Ok, after what happened back on Friday while I was watching the US v Slovenia game I decided to continue this.

Enjoy.


Chapter 2

Everyone in the bull pen kept checking the plasma at Team Gibbs's area. The United States was playing Slovenia and so the game was on. Team Gibbs was nowhere to be found. They were called to a crime scene early that morning and hadn't come back. You could hear the groan in the building when Slovenia scored the first point.

Down in Abby's lab Abby was watching the game and sipping on a Calf-Pow while waiting for some results to come back. "No, no, no, no," Abby could be heard screaming when Slovenia scored. Even she was wondering what was going on but it didn't take her to develop a dislike for the referee.

It was nearly the end of the first half when Abby's phone rang. Picking it up she spoke into it, "Labby."

"Ah, Abigail," spoke the familiar scottish voice. "We've just arrived back, do you know what the score is?"

At that moment, Slovenia scored again. "No not again," yelled Abby.

"Abigail, you alright."

"Yeah Duckman I'm fine, It's just Slovenia scored again the game is now two-zero, Slovenia."

"Oh dear," Ducky could be heard on the other end of the phone. Abby heard Ducky relay the news to Jimmy in the background. "How much time is remaining?

"The first half's just about over."

There was a moment of silence and then some quite discussion on the other end for which Abby couldn't understand her attention on the monitor which had the game on.

"Abby, you still there?"

"Yeah Ducky."

"Mr. Palmer and I are going to get things settled here and then we'll join you in your lab. We picked you up some lunch on the way back and we'll watch the rest of the match with you."

"Sure Ducky, see you in a few," and hung up the phone. At that moment Tony and Ziva walked in with boxes of evidence to be logged in.

"Hey Abby got some stuff for you," called out Tony. Dropping a small box on the first table with available space.

"Hey guys," Abby said cheerfully.

"Hello Abby," said Ziva setting a bag next to her and then glancing up at the monitor to check the score.

"Got some stuff for you from a hit and run accident for you to look at," spoke up Tony who took a quick glance at the monitor and then turned his attention back to Abby.

"Oh, okay," and she began quickly logging the evidence in and signing off on it.

"I would have expected more from our team," Ziva finally spoke up.

"Yeah you and everyone else in the building," replied Abby. "But look at it this way we still got another 45 minutes to go, right."

"Yes we do, and hope they get their, what is the word," she thought for a moment. "Ah yes their act together."

"They'd better. Besides, I don't like that referee from Mali," said Abby. "He's not doing a good job."

"Really," asked Ziva.

"Yeah," Abby was nodding vigorously. "I mean either he's not seeing anything wrong or he's not paying attention."

"Oh come on," spoke up Tony. "They can't be missing everything."

Abby and Ziva just glared at Tony.

"Okay," he eyed them. "I'm out of here besides this isn't my sport anyway," and Tony made a fast exit.

"Hey Ziva you want to join Ducky, Jimmy, and I for the second half? We're going to eat lunch while we watch the game," asked Abby.

"No thank you Abby, I'm going to eat upstairs," she said apologetically. Pointing to the bag next to Abby she said, "But we did bring you lunch."

"It's okay, and thanks."

Everyone in the building had decided to take an early lunch in order to watch the second half of the game. Up in the bull pen, chairs and plasmas had been rearranged so that everyone could watch the game and have lunch.

The entire building erupted in cheers when the United States scored its first point of the game. As the game went on, everyone was just enjoying their lunch and talking about the game as everyone tried to figure out Slovenia's strategy and the home teams sudden improvement. The game was going well, the US holding its own against Slovenia when suddenly the unthinkable happened. They all saw it the ball went into the net and everyone began cheering again until the referee ruled it a no goal. At that the entire place erupted.

"What do you mean it wasn't a goal," shouted Ziva who began cursing in every language she knew.

Tim was busy trying to record the instant replay of that play and the referee's ruling.

The toothpick that was working its way between Vance's teeth all of sudden became a missile as it went flying across the bull pen. Luckily it didn't hit anyone.

Gibbs found himself discussing the move with several other agents and trying to figure out what the ref's motive was for the change. "Was it a foul or not," he along with everyone else was asking.

Tony who really hadn't taken an interest in the World Cup all of a sudden found himself taking a close look at the referees. He had heard the discussion going around for the past week on some of the rulings that the refs had made but had never really paid attention until now.

In Cybercrimes, the geeks down there were busy arguing the same point. One of the computer genius had begun sending footage of the replay to everyone in the building as they all found themselves analyzing the play.

Those in Cybercrimes also began trying to find out as much as they could about the particular ref. By the end of the day, they were passing it on to everyone else in the whole of NCIS.

In Abby's lab, the whole room erupted in disbelief. Abby, Jimmy, Ducky along with several others who had joined her to watch the game were practically yelling and cursing at the Mali ref.

"He just robbed us of a point," shouted Abby who was babbling a hundred miles an hour.

"That was uncalled for," Ducky was saying. "He should have given a reason for his decision."

"Yeah he should have," said Jimmy. "Was it a foul a no goal or what."

"Your guess is as good as anyone's Mr. Palmer," replied the ME.

The discussions had stopped long enough for everyone to cheer again as the US finally scored its second point. But that still didn't stop the chatter over the stolen goal. Once the game was over, everyone went back to work with one ear on the third game which was the England v Algeria game. The chatter continued by IM, text, or phone calls for the rest of the day and as for Tony who had really never shown any interest in the World Cup or the sport for that matter finally had something to keep his interest and that was the referees.


You are welcome to R&R.