Splinter
Slumber was always a nice thing. Yeah, I slept; however dreaming meant I was really sleeping. Getting away from the everyday grind. It didn't happen often, at least that I was aware of. Between my inner demons and everyone else's outer demons settling in for a good slumber didn't come easy.
It wasn't all lollypops and gumdrops dancing in my head when I actually slept, sometimes it was flashbacks. Times I want to forget. It irritated me that I could not shake the memories, the glimpses of evil I was able to see through my swollen eyes. Months of capture, months of abuse, I couldn't tell you what exactly happened, but at times those feelings crept on me during the day and sometimes at night. Luckily tonight was a night of peaceful images.
Dreaming.
The bell sounded off. I sat up in bed readjusting my thoughts. It wasn't the typical sound I heard in the mornings, this sound was more like a screaming ear piercing howl from the bowels of my apartment building, the fire alarm. "The stars aligned for a fire alarm…" I said out loud checking my watch, "right now?" Startled slightly, I tussled my hair back into a ponytail and jumped out of bed. Waking up to my apartment building's fire alarm going off 20 minutes before I could reach the snooze alarm for the first time was not the way to start the day.
As the door closed behind me, I could start to feel the cold chill biting me through my silky pajamas. Luckily my combat boots, steel toed, are always by the bed. Why did I not bring out a jacket, why didn't I wear a sweatshirt to bed? At least I would have been warmer when I woke up.
Burr.
Staircase by staircase I followed the evacuation plan that the building had set in place. Most people frantically ran down the halls, but as an agent, and an ex-Mossad officer, it is best to have these things memorized. Turn left here, take a right here, go down two flights of stairs and never ever take the elevator. Giggle. "Oh McGee, oh how I never want to do that again!" I thought to myself. Perhaps, if I was stuck in the elevator with Abby instead, or maybe…
"Dammit," I said aloud as my hands trailed down the banister. A splinter. A splinter, I think, this the worst pesky little thing to happen to a person, besides having Tony as a partner. I have heard the phrase, "…a thorn in my side," before, but at least a thorn is easier to remove than a damn splinter.
I seemed to be the last one out the building's front entrance doors. I walked slowly one foot at a time with my clunky boots; most of my concentration was focused on maneuvering my teeth, nipping at this seemingly microscopic little splinter lodged in my right middle finger.
A crowd had gathered out in the parking lot. Most of them residents of the building, but some were those looky-loo types, the kind that clog up the freeway when there is an accident. No matter what the extent the carnage was, everyone, and I mean everyone wants to know what is going on. Human nature, I guess, to become curious at the sight of something extreme or unusual. But a fire alarm with no fire?
"It is too cold out here for fire alarms and it is too early to be out in this snow, and on top of that get a splinter," I said to the bystander next to me.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," A smile came over his face. "You have to appreciate it however. I mean if it wasn't for the fire alarm I wouldn't have to give you my jacket." His smile widens as he draped his jacket over my chilled exposed shoulders.
Warmth.
It felt nice. Cozy even. Familiar. I am assuming he saw me smile as I snuggled into his already warm jacket. It was like a bear hug of warmth. The scent of his body over loaded my sense of smell. Manly. Strong. Maybe somewhat insecure, but heck who isn't? Even I at times was. For a second I forgot about the damn splinter tugging on the inside of the jacket sleeves.
Irritated.
DingThe morning sound of the elevator door chimed and the elevator doors opened.
I noticed Tony standing by my desk. My partner in crime fighting, or was it just crime? Tony is always at my desk, or near it, or hovering over it in the morning. He continued to stand there, peculiarly, while I struggled to carry my backpack over my shoulder and still biting at that damn splinter.
At work, I was not in the mood for the typical Anthony DiNozzo greeting. He didn't look suspicious, like he had already done something so I knew my chair would be intact and the keyboard wouldn't ooze glue, but still he was there and I just wanted to get through this day at the office. His last greeting I almost shot him along side my computer. After a rough morning a simple 'hello' makes the world go 'round, but today just hadn't turned out that way for me yet. Okay, I lied; the jacket did make my morning a little better.
Tony turned towards me keeping his eyes on me.
"Tony, why are you," I asked him perplexed, "standing near my desk?"
"Gezz," his face made a face. You know, the typical DiNozzo face. "What's the matter with you? Jack got your nose?" I knew this was some sort of verbal trap. DiNozzo, I have to give him credit, he is good at that.
"Is that the same as, 'cat got your tongue'?" I asked anyways knowing that I just stepped right inside the box and he was going to pulling the string. "Who is? Jack? By the way?" I quickly asked. McGee looked up from his keyboard with a smirk on his face, Tony glancing back at him with one eye half winking as if telling McGee, "Yeah, I got her."
"You don't know Jack!" he asked in proclamation. Yep, a trap. Same ol' DiNozzo. I knew deep down this was a trap and I let him do it. I don't know why I let myself fall for it, maybe the little smirk he gives after such a victory makes my heart skip a beat. Maybe.
I placed my things on the floor next to my desk. Paper clips still in a finger's reach, even if they are frozen at the moment. "Tony, if you are questioning me if I know Jack Frost, then yes, I do know him. Do you know how cold it is at 0430? Due to a fire alarm no less." He glared at me with a smirk, maybe he did know.
Burr.
Warmth.
Splinter.
"Ziva," McGee began, "I think Tony was trying to get you to ask him who 'Jack' was," he stated. "You don't know Jack, as in the phrase, 'you don't know Jack Schi…'"
Cutting off McGee, "We got a dead body, grab your gear. Marine," announced Gibbs. Gibbs always had a way of coming in at either the right times or the wrong times. I guess this could go either way. Another case.
Another case opened, and not solved in one day, maybe tomorrow. All depends on the forensics, and Abby does have a way of getting those faster then a speeding bullet. Everyone else had gone home already, Gibbs left about ten minutes ago. It's time to go home. I am glad my home still exists! Since this mornings fire alarm was a drill! Yeah I got word from a neighbor; supposedly someone had taken the flyer off the bulletin board in the lobby.
But first, I need to get some answers of my own. DiNozzo. I stood up from my desk and gracefully walked over to Tony's desk. I think he was waiting for me to approach him, because well, all he was doing was drawing little stick figures on his sticky-note pad. I saw him flipping thru the little post-its. Like magic a little cartoon figure ran across the bottom of it.
"Tony, you never answered my question. Why were you standing at my desk this morning?" I don't know if I was demanding the answer or I was just flirting with what the answer could be. I took the pen out of his hand and lifted up his sticky-note pad and the little cartoon continued to run laps through the pages in my hand. One the very last sticky-note the little guy stopped and almost seemed to be looking right at me.
"No reason," he shrugged. He stood up from his desk and stepped forward into my personal space bubble. "You weren't at work yet." I think he meant that as a concerned statement. He did mention he couldn't live without me. Tony took the pad out of my hand and placed it back on his desk.
"Yeah, I know I was late." I mean, I woke up extra early and stood out in the cold when I was allowed back in I had to get my things together. The commute to work was worse, snowy roads; normally I would zip right through traffic, but safety first, so I have been told. I turned my head to the right to look at the clock on the wall. Next thing I know Tony placed his left hand on my cheek.
He gently guided my face in his hand as he stared into my eyes. "Well the last time you were late, we had enlisted 'Blacklung,' and the gang, to fix everything." He seemed to look down into my soul. I saw in his eyes that he was glad I came back then, and that he saved me after. Flashbacks rushed through my mind but I shook them off.
"Well," I began to say as I cleared my throat, "That wasn't really my fault." I said as I crossed my arms in front of me. "If I recall, I believe it was Gibbs who fixed everything, yes?" Placing my hands upon my hips.
"Yeah, Gibbs…" Tony responded with a laugh while placing a finger over his upper lip, "and his moustache." They both looked at each other and shuddered in the thought.
"But, today, I fixed it," he said heroically. As if he was some sort of superhero. Well, he was one. My superhero.
He stood there and gazed into my brown eyes and watched as my frizzy curls took over my face. He placed his hand on my cheek another time. More warmth. Him and I felt the electricity move from him to me and back again. He moved a lock of my hair and tucked it behind my ear. Before I knew it, his hands and arms intertwined thru my arms and nestled on my hips and he pulled me closer. I don't know what it is about him. He makes me want to slap him sometimes, but others, just being near him gave me tingles. I think he knew it too. Toying with me.
"I did get that splinter now, however the dialog wasn't the same as in 'Look Whose Talking', you know the one with Travo…"
I stopped his thought, "Tony…" I whispered into his ear. I leaned back and put on a layer of smooth cherry Chap Stick on my lips; I leaned upward and gave him a gentle kiss on his slightly chapped lips. "Now, I saved your day, and thanks for the jacket this morning." I said winking at him.
Fin