Sharing an Interpretation
"I agree," Tony answered. "Anyway, my romantic date would involve a trip with my date to the mythical Xanadu, where everything would shine with brilliance and beauty. We would dine on nectar and caviar, and toast each other with vintage champagne. Soft music would play in the background, and we would recline against silk cushions as we enjoyed our meal. It would be spectacular, and would make us feel like royalty."
"Awww….that was good, Tony," Ziva decided.
"I'm next," Palmer informed the others, leaning forward and grinning, "since I'm on Tony's left."
Everyone nodded agreeably and Palmer looked confused, "Xanadu ends in u, right?"
Tony and Abby assured him that it did.
"Ok, then, umbrella," Jimmy announced, his dimples appearing with the imagining. "My romantic evening involves an umbrella which I shall hold over my date's head as we enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride through some tropical paradise, Fiji, or one of those stunning islands. We would have spent the weekend soaking up the sun, scuba diving, and eating delicacies from the island's native offerings."
Everyone oohed and ahhed over that, and he turned to Abby. "You're up, so you get the a from my umbrella."
Abby pursed her lips and squinted her eyes, then settled against the back of the sofa and gave an order. "Give me a second here. I need to think about my options."
Tim stood up and stretched leisurely, "I have an idea for an A if you don't know one."
"Sit back down, because I have chosen mine," Abby scowled. "I don't recall asking for your help."
Tony added, "Cease, Timmy- you need to give Baby Girl a chance to think before you try to take over."
Tim scowled but sat back down.
Abby waited pointedly until he had resettled and then she leaned forward and spoke dramatically, drawing out the word, "Appetizer, that is my word, my very romantic, unique word."
"Ah ha, that is a good one," Jimmy acknowledged.
"I agree," Ziva added, "but don't you need to tell us what appetizer that you mean here?"
"All right," Abby tapped a forefinger against her chin and considered the suggestion. "So, my date and I would make our way to a really elegant restaurant and we would be dressed fabulously."
Tim raised an eyebrow and leaned towards her suspiciously. "What would you wear?"
Abby ignored his petulance and thought several seconds before she finally responded. "Uhmmm…..probably I would wear my long black velvet skirt with the skulls embroidered across the hem, and then my silver dog collar. That would be my second choice, though. I would just wear my long black satin dress- the one that would be my absolute first choice, but Gibbs won't let me out of the house with it."
She frowned and regarded Tony.
"Why not?" Ziva questioned, looking from one to the other.
"It doesn't have sleeves, or straps, and that would be all the reason he'd need," Abby clarified. "He wouldn't even listen to the part about I could put on a little jacket with it, he would just say no."
There were bursts of laughter, and then Tony illuminated the others. "Hey, sorry, I just remember one night when he made Baby Girl go back upstairs seven times until he was satisfied that she had enough of her body covered. Abby was so tired from running up and down stairs that she almost cancelled her date!"
They all laughed raucously at that, and McGee commented, "It's good to know Boss has some good common sense, even if Abby doesn't."
Abby stuck her tongue out at him for that, then rearranged herself for more comfort before she continued. "So, to continue, A is for appetizer. My date and I would begin with…."
"Oysters!" Tony interrupted.
Ziva contradicted, "No, caviar!"
"It's my A," Abby reminded them, "so our appetizers will be lobster or crab pate with some type of bread. Long, elegant candles with provide the only light at our table, and as we eat, we will create soft shadows on the walls." She giggled at the mental picture.
"You're making me hungry," Ziva commented, "even though we just ate a big supper."
"Sorry," Abby grinned, then pointed at Tim, "you're up, Timmy, with an E to get you going."
Palmer frowned, "That's not right, I don't think. It would be R, because appetizer ends in r."
"That's right!" Abby squealed. "I was thinking of pate. My bad, Timmy!"
"Ok, then, e," Tim drummed his fingers on the coffee table and looked around the living room for inspiration. "E for…" he paused, obviously stuck.
"Elephant," supplied Tony.
"Eggs," Ziva added.
Abby joined in with elf and Jimmy with Elvis.
McGee still sat pensively and didn't respond to the hints and support. They called out more possibilities then, hoping he would like one, but he didn't choose any.
The others began to fidget as seconds turned to minutes, and when he continued to ponder the E possibilities, they began to lose patience.
Abby stood up and stalked deliberately to the kitchen, then called down the steps to summon Jack.
He responded that he would come upstairs, and Abby shook her pigtails righteously and called out towards the living room, "You're gonna get it now, Timmy!"
By the time the older man actually joined them, Tim still hadn't come to any conclusion and he regarded the senior Gibbs in resignation.
"Jack, tell Timmy he has to answer because we're having to wait way too long on him," Abby begged. "The rest of us together managed not to take as long as he is taking!"
The others added their voices and agreed, but McGee just scowled at them.
Jack regarded the group and then pointed at Tim. "Give the young man a chance, all of you, and quit ganging up on him. Why I'll bet he has his ready right now."
"Europe," Timmy announced, his voice strong and jubilant as he smiled gleefully at Jack. "My answer is Europe. I would take my date to Europe for a romantic getaway."
"No, McGee, you can't say that. Europe is more than just a night's date," Ziva contradicted. "You may not use that because you and the girl would have to fly there and back, and it would take a couple of days."
Jimmy agreed, "That is right, McGee, Ziva is right about that."
"Nope," Tim insisted, "Europe for my date, because I would have my very own plane to fly her there and back."
Jack laughed at Tim's great comeback, and the others couldn't help but join him. When they all calmed Jack asked, "What's your next game? How about Charades?"
Everyone jumped up excitedly at the suggestion and began talking at once. Tony and Jimmy quickly moved the coffee table out of the way to free up some floor space, and Tim moved the side chairs.
Jack waited until they actually got settled again before he decreed, "Now, romance is the name of the game, so you all have to act out your romantic dates."
Tony's face lit delightedly but Abby frowned and called, "Jack, Jack, Jack, tell Tony it has to be rated G for children and not something that needs to be censored! You know how he is!"
Jack raised his eyebrows at Tony, who held up his hands in surrender. "I wasn't even going to do that. The Baby Girl just wants to get me into trouble."
He stuck his tongue out at her and she responded in kind.
Ziva took the floor, then, and announced that she needed to be first because she had begun first earlier.
The older man stood propped against the doorway and watched the beginning minutes of the game, then made his way back downstairs to Ducky and to his son.
He described the upstairs activities to the other two and they laughed good naturedly.
"Tony and Abby will like the charades part of the game," Gibbs pointed out. "Neither has any qualms about being the center of attention, and they are born actors."
"True enough," Ducky agreed, "but also, Ziva thrives with having the focus on her. She likes attention."
Jack nodded, "I guess that just leaves Palmer and McGee to provide the calm, to fill in as the supporting cast."
Jethro held out his glass for Ducky to refill his drink and he sipped it thoughtfully. Finally he picked up a piece of sandpaper and began buffing a section of the boat. He stopped abruptly, then grinned at Jack, who had just accepted his own refill of alcohol. "I am still trying to reconcile the idea of Tony and Xanadu!"
They all laughed.