Naval Criminal Investigative Santa
Rating: K+ for (very little) swearing.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.
A/N: I know it's kinda the wrong time of the year for a christmas fic, but after reading 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by katy1986 (Sea Patrol fandom), I felt like writing one anyway :). It's written from Abby's POV.
It was Thanksgiving day and we were all gathered round Ducky's kitchen table when a thought hit me: "I know it's still some time till Christmas, but how about we play Secret Santa this year?"
"Secret what?" Ziva asked (She was born in Israel, a country where most people don't celebrate Christmas).
"Secret Santa. That means everyone writes their name on a piece of paper, folds it and puts it in a bowl or something. Then you have to pick one of those notes and buy a Christmas present for the person whose name is written on it - only a small one, of course. On Christmas Eve, everyone gets their presents and it's revealed who gave what to whom."
"That sounds like fun," Ziva remarked. "I think we should do it."
The others agreed, then Ducky pointed out that we better start eating the turkey before it got cold.
December 24
I spent the morning running around carrying a big jute bag which I made everyone place their gifts in. When the bag was full, I tied it and put it in my lab.
Christmas Eve
Like every year, we gathered in MTAC to watch 'It's A Wonderful Life', because on the wall of that room, there was a really big screen for videoconferences and stuff. I stayed downstairs in my lab till Gibbs called me, asking where I was, then I grabbed the bag of presents and headed for the elevator.
"Ho ho ho!"
"Abby!... Or should I say Miss Santa?" Even though the room was pretty dark, Tony had spotted the bag I was carrying.
"Abby is fine," I assured him. "You wanna open your gifts before or after watching the movie?"
"Afterwards," Gibbs decided. Tony, who had probably wanted to say "Before!", closed his mouth, then opened it again, but only to stuff some popcorn in.
"I think now it's time to open that bag," Ducky suggested when the movie was over. "Abigail?"
I stuck my hand into the bag and pulled out a parcel. "And the Oscar... sorry, the first present goes to... well, me." I frowned at the small name tag that was attached to the gift.
"C'mon, open it!"
"Hey McGee, did you buy it or why're you so excited about it?"
"Maybe..." (We'd agreed on first opening all presents and then revealing who had bought which one).
Ten minutes later, everyone had received their gifts:
a little ship in a glass bottle for Gibbs,
a pair of suspenders with bagpipe-playing stickmen on them for Ducky,
a book entitled 'Instruction Manual For Your New Baby' for Jimmy (who would soon marry his girlfriend Breena),
a fake NCIS ID for Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo,
a T-shirt with a photo of paper clip on it for Ziva,
a coffee mug with a computer-style status bar indicating how much coffee it contained for McGee,
and a book about bats for me.
"So who's my gift from?" Tony mused. "Let me guess... Probie?"
McGee nodded. "How did you know?"
"Well, it obviously took a computer geek like you to fabricate that fake ID."
"Oh, thanks..."
"Hey, I'm kidding. Nice idea McGeek, I just have to make sure I don't mistake it for my real ID."
"Damn right DiNozzo. Who's my gift from, by the way?"
"Me," I replied.
Gibbs smiled. "Well in that case, thank you Abbs."
I mentally congratulated myself on buying a present he liked, which had been pretty difficult - I mean, what does a coffee-loving former Marine sniper who spends most of his free time in his basement building a boat want for Christmas?
"So, who are the other presents from?" Ducky interrupted my thoughts.
"Well, Ziva's shirt is from me." Tony looked at is coworker. "It reminded me of how you once threatened to kill me 18 ways with a paperclip."
"Watch out Anthony, maybe Agent David can kill you even more ways with a shirt with a paper clip on it" Ducky joked. "If said shirt isn't the right size, for example."
"Do not worry, you guessed my size correctly," Ziva assured Tony. "But I do know a few ways of killing you with this shirt."
"Okay, no violence on Christmas please," I interrupted them, even though I was quite sure that Ziva wasn't planning to actually kill Tony. Although with Ziva David, you could never be sure... "Ziva, whose name was written on your piece of paper?"
"Jimmy's."
Ducky's assistant looked up. "Really? Well, thanks, it's still a bit too early for a book like that, but I might need it in the future." He smiled, a little embarassed, and changed topic: "I bought Tim's coffee mug, by the way."
McGee thanked him and looked around. "I think Abby's and Ducky's gifts are still left."
"The book about bats is from me." Ducky motioned for me to open the book, which I did. Merry Christmas Abigail, it said on the very first page. May it always be a pleasure to work with you. And the signature, Dr Donald 'Ducky' Mallard.
"Awww, thanks Ducky!" I couldn't help it, I just had to get up from my seat and give him a hug.
"You're welcome. But now I'm curious, who bought those for me?" He held up his new suspenders.
"Guilty as charged," Gibbs confessed. "I thought you might need a spare pair of them."
Ducky looked thoughtful. "Actually, this reminds me of a case when... oh well, that doesn't matter, thank you Jethro."
"Is it just me or was Ducky just about to tell one of his stories, but didn't do it?" Tony whispered to Ziva.
"I may be old, Athony, but I'm most definitely not deaf. And I can still tell you the story of that case, if you like."
"I'd love to hear your story, but not now, okay? It's Christmas, I don't wanna hear about dead people and stuff today."
And that way, we spend a nice calm evening together, because for once, no Navy members or Marines got involved in crimes.
THE END