Author's Note: A quick thank you to my BFF Rosie (her username's DCIPHOENIX on this site if you want to check out some awesome NCIS stories) because she was the one who prodded me to get this posted :')
And just to let you guys know, I switch between places and times within the same chapter, so the words in bold are the places and dates that the segment is set in.
Now, onwards with Mendacity!
Chapter One: The Morning After
Washington, D.C.
October 2012
It was a unseasonally brisk autumn morning as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs woke up on a ridiculously uncomfortable couch, cursing his hangover and the attached amnesia. It took him a few moments to deduce that the couch was in fact a coffin and that the aroma filling the air was coffee brewing, and he sat up with a groan, wondering where he was. He had the feeling he had done something ridiculously stupid the previous evening, but he couldn't recall the precise nature of said stupidity.
"Coffee for you, Gibbs." Abigail Sciuto chirped, setting a steaming mug in front of Gibbs. "I made it just the way you like it, so you can use it to sober up."
Gibbs nodded emphatically in agreement, instantaneously regretting it when the motion of his head worsened an headache he hadn't noticed he'd had, with all the worrying about the unidentified act of foolishness he had committed.
"I put some aspirin next to it too." Abby helpfully answered the Marine's unspoken question.
Gibbs quickly popped two pills out of the packet and put them in his mouth, then taking a large gulp of coffee before spluttering half of it out and swallowing the other half with a grimace. He quickly mopped up the spat-out coffee, muttering expletives under his breath, before looking up and seeing Abby staring at him with intense curiosity.
"What is this coffee, Abs?" he groaned.
"Oh. That must be the Irish coffee that Lacey left behind last time she stayed." Abby answered guiltily. "Sorry, Gibbs."
Gibbs opened his mouth to explain that whoever Lacey was, her taste in coffee was abysmal, but stopped himself at the sight of Abby's uncertain expression.
"Probably just drank too much in one go." he said instead. "Better to drink this in sips."
Abby nodded in agreement, and then there was silence. Gibbs started growing more uncomfortable, and he was sure that Abby noticed, but the pretty Goth sitting opposite him wasn't making any attempt to neutralize the growing tension.
"So... just how much did I embarrass myself last night?" he finally asked.
He was sure he could handle anything except admitting how he felt to Abby. While Gibbs knew that the younger woman would forgive him for a drunken mistake, the Marine didn't want his feelings to ruin his friendship with Abby, who he was absolutely sure saw him only as a father figure.
"You don't remember?" Abby asked, looking surprised.
"Side-effect of too much alcohol." Gibbs admitted. "I'm getting old."
"You're not old." Abby answered quickly- much too quickly.
There was another pause before Gibbs broke the silence once more.
"So what did I do?"
"Huh?"
"What'd I do to embarrass myself?"
"You mean, apart from splutter the last of my best friend's favourite coffee all over my brand new coffee table?" Abby raised an eyebrow, a cheeky expression written all over her face as Gibbs groaned.
It was hours later before Gibbs realized that he had underestimated his beautiful young forensic scientist; that Abigail Sciuto had skilfully managed to avoid answering his question.
Quantico, Virginia
October 2012
"WHITTIER!"
After realizing that the forensic scientist whose name he was shouting at the top of his voice was unable to hear him because of the Skullcandy headphones over her ears, FBI Agent Ron Sacks walked into the laboratory and slammed his hand onto the table in front of her.
"I heard you, Agent Sacks," she answered without looking up, one hand reaching up to pull down her headphones causing music to fill the room, "but last time I checked, it was considered polite to say good afternoon. You know, there's no harm in a 'Hello, Lacey' or even bringing me a coffee."
"What, like Fornell does?" Sacks asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why else do you think Fornell gets his results faster than anyone else?" Lacey answered, bagging up her processed evidence.
Sacks surveyed the FBI's dark-haired, pale-skinned forensic scientist carefully, trying to work out if the question was rhetorical or not. Lacey looked up at him, her sapphire blue eyes filled with curiosity.
"I've just realized. You don't have any evidence that needs processing." she stated matter-of-factly.
"Correct." Sacks nodded. "I've come to deliver a message."
"I'm listening."
"One of Fornell's cases overlapped with one of NCIS' cases, so it's a joint case now. The Director wants one of the Bureau's forensic scientists to help out Abby Sciuto at NCIS, and since you're Fornell's favourite, he picked you." Sacks smirked as Lacey's nonchalant expression suddenly turned to one of concern as the blood drained from her face.
"But there's got to be some kind of conflict of interest?" she suggested, trying to think of a valid excuse why she couldn't go to the Navy Yard.
"There's nothing official linking you two." Sacks explained. "So there's no reason why you can't work at NCIS."
He leaned over to whisper into Lacey's ear; his voice barely audible, but loud enough for the words to send a chill down her spine.
"Tell Daddy dearest that I said hi."
Please review; I'd love to hear what you think! This is my first fanfiction in a long time, so I'd love to hear suggestions on improvements!
And I have a question for you: who do you think is Lacey's father?
Whoever gets it right gets cookies ;)