Was It Worth It?
There was silence for a couple of seconds as the three absorbed her departure, then Abby started giggling. Tony bit his lip to keep his laughter from erupting, and Jethro turned to eye them suspiciously.
"What is so funny about what just transpired?" His eyes narrowed, and both of them looked reassuringly at each other.
"Nothing, Boss," Tony offered, "except that she definitely wasn't the one for you. You can be thankful that we were here for you."
"Yeah, Gibbs," Abby added, "she was really mean to us before you got home. We were trying to be nice to her, but she was just nasty."
"Right, good riddance, if you ask me-" Tony assured him.
"I didn't," Gibbs responded, then he jerked his head up suddenly and pointed at both of them. "The two of you staged all of this to get rid of her didn't you?"
"Us?" Abby tried to look horrified, realizing that Gibbs didn't appear all that pleased.
"Yes, you- now I am beginning to get the picture. Both of you sit down on that sofa and don't move your behinds until I tell you that you may."
Tony and Abby exchanged worried glances but scrambled to obey. When they were seated he focused on both of them and ordered sternly, "Do not lie to me."
They nodded, and Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This was a set up? You masterminded it?"
They nodded again, affirmatively, but Tony began squirming.
"Tell me why."
"Why what, Gibbs?" Abby began to pick nervously at a piece of lint on the sofa cushion.
"Why did you two run her off? Did it occur to you that I might have actually liked the woman and wanted to have a meal with her? I do like to relax once in a while, and I'm pretty sure that you realize that."
That transformed their victorious reactions and both adopted tragic expressions. They regarded each other guiltily, and Tony ventured, "You're disappointed, I guess, Boss. We just…."
Abby interrupted, "We just wanted you to not go with her. It's not that we didn't want you to have some down time, but she was really rude to us, and…."
Tony finished, "and so unfriendly that we just knew she wasn't going to be your soul mate. Not that one, Boss, she's not the one for you."
Jethro shook his head slowly. He was at a loss how to proceed. Several seconds followed, then Abby brightened, "So Gibbs, see, we saved you from future upset. You should be proud of us. We were thinking outside the box today."
Another several seconds of silence followed while he didn't respond. Abby moved closer to Tony for moral support. Finally Jethro commanded softly, "Ok, you two, pay attention to me."
They did, guiltily, and he continued. "I understand that you care about me and also that you thought you were protecting me, and I appreciate that genuine concern. Additionally, I am proud that you worked with each other as a team to tackle something you assessed as a threat. However, what you did was manipulative, you were dishonest, and you overstepped your bounds. I am perfectly capable of deciding with whom I want to share an evening. Do you see that?"
Both of them shook their heads and managed to look contrite. Listening to the events with his perspective, they had a twinge of conscience.
Tony spoke in a low voice, "Right, Boss, we were wrong. We knew you'd never leave the house if you thought Abby was heading out in questionable clothing, or that I would be out running around while I was sick. We, uh, we sabotaged the date for you."
Gibbs leaned back in his seat and put his hands behind his head. "I got that part."
"Sorry, Gibbs," Abby offered, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
He sat forward. "Ok, well, here's the deal. You two are staying home tonight, all night. You won't be going out anywhere."
Immediate protests began.
"Really, I'm not actually sick, Boss! We made up the whole coughing and fever thing. Didn't my great acting impress you?"
"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, I know I can't go out of the house in any of those outfits- I have the real one I'm going to wear already picked out and ready to go. It was just a ploy, wearing the wrong things."
When he failed to answer their voices trailed nervously, and they looked at him uncertainly.
"So," Abby added with false cheer, "we will just be out of your way in a few minutes."
Gibbs responded sternly. "Is that what I said?"
"Uhm, no, Boss, but then I guess we aren't too clear on your communication," clarified Tony.
"Let me spell it out, then, so that my communication is clear. You are both staying right here at home tonight for the duration. This is my response to your meddling in my business- your rescheduling my own plans for me."
"Gibbs!" Abby fussed with a tragic expression, a tear sliding down her cheek. "We said we were sorry!"
He stood up and kissed her on the forehead.
"Abby, if I have to repeat myself, the restriction will include tomorrow night as well."
Tony regarded Gibbs with a expression of resignation. Turning to Abby he ordered, "Drop it, Baby Girl, you know we've earned this. Don't keep arguing, because I have a date with Daphne tomorrow night."
Gibbs was impressed with Tony's mature outlook on the punishment. "That's very wise, Anthony." He stretched and started out of the room. "Why don't you spend the next few minutes deciding whether sabotaging my date was worth spending Friday night at home?"
Tony and Abby both broke into smiles, and Tony replied without hesitation, "No need to question our clandestine strategy too deeply, Boss…"
"It was absolutely worth it!" Abby concluded with a smirk.
