Gibbs sat alone in his basement next to his half built boat, thinking about rule 12.
Love between coworkers never worked out.
He spoke from experience.
But he knew deep down inside that Ziva and Tony felt more than love.
It wasn't in the "boyfriend- girlfriend" kind of way; instead, in a more "marriage and kids" kind.
"But should I change my rules? The ones I live by and swore I would live by for the rest of my life?" Gibbs pondered.
As he thought, a picture of Kate suddenly flashed before him.
She wore her NCIS gear, and the bullet hole in her forehead was still apparent.
Gibbs flinched as Kate spoke:
"Are you really gonna thwart true love again?"
She leaned against his boat, watching Gibbs intently through her green- gray eyes.
Gibbs cringed slightly.
"I stopped seeing Major Timothy Kerry because you dissapproved of it, and look what happened to me," Kate pointedly suggested.
"I died alone."
The last statement was like a slap across the face.
Gibbs still remembered.
Kate hadn't deserved to die. He had robbed her of her life. It was all his fault.
His heart throbbed.
"All right," Gibbs said finally. "For you, Kate. Anything for you."
Rule 12 and a half had just been created because sometimes when life changes, you have to change with it.
And Gibbs knew change to well.