Title: Rewriting the Rules 11 – Ships in the Night
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Category: Post-ep, Romance, Fluff
Spoilers: 8x11 – Ships in the Night
Summary: What's broken can be fixed, and rules can be rewritten.

"Maybe Gibbs has found his ideal woman." Tim McGee glanced over his shoulder to check their boss was nowhere in sight before walking across to Tony DiNozzo's desk.

Looking up from the file he'd been reading – and the copy of GSM magazine he'd hidden inside it – Tony's brow furrowed. "Who?"

"Agent Borin." McGee rolled his eyes at the expression on Tony's face. "You can't say you haven't noticed."

"I can't say I had..." Tony shook his head and put the file – and the magazine – to one side. Like his teammate, he glanced over his shoulder before continuing the conversation. "Agent Borin?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Well, why would she be?"

McGee gave him a look that was part exasperated, part confused. It wasn't like Tony to be oblivious to potential love interests for their boss; if anything, Tony was usually the one to point them out. That had all changed, McGee realised, a couple of months ago, and he found himself exchanging a puzzled look with Ziva David as he listed the qualities that Tony would have ordinarily pointed out. "She's smart, attractive, as obsessed with her work as he is..." McGee shrugged again. "And she's a redhead. She's perfect for him."

"I don't know..." Tony shook his head slowly, seemingly struggling to meet McGee's gaze. "I don't think she's really Gibbs' type..."

"Who's not my type?" Gibbs appeared from the direction of the elevators, a cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a bright orange container of cold Caf-Pow in the other.

Already anticipating the slap to the back of his head, Tony ducked instinctively. "Ah, no one, Boss."

"Must be someone if she's perfect for me." Arching an eyebrow, Gibbs looked at his two conspiring agents. When neither of them spoke up, he glanced expectantly at Ziva. "David?"

With a sigh and a glare at her male counterparts, Ziva got to her feet to answer her boss. "They are debating whether or not Agent Borin is a suitable match for you, Gibbs." She shrugged a shoulder at the look on his face. "Because she is a redhead, and because it appears you have a lot in common."

Gibbs was quiet for a moment, almost as if he was considering it. Then he shook his head and continued on towards the elevators without saying anything.

Tony watched him go, an almost smug smile playing on his lips as his teammates looked at him in confusion. He shrugged when he noticed their attention, dropping his head to try and hide his grin. "Maybe they're just too similar?" He suggested. 'Or maybe,' he thought to himself, 'one Abby is enough.'

The sound of voices made him slow his pace. Gibbs listened, curious, having expected to find Abby – his Abby, the original black-haired Forensic Specialist Abby – alone in her lab. It took him a few moments longer to recognise the other voice in the conversation and he found himself moving forward quietly, intrigued as to why Agent Abigail Borin of the Coastguard was still at NCIS.

"I wanted to thank you, again, for your help in closing the case." Agent Borin

"All in a day's work." That was his Abby, cheerful with a hint of pleasure at the praise. "You weren't so bad yourself. I mean, you recognised the type of boat instantly and it was your contacts that got us one at such short notice..."

"We do what we can," Agent Borin demurred. There was a pause, during which Gibbs started to enter the room but he found himself stopping again as the coastguard agent continued to speak. "So... you and Gibbs..."

"What about us?" He could hear the slight edge to Abby's tone. Wary, cautious and just a little bit... unsure?

"You and Gibbs... You're involved, aren't you?" Another pause, slightly longer. "I won't say anything if you are. The last thing I want is to get either of you in any trouble..."

"We wouldn't get in trouble. Personal relationships at NCIS are reviewed on an individual basis at the Director's discretion." Abby's answer surprised him, giving Gibbs the impression she'd thought it through. "That's beside the point. If you don't want to get us into trouble, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to know if I was right... or if I had a chance." There was a note in the other Abby's voice that made Gibbs narrow his eyes and his hands tighten around the drinks he was holding.

"Gibbs is off the market, if that's what you mean." The trace of amusement in her voice audible, Gibbs didn't need to see his lover to know she was rolling her eyes. "You might be a redhead and all but..."

"A redhead?" Agent Borin laughed shortly. "I have no idea what that means but you've got me wrong, Abby. He seems like a great guy but he's a little too... business-orientated for my personal tastes... It's not Gibbs I was wondering about."

"Oh. Oh! You mean..." Gibbs didn't need to see her to picture the blush he knew would be colouring her cheeks nor did he need to see her to know she would be fidgeting nervously with whatever was within reach. "Huh. That I wasn't expecting. I thought last time, what with you telling him he could call you Abby..."

"Last time I was here, I didn't get to spend as much time with you."

"Okay. Well. Umm. You're not really..." Abby hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "...my type?"

A soft chuckle that didn't belong to his Abby made Gibbs' hand tighten even more. The drop in volume suggested the redhead had moved closer to the forensic specialist and that wasn't a thought he was comfortable with. "You're not curious? You've never thought about..."

There was something about the tone of voice, something silken and almost tempting that spurned him into moving. Standing straighter, Gibbs strode into the lab, unsurprised to see Agent Borin standing well within Abby's personal space but unable to keep his eyes from narrowing at the sight.

"Agent Borin." He greeted her curtly as she took a step back, moving swiftly to stand between the two women, close to Abby's side as he handed her her drink. Almost without thinking about it, he slid his arm around her waist, curling his now-free hand around her hip. "Thought you'd left already."

The possessive gesture didn't go unnoticed by either woman. The redhead bit the inside her of mouth to keep back a smirk but wasn't at all successful in suppressing the urge to roll her eyes while the black haired woman ducked her head to hide a smile.

"I was just leaving." Agent Borin glanced between them, her gaze lingering on Abby a little longer than Gibbs was comfortable with. "Maybe we'll see each other again."

"Maybe." Abby gave her a smile and a one-shouldered shrug. "Take care of yourself, Agent Borin."

"You, too. Both of you." With a final nod at the couple in front of her, Agent Borin turned on her heel and walked out of the lab.

When she heard the elevator doors close, Abby turned to Gibbs, noting the way he kept his arm around her. "How long were you standing outside?"

"Long enough." Gibbs admitted with a shrug. He reluctantly let his arm drop from her waist when she moved towards her office and followed her through. He watched her sit at her desk, one hand wrapped around the Caf-Pow he'd given her while she shut down the computer with the other. "So. Not interested?"

"In the lovely Agent Borin? No. Are you?" She looked up, arching an eyebrow at the expression on his face. "She's a redhead," she pointed out unnecessarily. "And she's called Abby. Two of your favourite things rolled into one..."

Gibbs merely looked at her, biding his time until she stood up and started to move passed him to the main area of her lab once more. He grabbed her arm with his free hand, pulling her towards him. He set his own coffee down before taking her Caf-Pow from her and set that down, too, before drawing her against him, clasping his hands behind her back.

"My favourite Abby is standing right in front of me," he murmured, gazing down at her.

"Are you sure about that?" Abby teased lightly. "You'd pick the NCIS mascot over a CGIS agent?" She rolled her eyes when he arched an eyebrow. "I liked the beloved part, Gibbs, but next time can it be attached to a term that doesn't make me feel like I should roll over and bark at command?"

A troubled expression passed over his features. "I didn't mean..."

"I know you didn't." She gave him a warm smile, showing she didn't hold a grudge. "And it's true you can make me beg at times, so I won't hold it against you this time." Her smile grew a little at the slight smirk that curved up his lips at her words, and the subtle darkening of his blue eyes. "I'd say you can make me beg later if you'd like but I think I'd enjoy it the other way around tonight."

He tightened his arms, drawing her against him more fully, their bodies pressed together as a low growl escaped from his throat. "If that would make you happy..."

"Oh, it would." She looked up at him through lowered eyelashes, letting her tongue dart out to lick her lips, fighting back a smirk when his darkened gaze automatically dropped to her mouth. "But first I've got a bruise on my hip where I walked into the cubicle wall. Stings like a bitch. Think you can help me with it?"

"Want me to kiss it better?" He murmured, lowering his head. His lips brushed hers, once, twice, lingering for a few moments.

"For starters." After a few more precious moments, Abby pushed herself away with her hands on his chest, smiling when he reluctantly dropped his arms. "Go do what you have to and call me when you're ready to go home."

Not needing to be told twice, Gibbs paused only to pick up the discarded cup of coffee on his way out of the lab, glancing back over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. He smiled at the sight of her watching him leave and continued on his way back up to the squad room, a bounce in his step as he thought about the evening ahead of him and his Abby.

End