SUMMARY: Sequel to "The SecDef Cheats." Lt. Col Cassidy moves in to NCIS and this will mean for Abby in the long run. McAbby, Drama/Romance/Angst
RATING: T - Adult subject matter, rare mild language, killer smooching.
A/N: I bet you thought this was never gonna be finished, huh? Sorry for taking so long, but I got a little sidetracked by a couple other projects. The conclusion of this one is not far behind.
REVIEWS: I am always trying to improve my writing, so all constructive criticism is welcome. I would also like to thank you in advance for any reviews you might wish to leave. They really are a great boon to a writer's ego and gives you a huge incentive to live up to your expectations.
Chapter 19
Abby waited for ten minutes, sitting patiently in the Colonel's office as she listened to the water running in the bathroom. When she came up to the office to discuss their latest candidates for the assistant position she was surprised to learn that the woman routinely road her bicycle in to work, and considering the distance from Bethesda she was thoroughly impressed. Every day Abby was learning new things that made her admire the Colonel as an individual.
The water shut off and she knew it was only a matter of time before the pressed and dressed colonel would emerge from the door. Not being able to sit still for anything in her entire life, Abby got up and started looking around the room. She was intently going through the photographs on the wall as she waited when her attention was drawn to the image of a woman in an odd looking getup and a pipe hanging out of her mouth. From the looks of the photo Abby decided it had to be quite old, but there was something about the woman's eyes that kept her attention transfixed. So taken with the image she beheld, Abby failed to notice that the Colonel had emerged from the private bathroom.
Lt. Col. Cassidy was closing her belt buckle as she walked out into her office to find Abby staring at her wall of fame. She instantly recognized the picture she seemed to be fascinated with by the frame. The Colonel walked casually to stand just behind the young woman, waited a moment for Abby to recognize her presence, and when there was none she spoke. "My great aunt Cornelia." Abby jumped away from the voice like a skittish creature. The Colonel chuckled at her reaction, "Sorry 'bout that… I thought you knew I was here."
Abby quickly regained her composure and answered back, "I didn't know you'd come out of the bathroom." Abby turned back to the photograph and asked, "I thought this was a serviceman's memorial."
"It is." Lt. Col. Cassidy took the picture off the wall and noted, "Aunt Corny was a Merchant Marine during World War II. She personally delivered consumables to the troops in the European and African theatres, and then, instead of taking on profitable cargo to finance the trip, she brought refugees back to the States away from the war." She looked up from the frame and then handed it to Abby for a closer look. "When I was a little girl she ran a trawler through the Outer Banks after she couldn't make the Atlantic trip anymore."
Abby smiled at the story and asked, "So, you aren't the first woman to serve in your family?"
The Colonel chuckled at the question. "Not hardly! My mother was a Navy nurse, met my Daddy when she was working the draft examinations. Had to tell him they would be taking her before they ever gave him a gun." With that admission the Colonel walked back to her desk and Abby turned to watch her. "Poor Daddy was blind as a bat, color blind and so flat-footed you could take a level to his feet. So, he just worked for the government after he finished grad school. Still does a lot of consulting work with 'em, actually."
"What made you want to join up, and be a Marine, no less?" Abby was stalling for as long as she could with the conversation.
"My mother, all my uncles, my grandfathers, my brothers, my cousins… My family has been serving this country since before it was independent. In fact, my fourth Great Grandmother ran a convalescent home during the Civil War, and her Grandmother opened her home to soldiers and sailors escaping the British invasion of D.C. in the War of 1812, when she didn't even know if her own children were safe at the time." She sat down behind her desk and continued with her story. "She lost all but one son in that war, and that son was held as a prisoner in his home during the Civil War, because he wouldn't tell the Union officer where all of his sons were serving. After the war, most of the family left Maryland and settled in North Carolina with some cousins because of his imprisonment." A curious smirk fell onto her face as she leaned forward when Abby sat down in front of her. "See, the story goes, he was a little touched in the head after his own service and when he got older it became worse, so that Union officer punished him for not being able to tell him where his sons were, and because he refused to swear the Oath of Loyalty. The legend says that when he was asked to swear to his loyalty to the Union, he dropped his britches and showed the man where he had taken musket fire in his hindquarters saying, 'There's my loyalty!'"
"Oh Wow! That's awesome!" Abby and the Colonel shared a little laughter following the story and it served to relieve much of the tension. "That's a fantastic story, Colonel."
"So, what's your opinion of the last round of interview subjects, Dr. Scuito?" The Colonel's use of her title again had been making Abby nervous for a while, and she knew it was her doing, so she was the one who needed to set things right.
"Eh… No one really stood out as the right one for an assistant. But that Carver guy would make a good flunkie. I just don't think he has enough experience to be confident in that kind of position yet." The Colonel just nodded and Abby bit her lip as she tried to forced the last words out of her mouth. "Um, Colonel?"
"Yes."
"Can we talk about something else for a minute, maybe?" Abby shifted forward in her seat and laid her hands side by side, flat against the edge of the desk,
The Colonel looked up from her papers and sat back in her chair as she folded her hands in her lap. "Of course… What's on your mind?"
Abby drew in a deep breath and plunged right in. "Well, I'm sure you know, I've already been to a few of the sessions, and there's something I realized that I really wanted to get cleared up, before it gets any worse, or festers, or whatever… Ya know?"
"Of course. While I may not be your counselor, as your supervisor, I am always available to you, should you need to discuss something." Her plain tone made it just a little harder for Abby.
"And that's kinda what I wanted to talk about… See, when we first started talking, before you became my boss. I guess I kinda screwed things up, because I really thought you could be someone I'd like to have as a friend, and then I totally lost it on you because of that stuff you said. You know, about Kate." Abby saw nothing in the Colonel's expression that told her she was getting through, so she worked a little harder. "And since then, you've kept like this distance thing, that I totally understand, but it also kind of bothers me, because I know it's my fault and I really don't want to be distant, ya know. I was kinda hoping we could, maybe, I don't know, go back to the beginning or something."
Abby's entire body was on edge as she waited for the Colonel's response. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, the Colonel reached out for a pen and then began to write something down on her tablet. Abby tried not to look at the writing, but found herself craning her neck to get a better vantage point, when the Colonel looked up and caught her. Abby blushed at having gotten busted and shrugged, "Sorry."
The Colonel handed her the piece of paper and Abby instantly read it, but she only found an address written out, along with a few brief directions from the general area of her apartment. At the bottom of the page she found, "Sat. 1800, very casual" written there.
Abby looked up at the Colonel with a puzzled expression on her face. "I don't get it."
"At least once a month, my husband and I have a few people over for dinner. We never really know how many people are gonna show up, but I like cooking for an army, so it always works out. There's nobody in uniform, nothing official about it at all, and we usually end up having one or two people passed out in the spare rooms by the end of the night. The only thing we've ever asked is that nothing seen or heard is ever repeated in any official capacity. We've been having these since I started grad school, and it's become a tradition we've chosen to keep up." Abby was impressed with the whole notion, but she was still a little confused. "We'd be honored if you'd join us this weekend."
Abby's eyes instantly grew to the size of dinner plates. And then the Colonel added, "I've already received an affirmative from a certain red-headed special agent, but I wanted to make certain you knew that the invitation was being extended to you as well."
To try and combat her shock, Abby forced herself to swallow and blink. She shook her head slightly and said, "Then I guess all I need to know is what I'm supposed to bring."
The Colonel smirked and then leaned in to ask, "Well, I was kind of hoping to get a look at a picture I've heard rumors about. Involving an incredibly revealing vinyl dress, fishnet stockings and a very interesting array of makeup on a certain very conservative former secret service agent. And the other side of the story surrounding the incident that created it."