Okay-due to popular demand-more of Abby and Ducky-what next?
Thanks to my beta MB!
Chapter 4
McGee looked at Tony, Tony stared back angrily at McGee. The silence was broken by a sudden bellow from the normally placid Dr. Mallard.
"I asked you a question-which one of you just drenched Abigail!"
Swallowing, the red faced McGee decided to face the music or sudden death, whichever came first.
"I did, sir, I didn't mean it, I misunderstood, that is to say, I thought that Abby had told Tony that, well, I blew it, sir. I thought she was just playing with me, and I was hurt, and I .." he sputtered to a stop at the intensity of Ducky's look.
"It was my fault, too, Duck, I was teasing Abs and she told me it was none of my business, so I thought she had broken up with McGee here. I had no idea McGee was listening, otherwise I wouldn't have razzed her." Tony owned up, hoping the good Doctor wouldn't tell Gibbs.
"Quarreling like common schoolboys, then throwing a drink at the dear girl, I ought to teach both of you a lesson, now clean up this mess and try to salvage Abby's paperwork, now!" Ducky turned on his heel, then paused to shake his head at the two downcast agents.
"She deserves better." he said aloud, then went out the door, leaving DiNozzo and McGee with open mouths.
"If I didn't know better...." Tony paused thoughtfully, then caught sight of McGee's expression of shock. "All right, might as well start mopping up before either of them come back." he told the computer geek, then tossed him a roll of paper towels.
The object of their conjecture sat in the staff lounge, trying to dry her hair with a kitchen towel, all the while trying to make sense of what just happened.
"I can't believe McGee did that, threw a drink in my face just because he assumed I was messing with him. What an ass!" she told herself, blotting futilily at her stained lab coat.
Taking it off and hanging it over a chair, she caught sight of her streaked appearance in the small mirror Tony had hung near the door, supposedly so they could catch sight of Gibbs before he came in.
"Goth Queen act, humph! He doesn't deserve a Goth Queen, more like a Stepford wife!" she groused. Suddenly the term didn't seem so harmless, is that what the others thought she was, an act?
"Abby." Startled, she turned to see Ducky, a concerned look on his face. For a moment she irrationally thought of burying her head in his shoulder and bawling, then her pride stepped in and she managed a smile.
"Ducky, I'm glad to see you. Just tidying up before I start work!" she said breezily, then stopped as he came forward and without a word put his arms around her.
"My dear girl." That was all it took, suddenly Abby was crying and kissing and being kissed and hearing her name repeated gently.
Finally she found herself sitting on the sofa, with a none-to-dry hankerchief in one hand and Ducky holding the other. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have fallen apart like that, but when McGee said, I mean, Duck, do you think I put on an act?" she asked, looking him in the eye.
"Abby, you couldn't be an act if you tried. You are a sweet, lovely, original person who lives life to the fullest. I wouldn't change a thing about you, except of course, maybe not drink so much caffeine, I have some lovely English teas that would give you just as much energy." he said, then saw her smile.
"I love you, Ducky, and I don't care about Rule 12 or McGee or Tony's teasing or.." she was cut off in midstream by the doctor's kiss, which caused the twosome to slide down together onto the sofa.
Neither of them heard the gasp that issued from the likes of DiNozzo, Kate and McGee, who had chosen the inopportune moment to enter in search of more paper towels.
Backing out of the room, the three agents crept into the hallway, then looking at each other, uttered one word.
"Whoa!"
TBC...
