Title: The Second Team
Author: Jo. R
Rating: PG
Characters: You'll see!
Pairings: Gibbs/Abby/Boatt - second 't' deliberate.
Spoilers: Leap of Faith
Summary: The second team at NCIS have a mission... Sequel to 'Silent Witness' but you don't have to read that one to get this one...

They were gathered in the Director's office, awaiting their orders. They cast wary glances at each other, at the leader of their team who was present only via the cell phone screen.

"Your mission is need to know," the Director's Tooth Pick said, standing up right on the desk, leaning against a half-empty glass of whisky. "Can I trust you?"

The team looked at one another, then to the cell phone to their boss expectedly.

"Stupid question, TP." Boatt, two T's - the second stood for 'trouble', answered gruffly from his place in Gibbs' basement. Although he couldn't actually leave the house, he was still the leader of the secondary team because of the knowledge and intel his unique position brought them. "What's the case?"

Tooth Pick - TP to the others - was in a position of power. He was privy to all of the information Director Vance was given on a day-to-day basis and used it to direct Boatt and his team. "There's a rumour going around that Sciuto's had another job offer. Word from Scuttlebutt is that she might be tempted to take it."

Scuttlebutt was the name of the water cooler on the third floor of the Navy Yard. If there was something going on at NCIS, Scuttlebutt knew about it.

"What?" Boatt sounded pissed; unsurprising since he was Abby Sciuto's biggest fan. Rumour had it he was in a relationship with her, too - had to share her with Gibbs, but then that was to be expected given he shared the house with the Special Agent. "Bert, Ted, you hear anything about this?"

Bert, the stuffed hippo Abby told everything to, responded with an affirmative fart. Ted, the bear Doctor Mallard had given Abby for her birthday who lived in her lab with Bert, cleared his fluff-filled throat.

"She's been getting flowers recently," Ted confirmed. "And she's been very clingy with Bert. We think she's upset about something."

"Typie, Cap, Bear. You hear anything?" Boatt demanded. TP looked at the other members of the team questioningly.

Typie spent most of his time in McGee's apartment. He was usually kept busy by McGee, being used to type manuscript and manuscript to be submitted to the agent's agent. He and Boatt had gone through some tough times recently; Typie had been in a relationship with Abby first and while McGee had gotten over his relationship with the forensic scientist, Typie still had feelings for her.

Cap had been on sick leave for a long time after being shot - he still held a grudge against Agent DiNozzo for being so careless but had forgiven him when DiNozzo brought him back to the Navy Yard after an extended absence. Sure, he spent most of his time at DiNozzo's desk but a desk job was better than retirement.

Bear was the newest member of the team - after TP, of course. She was from Israel and was the Mossad liaison for the second team. She was a source of envy for both Cap and Typie as she still - occasionally - got to sleep in the same bed as the beautiful Ziva David.

"Nothing, Boss." Cap responded. "DiNozzo's said nothing but given what happened last time he believed the rumours, I'm not surprised."

"Ziva has not said anything," Bear reported. "Though she has taken to sleeping with me again. I believe something must be bothering her also." She ignored the envious glances from Cap and Typie - and felt distinctly uncomfortable when she noticed their feelings were seemingly shared by TP.

"McGee knows nothing," Typie reported. "I think there's a new girl in his life but I've not met her yet."

Boatt filed the information away for later reference, his attention diverted momentarily. "Gibbs is back," he told the others. "If he knows anything, I'll find out. Keep your ears to the ground. If you hear anything, I wanna know about it."

The cell phone screen abruptly went black; Boatt, like Gibbs, wasn't one for long goodbyes. The team exchanged long-suffering glances and slowly made their way out of the office, shuffling across the floor as quickly as they could.

TP watched them go, a sigh escaping him; it was never easy for NCIS's Second team.

Boatt wasn't happy. He waited, impatiently, for the thuds he could hear upstairs to make their way closer to the basement door.

Gibbs wasn't happy; he could tell from the stomping.

Sure enough, the Special Agent made his way down the stairs - alone - open bottle of beer in one hand, another two bottles his other.

Beer was never a good sign, Boatt knew. Beer could be drank quickly, one after another. Bourbon was to be savoured, nursed, enjoyed. Bourbon was good, beer was bad.

Boatt stood still as the man downed the first bottle before turning to the tools on the workbench. It was all Boatt could do not to wince; if Gibbs wanted to get drunk, he should stay away from the tools. Alcohol and tools were usually an okay combination but not if excessive drinking was involved - Boatt still had the mental scars of what had happened when Abby had drank too much and accidentally hurt him.

Gibbs, predictably, said nothing as he got to work. Boatt bore it stoically, never reacting, not even when the sandpaper was dragged across his hull a little too aggressively. He understood Gibbs need for silence and found he almost welcomed the pain; it was a good distraction to the thought that Abby might really be leaving them.

Speaking of Abby, he heard the front door open. His hope for a peaceful night with the girl he loved and the man that held them together died when the door slammed shut behind her.

"Gibbs!" She sounded unhappy, Boatt realised. More than that, she sounded angry.

Soon enough, he heard her footsteps on the stairs, as loud as Gibbs had been. He waited until she came into his line of sight, shocked and dismayed by the look on her face; Abby had obviously been crying.

Not good.

"How could you, Gibbs?" Abby ranted, arms crossed over her chest as Gibbs kept working on Boatt. "How could you... After everything?"

Gibbs didn't turn to face her, though Boatt wished he would. If only he could see the tear tracks on her face, if only he saw how upset she was... "It's your choice, Abby. It's a good offer."

"So you think I should take it?" Hurt flashed across her face and Boatt ached for her. "You gave them a goddamn reference, said I was the best and they shouldn't take no for an answer..."

"It's a good offer," Gibbs repeated. "A lot more than what you're on at NCIS. You are the best, Abby. You deserve to be treated like it."

"What if I don't *want* to be treated like it?" She stalked across the room towards them, grabbing Gibbs' arm and pulling it away from Boatt, pulling him to face her. She moved forward and pinned his body between hers and Boatt's; it was usually the other way around but Boatt wasn't going to complain. He could still see her face, which was new and nice. "Damn it, Gibbs. We talked about this last time. I thought... I thought you knew I'd never leave you. That I don't *want* to leave you. Why are you making it so hard to stay?"

Boatt wished he could see Gibbs' face; whatever she'd seen on it made Abby's expression soften slightly.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Abby." Gibbs' voice was soft, almost too soft. "How many times have you been put in danger because you work at NCIS? This company is good, private. You wouldn't be working directly on any cases, just doing the science stuff you love..."

"But it wouldn't be the same. I wouldn't be doing something good and right. I wouldn't be working with *you*." Tears shimmered in her eyes and Boatt held his breath, watching as Gibbs reached out to wipe a stray drop from her cheek. "You can keep me safe, Gibbs. You always do. You promised you would." She leaned her cheek into his hand. "Please don't make me go."

"I'd never make you do anything you don't want, Abs..."

"Then know that I want to stay at NCIS. I want to stay with you." She moved forward, her slender body pressed against his.

Boatt watched her kiss Gibbs, her green eyes sliding shut as the Special Agent responded. He both saw and felt them lean heavily against his side and knew the danger had passed. As the two humans kissed, Boatt stifled a contented sigh.

He'd tell his team in the morning that the danger had passed; get his report to TP before close of play tomorrow.

It looked like he had plans for tonight.