What Only Hardcore NCIS Fans Know About Abby's Pet Peeves

Even if you haven't followed every twist and turn of CBS's hit investigative drama NCIS, which since 2003 has been following the fictional investigations of a major crimes unit in Washington D.C., you're probably familiar with the quirky style and personality of the team's forensic scientist, Abigail "Abby" Sciuto, who is played by actress Pauley Perrette (IMDb). With her unique goth look and empathetic, bubbly demeanor, Abby was a standout character on NCIS, and fans were sad to see her leave after the 15th season.

Abby's many interests ranged from the supernatural to bowling with a team of nuns, and her loyalty to the other team members made her lovable and relatable. However, while many viewers think they know everything about Perrette's famous character and what makes her tick, it's only hardcore fans of NCIS that know about her pet peeves and how exactly to get back on her good side.

Hardcore NCIS fans may remember the particular moment in the show where viewers learn about what Abby's pet peeves are in the season 5 episode 9 episode titled, "Lost and Found." According to Soap Hub, there's a certain scene in the episode where Abby is searching through an evidence box for a hair sample she needs for a case. She then turns to coworker Timothy McGee — whom she used to date — and asks him to name her biggest pet peeve.

Fans with a good memory will recall that McGee first responds with Abby's complaint about the eating habits of some. As Yahoo! notes, Abby asked McGee what "bugs" her the most, and he responds that Abby's biggest pet peeve is when people say they're vegetarian, but they continue to eat chicken.

However, while Abby doesn't argue about whether or not that's still a point of contention for her, it's not the pet peeve she's referring to in the moment.

After McGee guesses one of Abby's pet peeves, she presses him about what her biggest pet peeve of all is, saying, "Yes. But you know what also bugs me the most?" To which McGee replies with the answer she's looking for: "People who mishandle evidence."

In this scene, Abby's peeved that the box of evidence she received from Metro PD doesn't have the crucial hair sample she's looking for, and as Screen Rant notes, she laments about how there always seems to be mishandled evidence whenever she's working on a cold case.

So, Abby's biggest pet peeve is people who get lazy about recording and storing evidence — though vegetarians who don't realize they shouldn't eat chicken are probably right behind them at a close second. Hardcore fans might also recall that if someone gets on Abby's bad side, bringing the caffeine-loving forensic tech her favorite drink, a "Caf-Pow," will usually help her get over it. Yep — even in the advanced, tech-driven NCIS world, caffeine still seems to be the cure-all.