A/N: I really would have liked more reviews on Chapter 3 before I posted this, but I'm going to assume that people read and just didn't review. Besides, there's no telling when Chapter 5 will be up. I'm really really sorry you guys. If all goes well, I'll post on Saturday... Or something. Anyways. Please review? It really makes my day... Anyways, CSI will be on in about 10 minutes, so I'd better go. ::grins:: I got to watch Meltdown last night! Yay! LMAO- Abby rocks my socks off!

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Abby? We live in America, in the twenty first century... It's okay!"

Abby shook her head. "No, it's not! I shouldn't have done it! It was stupid, I know... Maybe I was drunk."

"Abbs, I understand where you're coming from, I do. But you have to understand that none of us think anything less of you. We love you Abbs, and I swear I will kill anyone who tells you otherwise." Gibbs paused, hoping no one had caught onto what he had. Or, if they had, that they would keep their mouths shut. "I'm not going to fire you, you know."

Abby looked up, startled. "How did you know that I thought that you were going to fire me?"

"Abbs, you've always been worried that I was going to fire you. It's kind of obvious..."

Kate looked sympathetically at her friend. "I think Gibbs is bluffing. At any rate, I've never thought you were insecure about your job."

Gibbs knew Kate was lying to Abby, but it had made her seem a lot more relaxed, so he let it slide.

"So... What are you going to do to me if you're not going to fire me?"

"I'm not going to do anything to you Abbs. You're an adult who's quite capable of making her own decisions." Gibbs squeezed her shoulder gently.

"So you're just going to let me sleep with every guy I come in contact with then?" Abby wasn't sure how to act. Wasn't Gibbs supposed to punish her?

"Abbs, do you want me to punish you?"

"No, but I just thought that it was your duty- as my boss- to discipline me when necessary."

"It is, but as far as I can tell, you haven't done anything wrong."

"Gibbs is right Abby. And besides, even though he'll probably never admit it, he'll never fire any of you. Despite what you may think, he'll always picture himself as your friend first and your boss last. Won't you Jethro?" Ducky knew Gibbs better than anyone else, so he knew to avoid the ex-Marine's gaze as he spoke.

Gibbs held Abby's gaze, alerting her- in his own subtle way- that he meant this specifically for her. "Of course I do Duck... Whatever gave you the impression that I didn't?"

"Abby, I don't want to sound cold, but why exactly do you feel so guilty about this? I mean, you have to know that sex isn't wrong..." Kate felt incredibly guilty about confronting her best friend with such an odd question, but her curiosity- once again- got the best of her.

Abby mumbled something incoherent under her breath.

"What?" Not even Gibbs, who was kneeling right next to her, could tell what she said.

"I said, 'Because of Rule Number twelve...'" Abby looked guiltily from Gibbs to Kate.

"Rule Number Twelve? Is that what this is all about? Abby, you can't seriously believe that he'd fire you for sleeping with a co-worker," Tony chastised.

Kate however thought otherwise. After all, hadn't Gibbs warned her before she had even officially started working for him that he expected things to be different here? He sure as hell hadn't looked like he was kidding.

"And this is why I told myself that I should give them the rules in order... I guess I'll never learn," muttered Gibbs to himself. "Abbs, I don't suppose I've ever told you Rule Number one, have I?"

"Well, no..." Abby shook her head slightly. Of course, technically, Gibbs had only ever told her Rule Number seven- she had heard about Rule Number twelve from Kate when they had been discussing-

Gibbs looked guiltily at Ducky; he had been told that he should at least tell Abby about Rule Number one. This was what happened when he didn't listen to people. "Abbs, Rule Number one is 'Never be afraid to break the rules...'." He looked thoughtfully at her. "After all, you never know what you might be missing out on." He paused, knowing she was going to hate him for asking her this. "Abbs, who was it?"

Abby bit her lip and didn't reply. She couldn't tell them who she had- No, bad Abby- don't think about it!

"Abbs...?"

"No, Gibbs, I can't!"

"Fine, I already know who it was; you don't have to tell me. I think that they'd like to know though." Gibbs knew that he had switched from the worried and caring boss that he had intended to be and had switched into ruthless interrogator mode. He turned to leave.

"No, Gibbs, wait! I- I'll tell you..." She mumbled something unintelligible.

"Abby..." Gibbs subtly switched from her pet name to what everyone called her. Everyone in the room- except for Gibbs and Abby, apparently- noticed the change and knew Gibbs was getting fed up.

But Abby did notice and immediately felt guilty. After all they'd been through together, the team deserved to at least know who it was... She took a deep breath. "I- It was McGee..." she whispered.

Gibbs nodded grimly. "Yeah, I thought so..." He stood up quickly and turned to leave Abby's lab.

"No, Gibbs!" She stood up quickly and looked to Ducky, Kate and Tony. "Um, I've got to go... Catch you guys later!" she half-explained.

The three of them watched her dash into the hallway and into the direction that Gibbs had gone.

"Well, somebody's hiding something..." Tony looked to Kate for a confirmation.

"What the hell do you mean Tony? It's not like this is another random suspect off of the street. This is Abby. You know- our friend? She didn't do anything wrong!" Kate glared at him, refusing to believe that her best friend had done anything except tell the truth.

"Caitlyn, no one's saying that Abby did anything wrong. Anthony was merely commenting on the fact that we didn't get the whole story. And we didn't... But poor Abby doesn't realize this... yet."