A Bit Stranger Than Usual

Chapter 1

She hadn't even starting venting before Ducky deduced want was going on.

"Abby, I am rather busy right now." And busy he was, in Ducky's hands was a human brain. Distracted by Abby's appearance in the Autopsy, Palmer had to lean across the examination table with a dissection pan to prevent the fluid from dropping to the floor.

"Thank you, Mr. Palmer," Ducky said, "I suggest you go talk to Ziva, Abby. As you can see I'm in the middle of things. You know she is just as willing to discuss these things as I am, Abigail."

"I just don't know that I can talk to her about this Duck," Abby replied, "she doesn't always understand these things."

"She always tries," Palmer piped in.

"Stay out of this Jimmy," Abby replied.

"Mr. Palmer is right Abby, whether or not you want to admit it." Abby sighed and turned to leave. "Just remember, Ziva loves you too Abby."

Abby nodded as she walked away, as if to reassure herself, rather than in agreement with Ducky. Abby had never been one to use the emergency switch in the elevator, but she was nearing the level of emergency that required it. She stomped up the stairs of the NCIS building, trying to recollect and reorganize her thoughts. She should have just called Ziva down to her lab, but it was too late for that now.

Abby approached the bullpen just as McGee finished detailing the current information on the case the team was working on.

"Abs, what do you have for me?" Gibbs asked noticing her in his peripheral vision.

"Nothing, I came up to grab Ziva for a second. Is that okay Gibbs?" Abby asked.

"Don't waste her time."

Ziva rounded the corner from behind her desk and out into the hall. She followed Abby past the other teams, "what do you want Abby?" Ziva asked as they walk.

Abby did not answer but rather entered the elevator and held it open for Ziva. "I needed to talk to you," Abby finally answered, "in private," she added almost as an after thought.

Abby flipped the emergency stop switch.

"Okay, what is going on Abby? This is unusual if you," Ziva pressed.

"I feel awful even bringing this up. But I am past due on my injections, and I can't afford them anymore. I know this is the last of your worries and that we aren't even officially together, let alone living together or sharing expenses. It's a lot to ask of you, and I'm really sorry, ashamed, to ha-"

"Abby, what do you need?" Ziva asked, looking the most sincere and concerned Abby has ever seen her.

"I can't afford my hormone injections anymore, my rent went up and as much as I value hrt, I don't want to have to move in with Gibbs," Abby explained.

"You could stay with me Abby," Ziva said matter of factly. "Do you need money? You know I would gladly help."

"I really didn't want to ask. I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry. I'll figure something out," Abby hurried out.

"Abby, I would not offer if I did not mean it. You should not be ashamed of asking for help."

"It's not that I'm ashamed of," Abby said, switching the stop off. She went to press the L for "Lab" on the elevator button switch, but Ziva took her hand and brought it up to her mouth. She left a soft kiss on Abby's hand, and a blush on her cheeks.

"I love you Abby," Ziva told her.

"Really?" Abby asked.

To Ziva it was surprising how uncertain in her actions Abby was currently. Abby was confident as can be, as far as Ziva was concerned. She wore outfits no other woman, especially a federally employed one, would dare wear to work, always paired with creepers or massive platforms boots that added an extra three inches to her already towering height.

Of course, Ziva understood Abby being a trans woman had major influences on her life. While Luca has seen Abby transition, as far as Ziva new, her parents got to see very little of her "new" life. Ziva had heard the story of Abby's clumsy coming out, not being able to articulate well in ASL her newfound identity. Abby had even told her the phrase she used "boy no more, or ever, girl now." Ziva recalled responding that it sounded like a choppy English phrase she might have said in her early years of learning the language.

Abby's parents had gotten her into a specialized therapist as quickly as possible, but that had apparently been easier said than done as the nearest specialist was an hour's drive away. Luckily, her parents recognized how important this was to her, and at the age of seventeen years old she was able to begin medically transitioning and had her name legally changed.

Ziva was very impressed by this story, and the relationship Abby claimed to have had with her parents. Ziva wished her father and her had a relationship comparable to Abby's and her dad, or even Abby and Gibbs. Though, Gibbs considered the team to be a family, and Ziva a child of his, it just did not seem comparable to her the relationship he and Abby had.

But Abby needed it more than she did, or at least so she thought. Ziva was also upset to hear that the idea of Abby moving in with her seemed ludicrous. The two had been together, rather secretly, for the last year and a half now. Tony was actually the only one that did not know, after all Tony would be the one to fawn over them and how sexy of a couple they are. Ziva detested the way straight men tended to view women's relationships with one another. Tony was also the only one that didn't know about Abby's being trans.

Regardless, a year and a half was a long time to be together as far as Ziva was concerned. She respected Abby's need for privacy but in a time like this, of Abby really couldn't afford it what would be the harm of staying together, Ziva thought. She decided she would suggest this instead of offering fiscal means of supporting Abby's transition.