Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS. Just having a bit of fun with the characters.

Mishaps and Misfortunes

By: Vanessa Sgroi

"Tony, I am so, so sorry!" exclaimed Abby Sciuto as she charged down the hallway, platform boots clomping and curlicue pigtails bouncing. Realizing she had out distanced the very individual to whom she was speaking, Abby spun on her heels and clomped back, her agitation emphasized with every step. "Can I help?"

"No, no—I got it, Abs." Tony hobbled forward on his crutches. He'd been on crutches several times before, but they never seemed easier for him to wield. He grimaced as he misjudged his time and rhythm and wobbled precariously. Regaining his balance after a breathless moment, Tony continued down the hallway toward his apartment, the rubber tips on the crutches squeaking on the gleaming dark wood floor.

As they approached his door, Abby charged past him again. "Keys!"

"What?"

"Keys!" Abby held out her hand, palm up. "I need your key to open your door!"

"Oh. Um…they're in my front jean pocket."

Abby divided forward and sank her hand into Tony's pocket, rocking him backward slightly.

Tony's cheeks flushed every so slightly. "Wrong pocket, Abs."

"Oops! My bad!" The forensic specialist grinned and extracted Tony's set of keys from his right-hand pocket. She quickly opened his apartment door and motioned for him to enter. "I'm still so sorry, Tony."

"Stop apologizing, Abs. It's not your fault."

DiNozzo hobbled across his threshold, wincing slightly as he banged his cast on the doorjamb on the way through. Once inside, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Abby followed him inside. "Well, it kinda is. I mean, if I hadn't let out that ridiculously loud sneeze I wouldn't have startled Sister Rosita and she wouldn't have jumped a foot and let go of her bowling ball when she did. So her bowling ball wouldn't have flown backward right at you and broken your ankle."

"Hey, Abs, it's okay. It was an accident. You didn't sneeze on purpose."

His couch was calling his name. DiNozzo moved forward in anticipation of the soft leather comfort. Unfortunately, Abby chose that moment to spin around to say something else to him. Her big patent leather red bag adorned with a silver cross slammed into a crutch and sent it sailing from under his arm. Balance suddenly gone, Tony hit the ground on his back with a loud oomph on impact.

"Oh, my God. Tony! Now I've got two things to be sorry for."

"I'm okay, Abs," the special agent wheezed after a few seconds to get over the shock. "Just…just help me up." Tony held out a hand.

"I can't believe the bad mojo you've got going on tonight!"

Abby reached down and helped Tony regain his feet. With her acting as a second crutch, he tottered over to the couch and sank into its welcome depths.

Putting her bag on the floor next to the couch, Abby retrieved the crutch she'd accidently knocked out from under her friend. She leaned both of them against the arm rest within Tony's reach then helped him get comfortable, gently propped his casted foot on the couch's matching ottoman. Abby pulled a soft, fuzzy throw off the back of the couch and spread it across his lap.

"A blanket, Abs? You're making me feel like an old man here," Tony jokingly chided.

"Oh, hush. That's what you do when someone's sick…or hurt. Can I get you anything?"

"Mmm. A beer sounds real nice about now."

"No can do, mister. Not while you're on pain meds!"

"Aw, Abs, c'mon…"

"Uh uh. No way. If you want one that bad, well, then you'll just have to…just have to crawl out there to get one."

Tony sighed. "Fine. How about a soda then?"

"Now that's more like it!"

Abby bounced out of the living room to the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with two ice-and-soda filled glasses. She handed one to DiNozzo before curling up next to him on the couch. Abby laid her head on Tony's shoulder. "I am sorry, you know."

"I know." Tony dropped an arm around her shoulders. "But you don't need to be. Accidents happen."

"Sister Rosita feels so bad. She told me she's going to offer up a nine day Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary especially for you."

Tony whistled. "Nine days? I'll have to thank her the next time I see her."

The two sat quietly for a few minutes sipping at their sodas before Abby murmured, "So when are you going to call Gibbs and tell him?"

"Awww, man," Tony dropped his head back against the couch, "I didn't even think about that. I think you should do it?"

"ME? Why me?"

Tony playfully poked Abby in the arm. "'Cause you're a totally awesome chick who really, really loves her bestest friend Tony."

"Oh, no. Flattery will get you nowhere, Prince Charming. I'm not doin' it."

"But it was your sneeze…"

"Yeah, well, it's YOUR foot…errr…ankle."

"Let's flip a coin."

"Fine. But don't whine to me when you lose."

Abby sat up and dug a quarter out of the depths of her bag. Turning back to DiNozzo, she extended her hand with the shiny coin in her palm. "Ready?"

Tony nodded and called, "Heads."

The forensic specialist tossed the coin up in the air, watched it revolve a few times, and grabbed it as it descended. She slapped it on the back of her opposite hand. Holding it out, Abby crowed, "Tails! I win!"

DiNozzo groaned and scowled at the same time. He always came out on the losing end of a coin toss with Abby. With a pout he held out a hand. "Hand me my phone."

Tony dialed their boss's number and fidgeted while it rang. The call was brief and to the point. Tony quickly explained what had happened which was followed by a lot of silence interspersed with a good number of "Yes, Boss" replies on Tony's end. A couple of minutes later, he hung up and dropped the phone in his lap with a sigh.

"So? What did bossman have to say?"

Tony rubbed his eyes, stifled a yawn. "He said to tell Sister Rosita to have better aim next time and aim for my head. Because it's the hardest bone in my body." Then DiNozzo chuckled. "Then he said he'd be by to check on me in the morning."

Fin