"Gibbs!"

Special Agent Gibbs saw the blur of chains and spikes come flying at him and braced himself for the tackle hug he knew was coming. He quickly moved the files from one hand to another so his friend wouldn't crush them, stifling the grunt of exertion as all the air was forced out of him when the young woman's feet came off the ground and her arms went around his neck.

"Hi Abs."

"Did you get him? You're okay right? Everyone is alright? You took him down no problem? What am I saying? Of course you did! It's you! You're Gibbs! The super silver fox of justice! The bane of criminals near and far. The man that Chuck Norris looks up to. The guy that Superman has a poster of. I mean you're-"

"Abby." Gibbs interrupted quietly, shaking that cup of Caf-Pow he had brought her and trying to fight the smile her rambling speech had inspired.

"Thanks Gibbs!"

She snatched the cup from his hands and began to slurp the sugar infused drink down. Abby pranced across the room and began shutting down her machines, celebrating the end of her shift with the normal amount of gusto, saving the silencing of her music for last.

Gibbs smiled watching her and leaned against the table in the middle of her lab tossing the folders on the table. He really didn't want to look at them anyway.

"You called me down here for a reason Abs?"

She laughed and skipped over to sit next to Gibbs.

"Patience Gibbs, good things come to those who wait. But I suppose that doesn't apply to you because you always seem to get what you want you never wait for it because you have no sense of patience. But then again you don't need a sense of patience because you are, after all, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs! You know, now that I think about it, this is kind of circular logic..."

She glanced up to see Gibbs staring at her, waiting for her to stop talking and get to the point. She grinned at him and moved closer to him, knowing that he was waiting. For her. Because she was special. Maybe he was patient after all. And maybe she shouldn't push it.

"Alright alright, point taken. So...bossman...whole team is off rotation. Even me and Ducks, what are you doing with the free time?"

Gibbs sighed and glanced at the clock. It had been a really long weekend and he was ready to go home. He looked back over at Abby and saw her sparkling hopeful eyes and felt something melt.

It was Abby.

How could he not answer?

He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the vibrant goth.

"Wait wait wait! Let me guess! Basement, boat, bourbon?"

Gibbs smirked and reached out an arm, drawing her close.

"Sounds about right."

Abby looked up at him for a minute, her blue eyes wide and expectant. He found himself fighting a smile again at her look and he patiently waited. See he could wait. Sometimes. When he needed to.

"Well?"

"Well what Abs?"

She huffed and crossed her arms.

"My plans Gibbs. Aren't you going to ask me my plans?"

"Abby."

"Alright, alright, Gibbs. You are no fun. An old friend from Baltimore called me a couple weeks ago. I'm heading up to spend the weekend. I can't wait to see her. She's going to show me all these great clubs, take me to all these great spots, oh I can't wait to see her! Me and Lottie were inseparable in college. Abby and Lottie. You couldn't have one without the other. She's been in California the past few years, she hasn't been this close in so long. I can't wait to see her!"

Gibbs smiled and pulled her into a tight hug.

"That's great then Abs. Have a good time with your friend. But be careful."

She sparkled at her favorite guy's expression and saluted him.

"Yes sir, Gibbs sir."

"Abby..."

"I'll be careful, Gibbs. I promise. It's clubbing in Baltimore, everything will be fine. I mean seriously, there is no possible way I could get in any trouble!"

She laughed and finished gathering the rest of her things while Gibbs grabbed his papers.

Gibbs waited quietly at the door and reached an arm out pulling Abby close as the two walked out to the parking lot.
He watched and waited while she got into her hearse and pulled out of the lot before he got into his own precious Charger. Seeing her safe on her way he turned towards his own home.

He pulled into his drive way and walked into his empty unlocked home, tossing the files onto his thread-bare couch. He didn't even want to look at them.

He knew what was in them, the names the backgrounds the potential. And none of them were right. At the moment he was down to only one other agent on his team and he was talking about turning in his resignation. Morrow refused to let him work alone, and Gibbs knew that he could only put him off so long. Eventually he was going to have to look at those files again. See them for more than names look at what they could be for his team…

But he didn't have to do it right now.

NCISncisNCISncisNCIS

Detective Anthony DiNozzo stood facing his Captain with his partner at his side. He could feel the hostility coming off of his partner in waves, he was just grateful it wasn't being directed towards him.

Detective Daniel Alexander stared at Captain Bergan with the most dangerous glare he could muster. He couldn't remember disliking someone more than the pompous man standing in front of them. He was about to make one the biggest mistakes of his life and the entire department was going to suffer for it.

This was wrong.

So so wrong.

"Sir with all due respect, this is a monumental mistake. Detective DiNozzo-"

"Detective DiNozzo disobeyed a direct order. He put the entire undercover operation at risk and nearly brought the entire thing down on our heads. Six months of undercover work, working with other agencies, the testimonies, all of that could have been completely undone. And this has only been the latest in a long list of screw ups and mistakes! This should have been done months ago."

Daniel clenched his fists and tried not picture himself punching them man in his red bulbous nose.

"Detective DiNozzo did what the situation called for. The plan fell through and back up was too far behind. Yes something bad could have happened, but nothing did. Everything came out okay and that is what matters. It was either break cover or people were going to die. Do you understand that Captain Bergan? Does that still matter to you? And maybe none of this would have happened if you would have followed your own protocol and taken your head out of your-"

"Hey!" Detective DiNozzo had had about enough of this. Detective Alexander was getting a little hot under the collar and there was no way he was letting him get in trouble for his screw up. He ignored the warning look he was getting from his partner and faced the captain.
"Look, I did what I had to and it broke procedure and I understand there are consequences for that. Can we just get to the point of all this?"

Captain Bergan nodded and smiled.

"Yes lets. Detective DiNozzo, give me your badge. You're fired."

Tony blinked at the man in shock before he masked his face back into nonchalance. He swallowed once and nodded, slipping his badge off the chain from around his neck.

"Tony..."

Daniel whispered, but stopped at Tony's sharp shake of his head. Message clear- do not make this worse.

Bergan's smile widened, revealing yellowed teeth.

"And your weapon."

Tony slid it out of the holster, took out the clip and set it firmly on his former captain's desk, and gently, almost reverently, he put the badge on top.

With a smirk and sarcasm dripping from every word, Bergan spoke again.

"Thank you for your service."

Tony dipped his head and turned, walking for the door.

Daniel looked between the two of them, desperate and worried. Finally he yelled-

"DiNozzo!"

He paused at the entryway and tapped his finger on the wood.

"Daniel?"

Bergan took a step towards the men before Daniel could get the words out.

"DiNozzo!"

Tony turned to him, his smile fading to a straight line of thinly hidden disgust.

"Something else Bergen?"

"Get the hell out of my office"

Tony bit out a harsh smile and bowed.

"Gladly."