Chapter 3

Both the NCIS and FBI teams arrive at the NCIS building. All the evidence, nine boxes worth of it are immediately brought to the Forensics Lab in order for Abby to process. One after another, one person from each two person team enters into the lab. With seeing the amount of stuff coming in, Abby's jaw drops. She then drops her head onto the table where a couple empty Caf-Pow containers are.

"This isn't happening… This isn't happening." Abby said softly to herself.

"Where should we put the boxes Abs?" Tony asked.

"Just leave em on the floor near the desk."

Each person holding a box of evidence sets it down on the floor near the desk. Then each other them leaves the lab. After everybody leaving the lab, only Gibbs and Fornell are left standing at the door while Abby is rolling her forehead, from side to side, against the table and talking to herself. Fornell is perplexed as to wondering if Abby is stable enough to work. Fornell turns to Gibbs who is holding a Caf-Pow.

"Is she…" Fornell begins to say.

"That's normal for her." Gibbs said.

"Are you sure giving her that…"

"Don't worry about it."

"This behavior doesn't concern you at all?"

"What would concern me is if she didn't do anything like this."

"Alright… I'm gonna go back to FBI headquarters to see if anything we found matches any other case in our databases."

Fornell walks out of the lab, leaving Gibbs standing just inside the door to the lab, looking at Abby rolling her forehead against the table and talking to herself. Gibbs finally walks over to Abby.

"Come on Abs… You can handle this. You do this all the time. Besides, it's not that much to work on." Abby said to herself.

Abby lifts her head and looks at the evidence on the other table. She looks at all of her equipment that's running to see if anything is done yet, so she can begin the next phase for certain evidence that's she's already working on. She then looks at the nine boxes of evidence sitting on the floor near her desk. Abby snatches the Caf-Pow from Gibbs' hands and begins sipping. She then puts the Caf-Pow on the table next to the computer. She then drops her head and once again begins rolling her forehead, from side to side, against the table.

"Can let all this stuff overwhelm you Abs… You need to remain focused… People are depending on you to get their evidence taken care of… Get your head off the table Abs… You have a guest in the lab… Not just a guest… It's Gibbs… Lift head, lift head… Or else no Caf-Pow…" Abby said softly to herself.

Abby lifts her head off the table and looks at Gibbs.

"Just how many Caf-Pows have you had today?" Gibbs asked.

"Why? You want some?" Abby grabs the Caf-Pow and holds it up to Gibbs.

"No thanks… So how many have you had?"

"Including the one you gave me… About 13 in total… And I still don't think it's enough." Abby stated as she takes another sip of the Caf-Pow.

"Abs, you're stressing yourself out."

"I am not stressing myself out Gibbs! NCIS is! All I've been getting this entire week is piles upon piles of evidence to go over. And you just added nine boxes into the mix. I've been coming to work early and leaving late… Yet I still can't get all of it done cuz when I get back in the morning, there's more!"

"And that's why I brought this up with the Director this morning when she called me in."

"You didn't! If she thinks I'm incapable of getting all of this done, then she'll require me to…" Abby just realized what Gibbs might be getting at. "She's not gonna give me an assistant, is she?"

"You'll be getting a temporary assistant Abs."

"No! She… You… Both of you can't stick another assistant on me like this!"

"Abs…" Gibbs tries getting her attention.

"Don't Abs me, mister! This whole conspiracy against the lab rat must stop! And by the way, I'm not a lab rat! I know I called myself that before and I know that's what you're thinking."

"Actually…"

"Shush! You can't do this to me Gibbs! Go up there and tell her I'm capable of getting everything done by myself! I don't need any help."

"Abs…" Gibbs tries getting her attention again.

"Hush! No talkies! I can't believe you would agree with her that I need an assistant!"

"It was my idea…"

"You're idea! You're the one who wants to stick a psychopath assistant on me this time! How could you! I'd slap you if I wasn't craving caffeine like I am." Abby grabs her Caf-Pow and takes another sip.

"Abs…" Gibbs still tries to get her attention.

"I told you no talkies! Don't you remember that Chip character! He was so creepy! He tried to frame Tony for murder then he tried to kill me! Me, Gibbs! I was lucky I kicked his butt. But what if the next assistant gets the drop on me! Then I'm screwed! It'll be a dead lab rat in the Forensics Lab! Wait… But I'm not a lab rat! Forget the previous comment!"

"Abs…"

"I'm a person, Gibbs! A very special person who you need! I'm the best Forensics Specialist to ever come to NCIS and you're willing to just toss another assistant on me to ruin my groove! I'll constantly be in fear for my life! I can't take this! How can you do something like this to me! I can't believe…"

Gibbs quickly places his hands on Abby cheeks then leans forward and places his lips on her lips in order to kiss her. Abby eyes widen as Gibbs' lips are on hers. After half a minute, Gibbs finally takes his lips off Abby's lips. He leans back as Abby slowly lifts her head upward in order to look up at Gibbs. Abby is speechless.

"Since I can finally say this… When I talked to the Director this morning, I did suggest you having a temporary assistant. I threw out a name and she agreed. You're assistant will be Jamie. Can you live with that?"

Abby just nods her head in agreement.

"Good… I'll call Jamie to get her over here to help you." Gibbs said.

Abby nods her head.

"You need to work on those nine boxes ASAP cuz the lives of nine children are at stake." Gibbs stated.

Abby nods her head again. Gibbs walks to the door and leaves the room. Abby watches as Gibbs leaves the lab. She then places her fingers gently on her lips as she smiles. After a couple seconds she throws her arms into the air like she just won the Super Bowl.

"Yes!"

Abby walks over to the nine boxes. She grabs a box and brings it over to the table and starts taking the stuff out in order to begin processing the contents.