Well, this is the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed the story. Now this story has come to end I can concentrate on For Keeps the sequel to Abby's Next Project, chapter 1 is up already so please read and review.

Thanks for all your support for my stories so far especially GAbbyIsLove, Eliza-angel, ZeevahDiNozzo, finlaure, herves vuin, LOVErOSESandSMILE, Berlian, 0 and STLFAN and anyone else that I've missed.

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Chapter 16

After hanging up on Gibbs, Abby breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she and Gibbs were good. She hadn't meant to say those words to him but she had been so angry over his lack of interest in Tony and Ziva's relationship. She should have known better, Gibbs was right, it really was up to Ziva and Tony to sort out their own problems, but that wasn't going to happen unless they talked to each other. She had successfully convinced Gibbs to speak to Tony and now she needed to speak to Ziva.

Abby knocked gently on the door of her guestroom.

"Come in" came a faint reply.

She opened the door to see Ziva curled up on the bed, tears streaming down her face.

"What have I done Abby?" she sobbed, reaching out for her.

Abby scooted on the bed next to Ziva and wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"Easy with the tears, where's my hard arse assassin disappeared to?"

Ziva grinned slightly, wiping the tears from her face with the sleeve of her jumper.

Abby passed her a box of tissue from the bedside cabinet. "Tissue, Ziva?"

Taking a tissue, she smiled.

"That's better" said Abby as Ziva blew her nose.

"I feel so awful Abby, I didn't mean it to get this far but Tony can be"

"So childish sometimes"

"Um" sniffed Ziva

Abby took her friend's hands in hers. "But that's Tony"

"I thought he was acting more mature lately"

"Like all men, they occasionally digress back to acting like teenagers."

"Even Gibbs?"

Abby smiled and brushed a stray hair from Ziva face, "Yes, even Gibbs"

"I don't believe that"

"Let's just say that he can be as randy as a teenager" laughed Abby

Ziva laughed along with her friend, "Really?"

"Really" said Abby, glad to see a smile on Ziva face again.

"Tell me more, yes?"

"On one condition that you'll talk to Tony"

Ziva got up from the bed and started to pace around the room, her mind deep in thought.

"Do you want me to ring him?" suggested Abby, worried that Ziva might wear a big hole in her carpet. "He'll be over here in a heartbeat, well, not exactly a heartbeat, but you know what I mean" babbled Abby, her mouth going in to overdrive.

Ziva smiled, "What would Gibbs say, you're babbling Abs?"

They laughed together with Ziva sitting back down on the bed.

"I don't know if I've done right Ziva but I've asked Gibbs to speak to Tony. I thought it might help, you know, mano a mano."

Ziva sighed and lay back down on the bed.

Abby lay on her side and looked at Ziva, "There's no real reason to be angry with him, is there? Gibbs and I are not annoyed, why should you be?"

Ziva rolled on her side to face Abby. "You're not bothered that he heard you and Gibbs having, you know, sex?"

"Nah, I think it was an added turn on that he was listening to us having sex in my coffin" she giggled

"Abby!" said Ziva, somewhat shocked, "in your coffin, how?"

"As I said, I will reveal all, not necessary all, may be a little of the sex life of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Abby Scuito once you've spoken to Tony. I'm babbling again, aren't I?"

Ziva smiled and nodded.

Abby got up from the bed and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my cell phone so you can make that call"

Mean while Gibbs had made little progress with Tony.

"Why do I have to apologise?"

"Tony!" said Gibbs, suppressing the urge to head slap him.

"Well Boss?"

Gibbs sighed as the conversation with Tony appeared to be going nowhere. Tony needed to apologise, not just for his sake but also for Gibbs', he had plans for tonight, great make up sex plans and it all rested on Ziva being out of Abby's apartment and back with Tony. Sex, he couldn't get enough of it with Abby, they'd made love everyday since becoming a couple, several times a day if he thought about it. He hadn't been this sexually active since his affair with Jenny and possibly the first couple of months of married life with Stephanie. He recently had gone through a dry spell, as some might say, with women ever since he ended his relationship with Hollis Mann. He knew, part of it, was down to Jenny, finding out that she still loved him after her death had knocked him sideways and it was only Abby that had got him back on track. Thinking about his dry spell made him realise how similar Tony and he were with their respective love lives. Tony had gone through a similar dry patch after breaking up with Jeanne.

His thoughts were broken by the sound of a bar stool dragging along the floor, Tony was getting up to leave. "Doesn't matter what you say, Boss, I'm not apologising.

"DiNozzo, sit down" bellowed Gibbs, his face like thunder

The bar went silent as everyone stopped and stared, Tony felt his ears go red with embarrassment as he quickly sat back down again.

Gibbs' voice was calm but his eyes flashed with anger. "I never thought you could be this stupid"

"Stupid?"

"You love her?"

"Yes"

"Do you want to lose her?"

"No" said Tony, looking down at the table as he nervously played with a beer mat.

"Well, Anthony"

Gibbs using his complete first name was very rare and it made Tony look up and listen to what he had to say.

Gibbs in a very soft calm voice explained to Tony exactly what he had to do. "If you love her, you need to apologise, regardless if you're wrong or right"

"But Boss, I thought apologising was a sign of weakness"

"Don't use my rules to run your life, you need to create your own, starting with Rule #1 Never upset Ziva"

"Um"

"Ring her. Ask her to join you"

"I don't know Boss" mumbled Tony.

"Meeting her here would be safer for you Tony, she's less likely to kill you in such a public place" joked Gibbs as he looked around the crowded bar.

"Funny, Boss"

Gibbs watched his young agent silently mull over what he had just said. After a couple of minutes, Tony reached for his cell phone.

"Before I ring Ziva, there's one thing I want to know"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow "What's that DiNozzo?"

"Have you got any new rules for Abby?"

Gibbs gave one of his famous lop sided grins "Yes, plenty but none I need to share with you."

Tony grinned "I'll bet you've got a new Rule #12, ay Boss?"

"Yes, never have tattoos for a love one unless the love is forever"

"So Abby, she's a permanent fixture then?"

"She's got herself tattooed with my marine service number, you can't get more permanent than that" grinned Gibbs as he stood up to leave.

"May be I should get one done for Ziva" thought Tony out loud as he watched Gibbs put on his coat.

Gibb shook his head "Shut up DiNozzo and just make that call."

Tony watched Gibbs leave the bar before picking up his cell phone, as he flicked it open, it began to ring.

When Gibbs returned to Abby's apartment he found Ziva gone and Abby curled up in bed asleep. He was late coming back from the bar, after he left Tony he had made a detour back to his house to pick up a change of clothes for work the next day. Dropping his duffle bag on the floor, he quickly striped down to his boxers and joined Abby in the bed.

"Um" said Abby as Gibbs nuzzled against her neck. "You're back then?"

"Sorry, got waylaid, popped back to the house to get a change of clothes. Ziva's gone then?"

Abby turned to face him, kissing him softly on the lips. "Yes, she went to meet Tony at the bar to talk things through"

"They're going to be alright Abs" said Gibbs snuggling closer to Abby. "I popped back to the bar on my way back here and they looked fine to me."

"How fine?"

"Slow dancing and kissing fine"

"And there's me thinking you were late back because you didn't want to be here just in case they didn't make up."

Gibbs pulled Abby closer to him, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"May be" he laughed

"I can see straight through you Leroy Jethro Gibbs" said Abby, playfully hitting his chest.

"So what am I thinking now?" said Gibbs as he placed small kisses along her collar bone and up her neck.

"About making love with your trusty deckhand" she purred

"Sorry Abby, but you're not my deckhand anymore" whispered Gibbs against her neck.

"Oh" said Abby, pushing him away "If that's the case no make up sex for you"

Gibbs laughed and pulled her back against him, "No Abs, you've got it wrong, you've been promoted"

"Promoted?"

"To Captain's mate"

"And what are my exact duties as Captain's mate?" smirked Abby as her hand disappeared into his boxers.

"To mate with him on a regular basis and satisfy all his sexual needs" stuttered Gibbs as Abby's palm rolled around the head of his erection.

"What like this" she said replacing her hand with her mouth.

In a few short moments, Gibbs world went a brilliant white, his body trembling with release.

"Yes, Abs" he panted, "And just to let you know, the position's is being offered on a permanent basis"

"Is that a proposal Jethro?" said Abby, placing soft kisses to his stomach.

Gibbs ran a hand through her hair and looked down at her emerald green eyes.

"Do you want it to be?"

Abby smiled and crawled on top of him, her face inches from his. "Yes, if you're serious?"

He cupped a hand around her head and pulled her into a gently kiss. "Abs, I've never been more serious in my life before"

The End