Year 10

The minuet the power had come back on sighs of relive and cheers of joy could be heard across the navy yard. Gibbs just sat at his desk and smiled. how quickly they grabbed at the modern technology and not even realise what they had just achieved. They had solved the case and caught the bad guy with out any of this internet mobile database stuff, yes it may have taken them a bit longer but they still did it. He was proud of his agents today for all the hard work they had put in. He better not tell DiNozzo that, it'd probably go straight to his head.

The black out today had given him a wonderful idea in fact it is probably something he should have done a long time ago, but better late than never. His usal trip down to fetch Abby tonight would not be needed as she didn't need to switch of any of her equipment she was ready to go much sooner than normal and instead met him in the bullpen.

"Hey Gibbs" she said walking straight up to his desk.

Gibbs looked at her smiling face then looked at his agents "Paperwork can wait, go home, and be back 0800 tomorrow"

They did not need telling twice, all three of them were out there seats and at the elevator before you could say MTAC

"So what's the plan for tonight?"
"It's a surprise."
"Ooh I like surprises, do I get a clue?"
"If you're good"
She looked at him with as much innocence and she could manage and said "but Gibbs I'm always good"

Gibbs escorted Abby to her car and said "My place 1900 hours dress up" he kissed her cheek and left he there wondering what tonight would bring.

After the last couple of years Abby deserved to have a special birthday and if all went according to plan then he was hoping this year was going to be one to remember. He had a lot of
things he had to do in order to get ready for what he hoped would be a very special evening. First stop the supermarket.

Abby arrived at Gibbs house at 1900 hours precisely and after making sure her car was locked she made her way to Gibbs front door. What she saw surprised her a little; on each side of the three steps that lead to the front door Gibbs had lit candles. Perhaps Gibbs is being romantic she thought to herself or with my luck he still doesn't have power.

Although Gibbs never locked his front door she always knocked before entering, it was the polite thing to do.

"Gibbs?" she shouted in to the dimly lit house
"Kitchen" came the reply

Abby slowly wondered through the house noting the dozens of lit candles and the soft music playing in the background. Nothing would have prepared her for what she saw in the dinning room.
"Gibbs, wow, this is beautiful"
"I was going to say that" said Gibbs emerging from the kitchen carrying a wine bottle and two glasses"

Abby blushed "well you said to dress up"

Abby had ditched her normal black attire this evening and instead gone for the only evening dress she owned. It was a form fitting, dark red silk, knee length dress, she had paired it with matching shoes and a fake fur jacket. She had curled her hair and pinned it away from her face.

"You like it?" Abby asked a little self conscious
Gibbs kissed her cheek "perfect"

"May I say you're looking rather handsome this evening. "
"You may. Wine?"

"Please. What's the occasion you never cook?"

"Not never Abbs, just for special people. If you sit down I can bring out the first course"
"the first course? Wow Gibbs you really are spoiling me"
"That's the plan" he said to himself and went to get the first course

Abby had never known Gibbs go to so much trouble before, not for her anyway. The table was decorated with red place mats, candles and red and white roses. It looked beautiful and the meaning of the roses was not lost on her, she just hoped that Gibbs had bought them for there meaning.

Gibbs bought out the first cause and they began to eat "this is delicious, I never knew you could cook this well"

"I have many hidden talents"
"Will I get to find out what they all are?"
"Maybe"

OK, there was flirting in her lab and then there was this. This was something new but she liked it.
Gibbs cleared the plates, put the last of the main course on to cook and refilled the wine.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Abby asked
"We didn't do anything last year because of the case, and then before that you hurt your ankle, this year I thought you might like something special"
"I've been with you every year and that's special to me, beside that road trip was fun." she said with a smile, remembering the four hours she'd spent in the car with him.

They ate the main course and desert in relative silence, it was a comfortable silence though. There was the odd comment about the food or how nice each other looked. He had lost track of how many times they had shared a meal over the years and the term date had never been applied to any of them, but this was different. Although if he had his way and if certain rules didn't exist, he would have used that term to describe tonight, but those rules were there for a reason, if only he could find a loophole then the rules wouldn't be broken just bent slightly.

"I'm impressed Gibbs, that meal was fantastic"

Gibbs cleared the plates away before turning to his CD player and changing the music slightly "care to dance?"
"Is that another hidden talent?"

"Not sure it's a talent, I'll let you be the judge of that"

Gibbs held her gently in his arms as they started to move to the music.
Abby moved her arm further round his neck closing the space between them "definitely a talent" she said.