A/N - 1. This is a direct sequel to "Cafeteria vs. Math Class"
2. Thanks to Gaben as she was the inspiration for the ideas that unfold throughout these chapters. I hope they live up to her expectations.
3. None of the NCIS characters, themes or such are owned by me... like everyone else here I just use them...
Abby vs. CJ
Halloween was only 2 days away, therefore on Monday morning CJ made sure to talk to each and every one of 'the gang' to make sure they brought in their required supplies. She would be attending math class that morning and wanted to stop by NCIS on the way home and wouldn't be able to catch up with them all in person until the following day. They all said they would text with their lists later that afternoon.
The day went by, it was boring and not very social but since she could still feel the three lines left by the switch she was going to be seeing a lot more of the math room in the coming months. She had absolutely no interest in repeating that experience EVER , let alone anytime soon.
Steven and CJ shared a long goodbye kiss standing by the front door while they waited for the bus to take CJ to the Navy Yard. Two of their acquaintances wolf whistled and then with humor smacked Steven across the back with their school bag making disparaging remarks as they sped off.
CJ teasingly pushed Steven away with her hands on his chest. "I need to leave and you need to catch your own bus" raising and lowering her eyebrows provocatively. "Without you I don't think I will be able to finish my homework tonight." Steven offered not letting go of CJ. "I will IM you tonight and I can help you if your mathematics is too hard for you" she sarcastically replied. She had to stand on her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek and quickly boarded the bus when it arrived.
The bus ride to the Navy Yard didn't take very long with CJ thinking about what she was going to say to Abby. She arrived and made sure to stop by the bullpen. Henry, the newest member of the team was the only one hanging out. He didn't know CJ very well but he knew enough that her showing up unannounced was unusual.
"Where are they?" CJ asked pointing to Tony and Ziva's desks.
"Ah… Ah… they… ah…" he said opening and closing his mouth like a gulping fish. He reminded her of Tim when he was caught off guard.
"Well… I didn't think that was a very difficult question… are they in the building?"
Henry nodded in the affirmative that they were still in the building and having finally found his voice he said "They went to autopsy".
"Thanks Henry, when they get back tell them I will be in Abby's lab, OK? You won't forget to tell them will you?"
"No… no … I'll tell them... I will"
Rolling her eyes CJ walked to the back elevators to head to the lab. CJ wasn't sure where they found their new recruit but he seemed a little green as far as she was concerned.
The elevator dinged and CJ stepped out. She squared her shoulders, stood up straight and made sure to set her face in an angry glare. CJ marched into the lab.
Abby upon hearing a visitor turned quickly. She smiled, and shuffled over quickly in her platform boots. Abby threw her arms around CJ who stood stiffly not fighting to get away but neither was she accepting of the affection.
Abby sensing that CJ was not in her general happy go lucky mood she backed off and held CJ with both hands on the teen's upper arms and looked her up and down. The computer on the main lab set up began to beep. Abby went to her computer and began to type hurriedly. CJ followed more slowly and turned to lean her back against the desk, arms folded across her chest. She raised her eyebrows and scrunched up her mouth.
Abby's typing slowed as she looked sideways at her visitor. She could tell that CJ was pissed, but didn't know about what exactly.
"CJ it is so good that you came to visit..I haven't seen you in weeks and weeks.. you haven't been to headquarters in forever… what made you decide to come today? .. you missed seeing us all.. Tony didn't make you come did he?... I know he was really mad at you this weekend… I haven't seen him that mad in a long time… heard through the grapevine you had a bit of a rough weekend yourself…" Abby rambled on in her usual manner.
CJ allowed her to run herself out. She wanted to make sure Abby was ready to be quiet and listen.
When CJ was sure that Abby was quite through she turned slightly so she was able to look towards Abby easier.
"Why would you give my father nasty ideas?" CJ enquired through gritted teeth.
Abby like many other members in CJ's family rarely found themselves at a loss for words, especially Abby. But Abby wasn't sure exactly what CJ was implying.
"Ideas CJ? Whatever do you mean?" Abby said, the innocence not a put on as she really didn't know what the kid meant.
"Yes, you put ideas into his head. He said so himself." CJ said raising her voice slightly as she poked Abby in the chest with her index finger.
Abby raised both her hands as in surrender. "CJ I swear that I have NO idea what you are talking about. But I would be more than happy to talk about this if you stay calm and put that finger away" smiling and shaking her pigtails.
CJ pulled her hand away, eyed Abby suspiciously and turned back to be leaning completely against the desk again.
Abby sensing the CJ actually wanted answers she waited a few seconds before asking "What ideas am I supposed to have given Tony?" pursing her lips and opening her eyes wide.
CJ's shoulders slumped a non trivial amount and looked at the floor. She suddenly felt embarrassed. She had thought the Abby would know right away what she was talking about and that she wouldn't have to actually explain.
"CJ you know you can tell me anything" Abby's tone shifted to caring big sister and placed her arm around CJ's shoulder.
"Dad gave me a switchin' on the weekend for forging his signature repeatedly" CJ whispered.
Sucking air in through her teeth Abby grimaced. "Yikes, that's gotta hurt… I use to hate it when Gloria would make me go cut one myself… she didn't do it often… but man … I made sure to avoid that … wait… how does all this have anything to do with me?... I wouldn't give him that idea… I don't know what you think I might have said because he didn't talk to me about anything that happened last week… it was Ziva who said it hadn't been the best of weekends and that is the first time I heard anything about your particular predicament." Somehow Abby could ramble on without ever sounding breathless, she could just keep going.
Her energy helped CJ feel less self conscience and she looked into Abby's eyes. She was telling the truth or at least how she saw it.
"He said you said that the only thing that hurt more than Gibbs' scrap was a switch. He said you said that." CJ said looking at the floor and tapping the toe of her shoe on the floor while talking. "You gave him the idea."
Abby squeezed CJ closer with her arm still around her. She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips again. "I don't know why he would blame me. I will have to have a word with him."
"NO" CJ jumped to be facing Abby. "Don't … I… don't really want to go over that with him again… I just wanted to tell you to keep your ideas to yourself in the future… I figure he can get enough of his own he doesn't need yours as well."
In that moment a surprised Abby's face fell. "What is it Abby?" CJ could tell something had occurred to her. "Abby?" she tried again when there was no response.
"I did give him the idea… well not directly … but it was my story that he must have used for the idea…" Abby paused only momentarily and CJ gestured for her to continue. "It was a long time ago… I really long time ago… like before you were born… before you were thought of… before your parents were a couple… a real long time ago…. " Abby wanted to make sure that CJ realized that it wasn't really her fault that Tony used that piece of information in his punishment of his daughter. "Tony got himself into trouble quite often when he was younger… and on that day he had super glued Timmy's fingers to the keyboard AGAIN… but what really ticked Gibbs off that day was that they were called out to crime scene at the same time… and so McGee had to bring the acetone with him in the truck and everyone had to try and extricate his fingers and well the timing was sort of really bad… so when they got back to head quarters Tony got strapped … and he…" that was as far as she got before CJ held up her hand in an obvious sign to stop.
"Tony got strapped" CJ repeated "they alluded to that fact on Saturday night and at the time I just let it go. But today, today I want answers."
"Answers" Abby asked.
"Ya, answers, like who strapped him and wasn't he adult, at work, how does that work exactly?" CJ's thought were not sorted and so neither was her question.
"Gibbs strapped Tony, yes it was at work, yes he was an adult but he wasn't acting like on and the interrogation room is a useful meeting room for such occasions."
CJ stood quietly. She would process this information at a later time but now needed more information on the original story. "OK, Abs, go back to the first story, but I might have more questions."
"anyway… Tony always sulked after he got punished… he really was a big kid… and that day he was sulking in my lab because he was waiting for evidence… he really was laying it on a little thick and I was losing patience with him so I told him about the time I had super glued my baby brother to a hard hat and that I had gotten a switching which hurt way more than Gibbs' strap so he should be thankful that he was in DC with Gibbs instead of in New Orleans with Gloria… so you see… I didn't really give him the idea… not directly… I wouldn't do that… you see ... RIGHT?" Abby finally finished by this time she was wringing her hands and biting her bottom lip.
CJ laughed at the scene before her. Abby truly was like a big sister and not some distant adult, she wanted CJ's forgiveness and acceptance.
"I believe you. BUT… no more stories about how you were disciplined as child to Tony… then he can't get any new ideas… deal?"
"Deal" Abby said hands on her hips and with an exaggerated nod.
"So I guess you'll be attending all your classes from now on… won't you."
"Sadly… yes, I don't have much of a choice… this year is boring… I don't have enough time with my friends to set up pranks and we don't see each other in classes nor do we have lunch together. We have Saturday nights… and that's it."
"You haven't pulled any pranks in a couple of years CJ, you're just missing them now?" Abby asked a bit confused.
"I haven't been caught pulling pranks in a couple of years… "and then her voice trailed off, that was a dumb thing to say. She'd just stepped in it and really after this weekend she really couldn't handle being in it at the moment.
"OOO … do tell…" Abby encouraged but seeing CJ's weary look she had to add "I won't tell anyone… C'mon CJ… please"
Abby could be just as big a kid as Tony at times. And this was one of those times. She loved pranks and especially Halloween pranks.
"You swear that anything I say won't be repeated to anyone… absolutely no one can hear about it… understand?"
Abby stood tall, raised her right hand and crossed her heart with her left. "I swear".
So CJ told her of her freshman year. She told her about each of the pranks, how the gang all helped out. She told her that basically they had done something once a day for the week leading up to Christmas break and then slowed to one a week from January through to the end of the year. Abby was impressed that CJ had been able to pull it off. She asked gossipy questions and laughed were appropriate.
"See that's why last year was WAY more fun. We have something planned for Halloween. Nothing much but enough to get a laugh or at least a good story."
"OOooo I want to have fun on Halloween as well" Abby said bouncing and clapping like a child.
And that is when the idea popped into CJ's head. It was perfect.
"Hey Abs… I dare you to a pranking contest"
Abby's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Pranking contest? For Halloween?"
CJ just went with what flowed out of her mouth. Little thought had gone into this but she thought it might add a bit of spice to her dull and tasteless days.
"Ok… starts on Halloween… ends the last day of classes before Christmas… you have to pull a prank at least once a week… you get extra credit if you can manage more than one on any given week… we meet on Monday's after school and we disclose the previous weeks antics… " CJ stood thinking for a few minutes.
"You have to have proof you pulled it off. You can get help if you need it or want it but you have to be directly involved, more than just planning. You're disqualified if someone gets hurt. You prank here at NCIS and I do it at school. For a prank to be successful you can't get caught."
"Got it" Abby said holding out her pinky finger of her right hand to pinky swear on the agreement.
The two sat catching up on general news and CJ filled Abby in on the ever growing relationship with Steven. It was at least an hour later that Ziva came to collect CJ from the lab.
"Shalom my little one" Ziva called to her daughter in Hebrew. "Henry said you were down her. Why did you come to the office?"
"I had to clear the air with Abby. It's all straightened away now. But we've decided that I'll visit every Monday. I miss all of you guys so much." CJ winked at Abby as she was lead out of the lab by her mother.