A/N: Another oneshot written for the Women of NCIS challenge. This time, it's about Faith Coleman, another character I really enjoyed. This is kind of silly, but I had fun with it.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. I'm not making money off this story.
Chocolate Cake
by Enthusiastic Fish
It was just sitting there when she strode into the bullpen, looking for Gibbs. Just sitting right there. Why? Was it on purpose? Was someone watching? She knew that they (or rather that Agent DiNozzo) loved to see how far they could push her obsession with perfection.
But there it was. Why? And why was it there on a day when she had vowed to cut down on the chocolate in her life?
Chocolate cake. ...with a place that the cake itself showed through the icing. It wasn't spread evenly. That was an additional irritant. Imperfect spreading of chocolate icing over a chocolate cake.
She could have sworn there was a deliberate intention to make her miserable. Maybe she could just...
No. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a grown woman. A lawyer. No nonsense.
...and she could resist the siren song of chocolate...of that cake sitting there on that desk. Even if no one was around, even if no one could see her. She had to resist it. It was just chocolate.
She could smell it. She could almost taste it. The cake looked like it was unadulterated with other flavors. No nuts. No caramel. No coconut. Just chocolate. A perfect combination of flour, eggs, milk...and chocolate.
Stop it!
She cleared her throat and looked around. There was someone around. She knew it.
"Commander Coleman?"
She smiled to herself as she turned around, relieved that she'd kept herself under control.
"Agent Gibbs."
"What brings you here?" he asked as he walked by her to his desk...where the cake was. She tried to ignore it.
"Your current case concerns JAG."
"All our cases concern JAG."
"You know what I mean. When a JAG lawyer is targeted, we like to know that progress is being made." It's my birthday soon. Maybe I could beg for it. The random thought surprised her. She'd never beg for something like cake...and certainly not from Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
"We're giving it as much attention as we give any case."
"And?"
"And what?"
With a deliberate motion, Faith put down her briefcase on Gibbs' desk. Right by the chocolate cake.
"What progress have you made?"
"We're waiting for Abby to finish her analysis. When we know, you'll know."
Faith felt her eyes being drawn almost irresistibly to the desk. With a stern lecture to her brain, she forced herself to focus on Gibbs.
"And what do you anticipate finding?"
"An ID on the blood we found. Doesn't belong to your guy."
"Any suspects?"
"A few."
Faith sighed. "Why are you being so difficult, Agent Gibbs?"
"I'm not being difficult. We don't know anything for sure yet. As soon as we do, we'll tell you."
"Do I have your word on that?"
Gibbs just raised an eyebrow at her. It felt as though he was reading her mind...and seeing that only a portion of it was actually on the case at hand. The rest of it was on that chocolate cake. Why hadn't anyone eaten any of it? Besides, there was that spot where the icing wasn't quite right. She wanted to fix it. It would only take a finger. Just one swipe and she could smooth that glob over the imperfection. Just one swipe...and then, of course, she'd have to lick her finger.
"Commander Coleman?"
"Yes, Agent Gibbs?"
"You'll be informed. You don't have to stand her and wait."
Faith realized with some chagrine that she had lost her focus yet again.
"When will you get the results?"
"It'll be another hour or two."
"How long? One or two hours?"
Gibbs rolled his eyes. "One."
"Very well. I'll be back. There had better be progress, Agent Gibbs."
"Who's ordered you to bug us this time?"
No fooling Gibbs. "People with more political pull than you."
He stood up. "You'll know when we do."
There was a change to the tone. He was sincere this time. No lengthening her stay now. She would have to leave...and leave that cake unfixed and uneaten. It was almost painful to contemplate.
"Thank you, Agent Gibbs." Deliberately, she picked up her briefcase and strode to the elevator. It took very little time to get out of the building.
Faith was so disturbed by the chocolate cake that she stopped at a convenience store and bought a candy bar...something she never did. It took a few minutes because she had to find the one that hadn't been broken in the package. Then, she sat in her car and carefully broke the Hershey bar into its individual sections. Right on the lines. She ate it before she got home.
But it was a poor substitute for the chocolate cake she'd seen. She could at least take some comfort in the fact that she'd managed to hide her desire from Gibbs. He'd never know how much she wanted that cake.
Never.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Two days later...
Gibbs had come through as he promised. They had a suspect in custody and charges had been filed. Faith wouldn't be the prosecutor, but she was glad to know that justice would be served. Today was her birthday and she'd decided that the cutting back on chocolate was a waste of time. She did much better when she simply satisfied the cravings as they came.
"Commander Faith Coleman?"
She didn't look up at the unfamiliar voice.
"Yes?"
"Delivery for you. Janice's Bakery."
"What? I didn't order anything," Faith said, lifting her head in surprise.
"Special delivery. There's a card." The deliveryman held out a box of some size. "Are you accepting it?"
"Yes. I am." She figured she might have to test it for poison, but it was worth the risk.
"Here you are."
Faith took the box and pulled the card off. She opened it and blushed red...only because she was in the privacy of her office.
Commander Coleman,
Happy birthday. Enjoy the chocolate. They promised to make the icing right.
Special Agent Gibbs
How had he known? He wouldn't have...
She opened the box.
He had.
A beautiful chocolate cake sat nestled in the box. It wasn't large, but it was a thing of beauty. No unnecessary frills...and no flaws. Perfection. She almost didn't want to cut into it.
Almost.
Perfection was to be enjoyed. ...through consumption if the occasion called for it. Faith pulled out a knife. She subscribed to the principle of always being prepared. She cut a perfect slice and set it on a small plate she also kept for occasions. She took a perfect bite.
She could forgive Gibbs his omniscience. This cake was perfect. After a few bites, she pulled out her phone.
"Agent Gibbs?"
"Enjoying your cake, Commander?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"You knew."
"You made it hard to miss."
"I can buy my own cake."
"I know."
Faith smiled. She couldn't be annoyed.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome. Happy birthday."
"Is this going to become a habit?"
"Only if you keep drooling over cakes at my desk."
"I don't drool, Agent Gibbs," Faith said sternly. "Besides, your cake was flawed."
There was a chuckle.
"Enjoy the rest of your cake, Commander."
"I will."
She hung up...and ate the rest of her slice.
A moment of perfection.
FINIS!