Chapter 6
"I must say, Abby, that your choice of décor reminds me of a Parisian loft, almost Art Deco in a Grand Grignol way." Ducky entered the lab and removed his jacket and hat.
"Thanks, Ducky, I never thought of it that way." Abby followed him in, then went to the small kitchenette he had fitted up. As she filled up a kettle, she suddenly felt a breath on her neck, then something cold against her skin.
"Well, I do appreciate the design of all eras, particularly those of the Romantic age." Ducky continued, then abruptly felt a change in the atmosphere.
"Abby, is something wrong?" he called, then froze as he heard a familiar voice.
"No, my dear Dr. Mallard, but if you do not turn around and keep your hands where I can see them, something will be wrong with your Abigail."
Turning as instructed, he saw the terrorist of his nightmares, Ari, holding a scalpel to the throat of Abby.
Dry-throated, Ducky still managed to put some authority into his voice. "You bastard, get that thing away from her. If you have a problem, take it out on me."
"I am, Doctor. This is my payback. Although....." the Israeli double agent hesitated, then moved the knife slightly away from the girl's throat. "I do owe you for talking Catlin out of killing me. Because of that, I was able to continue my mission."
"God help me for that." the doctor thought. Aloud he said, "Then pay me back another way, by letting Abby go. I'm much more of use to you, besides, she's prone to fainting spells. The only reason she's down here today is as a test to her phobia."
Seeing the sudden recognition in her expressive eyes, Ducky blessed the fact that he had teased her about her aversion to standard fairy tales as a child.
Suddenly Abby gasped, "No, the room's closing in, can't breathe...."
Abruptly he saw her eyes roll back, and startled, Ari moved his arm away from her neck as she started to slide to the floor. Instantly Ducky moved forward, one hand going for the agent's throat, the other karate chopping the scalpel out of his fingers.
"Get Jethro!" he yelled to Abby, who immediately got up, then going to the door, flung it open, then instead of running, picked up the nearest weapon handy and brought it down on the writhing Ari's head.
Without a sound the man went limp, then Ducky heard her voice.
"Duck, let go. He's out. It's okay, love, let go."
Shocked out of his intent to kill, he released his hold on Ari's throat, then heard Gibbs in back of him.
"Nice work, Duck, Abby. And you were afraid that camera would be nothing but invading your space." DiNozzo was in the doorway, open-mouthed with admiration; "Remind me never to get you mad, Ducky!"
Getting to his feet, a shaken Ducky met his old friend's eyes.
"I'm getting too old for this, I completely forgot about the camera. Thanks, Jethro."
"No, Duck, thank you. You took out my unfinished business." Gibbs's hand lightly squeezed his shoulder. Turning, he supervised the loading of the unconscious Ari onto a stretcher, then signaled to a smirking DiNozzo to follow the military paramedics.
As Gibbs started to leave, he said over his shoulder, "By the way, Rule 13, Duck."
The door closed, then Ducky took a ragged breath.
"Abby... "
"It's okay, Duck, you were great." Suddenly she had her arms around him, and they kissed as he thanked whatever God responsible for her being unhurt.
Finally breaking apart to take a breath, Ducky managed a smile at her. "My dear girl, you almost had me fooled there with your collapse. What did you hit him with?"
"A niblick." she grinned, pointing to the broken golf club on the floor.
"It died a valiant death, Abby." he sighed, then was startled to see tears in her eyes.
"My sweet girl, what is it? He's gone, he won't be back this time, I promise." Ducky reassured her, worried.
"Ducky, I'm going to resign. I won't let them separate us. This job isn't worth it." she told him emotionally.
Beaming, the doctor cupped her face in his hands "my love, you don't have worry, Jethro understands." He kissed her deeply, feeling her relaxing against him.
After a moment, Abby asked, almost as an afterthought, "How do you know?"
Ducky chuckled, caressing her cheek. "Rule 13, don't ask, don't tell!"
The End?
"I must say, Abby, that your choice of décor reminds me of a Parisian loft, almost Art Deco in a Grand Grignol way." Ducky entered the lab and removed his jacket and hat.
"Thanks, Ducky, I never thought of it that way." Abby followed him in, then went to the small kitchenette he had fitted up. As she filled up a kettle, she suddenly felt a breath on her neck, then something cold against her skin.
"Well, I do appreciate the design of all eras, particularly those of the Romantic age." Ducky continued, then abruptly felt a change in the atmosphere.
"Abby, is something wrong?" he called, then froze as he heard a familiar voice.
"No, my dear Dr. Mallard, but if you do not turn around and keep your hands where I can see them, something will be wrong with your Abigail."
Turning as instructed, he saw the terrorist of his nightmares, Ari, holding a scalpel to the throat of Abby.
Dry-throated, Ducky still managed to put some authority into his voice. "You bastard, get that thing away from her. If you have a problem, take it out on me."
"I am, Doctor. This is my payback. Although....." the Israeli double agent hesitated, then moved the knife slightly away from the girl's throat. "I do owe you for talking Catlin out of killing me. Because of that, I was able to continue my mission."
"God help me for that." the doctor thought. Aloud he said, "Then pay me back another way, by letting Abby go. I'm much more of use to you, besides, she's prone to fainting spells. The only reason she's down here today is as a test to her phobia."
Seeing the sudden recognition in her expressive eyes, Ducky blessed the fact that he had teased her about her aversion to standard fairy tales as a child.
Suddenly Abby gasped, "No, the room's closing in, can't breathe...."
Abruptly he saw her eyes roll back, and startled, Ari moved his arm away from her neck as she started to slide to the floor. Instantly Ducky moved forward, one hand going for the agent's throat, the other karate chopping the scalpel out of his fingers.
"Get Jethro!" he yelled to Abby, who immediately got up, then going to the door, flung it open, then instead of running, picked up the nearest weapon handy and brought it down on the writhing Ari's head.
Without a sound the man went limp, then Ducky heard her voice.
"Duck, let go. He's out. It's okay, love, let go."
Shocked out of his intent to kill, he released his hold on Ari's throat, then heard Gibbs in back of him.
"Nice work, Duck, Abby. And you were afraid that camera would be nothing but invading your space." DiNozzo was in the doorway, open-mouthed with admiration; "Remind me never to get you mad, Ducky!"
Getting to his feet, a shaken Ducky met his old friend's eyes.
"I'm getting too old for this, I completely forgot about the camera. Thanks, Jethro."
"No, Duck, thank you. You took out my unfinished business." Gibbs's hand lightly squeezed his shoulder. Turning, he supervised the loading of the unconscious Ari onto a stretcher, then signaled to a smirking DiNozzo to follow the military paramedics.
As Gibbs started to leave, he said over his shoulder, "By the way, Rule 13, Duck."
The door closed, then Ducky took a ragged breath.
"Abby... "
"It's okay, Duck, you were great." Suddenly she had her arms around him, and they kissed as he thanked whatever God responsible for her being unhurt.
Finally breaking apart to take a breath, Ducky managed a smile at her. "My dear girl, you almost had me fooled there with your collapse. What did you hit him with?"
"A niblick." she grinned, pointing to the broken golf club on the floor.
"It died a valiant death, Abby." he sighed, then was startled to see tears in her eyes.
"My sweet girl, what is it? He's gone, he won't be back this time, I promise." Ducky reassured her, worried.
"Ducky, I'm going to resign. I won't let them separate us. This job isn't worth it." she told him emotionally.
Beaming, the doctor cupped her face in his hands "my love, you don't have worry, Jethro understands." He kissed her deeply, feeling her relaxing against him.
After a moment, Abby asked, almost as an afterthought, "How do you know?"
Ducky chuckled, caressing her cheek. "Rule 13, don't ask, don't tell!"
The End?
