Gibbs arrived at NCIS headquarters at 0700. By 0730 the rest of the team had straggled in and taken their places at their respective desks. At 0745 Gibbs received a phone call from Abby practically ordering him down to her lab - "Pronto!" was her exact word. Feeling in his gut that he was not going to like this conversation, Gibbs checked his email first. He was desperate for an excuse to be busy upstairs a few more minutes. When the phone rang at 0750, Gibbs was saved by a new case and rushed off with Tony, Ziva and McGee, promising himself he would take time to see Abby once they got back.

The crime scene where the body was found did not require an abundance of their time or attention once Ducky determined that it was staged and the victim killed elsewhere. Back at the office around 0900, the team started with the usual - phone calls and background checks. All of it was useless for the moment, until one of Tony's calls seemed to yield a lead.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Tony said into his phone, scribbling the address on a pad of sticky notes. He looked up. "Boss, got the victims address, do you...?"

Gibbs nodded and waved him off. "Go. Take Ziva with you."

"David!" Tony barked, always enjoying the chance to lord his status of Senior Field Agent over any and all probationary agents on the team, "With me!"

Ziva rolled her eyes, looked at Gibbs to make sure he was serious - he was - and grabbed her backpack, following Tony to the elevator.

Gibbs turned to his last agent left. "McGee, what do you got?"

McGee looked up, trying not to stammer. "Umm, well, nothing yet Boss. Still running the victim's financials and trying to track his movements over the last two days."

Gibbs checked his watch. "I'm going for coffee."

He appeared back in the bullpen fifteen minutes later and dropped a coffee on McGee's desk. McGee was in a mild state of shock. "For me Boss?" he asked.

Gibbs gave him a you-should-know-better-than-to-ask look. "No McGee. It's for Tony. I want you to keep it warm for him."

McGee didn't bother responding to the heavy sarcasm in Gibbs voice. He continued hitting keys and working through all the information flowing across his computer screen. A minutes later, when Gibbs was still standing behind him, practically hovering, McGee dared to ask. "Boss?"

"Yeah?"

"Anything...anything I can help you with?"

Gibbs enjoyed seeing McGee out of his comfort zone. Sometimes tormenting his agents was so easy he couldn't

help but have fun with it. "As a matter of fact, I need some research done."

McGee flipped to a new tab in his browser window, fingers poised over the keys. "Okay. What am I looking for?"

"Flowers."

"Flowers?" McGee's brow crinkled into a frown, not sure he'd heard right.

"Yup, flowers." Gibbs stood there, waiting for McGee to work his magic on the computer so it would spit out the information he was looking for.

"Okaaayyy," McGee drew the word out, hoping to find a way to narrow the search without raising Gibbs ire, "any particular kind of flower Boss?"

"Meanings."

"Flower...meanings."

"You got a hearing problem McGee?" Gibbs was getting impatient. How long could it take?

"No, no sir...uh, Boss. Flower meanings, got it. It will just take a minutes here."

"Good. When you have a list, print it out and leave it on my desk in a folder. I want now McGee." He took a swig of coffee and sighed. "I have to go see Abby." Gibbs headed in the direction of the Caf-Pow! machines, then turned back. "McGee."

"Boss?"

"This stays between us."

"Got it."

When Gibbs reached the lab he smiled at the sound of Abby's loud death metal music. Same old Abby. But it wasn't the same old Abby who greeted him when he walked in her door.

"Hey Abs."

Abby had her back to him and her arms crossed, pouting to her computer screen. "Go away. I'm not talking to you right now."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. Several possible scenarios presented themselves to him. Saying, "Okay," and turning around and leaving. But she could lock the doors with a remote and if he didn't really want to leave her angry with him. Or he could go over and hug her because with Abby a hug could fix almost every problem in her life. Or, he could use the Caf-Pow! to bribe his way back into her good graces. Right, Option C.

He shook the caffeinated beverage his forensic scientist loved so much. "I've got your Caf-Pow! Abby."

"Leave it," she said, without turning around.

Uh, oh. This was starting to sound serious. He placed the drink on her counter and moved to stand behind her. "Abby, what's wrong?"

Abby whirled around and Gibbs had to lean back to avoid getting smacked in the face by her ponytails. "What's wrong? What's wrong, Gibbs? I'll tell you what's wrong - you," she stuck her finger in his chest, "don't love me anymore. That's what's wrong!"

Gibbs was momentarily stunned. He tried to pull her into a hug but she was too angry and would have none of him trying to comfort her.

"A hug can't fix this Gibbs."

He considered her. "What will?"

After a minutes she looked up at him with the saddest expression in her dark brown eyes. "You telling me that you still love me?"

Abby was ready for a hug now, Gibbs could tell. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her head with his hand. She returned the hug fiercely. "I could never stop loving you Abs."

Abby pulled back. "Then why are you ignoring me?"

Gibbs looked surprised. "Ignoring you? Abby, I'm right here!"

"No, that's not what I mean, Gibbs." She started pacing, hands flying in an attempt to explain. "Yesterday when you came downstairs, it was like you weren't even here. No hug, no kiss on the cheek, no good job Abs for figuring out that weird mystery substance, and no Caf-Pow!" Abby looked indignant. Then she picked up the one he'd just brought and took a long suck on the straw. "Ahh," she said, feeling better. "Although, this does help to make up for when you forgot." Then she was back on topic. "And then this morning I call you to come down. Pronto, I said. And do you know what you said?"

Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. He'd said whatever would appease her, that much he remembered. "What?"

"Right away Abby. That's what you said. But nooo. You fiddle around with something for five minutes to give the phone time to ring and then you're off on another case! What am I supposed to think about that Gibbs?"

"Abby," he said in a tone suggesting she was slightly overreacting. "I'm sorry. Things have been a little hectic lately but I was not trying to ignore you. Promise."

"Pinky promise?" Abby asked, her smile starting to come back.

Gibbs held up his little finger and locked it with hers. "Pinky promise."

Abby backed away and crossed her arms over her white lab coat. "This is about the director, isn't it."

Gibbs sighed. How was he getting out of this one? "Abby, what could this possibly have to do with the director?"

"Oh, I don't know," Abby said, attitude evident in her voice. "Just that you've been a wreck since the director disappeared last week and ever since she came back, you've been distracted. Gibbs doesn't get distracted!" Her high pitched voice was a testament to her distress.

Gibbs opened his mouth to say something but Abby wasn't finished with him yet. "And don't even try to tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. You knew as soon as you left my lab Thursday night that something was wrong because the director's car was still here. How could you know that unless you'd been with her before you came to see me? And why would you be with her unless there's something going on between the two of you?" Abby crossed her arms, her posture demanding a straight answer from him.

Gibbs just looked at her, waiting to see if she was done yet. She wasn't. "And not only that Gibbs, but you left early, EARLY," she said the word slowly, "two days in a row. Who are you and what have you done with my boss? Oh, and on top of everything else, Ducky knows what's going on and refuses to tell any of us. Now spill mister! I want the truth. What is Abby's number one rule? You do not lie to Abby!"

She seemed to run out of words just then and Gibbs finally got a chance to speak. "Are you done, Abs?"

Abby was beginning to look just a little sheepish for the way she'd talked to him. "Umm, yeah. That's pretty much it."

"Good." Gibbs said, trying to figure out how to get out of her lab while leaving her in a good mood and his and Jenny's secret still safely in tact. His options were slim, maybe none. He looked at her closely and sighed. "Okay Abs, here's the deal. You get two questions."

"Only two?" Abby whined.

"I can make it one."

"Oh no, two is good. Two is amazing. Two is terrific!"

"Abby!" Gibbs raised his voice to get her attention. "Questions."

"Right." She took and deep breath and closed her eyes, moving her hands around above her head.

Gibbs had to smile. "Organizing your thoughts."

Abby opened her eyes for a second to smile at him. "Only you would know that Gibbs. That's why I love you. You always know me best." Finally she seemed to find what she was looking for. "Okay, first question." Wow, now that the moment was here she wasn't even sure if she had the courage to ask. You can do it Abby! she told herself and took a deep breath. "Is there something going on between you and Director Sheppard?" she crossed her fingers and held her breath while she waited to see what would happen.

Gibbs shook his head. Always Abby with the direct questions that practically demanded a yes or no answer. He was going to have to get creative to get out of this one. He gave her one of his signature, side grins. "If I said yes, and I'm not saying yes Abby, but if I did, wouldn't that kind of ruin all your fun?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I mean the secret meetings you all have down here that you think I don't know about where you discuss things that are none of your business and assume things you've never actually confirmed."

Abby looked down, feeling her face heat. "Oh, those," she said quietly. She knew it! Gibbs had secret powers.

"Next question?"

Abby looked up at him, biting her lip. "Can I save it?"

It was all Gibbs could do not to laugh. She looked like such a little girl right there. Reminded him of Kelly, asking for something she wasn't sure he would say yes to. He sighed. No wonder he loved this girl as if she were his own. However, giving Abby time to think and collaborate with others was not necessarily in his best interest. He left her hanging for several moments before responding. "Sure." Her face lit up and he turned to go. "Oh, Abby," he said, before he reached the door. "This," he swirled his finger in the air to indicate their conversation, "doesn't go any farther than us."

Abby pouted but nodded, knowing she'd pushed her luck with the bossman enough for one day. She watched him walk away, heard the elevator ding and knew he was heading back upstairs. Turning back to her computers she wondered once again how Gibbs could manage to get through an entire conversation with her without actually telling her anything. Must just be one of his super powers, she thought, taking another gulp of her favourite drink. But sometimes it's really annoying.