mean." Tony said.

"I mean, we should be trying to prove that Abby is innocent." Ziva pointed out, anxious and agitated at the same time.

"And we will." came the familiar voice, as the automatic doors of autopsy slid open and the shut again.

Everyone turned around.

"Boss." Tony said.

Gibbs strolled, quickly, up to his team, and sat his coffee cup down on the unoccupied autopsy table.

"Does that mean you have a plan?" McGee asked.

"Of course it does Probie-Wan Kenobi." Tony said, as he whacked McGee on the back of the head.

"Ouch! Tony!" McGee said.

Tony grinned, and started to turn back towards Gibbs when he felt a hand land firmly against the back side of his head.

"Ow!" Tony winced. "What was that for?" Tony asked, rubbing his sore spot, as he came face to face with his boss.

"That's my job, DiNozzo." Gibbs said quietly, giving Tony the "Stare".

"Sorry boss...won't happen again." Tony apologized.

Gibbs just grinned. He knew Tony DiNozzo far too well.

"So what is it?" Ducky asked, quietly, leaning in towards Gibbs.

"Nothing solid, yet...just a feeling." Gibbs said quietly, flashing Ducky a grin.

No one questioned it. They had all learned to trust Gibbs when he had one of his "feelings".

"Your famous gut, I presume?" Ducky asked, with a lop-sided grin.

"Yeah...somethin' like that, Duck." Gibbs said, quietly, flashing his trademark "Gibbs Grin".

"So what d'ya want us to do, boss?" McGee asked.

"For now...nothing." Gibbs replied.

"Nothing...but Gibbs we should be-" Ziva tried, her voice rising an octave or two above everyone else's.

Gibbs shot Ziva the stare, and she immediately knew that she would not win this one.

"Just do what they tell you...and tell the truth." Gibbs instructed.

"Who?" Tony asked, slightly confused.

Autopsy's automatic doors slid open once again.

"Is it my turn yet, Agent Gibbs?" Agent Sacks asked, as he stuck his head into autopsy.

Everyone turned around, slowly (well to a degree).

"Speak of the devil...we were just talking about you Sacks." Tony quipped in his usual fashion.

"I'll bet you were, DiNozzo." Sacks said, un-amused.

"So is it?" Sacks asked, again, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets.

"Your turn...yeah sure, go ahead." Gibbs said, with that trademark grin.

Gibbs picked up his coffee cup and headed towards the door, taking a quick sip as he did.

"Knock yourself out." he added as he passed by Agent Sacks.

"And where are you going, Agent Gibbs?" Sacks asked after him.

"Ahh, you don't wanna talk to me first." Gibbs said, turning on his heel at the automatic door.

"Fine...just don't go too far." Sacks said.

Gibbs gave an amused grin as he turned and walked out of autopsy.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs headed down the hall as the automatic door closed behind him.

He took a sip of his coffee, and a small grin could be seen playing at the corners of his mouth.

"This should be interesting." he muttered to himself.

---------------------------------------

Back inside autopsy...

Sacks turned back to the others.

"I will be interviewing each of you...separately; and at the request of YOUR Director Shepherd, I will be performing your interviews here at NCIS." Sacks informed the group, with a sigh. "Even though I would much rather do this in OUR facility."

"Yeah, betcha you'd really like that wouldn't ya?" Tony asked, sarcastically.

Sacks chuckled.

"I take it, DiNozzo, that you're volunteering to go first...is that right?" Sacks countered.

"Sure. If that's what it takes to make you happy, Sacks." Tony replied, as he strolled over to Sacks.

"Follow me then." Sacks said as he turned to leave autopsy.

"I would advise the rest of you to not leave the area...yet." Sacks said, over his shoulder.

Tony followed him out through the automatic door.

---------------------------------------

Thirty Minutes Later...

In the NCIS Interrogation Room...

Tony and Sacks sat at opposite ends/sides of the table in the dimly lit interrogation room.

"How would you describe Ms. Sciuto?" Sacks asked.

"Smart, funny, weird, a little eccentric at times, but a great friend. She cares about everyone--maybe a little bit too much sometimes." Tony said.

"So, in other words...everything else aside...normal." Sacks said.

"Well, maybe not your definition of normal. Which I'm guessing by the way you dress, would be dull, average...so un-exciting, really." Tony remarked with a DiNozzo grin, and a chuckle.

"She's got a bunch of tats you know...all over. I've only seen three of'em myself. But I'll bet Gibbs has seen'em all." Tony added.

"So I've heard." Sacks said, with a sigh, beginning to get annoyed with Tony.

"I'll bet you don't even have so much as a single piercing." Tony said.

Sacks rubbed a finger over his temple.

---------------------------------------

An Hour and a Half Later...

"Do you think Ms. Sciuto is smart, Officer David?" Sacks asked, flipping through a file folder sitting in front of him on the table.

"I would say she is...intelligent, yes." Ziva replied.

"And do you think she could possibly pull off something like this?" Sacks asked.

"Yes, if she wanted to I suppose she could, yes." Ziva answered, calmly.

"But, I do not think that Abby is capable of what it is you claim that she has done" Ziva added.

"And you believe this...because?" Sacks inquired, further.

"Because I know Abby." Ziva replied.

"Really." Sacks mused, aloud.

---------------------------------------

Two and A Half Hours Later...

"And what is it, exactly, that you do, Agent McGee?" Sacks asked.

McGee twiddled his thumbs, nervously, in front of him on the table.

"Uh w-well, well I um..." McGee started. "I-I am a field agent, but I also work with computers, and such." McGee answered Sacks' question nervously.

"You're a hacker." Sacks said, calmly.

"W-well, no, I wouldn't go that far, I-"

Sacks showed a slight grin.

"According to your file, throughout your career, you've been known to hack many different electronic and computer-based systems." Sacks pointed out. "Is that not correct?" Sacks asked, slightly amused.

"W-well, well yeah, but I mean-" McGee tried.

"Then you are...a hacker." Sacks stated.

"Yes I am...I mean, I guess I am, but-" McGee tried again.

"So it is conceivable that IF Ms. Sciuto needed an extra pair of hands...then she would come to you." Sacks continued.

"Well yeah, I-I guess so, but what does that have to do with anything?" McGee countered.

"I'm just saying...maybe Ms. Sciuto wasn't working this operation alone. Maybe...she had an accomplice." Sacks mused.

"Wait a minute...so now you're accusing me too!?" McGee said, almost hysterical.

---------------------------------------

At That Same Time...

In the outer observation area...

Gibbs and Jenny stood side-by-side in front of the large viewing window in the dimly-lit observation room.

Gibbs took a sip of coffee from his coffee cup.

"Poor Tim." Jenny said, as she and Gibbs watched Sacks have a field day with McGee. "If Sacks isn't careful, he'll destroy him." she added.

"That's kind of the point, Jen." Gibbs pointed out.

Jenny looked at Gibbs.

"He's doing his job Gibbs." Jenny said.

"Oh, is that what it is?" Gibbs replied, sarcastically.

He took another sip of coffee.

"And just what would you call it, Jethro?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs turned to Jenny, moving slightly closer to her.

"He wants them to confess, Jen." Gibbs said quietly, lowering his voice.

Jenny looked confused and bewildered.

"Confess?" she repeated, quietly. "Confess to what...something they didn't do?" Jenny asked.

"Exactly, Jen." Gibbs replied, quietly.

Jenny rolled her eyes at Gibbs. She usually trusted him and his wisdom, but this was one of those times when she thought he might just be a bit paranoid--or something to that extent.

"And what, pray tell, gives you that idea?" she asked Gibbs.

Gibbs glanced out through the observation window at McGee and Sacks, and then turned his attention back to Jenny, quickly.

"He did the same thing to Abby." Gibbs informed Jenny.

A shocked look crossed Jenny's face at Gibbs' confession about having seen Abby since she was arrested.

"You spoke to Abby?" Jenny asked, shocked.

"I didn't just talk to her, Jen, I saw her." Gibbs informed Jenny.

"Would you care to explain how you managed to pull that off, Special Agent Gibbs?" Jenny demanded

"Well, I did have a little help." Gibbs admitted, with a grin.

"Who?" Jenny asked.

"Agent Sacks of course." Gibbs said, as he took a sip of coffee from his coffee cup.

Jenny gave a knowing expression--as in she knew Jethro Gibbs well enough to know his methods, and how he worked.

"I'm guessing Agent Sacks doesn't know...that he helped you." Jenny said, as she turned back to the observation window. "Does he?"

"Not yet." Gibbs said, quietly, with a grin. He took another sip of coffee as he turned back to the observation window.

Jenny gave a slight chuckle crossed with a "Huh", kind of "I Should've known" kind of sound.

---------------------------------------

A Few Hours Later...

Down in Autopsy...

Tony, Ziva, and McGee stood in autopsy discussing and comparing their encounters with Sacks in the interrogation room.

"Something is definitely wrong." Ziva said.

"You said it...Sacks is acting weird, even for Sacks." Tony remarked.

McGee was about to put his two-bits in when his cell phone pinged.

"Excuse me for a sec." McGee said as he pulled out his cell phone. "Oh, I have a text message...and its from Gibbs."

"Gibbs...sending you a text message." Tony said out loud. "I find that hard to believe, since we know that Gibbs doesn't know how to text." Tony pointed out.

Suddenly the autopsy door slid open and then shut again.

"That's because Mr. Palmer is the one who sent the text--for Gibbs." Ducky said as he walked up behind the team.

"Oh, well, then that would make sense." McGee said.

"Okay, so what does it say McGoogle?" Tony asked.

McGee read the screen to himself first, and then he read it out loud.

"It says...My house, basement, in boat. Go Now." McGee said as he read the text message.

"Short, sweet, and to the point...just like Gibbs." Tony remarked.

"Okay, so apparently Gibbs wants us to go to his house and look for something in his boat." Ziva said.

"Which is in his basement, by the way." Tony pointed out.

"Right." McGee said.

"Well then, if I were you I would do as Gibbs says...and I would hurry." Ducky said.

The team thanked Ducky and then hurried off out of autopsy.

---------------------------------------

Meanwhile in Interrogation...

Sacks sits at the table with Gibbs. The two of them sit in complete silence for a few moments.

"I hear you're due to be married soon." Sacks said.

"Why don't we skip the bull, Sacks." Gibbs said, calmly.

"Fine by me." Sacks replied.

Sacks flipped through some papers in a file folder on the table in front of him.

"Were you aware that Ms. Sciuto was involved in illegal activities?" Sacks asked.

"She wasn't." Gibbs replied, calmly.

"If that's what you wanna believe Gibbs...then by all means, go right ahead." Sacks said, as he continued to rifle through the papers in the file.

Gibbs leaned forward.

"No, that's what I know, Sacks." Gibbs corrected him.

"How do you know she didn't do it?" Sacks asked, as he leaned forward.

"Better question is...how do you know she did?" Gibbs replied.

"Like I said, Gibbs, I have proof." Sacks replied.

Gibbs leaned in closer to Sacks.

"Why don't you look me in the eye, and tell me that you know beyond the shadow of a doubt...that she's guilty." Gibbs said quietly.

Sacks leaned closer. The two of them locked in each other's eyes, almost staring each other down.

"She's guilty." Sacks said.

Gibbs sat in silence for only a few seconds, but then he leaned back in his chair.

A small grin crossed his lips.

Sacks leaned back, and put all of his papers back together inside the file folder, and then he closed it.

---------------------------------------

At Gibbs' House...

By now it was late in the evening, or at the very least it was getting there.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee were busy searching the nearly completed boat that sat tucked away down in Gibbs' basement.

"I think I found it!" McGee called from inside the boat.

"Excellent Probie...what is it?" Tony called back.

McGee climbed out of the boat, and jumped down right in front of Tony and Ziva.

"I don't know, some kind of envelope." McGee replied.

"A thick envelope." Ziva pointed out.

McGee opened the envelope, and pulled out of it a file folder with a bunch of papers stuffed into it.

"Come on over here with it, Probie." Tony said, as he motioned towards the tool bench/table.

Ziva flipped on the overhead lights so that they could see a little bit better.

McGee laid the folder down on the bench and opened it. They were first greeted by a photo and background information on one Ms. Abigail Sciuto.

"What's Gibbs doing with a file on Abby." McGee wondered out loud.

"Perhaps he is...how you say, paranoid." Ziva remarked.

"No, Gibbs doesn't get paranoid...he just gets suspicious." Tony said, quietly.

"Hey, what's this?" Tony said, noticing a slip of paper hanging onto the outside of the file folder.

McGee put his hand in the spot where he is reading, and then flips the folder over.

Tony pulls the slip of paper off of the file folder, and reads it out loud.

"Active Case...Agent in Charge...Sacks." Tony said, surprised.

"Wait...this must be Sacks' file." McGee said, as he flipped the file folder back open again.

"That must be why Gibbs sent us to get it." Ziva added.

"Yeah makes sense." Tony said. "Gibbs wants us to find out what Sacks has on Abby."

"So that we can help prove that she is innocent." Ziva added.

"Exactly." Tony replied, quietly.

"What does it say McGee?" Tony asked, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Abby's background...her family, friends, places of employment-" McGee started.

"Anything important, Probie?" Tony said, displaying slight annoyance.

"Oh, uh right...right." McGee said, as he began flipping through the papers, digging deeper into the file.

"Oh, okay...here's something interesting." McGee said, stopping on a page, in the middle of the file.

"What?" Ziva asked.

"These documents...they show computer activity for Abby's computer." McGee said, as he examined the documents closely.

"Someone in the Hoover Building was monitoring Abby's computer." Tony said.

"Looks like it." McGee replied.

McGee continued to flip through, and examine the documents closely, until he flipped a page and felt something hard.

"What the?" McGee said, more to himself than to the others.

"What is it McGee?" Ziva asked.

"Don't know." McGee said as he reached up under the page and pulled out a thin CD case with a single CD-Rom inside of it.

McGee held the disc up in front of him, and looked at it.

"It's a CD-Rom of some kind." McGee said.

"Any idea what's on it?" Tony asked.

"Nope. But I know how to find out." McGee said with a grin.

"What do we need Probie?" Tony asked.

McGee turned to Tony and Ziva.

"A computer." McGee said.

"Right...I knew that." Tony replied.

"It will have to be one that the FBI does not know about, right McGee?" Ziva asked.

"Right." McGee answered. "Cause we don't know what kind of surveillance they've got on us yet."

"IF they have us under surveillance." Tony pointed out.

"Oh, they do." Ziva said, with a grin.

Tony and McGee looked at Ziva, confused a little bit.

"Care to share, Ziva?" Tony asked.

"We were followed." she informed her team mates.

"Followed...how's that possible...I mean how's it possible that you know that we were followed?" McGee asked.

"They are not very good at their job." Ziva said, with a chuckle. "I watched them follow us from the time we let NCIS." Ziva continued.

"Great...that's just fantastic." Tony said, as he turned away and began pacing the floor.

"Now what?" McGee said.

Ziva just grinned.

"There is, however, a way to avoid getting caught." Ziva said. "Interested?" she asked.

"Yes." McGee said, almost immediately.

"How?" Tony asked.

"We split up." Ziva informed them. "McGee give the disk to Tony." she instructed McGee.

"What...why?" McGee asked, almost in protest.

"Because...you are the computer expert, yes?'

"Well, yeah I guess." McGee replied.

"I think I see where she's going with this, Probie." Tony said. "Do as she says."

At that point Tony and McGee both listened to Ziva's instructions, as she told them exactly what to do.

"No, a cyber cafe would be way to obvious, Tony McGee interjected. "I have a better idea."

"Fine then McGoogle...let's hear it." Tony said.

"Ziva I'll need my laptop from my apartment. Think you can get it for me?" McGee asked.

Ziva nodded. "Sure."

"Good." McGee replied.

"We'll meet up at Frank's Diner, agreed?" McGee asked.

"Agreed." Ziva said.

"Sure." Tony added.

McGee handed Ziva the keys to his apartment.

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ...

In the Interrogation room...

"I can see I'm not going to get anywhere with you, Agent Gibbs." Sacks said, as he stood up--file folder in hand.

"Funny, I was kind of thinking the same thing." Gibbs said, with a grin.

Sacks rolled his eyes at Gibbs.

"I'm sure you were." Sacks replied.

"So we'll end this, now, while I'm still ahead." Sacks added as he walked towards the door.

Gibbs stood up as Sacks walked out of the room.

---------------------------------------

Jenny met Gibbs in the hallway as he exited the interrogation room. Sacks had already made his way back up the hall towards the elevator/squad room so he was out of earshot of Jenny and Gibbs.

"You know he was lying." Jenny said, as they walked up the hall.

"Yeah, I know." Gibbs replied.

"I was staring him right in the eye when he did it, Jen." Gibbs said.

"So, what's the plan?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs stopped walking, and Jenny stopped with him. The two of them looked at each other.

"Director Shepherd, technically we're not supposed to do anything, remember?" Gibbs said, with a slight grin.

"Technically...no." she replied. "But something just doesn't feel right...about this whole thing." she continued.

"Hmm." Gibbs huffed, with a slight grin, as he resumed walking.

"Is that all?" he added.

Jenny rolled her eyes at Gibbs.

"That...and I know you too well Jethro." Jenny added, calling after Gibbs.

Gibbs stopped.

"It's never been your style to just sit back and watch...especially where your team is involved...especially not Abby." Jenny said.

Gibbs turned to face Jenny, and then walked back over to her.

"So what's the plan, Jethro?" she asked, again.

"Too many people are involved in this already...you don't need to be." Gibbs told her. "It's probably better if you stay out of it...just in case it doesn't work out."

Jenny rolled her eyes, again.

"That's a load of bull, and you know it, Jethro." Jenny said.

Gibbs gave Jenny the stare.

"Sorry Jethro, but the "Gibbs Stare", doesn't work on me." Jenny informed him.

Gibbs grinned, and finally gave up.

"The plan?" she asked, yet again.

"I'm waiting on a call from DiNozzo." Gibbs informed her. "So when I know...you'll know."

Gibbs turned and walked away.

"We will get her out of this, Jethro." Jenny called after Gibbs. "There will be a wedding next week."

Gibbs just grinned.

"I know." Gibbs said, confidently, and with a grin.

---------------------------------------

Meanwhile across town...

At "Frank's Diner"...

The sun has almost completely set, outside.

Ziva entered the diner through the front door, and looked around for a second until she finally spotted Tony and McGee sitting way back in the back in a corner booth.

Ziva walked over as quickly, and yet as calmly as she possible could.

"You got it, good." McGee said, quietly, as Ziva handed him the laptop.

"Yes, and it was not easy." Ziva said, quietly.

"What did you do with the rest of the file?" Tony asked her, quietly.

"I burned it." she informed him.

"Good." Tony said.

"Now what?" she added, as she sat down across from McGee.

McGee opened the laptop up and turned it on.

"Now we find out what's on this disc." McGee said, quietly.

"Well then do it...and make it quick." Tony said, quietly.

The screen finally finished loading on McGee's laptop. McGee then opened the CD-Rom drive, and inserted the disc.

After a few seconds the disc automatically loaded itself, and a information box popped up. It showed several marked file folders among other things.

"What's that on there?" asked, quietly, as he pointed to a strangely marked folder.

"Don't know...so let's find out, shall we." McGee muttered, as he clicked on the icon.

"It looks like it might be a sound file." McGee said, as he examined the information that popped up next.

"Of what?" Ziva asked.

"Well, the case report that I read in the file did say that Sacks was tipped off by an anonymous caller." McGee said.

"Maybe its a recording of the call." Tony suggested. "You know like how all 911 calls are recorded by the dispatch officer on duty at the time the call is placed."

"Well then, let's here it." Ziva said.

"Okay, just a sec." McGee said as he began punching keys on the laptops' keyboard.

"There." McGee said, as he finally got the sound to play.

McGee also made certain that the volume on his laptop wasn't turned up too loud.

The sound file began to play, and the team listened very carefully to it.

"Hello, can I help you?" came the first voice. It sounded like a woman, maybe in her mid-thirties or so.

"Yes, I have a 'tip'...about some illegal activity." came a second much, much deeper voice.

"Sir?" the first voice replied.

"I hear things...a LOT of things, and I sometimes see things too." the second voice said.

"Sir, if this is some kind of joke then-" the first voice started to say.

"Project Aquarius." the second voice said, cutting off the first voice.

"Sir, how do you know about-" the first voice started to ask, again.

"Someone has hacked secret government files...right under the FBI's nose." the second voice continued.

"And I know who." the second voice added.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you for some information." the first voice said.

The second voice chuckled.

"All you need to know is Abigail Sciuto. She works for NCIS as a forensic scientist." the second voice informed the first voice.

"Sir-" the first voice tried, again.

"Oh, and tell Agent Sacks that his friend, 'Black Lung', said Hi." the second voice added.

"Sir-" the first voice tried, yet again.

Then there was a click on the line, as the mysterious second voice hung up.

The recording stopped at that point.

"Well, that was...helpful." Ziva said, sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Well, we certainly know who they want us to think called in the 'anonymous tip'." Tony said. "Don't we McGee?"

"Sure do." McGee agreed. "To bad whoever it was had their voice disguised."

"Yeah, its such a shame." Tony replied.

"Anything else on there that might help us, McGee?" Tony asked.

"I'm checking on that now." McGee said.

McGee's hands flew across the key board as he brought up all of the information, and examined it carefully.

"In this life, McGee." Ziva snapped, anxiously.

"I'm working as fast as I can, Ziva." McGee said, without looking up from his laptop.

After some careful examination of the materials on the disc, McGee finally found something worth talking about.

"Aha...I think found something." McGee said, a little bit louder than he originally anticipated.

"Shush!" Tony snapped.

"Do you want us to get caught?" Ziva asked, rhetorically of course.

"Sorry...I think I found something that just might help us prove Abby's innocent." McGee informed them, quietly this time.

"Okay, what is it?" Tony asked.

"Well, I was looking through some of these documents and such, that Sacks has on here...and I found this." McGee said, as he clicked a button on the keyboard.

Some information popped up onto the screen.

"What is it?" Tony asked, again.

"They're encrypted transcriptions of activity on selected websites." McGee informed them, quietly.

"And?" Ziva asked, impatiently.

"And...while I can't actually read them until they are decrypted, I can tell that these websites were not accessed by Abby's computer." McGee said.

"She has more than one computer, Probie...so how can you be sure?" Tony asked, not amused, yet.

"She wouldn't be able to do it from work...it would've raised a flag in the system if she had." McGee said.

"Okay Probie, now you've got my attention." Tony said.

"How do you know it's not hers?" Tony asked, leaning closer to McGee.

"The only part that's not encrypted is the IP Address. I know the IP Address for Abby's computer." McGee said. "I mean I've helped her do maintenance on it enough times, so I mean at least I should know it."

"Can you tell who's it is then?" Tony asked.

"I can try...but I'll need a little more time to run the program." McGee informed them.

"Time is something that we are running out of, McGee." Ziva said, anxiously.

"I know...I know...just give me a little...that's all I need." McGee said.

McGee's hands, once again, began to fly over the keys on the laptop's keyboard, as he did his computer thing.

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ...

In the Squad Room...

Gibbs sat at his desk, and watched Sacks and his people as they packed up their things/equipment and got ready to leave the NCIS building.

Jenny walked over to Gibbs' desk.

"Anything yet?" she asked Gibbs.

"Nope, not yet." Gibbs replied, calmly.

"Well, whatever it is they're doing...they had better hurry." Jenny told Gibbs.

"Just give'em a little more time, Jen." Gibbs said, calmly.

Jenny let out a sigh, as she backed up and leaned against McGee's desk.

"I hope your right Jethro, I really do." she added.

At that moment Ducky strolled into the squad room, having taken the stairs up from autopsy.

"Any word from the others?" Ducky asked, quietly, as he entered the bullpen area.

"Not yet Duck." Gibbs replied.

"Poor Jimmy was scared frightened out of his mind when they arrested him." Ducky added.

"I know Duck." Gibbs said. "Abby's scared too."

"Who would want to frame Abigail and Jimmy?" Ducky asked. "They'd never hurt anyone...nor have they ever."

"We know, Ducky, we know." Jenny said, still leaning against McGee's desk.

"How's Chloe?" Gibbs asked, looking up at Ducky.

"Oh, she's fine...she's fine." Ducky said.

"Good." Gibbs said, a certain edge of worry in his voice, though he tried to mask it from Jenny and Ducky.

"Yeah, I left her in Abby's lab coloring in one of her coloring books. She seemed alright when I left her to come up here." Ducky added.

"Though I could tell she did seem upset by her mother's predicament, but suffice it to say she's a lot like her father." Ducky said.

"She won't show it." Jenny said.

"Precisely." Ducky said.

---------------------------------------

Back at Frank's Diner...

The team, mainly McGee, is still hard at work on the laptop.

"Got it." McGee said, suddenly.

"I ran the IP Address through a program that I wrote, to determine it's point of origin, and..." McGee began.

"And what, McGee?" Tony demanded.

"And...that's, that's strange." McGee said (he does that thing with his mouth), slightly confused. "The IP Address came from a computer inside the Hoover Building." McGee informed them, quietly.

"The Hoover Building...you mean to tell me that someone with the FBI is framing Abby." Tony said, also slightly confused.

"But they are the ones investigating Abby...are they not?" Ziva said.

"Yeah, they are." Tony answered.

"Wait...let me try something." McGee said, as he punched some keys on the laptop's keyboard, and eventually brought the sound file back up.

"What are you doing?" Ziva asked.

"I'm running the sound sample through a voice recognition-type program. I want to check something." McGee told Ziva.

A few minutes passed as McGee did, once again, his thing working like crazy to get it done as quickly as possible.

A few minutes later...

"Alright...now let's hear what our anonymous caller really sounds like." McGee said.

The team listened intently to the recording once more, but this time they were able to figure out who the 'anonymous caller' really is/was.

"Is it just me, or does that voice sound familiar to you Tony?" McGee asked, quietly, with a grin.

"Yeah." Tony replied.

"You are right," Ziva agreed. "It does."

Tony pulled out his cellphone and dialed Gibbs' number, and then put the phone up to his ear.

"Gibbs is gonna love this." Tony said, with a sly grin, as he waited for Gibbs to pick up.

"Yeah, but I'd hate to be Sacks right now." McGee said, sharing Tony's grin.

"That is for sure." Ziva agreed.

---------------------------------------

Back at NCIS HQ...

In the squad room everyone was still in the positions that they were in earlier.

Sacks walked over to Gibbs' desk.

"Well, we're done here. Thank you for your cooperation Director Shepherd, and Gibbs...it's nothing personal, you understand, I'm just doing my job." Sacks said.

Sacks offered his hand to Gibbs, for him to shake, but Gibbs just grinned.

Sacks got the message, and backed away.

"Well, goodnight, and I hope we won't have to do this again anytime soon." Sacks said as he turned and walked towards the elevator.

Ring! Ring! Came the sound of Gibbs' cell phone ringing. Gibbs grabbed it and flipped it open.

"It's about time, DiNozzo." Gibbs said into his cell phone.

"Sorry about that Boss." Tony was heard saying.

"Whatcha got?" Gibbs asked.

"HmmHmm." Gibbs said, a grin working its way across his lips.

"Jethro, what is it?" Jenny asked, from McGee's desk.

Gibbs ignored Jenny's question.

"Yeah, I know." Gibbs said into the phone, with a grin.

"Good work, DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "Why don't you call Fornell...tell'em to pick you guys up and bring you back here." he added.

"Alright...and tell McGee and Ziva...'Good Work'." Gibbs said, just before he hung up his cell phone.

"Well, what did they say?" Jenny asked.

"Jen could you call Clint, down at the front desk, and have him hold Sacks for me?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, sure, but why Jethro?" Jenny asked Gibbs.

"Just do it, Jen." Gibbs said.

Jenny sighed and picked up McGee's desk phone and dialed up the front desk.

"I'm sorry to say I'm slightly confused...would someone care to explain what is going on?" Ducky asked.

"Why don't you come with me, Duck." Gibbs said, as he walked out from behind his desk and headed for the elevator.

---------------------------------------

Downstairs at the front desk...

The elevator pinged, and then the doors opened and Gibbs, Ducky, and Jenny stepped off.

"Ah, Director Shepherd. This clown here (he points to Clint the security guard) won't let me through, so I can leave." Sacks said, when he saw Jenny.

"That's because I told him not too." Jenny said.

"Thanks Clint." Jenny said to Clint, who was standing by the metal-detector.

"What...why?" Sacks asked, trying to act surprised.

Gibbs walked straight up to Sacks, just as calmly and coolly as possible.

"What's this all about...something I should know?" Sacks asked.

Gibbs grabbed Sacks (but not too hard) and turned him around. This action caused Sacks to drop his brief case on the floor.

"What're you doing?" Sacks protested.

Gibbs pulled Sacks' arms behind his back as he slapped a pair of handcuffs over Sacks' wrists.

"It's nothing personal, you understand, I'm just doing my job." Gibbs whispered to Sacks, with a grin.

Sacks pulled against Gibbs, but to no avail.

"You think you're so smart, don't ya!?" Sacks snapped at Gibbs.

"Well you're not...you don't have any proof of anything!" he spat at Gibbs.

The sound of the front door sliding open is/was heard.

"Actually they do, Sacks." a familiar voice was heard, coming from the front door.

Gibbs didn't even look up from Sacks.

"Hey Fornell...got my team with ya?" Gibbs asked, with a grin.

"We're here boss." Tony said, as he and Ziva and McGee trudged through the front door, walking past Fornell.

"You...you helped them! You helped them, Fornell!?" Sacks spat at Fornell, angrily.

"Nope, they figured this one out all by themselves." Fornell said, flashing Gibbs a slight grin.

"You liar!" Sacks shouted at Fornell.

"Believe what you want, Sacks, cause where you're going you'll be the only one who thinks so." Fornell informed Sacks, calmly, and yet sternly.

"This isn't over Gibbs, this isn't over." Sacks told Gibbs, threateningly.

"Actually, it is." Gibbs said, as he handed Sacks over to Fornell.

"Clint, why don't you escort Agent Fornell out to his car, please." Jenny instructed Clint.

"Yes ma'am." Clint said, as he moved over to Fornell.

Fornell was about to leave, but then he turned back around to Gibbs.

"Oh, before I forget...I also brought you something else Gibbs." Fornell said.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

Fornell turned back to the door and nodded to someone outside. Gibbs couldn't really see who, it was just too dark outside to see.

Suddenly the front door slid open again and Abby came running inside. Jimmy followed behind her, though he was not running, but he was greeted by Ducky and the others, most joyously.

"Abs." Gibbs whispered.

Abby jumped up into Gibbs' arms, and through her arms around him.

"I missed you so much." she sobbed, quietly.

"I know." Gibbs said, hugging her tight. "But I knew you wouldn't leave me there for long." Abby said.

"Not a chance." Gibbs whispered to Abby.

Abby pulled back, tears in her eyes, and kissed Gibbs full on the lips.

Gibbs returned the kiss in kind, while reassuring her that everything was okay.

Fornell just grinned at the happily re-united couple, and then turned, with a chuckle, and walked out the door.

"Thanks Fornell." Gibbs whispered.

Everyone else was happy and relieved to see Abby back where she belonged, and out of danger. Mostly just glad that the whole thing was finally over.

Gibbs sat Abby back down onto the ground, and put his arm around her.

"Let's go get Chloe, and go home." he said softly, as he led her towards the elevator.

"You guys go home and get some sleep already...you've earned it." Gibbs said to his team.

"Well, I for one am glad to see that this story does, indeed, have a happy ending." Ducky said, with a smile.

"Me too Doctor." Jimmy said, in agreement.

---------------------------------------

Down in Abby's lab...

Gibbs and Abby entered the lab together.

"Chloe." Abby called as they entered the lab.

The automatic sliding door to Abby's office area slid open almost at once.

"Mommy!" Chloe cried as she raced over to her mother.

Abby stooped down and wrapped her daughter in the biggest hug imaginable.

"Mommy missed you so much sweetheart." Abby said, still really emotional.

"I missed you to Mommy." Chloe said, as she squeezed her mother's neck as tightly as her little arms could manage--without hurting her mother of course.

------------To Be Continued in "I Do"------------

------------"I Do"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

A nice salty breeze had kicked up their on the beach where the wedding "facilities" had been set up.

The sun was beginning to set behind the horizon in the distance, and the soothing sound of waves crashing, gently, ashore could be heard.

Chairs had been set up in the sand near the water's edge for the guests to sit in, and a small chapel-style awning-like structure was set up at the front of the area. This would be where the groom, bride, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and the preacher would stand for the ceremony.

Guests had been arriving for about almost an hour or so.

---------------------------------------

A short distance away from this scene in a beach-side hotel the wedding party made last minute adjustments to themselves and their outfits as they prepared to make the walk to the alter.

In the girl's room...

"You look beautiful, Abby." Jenny said, as she stood behind Abby who as viewing herself in the mirror.

"Thanks, Jen." Abby replied, with a smile.

"Yeah mommy, you look really pretty." Chloe said, as she stepped up beside her mother, holding her flower basket in her little hands.

"You don't look half bad yourself, kiddo." Abby replied, jokingly, with a big smile.

Chloe just giggled happily.

---------------------------------------

In the guy's room...

"How you feelin' Boss?" Tony asked.

"I mean...are you sure you're ready for this?" he added.

Gibbs shot Tony a look.

"Er...yeah, I guess that was a stupid question." Tony said.

"You think, DiNozzo." Gibbs replied, flashing a slight grin.

"Well I had better be on my way." Ducky said as he headed for the door.

"Be careful with my Bride, Duck." Gibbs said, with a grin.

Ducky chuckled, as he reached for the doorknob on the door.

"Don't worry, Jethro, she'll be in prime condition when next you see her...I promise." Ducky said, as he pulled open the door.

---------------------------------------

Back in the girl's room...

Abby sat on the bed, and the others were gathered around her as well.

"So, how do you feel?" Cindy asked Abby.

"Like...I-I can't believe I'm actually getting married." she said, with a small laugh.

"Well, I think you too are perfect for each other." Jenny said.

"Thank you...I really think so too." Abby said.

"I just...I just never used to think that never in a million years would I ever get married or have children, or any of that." Abby said, becoming a little emotional.

Abby motioned for Chloe to come to her.

Chloe hopped up onto the bed next to her mother. Abby pulled Chloe into a warm embrace.

"And this little one's a miracle." Abby said, as she hugged her daughter. "That puts me half way there, I suppose." she added.

---------------------------------------

30 Minutes Later...

On the Beach...

Gibbs stood at the alter in his White Tuxedo. By his side stood his Best Man, Tony, and by Tony stood McGee and Jimmy.

The preacher stood in the center of the alter setup, with his Bible held close.

"This is it Boss." Tony whispered in Gibbs' ear.

Gibbs just smiled.

The music for this occassion was to be the sounds of the sea.

Gibbs watched, anxiously, as Abby exited the small tent that had been setup for the start of her walk down the aisle. Ducky led her down the aisle, as he had promised her he would.

Walking in front of them leading the way was little Chloe with her little flower basket. She left a pretty trail of flowers for her mother to follow to the alter.

Gibbs couldn't help but smile when he saw her walking towards her, on Ducky's arm of course, she looked so beautiful.

Abby looked as she walked down the aisle, and she could see her parents sitting on the front row next to Gibbs' father, Jackson.

Within just a few minutes they reached the foot of the alter.

"Who gives this woman to be wed on this day?" the preacher asked.

"On behalf of her mother and father, and her family at NCIS...I do." Ducky said, with a smile.

"Very good." the preacher replied.

Ducky then proceeded to give Abby to Gibbs.

Ducky then took his seat next to Gibbs' father on the front row.

Gibbs and Abby stood hand in hand before the preacher, as the ceremony began.

---------------------------------------

25 Minutes Later...

Abby could hear sweet angelic music playing in her head.

"I, Abby, take you, Jethro, to be my husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." Abby said, not just as the preacher had instructed, but from the very depths of her heart and soul.

She found herself unable to hide the smile that had spread across her face from ear to ear.

"Jethro..." the preacher said, quietly, with a smile.

"I, Jethro, take you, Abby, to be my wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." Gibbs said softly, as he gazed into the depths of Abby's eyes, so full of love and passion.

"Good." the preacher said. "Now, for the rings."

Tony and Ziva passed their rings to their owners.

Abby and Gibbs ha decided, before the wedding to memorize their ring ceremony vows.

Gibbs took Abby's hand in his and held it gently, and lovingly.

"Abby, This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am." Gibbs said softly as he slid the ring onto Abby's ring finger.

"I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart." Abby said, joy filling her heart with each passing moment, her eyes moist with emotion, ready to burst forth at any moment.

Tony glanced at Ziva, and noticed that her eyes were glistening. "She's crying." he thought to himself.

"Jethro, This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am." Abby said, tenderly, as she slid the ring onto his ring finger.

"I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart." Gibbs replied sweetly, never looking away from her eyes.

---------------------------------------

10 Minutes Later...

"...I pronounce you Husband and Wife." the preacher said. "You may now kiss the bride."

Gibbs did just as he was told. He pulled Abby into his arms, and kissed her on the lips, gently, yet lovingly, all in one swift motion.

After they pulled apart, the crowd cheered their approval. And then to the surprise of the newly-weds, Tony, McGee, Jimmy, Ziva, Jenny, and Cindy had filled small plastic bags with tiny confetti pieces which they now pulled from their pockets and threw into teh air. This showered the bride and groom in a blissful shower of pretty colored pieces of paper.

Chloe walked up to her newly married parents, still holding onto her little flower basket.

Gibbs stooped down and picked up his daughter and held her in his arms.

Chloe giggled with delight as her father placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

------------To Be Continued in "Honeymoon in DisneyLand"------------

------------"Honeymoon in Disneyland"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

It was late evening when the trio finally checked into their hotel at the Disneyland Resort in Orlando, Florida.

They stepped off of the elevator on their designated floor.

Gibbs carried their luggage, and Abby carried a very exhausted Chloe in her arms.

"232...233...234..." Gibbs mumbled to himself as he searched for their designated room.

Aha...235, found it." he said, as swiped the key card through the door's security lock.

Ping! The lock sounded off, and then the light on the side flashed from red to green and Gibbs was able to push the door open.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs placed the luggage down in the middle of the floor, as Abby walked in behind him.

"I'm gonna put Chloe down for the night." Abby said, quietly.

Gibbs smiled, as he turned and closed the door, which locked itself automatically.

Gibbs surveyed the room before him.

The room was actually split into two different areas by a wall. The first area was the living area/kitchen, and the second area, which was accessed through a door on the far wall, was the sleeping quarters--which contained two beds--there was also a bathroom attached to the sleeping quarters as well.

Abby emerged from the sleeping quarters a few minutes later.

"She's fast asleep." Abby informed Gibbs, with a grin.

"Which we'll have to do the same, in a little while." Gibbs said, as he stretched his arms over his head.

"So, what'dya wanna do?" she asked her husband.

"Well, I'm thinkin' relax on the sofa, and maybe see what's on TV--for starters." Gibbs replied.

"Sounds good to me." Abby said, as she slid out of her shoes, and then picked them up and laid them by the door.

Gibbs plopped down onto the sofa, and grabbed the TV remote off of the coffee table in front of the sofa. He aimed the remote at the television, and turned it on.

"We'll be able to get a good and early start tomorrow morning." Gibbs said.

Abby laughed, and it made Gibbs look up at her with a funny look, as she joined him on the sofa.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothing. Just...I'm not sure who's gonna have more fun tomorrow...You or Chloe." Abby said, as she tried to stifle another chuckle.

---------------------------------------

The next day was simply beautiful--there was just no other way to describe it.

Gibbs, Abby, and Chloe stood in line at the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction waiting for their turn to ride.

"Pirates!" Chloe said, excitedly.

"Yep, just like in the movie." Gibbs replied, with a smile.

Father and daughter giggled excitedly together, and Abby couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The line suddenly moved forward, and it was their turn to ride.

The trio moved into position on the platform. Abby stepped down into her seat, and then Gibbs handed Chloe to her, and then he himself stepped in and sat down.

---------------------------------------

"...Dead men tell no tales." echoed the pirate's voice as the small boat that the trio rode in slipped into a dark tunnel.

---------------------------------------

The day was long and fun-filled for the trio as they moved from one ride to the next (sometimes riding a ride twice in a row). They got the chance to see a couple of shows as well, and ate lunch--as well as a few snacks here and there.

Chloe even got to meet Mickey Mouse and Goofy, and Ariel the Little Mermaid.

---------------------------------------

That evening after they had returned to their hotel room, Chloe fell asleep from sheer exhaustion on the sofa.

"I do believe our little girl may have had a little too much fun today." Abby said, with a grin.

"Nah. Not possible, Abs." Gibbs replied, returning his wife's grin.

"But you know...WE, could always have a little more fun." Gibbs said, with a wink.

"Gibbs." Abby chuckled, giving her husband a slight love-tap on the shoulder. "Are you saying, what I think you're saying?" she asked, mischievously.

Gibbs shrugged, and flashed Abby a sly grin.

"I don't know...meet me in the bedroom in 5 minutes and maybe...you'll find out." Gibbs said, as he rose to head for the bedroom area.

"Five minutes." Abby repeated, in shock. "Why wait that long." she said, as she jumped up and grabbed Gibbs' hand and pulled him towards the bedroom area.

---------------------------------------

"Did you notice, at all, how people were staring at us today?" Abby asked Gibbs, who was just coming out of the adjoining bathroom--half-naked.

"Yeah well, maybe they just had a hard time figuring out how a beautiful young woman like you ended up with an ugly old bastard like me." Gibbs replied, with that trademark grin of his.

Abby couldn't help but laugh at her husband's joke.

Gibbs plopped down on the edge of the bed.

Abby, wearing nothing at this point but a t-shirt and panties (having already removed her bra as well as the other articles of clothing that she had had on earlier), crawled across the bed to her husband and wrapped her arms around his bare-upper torso.

"You gonna keep me waiting, Gunney?" Abby whispered into Gibbs' ear.

Gibbs grinned. "And, if I do?" Gibbs asked, quietly and mischievously.

Abby chuckled a slight chuckle.

"Well then, I might just slip away." Abby whispered.

"Really?" Gibbs replied, slyly.

In one swift motion Gibbs pulled Abby around to his front, rolling to one side as he did so, and with little to no effort at all had Abby on her back in the center of the bed. He held her down by her wrists, straddling her mid-section, and stared into her fierce green eyes.

"You were saying?" Gibbs said, flashing that trademark grin of his again.

Abby chuckled.

"Why Mr. Gibbs, you are a very, strong man." she teased.

"Why Mrs. Gibbs, YOU, are a very naughty little girl." Gibbs teased, as he bent his head down and placed a gentle kiss on Abby's lips.

"I suppose you'll just have to punish me then...won't you?" Abby continued her tease, with a grin.

Gibbs grinned. "I just might have to."

"Oh please, Mr. Gibbs...do be gentle with me." Abby said, trying not to laugh.

"I don't know...depends on whether you do as I say or not." Gibbs said, placing another kiss on his wife's lips.

For a moment the two of them just stayed in their positions staring into each other's eyes in silence--wondering what the other was thinking.

After a few moments of silence Abby decided to get things going again by stealing a kiss from her husband when she thought that he would least expect it.

---------------------------------------

------------To Be Continued in "Time Goes By..."------------

------------"Time Goes By..."------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

It's been about 4 1/2 weeks since Gibbs, Abby, and Chloe had returned from their trip to Disneyland.

Gibbs walked in the door of his house, having just finished helping Tony and Ziva move into the new place that they had just rented together.

Gibbs, by all appearances, was worn out.

Abby met him as he closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes, leaving them beside the door.

"Hey." Gibbs said, sluggishly, as he wrapped his arms around his beautiful wife, and kissed her on the lips.

"You look tired." Abby said, unable to hide the enormous smile on her face.

"Yeah, believe me...I FEEL tired." he replied.

As they walked towards the kitchen Gibbs noticed the smile on Abby's face. It was a look that she got when she was hiding something from him--usually something that she was dying to tell him.

"What?" he asked. curiosity biting at him, at this point.

"What d'ya mean...what?" Abby replied.

Gibbs stopped just before entering the kitchen and looked her dead in the eyes.

"Spill." he commanded.

"Fine." Abby said, nearly ready to explode from her excitement.

"Do you remember what we brought back from Disneyland?" she asked.

"Um, lets see...my sunburn, Chloe's giant stuffed teddy bear, you're Big Slurp drink cup, and...that's all I can think of at the moment." Gibbs said, still thinking.

"Don't forget the baby, Jethro." Abby said.

"Oh yeah...yeah sorry I did forget about the ba-" Gibbs started to say, but then his breath caught in his chest, and his eyes got really big.

"Baby?" Gibbs repeated. "But we didn't-"

He looked at his wife and saw that she had the biggest smile plastered to her face.

"Abs?" Gibbs tried to speak.

Abby just nodded, still smiling as big as ever.

"Abs...you're kidding...right?" Gibbs asked, wanting to be sure he was understanding correctly.

Abby just nodded again, and she looked as if she could burst at the seams at any moment.

"You're..." Gibbs, once again, tried to speak.

"That's right Jethro, I'm pregnant...again." she informed her husband.

The next thing either of them knew Abby was in Gibbs' arms being kissed repeatedly and listening to Gibbs tell her how much he loved her.

"I love you, Abs." Gibbs whispered to his wife.

---------------------------------------

4 1/2 months later...

Abby and Chloe were down in Abby's lab at NCIS HQ, together, when Gibbs strolled through the door, silently, as was his custom.

"Whatcha got A-" he started to say.

Gibbs noticed that his wife and his daughter were playing with the small bump that had started to form on his wife's mid-section from where the baby was growing.

"What're you two doing?" Gibbs asked, as he moved closer for a better look.

Abby spun around on the stool that Gibbs had gotten her to use in the lab while she was pregnant with Chloe.

"I was just showing you're daughter what the baby looks like...right now." Abby explained, with a grin, pointing to a reference photo on the computer screen.

"It's really little, daddy." Chloe said, smiling real big at her father.

"I know." Gibbs said, with a smile, as stooped down and scooped his daughter up into his arms.

"What will you name it?" Chloe asked.

Gibbs chuckled.

"Well, that kind of depends on whether its a boy or a girl." Gibbs said, with a grin, as he kissed her on top of the head.

"I hope its a girl." she informed her parents.

"Really?" Gibbs said. "What if you had a baby brother instead?" he asked her.

"I guess it would be okay." Chloe said, thinking about it. "But I think I would like a baby sister instead."

Abby and Gibbs laughed at Chloe's statement.

Gibbs shifted Chloe in his arms.

"So, whatcha got for me Abs?" Gibbs asked, finally remembering why he had come down to her lab in the first place.

"Oh, right." Abby said, as she turned back to her computer screen, and began punching keys on the keyboard of her computer.

Images appear on the computer screen, and on the big plasma screen on the far wall.

"The unknown liquid that I found on our dead Navy lieutenant's clothes...was Propylene Glycol." Abby informed Gibbs.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah...there's also this." Abby said, as a second image flashes up onto the computer screen.

Gibbs studied the image of the object carefully for a few seconds.

"A blasting cap." Gibbs said, suddenly.

"Exactly." Abby said, with a smile.

"That's good work, Abs." Gibbs said, with a grin, as he stepped up beside her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you Gibbs." Abby said, with a smile, playfully.

Gibbs grinned, and then he put Chloe back down on the ground.

"Stay with mommy til I get back, alright?" Gibbs instructed his daughter.

"Okay daddy." she replied, as she wrapped her arms around her father's neck for a hug.

Gibbs laughed as he returned the favor before patting her on the head, almost messing up her pretty pig tails in the process, and heading for the door.

---------------------------------------

3 Months Later...

Chloe spent the next few months, with her mother's help of course, counting down the days until her new baby sister or brother would be born.

Abby had started saying that Chloe was getting to be too much like her father--no patience whatsoever.

Gibbs and Abby had even decided to let Chloe help pick out baby names.

"Are you sure that's the one you like?" Abby asked Chloe.

"Hmmhmm." Chloe said, nodding her head confidently.

"Well, I guess that settles it then." Gibbs said, with a chuckle. "We'll name your baby sister Paige."

"Yes!" Chloe cheered triumphantly.

Gibbs and Abby couldn't help but laugh at their daughter.

------To Be Continued in "Hi, I'm Your Big Sister"------

------------"Hi, I'm Your Big Sister"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

It's Early Morning in the Gibbs House...

Gibbs and Abby were laying in their bed together, awake. They had brought the new baby home the night before, and Chloe, who had stayed with Uncle Tony and Aunt Ziva for a couple of nights, had been dropped off the night before as well.

All was quiet in the Gibbs house--well for the most part anyway.

"Hard to believe isn't it?" Abby asked, quietly, looking at Gibbs.

"What's that?" Gibbs asked.

"Them." Abby replied, quietly, with a smile. "Who would have thought that we, You and I, would get married and have two beautiful children." Abby said, quietly, with a smile.

"Yep." Gibbs agreed. "But, you know where they get it from, don't ya?" he asked, with a grin.

"Where's that?" Abby asked, with a curious grin.

"Why, there mother of course." Gibbs said, with a grin, as he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Abby's lips.

Abby chuckled at Gibbs' flattering observation.

---------------------------------------

In the girls' room Chloe sat on a stool beside the baby's crib, looking at her new baby sister through the wooden bars in total wonder and awe. There was a very loving look in Chloe's eyes as she surveyed this little baby laying in front of her.

Baby Paige was actually pretty much wide awake. Her tiny eyes darting all around the room until they finally landed on Chloe.

"Hi." Chloe said softly. "I'm your big sister."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of you, baby sister." Chloe informed her baby sister, softly.

Chloe wrapped her fingers around the wooden bars of the crib, gently, and pulled herself a little bit closer.

"You haven't met the rest of the family yet, but you will." Chloe told her baby sister, softly and quietly.

"Uncle Tony's really funny, and Aunt Ziva is really nice. They have a swimming pool." Chloe informed her baby sister, quietly.

The newborn baby cooed softly.

Chloe chuckled at her baby sister.

"Grandpa Ducky...he's got lots and lots of candy and animal crackers." Chloe said, quietly, with a smile. "But don't worry, I'll share with you."

"Uncle Timmy is smart, but not as smart as mommy...she's really smart." Chloe said, quietly. "Her work is lots of fun."

The newborn baby cooed softly, again.

"And Daddy...you'll like daddy." Chloe said, quietly. "He keeps bad people away."

"I love daddy...and he loves me." Chloe said, quietly. "He loves you too...I know he does." Chloe informed her baby sister, softly.

The little baby cooed gently, and then the baby girl raised her little arm up, slightly. Chloe reached through the wooden bars and placed her hand just in front of the baby's hand. The baby's hand closed, gently, around Chloe's (or as best as it could anyway).

Then, what could only be described as a smile, appeared on the little baby's face.

"And I love you too." Chloe said to her baby sister.

---------------------------------------

What Chloe did not know was that her parents were standing just outside the door to the nursery listening to every word she said.

"Oh, Jethro." Abby whispered.

"I know." Gibbs replied, softly, as he wiped a tear from his eye.

------------To Be Continued in "The Nightmare"------------

------------"The Nightmare"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
Based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

At NCIS HQ, Afternoon...

Abby strolled into the squad room with, already 2 years old, little Paige in her arms.

The squad room was somewhat alive. The team had just closed a case and was finishing up the paperwork before closing up shop.

"Hi guys." Abby said, cheerfully, as she strolled across the bullpen to her husband's desk.

Gibbs looked up as his wife made her way over to his desk. He just could not get over how beautiful she was. He was almost required to crack a smile when he saw her.

Abby reached Gibbs' desk and stooped down to his level for a kiss.

"I'm almost finished here, and then I'll be ready." Gibbs said, with a grin.

Abby just smiled brightly. "No rush." she said, as she took the seat next to Gibbs' desk, and sat down.

"I'm assuming you've already fed this little one." Gibbs said with a smile, nodding towards the baby in Abby's arms.

"Yep, she took the usual" Abby said, with a small laugh.

Gibbs smiled.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you like that, Abs." Tony said, from across the bullpen.

"What'dya mean?" Abby asked.

"Well, I mean you just don't look like a...well you know like a mom." he said, cracking a slight grin.

Abby gave a funny look.

"I think what Tony means, is most 'Normal' mothers don't wear mini-skirts, platform shoes, or do their hair up in pigtails...or wear dog collars around their necks." McGee said.

Abby looked from McGee to Tony.

"Hey, don't look at me...McGee said it, not me." Tony said, with a grin.

Abby looked back at McGee.

"What...what did I do?" McGee asked.

"Jethro." Abby said, calmly.

Gibbs hardly even looked up.

"McGee." he said, sternly.

"But Boss, all I said was-" he started to say.

"McGee." Gibbs said, more sternly.

McGee finally gave up.

"Fine...this one's on me." McGee said, as he whacked himself on the back of the head.

In the corner across from Tony's desk, Ziva just could not help but laugh at McGee.

"You asked for it McGee." she chuckled.

"I always do." McGee said, somberly.

That made Abby laugh.

Suddenly little Paige gave a small grunt.

Abby chuckled. She had learned that whenever little Paige wanted something she would grunt, and Abby and Gibbs found that to be really kind of hilarious.

Gibbs laughed, as he looked up at his youngest daughter, and reached out for her.

Abby handed Paige over to her father.

Gibbs held little Paige in his arms and bounced her up and down gently, and cooed to her.

"Oh that's right...I know what my girl wants." Gibbs said softly, with a smile.

"She wants to see her big sister." Gibbs winked at Abby.

"Is that what you want sweetheart?" Abby cooed softly to her youngest daughter. "Do you wanna see Chloe?"

Little Paige gave another small grunt that was immediately followed by a smile, and that made everyone laugh.

"I'll take that as a yes." Abby said, with a smile, as she looked up at Gibbs.

"Alright, just let me finish here real quick, and we'll go get big sister, okay?" Gibbs asked, softly.

Little Paige showed her approval of the submitted plan, by doing something that Gibbs and Abby were still unable to figure out where she had learned it or why she did it--especially at that age--and slapped her tiny hands together as best and as hard as she could manage.

"Alright." Gibbs said, with a smile. "Go back to mommy for a little bit." Gibbs said as he handed his daughter back to his wife.

Abby took little Paige back into her arms.

At that moment a smiling Ducky strolled into the squad room with 4 year old Chloe skipping along beside him cheerfully.

"Afternoon all." Ducky said, as he approached Abby's side.

"Hey Ducky." Abby said cheerfully, as she bounced her daughter on her knee.

"Mommy guess what?" Chloe asked, excitedly.

"What?" Abby asked, with a warm smile.

"Grandpa Ducky, showed me a heart." Chloe exclaimed, excitedly.

"Wow." Abby said, with a smile, as she looked up at Ducky.

Gibbs shot Ducky a look.

"Before you say anything, Jethro, you should know that she insisted I show it to her." Ducky said to Gibbs.

---------------------------------------

A Little Later...

Gibbs, Abby, and Chloe were walking to the car to go home. Abby carried Paige in her arms.

"Stop. Don't go any further." came a voice from behind the family, followed by the familiar clicking sound made by a gun.

Gibbs and company froze in place.

"Do as I say, and no one will get hurt." the voice instructed, menacingly.

"What is it exactly, that you want?" Gibbs asked, calmly.

"Her. The girl." the voice replied.

"Never gonna happen." Gibbs said.

Another clicking sound, another gun.

"Then she dies right here." the voice said.

Gibbs could feel the second gun being shifted from him to Chloe.

"If you wanna kill someone...then kill me." Gibbs said, thinking quickly, and yet trying to remain calm.

"It doesn't work that way, Agent Gibbs." the voice said.

A hand reached out and wrapped around Chloe's wrist. The hand pulled her away from Gibbs and Abby.

"Daddy!?" Chloe said, as she felt herself being pulled away from her parents and sister, beginning to succumb to fear and panic--tears already forming in her eyes.

"Shhhh, it's okay sweetheart." Gibbs said soothingly, not able to look at his daughter. "It'll be alright...I promise." he added softly.

Chloe was instantly calmed by her father's words. If her Dad said it would be okay, then it would be okay. He had never lied to her before, why would he start now.

Gibbs could hear footsteps, and in his mind he reasoned that the mysterious man was backing away with Chloe, getting ready to make his escape.

"Jethro." Abby insisted, a worried tone to her voice.

Gibbs couldn't fight the impulse any longer at that point.

In one swift motion he drew his Sig, turned to fire, and...BANG!

Gibbs felt something hit him...hard. It knocked the wind out of his lungs, and sent a searing pain shooting through his entire body.

He could hear his wife and children screaming as he fell to his knees.

"Daddy!" Chloe screamed, seeing what the mysterious man had done to her father, and wanting to run over and protect him.

Little Paige was crying in her mother's arms.

Abby screamed Gibbs' name as she ducked for cover shielding little Paige with her arms.

Gibbs suddenly found that he could no longer hold his gun up, and the world suddenly seemed to be spinning right before his very eyes.

And then...everything went black...

---------------------------------------

Later...

Gibbs suddenly awoke with a start.

He found himself dizzy and disoriented, but after a few moments he regained his bearings.

"Where am I?" He asked almost immediately, as he looked around the room.

The team, Ducky, Jenny, and Fornell gathered around as soon as they heard his voice--some of them had been standing right outside the door of the hospital room.

"Jethro, just calm down." Ducky said, as he approached his friend's side.

"What happened?" was Gibbs' next question.

"You were shot Boss." Tony informed him.

Flashes of the events that took place earlier invaded his mind.

"Forrnell...what're you-" Gibbs started to ask.

Suddenly more images--more complete images--flashed through Gibbs' mind.

"Chloe...Where's Chloe?" Gibbs said, at once.

"Now Gibbs, I think it would be best if you'd just-" Forrnell tried to say.

"Where is my daughter!?" Gibbs demanded, angrily.

The room was silent for what seemed like the longest time, until someone finally decided to speak up.

"We do not know...yet." Ziva said, quietly.

"You don't kn-" Gibbs started. "Then what the hell are you standing around for! We have to find her." Gibbs said, angrily.

Gibbs started to pull himself out of the hospital bed, first throwing back the covers off of his leg.

"Jethro, I really don't think that's a good idea." Jenny said, as she moved around to where Ducky was standing.

"Sorry...Aah...if I don't agree, Director Shepherd." Gibbs said, condescendingly, wincing in pain as he threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"Jethro, I am afraid I have to agree with the Director." Ducky said, cautioning Gibbs.

Gibbs didn't answer Ducky. Gibbs dropped down onto the floor, wincing slightly as he realized that we was being held back by all of the wires and tubes stuck inside him.

Angrily, Gibbs snatches the needles, tubes wires out of/off of his body gritting his teeth as he performed the action.

Gibbs looked around the room.

"Where's Abby?" he asked.

"Out in the hall, but-" Forrnell tried to stop Gibbs, but to no avail.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs walked out into the hall, wearing nothing but the hospital gown that he was dressed in.

He spotted her sitting among a set of chairs lined up against the wall just a short ways down the hall.

Gibbs walked towards her.

"Abs." he said, as he approached her.

Abby looked up at Gibbs, and he could tell she had been crying--a lot--her eyes were red.

"Abs, I-" Gibbs started to say.

Abby jumped up, and threw herself into her husband's arms.

"Jethro." she sobbed against him.

"Abs, where's Paige?" Gibbs asked.

Abby sniffled. "She's with Tim and Palmer...at NCIS." she explained.

The tears would not stop flowing. It was a weird experience for both of them. Abby was not a "Crier", and everyone knew that. It would take something devastatingly horrific or upsetting--such as the current situation--to make her cry.

"He took her, Jethro." she sobbed against.

"I know." Gibbs said, holding her close.

The rest of the gang had gathered outside in the hallway, not to far away.

"He took our baby." Abby's sobbing increased.

Gibbs found, suddenly, that his eyes were tearing up as well--as the emotions building up inside of him needed to be released.

"I will find her...I promise you." Gibbs said, softly, as he lifted his wife's head so that they could see into each other's eyes.

"I won't let anything happen to her." Gibbs reassured her, as he gently kissed her on the nose.

Abby sniffled and hiccuped as she tried to get her crying under control.

"I-I...I know." she said.

Abby wrapped her arms around her husband and held on tight, hugging him, suddenly somewhat afraid that she might lose the rest of her world.

"I want her back, Jethro...I want-" but she couldn't finish her sentence.

"I know Abs...so do I." he replied.

A few moments passed before Gibbs spoke up again.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said.

"Yeah Boss!?" Tony said, from behind Gibbs.

"Get my cloths, we're leaving." Gibbs said.

"On it boss." Tony replied.

---------------------------------------

At NCIS HQ...

Gibbs, Abby, and the team step off of the elevator and walk quickly towards their little bullpen area.

"DiNozzo, seal off the parking lot...it's a crime scene and-" Gibbs started to say as he reached his desk.

"Already done Boss." Tony informed Gibbs as he sat down at his desk.

Gibbs throws Tony a look.

"Ziva-" Gibbs begins.

"Security camera footage...taken care of." Ziva said, cutting Gibbs off.

"Okay, just how long was I out?" Gibbs asked.

"Four hours...give or take." Forrnell informed Gibbs.

"Four hours...then I guess what I should be asking is: 'What have you found out...so far?'" Gibbs said.

"Not much to be honest." Ziva said, as she took her seat.

"Abby managed to get a decent look at the guy." Tony said, nodding towards Abby who was sitting in the chair next to Gibbs' desk. "I put out a BOLO as soon as we had something to work with."

"You really should let my team handle this one Jethro." Forrnell said.

"Sorry Forrnell, can't do that. You're welcome to help us though...or you could just sit and watch. Either way we're wasting time having this conversation, so the choice is yours, Forrnell." Gibbs said, looking at Forrnell, who was standing by Tony's desk.

Just then McGee strolls into the bullpen, unexpectedly, quickly, a frantic expression on his face.

"What's buggin' you McGoogle?" Tony asked, when McGee entered the bullpen area.

At that point everyone else looked up at McGee, and they too noticed the expression on McGee's face.

McGee looked really worried.

"What is it, McGee?" Gibbs asked, in a tone that conveyed the message "..Even though I shouldn't have to ask."

"I think there's something you need to see down in Abby's lab, boss." McGee said, slowly.

And with that the team heads for Abby's lab, with McGee leading the way.

---------------------------------------

In Abby's Lab...

Palmer was sitting in Abby's office area playing with little Paige who was safely protected inside of her little play pin that Gibbs and Abby had set up in the office area there for just such reasons.

When the team entered the Lab, Jimmy stood up, patted the tot on the head, gently, and then walked out into the main lab area to meet everyone by the computer/workstation area.

"Where's Paige?" Abby asked Jimmy, quietly.

Jimmy motioned, with a smile, towards the office area.

"In her play pin--safe and sound." he said, with a grin.

"Thanks Jimmy." she replied, quietly, as she quickly made her way towards the office area.

---------------------------------------

In the office area Abby walked over to the play pin sitting against the wall next to her work desk.

"Hey there sweetheart." Abby said, softly, trying her best to appear strong and brave in front of the little girl.

Abby stooped over and lifted the little 1 year old out of the play pin, and then she sat down in her desk chair holding Paige gently, yet closely, to her own body--feeling very protective of her child.

Abby kissed little Paige gently on the forehead.

---------------------------------------

Out in the main lab area McGee was punching keys on the computer's keyboard hastily.

Suddenly some fingerprint analysis data flashed up onto the monitor/screen.

"What am I looking at, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"After you were taken to the hospital, and we were called back. We secured the area in and around the parking lot, and-" McGee had begun his long-winded story when his boss cut him off.

"McGee!" Gibbs snapped.

"Uh...r-right boss...sorry." McGee apologized. "I canvased the entire area around where you were shot, and besides some blood--which was yours--I found a single shell casing." McGee explained.

"The attacker didn't police his brass, boss." Tony interjected.

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Or, DiNozzo, it could be from my Sig...I did draw my weapon too." Gibbs said.

"But...it wasn't." McGee said, quickly.

Gibbs looked back at McGee with "that look".

"We checked the ammo clip from your gun, uh, sir--just to be sure...it was full." Jimmy added.

"I guess you never got the chance to fire at your, mysterious, attacker after all." Ducky said.

"Then who does it belong to?" Ziva asked.

"I was just getting to that." McGee said, quickly. "I was able to get a good enough print off of the shell casing to run a search through AFIS." McGee said.

Gibbs straightened up and looked at McGee, glaring at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"And?" Gibbs demanded.

"And...And, we got a match." McGee said, pressing a button on the keyboard.

Suddenly a photo of a white male, mid to late thirties or so, and some other background information flashed up onto the monitor/screen.

"Clint Bellows." McGee read the name out to Gibbs and the others.

"Dear heavens." Ducky said, quietly, shocked by what he was seeing on the computer screen.

"Why does this guy look familiar, Gibbs?" Forrnell asked, from behind them.

Everyone else, as well, was staring at the computer screen in shock.

"Because you pass by him every time you come through the front door of THIS BUILDING." Gibbs said, angrily.

"DiNozzo, get the car, and meet us out front." Gibbs barked.

"On it Boss." Tony said, obediently, as he turned and headed out of the lab, quickly.

"McGee, write down that address, and meet us at the car...and be quick about it." Gibbs snapped, at McGee.

Gibbs turned and headed towards the door.

"Ziva, you come with me." Gibbs ordered her.

"Search Warrant?" Forrnell asked, curiously, of Gibbs, as Gibbs passed by him.

"Don't need one." Gibbs replied, as he walked by Forrnell.

"I thought you'd say that." Forrnell said, with a half grin.

Just then Abby exited her office area, and walked over to where Jimmy was still standing by the computer/workstation.

"Jimmy, could you watch Paige...just a little while longer for me?" she asked, quietly.

"Sure." Jimmy said, with a grin.

"Thanks Jimmy, I really appreciate it." Abby said, as she turned and headed out after the others.

"Wait for me Jethro, I'm coming with you." she said as she caught up with her husband and Ziva.

---------------------------------------

Later...

Outside of Clint Bellows' Home...

Gibbs, Forrnell, and the rest of the team silently made their way towards Clint Bellows' home, on foot.

They all had on their Kevlar vests, and what not, and they had their weapons drawn and at the ready.

Gibbs gave hand signals to move his team into position as they approached the front door.

Ziva peeked in through a nearby window, cautiously, in an attempt to make visual contact with their suspect.

She motioned to Gibbs the "go-ahead" signal.

Gibbs motioned to Tony, who then once given the command, reared back and kicked the door in.

---------------------------------------

Inside Bellows' Home...

"Federal Agents!" Gibbs shouted as they stormed into the house, hastily.

"Where is she Clint!?" Gibbs shouted angrily, as he and his team searched around for their suspect.

Finally they headed for a hallway that led past the kitchen area, and back towards where the bedrooms would be located.

Suddenly a bullet whizzed past Gibbs ear, just barely missing it's mark.

Gibbs ducked out of the way, as did the others who also took cover.

"Drop the gun if you want to leave here alive!" Forrnell shouted down the hallway.

A few more bullets whizzed past the group of federal agents.

Ziva had taken cover in one of the first rooms that was accessible from the hallway. Tony and McGee had dove into a nearby bedroom that was accessible from the hallway.

Gibbs and Forrnell were taking cover at opposite sides of the entrance to the hallway.

At the very end of the hallway was where the master bedroom was located, and that was where Clint Bellows was hunkered down at.

"She's Mine!" Bellows shouted, angrily, as he popped out of his room just for a second to fire a few more rounds at the federal agents before ducking safely back inside his bedroom.

"I'll never let you take her from me...you hear me...EVER!" Bellows shouted once more, from inside his bedroom.

"How do we know that Chloe is somewhere safe, and not in danger of being hit by cross-fire!?" Ziva shouted back to Gibbs--and the others.

"We don't." Gibbs answered Ziva.

"Chloe! Sweetheart...it's daddy...are you okay!?" Gibbs shouted down the hall.

Gibbs received no answer from his daughter.

"She doesn't want to talk to you!" Bellows shouted, from inside his bedroom.

"We'll just have to be sure we only hit Bellows." Tony added, from inside the room where he and McGee had taken cover from Bellows' gunfire.

---------------------------------------

In Bellows' Bedroom...

The room was dimly-lit...

Inside his bedroom, Bellows ejected the now empty clip from his gun, and then slipped a new one into it and then cocked it.

---------------------------------------

"If anything has happened to that little girl, I can promise you that prison will be the least of your worries!" Forrnell shouted, down the hallway.

"Just tell us where she is, and no one here has to get hurt!" Gibbs shouted, down the hallway, to Bellows.

"Never!" Bellows shouted, as he once again, popped out and fired off three or four more rounds at the federal agents--only this time he's holding two guns instead of one.

The agents fired off a few rounds of their own, but Bellows just ducked back into his bedroom--back to safety.

---------------------------------------

In Bellows' Bedroom...

"After all the things I saw you do to her...I'll never let you hurt her again!" Bellows shouted, at Gibbs and his team. "Never!" he added, with a shout, as he popped out again and fired multiple shots from both of his guns before ducking back inside his bedroom--safely.

The sound of shots being fired by Gibbs and his team could be heard outside of Bellows' bedroom.

"Don't worry darlin'...I won't let them hurt you again...I promise." Bellows whispered towards the bed.

---------------------------------------

In Tony and McGee's Room...

Tony and McGee retreat back into their safe zone after having fired a few more rounds in Bellows' direction.

"This guys sounds really disturbed." McGee said, as pressed himself up against the wall.

Tony looked over at McGee from where he was situated.

"Gee, you think Probie." Tony said, sarcastically.

---------------------------------------

In the Hallway...

"What is he talking about?" Forrnell asked.

Gibbs looked at Forrnell who was looking at him.

"I have no idea." Gibbs said.

"I assure you, no one is going to hurt her." Forrnell shouted, trying to reassure Bellows.

---------------------------------------

In the Bathroom...

Ziva had ended up diving for cover in a bathroom--just her luck.

Ziva quickly swapped out her empty ammo clip for a new, full, ammo clip, and then quickly cocked it so that it would be ready for use.

Ziva then pressed her herself up against the doors of the "under-the-sink" cabinet she was sitting in front of. She peered out around the door quickly to see what she could see, before pulling back slightly to once again hide herself from view.

She positioned herself just so, and then placed a finger over her earpiece, gently.

"Gibbs, I think I can immobilize him so that we can get to Chloe." she said, quietly, into her miniature communication device that was attached to the sleeve of her shirt.

"I just need a diversion, to draw him into the open." she added, quietly.

---------------------------------------

At the Entrance to the Hallway...

Gibbs touched a finger to his earpiece, as he listened to what Ziva was saying.

"...I just need a diversion, to draw him into the open." he heard Ziva say, quietly, finishing her sentence.

Gibbs looked over at Forrnell, just for a second or two, though.

"Gibbs?" came the quiet voice over Gibbs' earpiece once again.

"I hear you Ziva...and I think I have just the thing." Gibbs whispered, into the tiny/miniature microphone hooked onto his shirt sleeve.

---------------------------------------

In the Bathroom...

"Understood." Ziva said, quietly, into her tiny/miniature microphone.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs looked over at Forrnell who nodded at Gibbs.

Everyone else had been told the plan as well, so now...they were ready...or at least they hoped that they were.

"Everyone, prepare to back out." Gibbs shouted down the hall.

"What're you doing!?" Bellows asked, from inside his bedroom at the end of the hallway.

"We're leaving!" Forrnell informed Bellows.

"We don't want anyone to get hurt...so we're gonna back out, and leave." Gibbs explained.

They waited a few seconds for a response, and then Gibbs gave the order and everyone, accept Ziva, began to move slowly out of their "Safe-Zones", and towards the front of the house and the front door.

---------------------------------------

In Bellows' Bedroom...

He stood with his back pressed up against the wall, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

He waited a moment before making any movements, and then he decided that it was probably safe. So he then proceeded to move slowly and carefully towards one of the windows on the wall adjacent to the one that he had been standing against earlier.

He reached the window and moved the curtains aside, slowly and carefully, and then he took a peek through the window and saw the group of federal agents headed back towards their cars.

---------------------------------------

Outside of Bellows' Home...

The team, and Forrnell made their way to the cars sitting in the driveway. Gibbs was walking, slowly, behind everyone else.

"Just stay calm, and act natural." Gibbs whispered to Forrnell and the rest of the team.

BANG! The sound of the gunshot rang through the inside of the house, and could also be heard very clearly from outside the house.

"All clear." Gibbs heard Ziva's voice through his earpiece.

Gibbs immediately pivoted around, made a U-Turn, and sprinted full speed for the still open front door of the house.

"But, I am hit." Ziva added.

Gibbs could tell by the sound of footsteps that his team and Forrnell were right behind him.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs barked, over his shoulder.

"I know boss, I heard her. I'll take care of Ziva." Tony reassured Gibbs as they passed through the front door of the house.

Gibbs and the team immediately headed for the hallway--Tony stopped not long after entering the hallway, and attended to Ziva who was in the bathroom area.

---------------------------------------

Bellows' Master Bedroom...

Gibbs headed straight into Bellows' Master Bedroom, jumping over Bellows, who was lying on the floor near the window clutching his leg--which had two gunshot wounds in it.

Forrnell and McGee entered the bedroom as well. Forrnell kicked one of the guns up under the bed, and away from Bellows. McGee knelt down and picked up the second gun and quickly slid it into an evidence bag.

Gibbs looked around the bedroom. No sign of his precious daughter. Then his eyes landed on the closet door, which was not closed all of the way.

Gibbs holstered his Sig, and moved slowly and carefully towards the closet.

"Chloe...sweetheart...it's daddy." Gibbs said, soothingly. "Are you in there?" Gibbs asked, softly.

Gibbs reached out and grabbed the knob on the closet door.

"Be careful Gibbs...it could be a trap." Forrnell warned his friend.

Gibbs pulled on the closet door.

"Chloe-" was the only word that escaped from Gibbs' mouth as the closet door opened up.

His breath caught in his throat immediately, as his eyes fell upon his daughter's bruised and battered body slumped motionless against the closet floor.

Gibbs suddenly fell to his knees.

The others moved closer to see what was going on.

Gibbs edged closer into the closet, and gathered his daughter into his arms. He rolled her so that he was looking directly into Chloe's eyes.

Her body was covered in scratches, bumps, and bruises. There was a little bit of blood at the edge of her mouth, and her once beautiful blue eyes, were now darkened and lifeless--black, empty voids where not even the slightest flicker of light could be seen.

She didn't even look like herself. Her pigtails were dirty and coming apart. The face that used to hold a beautiful smile that warmed Gibbs' heart every time he saw it, was now twisted in an expression of fear an anguish.

Gibbs' whole body shuddered as the tears began to roll/flow, almost endlessly, down his cheeks.

He pulled his daughter's lifeless body into an emotional embrace, not wanting to let go of her.

"Chloe...my...my...my little princess." Gibbs sobbed and hiccuped the words.

Just then Abby, who had been told to stay in the car before they entered Bellows' home the first time, entered the room.

"Where is she? Is she...is she okay?" Abby began asking frantically as she pushed her way through the others to get to where her husband was.

"Daddy loves you so much." Gibbs sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"Jethro, is she-" Abby started to say, but then she reached Gibbs' side and saw him cradling their oldest (4 years old) daughter's lifeless body.

Abby immediately fell to her knees in tears.

:"My baby...my precious little angel." Abby sobbed, uncontrollably.

Gibbs howled in pain unable to subdue himself, and unable to do anything else.

Everyone else stood by in anguish over the loss of the precious little girl. Ziva, who was leaning on Tony for support (from her wound) couldn't contain the sorrow that she felt in her heart, and turned and cried into Tony. Tony embraced Ziva in a comforting hug, while at the same time using his free hand to wipe tears from his own eyes.

"Gibbs." Forrnell said, from behind his friend. "Gibbs."

Gibbs didn't answer.

"Jethro!" came a sudden female shout.

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Gibbs Residence...

Gibbs suddenly sat bolt upright in his bed. He realized that he was sweating profusely, and that Abby was standing over him holding their 1 year old daughter, Paige, in her arms.

Gibbs took a moment to catch his breath.

Looking around he suddenly realized that he had been dreaming before. It had all been a terrible nightmare. He breathed a sigh of relief at the realization.

"Jethro, are you okay?" Abby asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I was feeding Paige, in the nursery, when I heard you scream." she added.

"Yeah, I'm...I'm fine." Gibbs said, quietly, as he collected his thoughts. "Just had a bad dream is all." Gibbs said, giving a slight chuckle.

Just then little 4 year old Chloe pulled herself up onto the bed beside her father.

"Oh, there she is...my little princess." Gibbs said, as he grabbed Chloe and pulled her into a big hug.

"Daddy." Chloe protested. "I'm a scientist, like mommy...not a princess." Chloe informed her father, with a grin--doing the best that she could to pronounce the word "Scientist".

Gibbs laughed, and then placed a gentle kiss on his daughter's forehead.

Gibbs leaned forward and pulled Abby and Paige closer to him. He then wrapped all three of them in an enormous hug.

"I love my girls, so much." Gibbs whispered, as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"We love you too, Daddy." Chloe said, as she wrapped her arms around her father as best as she could manage.

Abby couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

------------To Be Continued in "First Day of School"------------

------------"The First Day of School"------------
Story by R. O. Knight
based on the hit television series "NCIS"
Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Gibbs and Abby, as well as Chloe sat in apprehension the whole drive from their home to where Chloe would be starting Kindergarten on this very day.

Chloe, by now, was six years old. She really should have started school the previous fall, but Gibbs and Abby weren't sure if Chloe was ready to start school at that time--or maybe it was just that THEY weren't ready for Chloe to start school at that time.

At this point it was hard to tell who was more nervous about starting school Gibbs and Abby or Chloe.

"Here we are." Gibbs said, nervously and quietly, as he pulled the car up into a vacant parking spot in the school parking lot.

Gibbs shut the car down, and then after taking a deep breath, He, Abby, and Chloe climbed out of the car.

The two of them looked around a moment before continuing towards the school's front doors.

Abby held Chloe's hand as they crossed the street from the parking lot to the actual school building.

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Gibbs and Abby soon found themselves standing in the main hall of the school building with Chloe by their side.

They stood in silence watching some other children, and teachers walking back and forth down the hall(s).

Finally, after a brief moment, one of the teachers approached the couple and their daughter.

"Can I help you?" the teacher asked.

The teacher was a fairly young looking woman with soft features and a sweet sounding voice, and cute little dimples that shown when she smiled. She had Hazel eyes and light brown, shoulder length hair. She was of average height, and did not wear a whole lot of make-up. She was rather attractive.

Gibbs and Abby snapped out of their trance that they had been lost in.

"Oh...um, yeah sorry." Gibbs said, giving a slight chuckle. "Guess I must've zoned out for a second there."

"This is our daughter, Chloe." Abby said, motioning to Chloe who was now/at that point hiding behind one of her father's legs--or at least trying to anyway.

"Hey there Chloe." the teacher said, softly, as she stooped down to greet the little girl.

"She's just a little bit shy around strangers." Abby said, with a knowing grin towards her daughter.

"I understand completely." the teacher said with a chuckle/grin, as she stood up straight to face Gibbs and Abby once more.

"Is this her first day?" the teacher asked.

"Yeah." Gibbs said, flashing that trademark grin.

The teacher nodded, knowingly.

"I have a little girl of my own who's starting school today too." the teacher said, with a grin.

"Really, what's her name?" Abby asked, intrigued by the suddenly revealed fact.

"Jenny." the teacher replied. "She just turned 5 this last March."

"Maybe they'll be in the same class, and then they could be friends." Abby suggested.

"Maybe." the teacher replied, with a chuckle.

"Yeah, maybe." Gibbs chimed in.

"Who does she have?" the teacher asked.

Abby tipped her head to one side, for a brief moment, as she tried to remember the teacher's name that had been on the forms that they had been given after they had signed her up/registered Chloe for school.

"Umm...ooh, Hastings." Abby said, finally. "Barbara Hastings." she then added, a second later.

The teacher gave an amused chuckle.

"Well, it looks like they will be in the same class after all." the teacher said, with a chuckle.

"So then you know where her classroom is." Abby said.

"Of course I do." the teacher said, with an amused grin. "It's my classroom." she added.

It took a second maybe two seconds for Abby and Gibbs to realize who the teacher they were talking to was--they had been talking to Mrs. Barbara Hastings all along.

"Oh, oh...You're Mrs. Hastings." Abby said, suddenly realizing who the teacher was.

"I am so sorry." Abby said, apologetically. "I'm Abby and this is my husband, Jethro Gibbs." Abby explained.

"Hello, it's so good to meet you." Mrs. Hastings said, with a chuckle/grin, as she shook Gibbs' hand, and then Abby's hand, as they attempted to start over--with a formal greeting this time around.

Mrs. Hastings looked around the hallway, quickly, and then looked back at Gibbs and Abby.

"Well, classes will be starting up soon so why don't we walk down to my classroom together, and get Chloe situated, and then maybe we can introduce her to Jenny." Mrs. Hastings suggested, with a smile.

They agreed that that would be the best, next course of action, and so then they all began to head down the first hall to the right towards Mrs. Hastings classroom.

As they headed down the hall Abby and Mrs. Hastings conversed with each other.

"You know, you remind me a lot of my sister, Anna." Mrs. Hastings said, to Abby.

"Really?" Abby asked, amused, with a grin.

"Oh yes." Mrs. Hastings replied. "Accept, she's a single mom of one."

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......This Chapter Is Not Yet Finished......

......But When This Chapter Is Finished......

------------To Be Continued in "Aftermath"------------