August 2006
Kaye stood in the middle of the crowd clutching Jenny's hand. She was completely mesmerized. There were lights so colorful and bright that they were hard to look at, and glowing screens bigger than she could have imagined. There was a buzz in the air that she couldn't quite name, but it was like she could feel it in her bones. The sky above them was clear and a deep blue, with the beginning hints of the pinks and oranges that would mean sunset, and the summer heat still radiated off of the pavement. Even in shorts and a tank top, she was warm. She couldn't begin to imagine how insane the lights would all look in a couple of hours once the sun was gone.
"So?"
"Jenny, it's amazing!"
"It is, isn't it?"
The two were standing in the middle of Times Square in New York City. Jenny had scheduled a short two-hour meeting in the city months before. Her plan had been to fly out in the morning and be back in time for dinner with Kaye, but after a suggestion from Tony and some simple arrangements with the secretary who worked in the building where the meeting would be held, she made the decision to take a couple of days off and pull Kaye out of her Friday day camp. They'd been on an incredibly early flight at 6 a.m. and had landed, gotten their bags, and had caught a cab into Manhattan before 9. After checking into their hotel and changing, Jenny had treated Kaye to an special brunch at one of her favorite restaurants in the city and they had spent the remainder of the morning and early afternoon exploring Central Park.
Jenny had been to New York countless times, but this had been different. She was rediscovering the wonder of the big city through the eyes of a nine-year-old girl. Everything was exciting. The initial cab ride had thrilled her. Seeing groups of business people carrying briefcases and wearing such similar suits caused her to stare. And that wasn't even the park. Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Terrace and its intricate tile ceiling, the bridge and the water, the flowers and sculptures throughout the park had enthralled Kaye. And then they got to the carousel. She rode it no less than four times in a row, each time on a different horse.
After the park, they had headed over to Jenny's meeting and had only gotten out a half hour before. As they stood in the middle of the crowded street, Kaye whipped around and surprised Jenny with a hug. "Thank you so much for bringing me with you! This is all so awesome!"
Jenny squeezed the girl and grinned. "Honestly, sweetheart, I am happy to have you here. You have made a boring quick business trip into something so much more fun and exciting. Now, are you hungry, yet?"
Kaye pulled back and nodded, looking around at all of the restaurants that she could see. There was a giant McDonald's M that was bigger than she could have ever imagined, and she had seen a sign for the Hard Rock Café somewhere. "Where are we going to eat? There's so many options!"
Jenny laughed. "There sure are. Well, I fully intend to treat you to a proper fancy meal tomorrow night, but I figured since we're in Times Square, we'd do a Times Square tourist restaurant tonight. So, we have reservations for Planet Hollywood in fifteen minutes. And after that, I have a surprise for you."
"Planet Hollywood?! Tony is so going to be jealous."
"Well, you'll have to take lots of pictures and tell him all about it when we get home. Now, do you want to hear your surprise?"
"Yesyesyesyesyes!" She shouted, jumping up and down in place.
Jenny reached out and stilled her, hoping to avoid knocking other people down. "Alright! But you have to calm down, okay?"
Kaye dramatically took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I'm calm. What is it?"
"Well, I know how you appreciate the arts…"
"Yeah?" Kaye was getting impatient.
"So I got us tickets to Tarzan on Broadway."
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"
"We're…happy about this?"
Kaye squealed and flung herself at Jenny. "Yes! So happy! It just started this year, right?"
"Back in May. So, you and I will go and stuff ourselves at Planet Hollywood, take enough pictures to annoy DiNozzo, and then we'll head over to the theater for eight when it starts, alright?"
Kaye hugged Jenny one last time and pulled back. She couldn't believe her life.
NCISNCISNCIS
Tony sat in one of NCIS's nondescript black sedans in the parking lot of Monroe University Hospital quietly munching on a philly cheese steak sandwich. He had already been there for a couple of hours and was getting antsy.
It was one of his first real missions from Jenny. Apparently this woman that he was supposed to be studying, Jeanne Benoit, had some sort of relationship to an unnamed arms dealer. Jenny had refused to give him any more information than that until she got some things confirmed.
So there he sat, late at night, waiting to follow her after she left for the night while Jenny and Kaye were off gallivanting in the Big Apple. And he liked to claim he lead a glamorous life. If the women he dated had any idea how much time he spent doing nothing…
"Night, Andrew! I'll see you tomorrow."
Tony dropped the last quarter of his sandwich unceremoniously onto the passenger seat. Well, he'd have fun cleaning that out later.
"Sure thing, Doctor Benoit."
And there she was. Jeanne Benoit. Funny, for someone who had a connection to illegal arms dealing, she didn't look very threatening. In fact, she was kind of hot.
"Andrew, how many times…it's Jeanne."
"Have a good night, Jeanne."
Tony kept his eyes on her form as it faded into the shadows and she searched out her vehicle. He held the binoculars he had brought to his eyes, keeping track of her as she unlocked her car door and started it up. He caught a glimpse of the licence plate and waited for her to pull almost completely out of the parking lot before he turned his own car on and began the tailing dance he had learned so well from his now former boss.
"Alright, Doctor Benoit, let's see what you're up to."
NCISNCISNCIS
It was just after midnight when Jenny finally checked the alarm clock to her right. Luckily for her, even though Kaye seemed energized when they left the theater, she had been exhausted by the time they made it back to the hotel. Not wanting to have to deal with it the next day, she made Kaye shower quickly before bed, and Kaye's breathing had just evened out a few minutes before. Now she was completely alone with her thoughts, and as she stroked her hand through Kaye's long chestnut brown hair over and over again, she didn't like where those thoughts were headed.
It had been two weeks since Kaye had come home from her first round at Camp Liberty, and after truly discovering how much the girl had come to mean to her in her absence, Jenny had been making much better effort of spending time with Kaye. She didn't want to miss any more time than she had to, and they had really become much closer because of it. Jenny made sure that unless there was a major prior engagement, she was there to wake Kaye up in the morning and there to put her to bed at night. At worst, they had one meal together, be it breakfast or dinner, and on good days, when Jenny decided to pack her many files up to do at home, they had both. She was getting to know Claire and Ryan, and their mother, Leslie, as well, and was enjoying the sounds of laughter in her large brownstone. She had taken Kaye shopping for a whole new summer wardrobe, and they also managed to get a start on a new set of clothes for the start of school in September.
And it wasn't just Jenny, either. The whole team had grown and evolved around the new Gibbs-less situation and were all doing their part with Kaye. There was a whole schedule worked out. Each morning, Jenny would wake Kaye up and get her moving. If she had the time, she would help her get ready and they would have breakfast together. Depending on the day, either Jenny would take Kaye and pick Claire and Ryan up herself, or Tim, Ducky, or Ziva would stop by to get her ready, out of the house, and to day camps with her friends. They were always the most reliable in the early mornings. In the afternoons, as was their deal with Leslie, Kaye would ride home with her and around four, Abby, Tony, Jimmy, or Jenny would stop by and pick her up. Typically, Friday nights were reserved for Tony, though Jenny would have to owe him one for taking Kaye to New York on his night, Saturdays were Jenny's, and late Saturday night through Sunday afternoon were times reserved for Abby.
Despite Gibbs being gone, and the massive hole he had left in their lives, they were adapting. There were fewer struggles for the team in their new roles, and even Abby had been in good spirits for the last little while. And of course, Kaye was generally happy and excited about life and had settled quite well into her new home with Jenny, which was something Jenny had worried would never happen.
But even as she toed off her slippers and settled under the covers with the little girl that she had come to adore so much, she felt a stab of fear and guilt.
In the end, no matter how much she loved Kaye, she still cared very much for Jethro. And she knew that if he was ever going to be the man that she knew he was again, he would have to come back. She knew that and a large part of her hoped for that. She missed him. And she knew that wherever he was, probably on some beach in Mexico staring at the stars with a beer in hand, he wasn't right, yet. Though she would never admit it to anyone else (and even had a hard time thinking about the concept in her own mind), she loved him dearly – as someone who worked beside him, as a friend, as…as Jenny and Jethro, it didn't matter – and she wanted what was best for him.
And what was best for him was curled up sleeping beside her.
One day he would come back (she hoped). And one day, he would take Kaye back (she knew it was best). And one day, in that one simple action, she knew her heart would be ripped from her chest.
But that day was not there yet. So she flipped the switch on the lamp and dropped a short, sweet kiss to the little nine-year-old's forehead before laying down to sleep. One day Kaye would no longer be hers, so she would make every day until then count.
NCISNCISNCIS
Abby stared across the table at her favorite little girl and laughed. She and Jenny had gotten back from New York a few days ago, but things had been busy at NCIS, so she was just getting to hear the rundown of their trip then.
"Abby. You have no idea. It was so cool! She took me to this big fancy restaurant where I had to wear a formal dress and I had to use all the right forks and spoons and stuff and keep my elbows off the table and I mean, if I had to do all of that at home, I would probably want to die, but it was so fun to be fancy!"
Abby grinned at her, masking a pang of guilt inside. She was thrilled that Kaye had had a good trip and that she and Jenny were becoming close. But she was still holding out hope that Gibbs would come back soon. He had sent her that rosary! He was thinking of them! But if Gibbs came home, Kaye and Jenny wouldn't be together as much. And she knew Gibbs. She knew that if he suddenly remembered Kaye and realized that he had accidentally abandoned her for several months and missed out on her life and made her cry…
She felt her throat constrict at the thought. He would hate himself. He would think he was a bad father.
It would bring up even more stuff about Kelly.
As Kaye talked on and on about her trip, Abby smiled gently at the girl and made a decision right then and there. If Gibbs came home like she prayed he would, things would change and they would be hard. Someone would have to step up to try and hold everyone together, and there really wasn't anyone better than her. She loved Gibbs like a father, but she also loved the team and Kaye dearly.
Things would be difficult, she knew. But they would be okay. They always were.
NCISNCISNCIS
Tony turned the key in the lock, fumbling as he tried to balance two large grocery bags and a DVD. Finally hearing it click out of place, he quickly spun the handle with force and gently kicked the door out of the way, dropping the bags in a heap a half-step inside.
"I am not a common criminal, Tony. You do not need to knock down my door to get in here."
Oh, the sass. He thought as he rolled his eyes and kicked the door shut behind him for good measure. He got a huff and grumble in return.
Sure. He gets talked into making dinner. He buys the groceries. He supplies the movies. He schleps the giant, heavy bags all the way up three flights of stairs because her elevator is broken and SHE gets to give HIM a hard time. He was on his way to a really foul mood as it was and she was being pissy?! He whipped around to tell her exactly what he was thinking when he came face to face with a soft smirk, eyes glimmering with amusement, and a glass of red wine. And from what he could smell while still trying to hold his glare for just a minute more, it was one of his favorites.
And as it always seemed to with her, his anger melted away, leaving only traces of frustration. His shaking head dropped to his chest and he took the wine from her. Looking back up, a smirk in place on his face, he reached out and tucked that rogue curl that never behaved back behind her ear.
"You're going to be the death of me, Ziva."
"Oh yes, my Little Hairy Butt. I have it all planned out. And several other back-ups."
Tony groaned and grabbed one of the bags, heading off toward the kitchen. "You're a strong ninja assassin. YOU can damn well haul the other bag in here."
Ziva chuckled, easily swinging the bag over her arm. He was so easy.
NCISNCISNCIS
The massive room would have been pitch black if not for the bright white strobe lights, colorful moving spotlights, and lasers flashing throughout the space. Tim couldn't just hear the incredibly loud club music, he could feel the deep, quick bass beat reverberating through his whole body. He wasn't that old, yet, but he was sure he was too old for this. He could almost feel the ringing that he knew would be in his ears for at least the next twenty-four hours.
A dark, loud, completely packed club was not his scene at all, and if it were up to him, he would be relaxing at home with a video game and a small tumbler of scotch. He cringed as he looked down at the drink in front of him. He still wasn't sure what it was, but it looked disgusting. It was green and red and he supposed it tasted like some kind of completely artificial fruit flavor, but he couldn't have told anyone what it was. And he was pretty sure there was more than just vodka in it.
He had a problem. And her name was Abby.
When they had been dating, he had been like an innocent, floppy puppy who followed her everywhere. After she broke things off, though, he started to have a bit more of a backbone when it came to her, and since they had gotten a lot closer again, he had prided himself on only letting her get away with certain things when it came to him. And one of those things was that he did not, under any circumstances, go to her loud clubs. A concert here or there, he could handle. But he had never been one for big sweaty groups of people writhing in a too-small space to obnoxiously loud and beat-heavy music. So he had always stood his ground and said no to her insane clubs. Until that night.
It had all started that afternoon when he had walked into Abby's lab and found her pouting. Now, Abby pouting wasn't something unusual. She could pull out that bottom lip over pretty much anything that slightly displeased her. But over the last few years, he had learned to read her pouts. She had many different ones, but they all generally fit into a few categories. There was the joking pout, which lasted only a few seconds and always ended with one of her wicked grins. Then there was the looking-for-attention pout. This one was the most common. She liked to use it to get her way or make sure that whoever she was aiming it at knew they had wronged her. It wasn't a particularly serious pout, but if you played your cards wrong around it, you would pay dearly. Then there was the genuinely sad or disappointed pout. This was a pout that was rare, but always pulled at his heartstrings and also affected the rest of the team similarly. He didn't like to see Abby unhappy. Though she dressed like a vampire and threatened to murder him on a weekly basis, she was a big light in his life. Her ginormous grin and her caring spirit often helped chase the bad thoughts away in the middle of a case.
So that afternoon, when he walked into her silent lab and saw the genuinely unhappy pout, he knew he was in trouble; he would do pretty much anything to make it go away. And pretty much anything was really pushing the limits. As it turned out, a few college girlfriends of Abby's were supposed to be coming up that night for a club night like "the old days". Abby had bought a new outfit and was counting down the hours when she received a call from one of them saying that they had decided that they weren't really into the clubbing scene anymore and were not going to make the trip after all. The news had devastated Abby. She was still very much into the club scene, though as Tim found it incredibly humorous, she was always at church bright and early Sunday morning. Abby was a complicated being.
So somehow, in the midst of her choking back tears and an extended hug in her quiet lab, he had agreed to take her to the club to show off her new outfit and have a good time without her supposed friends.
Which was how he ended up sitting on a stool at a tiny round table, staring into his own disgusting drink, covering her vodka and Red Bull concoction that he had attempted to talk her out of, waiting for her to get back from the bathroom.
Even though he was mildly annoyed at the situation and at himself for suggesting the outing, he couldn't help but smile when he felt a familiar body press up behind him and two slender arms come around his chest.
"Timmy, have I told you that you're the best yet tonight?" Abby's husky voice spoke over the loud music directly into his ear. A grin exploded on his face and he shook his head, turning to look at her. He gently pulled her around so she was facing him.
"No, but I already knew."
And then his arms were full of a goth.
"I mean it. I know you hate clubs. Thank you for bringing me. You turned the suckiest day into an awesome night. And who needs those stupid women anyway. I have myself the sweetest badass NCIS agent in the world."
She pulled back out of the hug, then and he took the moment to really look at her. Her new outfit was working wonders, not that she needed the help. The black pleather skirt (Abby didn't wear real leather, but she liked the look of it) hugged her tightly in all the right places, and the deep burgundy sleeveless blouse that she wore hung off of her in the most enticing way. McGee felt like the luckiest man alive. Maybe they weren't dating, but she was all his in this crowded club. It wasn't like she didn't turn heads, either. She certainly got attention. But she had eyes only for him that night.
And with that thought in his mind, he asked, "Want to dance?"
Her face lit up in front of him. "Really? You don't have to. I know it's not exactly your scene."
He chugged the last of his horribly fruity drink and motioned for Abby to finish the last sips of hers. He then stood up, grabbed her hand, and dragged her to the center of the crowd.
As she gripped his hips, he let go of himself and began to move to the beat. If all it took to make her happy was for him to dance to some obnoxious music in a too-loud club, he could manage it just fine.
And hey, having one of the most attractive women he had ever met within inches of him paying all of her attention to him…well, that wasn't a bad deal at all.
And when, in the center of the dark room, with lights flashing and people moving around them, with the music thumping and the bass so loud he could feel it in his feet, when in that club those dark cherry lips landed on his, he forgot every single reason he had for why this was the worst idea and just for a moment, he kissed her right back.
NCISNCISNCIS
A/N: So, as you can tell, I'm pushing things a bit here. Normally, with the exception of throwing a previously non-existent nine-year-old into the mix, I try to stay along the lines of what we know of the canon. But that summer has always intrigued me and left me wondering. So while I'm still not sure which way I'm going with Tony and Ziva, I'm pushing the Tim and Abby side a little bit. We were never told that they did…. reconcile ever, but we also were never really told that they weren't. So…yeah. Anyways, thanks to those who have kept reviewing. Those reviews help inspire me to keep writing even when life is nuts. So thanks. :)
