Abby stumbled through the door, laughing. In the dark, she found her way through the familiar surroundings of Gibbs' house, looking for the basement door. She found it and walked in, closing the door behind her. Feeling her way around in the darkness she hit a wall after taking two steps. Turning in another direction to find another wall she cried for help.
"Gibbs, what's happened to your basement? I think it shrunk, how will you fit the boat in here now?"
Gibbs had heard his front door open and rustling upstairs. It was not unusual for people to enter his house unannounced, but usually they headed straight for the basement. When he heard another door open and close again, he went upstairs. He looked around for a second; trying to figure out exactly which room the person had entered. Then he heard Abby's slurred voice coming from his hallway closet. Opening the door, Abby tumbled out, landing on her backside at Gibbs' feet. She looked up at him from her position on the floor, a slightly confused look on her face. Gibbs rolled his eyes and helped her up.
"Abs, what are you doing here?"
Abby tapped her head, rather hard, a few times, as if she was trying to force something out of it. Her face lit up.
"I wanted to tell you something!"
"What did you want to tell me Abs?"
Her face fell again, "I don't remember." She slurred.
"You're drunk Abs, lets get some coffee into you."
"I'm not drunk!" She declared, almost toppling over again, "I'm just a bit tipsy."
"How much did you drink Abby?"
"I lost count after the sixth cocktail or so…"
Gibbs rolled his eyes at her.
"What?! It's not that bad…Kate had more. She was so drunk she got a tattoo." Abby stopped there and started laughing uncontrollably.
Gibbs eyebrows rose at this. Abby hiccupped as she regained what little composure she had to start with.
"Kate…got a tattoo…on her butt."
"Really?" Gibbs was surprised at this. It was hard to imagine Kate drunk enough to get a tattoo in the first place.
"Yeps, it's a heart…with initials in it." Abby slurred.
Gibbs was becoming intrigued.
"Whose initials?"
"It says…" Abby tried to sit up straighter, but failed miserably as she almost fell off the chair Gibbs had placed her on. He caught her just in time though. She started again.
"It says… KT plus TD inside it."
Gibbs almost choked on his coffee. Abby started laughing again and fell off the chair this time as Gibbs was in too much shock to catch her. Picking her up off the floor he carried her into the guest room. He took off her boots and helped her into the bed, covering her with the blankets before realizing she was already asleep. He put the aspirin bottle and a glass of water next to the bed before heading back down to work on his boat.
'Tony and Kate,' He thought, chuckling to himself.
The next morning, Abby woke up in familiar surroundings. She took the aspirin with a large sip of water before going in search of coffee.
"Morning Abs." Gibbs said, purposefully more cheery then usual.
Abby moaned. "Coffee." She demanded as Gibbs put a mug in front of her. "And do you have to be so loud and cheerful?"
"How much do you remember of last night Abby?" Gibbs knew that Abby had probably be sworn to secrecy by Kate…well at least she would be today, when Kate woke up to find some body art that wasn't there the morning before, especially when she found out what it said.
"I remember…umm…going out with Kate, then coming here. Why? What did I do?"
"Do you remember what you did with Kate?"
"Yes…I think so…wait, oh no…I told you?" Gibbs couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. "I'm as good as dead." Abby moaned before placing her head in her arms, which were resting on the table.
Later that day…
Abby had been avoiding Kate all day; Kate had been avoiding everyone, except for Abby. When she finally had time for a lunch break, she made a beeline for the lab and cornered her.
"How could you allow me to do that?" Kate asked her as soon as she entered.
"I didn't know what you were going to put there!" Kate grunted.
"You must promise me; you'll never tell anyone, not a soul." Abby averted her eyes from Kate's gaze.
"You've already told someone haven't you? Please tell me it wasn't DiNozzo."
"It wasn't." Kate breathed a visible sigh of relief.
"Who was it then?"
"Well you see Kate, last night I was really drunk, I couldn't be bothered going all the way home so I went to Gibbs'. It was closer and…" Realization hit Kate like a Gibbs slap at full force.
"You didn't… no, please."
"I'm sorry Kate, I was drunk. He won't tell anyone I promise."
"Gibbs knows, that's almost worse then Tony. I can't…Oh my…" Kate walked out of the lab mumbling to herself.
A few weeks later…
"Any more tattoos?" Gibbs asked
"Just the rose on Kate's butt."
"It's not a
rose."
"He doesn't know. He's lying, just like he did about
the digitalis! Okay, tell them. Gibbs?"