God, I know. A year, pathetic. But it's been a bad year for AllieInspiration. So, hope this will do for a bit. Also, my editor (TR Allie) is MIA in my life for the most part, so this will have to do for you.
Reviews are love, and hope you have as much fun in the BLOODY COLD as Allie does! me, not so much. Have to walk up and down many a'hill. Cross your fingers, launch yourself at the ice and pray you don't break anything...
Happy December! Anna :)
2 Months Later...
Allie rubbed her hands together in the drafty coffee shop, trying to gether enough friction to warm her hands slightly. The coldest day of the year so far, and she'd forgotten her gloves. The line for coffee was long, she was already late and Gibbs was going to hang her out to dry. And to top it all off, there was snow. Snow meant ice, and ice was Allie's biggest nemesis - her height meant there was further to fall, and grace in the cold was not her strongest point.
The girl behind the counter handed her a coffee with a sympathetic smile. "There ya go. Have a nice day, now."
Allie grimaced in return, heading out of the coffee shop, the styrofoam cup clasped tightly in her hands. She made it four steps, before her feet skidded out from under her, and she slipped down the ramp. But instead of the hard floor swinging up to meet her, a pair of strong arms grasped her tightly, hauling her to her feet. She sucked in a breath, partially grateful that her coffee had not spilt.
She turned to face her knight in... jeans and a black jacket. His hair was dark and curly, a pair of frameless glasses sat on his nose, a slight smile on his face. "You alright?" he asked quickly.
"Yeah, thanks." She smiled at him. "Uh... thank you... My name's Allie."
"Jack." The man grinned. "I take it winter isn't your favourite season?"
"Not really." Allie laughed. "You should see me try to ice-skate." (Anna - Not kidding. Allie ice skating? NOT PRETTY! She nearly dislocated my shoulder...)
"I'd like that," Jack said, a blush creeping across his face.
Allie took him in. He was taller than she was, at 6'0'', with heavyset shoulders. He might've played football in college. Not bad looking, and he had just saved her from falling on her ass. "Maybe." She smirked, holding out her hand. "Cellphone?"
He dropped a phone into her hand, matching her smirk. She programmed her number into his phone and handed it back, turning on her heel. "If you don't call, I won't be waiting up for you!" Allie called back over her shoulder. She could have sworn she heard Jack laugh before she left, and smiled.
McGee regarded her apprehensively as the redhead unclipped her weapon, locking it in the top drawer of her desk. "Someone's looking happy..."
"I almost fell, but didn't spill a drop of coffee." She grinned, dropping the now-empty cup into the trash can, avoiding his curious gaze.
Tony leaned forwards. "I know that look!"
Allie froze, suddenly uncomfortable with Tony knowing anything about Jack; although they'd put their little... encounters behind them, and managed to get along as easily as before, a good team, she still didn't want to draw attention to her dating life. Not that she had much of a choice, it would seem.
"So, what's he like?"
She sat down heavily, tapping at her computer screen before replying. "He's... nice. His name's Jack." Concentration flitted across her face as she tapped something into her computer, obviously wanting her colleagues to drop the subject.
Tony, however, had other ideas. "Tall, short, handsome, charming, fat, thin, kind of an ass cos I know you like that..."
She glared at him, throwing her stapler at his head. He ducked just in time, but her point had been quite successfully made. "Anthony Dinozzo, not only is it none of your buisness, but this is also work, so if you do not back the hell out of my personal buisness, I will kick your ass."
McGee snickered into his coffee cup, suddenly very grateful that Allie had joined the team. After three months, she'd successfully straightened out Tony's childish ways, resorting to throwing various stationery at him when he messed around, telling him that since Gibbs made them all stay 'till he was done, and she had better things to do on a Friday than watch he juvenile partner screw up his paperwork. "Hey, Al - you coming to the bar next week? You could, ah, bring Jack."
She smiled at her colleague. "Sure, Tim. Maybe Tony could prove that he can land himself a hot chick, too." Allie tossed an evil grin across the bullpen.
Tony pulled a face at her. "Awesome. I'll invite Ariana. Old old girlfriend, but she wants to see me again."
"Really?" she looked surprised. "Well, there's no accounting for taste, I suppose."
"Ha, cute."
"Who is, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he strode to his desk, draingng the last of his coffee and dropping the polystyrene cup in the wastebasket.
"Uh, Annie, boss. Little orphan kid, red hair, big voice-" He stopped short, glaring at Allie, who ignored him completely. "Anything today?"
"Sure." He clipped his SIG onto his waistband, straightening up. "Some idiot smuggled a damn dog onto a battleship."
"Can't they just kick it off?" Allie muttered.
"Well they would, Black, but he's found fourty grams of cocaine in the condiments. Turned out it was an ex-sniffer dog."
Allie laughed, before looking alarmed. "Wait... how high would you get eating the mash potatoes?"
Tony smirked. "Well, you'd have more fun than you've ever had..."
She raised an eyebrow. "Philly PD Christmas party 1997, when Thompson spiked the punch."
He froze, a strange look crossing over his face. "Oh... Um, yeah." He froze for a moment, mind flicking back to the party and the interesting events which occured. There was no disputing that Allie could be fun after that little incident...
McGee looked confused but shrugged on his jacket and picked up his rucksack, tossing it over his shoulder. "I'll gas the truck. Um... Alex, you want to help?"
Allie nodded, pulling the black baseball cap over her red hair. "Sure. See you in five, Gibbs."
Once they were alone, McGee held out a hand, stopping Allie in her tracks. She put a hand on her hip, tilting her head to one side. "Alex?"
He shrugged. "Tony calls you Allie, seemed like a petname. I figured that Alex is short of Alexandria, so whatever. I can call you Allie if you'd like."
She laughed slightly. "It's fine. I like Alex. It's... sophisticated."
"Alex... I don't know you all that well. I mean... we've worked together a few months, but I don't know you-"
"I went to boarding school for most of my high school time, except senior year, when I transferred to a public school because my mom died. Killed, actually. Which is why I wanted to be a cop. Didn't join a sorority at College, majored in Criminal Psychology. I have two older brothers, and a kid sister. She's sixteen. She was only a kd when mom died. Now you know me." she replied quietly, a kind smile on her face. She wasn't trying to patronise him, or hide who she was... it just didn't factor into work.
"Look... what's up with you an' Tony?" McGee asked after a moment. "It's just... these past couple of months... he's looked at you kind of... I don't know how to explain it. Like you're the centre of his world - not in a cheesy way, but because whenever he's not sure or something he looks at you. When you move, he moves around you. Like you're in synch. Dunno."
Allie blushed slightly. "Tim... Back in Philly... He and I flirted, like always. There were a few times when it could've turned into something, then it didn't. Here... he's too hung up on Ziva for anything to happen, if I'm honest. I wouldn't want to be the back-up."
McGee nodded. "I get it. I'm not trying to pry, or gossip. I just... I don't want you to get hurt. I care, you know? We're friends."
Allie beamed at him. "Really?"
"Of course."
She looped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly before planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, McGee. Means a lot."
He smiled. "Tony was right, you do smell nice."
"Vanilla." she smiled to herself. "I used to wear different perfumes, but someone told me that this was their favourite. I've sort of worn it since. C'mon, we'd better get going before Gibbs eats us alive."
McGee watched Allie go, sighing. He didn't need to ask who the guy was who chose her perfume. He had a feeling that he was well aquainted with him already.