Not beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.
Just a quick story, something that came to mind. Hope you enjoy it (more detailed AN at end of chapter)
"That was a delicious dinner, Ducky," Ziva said, as she rose to help clear the table.
"You don't have to do that, Ziva."
"And you didn't have to cook or have us all over the night before Christmas, but you did."
"This is the time of year for family," Ducky shared, "Regardless of what holiday is celebrated, or that no blood ties exist."
Ziva smiled kindly at him before heading towards the kitchen, her hands full of dishes.
"You're both right," Tim said, standing to gather some dishes. "Thank you for cooking and inviting all of us over."
"I am just glad everyone could make it, that none of you already had plans," Ducky shared, his and everyone else's eyes drifting to Tony.
"Why are you all looking at me?" the senior agent defensively asked.
"Just surprised you didn't have plans," Tim spoke for everyone.
"You know it's a tradition for me to watch It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve."
Abby snorted, "Yeah, and didn't you tell met that your New Year's resolution was that this year you were going to watch in while on a tropical island, naked,"
"Abby!" Everyone shouted and groaned at her revelation, Tim shaking his head and leaving the room, not wanting to hear any more.
"and in bed with a blonde?"
Tony glared, "I never specified blonde," he muttered sulkily.
Abby grinned, "You sure? I remember a lot of B's in your rant. Let's see," she paused and tapped her chin dramatically with a finger. "I believe you included the words, beach, buck-naked, big, buxom, bre-"
"Abby," Gibbs quietly uttered, causing the forensic scientist to look at him before grinning and dropping the subject.
"Only because it's you and it's Christmas, El jefe," she returned.
"And as Ducky said, a time for family," Tony repeated, raising his glass slightly in the air before moving to bring it to his lips.
"Are you doing a toast without us?" Tim asked as he and Ziva re-entered the room and caught sight of Tony's actions.
"Of course not," Tony grinned, "We're waiting for you to give the toast."
"Me?" Tim gulped self-consciously.
"Sure," Tony continued, smirking at him. "I mean, you're the writer, you have a way with words, right?"
"I…well," Tim stuttered as Tony smirked and silently raised his glass once more, this time succeeding in bringing it to his lips.
"Tony," Gibbs scolded, giving a slight tap to the back of the agent's head. "I'll do the toast, that is if Ducky doesn't mind?" he asked, looking at the older man.
"Not at all, Jethro, not at all," he agreed as everyone reached for their glasses.
"Wow," Jimmy muttered, sitting back in his chair.
"Full?" Tony asked, patting his own stuffed stomach.
"No, well, yeah," Jimmy corrected, "But that's not what I was wowing about."
Tony raised an eyebrow, "You know, if Ziva catches you looking at her legs, she'll kill you with a paperclip."
"I'm not, I wasn't," Jimmy protested.
"And Abby will help her get rid of any evidence," Tony continued. "Of course, if it's Abby you've been looking at, well…Who knows how everyone will react if they learn that you are treating a friend, a family member as a sex object."
A flabbergasted Jimmy stared at Tony, "But…I…I wasn't…I wouldn't," he tried to protest.
"I'm kidding, Autopsy Gremlin," Tony reassured him, laughing. "So, what had you in awe if it wasn't for the lovely ladies of NCIS?"
"Agent Gibbs,"
Tony raised an eyebrow, "There is so many things I could say to that," he muttered to himself as he wondered where to begin. "You know, we are a civilian agency, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, so?" Jimmy absently agreed, not sure why Tony mentioned that.
"So, you can ask and tell," he said, tongue in cheek.
"I just think that's the most I've ever heard Agent Gibbs say, especially when not connected to a case."
Tony snorted, both at the fact that his comments had gone over the autopsy assistant's head and the reply regarding Gibbs. "I think that's the most any of us had probably heard him say," he admitted honestly.
"And it was so deep and heartfelt," Jimmy continued. "Like it should've been a speech at a wedding, not a casual, impromptu toast at a Christmas Eve dinner for coworkers."
"Family," Tony corrected, "Both Gibbs and Ducky has said that we are family."
"Right, family," Jimmy repeated. "Wow."
Tony shook his head.
"Everything okay over here?" Tim asked, as he joined the two men.
"Yeah, Jimmy's just in awe of Gibbs."
"It was a great toast," Tim replied. "Abby was really impressed."
"Where is she anyway?" Tony asked. Ziva had joined Ducky and Gibbs over by the fireplace, but the goth hadn't reappeared. "Did you leave her to finish the dishes on her own? You know she's going to get even with you for that."
"HA! She left us with the dishes," Tim admitted. "She said tonight, and Gibbs's toast had given her an idea, she went to raid Ducky's office."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "You sure she wasn't just trying to get out of doing the dishes?"
Jimmy frowned, "Why would she volunteer to help only to back out?"
Tony just rolled his eyes, not responding.
"Guys! Guys!" Abby called, "C'mon, there's something we have to do," she said, "Meet me at the dining room table," she ordered.
"What is going on?" Ziva asked as she approached to table. "Is this some Christmas Eve custom I am unaware of?"
Jimmy shrugged, "The only tradition we had was that we were able to open one present on Christmas eve before we went to bed." Jimmy paused, "for some reason, it always seemed to be pajamas, regardless of the size of the present we picked."
"Tony? McGee?" Ziva inquired.
"With Abby, who knows?" Tony began. "It could be anything from joining her for midnight mass, to an urge to go carrolling,"
"To driving around town to look at Christmas lights," Tim injected. "What?" he said when they all turned to him, "She actually wanted to do that one year."
"And you think she wants to do that again?"
"Well, no," he admitted. "She usually doesn't like to repeat her ideas."
"Good, you're all here," Abby announced, placing a paper lunch bag on the table.
"Too stuffed to leave," Tony joked.
"I was hoping for that," she grinned at him.
"Abby," Gibbs injected, "why are we here?"
"Because I had a great idea, that you helped inspire."
Gibbs groaned, he was all too familiar with Abby's ideas.
"It's a good thing, trust me," she reassured him. "In this bag I have placed everyone's names. We will each go through and draw a name,"
"Abby," Tony interrupted, "I think it's a little late to do secret santa."
"It's not that,"
"Then what?" Tony asked.
"If you would let me finish, I would tell you," she said, glaring at him. "And if you interrupt me again, I will kill you and leave no"
"forensic evidence," they all concluded in unison.
Rather than be offended, Abby grinned, "Good. Now as I was saying, everyone's name is in this bag, we will each draw a name and then come up with a New Year's resolution for that person."
Stunned silence greeted her for a moment.
"Oh, hell, no."
So, who uttered that last line?
What would be a good resolution for everyone and who should draw what name?
I hope you liked it, just a quick little something. I haven't had much chance to work on my other stories, was working a ton. Now, I am home in isolation for the next few weeks (I tested positive, as have half my household-waiting for results for other half), and while I would like to work on Next of Kin or No accident, I keep mixing things up (kinda tough to concentrate at times), so I figured a quick fic, like a one-shot or two-shot, would be more appropriate right now.
-/…
Okay, this story came about by me talking to one of my coworkers and I talking about patience, (mostly about how we weren't) and how you really have to be careful if you ask God to work on your patience, cuz he'll set about things that is bound to test it. I thought about how well we know each other, then the thought about 'what if others picked our NY resolution for us? I gulped imagining what they might pick for me.
And it kinda made me think that this is something Abby would think and follow through on. Then I thought about everyone else's reaction to her 'game' (and who, other than Gibbs), wouldn't play. None of them might want to, but would they really go against Abby?
-/
Hope everyone had a great Holiday season (whichever, if any, holiday you celebrate) and wishing you all have a safe, happy, and above all, Healthy, New Year.
12-30-2020