Disclaimer: "Dinozzo: Okay Boss, here's a theory. What if, the author thought that she actually owned anything from NCIS? Gibbs: *Gibbslaps Tony on the back of the head*" Yes, you get the picture, I didn't create, nor do I own anything from NCIS.
Author's Note: Okay, for this set of short stories, I am doing something new. I am taking one tarot card randomly out of my deck, and using that card and its meaning as a prompt. Pretty cool, huh? Please note that I am only using the Major Arcana. By the time all is said and done, I hope to have written a story using each Major Arcana card as a prompt. If I get reviews and they are favorable, I will consider continuing the series using the Minor Arcana. Another, final note, in these stories, anything goes. Example, I am a big Kate/Ari fan, so that may pop up. Just be prepared for anything. Also, ratings may change with each individual story/chapter. Now, I will shut up and get on with the story.
Card # 1; XV - The Devil
Kate looked at the clock for the sixth time since the hour had begun, but only two minutes had passed, making the time now 16:20. The office was almost completely deserted, except of
course for Team Gibbs. Well, half of it anyways. Tony and McGee were down in the evidence locker, checking the inventory on a cold case. Gibbs was at his desk, presumably catching up
on paperwork long past due. It was a Friday afternoon and Kate was positively itching to leave work, especially so since her and Abby had made plans for a girl's night, to take place that
very evening.
The week hadn't been any longer than usual, nor any more challenging than normal. Overall, it had been a very quiet week, tedious; one might even venture to say. Cold
cases to peruse and file, case reports to finish. The only excitement that Kate had experienced that week was when the new probationary agent, Special Agent McGee, had spilt Gibbs'
coffee on Tuesday morning. Kate forced herself to hide her smile when Timothy almost passed out from the near anxiety attack that Gibbs' glare had sent him into.
Other than that rather minor incident, Kate had to admit to herself that the week had been downright boring. She was dying to escape the tedium of the office and let loose this
weekend. Although, with her straight-laced, Catholic upbringing, letting loose for Kate normally meant that she might go to a bar and dance with a stranger, or possibly go rock climbing at
the new indoor sports facility that had recently opened about four blocks down from her apartment building.
That was the main reason that Kate had planned a girl's night with Abby. Kate knew that she desperately needed some excitement, some new experiences, and maybe even some
ones, after the week she had gone through at work. Kate also knew that Abby was the perfect person if one wanted a bit of excitement in their lives. No matter how menial or average
the activity might seem, Abby always seemed to bring her unique sense of Abby-ness to the situation, therefore guaranteeing and experience that would be anything but ordinary.
The phone on Gibbs' desk chirped, breaking Kate out of her reverie quite suddenly.
"Okay…Good work, Abs…What?..Why?...Okay.", Gibbs placed the black receiver back into its cradle gently.
Kate spoke up, a bit too eagerly, "What did Abby want, Boss?"
Gibbs narrowed his eyes and gave Kate a look that in no uncertain way reminded Kate of a Papa bear about to swipe at a particularly annoying cub.
Gibbs fixed Kate with this look for a solid half minute before he slowly spoke,
"Abby called to say that she had received and logged all the forensic results on all active cases for the week."
Gibbs pursed his lips.
"Ahh.", replied Kate.
Gibbs continued, his mouth still pursed, but his eyes holding that unique, cock-eyed grin of his,
"She also requested that I let you off work a little early so that she could abduct you for a night of, and I quote, 'Girl Stuff'".
Again, Kate replied, "Ahh". Just then, the elevator doors dinged open, causing Kate's neck to whip in the direction of the sound and causing Gibbs to casually shift his gaze to the metallic
box. Abby flounced out of the elevator and almost bounced into the bullpen, wheeling her small, bat-plastered, rolling backpack all the while. Abby stopped abruptly in front of Gibbs' desk,
her wide eyes staring expectantly at his countenance, which was bent over a file, in mock ignorance of Abby's presence. As Abby stared, Kate quickly filed the cold case she had been
fruitlessly looking over and reached into her desk drawer to pull out her purse and her Sig, which she clipped onto her belt.
Then two, expectant, pairs of eyes bored into Gibbs. Under the double pressure, Gibbs finally broke.
"Alright, alright, you can go.", he said, with a full grin and a hint of a chuckle.
"Really?", Abby and Kate inquired in unison.
"Yes,…now, Shoo!", and with a quick flick of his hand, the two women knew they were free for the weekend. Both the girls could barely contain their excitement as they took the ride
down to the parking garage in anticipatory silence.
It wasn't until they were strapped into Kate's silver BMW that Kate realized that she hadn't asked Abby what she had planned for the thrilling night ahead. Kate paused and asked,
"So Abby, where to first?"
A look of pure deviousness crossed Abby's features as she replied,
"WELL, before we do anything, I've been needing to get my tattoo touched up, so I guess we're off to the tattoo parlour first!"
Kate's mouth fell open in shock, but soon it curved up into an indignant grin.
"Why, you…" And she didn't get any further.
Still devious, Abby gave Kate directions to the tattoo shop as they pulled out of the NCIS parking lot. Twenty minutes later, the two women pulled up in front of Living Canvas tattoo
parlour. Abby had her seat belt off almost instantly, but Kate hesitated with her own buckle.
"Oh come on Kate, it's not like I'm going to MAKE you get a tattoo yourself, we're here for mine, remember?"
Kate looked doubtful for a moment, but finally let her seat belt snap back with an, "Alright" Kate and Abby walked through the oaken front door and into a tiled office space that Kate had
to admit to herself, looked more sterile than some doctor's offices. When the two women had walked through the door, a bell had rung, causing a bearded, heavily inked secretary in a
blue bandana to look up and grin almost instantly at seeing Abby.
"Well, Miss Scuito, it's nice to see you again, here for your touch-up?"
With a perky nod of her head, Abby replied to the inquiry,
"Same here Steve, wanna get started?"
The supposed secretary rose from the wooden office desk and started walking towards the back of the shop, towards a row of black leather chairs and threw over his shoulder,
"Alright then, if you'll just follow me."
Which wasn't necessary, as Abby was already halfway across the shop. Kate awkwardly stood at the front of the shop for a moment before Abby realized that her friend was no longer
following her and turned around to find Kate still at the front of the shop. Abby stopped and cocked her head, pursing her lips as she did so.
She quickly motioned with her hand for Kate to follow. Kate hesitated but quickly found herself following her goth friend towards the somewhat foreboding chairs.
Steve was already sitting on a leather stool by one of the chairs, snapping on latex gloves, apparently the "secretary" was also an artist. Abby reached the chair, sat down, and quickly
stripped off her black t-shirt. Kate's eyes momentarily widened, until she realized that Abby was simply making the huge tattoo inked into her back accessible to Steve. Apparently the
giant crucifix on her spine was the candidate for the touch-up. Steve wiped down his needle gun, inserted a new needle, dipped the tip into ink and inked away. Abby was only getting
the outline of her tattoo redone and the work didn't take long. Through the whole session, Abby chatted and laughed with Kate and Steve.
As Kate observed Abby, she realized that tattooing couldn't be as painful as she had thought, Abby was smiling and laughing for God's sake!
Soon, Steve was finished with his work, although Kate could see through the shop windows that opened up to view the street that night had begun to fall.
Steve rubbed lotion into Abby's redone tattoo and covered the artwork with plastic before the forensic scientist pulled her black t-shirt back over her head.
"So, whatcha' think, Kate?", Abby asked.
"About what?" Kate naively replied.
"About tattooing, silly!" Abby exclaimed.
"Well, I mean, it doesn't seem near as painful as I always thought it was." Kate hesitantly admitted.
"Plus, it looks pretty neat on your back." She added.
"Hmm." Abby commented. "So, what would you say to getting one?" Abby innocently inquired.
"WHAT!" was Kate's immediate response. It was then that Kate paused, and reconsidered. Her first response had been to instantly reject the idea of permanently
marking her skin. What would her mother think?
But with the pause, Kate thought, screw her mother!
Her entire life, she had been straight-laced and proper, it was time for some excitement, goddammit!
And the pain seemed bearable. But what about work? Well, if she got the tattoo in a place covered by her work clothes, it should be no problem.
Plus, Abby wasn't the type to blab to the entire office about something she knew Kate would prefer stay between the two of them. And so after a short pause, Kate shocked Abby, (no
small feat) and replied,
"Hell, why not?"
Abby's mouth hung open for a moment before she recovered and squealed, embracing Kate.
"Oh my god, Kate, I never thought you would actually agree!"
Abby quickly paused and turned to Steve,
" Steve, are you up to it, is it too much trouble?"
Steve serenely smiled and replied, "A small tattoo will be no problem."
Abby turned back to Kate and asked,
"But what do you want? This is permanent, you know."
Kate pondered for a moment, looked at Abby and said,
"How about a fox? I've always liked foxes, they're so cute."
Abby quickly pointed in Steve's direction and said, "Talk to him, he's your artist."
Kate asked, "Steve, is that okay, is it too much?"
Steve replied, "Of course not, it's fine, I have the perfect design, but where do you want it?"
Kate thought for a moment, bit her bottom lip and got a positively devious look on her face. She glanced at Abby who said,
"Oh you she-devil! Go ahead!"
Kate looked at Steve, closed her eyes, gulped, and said,
"Okay, how about my rear?"
Steve had to hide his grin by wiping down his tools again and screwing in a new needle.
He turned to Kate and said, "Okay, if you'll just lay down on the chair and ahh, pull down your pants to where you want the tattoo, I'm ready to begin."
Kate looked at Abby for reassurance, and the goth gave Kate the biggest grin and thumbs-up in the world. Kate pulled down her pants and lay down on the chair. Steve sat down on the
stool and pulled his ink palette close when Kate sat up momentarily and made one last request,
"Umm, I'm ready, but could you make the fox silver?"
Steve replied, "Sure, ma'am."