Happy New Year, everyone!

I'll be honest - I struggled a bit with this one. Gibbs and Ziva didn't find it easy telling the team and neither did I! Let me know how I did...

'Honesty is the first chapter of the book wisdom'.

- Thomas Jefferson

'Are you kidding me?' Abby glared at him, Caf-Pow held aloft in one hand. 'Are you out of your mind?'

Gibbs sighed. He hadn't expected this to go well.

'Maybe, Abs'.

Abby didn't speak, but carried on glaring at him. He thought he detected a trace of hurt in her eyes, behind the anger that he suspected was there just for show. Before he could speak again, she started pacing up and down in front of her lab table, gesturing with both hands.

'The rules, Gibbs! What about Rule 12? It's, like, the most basic rule. The one nobody breaks. I mean, not that we ever break the rules anyway. Not deliberately. But Rule 12? It's set in stone, Gibbs. It came down from a mountain top on a tablet. And now you're…'. She stopped, searching frantically for the right word.

'Things change'.

She looked at him, and now he could see the pain in her eyes. The plea for him to understand, like he always did. She seemed to deflate a little, and he thought he saw a tear begin to form.

'You're Gibbs, Gibbs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You don't change. Other people change. You're like….a rock, or something'. She sniffed. 'That's a really bad cliché'. Another sniff. 'Change isn't always good, Gibbs. I don't like change'.

'Not always bad either, Abby'. Gibbs's voice was quiet.

She seemed to recover her composure somewhat, and glared at him again before snatching up her Caf-Pow and stalking off to her desk, closing the sliding doors behind her. He heard the music volume go up as she concentrated fiercely on her computer screen. Conversation over.

He sighed, and leaned against the table. He had no intention of leaving, and he knew that she was not really expecting him to. He loved Abby like a daughter, and knew her almost as well. When he had told her about his relationship with Ziva – and yes, he admitted to himself, it is a relationship – he thought he had seen a brief flicker of relief in her eyes before her tirade started. She's relieved it's Ziva and no-one else.

He waited for over an hour before the sliding doors opened again and Abby emerged. He raised his eyebrows, and she responded by throwing her arms around his neck. He returned her hug, smiling to himself.

'Still love ya, Abs'.

She pulled away from him, and smiled, looking a little embarrassed. 'I know. It's good, Gibbs. It's good that you're happy. It might just take me a little while. You know, to get used to things'.

He gave her a squeeze. Me too.

'Of course, I kind of knew anyway'. He raised his eyebrows and her smile became triumphant. 'Ziva's a terrible liar really, Gibbs. And the other night when she came out? She smelt like you'. Abby leaned across and sniffed, as if to demonstrate her point. 'Wood. And bourbon'.

'I do not….'

Her expression became fierce, and she cut him off mid-sentence. 'I love you, Gibbs, but I also love Ziva. She's like a sister to me. And if you ever hurt her…..'

He laughed and turned to leave. 'I know, Abby. You'll kill me and leave no trace'.

Abby smirked.

'Oh, and Gibbs?' He turned back. 'How about breaking another rule?'

'Depends on which one'.

She held up her now-finished Caf-Pow. 'Rule 6. You made me go through all that on a decaf Caf-Pow, Gibbs. Decaf! It shouldn't be allowed!'

She looked so indignant that he had to laugh. He stepped towards her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

'Machine was out of regular. Sorry, Abs'.

Gibbs pressed the button for the third floor, and leaned back against the cool steel of the elevator as the doors closed behind him. Thank God. The relief was almost overwhelming. He hadn't realized how worried he had been about telling his team, and especially telling Abby. And he had wanted to be the one to tell them. They were his team, and he felt responsible for them. Whether he liked it or not, this affected them. Ziva had eventually agreed, reluctantly, to let him handle it with Abby. He smiled as he thought of her sitting – probably stewing by now – at her desk upstairs, and suddenly wished she was there with him. They didn't have to be apart for very long now before he started missing her. How did that happen?

The sharp ping of the elevator doors startled Gibbs out of his daydream. As he turned to head towards his desk, he stopped. Looks like I don't have to tell them anything.

Tony and McGee were sitting at their desks, McGee looking at Tony, Tony looking at Ziva. His expression was incredulous. Gibbs had left the elevator just in time to hear him.

'You're sleeping with the boss?'

McGee caught sight of Gibbs, and coughed. 'Er, Tony….'

'What about Rule 12? Are you out of your mind? Is he out of his?'

'Tony!' McGee's voice was louder now, warning.

Gibbs smiled, and moved to sit on Ziva's desk. It was tempting to give Tony a headslap, but he decided to save it for later. He looked shocked enough as it was. Ziva looked over at him, a plea for help. I snapped. One question too many. What do I say? He shot her a reassuring look before turning back to his senior field agent.

'More than sleeping, DiNozzo'. He was aware of McGee's eyes on him and Ziva looking from one to the other, wanting to speak but not sure what to say.

Tony opened his mouth and then closed it again. He turned to Ziva, who quietly answered his unspoken question.

'Since Israel'.

'Wow'. Tony managed a shake of the head. 'You two must have been pretty damn sneaky, I never saw this coming'. He took a deep breath. 'So Abby knows?'

Gibbs nodded. 'She does now'.

'Ducky? Him upstairs?'

'Abby was on the phone to autopsy as I left. So safe to say….Ducky knows'.

Ziva put her head in her hands.

'And Vance?' Gibbs looked up towards MTAC where Vance stood, leaning against the door, watching them, chewing on a toothpick. He waved a hand at Gibbs. Don't mind me.

Tony nodded. There was no trace of his usual swagger. No bad jokes, no movie references. Gibbs wondered what was going through his mind. Ziva was his partner, after all. Office gossip had always put them together. Wonder if it was more than gossip for him?

McGee stood up. 'I'll, er….head down to see Abby'. Ziva looked up and gave him a small smile. On impulse, he crossed the space between their desks, reached down and gave her a hug.

'I'm happy for you, Ziva'. He released her and looked across at Gibbs. 'You too, Boss. It's just a bit strange. But if you can make it work, and you're happy, then…..' He shrugged, smiled, and made for the stairs.

Gibbs called after him. 'McGee?'

He turned. Thank you.

'Think Abby'll still be in autopsy.'

McGee smiled and nodded before disappearing. Gibbs gave Ziva another smile before turning back to Tony.

'You wanna say something, DiNozzo?'

They looked at each other for a moment before he replied.

'How is this going to work? On the job, I mean?' He took a deep breath. 'Rule 12 was there for a reason, Boss. Well, you know that anyway. It was your rule'. He leaned forward in his chair, and nodded towards Ziva. 'What if Ziva gets hurt? What happens if you fight?'

Gibbs sighed and shook his head. 'I don't know, DiNozzo. Guess you never think things through til it's too late'. He studied his senior agent. 'She's still your partner'.

Tony nodded slowly. 'You love her?'

'Hey! I am here, you know'. Ziva's quiet protest went unheeded, and Gibbs answered without hesitation.

'Yeah. I do'.

Tony nodded again, this time looking at Ziva. It was a while before he spoke. 'Well, I guess Elflord down there's right. If you can make it work, then good for you'.

'Thank you, Tony.' Ziva's voice was little more than a whisper.

'DiNozzo?' Gibbs' voice, too, was quiet.

'Boss?'

'Think I owe you an apology'.

'A what?' Tony looked confused.

'I've given you a hard time over Rule 12. Wasn't so long ago I told you to choose. And now….' He gestured.

For the second time that day, Tony struggled for words. Gibbs – with Ziva. Gibbs – apologising? He shook his head, but he knew what Gibbs was trying to say.

'That was EJ. It would never have worked anyway'. He paused. 'She thought What Women Want was a great movie. I mean. Come on'.

Gibbs half-smiled. That's better.

'Seriously, Boss. Ziva. It's ok. Things change'. He stood up and stretched, and moved around to the front of his desk. 'Anyway, no more Rule 12…this means I can ask the cute girl on the Far East desk out, right?...Ooof'. He blinked as Gibbs' hand connected with the back of his head. 'Guess not, Boss. Sorry, Boss'.

Gibbs shook his head. 'Nah, that was for earlier'.

'Earlier?'

Ziva stood up and moved to join them. 'The sleeping with the boss comment. And this one…' Her own hand connected lightly with the back of his head. 'For implying that Gibbs was crazy for sleeping with me'.

Tony rubbed the back of his head. 'How about if I said he'd be crazy not to….?'

Both Gibbs and Ziva reached up at the same time.

'Ow!'

Gibbs lay quietly, listening to her breathing. His arm was around her, his fingers playing with her hair while her head rested on his chest. It was a warm night, and a slight breeze through the open window played with the curtains and carried the faint sound of music from across the street. They were both tired. Exhausted, in fact. But it felt right. The right thing to do. He smiled to himself as he thought back to those first evenings in the basement. Guess we're making our own fairy tale now.

Ziva groaned sleepily as her phone beeped on the table beside the bed. As she sat up to get it, Gibbs slid his arm around her stomach, pulling her back down onto the bed.

'Not so fast'.

'Jethro!' She protested, laughing, as he began to nibble her ear and move his hands downwards. He relented enough to let her grab the phone, before moving his lips down her neck.

'Who is it?'

She gave a little moan of pleasure before replying. 'Abby'.

'Umm-hmmm? What does she want?' He moved further down, making her breath catch in her throat before she replied.

'To tell me that she loves me, but if I hurt you she will kill me and leave no trace'.

She felt him smile as his hands began to follow his lips.

'Don't think you need to worry just yet'.