The bet
Tony had been bugging Abby a whole week about her natural hair color and now Abby was more than annoyed so she agreed to bet with Tony. He'd come to a bowling evening with the nuns and if he'd beat them Abby had to let her hair grow without dyeing it till the summer ball of NCIS, which was in about 6 month from now. If Abby and the nuns would win Tony wasn't allowed to flirt with any woman for the same period. To Abby it sounded a fair deal and she agreed voluntarily, being quite sure that he'd never beat them. But it turned out that she was wrong. Tony had been practicing for a long time before he'd even suggested it and now he'd easily beaten them. Abby stormed annoyed to his car.
"You've cheated!" she yelled at him accusingly and didn't speak a word to him the whole drive to her apartment. When they reached it Tony gave her an answer.
"I know it wasn't fair, but you simply wouldn't tell me what your natural hair color is, I started asking you two years ago."
"And I won't! You're gonna have to wait till the ball! I'm going to wear a cap up till then." With that Abby left his car and threw his door and stamped into the building.
When she reached her apartment the first thing she did was calling Kate, she needed someone to talk about it. After the third ring Kate answered.
"Abby? Everything is okay?"
"Yeah….but I think I have a big problem. Wanna come over?"
"Sure, I'll bring some ice cream and will be at your place as soon as possible."
"Alright I'm gonna take a quick shower."
Fifteen minutes later Kate arrived at her apartment. When Abby opened she still had a towel wrapped around her hair, but put it down and her still black hair fell in big curls around her face. Kate made herself comfortable on the sofa like she always did when they were talking about girl stuff. When Abby emerged from the bedroom she put on some soft music and sat down next to her, where Kate was already holding ice cream for her.
"So you said, you've got a problem. Shoot!" Kate asked her curiously
"You know about the bet I have with Tony?" Abby started to ask
"Yes, the one, where he'll be forbidden to flirt half a year!" Kate giggled but when Abby sighed Kate understood immediately. "No, don't tell me you've lost?"
"I have!" Abby sighed again "And that's why I'm having the problem now! Can you believe that Tony cheated, I mean, yes it's Tony and he's childish and everything but I'd never suspected he'd really pull something like this through!" Abby was angry again
"Abby, like you said, it's Tony! You should have suspected something like that. Shall I make him suffer on Monday?" Kate suggested
"No Kate, it's my fault, I agreed to the bet!"
"So you still haven't told me what the problem is now!" Kate was curious
"You don't know what my natural hair color is, do you?" Abby asked raising one of her eyebrows at Kate
"Let me guess…you're a red head?" Kate knew that Abby had fallen in love with Gibbs since the very first day, she had told it when they had made their first girl weekend at the Spa.
"Yeah! But I don't want Gibbs to find out, I mean, we're friends, you know, or more, or something unspecific, but I never wanted him to recognize me as a woman just because I'm a red head. I thought there was this bond between us, but I mean, if he finds out, he'll just get a crush and probably a relationship wouldn't work out. Oh Kate, why did I have to be so stupid to agree to this bet?!" Abby was rambling again
"Make him recognize you before the ball. You have half a year for it." Kate suggested
"Haha, very funny….we're already working together for 5 years and he never recognized anything" Abby answered frustrated and put a hugh amount of ice cream in her mouth.
"Try harder!"
"Easier said than done! How Kate? Tell me how? …But what if he never sees more than friends in us? I'm gonna make a complete fool out of me and also risk our friendship."
"No, Abby! You're the most important person in his life. And the way he looks at you, treats you, the way his eyes are shining when you talk to him made it clear. He probably hasn't recognized it yet. And there is no way in hell that he doesn't feel anything for you!"
"Well maybe you're right. Let's talk about something else. Have you seen the new club near NCIS?" Abby asked
Kate and Abby started to chit chat for the next few hours when half past twelve Gibbs came rushing through her door.
"Abbs? Are you here? Are you alright?" he was calling her frantically
"Yeah! Fine! We're in the living room!" Abby yelled and Gibbs came rushing through, seeing the girls sitting on the sofa, he relaxed immediately.
"You didn't answer your phones and said you're gonna call me after the bowling. But I see you're busy." Gibbs started to move to the door again
"Gibbs! Wait!" Abby stood up and went after him "I'm sorry, I was angry about Tony and called Kate and then I totally forgot, I mean, yeah, I feel bad now...I'm sorry!"
Gibbs put a finger on her lips "Never apologize..."
"…it's a sign of weakness" Abby fulfilled his sentence, their eyes locking and it seemed that the world had stopped but then Kate cleared her throat "It's late, I'm gonna head home." With that Kate was out of the door already, but the moment was destroyed.
"Want some beer? Coffe? Bourbon?" Abby asked, trying not to be too disappointed
tbc ...love some reviews, what do you think will happen next?