Title: Goodies for Gibbs
Author: Chirugal
Spoilers: Ice Queen, the first of the two JAG season 8 episodes that served as a pilot for NCIS.
Summary: It's the first time Gibbs has ever praised Abby this overtly, but it won't be the last…

Author's Note: Hey! Chirugal here! Certain Gabby forum members and I – including driftingatdusk and ncislove (to name but the two most prolific Gabby shippers in our little horde!) – are setting out to tag every single NCIS episode so far. Our theory is that any episode could be the catalyst for Gibbs and Abby to begin a relationship. There will be a few exceptions, if the exchange that's in the episode is just too much like they're already in a relationship, but for the most part we're looking at a string of unconnected 'first time' fics.

We're posting as GabbCollab, short for Gabby Collaboration, but if you look below the title, we'll always post the name of the contributing author. So far, we have nine authors signed up, and we're always happy to get others involved too! Go to this thread to sign up: http (colon slash slash) gabbyfans (dot) freeforums (dot) org (slash) group-tag-project-gabbcollab-if-you-will-t232 (dot) html. :)

Okay, on with Ice Queen's tag!

"Good job."

"Thanks, boss," Tony says, preening a little, and I suppress a grin. It took me a while to start to like him – I saw him as a replacement for Stan Burley, and it was a few months before that stopped hurting. But now I'm used to him, he kinda intrigues me. He's always flirting, always–

"I was talking to Abby."

Every thought about Tony flies out of the window, and I transfer my gaze to Gibbs, hardly able to believe what I'm hearing. Was that actual approval? Expressed in clear, concrete terms? From Gibbs?

Whoa. Tony who?

While said Special Agent grins, I slide my chair across the lab to my next piece of evidence, focusing on the job to cover up how flustered I feel. The first thing I noticed when NCIS hired me was that Leroy Jethro Gibbs is more attractive than any law enforcement officer has the right to be. But I squished that thought pretty damn fast when I realised how no-nonsense he is.

Well, squished it during working hours, anyway.

While Gibbs ponders the Moscow cell number written on the napkin I've drawn his attention to, Tony pushes me back to my computer. "I've got more goodies," I call to Gibbs, once he's done with Vivian.

Oops. That came out a little wrong. But it doesn't matter – no-nonsense Gibbs is too busy focusing on the plasma screen to notice that the goodies I'd like to offer him are a little more personal than a flight date.

Guess I'm better off flirting with Tony – at least I'll actually get somewhere.

"Got goodies for me now, Abbs?"

"Gibbs!" I press a hand to my pounding heart, glaring up at him. "You scared the hell out of me!"

With a slight smile, he leans against the nearby counter and watches me. "Hear you got a date with DiNozzo coming up."

That's the last thing I ever expected Gibbs to do – come down here to grill me about my love life. "Yeah."

"I ever tell you about rule twelve?"

Not specifically, but scuttlebutt travels. Gibbs' rule number twelve is 'never date a co-worker'. "You came down here to tell me not to date Tony? Gibbs, we're both consenting adults, and just cause you don't think it's a good idea for us to see each other, that doesn't mean-"

"If you're gonna break it, it should be with me."

Wait, what? Did he just say…?

His attention has never been focused on me this intensely before, and the possessive hunger I see in him renders me speechless for long seconds. "You're jealous?" I manage, finally.

He inclines his head a little in acknowledgement, and I get a sense of wry amusement from him, as if he's perfectly aware of the ridiculousness of the situation.

It puts us back on equal footing, and I tease, "Gonna tell me why you'd be a better choice than Tony?"

Gibbs walks toward me; he's a man completely confident in his own skin, and when there's just a breath between us, he tells me, "This is why."

This. So non-specific, and yet I know exactly what he means. The tension between us is electric; his scent is intoxicating, and everything seems safe and secure and wild and dangerous all at once…

"Gonna have to do better than that," I murmur to him, making sure he knows that even though I want him – even though he's my boss – that doesn't mean he gets to call all the shots.

"Oh, I will." He turns and walks away, glancing back over his shoulder as he reaches the doorway. "Pick you up at eight."

And then he's gone, and I'm left to stare at the doorway and wonder exactly what just happened.

The only thing I know for sure is that I'm grinning from ear to ear.

END.