A/N: This originally started as a Tiva fic but I started thinking it would turn out better if I made it a Gibbs fic instead. It's just a bit of fluff that was floating around my head for a while and finally got penned down! I hope you like it!
One Man And His Cat
"It is adorable!" Ziva beamed, leaning over Abby and fawning over the tiny salt and pepper kitten resting in Abby's arms. Abby had two fingers rubbing circles on the kitten's belly, the tiny creatures' white paws curled over the forensic scientist's fingers.
"Isn't it! I found it in a damp cardboard box just outside the Navy Yard. How could someone do that to something this cute? This defenceless? This kitten can't take care of itself; you can't just dump it like trash!" Abby began to seethe. "Sometimes I think humanity just needs a huge punch in the face."
"Wow, that's a little extreme Abs." Tony rolled his eyes, as he took in the sight of the kitten huddled in Abby's arms. It was flicking its back paws in delight as Ziva scratched at its ears and Abby continued to stroke the downy fur of its belly.
"I'm serious, this cat can't be more than a couple of months old and someone is cruel enough to just leave it out there to die!"
"You know people dump animals for a lot of reasons," Tony offered. "With the economy like it is, people can barely feed themselves, let alone a pet. At least they didn't stick it in a bag and dump it in the Potomac."
"Tony!" Abby covered the kitten's ears in horror. "Don't even suggest something like that!" she returned her fingers to the kitten's belly and began to rub once again. "This little thing must eat like one per cent of what a human does; you can't tell me people can't afford that."
"It's a tough world out there." Tony mused.
Abby pursed her lips and looked down at the tiny creature. It looked back at her with huge deep blue eyes, its fur was a mix of dark and light grey, a tiny black patch rested under its chin and a shape somewhat resembling a heart sat on its stomach in pure white. It was a peculiar mix of colour for a cat but was beautiful and majestic all the same. But what really stuck out were its ears. One of them was folded down while the other stuck straight up as you'd expect with a cat. The folded ear added a new dimension of cute to the cat, giving it an extra curious look about it.
"You look a lot like someone I know." Abby grinned with a smile. "Ziva, doesn't he remind you of Gibbs?" she posed.
Ziva tilted her head to one side and then smiled.
"Yes, I can see that." She agreed.
"Abs, it's a cat." McGee shook his head.
"Oh come on Tim, people look like their dogs, why can't cats look like-"
"NCIS team leaders?" Tony finished.
"Take a look," Abby offered the kitten towards him. "Tell me it's not Gibbs."
Tony looked down at the creature and ran his hand over the kitten's head, watching as the two blue eyes stared up at him before taking a swipe at his hand with its claws bared. Tony snatched his hand back quickly, cradling it to his chest, eyes wide.
"Yeah, ok, I see it." Tony gave, backing off a little, much to Ziva's amusement.
"Jethro." Abby said to the cat. "It could work."
"No, Abs, you named my dog Jethro, you can't name the cat the same thing." McGee protested.
"Right, that's true." Abby cocked her head to one side and furrowed her eyebrows. "Hmm, you don't look like a Leroy… and Gibbs is maybe too big a name for such a small cat."
"Why are you naming that vicious thing anyways?" Tony asked. "Your landlord won't let you have pets."
"No, but yours will." Abby smiled optimistically.
"Ha! No. Just no. That thing hates me."
"Jethro hated McGee and now they're like best friends!" Abby countered.
"Yeah but McGee is a push over, I'm not taking it."
"Hey!" McGee spat, offended.
"McGee?" Abby turned to look at him.
"No." McGee shook his head. "Jethro would destroy that thing and you know it."
Abby nodded. "Right, yeah." She turned to Ziva and raised her eyebrows hopefully.
"No pet policy in my building, sorry Abby." She put a hand on the scientists' shoulder as she pursed her lips, disheartened.
"Someone's got to take this kitten, it's so cute. Maybe I can talk Jimmy into it?" Abby considered.
"I'm pretty sure the autopsy gremlin is allergic to cats." Tony reasoned. "Sorry Abs."
Abby sighed. She knew Ducky was happy to be rid of his mother's corgi's there was no way he was going to take on another pet quite so soon, who else was there to ask?
"Maybe I can convince Gibbs to let me keep it as like, a mascot or something? I can set up a little area for it in my lab and I can get some toys down there, and some food, it'll be great! Whenever anyone needs a pick me up they can just come on down and this little face will be here!" Abby grinned at the kitten and then looked around at the other agents. "It's a great idea!"
"Bad idea Abs, this is no place for a cat, you need to get that thing outta here." Gibbs' voice immediately sent the other agent's back to their desks to pick up on the work they hadn't been doing while playing with the new arrival.
"But Gibbs look at this face! It looks just like you! You wouldn't want to be out of the street, I can't put him back out there, it's not fair." Abby protested.
"Take it to the pound Abs, if it's that cute it'll get a home." Gibbs walked past her to his desk without a second glance at the creature in her arms.
"But what if it doesn't Gibbs? You'd really condemn an innocent kitten to the big sleep?"
"There's a no kill shelter down town, drop it off there." Gibbs huffed, tapping on his keyboard.
"Gibbs, I can't do that."
"Then I will." Gibbs stood up and disappeared around the corner where the copier sat. Tipping out the packets of paper from a box, he returned back to his desk and set it down. "Put it in." He spoke just as his phone rang from inside his pocket. Gibbs sighed and pulled it out. "Gibbs," he spoke into the cell. "Alright, we'll be there." He hung up and looked around at his team. "Grab your gear," he said. He turned to Abby. "The cat got a momentary reprieve Abs, but don't get attached, I'll drop it off on my way home later." He warned.
"But Gibbs-"
"No complaints Abs, NCIS isn't having a cat, if you can't find someone to take it then it goes to the pound, you've got one day." Gibbs set off toward the elevator with Tony, Ziva and McGee in tow, leaving Abby with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
The end of the day seemed to come far quicker than any other point in her life. Abby had traipsed around just about every person inside NCIS and hadn't found anyone who was willing to take on the little creature. She could feel her heart literally aching that she couldn't help this kitten, a part of her wished she'd never found it, at least then she wouldn't have to know what happened, but the other part of her knew she had found it in order to make a difference; only she had failed that task. The more she looked at the tiny little puff of fur the more guilt that pulsed through her system. She leant down and scooped the cat up from the floor and hugged it close, laughing as it pawed at her earring like a new play thing. She heard footsteps outside her lab and she knew it was Gibbs.
"The night's drawing in Abs, you gotta get home." He offered in his usual low tone.
Abby turned to him with tears in her eyes.
"Gibbs…"
"Oh come on Abs, I'm not doing it to be cruel." Gibbs offered.
"So give me another day." Abby begged. "I can re-home him Gibbs, I know I can."
Gibbs sighed. "How much work did you do today?" he asked.
Abby looked sheepish.
"And if you don't find a home tomorrow, what then? Another day? You'll never work again if we carry this on. It's the job of the shelter to re-home these animals not yours." He lifted up the box. "Hand it over." He spoke softly.
Abby pouted and pulled the kitten closer to her, looking to Gibbs like a wounded puppy.
"Not gonna work Abs, I grew immune to that years ago."
"Fine." Abby huffed, pressing a kiss into the soft grey fur of the kitten and preparing to put it in the box. Before she relinquished the animal over to her boss she stopped and scurried over to a hook on the wall and removed one of her lab coats. With one hand she scrunched it into the bottom of the box to create a bed for the creature. "There," she said hugging the cat one more time before settling it into the box. "Now you're all comfy and warm." She smiled. She gave a lingering look at the prettiest eyes she had ever seen an animal hold. "I don't want to do this," she spoke to it. "I want you to know that I'd take you in myself but my stupid landlord won't allow it. I tried to find you a good home, really I did, but I failed. I hope you find somewhere nice, somewhere warm, somewhere where love roams freely." She pulled a velvet ribbon bracelet with a skull charm from her bracelet and draped it gently around the kitten's neck. "Maybe we'll meet again one day." She smiled, leaning in and pressing one last kiss to the top of the kitten's head.
She watched as Gibbs placed the lid a top the copy paper box, several slots slit into it for air. The kitten let out a soft mew and it sent a chiselling bolt of sadness right through Abby's heart.
"I want you to know I'm mad at you for this." She spoke with malice. "So mad in fact, I might not even talk to you tomorrow." She huffed, folding her arms.
Gibbs stepped forward and placed a kiss on Abby's cheek. "I'll be here when you decide to forgive me." He whispered before taking off with the box for the elevator.
Gibbs flicked on the light in his house and sat the box down on his couch. He lifted the lid and stared at the grey ball curled up inside Abby's lab coat. The kitten opened its eyes and looked up at him with wonder. Gibbs sighed and rubbed the fur between the kitten's ears listening to the satisfied purring of the tiny creature.
"Don't go making yourself at home." Gibbs spoke. "You're lucky the shelter was closed, but tomorrow, you're heading straight there. This is for one night." He offered.
The agent wandered into the kitchen while the kitten nervously climbed to its feet and peered over the edge of the box, taking in its new surroundings with awe. With wide eyes the kitten stared around the room and tentatively hopped out of the box and stood on the cushion of Gibbs' couch. Slowly it began to knead its feet back and forth into the cushion as though making itself comfortable. The sound of crockery in the kitchen roused the kittens' suspicions and it playfully hopped onto the floor and strutted towards the kitchen, peering around the door at the agent who was removing a steak from the fridge. The kitten ran quickly at Gibbs' legs and began to brush its fur against his pant leg as it circled him.
"Ah geez," Gibbs sighed. He opened a cupboard door and stood staring at the barren inside. With a heavy breath he closed the door again and walked to the refrigerator. Opening the door he pursed his lips as he took out the only other thing in there, a half carton of milk that Fornell had brought over; Gibbs never needed milk, he was a black coffee kind of guy. He took the only bowl he owned from the sink, rinsed it and tipped some milk inside, setting it down on the floor for the kitten to hungrily sip from. He watched as the cat lapped up the milk with what looked like a grin on its face, its eyes closed in delight. "At least some people are easy to please." He muttered stuffing the carton back into the door of the refrigerator and returning to grill his steak.
After a few moments, the kitten made a leap and scrabbled its paws against the countertop before plummeting back on to the floor and walking away as though it never happened. Gibbs shook his head.
"Stupid creature." He mumbled with a grin.
As he used a knife to stab his steak from the pan to his plate he grabbed a fork, a bottle of beer and took it into his lounge. He tossed the box onto the floor and rested the plate on his lap, cracking the bottle open and taking a swig of cinnamon and allspice, feeling it warm his blood as it slid with ease down his throat. He put the bottle to rest on the floor and stuck his fork into the steak carving off a large chunk and placing it in his mouth, chewing. As if from nowhere, the kitten appeared by his side, purring loudly, and brushing its nose against his hand.
"Oh no, this is mine." Gibbs warned, hacking another chuck from his steak and shovelling it into his mouth. Still the kitten persisted, stepping over his arm onto his leg and sniffing at his plate. "Not a chance!" Gibbs warned, scooping one hand under the creatures belly and replacing it onto the couch cushion. Without a beat, the cat jumped over his arm back to his leg and pawed at the steaming meat. "No." Gibbs groaned, this time lifting the cat and putting it on the floor. The cat mewed lightly before sinking its claws into Gibbs' pants, and climbing back up to the plate. "Ah, sh… that hurts!" Gibbs yelped as the cats claws sunk into his skin. He put the plate to one side and pulled the kitten free from his body, snagging his pants in the process. Gibbs tutted as he returned the animal to the floor.
Just as the knife sunk back into the tender and juicy meat cooked with a dark sear on the outside and pink middle, Gibbs heard the sound of snagging fabric as the kitten began to scratch against the side of his couch. "Ahh, seriously?!" Gibbs grumbled picking up the cat and sitting it next to him once again. "Just sit and stay there." He ordered. The kitten cocked its head to one side, purred and took a step towards the agent. Gibbs shot it a stare and the animal stayed still for a moment. As Gibbs raised his fork to his mouth, without taking his eyes off the kitten he narrowed his eyes as a warning. The kitten meowed and made the agile leap forwards until it was settled with its front paws on Gibbs' plate, the back ones on his leg, its nose firmly pressed against the steak. "That's it!" Gibbs huffed, putting his plate to one side and picking up the kitten with one hand under its stomach. The kitten splayed out its toes as Gibbs lifted the box and marched toward the kitchen. Settling the box on the floor, Gibbs dumped the kitten inside and offered a single word. "Stay." He retreated back to the couch and took another bite of the steak alongside a swig of beer.
He cast a glance into the kitchen and saw two paws appear on the edge of the box. Slowly, two grey ears began to emerge, one pointed, the other folded, followed by those big, blue eyes. The kitten stared at Gibbs and licked its lips, a gentle mew came from its mouth, but it did not move from the box. Gibbs placed another forkful of meat into his mouth a little put off by the way the kitten watched his every move. Another meow escaped the tiny creature but still it remained inside the box. Gibbs dropped his gaze to ignore the cat but he had that sensation of being watched and couldn't enjoy his food; sure enough when he looked up, those deep eyes were still staring at him, a picture of innocence. He sighed and changed his position so he was facing the other way, so his comfort levels then decreased dramatically. When he turned back around the kitten was still staring at him and once again Gibbs was forced to abandon his plate to one side.
"I can't eat with you staring at me like that." He grumbled, heading towards the kitchen. He picked up the cat with one hand and settled it on the floor beside the box. "Just stay away from my food." He warned returning to the couch with the kitten close behind him. Gibbs retook his seat and cut into the remaining part of his steak, placing a large bite into his mouth just as the kitten climbed on to the back of his couch and down onto his shoulder. Gibbs stopped chewing and turned face to face with the cat. The cat purred and rubbed its whiskers against Gibbs' cheek. "You're not gonna give me any peace are you?" he asked. The cat purred again as though agreeing. Gibbs sighed and then proceeded to carefully cut the last part of his steak into tiny bite size pieces, just right for the kitten. "There," he huffed, putting the plate on the floor. "Knock yourself out." He watched as the kitten hopped to the floor and hungrily chowed down on the tiny pieces of meat, playfully throwing them into its mouth and biting as its head threw forwards and backwards. "Just remember, come tomorrow, its shelter food." He heeded. The kitten purred in content as it curled the last two chunks of steak into its mouth with the end of its tongue. Gibbs sat back and lifted his beer, chugging a mouthful back and revelling in the warming sense it gave him. As he brought the beer back down to rest between his leg and the couch arm, he found a ball of fluff settled in there instead. Purring loudly, the kitten looked up at him and raised its chin as though inviting him to stroke it. Gibbs rolled his eyes but used his index finger to graze the fur on the cat's chin back and forth, causing the purring to get louder and the kitten's eyes to close. He watched as the cat began to twist its head so Gibbs was stroking different parts of it, and before he knew it, the kitten was laying on its back with all four paws in the air enjoying the belly rub it was receiving from Gibbs. Gibbs couldn't help but smile as the grey fur splayed lighter and darker as he moved his hand over it and when the kitten wrapped its front two paws around his hand and playfully nibbled at his fingers he laughed out loud. He shook his head but continued to stroke the cat.
"Don't think you can charm your way around me." He warned, but if truth be told, he actually really liked the creature.
As the evening drew to a close, Gibbs decided to retire to bed. As he stepped into the bathroom to brush his teeth, he heard the very delicate sound of the kitten springing from the floor onto the edge of his bathtub. It carefully manoeuvred itself right to the end and stared up at Gibbs. As Gibbs turned on the faucet, the kitten's eyes widened in awe as it sprung its front two paws onto the rim on the sink and sat up in delight. Gibbs turned to marvel at the cat who seemed so delighted by the trivial things in the world. He switched the faucet back on and watched as it began to bat at the water with its tiny paws, backing away the first time the water made contact with its fur.
"Stupid cat." Gibbs smiled.
He made his way from the bathroom into his bedroom and threw back the sheets, immediately the cat jumped on his bed and curled around in the centre.
"Oh no." Gibbs shook his head. "I do draw the line there, you had my steak but you're not having the bed." He pointed to the floor. "Out." He demanded. "Now." The kitten didn't budge. Gibbs picked up the creature and settled it on the floor below. "I'd put you in the box but I know you'd get out." He sighed, climbing into bed and hitting off the lamp. As he lowered his head, he felt a mass of fur touch the back of his neck before he even had a chance to let his head hit the pillow. "Oh for…" he turned the light back on and returned the kitten to the floor. "Stay there." He urged before hitting the light back off and lying down. His eyes had been closed only moments when he felt the tug of his sheets and the soft purr in his ear as the kitten nuzzled against the side of his face, stuffing its wet nose into his ear. "I'm not going to win with you am I?" Gibbs pondered aloud. He sighed and lifted the kitten, this time, placing it at the foot of the bed instead of on the floor. "It's called compromise, trust me, life is full of them." He huffed as the kitten kneaded the sheets over Gibbs' feet before curling around and settling down on top of them. It took only a few minutes for the low hum of a snore to sound from the direction of the kitten and Gibbs sighed once again. "At least one of us will sleep well tonight." He groaned, closing his eyes and attempting to let sleep overcome him.
When he woke up the next morning, Gibbs found the kitten had shuffled positions and was now splayed out across his chest, front paws dangling down his right hand side and back paws dangling down his left. The wide cut of its mouth gave the impression it was grinning almost ear to ear. He pursed his lips and ran his hand over the soft grey fur. The kitten stirred and purred at his touch, springing to its feet as Gibbs began to rise. As if on auto pilot, the agent went to the kitchen, pulled out the milk carton and poured some into the bowl before he climbed into the shower, ready to greet the day.
Once he was washed, dressed and dosed up with his first hit of caffeine, Gibbs grabbed the box he had brought the kitten into his house with and set it on his countertop. The kitten had moved from its position lapping up milk and Gibbs looked around to find it. When the location of the cat was not immediately obvious he sighed; how he hated making a fool of himself.
"Here… cat…" he called out, rubbing his thumb in circles over his first two fingers; he had no idea why he did this, but it seemed to be an instinct. "Come on… cat… come out… now." He ordered. He wandered from his kitchen into his lounge, following the purring sound that came from near the entrance to the basement. He pulled open the door that was already slightly ajar, and stepped inside, flicking on the light as he did so. There, hanging over the banister was his red hooded sweater and curled up inside the hood, with wide eyes staring back at him, was the little grey kitten. "Oh for… get out." Gibbs spoke, but the kitten simply raised its front paws inviting him to stroke its belly once again. Gibbs rolled his eyes, ran a finger over the kitten's fur on its chin before scooping it out of his sweater and heading back to the kitchen, putting the cat into the box. "Shelter time." Gibbs explained, picking up the box with one arm, grabbing his car keys with his free hand and heading out the door. As he stepped out into the crisp air, the kitten poked its head out over the top of the box, looking around at the world. Gibbs watched as its unusual eyes scanned everything around it, its ears moving to take in all the new sounds. He opened the passenger side door and settled the box on the front seat before climbing in the driver's side and starting the engine, taking off in the direction of the shelter.
The drive there seemed to take less time than Gibbs had anticipated; he had thought there would be more traffic near the city centre at this hour but he had been wrong. As he pulled up into a parking spot out front, the kitten seemed to sense something was wrong as it cowered in the corner of the box, nuzzling into Abby's donated lab coat.
"I did warn you." Gibbs mumbled, walking around and fetching the box from the front seat and heading into the shelter. The kitten mewed a sad sound as Gibbs closed the door behind him and approached the desk where a woman with her hair in dreadlocks and numerous string braded bracelets wrapped around her wrist sat.
"Good morning sir, may I help you?" she greeted with a cheery disposition, showing off her pearly white smile and dark eyes.
"Yeah, I need to drop this cat off." He said. "Found it yesterday."
"Oh," a deep concern washed over the woman's face as she looked into the box Gibbs rested on the counter. "Oh poor thing, it looks terrified." She reached into the box and lifted the kitten into her arms, all of its toes splaying out as it scrabbled to keep a hold of the lab coat. The woman ran her hand over the grey fur a little harder than Gibbs would have thought appropriate and the kitten stared at him with eyes so wide it was as though it was begging him to help out. "Such a beautiful girl," the woman spoke, with a tone that suggested she really did care for the animals in her shelter.
"Girl?" Gibbs asked.
"Yes, she's a beautiful and healthy looking Scottish Fold, although with only the one ear folded it could be that she's a cross breed. It's actually a very rare breed; they're expensive cats to purchase." The woman explained. "We should have no problem placing her at all." She reassured Gibbs.
"Oh, well that's… that's good." Gibbs commented. He turned to leave but turned back to run a hand over the kitten's head once again. "Make sure she goes to somewhere good." Gibbs nodded.
"We always do sir." The woman reassured him.
Gibbs turned and this time actually made his way to the door, he hovered his hand over the door handle when he heard the pleading cry of the kitten's loud meow but he forced himself onwards, turning the handle and letting himself out into the open air once again.
Climbing back into his car Gibbs let out a deep sigh and rubbed his hand over his chin before putting the key into the ignition and letting the engine roar into life. Pulling away from the shelter, he set off in the direction of the Navy Yard.
He'd been driving for maybe only fifteen minutes when he suddenly popped a U-turn in the middle of the freeway; luckily the low traffic levels that morning made the manoeuvre less dangerous. Pressing his foot to the gas, he gunned it back down the road and swerved into the parking spot he had vacated barely thirty minutes before. He climbed out from his car without bothering to remove the keys from the ignition and walked back into the shelter.
"Did you forget something sir?" the woman asked looking up as the door bells jiggled with the force with which Gibbs opened it with.
"Yeah, I uh, I want the cat." Gibbs said.
"You want to adopt the cat?"
"No I want to take the cat back."
"Sir, once you bring an animal to the shelter we have to carry out background checks before placing the animal." The woman explained.
"I brought it here less than an hour ago, I changed my mind, I want it, her, back." He explained. He pulled out his badge and showed her. "I'm a special agent for NCIS is that a good enough background check for you?"
The woman took in Gibbs' badge and stance for only a few seconds before she beckoned for him to follower her through to the back where row after row of metal cages lined the room. The noise was unbearable; dogs barking and yapping, birds squawking, cats meowing, the sound of metal clanging, the sounds of food dishes tipping over; it was all far too much for one little kitten to take in and Gibbs instantly knew he had made the right decision. He did his best to avoid looking in the cages as he was led down the row, while he wasn't as easily sucked in as he knew Abby was, he knew that he didn't want to see the solemn faces of creatures who knew they were unloved. Right at the end of the line of cages, the woman stopped and stooped down to the bottom in a column of four.
"It was our last empty," she explained, "We've been pretty full since the holidays." She sighed. "I wish people would think harder about getting a pet as a Christmas gift you know?" she offered.
Gibbs nodded, hoping it would hurry her along.
"She's right at the back." The woman smiled, leaning in and stretching her arm right to the back of the small cage. She hooked her hand on the material of Abby's lab coat and dragged it forward, revealing the tiny grey fur ball, nestled in a curled stance in the middle, quaking. "Come on puss," the woman encouraged. "You've been re-homed," she fumbled as the kitten tried to escape her grasp as she wrapped both hands around its middle. "Told you it wouldn't take long." She turned and winked at Gibbs. "Look who couldn't stay away!" she beamed, holding the kitten up to see Gibbs.
As if it knew how lucky it was, the kitten mewed and launched itself at Gibbs, burying into his jacket and purring loudly. Gibbs smiled and gently stroked the velvet soft fur that lined the back of the kitten's neck.
"Well sir, I hadn't actually finished filing the paperwork accepting the kitten to the shelter, so technically speaking you can just take her back without any paperwork on the adoption taking place." The woman offered.
"I appreciate that." Gibbs nodded, continuing to touch his fingertips over the folded ear of the kitten. "I would like the lab coat back though." He spoke as the woman was closing the door of the cage. She turned to look at him and gave him a single raised eyebrow but obviously decided it was not worth the time enquiring. Instead she reached inside, grabbed the coat and handed it over to Gibbs. "Thanks." He smiled, leading the way back out of the animal holding area and back to the parking lot.
Gibbs concocted a crude nest using Abby's lab coat and after he finally managed to pry the kitten away from his chest, he settled it inside. He closed the door and climbed back in the driver's seat.
"What am I meant to do with you now?" he sighed, the kitten stared up at him with what he could only describe as gratitude on its face. "I guess I need to get you some… stuff." He mumbled, starting the car and making his way to the pet store he knew was on his way to the Navy Yard.
Gibbs left the store twenty minutes later with a $147 hole in his bank account. He drove back to his house and took the kitten inside first before unloading all the supplies he had just purchased. The kitten circled around the bags of items as Gibbs unloaded a faux wool lined soft bed into the kitchen. He next placed a mat on the floor and took two bowls from the bag, one labelled food, the other, water. He sat them atop the mat before pulling out a box of tinned cat food and a bag of kitten biscuits. He tore the ring pull lid off one of the tins of food and scooped the gelatinous meat into the bowl. The kitten hungrily attacked it as though it had never been fed before. Next from the bag came a scratching post, a series of play things, a soft furry mouse, a couple of toys on a stick, balls with jingling bells inside, a rubber ball with brightly coloured feathers sticking out of it, a litter tray and litter, amongst numerous other things.
"That's to stop you getting bored and tearing this place up while I'm gone." He warned. The kitten looked up at him and licked its lips, still chewing the meat the bowl held. "Oh right, and there's this too." He pulled a red collar from his pocket with a silver circular pendant on it. Carefully he draped it around the kitten's neck alongside the bracelet Abby had tied on there, expecting to meet resistance but instead finding the kitten wriggling with curiosity before strutting around gracefully, as though modelling a new necklace once it had been fastened in place.
Gibbs stooped and picked up the kitten, brushing some of the fur on its back before clutching the pendant between his index finger and thumb. He twisted the pendant so it caught the light and took in the engraved name he'd had the store script into the metal.
"Jenny." He read. He pursed his lips momentarily before he returned the kitten to the floor, watching as her little white paws scampered toward the toy mouse and playfully batted it around before laying on her back and turning the mouse around and around in all four paws. "She had been playful once too." He spoke to nobody in particular. The memory of his former partner and lover brought a smile to his face and warmth to his heart. "She'd have liked you," he said. "She was always a sucker for a cute face; it's how I got her." He joked.
He made his way toward the front door. "If I come back and you've ripped any of my furniture apart," he warned. "I won't think twice about taking you back there." The kitten looked up at him as though understanding, and as Gibbs closed the front door behind him, the kitten climbed into the bed he had bought and lined with Abby's coat and began to knead her paws preparing the bed for her comfort.
When Gibbs finally emerged from the elevator at NCIS that morning, he was greeted by all three of his team at once.
"Gibbs, we have been worried," Ziva began.
"We couldn't get a hold of your cell," McGee continued.
"You're never late Boss, everything ok?" Tony completed, all three agents standing with wide eyes and concern written all over their faces.
Gibbs brushed past them to his desk.
"Everything's fine." He spoke. "Just got stuck in that damn downtown traffic." He lied, sitting at his desk and tapping on his keyboard ready for the start of yet another ordinary day.