March 10 – SJ's birthday
We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over. – Samuel Johnson
Abby had not expected the Caf-Pow on her desk, but she was aware that the last two months had not been easy. Kate had died and then Ziva had arrived. The drink was probably from Gibbs, who always looked after her. When she thanked him later in the afternoon, he had been confused.
A few weeks later, she had just finished briefing Gibbs' team when she had knocked a rack of test tubes from her desk. Faster than she had imagined was possible, Ziva reached out and caught it, without spilling a drop. The Israeli gave her a warm smile as she placed it carefully back on the desk.
It was the next month before Abby found something had changed. It was nearly Christmas, and on her desk was a beautifully wrapped present. The tag said it was from Ziva, which almost made the Goth throw it out. But in the spirit of the season, she relented, and was extremely happy to see a hand decorated notebook. It had clearly taken a lot of time to put together, and it looked perfect.
As winter slowly turned into spring, the odd Caf-Pow continued to appear out of nowhere. Abby was now sure it was Ziva, after having bugged her lab for proof. The box of chocolates was a slight shock, especially as they were her secret favorites, and even Gibbs did not know of them. Still, they were deeply appreciated.
The clocks went forward, and Abby watched as Ziva talked about a vacation she had once taken in Scotland. As the Israeli turned to leave, Abby called her back. A little nervous, she wrapped Ziva in a hug before they shared smiles.