After Tony's party things in the Gibbs house returned to normal. Tony did take his dad's advice and he did apologize and tell Ziva the truth. She forgave him and the two had been dating since school had started in the fall.
Abby and McGee had a few classes together this school year and Tim seemed to be a permanent fixture in the Gibbs house.
One cool October day Abby came bouncing in the door with her black pigtails bouncing. Jen was in the kitchen getting dinner ready and Jethro was in the basement sanding his boat. "Mom mom guess what" Abby was jumping up and down with excitement.
Jen turned to look at her very excited daughter. "Slow down Abbs. Why are you so excited?"
"Mom, Timmy asked me to go to the Fall Fling, the dance, I have a date to the dance." Abby began talking a mile a minute. "Oh my gosh, what and I going to wear, and then my hair and makeup, and I am going to need a new dress and shoes and…."
Jen put her hand on her daughter's shoulder to calm her. "Abbs, breath…. I am very happy for you. Don't worry we will go dress and shoe shopping and we will do your hair"
Abby was excited that her mom was going to help her and truth be told Jenny was excited to have a little mother daughter girly bonding.
Jethro upon hearing all the bouncing going on upstairs went up to see what was going on.
When Abby saw her dad she launched herself at him. "Dad I have a date to the Fall Fling!"
Gibbs felt his body tense, a date, she was only 12 and she was daddy's little girl. "With whom?"
Jenny looked at her husband "with Tim McGee. So Abby and I are going to go shopping and buy a dress and shoes and get out hair done. We are going to have a little girl time."
Gibbs looked at his wife "Um Abbs why don't you go start your homework. I need to talk to mom".
Abby was confused by the turn of events and she began to fear that her dad wasn't going to let her go to the dance. He mouth began to get away from her. She stomped her foot and began yelling at her dad. "Don't you dare tell me I can't go to the dance!"
Gibbs gust gave her the famous Gibbs Glare "Abigail Caroline Gibbs don't take that tone with me. You have until the count of 3 to get upstairs or you aren't going to like what happens. One….. Two.."
At that point Abby's brain kicked in and she started moving knowing her dad was not making an idle threat. "Ok ok"
When Abby was upstairs Jen turned her angry green eyes on her husband. "Jethro don't you dare tell that child she can't go. Your son went to his Fall Fling when he was her age. I know Abby is your baby girl but she is going to that dance or you can sleep with your boat in the basement for a week."
Gibbs who was totally outnumbered and really would rather sleep with his wife and not in the basement gave up. He threw his hands up in mock surrender" Ok she can go"
As Jen leaned in to kiss her husband he suddenly stopped her. "Hey Jen how do you feel about sending Abby to an all girls school?"
Jen swatted her husband in the arm "Very funny. Face it Jethro you are not always going to be the only guy in Abby's life. Our little girl is growing up"
"Don't remind me"
Although Gibbs didn't like the idea of his daughter going on a date, but it was a dance with tons of other kids and teachers, and they had let Tony go at her age. Gibbs walked up the stairs and knocked on Abby's door. Abby was sitting at her desk with her music blaring. She hadn't heard her dad walk in.
"Abbs, Abbs, turn the music down."
Abby clicked off her stereo.
Gibbs sat on her bed and patted the place next to him. She sat down next to her dad and began twirling her pigtails.
"Abbs I didn't mean to upset you downstairs. Of course you can go to the dance with Tim. It's just you are growing up so fast and sometimes it scares me. You are my baby girl."
Abby hugged her dad. "Aww dad. I love you and you will always be my daddy no matter how old I get. Can mom and I go shopping after dinner tonight?"
"Don't know Abbs, you need to ask mom, she looks pretty tired."
Abby walked to the top of the stairs and yelled down to her mom "Mom can…." she was cut off by her dad.
"Abbs just walk down the stairs instead of yelling"
Abby ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Mom can we go shopping after dinner?"
Jen knew her daughter was really excited but she had a hard day at work and was exhausted. "Oh honey not tonight. I am really tired…."
Before Jen could even finish Abby was starting to enter full preteen tantrum mode. She began huffing and stomping her foot while yelling at her mom. "Oh my god this is so NOT fair. What the hell…."
That was about as far as Abby had gotten in her tantrum. Her parents were a little stunned with the attitude. Abby stopped when she felt a sharp swat on her butt. "Oww". Abby turned her angry green eyes to her dad.
Gibbs glared at her feeling his temper start to rise at her attitude. "There are more where that swat came from. Don't you EVER talk to your mom like that again. Now I suggest that you apologize to your mom because if you keep it up you WILL wind up over my knee."
That one swat left a sting in her butt and she certainly didn't want more so Abby decided it was in the best interest of her backside to do what her dad asked. While she tried to rub the sting out of her butt while protecting it from her dad she turned to her mom "Mom, I'm sorry".
Jenny felt bad, she knew how excited Abby was about the dance and she wasn't so old that she had forgotten what it was like to be a 12 year old girl. "Abbs I was going to say, before your little tirade, that we will go on Saturday when we can spend the whole day getting a dress, shoes, manicures, and get our hair done. It will be a girls day."
Abby suddenly perked up at the idea of a whole day of shopping. She started jumping up and down. "Hey can we get a matching mother/daughter tattoo?"
Gibbs nearly spit out the coffee he was drinking. He raised an eyebrow "NO WAY. Don't even think about it."
Jen gave a laugh. "Oh come on Jethro. I could get a tat in a place only you could see."
"Jen don't even think about it and Abby if you come home with a tat before you are 18 you will be one very sorry young lady. Trust me the pain from the tat will be a tickle compared to the pain I will cause your backside."
Abby threw up her hands "Ok ok I give up no tat. How you feeling about a nose ring then dad?"
Gibbs was done with this whole conversation "ABBY" he said in a warning that meant she was plucking his last nerve.
"Got it Boss, no tats or piercing. Why don't I help set the table"
"Good idea Abbs"
TBC-help I am stuck for ideas. Not sure where I am headed with the whole date. Feel free to lend me your ideas.
