Envisioning
Jethro tapped his pen against his pad several beats, focused on the yellow ledger paper, and then began to write.
Abby looked up at Jack's retreating back before calling out, "Jack, Jack, Jack, wait! Does spelling count?"
Jack called his reply over his shoulder, "No, spelling doesn't count."
She smiled in relief and started her story.
Tony picked up his pen and bit the top of the cover, then murmured softly, "That doesn't concern me, Baby Girl. I happen to be an excellent speller." With that, he winked at her, then he, too, began to write.
Jack returned half an hour later and found all three writing furiously. Tony and Jethro had not moved at all. Abby, however, had changed seats and now sat curled against Gibbs, her ledger in her lap.
Jack congratulated himself at having found a way to keep three such different personalities occupied and completely focused. Noticing their single minded diligence, he returned to the kitchen and decided to make the evening meal more elaborate than he had at first planned.
Half an hour before he had supper ready he called out a time warning, and watched them scramble through quick scribblings of their story conclusions. When he finally called a halt to the competition, he ordered them to put down the pens and pads, which he then collected.
"After dinner we'll take a look and discover to whom my pretend Pulitzer should be awarded," he promised.
Dinner was noisy, probably because all of them had stayed so quiet while they worked on the narratives. Even Jethro had plenty to say during the meal. Finally, though, everyone was full from pot roast and a deep dish cherry pie, and the dishes washed and kitchen cleaned. They made their way back to the living room and settled comfortably, awaiting Jack's further instructions.
Gibbs sipped at a fresh cup of coffee and smiled at his father, his heart light. He realized his good mood stemmed from his pleasure in seeing his dad so happy.
Abby raised her hand and waved it frantically. "Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, let me go first, I want to go first!"
Not missing a beat, Tony called out next, "If Baby Girl's first, I'm second then."
Gibbs frowned at both of them, and adopted a pretend stern voice before speaking. "What is your motive for making me last in this competition?"
"None, no motive whatsoever," Abby denied, "except that we think ours will be of appropriate length as fairy tales and yours will be a very condensed version."
Gibbs smirked, "Think what you like, then, you turncoats."
Once they settled into seats, Jack handed Abby her pad and winked at her. "Ok, now pay attention one and all, because these rules are simple. The audience may ask no questions, since the competition is based on what you actually wrote in the time allotted. So, don't add anything extemporaneously, any of you."
Abby smiled with excitement, then stood to face them.
The men grinned back, and she began to read in an animated voice.
"Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a beautiful girl named SnowAbby. SnowAbby lived with her kind, strong, father, Jethro, and her wonderful, loving grandfather, Jack. One day Jethro came home from his woodchopping business with a new wife, named Hollis."
Gibbs and Tony exchanged startled glances before they turned back to regard her.
"Poor little SnowAbby's mother had died when she was a baby, so she was so excited that she was getting a new mother. But it was not meant to be. As it turned out, Hollis hated sweet SnowAbby and was very jealous of her. One day she took SnowAbby for a walk deep into the woods. SnowAbby, who had never been allowed to wander that far from home, quickly became lost and disoriented, but sneaky Hollis wasn't confused. "
Abby paused dramatically before continuing the action.
"They came upon a tiny cottage, and Hollis told SnowAbby they would stop there and rest for a short time. They discovered the residents were not at home, but decided to go inside the home anyway. Once inside, she fed SnowAbby a poisoned apple she had brought for the trip. Hollis had done her research on poison, and thought this dose would kill the girl. She waited until she witnessed SnowAbby fall unconscious, and then she left, grateful to have done away with her. When she got home, she told Jethro that his daughter had run away to join a band of travelling troubadours. He was heartbroken, but what could the poor man do? The traveling entertainers who had visited their town had left hours earlier, and no one knew which direction they had taken."
She looked over at Gibbs and frowned. He shook his head sympathetically, and motioned her to him. Once there, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
She returned to the center of the room.
Tony and Jack both rearranged their positions, settling in for the rest of the story.
"The apple should certainly have killed SnowAbby, but thank goodness, Hollis miscalculated the amount of poison. It just threw the beautiful girl into a deep, deep sleep. Several hours later she awakened to whispers from seven tiny men, all looking at her with concern, and discussing how to approach her. She sat bolt upright and looked around, confused. One of them came forward and introduced himself as the SeniorFieldDwarfTony."
Tony, Jack, and Jethro roared with laughter at that. Jethro leaned over and tousled Tony's hair.
"He quickly introduced his buddies to SnowAbby," she continued. "GeraldDwarf, KateDwarf, TimmyDwarf, PalmerDwarf, DuckyDwarf, and ZivaDwarf. SeniorFieldDwarfTony informed her that they worked in the mines nearby, and that she had wandered into their cottage. She explained that she and her stepmother had gone for a walk and then she couldn't remember any more. TimmyDwarf, ZivaDwarf, and SeniorFieldDwarfTony began questioning her over the events and they declared the actions of Hollis as criminal ones. KateDwarf remembered that in one of the lands across the lake a criminal duo named Hollis and Leon had worked together committing crimes against humanity. GeraldDwarf, DuckyDwarf, and PalmerDwarf cut open what was left of the apple and pronounced it full of poison."
She paused and took a swallow of her iced tea. The others waited expectantly. Finally she continued the tale.
"Meanwhile, back at the homestead, Jethro lamented the loss of SnowAbby as the days turned into weeks. Hollis, in an effort to get his mind off of SnowAbby's disappearance, consulted her favorite criminal partner, Leon, who suggested she host a party to get his attention focused elsewhere. She did, and invited everyone in the entire Anacostia area to attend a supper and dance. The night of the party arrived and all the guests enjoyed themselves immensely, since Hollis had put out the finest meats and beverages.
Jethro, however, couldn't shake his sadness. He went outside and walked towards the river, thinking that the fresh air would cheer him. He was startled by the sound of hoofbeats, and suddenly a rider appeared out of the darkness. When the stranger spotted Jethro, he alighted and introduced himself. "Good evening sir, I am Prince Simon Cade from the kingdom of Rota, and I have heard that a beautiful maiden has gone missing in this area. I wish to find her."