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Lizzy smiled when she thought about that moment. She had stared him down. And in the end, they had shared that entire cup of coffee. And every cup since. It hadn't been an easy win but she had been determined. The rest of the team thought she was crazy. And she was. What person, man or woman, in their right mind, with full control of their senses would openly challenge Leroy Jethro Gibbs over a cup of coffee? But she had needed to prove herself to the team, Gibbs most of all. So she had went for the gut shot. Literally. The famous Gibbs gut. And as if on cue, the elevator doors opened and the Great One appeared, coffee in hand. The cup looked larger than usual. She stood as he walked in.

"Morning " he said gruffly and handed her the cup.

"Some morning. Finally get a weekend off to get some repairs done and—

"It never fails" he finished for her. "Roof leaking? Gutters clogged?" he asked mindlessly while typing aggressively.

"Not house repairs" Lizzy said as she sipped the coffee and walked to his desk. He looked frustrated. She was afraid to ask why.

The elevator doors opened and Tony and Ziva stepped into the heart of NCIS. As they walked, Tony tried to pick something out of Zivas hair while she swatted at his hand. As they got closer, Lizzy took in the slightly disheveled appearance of both and shook her head, smiling. These two had been an "official-off-the-record" couple for a few months now and from all outward appearances, seemed to still be in the hazy, flirty, friendship stage they had always had. The only change she'd noticed was how they now acted on impulses instead of suppressing them. She had caught them more than once in the elevator, Abby's lab, autopsy… Ziva was somehow softer now, too. She was still a trained killer but some of the rougher edges had been polished.

The elevator pinged again and the doors slid open. McGee and Abby were both smiling. McGee pecked her cheek and stepped out. Abby waved as the doors slowly slid shut. They were opposite of Tony and Ziva. They fought like brother and sister but she felt the current. Electricity. She checked herself. That's my reaction to Gibbs, she thought. High voltage. Crackling. Sparking. And yet the man was unflinching. She hadn't made any direct moves. Ok, so she hadn't made any indirect moves either but she thought about it. That counted, right? She'd been out of the game for too long. She needed some batting practice.

"You know something Gibbs?" she asked as she placed the coffee cup into his outstretched hand.

"Mmmm?" he said vaguely as he stared at his computer and took a sip.

She leaned down until she was cheek to cheek and whispered softly.

"We seem to be the only ones in the entire NCIS abiding by Rule #12."

The three other members of the team were now staring intently at them. She assumed that few people ever got thisclose to Gibbs without an express invitation. Her breath was warm on his neck. As much as he would love to have this conversation with her, he had just found out the identity of the reason that they had been called in on a Saturday morning.

He let out a long sigh.

***

"So, Li-zzy," Tony said as he swiveled to face her, tossing a Nerf football in the air. "Boss says you're doing repairs. Need any help?" He tossed the ball to her. "A single woman of your age and experience, you might have trouble deciphering between a Philips and a flat head…"

"My age, Tony? I'm younger than you," she said, punctuating her words with a direct hit to his chest.

"Nice shot. But seriously, if you need repairs done… I'm sure I could be of some service. In a previous life I was a macho, macho man." He tossed the ball to her again.

Gibbs grinned from behind his computer screen. Ziva looked confused.

"Thanks but I think I got it covered. And as much as I'd love to keep impressing everyone with my insane football skillz…" she said as she grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator, "I gotta go while I still have daylight."

"Wait, Lizzy," Tony said as he hopped up from his desk. "My ball?"

She was wondering how far she'd get with it. "Go long"

Tony ran the length of the cubicles and vaulted up the stairs. He made it to the top railing and turned just in time to see a perfect spiral sailing towards him. He made the catch and stood in awe. A round of applause started from somewhere. The elevator pinged and she couldn't help a quick look at Gibbs before she stepped into the conference room. He was shaking his head and laughing. She pressed a button and the doors closed.

"Boss, why don't you help Lizzy out? You'd b perfect for the job," Tony said as he rose from his desk, an hour later. "Ziva, you ready?"

"Almost," she said as she turned out her desk light.

"Dinozzo, I really don't think scraping leaves out of a gutter is anywhere close to being right up my alley," Gibbs said as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

The three of them walked towards the elevator.

"Gutters? I think you got the wrong memo, Boss," Tony said as they stepped into the conference room. "Lizzy's repairing her boat."

"Her what?!!"