Disclaimer: As per usual I am writing that I don't own any of the lovely, adorable, sweet, puppy-like… forget it; most of the characters are men. They are not 'puppy-like'.
AN: Or are they? You decide. So sorry i haven't updated sooner, if it wasn't one thing it was another. I will try my best now that i am on holiday. And PLEASE, i am begging you, FEED ME!!
Four days later and the team, except Gibbs, who was asleep in his chair at the office, all arrived early at the hospital. Abby was still asleep when they got there, but not for long as DiNozzo knocked a chair over. It was a slight side effect to the amount he had drunk for both him and Abby the night before.
They had all brought presents. Tony brought a Black Rose Bonsai, Kate an A-Z on 'Why you are the strangest person on Earth.' She'd spent the last month writing it. McGee had brought her a picture of a red blood cell being ripped apart as a virus burst from it, Ducky had go to the most trouble to get his as he had made it. It was little well sculpted body with a stomach which when pressed sort of expanded and spewed a lovely mixture of red froth, making Tony spew as well. The rest of NCIS had just signed a card, adding get-well wishes as well.
Gibbs was on the night duty, the team were taking it in turns to sit with Abby, and had just settled into the chair when his smug look took over his face. He sat there for a moment or two longer then got up and sat on her bed.
"So how was your birthday? Had fun?" She had to admit it; she had enjoyed herself, Ducky watching Tony watch her, and trying not to fall over every time he got up, Kate dragging him off to work afterwards.
"Yeah, but no present from you. It isn't a proper birthday unless you have presents off of all the people who love you."
Gibbs pulled a rectangular box from his jacket, opened it, with trembling fingers, and gave it to Abby, who sat staring, stunned.
It was a silver chain with a silver skull on it, covered, meticulously, in diamonds. The eye sockets were left empty, but were empty to perfection. All of it was done to perfection.
"Gibbs…" She could barely whisper this time.
"I love you Abs." He said it outright, no dancing around it, no disguising it, the words just flowed, and as prefect as the moment she had been when he had first seen her.
Eight years ago:
A Monday morning, nothing special going on. The director walks down the stairs with a very young lady, who is in all black.
They come over to his desk, the director speaks first;
"Special Agent Gibbs, this is Abigail Sciuto. Miss Sciuto this is Agent Gibbs. Make sure you take good care of her Gibbs; we don't need to lose another forensic scientist." He gets up and walks from behind the desk.
"Your lab's downstairs, this way please." Taking his offered arm, they walked towards the elevator. Once the doors had rattled shut she looked at him properly; middle-aged, graying, sensible clothing and shoes, hair cut to the marine style; added up he was probably an ex-marine, came home but couldn't give up.
"So how many have you gotten rid of?" Her question was simply; it didn't require a long answer.
"Seven in the past year. So what's with the outfit?" The lift was really slow he could afford a few minutes conversation.
"The wearing of black is sort of compulsory for Goths."
When the lift opened and Gibbs had shown her the lab he had held out his hand and said that he looked forward to working with her, and she had told him to call her Abby.
She had told him that black was compulsory, yet she was currently in some bluish things the hospital had given her to wear. He got his phone out and went out in to the corridor. Dialling Kate's number he looked at Abby's notes; it made no sense to him but it reassured him.
"Todd." She had answered on the fifth ring.
"Get the clothes Abby has stashed in her lab, bottom drawer of her desk." He hung up without another word and re-entered the room. When he sat back down on the bed she didn't ask; he had that look of secrecy on his face.
Kate was doing some photocopying while waiting for Tony to get back with the Chinese when her phone rang. Answering it she found it was Gibbs. She listened to him and as she opened her mouth to reply he hung up. Turning she found McGee had stopped typing and was watching her.
"I've got an errand to run for the boss, make sure Tony doesn't go anywhere near my stuff."
Once in Abby's lab Kate opened the bottom drawer in Abby's desk as instructed. Kate pulled a holdall out from the drawer, checked it and shut the drawer.
At the hospital Kate found Gibbs trying to beat Abby at a card game of her own design, and failing miserably. She had thought Gibbs was the best bluffer she knew, but it seemed that that was wrong. Putting the bag on the edge of the bed she whispered to Gibbs "Daniels.", knowing that he would get she meant his Jack of Clubs. He looked at it then at the cards all ready down, Kate knew what she was talking about, and the only card that had stopped Abby ending the game was in his hand, he hoped.
"Caitlin Todd!! I expected more of you!! And I hope you haven't been slinging this around." She reached into the bag and rooted around for a moment then brought out a small black leather bag; opening it she pulled out a PDA neither companions had seen before. "I've linked it to NCIS and to my own computer at home. I just want to check my E-mail and keep an eye on things, I can't have people messing things up can I?" They all knew that she wanted to get up to date on the cases, not that she should be worrying about that, but they left it.
"Kate before you go, you will act as team-leader until tomorrow. I don't need Tony ruining my work. If he protests ring me. Ok, Agent Todd?" She nodded and left, waving to Abby as she exited. Abby waved back briefly, before ending the game by placing the rest of her cards down one after the other in three neat lines; two full suites and all four Aces and Kings.
The necklace had lain forgotten until Abby, trying to push herself up the bed a bit more, put her hand on it. Bringing it out again she looked very carefully at it; the design was that of a sculpture an English guy had made out of titanium and diamonds.