**Chapter Three -- Probie**
**Abby's Apartment -- Present Day**
Abby laughed as she downed another shot of vodka, poking Tony in the side. "Your turn, Tony-boy. Truth or Dare?"
He smiled, leaning back against the couch pillows, his arm wrapped around Abby's shoulders. "Hmm...Truth."
"Okay!" She pulled away from him a little bit and poured another shot, downing half of it before asking her question. "Where..." She paused, giggling. "If you were to have sex anywhere in HQ...where would it be?"
"Hmm..." He grinned, answer in mind when he reached over and grabbed the Goth's wrist, pulling the shot glass she was holding to his mouth and downing it. "Definitely Gibbs' Conference Room. Yeah...definitely."
"Mmm..." Abby purred, watching as he gripped her wrist with his strong arm and stole her drink. "Conference Room, huh? That's hot."
Tony chuckled at her reaction, pulling her close to him again. "Like you've never thought about gettin' hinky in the elevator before! Come on, Abs. I wouldn't believe that if your priest told me himself."
She leaned close to his ear and whispered, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Who said anything about thoughts? You know what they say...actions speak louder than words."
"Re-he-eally?" He turned on her quickly, pinning her against the arm of the couch gently. "You know...I like to fancy myself a man of action." A devious smirk overtook his face as he leaned down and kissed her neck softly, making her moan quietly.
Abby's eyes widened when she moaned, realizing she was pinned under Tony, his warm lips on her neck. She quickly sobered, pushing his shoulders back and slipping out from under him. "We can't do this, T."
"Wha...I..." He frowned. "Why not? We're adults...friends." Tony paused and gave her a half-smile. "I'm having deja-vu. We've had this conversation before."
She sighed and subconsciously twirled a pigtail between her fingers, one of her nervous habits. "Yeah, we have. Remember how it ended?"
**NCIS Headquarters -- 8 Years Ago**
"You don't strike me as a Caf-Pow kinda guy."
"I'm not. It's for our forensic specialist." Gibbs hit the button for the bottom level of the building, watching his new agent fidget with his tie.
The elevator came to a stop on the sub-basement floor of the NCIS building and the doors were already reverberating from the loud music that came from the other side. "This is it. Ready?"
Gibbs cracked a small grin, amused by the look on the younger man's face. He looked confident, but the uncertainty he was feeling was clear if you looked into his eyes.
"I was born ready." The younger man smirked, stepping out of the elevator behind Gibbs.
Shaking his head, he motioned for the agent to wait at the door while he made his way across the large lab and turned off the stereo.
"Gibbs! Don't mess with my music!"
He walked up behind the forensic specialist and gave her a kiss on the cheek, pressing the Caf-Pow into her hands. "You're gonna go deaf if you're not careful."
"Yeah, yeah. You got the probie with you?" She spun the chair around and leaned back, taking a long sip from her drink.
Gibbs motioned for the new agent to join them. "Abby, this is Anthony DiNozzo. He's joining us by way of the Baltimore PD. DiNozzo, this is Abby Sciuto, our forensic specialist."
"Call me Tony." He put his hand out to her and she shook it. "You seem familiar. Have we met? Maybe worked on a case together?"
She grinned. "No, Gibbs is pretty protective of me, I don't work with local LEO's very often. But you do seem...huh. Oh well, we'll figure it out later, I'm sure."
The Senior Agent studied them before speaking. "DiNozzo. You've got paperwork on your desk. Go."
"On it, Boss." Tony grinned at the young woman before turning and taking the elevator back upstairs.
The silver-haired man watched as Tony stepped onto the elevator before turning back to Abby. "You know him?"
"I don't know, maybe. He seems familiar, but I can't place him. Probably just someone I met in passing."
"Alright, Abs. I gotta get back up there." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you later."
**Two Hours Later**
"DiNozzo, you done with that paperwork yet?" Gibbs said, an impatient tone in his voice as he stood in front of Tony's desk.
"Just finished, Boss." Tony stood up and straightened his suit, handing him the folder. "Here you go."
Gibbs glanced over the paperwork quickly. "Good." He handed him a stack of reports. "Take these down to Abby. Tell her I said to fix 'em."
"You got it." He smiled and slipped the files under his arm, walking toward the elevator.
He whistled to himself on the ride down to the forensics lab, and when the doors opened he stepped off and walked inside.
"Hey there, Pretty Lady." Tony said, sliding up next to her as she stood at her computer.
Abby slammed her Caf-Pow down on the metal desk and punched Tony in the shoulder as hard as she could.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"You're THAT Tony?" She asked incrediously, looking him up and down. "Fuck, you are!"
"Wait, wait! What Tony?" He backed away from her, hands raised.
Abby frowned. "You don't remember? Wow. Now I don't know who to be more mad at, me for forgetting you, or you for forgetting me!"
She reached up and pulled her hair out of her pigtails, combing her fingers through it quickly.
"Oh my...Abby...I remember now." A devious grin crossed his face as he stepped toward her, only to be socked in the shoulder again. "Ow!"
"Yeah, definitely madder at you." She stomped off toward the office in the back of her lab, sitting down at her desk. "And just so you know, that chance ended when you tried to sneak out."
Tony followed her into the office, looking at the objects on her desk, attempting to avoid eye contact. "I tried to apologize for that! You wouldn't let me get a word in! And besides, YOU told me to go, if I remember correctly."
She kicked her foot out, sending her chair spinning. "Yeah, well...girls don't always mean what they say."
He sighed, watching her spin in her chair when a picture caught his eye. "Um, Abby?"
Abby stopped her chair and looked up at him. "What?"
"Is that..." He hesitated, pointing at the picture of a small boy, about 2 years old, with brown hair and bright green eyes.
She turned her head and saw what he was pointing to. "What? This?" She
picked up the picture, looking up at Tony's shocked face. "Wait, you..." She laughed. "You think...wow."
Tony frowned when she started laughing. "What?"
"This..." She pointed at the picture, setting it back on the desk. "Is my nephew, Jack."
Tony's eyes returned to their normal size as he exhaled deeply.
Abby smiled softly at him, unable to stay upset. "Okay, I'll be honest with you, since you just made my day with the whole picture thing." She giggled as Tony frowned at her. "Yeah, I was a little upset when you took off, but I got over it. Like I said back then, it was just sex."
Tony grinned and crouched down in front of her. "I know it's probably too little too late, but I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness." She chuckled at his confused look. "It's Gibb's rule, not mine. I don't think it has a number though."
"I guess I'll understand soon enough, huh?" He stood up and straightened his jacket. "How do I look?"
"Good." She stood and straightened his tie. "One request, before you go."
"Anything."
Abby blushed slightly. "Don't tell Gibbs. Don't mention it, don't act hinky around me, nothing. He's like a bloodhound, he'll sniff it out if you're not careful."
"Okay...can I ask why?" Tony looked at her closely, trying to read her with no luck.
"Just trust me, okay? I've worked with him for 2 years. You don't wanna get on his bad side." She turned him around and pushed him gently toward the door. "Get going, or he's gonna come looking for you."
"Okay, I'm going!"
Abby grinned, watching him walk briskly to the elevator. "Damn it. Gibbs is SO going to figure this out..."
**Three Days Later**
Abby bounced off the elevator when the doors slid open and walked over to Gibbs' desk, her boots making a loud clomping noise despite the carpeted floor.
"Mornin' Gibbs!" She chirped, perching herself on the corner of his desk.
He looked up at her curiously and flashed a small smirk. "Abs. How many this morning?"
She raised her hands, pretending to count on her fingers. "Lost count." She giggled when the older man rolled his eyes. "Only the one you brought me this morning when I got here, Bossman. I was trying to quit, but you always manage to make me fall right off the wagon."
"Well, you never tell me until after I've fed your habit."
"Huh. I don't, do I?" She fidgeted on the desk, tapping her heel against the drawers. "It's interesting, really. It's like my subconscious is telling me that I'm not ready, and I know that you will always be there to bring me my beloved Caf-Pow."
"Abby...did you just come up here to point out the fact that you're more hyper without caffeine?"
She paused for a moment, remembering why she was there. "Oh! I'm doing the probie roundup for Ducky." She glanced over at Tony's desk. "Where's DiNozzo?"
"He went to get me a coffee. 20 minutes ago."
Abby smiled. They had been attempting to keep Gibbs from finding out how well they knew each other, but she had a feeling he was close to figuring it out. Tony wasn't a very good liar, and he couldn't help but throw her a sidelong glance every time they were in the same room.
The elevator dinged, making Abby jump slightly. "Sorry I took so long, Boss, the line at the coffee stand was really long." Tony set the cup of coffee down on the desk and smiled at the Goth. "Hey, Abby."
"Hey, Tony." She continued to tap her heel against the drawer, glancing at him quickly over her shoulder.
Gibbs sipped his coffee and observed the exchange between them. They had been avoiding each other, and it made his gut go into overdrive. Abby was always excited to meet new people, but she had been acting different since Tony started 3 days earlier.
He set his coffee back on the desk and broke the awkward silence that hung in the air. "DiNozzo, you get to observe an autopsy today."
"I've observed autopsies before, Boss. Isn't there something more important for me to do?"
"It's a requirement for all new agents." Abby said, hopping off the desk. "Come on." She moved to walk toward the elevator when Gibbs grabbed her hand.
*Abby.* He finger-spelled her name and waited for her to acknowledge him before continuing to sign. *You two are seeing...*
*No.* She replied rapidly, cutting Gibbs off. *No, we're not seeing each other. Can we go?*
Gibbs sighed. *He goes, you stay. We're talking. Now.*
*Gibbs.*
He shushed her and spoke to Tony. "Go on down to autopsy. It won't take long."
The younger agent nodded and walked to the elevator, watching as Gibbs and Abby started talking in hushed voices.
"You're lying to me, Abby. You know how I feel about that."
Her eyes widened at the accusation. "I'm not lying, Gibbs! We aren't seeing each other! Rule 12, remember?"
"So, when you dated Burley after you started here, that doesn't count?"
*Gibbs!* Abby signed, unable to form words. *That's unfair. I didn't know about rule 12 then. And as soon as you told us, we ended it!*
"There's something going on, Abby." He studied her face. "I'll just talk to DiNozzo after the autopsy."
She visibly tensed, immediately understanding what Gibbs meant by 'talk'.
"Got something to say, Abs?"
Abby's hands dropped and started signing curse words. Gibbs chuckled to himself, watching her as she decided what to say.
"No. I mean yes, I have something to say, but no, don't talk to Tony." Her hands were still signing curse words at her side, but Gibbs doubted she was even aware she was doing it. "We aren't together. We never have been, we never will be. Especially not now. I mean, we're different people now, and I think that the two of us have agreed that we're not good for each other..."
The silver-haired man stood and moved Abby out of the way gently, beginning to walk toward the elevator.
"Gibbs! Wait!" Abby stumbled as she turned around and ran after him, stepping in front of the elevator doors and blocking them.
"You gonna get to the point, Abby? 'Cause as of right now, I'd risk DiNozzo losing his breakfast on my shoes if it gets me my answer."
He waited for her to respond, and when she didn't, he grabbed her shoulders and moved her away from the doors. He saw her sign something too quickly for him to decipher as he went to press the button on the elevator.
"What was that?"
Abby frowned and looked at the floor, signing again. *We slept together.*
Gibbs took her chin in his hand and lifted it, making her look him in the eye. "You what?" He growled, pushing the button a few more times, trying to make it come up to their floor faster.
*You understood.* She pulled her chin out of his hand and spoke. "It was over two years ago, Gibbs. One time, during Mardi Gras. That's it, I swear."
He pulled her inside the elevator with him as the doors opened. Pressing the button to Abby's lab, they rode in silence until the car stopped.
"Out."
"But..." She stopped, noticing his intense stare. Dropping her eyes, she stepped off the elevator slowly.
"We will be talking later, Abby."
**Autopsy**
Gibbs was fuming as he stepped off the elevator and walked through the sliding doors into autopsy. "DiNozzo!" The small group of new agents that were watching the autopsy turned, looking at Tony.
"Mmh, right here, Boss." He raised his hand from his seat near the trashcan in the corner of the room. "What's goin' on?"
He walked over to DiNozzo and looked down at him. "What the hell, DiNozzo? I thought you were a homicide detective. I'm sure you've seen worse than a simple autopsy."
Tony looked up at him and frowned. "I was, and I did see worse. I didn't have such...colorful explanations though."
"Duck, I'm taking DiNozzo."
The medical examiner looked up and nodded. "Oh, of course, Jethro. Okay everyone, eyes over here. This...is the liver." Gibbs shook his head as Ducky continued with his class, turning back to DiNozzo.
"Up. Conference room. Now." He grabbed Tony's arm and helped him to his feet, leading him toward the elevator.
"Uh, what's the matter, Boss? Did I do something wrong?" Tony questioned, hesitantly stepping onto the elevator behind Gibbs.
Gibbs stood silently in the elevator as it started up, letting it move for a few seconds before hitting the emergency stop switch. He turned toward Tony and stared, remaining quiet.
"Wow, I...uh, didn't know the elevator did that. I thought we were going to a conference room." Gibbs' stare didn't falter, and he found himself twitching nervously under the scrutiny. "Right. This is the conference room. No cameras in here...good for privacy, I guess."
He shifted from one foot to the other. "Um, Boss? Can I ask why we're in here? 'Cause, I gotta say..." He chuckled. "I'm getting a little claustrophobic in here."
"I think you know why we're here." Gibbs took a step toward DiNozzo, and he took a step back in response.
"Nah, Gibbs. I...I don't. I swear." He made eye contact with Gibbs. "Look, I'm really not feeling..."
"Abby."
Tony's eyes widened, the sick feeling in his stomach intensifying. "Ab...Abby? What about her, Boss?"
"You slept with her."
"I...I what? No, no...you've got me confused. Did she tell you this? 'Cause..."
Gibbs' voice remained calm, despite the angry look in his eye. "Don't lie to me, DiNozzo. It won't be pretty."
He shifted back to his other foot nervously. "It was Abby's fault, Boss."
"Abby's fault, huh?" His hand snaked around the back of Tony's head and smacked him. "Wanna try again?"
"Ow!" His hand immediately went to the back of his head, rubbing the sore spot. "I'm telling you the truth! She's the one that didn't want you to know."
"Rule 12, DiNozzo." Gibbs turned away and flipped the emergency switch off, making the elevator move again.
"Um, Boss? What's rule 12?" Tony asked, sighing heavily when the car stopped again a moment later, the doors opening to Abby's lab. The older man stepped over to the door of the lab and waited for the Goth to acknowledge him.
She paced back and forth in the quiet lab, mumbling incoherently to the dolls and stuffed animals that littered her desk. Her hands were signing furiously, a nervous habit that Gibbs had noticed just after she had started working for NCIS. The sight made him chuckle to himself.
"Gibbs!" Abby snapped out of her trance and ran over to the door, stopping just in front of him. "I..." She paused, seeing Tony standing behind him, looking confused. "Uh, oh." She turned away and started pacing again. "Okay, Gibbs. You see, I really can explain. I...we, Tony and I, we did have a night together. One night." She ran a hand through her hair. "God, Gibbs. Did you really have to talk to him?"
Gibbs stepped in front of Abby and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stop moving. "Abby." He said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Calm down."
He watched, frowning as she slumped her shoulders a little. "DiNozzo said it was your idea to keep this from me?" Abby nodded, averting her eyes again. "You knew I'd figure it out, Abby."
She signed slowly, her eyes looking at her feet. *It was a long time ago, Gibbs. A one time thing. There was never potential for something more than that.*
Gibbs sighed, kissing her on the forehead again before leading her to the office and sitting her in the desk chair. He hated seeing her upset, and it made him act in ways he never would with anyone else. *Ah, hell. I don't know what you've done to me, Abs. But you'll be my ruin.*
He turned and moved toward the door of the lab, missing the small grin that Abby gave when he walked away. Stopping just in front of Tony, he dropped his voice to a whisper. "If you hurt her, DiNozzo...I swear you will not like the consequences."
The younger man hesitated, unsure of how to react to Gibbs' demeanor. "Of course, Boss. I would never hurt her. She's a friend." Tony gave him a look that Gibbs could tell was genuine.
"You'd better not." He stepped onto the elevator, keeping a narrowed eye on DiNozzo as the doors closed in front of him.
Abby put her hands in her lap and dropped her eyes, feeling Tony looking at her. "I'm sorry, Tony. I never could lie to Gibbs when he asks me a direct question. It's something about his eyes. A little creepy."
"It's okay." He walked over and leaned against the doorframe of her office, smirking. "I'll forgive you this time."
She was slumped down in her chair, her feet kicking the floor gently when she scoffed. "You'll forgive me?" A small grin spread across her face as she made eye contact with him. "What about you? Sounds to me like you caved in the conference room, the way Gibbs was talking." She pointed a finger at him playfully. "You sold me out."
Tony rolled his eyes, not missing her playful demeanor. "Okaay!" He joked, stepping away from the doorframe and putting his hand out to help her stand. "Come on, I'll take you to lunch to make up for it. I've got some questions, and a feeling that Gibbs isn't exactly gonna answer them." He grinned. "Deal?"
"Deal." Abby smiled brightly, taking his hand and hopping to her feet. She slipped off her lab coat and hung it on the rack, allowing Tony to lead her out of her lab. "But I get to pick!"
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