Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or any of the characters or storylines, ditto, ditto, etc etc. I just like to pretend sometimes. :)
Time frame: After season 9 finale, so big BOOM has happened.
Abby's lab was decorated to the nines with all sorts of Christmas decorations, from the traditional to the Abby-ified, as Tony liked to call it. She was dancing around her lab listening to a cover of Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree that Plastic Death had made for a recent Christmas album. Her three-inch black platform boots pounded heavily with each dance move as she twirled between the Major and her computer.
"What have ya' got, Abbs?" Gibbs came up from behind, ignoring the loud and difficult-to-understand lyrics and music that blasted from the speakers.
Abby pressed the volume button so the music became a low beat. "Hey, Gibbs! I've got the new Christmas album from Plastic Death! I really like their version of Have a Holly Jolly Christmas; you should stay and listen to it!"
"Abbs… the case." He nodded at the computer as if waiting for it to tell him an important answer while the forensic scientist continued to ramble.
"Right! So I found this partial thumbprint on the seatbelt in the back of the car, which is kind of weird, if you think about, cuz why would there be a person in the back if there was only the driver? I mean, wouldn't that person want to take the front passenger seat? And since the Petty Officer was single and didn't go out much, it's unlikely he would have had anyone else sitting back there at any point…"
"Abbs."
"The thumbprint was a match to the Petty Officer's brother-in-law."
"And the brother-in-law claimed he hadn't seen Officer Hughes in three years, even though the car was only bought two months ago."
"Yup!" Abby's grin widened as Gibbs held out a Caf-Pow! which she gladly took.
Gibbs was halfway out the door when Abby called back to him, "Gibbs! Are you coming to the tree lighting?"
The staff had decided to raise money for charity by hosting a small tree lighting on the front lawn, complete with Santa Claus, with whom pictures could be taken for donated money.
"Not sure, Abbs."
"But the money goes to the Wounded Warrior Project! We should get a photo with Santa together!" Abby jumped up and down excitedly, seemingly weighed down by her boots.
Gibbs cocked his head slightly and gave her a half-smirk. "I'm a little big for his lap."
"Well you can stand next to him then. I fit perfectly on all laps." She wagged her eyebrows at him. "Or we could just skip Santa and I'll sit on your lap for a picture."
"I'll be there, Abby. But just to donate. Not to get my picture taken."
She pouted at him, but shrugged and quickly wiped the frown from her face, instead smiling broadly. "I'll see you there!"
Gibbs smiled for a moment before turning on his heel and walking briskly to the elevator. He let the doors close before he leaned tiredly against the side of the elevator. It was getting more and more difficult not to give in to Abby's flirting; he knew she was just having fun, and he wasn't sure how she would react if he took it too far. With a sigh, he stood up straight and waited for the elevator door to re-open.
The afternoon found several of the NCIS staff on the front lawn, many of whom were drinking hot chocolate that had been handed out just outside the door, or who were singing along with the Christmas music that was playing on some nearby speakers that had been rigged up beside the tree. Abby, McGee, Tony and Ziva all stood together in their winter coats, each sipping hot chocolate.
"I wonder if they'd let me put in my new Plastic Death CD?" Abby wondered aloud as the other three turned to her with wide, worried eyes.
"Uh, ya' know, Abby, I think this was a pre-arranged CD that was approved by one of the other alphabets. Something about copyright restrictions or whatnot." Tony fumbled over an excuse to keep the goth from forcing the crowd to listen to her favorite music.
"Oh. That sucks." Abby frowned as she sipped on the hot chocolate. Her train of thought suddenly changed as Ducky and Palmer joined them, each bundled up and holding cups of hot chocolate.
"Hello, all! Has anything exciting happened yet?" Ducky greeted the team as he blew on the hot chocolate and took a tentative sip.
"Nothing yet, but as soon as I finish my hot chocolate I'm gonna get my picture taken with Santa! Anyone else wanna come?" Abby looked from one agent to the next in anticipation.
The others glanced over at the line for Santa, where many of the staff members' children were lined up with their parents. Each of the agents began to talk at once, each giving a different reason for not having their picture taken.
She stuck out her tongue at the group, "Fine, I'm gonna go stand in line! At least I'll get what I want for Christmas since I'll be the only one who tells Santa." Abby grinned widely before she began to down the remainder of the hot chocolate in preparation of sitting on Santa's lap.
"Well, Abby, I'm sure if this year's Secret Santa knows you, you'll get what you want." Palmer sipped at his own hot chocolate, still attempting to cool it down.
"But there's the chance that they won't! Back up is always good, Jimmy."
"Um, sure, Abbs."
"Don't you believe in Santa, Palmer?"
"Course not. I'm an adult."
"I believe in Santa." Abby stared at him as Tony, McGee and Ziva watched on with amusement.
Palmer stuttered a bit, "Well, I mean, I don't believe in him… li-literally. I mean, figuratively he… um, well, I believe in the idea…"
Abby smiled at his ramble and without bothering to listen any longer, ran off toward the line.
Tony turned to Ziva, "So what do you want for Hanukkah?" He grinned and wagged his eyebrows at her, "A hot Italian perhaps?"
"I thought Italian subs were served cold." Ziva smiled back as McGee laughed at Tony's sour expression.
Gibbs appeared behind them. "DiNozzo throws his in the microwave."
McGee's laugh was suddenly much louder and was joined by Ziva who had to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes from the force of her laughter.
Tony smirked uneasily, "Good one, boss."
"Where's Abby?" Gibbs looked around at his extended team, expecting to find the bouncy forensic scientist in the center of the group.
Ducky nodded towards the Santa line. "Our Young Abigail has decided to join the ranks of the staff children in asking Santa Claus for her Christmas present."
Gibbs followed Ducky's gaze and smirked at the sight of the parents surrounded by young, screaming children, with Abby in the middle of it, stuck out like an apple in a trick-or-treat bag. "I should've guessed."
Abby was getting more and more excited as she neared Santa Claus, but she was having problems deciding on what she wanted to ask for for Christmas. She didn't need any new collars, Bert was plenty enough stuffed companion for her, and she knew it was unrealistic to ask Santa for new equipment that would have to be paid for by NCIS. What else did she want?
A sudden thought occurred and she scanned through the crowd near the tree, her eyes landing almost immediately on him. Santa probably couldn't get her what she really wanted. Though if anyone could do it, it would be Santa. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask…
Gibbs glanced over his shoulder, away from his team members, who were now discussing famous Christmas movies, mostly led by DiNozzo, when he noticed Abby was next to see Santa. Maybe he should go surprise her and take a picture with her. Standing next to the man they'd hired to play Santa, of course, not actually on his lap. He turned quickly and made a beeline for the back of Santa's chair so he could surprise Abby. He shocked himself at how whimsical he was feeling today. Abby always seemed to bring out that side of him.
Abby was already next to Santa, preparing to sit, when he neared, so Gibbs walked a bit faster so he could time it just right. As he rounded the chair and started to come up behind it, he slowed as he heard Abby talking to the costumed man.
"See, Santa, what I want for Christmas may be a bit…difficult."
Gibbs halted behind the chair, curious to hear the rest, and unsure whether she would continue if he joined them.
"There's this… guy. Man, really. And well, I've loved him for a very, very long time now. But it's super complicated, I mean, like, Organic Chemistry mixed with Bioengineering mixed with Cosmic Karma kind of complicated."
Gibbs' heart rate suddenly increased in an unsteady palpitation as he drew a deep breath, attempting to steady the beat once more.
"You probably know who I'm talking about, and it's safer if I don't say who given where we are right now. Cuz everyone knows this man. I mean, like, everyone everyone. Even if they don't know him know him, they know him. Ya know? So I guess what I'd really like this Christmas is to know how he feels about me. Well, okay, I might not wanna know if he only sees me as, like, a daughter, but then I suppose I wouldn't want to know at all because then if I don't find out, then I'll know he does see me as a daughter since that's the only other thing it would be. So I guess I only want to know if he does also love me. Like, as a lover, not as a daughter. Because if he doesn't love me like that, then I don't actually want to hear the words, I'll just figure it out on my own. It's a lot to ask, but, other than world peace and whatnot, it's the only thing I really want this year. Oh, and maybe those kick-ass skull knee socks that I saw at Hot Topic. Cuz my left sock from my other pair has gone missing."
Gibbs heard the photographer cue Abby and Santa to smile, but he remained frozen, turning over in his head what he'd just heard. "…If he sees me as a daughter…" Could she mean…? Gibbs swallowed the lump in his throat. If his gut was correct, she felt exactly the same way he felt. But now he had to actually do something about it. And that…that was going to require a Christmas miracle.