Hi, everyone! Here is the next chapter - at last! Thanks to fiftyshadeswritergal for the editing help. Thanks to Dalm, fiftyshadeswritergal, KrisShannon, DS2010, Fashionista-girl, Sammy, Troubled-Angel-26, and Queenofwheels for all of the reviews!
Enjoy!
...
"While I stay here and make sure that she listens and rests, could you go get whatever she's going to need to stay here for a few weeks? I know that you have work, but I wouldn't know what to get," Gibbs asked Jenny quietly downstairs. They were alone, as Ducky had left to get some breakfast before heading in to work.
"I'll call Cynthia and leave a message that I will be ... oh ... not in until lunch."
"Are you able to do that?"
Jenny raised an eyebrow speculatively.
"If I can't be late one day out of the year, then what is the point of being director?"
...
About fifteen minutes after Jenny left for Ziva's apartment, Abby showed up at Gibbs' house to clean her room as requested.
"Hey, Gibbs!" she called cheerfully.
"Shh. Ziva's resting."
Abby blinked at the lack of a welcome. She waited for a second as Gibbs poured his cup of coffee.
"Need something, Abs?"
A cold knot settled in her stomach.
"No," she murmured. "Just ... I'll go clean my room."
"Good. I want Ziva to have a space for herself."
Abby did not reply, just stepped into the pantry to grab some supplies.
If that's the way he feels, that's the way that it can be.
...
"Hello?" Jenny called as she entered Ziva's apartment. She could hear rattling and banging from the bedroom, and a heated discussion.
"It's on the list from Abby."
"I know, but I'M not packing it! I want to be left with the use of my eyes when Ziva gets better!"
"Hello!" Jenny called again.
"Director?" McGee called, poking his head out of the door.
"Thank goodness! A woman!" Tony cheered. He shoved the crumpled list in Jenny's hands. "Abby wrote this. We've packed most of the stuff but ..."
Jenny looked down and smiled. Yes, Ziva would probably prefer for a woman to go through her underwear drawer instead of her two male co-workers.
"Go water her house plants," she told them. "I've got this!"
Jenny quickly packed the needed remainder of Ziva's clothing, then looked around the room for anything else. There, on Ziva's nightstand - that photo frame must be taken. Jenny carefully wrapped it in one of Ziva's sweaters to protect the treasure from damage. Then she took a closer look at Ziva's bed. She frowned at one of the pillows. It seemed misshapen. Jenny flipped it over and checked the pillow case. With a knowing smile, she slipped the content into the bag as well.
"No need to feel ashamed about it, Zi, none at all," Jenny muttered to herself.
...
Meanwhile, back at Gibbs', someone else was packing. But the Goth's thoughts were not quite as sentimental as Jenny's.
Abby swiped all of her bat decorations into the second black garbage bag.
"All packed," she muttered to herself. Her hearts and skulls sheets, along with her clothes, were shoved into one bag. All of her decorations were in the second. The special, colourful skull blanket that Gibbs had bought for her was tossed into a corner, wadded into a heap ... a fluffy heap ... a soft and warm heap ... maybe ... no, she would not take it with her. Gibbs had bought it for her for here at his house, and now he had basically told her over the phone that he was evicting her.
"The bats and skulls might bother Ziva," she mimicked with a dramatic eye roll. Oh, she felt sorry for Ziva. She had been so eager to come to Gibbs' house to see how Zi was doing. But Gibbs had not even said hello, just told her to make the room ready for Ziva.
"She's welcome to it," Abby said through gritted teeth. She hefted her bags onto her shoulders and sneaked down the stairs. She could hear Gibbs talking quietly to Ziva in his room.
He never even called out good-bye.
...
"What else do we need to pack?" Tim asked.
"Perhaps grab that sweater hanging by her door?" Jenny suggested.
"Abby was supposed to be here," Tony grumbled. "We all agreed to come here and then take the stuff over all together so that we can all see how Ziva is doing at the same time."
"Abby? I saw her pulling up to Gibbs' house as I drove away," Jenny said. Tony frowned.
"She cheated! She said that she was just going to run out and grab a Caf-Pow! before helping us pack. Instead she went and saw Ziva first!" Tony lamented. "Can you believe it, Probie?"
"Probie" shrugged.
"Makes sense for Abby."
"Its not fair. Let's finish packing and get over there ourselves. I want to see if Ziva's okay."
"She is," Jenny confirmed. Tony looked at her suspiciously, deducing that she must have spent the night at Gibbs' but not daring to say anything about it. Jenny did not offer any information. She found it fun to tease Tony - but she would never let that show.
"What else can we do?" Tim asked.
"Clean out her fridge. Anything that will spoil within the next two weeks, pack up and take with us over to Jethro's. I'll grab the last few things that I think that she'll need, then we can head over to drop them off and possibly have a very SHORT visit."
...
Gibbs looked out of the window. Abby's car was gone.
"Too bad. I wanted to ask her about that design," he muttered.
...
Abby slammed her car door and shuffled up to Ziva's apartment.
Now everyone is going to be upset at me because I lied and said that I was just getting a Caf-Pow! I should have just ignored Gibbs ... no, that wouldn't work ... at least not well. I guess that I should have just waited and gone with everyone else. Then he could have ignored everyone, not just me.
"I'm here," she muttered as she entered Ziva's apartment.
"Hey! You went to Gibbs' without us!" Tony accused.
"Yeah."
"What? No defense? Not even a Caf-Pow!?" Tim asked, genuinely confused.
Jenny examined Abby's face and immediately sensed the problem.
The princess is dethroned, and the baby is feeling disowned.
"McGee, DiNozzo, would you deliver these items to Gibbs' for Ziva? And Abby, would you join me on a quick shopping trip? I need to find a few things for our dear wild girl."
Jenny phrased them as requests, but as always, she had authority in her voice. Tim and Tony had no problem, as excited as they were to go check on Ziva. Abby, however, was not quite as ready to go shop for her emotional arch nemisis. One look from Jenny confirmed that she had no choice.
Yikes! Those laser eyes - it's like my mom when she knew that I was going to misbehave and she was warning me with "or else"!
"Sounds good," Abby acquiesed.
"Wonderful. And I will see both of you," Jenny looked pointedly at the boys, "back at work by 9:30."
"We'll be there," Tim assured her, as Tony was already half out of the door with the bags for Ziva.
...
"You are very quiet, Abby," Jenny observed. They had been in the car on the way to the for half an hour and Abby had barely opened her mouth the whole time. And now, whenever Jenny asked Abby's opinion on which colour of a towel set would Ziva like best or what sort of treat Ziva would most enjoy, Abby had reverted to shrugging.
"Not much to say, I guess," Abby sighed softly.
Jenny decided to dive straight to the heart of the matter.
"Ziva needs his attention desperately right now, Abby."
Abby looked up with tears in her eyes.
"I know, Jenny, I know. And I'm trying - I'm really trying! - to not let it bother me. But ..."
"What?" Jenny prompted, gently placing her hand on Abby's arm.
"He didn't even say hello or give me a hug this morning! He ... he ..."
"He was too busy or distracted?"
Abby nodded.
Jenny gave Abby a gentle hug. "You are as loved as ever, Miss Abigail Scuito. Just now, perhaps, you are dealing with a new 'sister', so to speak. Adoptions of any kind can be turbulent, as I know this one will be. However, I also happen to know that Gibbs has been thinking of you, even in the middle of all of this."
"Really? How? Are you sure?"
Jenny smiled. "I am sure. He will tell you what he was thinking about in particular when he is ready, but I am certain that you will like it."
Abby grinned, sunshine returned.
"Then I think that we should get Ziva some dark chocolate - it's proved to be really good at helping with depression - and that fluffy light yellow towel set, because hopefully it will remind her of sunshine. Or maybe green, since that is the colour of growing things and apparently green is a relaxing colour to a lot of people. And maybe we should get a few fluffy blankets, because I noticed that she doesn't really have any and my favourite is at Gibbs' house and it always makes me feel better. And while we're at it, I'm going to get some new stickers for the walls. Gibbs is horrible at interior decorating. If I didn't do anything in that room, nothing would be done! Now, besides the skulls, what should I get? Let's go to that section next..."
...
"Abs! You're back!" Gibbs said, leaning over to kiss her cheek as he took some shopping bags from Jenny.
"Yeah."
"I didn't get to say goodbye to you."
"I was ... in a hurry."
Gibbs could tell there was something more to it, but he let it slide.
"Look over on the coffee table."
"Why? What are these papers?" Abby asked curiously, pouncing on them.
"Designs. Choose which one you want."
"Wait - GIBBS! Are these designs for a bed?!"
Gibbs shrugged. "If there are going to be two of you sharing a room sometimes, we need two beds. I doubt Ziva wants a specialty type, so I'll make the new one for you."
Abby looked over the designs. Folding beds that turned into couches, headboards carved with bat designs, even a version of her coffin. She rushed over and gave him a big hug.
"Oh, thank you, Gibbs!"
"Don't thank me too soon. You'll be helping me build it."
Abby grinned even wider.
...
Ziva blinked slowly, then sat up with a start.
I was sleeping - again! How does this keep happening?! I could not possibly be this tired. It must all be Ducky's fault.
A gentle knock on the door distracted Ziva from blaming Ducky.
"Yes?"
Gibbs opened the door. "You're awake now."
"Of course. I'm not tired at all."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow, but let the obvious lie pass for the moment.
"You feeling okay?"
"Of course. It is only a small cut."
"Ziver," Gibbs said softly. "Just let it go."
"I should let go of what?"
Gibbs took a seat on the edge of her bed and took one of her hands in his. The calloused fingertips stroked her palm.
"You've had too much for too long. Ducky wants you to take a break. He's arranged for you to meet a psychologist tomorrow."
"No!" Ziva protested. "I am ..."
"Fine, according to you. I want to hear it from someone else."
I will have to trick that fancy doctor. No one stops me!
Gibbs stood up and opened the window shades, skillfully changing the conversation.
"The boys and Abby were by to see how you were doing."
"Really?"
"Yes. You were sleeping and they did not want to disturb you, but they said to tell you that they miss you. Abby also said something about sending you 'virtual hugs'. Doesn't make sense to me."
Ziva shrugged. "I think that I might understand."
"Jenny got the other room all set up for you. How about we move you over there?"
Ziva shrugged apathetically. "That would be fine."
But Ziva could not maintain her mask as well when she saw the room. Fluffy blankets over muted green sheets and a quilt. The hanging bats were gone, and now some beautiful dove stickers - birds of peace - were clustered on the wall next to the bed. Her favourite sweater was hanging off of the back of a wooden chair, which held a pile of thick towels that matched the colour of her sheets. A vase of daisies was placed on a nightstand, and next to it several bars of her favourite chocolate. The room smelled like lavender, but Ziva could also detect the faint scent of Jenny's perfume and Abby's gunpowder concoction.
She had never stayed in this room before, but it felt like home.
...
I hope that the slightly longer chapter will help make up for the wait. :D And make sure to come by tomorrow to see a one-shot about ... what else?! ... hugs! I also started posting my new story, "Frightened of Freedom", yesterday. Another chapter of that will be posted this week as well! Lots of fun reading in store!
Please remember to review! Have a great weekend!