XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As Abby went skipping into her lab she found the Major pushing off from the counter in what looked like some form of push ups. Abby decided the Major was also trying to clear her head after their marathon of data review, so when she plopped down in her chair she just plugged away on her drink until the Major stopped.
"Oh, hey… Sorry, I'm just used to working out for lunch every day, and a few minutes ago McGee informed me there was no gym onsite." The Major straightened out her uniform as she stood back up.
"Yeah, not in the building, but we've got privileges at the gym here in the Yard." Abby spun around to face her computer and finally set down her cup of Caff-Pow.
"Hmmm… Is it close to the offices here?" Maj. Cassidy returned to her workstation.
"Yeah, not so much. I think it's on the other side of the Yard. At least, Gibbs and Kate would always take a run over there to warm up." The Major looked over at Abby as she was explaining where the gym was and noticed that she had visibly slumped down in her chair with her statement.
The Major decided to toss the ball in on the court, "Still hard to talk about her?"
Abby was somewhat shocked to hear those words, and turned to see the Major's face, but she only found Maj. Cassidy looking down into her computer screen. Still not sure what to make of her asking about Kate, Abby tried to be appear detached, "Sorry, what?"
"Special Agent Todd… I imagine her loss hit everyone pretty hard around here." The Major still had not looked up from her screen.
Now Abby was getting a little irritated, because she did not know how this person would know anything about their Kate. "Look, I don't know what you think you know, but I don't think it's any of your business to be asking." Abby was shooting one of her best "I'm not budging" looks at the Major to punctuate her statement.
Under her breath, and just barely audible to Abby, the Major mumbled, "Some harder than others, I guess." She then looked up at Abby and spoke clearly this time, "I apologize, if you feel that way, Ms Scuito."
Her response sounded cryptic to Abby, and she already had her cockles up, so she was not about to let that one slide. Abby stood up, put her hands on her hips and made ready for battle with the Major. "And just what the heck is that supposed to mean!"
The Major looked up again, "Pardon?"
"IF I feel that way; what the heck does that mean? Of course I feel that way. What business is it of yours about OUR Kate?" Abby's face started turning a fiery red as her anger increased.
The Major did not betray any of the emotion that was welling up inside of her. She simply looked into the eyes of this angry young woman and forced down the pain that was threatening to break through her Marine Corps veneer. "Only that perhaps you are not the only person affected by Special Agent Todd's death, Ms. Scuito ." As Maj. Cassidy spoke the name again an image of a bright, confident and beautiful Secret Service agent entered her minds eye, making it more difficult to hide her own pain.
Abby replayed the words in her head over and over again as she tried to decipher what they really meant. How could this Marine officer know anything about her Kate? How could she think it was okay to even talk about her Kate? What gave her the right to even say Kate's name? And it was then that the words "not the only person" penetrated her rage filled mind. Looking up at the Major with a start, Abby asked, "You knew Kate?" Her face, once filled with unbelievable rage was now the picture of confusion and regret.
The Major just nodded.
It was once again Abby's turn to stand with her mouth agape. When she was finally able to speak, she just uttered, "But how?"
"Do you really think profiling in the Secret Service is a skill taught by just anyone, Ms. Scuito?" Maj. Cassidy went back to her work as Abby processed this piece of information.
Before Abby could say anything, Agent McGee walked into the lab with some news and sandwiches. "Afternoon ladies, I brought you gals some sandwiches and just wanted to let you both know that we are really close to breaking down that code on the Gunny's noggin. Especially after Gibbs got Fornell to go take a look at the body they still have on ice over at Quantico. Now they are working on exhuming the other vics in the hopes that there might be traces of the same markings left on those bodies, too." McGee finally noticed that Abby looked a little flushed, "Hey, Abbs… Are you okay? You look kinda hot." Suddenly realizing how he must have sounded, McGee began to fumble his way out of the slip, "Well, I mean like you got a fever or something. Are you okay?"
As McGee walked closer to Abby, she turned her shock into embarrassment and tried to cover it up by getting mean with McGee, "McGee, we don't have time for one of your gossip reports right now. Can you just go away?" When the words left her lips she was instantly sorry for saying them, especially when she saw the hurt expression falling across Tim McGee's face.
The Major tried to step in and save McGee from Abby's injured pride, "Agent McGee, thank you for bringing the food. And before you head out, did you still want to see those pictures?" The Major dug into the pocket of her metal case and brought out a small envelope of photographs. "I made sure I put these in here last night before I went to bed, lest I forget them in the haze of morning."
McGee took a deep breath and put on a brave face for the Major, "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks Major." When he reached the other side of the workstation, he was completely unable to control the laugh that escaped his mouth, "Oh wow! I had no idea she'd have done that!" McGee just stood there looking at the photograph and shaking his head.
"Well, the folly of youth, I guess. Though I have to admit, there was a serious amount of alcohol involved on that little trip." The Major was chuckling now as well. The happy memories contained in that photograph were some of the things she used to get her through such a tragic loss. "And this one… I'm afraid I have no defense for that catastrophe."
"Oh man! Wow, Major, that really is horrible. Where did you find so much material in that color?" McGee was really laughing now, the exchange of a few moments ago nearly forgotten.
"I'm gonna plead the fifth on that one, Agent McGee. But this one," she turned to the next photograph, "was all my fault."
The image before him was far too much for Timothy McGee to handle, and he began to laugh so hard there were tears in his eyes. The not-so-private laughter was just too much for Abby's curiosity to handle, "What's so funny over there?" And she started walking over to the Major's workstation.
Tim waved her to come in closer on the other side of the workstation, "Abs, did you know that our Kate studied under the Major when she was learning profiling?" McGee carefully passed the first photograph to Abby, "It was when you were getting your Ph.D, wasn't it, Major?"
Abby closed her eyes and took a deep breath before gazing upon the first photo. What she found there brought a cautious smile to her face when the Major answered McGee, "Yeah… She was the only one of my students who was really worth anything." Abby only half heard what the Major was saying, because she was concentrating on the shining face of her dear friend. Seated at a table in a restaurant, wearing a very large Mexican Sombrero and a huge mustache made of straw was Caitlyn Todd. She was surrounded by several other people, including the Major in civilian clothes, and also wearing a Sombrero (but not nearly as big as the one Kate was wearing). It looked like they were singing when the picture was taken, and there were several empty bottles of Tequila on the table. "And with her Secret Service detail, the only one I was able to stay in touch with over the years."
McGee passed her the next photograph and her eyes were instantly assailed with the bright crayon purple that jumped off the page. As her eyes focused in on the face she found there, Abby realized that Kate and the Major were dressed up like giant purple dinosaurs, just like the one in those children's programs, except that they both had large red holes in their costumes (as though the purple beasts had been gunned down). And Abby too was unable to contain the laugh that escaped her lips, even though she covered her mouth instantly before looking up at the Major, "I'm still taking the fifth on that one."
McGee passed over the third photograph, and Abby found an image of Kate completely covered in what looked like green slime dripping from her and laughing; laughing so hard Abby could tell she was about to collapse from laughter. Abby and Tim were laughing hysterically at this point, and Abby was just able to get out, "That was your doing, Major?"
"Guilty… But it was paybacks for a little prank she engineered, so she was totally asking for it." Maj. Cassidy opened the envelope to return the photographs when she felt something else inside, "Hmmm… I must have grabbed another picture by mistake." As she brought it out of the envelope and turned it around to look at it, her cheeks instantly blushed at seeing the image and she clutched it to her chest, "Oooo… I'm gonna kill my husband."
McGee and Abby were far too intrigued to let that one go, "Come on now, you can't leave us hanging like that." McGee quipped.
"Yeah, if it's Kate, I'd really like to see it." Abby asked with her impish look having returned.
She pulled it away from her chest to glimpse at it once more, "Well, since I'm the only one it embarrasses now, I guess it wouldn't be too bad." She was about to hand it over when she had to add one more proviso, "But just remember, I was still in my twenties when this was taken, so it was still acceptable." That last statement caused Abby and McGee to look in each other's eyes for a moment for a silent chuckle between them, and then the Major handed them the photograph. "I still can't believe she talked me into wearing that thing."
McGee and Abby anxiously took the offered photograph and were instantly rewarded with the sight of Kate and the Major sunning themselves on the deck of a boat, wearing some very skimpy, two-piece, swim suits. "Nice one, Major!" Abby was the first one to speak.
Tim could not help but add his own commentary, "Whatever you do, Major… Do NOT show that one to DiNozzo." And with his little joke Abby and Tim started to laugh uncontrollably again just as Ziva walked into the lab.
"What is so funny? And why shouldn't the Major show something to DiN-." She is stopped from her questions when Abby turned the photograph around for Ziva to see. "Oh my! Good call, McGee… Tony would not be able to get that image out of his mind... Ever!" And with that, Ziva joined in on the laughter as well.
Their laughter may have continued for quite a while, if Gibbs had not walked into the lab for a status report. "At this rate, we'll be lucky to have anything by the time Fornell comes back in here with his lackies to take our case." They all worked to stifle their laughter, but it was quite difficult and their faces betrayed the effort. "McGee, you have another sequence to get working on and crypto is looking for you, again."
Tim handed the photographs back to Maj. Cassidy and quickly exited the room.
"Abby, I'm still waiting for that report on the material found under the Gunny's nails." Abby gave him one of her civilian, wrong-handed salutes, crossed the room and grabbed a report from her desk, handing it to Gibbs. "Well, if you had it, you should have given to me already."
"I did, Boss… But I always keep an extra copy on my desk for when you haven't checked your own before coming down here." Abby flashed one of those electric smiles of hers at Gibbs before sitting back down in her chair and getting back to work.
"Fine… David, what are you doing down here?" His glower showed ruined strength, if just so he could make everyone around him jump.
"I was just dropping off some evidence for trace and went to investigate what the noise was all about… Now I am going back upstairs to help Tony track down those night markers." Ziva was already on her way out the door by the time she had uttered those final words.
Now it was time to turn his attention to the Major, "And when am I gonna get that profile?"
As the word profile left his mouth, the Major was taking a page off of the printer and handing it to Gibbs. "Preliminary report is done now. I'll have the profile on your desk tomorrow afternoon." The Major looked down at her watch after she turned back to her workstation and started closing up her equipment. "And if you'll excuse me, Gunny. I have an appointment that I am about to be late for."
Before Gibbs had a chance to look up from the report, the Major was throwing her jacket on and headed straight for the doors. She stopped only long enough to check herself in the mirror before quick-timing it to the elevators.